Test 31 Solutions.final .

INSIGHTS MOCK TEST SERIES 2015: TEST – 31 SOLUTIONS

http://www.insightsonindia.com INSIGHTS Page 1

1. Solution: a)

Lichens are composite, symbiotic organisms made up from members of as many as three kingdoms. The dominant partner is a fungus. Fungi are incapable of making their own food. They usually provide for themselves as parasites or decomposers.

The lichen fungi (kingdom Fungi) cultivate partners that manufacture food by photosynthesis. Sometimes the partners are algae (kingdom Protista), other times cyanobacteria (kingdom Monera), formerly called blue-green algae. Some enterprising fungi exploit both at once.

Pioneer species are hardy species which are the first to colonize previously disrupted or damaged ecosystems, beginning a chain of ecological succession that ultimately leads to a more biodiverse steady-state ecosystem. Examples can be phytoplankton, zooplankton, lichens, mosses etc.

2. Solution: c)

Sickle-cell disease (SCD), also known as sickle-cell anaemia (SCA) and drepanocytosis, is a hereditary blood disorder, characterized by an abnormality in the oxygen-carrying haemoglobin molecule in red blood cells.

“Inherited” means that the disease is passed by genes from parents to their children. SCD is not contagious. A person cannot catch it, like a cold or infection, from someone else.

At the present time, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the only cure for

SCD. Unfortunately, most people with SCD are either too old for a transplant or don’t have a relative who is a good enough genetic match for them to act as a donor. A well-matched donor is needed to have the best chance for a successful transplant.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/sickle-cell-anaemia-stalks-adivasis-says-study/article7431619.ece

3. Solution: a)

Currency swap agreements exist to assist countries during periods of tight liquidity or balance of payments and liquidity crises.

Under this agreement, Sri Lanka can draw a maximum of $1.1 billion for a period of up to six months.

The agreement is in addition to the existing framework on currency swap arrangement for the SAARC member countries, an arrangement by which SAARC members can draw currency $100 million-$400 million, with a total limit of $2 billion, from an RBI financing facility set up for this purpose.

4. Solution: d)

Zoos and botanical gardens are the most conventional methods of ex situ conservation, all of which house whole, protected specimens for breeding and reintroduction into the wild when necessary and possible.

Endangered plants may also be preserved in part through seed banks or germ plasm banks. The term seed bank sometimes refers to a

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lichen vs phytoplankton

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cryogenic laboratory facility in which the seeds of certain species can be preserved for up to a century or more without losing their fertility.

It can also be used to refer to a special type of arboretum where seeds are harvested and the crop is rotated. For plants that cannot be preserved in seed banks, the only other option for preserving germ plasm is in-vitro storage, where cuttings of plants are kept under strict conditions in glass tubes and vessels.

Also read the drawbacks of ex-situ conservation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ex_situ_conservation#Drawbacks

5. Solution: c)

Under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, the state governments have to notify the list of core and buffer areas of tiger reserves in their territory.

Core zone (critical tiger habitats) is where tigers usually rest, reside, feed and breed.

Buffer zones are areas that lie in the periphery of the core zone.

Buffer zones constitute the fringe areas i.e. the outside boundary of tiger reserves up to 10 kms.

6. Solution: a)

Species like Blue whale and Whooping crane are highly susceptible to extinction because of the reasons stated in statement 1 and 2.

Island species are also likely to be extinct because of their narrow range of distribution.

Moreover, species which are higher in food chain have greater chances to be extinct, not the ones that lie at the bottom of the food chain.

7. Solution: d)

Mercury is used in laboratories for making thermometers, barometers, diffusion pumps, and many other instruments. It is used for mercury switches and other electrical apparatus. It is used as an electrode in some types of electrolysis and for making batteries (mercury cells).

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Potassium dichromate has uses in photography and in photographic screen printing, where it is used as an oxidizing agent together with a strong mineral acid.

The light sensitive silver halides, silver chloride, silver bromide and silver iodide, are used to make photographic film and photographic paper.

8. Solution: b)

Apart from being used in manures seaweeds or marine algae are a food source for humans especially in East Asia, it is most commonly associated with Japanese food. Seaweeds also are used to make a number of food additives such as alginates and carrageenan which is used in cooking and baking as a vegetarian alternative to gelatine.

Many seaweeds are used as medicine. Alginates are used in wound dressings and in the production of dental moulds and agar is used very widely in Microbiology to help grow bacterial cultures.

Seaweeds are ingredients in toothpaste, cosmetics and paints and are used in industrial products such as paper coatings, adhesives, dyes, gels, explosives and many more.

Much of the oil and natural gas we use today formed from seaweeds which partially decomposed on the sea floor many millions of years ago.

9. Solution: d)

Social forestry is defined as “Forestry outside the conventional forests which primarily aim at providing continuous flow of goods and services for the benefit of people. This definition implies that the production of forest goods for the needs of the local people is Social forestry. Thus, social forestry aims at growing forests of the choice of the local population

On the other hand, agro-forestry includes a variety of land uses where woody species are grown in combination with crops. For instance crops can be grown in between rows of saal, teak etc.

10. Solution: d)

About 84% of total evaporation comes from the oceans. They receive 77% of the total precipitation.

16% evaporation comes from land. Land receives 24% precipitation. There is a gain of 7% in land.

This excess is returned by surface run-off and sub-surface flows to the ocean again.

Thus the water cycle maintains equilibrium.

11. Solution: b)

Production functions include producing furits, woods, resins, alkaloids, medicines etc.



Protective functions include conservation of soil and water, prevention of drought, shelter against cold, wind and radiation, noise etc.

Regulative functions help improve atmosphere and temperature conditions.

The above functions tell us that the economical value of forests is very high and they play a very important role in maintaining the biological cycle on earth.

12. Solution: c)

Mineralization in soil science is decomposition or oxidation of the chemical compounds (minerals) in organic matter into plant-accessible forms. Mineralization is the opposite of immobilization.

Immobilization (or demineralisation) in soil science is the conversion of inorganic compounds to organic compounds by micro-organisms or plants, by which it is prevented from being accessible to plants. Immobilization is the opposite of mineralization.

13. Solution: c)

Bacteria that change nitrogen gas from the atmosphere into solid nitrogen usable by plants are called nitrogen-fixing bacteria. These bacteria are found both in the soil and in symbiotic relationships with plants.

Rhizobium is not a free-living bacterium. It is tied to the host legume plant in a symbiotic relationship.

Psedomonas is a denitrifying bacterium. It converts nitrate back to Nitrogen for release in the atmosphere.

14. Solution: a)

§ It is a symbiotic relation of fungi with roots of vascular plants.

§ Nearly all plants on earth rely on mycorrhizal fungi for nutrients and moisture. Many plants are extremely dependent and can struggle to survive without the beneficial fungi (grapes and roses are examples).

§ Plants and mycorrhizal fungi operate as a single working unit in nature. The plant performs photosynthesis and other above-ground functions, and the fungi handle underground nutrition-gathering and protect the roots. It is not normal to grow plants without mycorrhizae on the roots – this is often the cause of disease and insect problems!

§ Other benefits include enhanced rooting of cuttings, increased root generation, increased drought resistance, increased salt tolerance, reduced transplant shock, and enhancement of other valuable organisms in the soil.



15. Solution: d)

It has been explained beautifully here http://www.majordifferences.com/2014/03/difference-between-c3-and-c4-plants.html#.VavrYaSqqko

C4 plants have a competitive advantage over plants possessing the more common C3 carbon fixation pathway under conditions of drought, high temperatures, and nitrogen or CO2 limitation.

16. Solution: b)

Unlike many other biogeochemical cycles, the atmosphere does not play a significant role in the movement of phosphorus, because phosphorus and phosphorus-based compounds are usually solids at the typical ranges of temperature and pressure found on Earth. P cannot be found in the air as a gas.

Phosphates move quickly through plants and animals; however, the processes that move them through the soil or ocean are very slow, making the phosphorus cycle overall one of the slowest biogeochemical cycles. Rain water contains phosphorus and nitrogen from air pollution.

Initially, phosphate weathers from rocks and minerals, the most common mineral being apatite. Overall small losses occur in terrestrial environments by leaching and erosion, through the action of rain. In soil, phosphate is absorbed on iron oxides, aluminium hydroxides, clay surfaces, and organic matter particles, and becomes incorporated (immobilized or fixed). Plants and fungi can also be active in making P soluble.

17. Solution: b)

50% of available solar radiation is photosynthetically active radiation. Rest of the energy is deflected by the atmosphere.

You also need to know that visible light is the only band of light on the spectrum to be considered photosynthetically active. It has the perfect amount of energy to excite the electrons needed to start photosynthesis and not damage DNA or break bonds.

Ultraviolet cannot be used for photosynthesis because it has too much energy. This energy breaks the bonds in molecules and can destroy DNA and other important structures in organism.

18. Solution: d)



Species that have strong effects on the composition of communities are called Keystone Species.

Example: Starfish, Humming Bird, Sea Otter, African elephants, Beaver, Flying Fox, Prairie dogs.

In addition to keystone species, there are other categories of species that are crucial to their ecosystem's survival.

Critical link Species are species which play an important role in supporting network species by functioning as pollinators, nutrient circulators or absorbers. There are a large number of critical link species in any ecosystem.

The species which are found most abundantly in ecotone boundary are known as edge species.

Ecotone is defined as the place or area, where two major communities meet and blend together. It consists of species of both the communities.

19. Solution: a)

http://indpaedia.com/ind/index.php/The_Karak_clan_of_Queen_Hwang-ok/_Suri_Ratna

• India has begun the work of tracing its “shared heritage” with Korea using the legendary Queen Suriratna, a princess from Ayodhya who travelled to the country to marry King Kim Suro in 48 AD, as a pivot.

• During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Seoul in May, it was announced

that India and Korea will strengthen their historic connection by enhancing linkages of Korean people with Ayodhya.

• A decision was also taken to upgrade the monument for Queen Suriratna, also know as Hur Hwang-ok, in Ayodhya as a joint project between the two countries.

20. Solution: d)

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/heres-the-first-look-of-amaravati/article7439266.ece

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/150405/nation-current-affairs/article/all-you-need-know-about-andhra-pradesh%E2%80%99s-capital-city

21. Solution: c)

The Betwa or Betravati is a river in Northern India, and a tributary of the Yamuna. Also known as the Vetravati, the Betwa rises in the Vindhya Range just north of Hoshangabad in Madhya Pradesh and flows north-east through Madhya Pradesh and Orchha to Uttar Pradesh. Nearly half of its course, which is not navigable, runs over the Malwa Plateau.

The Ken River is one of the major rivers of the Bundelkhand region of central India, and flows through two states, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. It is a tributary of the Yamuna.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/interlinking-of-rivers-vital-for-water-food-security-minister/article7439174.ece



22. Solution: c)

Though the President of India is not a member of either House of Parliament and does not sit in the Parliament to attend its meetings, he is an integral part of the Parliament.

This is because a bill passed by both the Houses of Parliament cannot become law without the President’s assent. He also performs certain functions relating to the proceedings of the Parliament, for example, he summons and prorogues both the Houses, dissolves the Lok Sabha, addresses both the Houses, issues ordinances when they are not in session, and so on.

23. Solution: a)

The representatives of states in the Rajya Sabha are elected by the elected members of state legislative assemblies. The election is held in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.

The representatives of each union territory in the Rajya Sabha are indirectly elected by members of an electroral college specially constituted for the purpose. This election is also held in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. Out of the seven union territories, only two (Delhi and Puducherry) have representation in Rajya Sabha. The

populations of other five union territories are too small to have any representative in the Rajya Sabha.

24. Solution: c)

Under the Constitution, a person shall be disqualified for being elected as a Member of Parliament:

• if he holds any office of profit under the Union or state government (except that of a minister or any other office exempted by Parliament).

• if he is of unsound mind and stands so declared by a court.

• if he is an undischarged insolvent. • if he voluntary (not expelled) gives

up the membership of the political party on whose ticket he is elected to the House

• if he is not a citizen of India or has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a foreign state or is under any acknowledgement of allegiance to a foreign state; and

• if he is so disqualified under any law made by Parliament.

• He must not be a director or managing agent nor hold an office of profit in a corporation in which the government has at least 25 per cent share.

• He must not have been dismissed from government service for corruption or disloyalty to the State.

25. Solution: a)



The Speaker is elected by the Lok Sabha from amongst its members (as soon as may be, after its first sitting). Whenever the office of the Speaker falls vacant, the Lok Sabha elects another member to fill the vacancy. The date of election of the Speaker is fixed by the President.

Usually, the Speaker remains in office during the life of the Lok Sabha. However, he has to vacate his office earlier in any of the following three cases:

o if he ceases to be a member of the Lok Sabha;

o if he resigns by writing to the Deputy Speaker; and

o if he is removed by a resolution passed by a majority of all the members of the Lok Sabha.

Such a resolution can be moved only after giving 14 days advance notice.

When a resolution for the removal of the Speaker is under consideration of the House, he cannot preside at the sitting of the House, though he may be present. However, he can speak and take part in the proceedings of the House at such a time and vote in the first instance, though not in the case of an equality of votes.

It should be noted here that, whenever the Lok Sabha is dissolved, the Speaker does not vacate his office and continues till the newly- elected Lok Sabha meets.

26. Solution: d)

Speaker is the final interpreter of the provisions of (a) the Constitution of India, (b) the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of Lok Sabha, and (c) the parliamentary precedents, within the House. Powers of Chairman, Rajya Sabha are the same.

Moreover, they derive their powers and duties from three sources, that is, the Constitution of India, the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of Lok Sabha, and Parliamentary Conventions (residuary powers that are unwritten or unspecified in the Rules).

27. Solution: c)

The institutions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker originated in India in 1921 under the provisions of the Government of India Act of 1919 (Montague–Chelmsford Reforms). At that time, the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker were called the President and Deputy President respectively and the same nomenclature continued till 1947.

Before 1921, the Governor- General of India used to preside over the meetings of the Central Legislative Council. In 1921, the Frederick Whyte and Sachidanand Sinha were appointed by the Governor-General of India as the first Speaker and the first Deputy Speaker (respectively) of the central legislative assembly. In 1925, Vithalbhai J. Patel became the first Indian and the first elected Speaker of the central legislative assembly.



The Government of India Act of 1935 changed the nomenclatures of President and Deputy President of the Central Legislative Assembly to the Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively.

28. Solution: c)

The concept of ‘equality before law’ is an element of the concept of ‘Rule of Law’, propounded by A.V. Dicey, the British jurist. His concept has the following three elements or aspects:

(i) Absence of arbitrary power, that is, no man can be punished except for a breach of law.

(ii) Equality before the law, that is, equal subjection of all citizens (rich or poor, high or low, official or non-official) to the ordinary law of the land administered by the ordinary law courts.

(iii) The primacy of the rights of the individual, that is, the constitution is the result of the rights of the individual as defined and enforced by the courts of law rather than the constitution being the source of the individual rights.

The first and the second elements are applicable to the Indian System and not the third one. In the Indian System, the constitution is the source of the individual rights.

29. Solution: a)

Originally, it had 25 members but in 1956 its membership was raised to 30. All the thirty

members are from Lok Sabha only. The Rajya Sabha has no representation in this committee. These members are elected by the Lok Sabha every year from amongst its members, according to the principles of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote.

Thus, all parties get due representation in it. The term of office is one year. A minister cannot be elected as a member of the committee. The chairman of the committee is appointed by the Speaker from amongst its members and he is invariably from the ruling party.

30. Solution: b)

Financial committees of Estimates, PSUs, and Public Accounts keep track of expenditure, its usefulness and performance of the administrative spending.

Some laws need to be filled with administrative details by the instrument of delegated legislation. The committee on delegated legislation scrutinizes such rules and regulations formed by the executive or bureaucracy.

Zero hour and question hour are used to raise any matter in Lok Sabha. The administration can be held accountable.

31. Solution: d)

Article 75 of the Constitution says that the council of ministers shall be collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. It means that the



ministry stays in office so long as it enjoys confidence of the majority of the members of the Lok Sabha.

In other words, the Lok Sabha can remove the ministry from office by passing a no-confidence motion. The motion needs the support of 50 members to be admitted.

32. Solution: d)

Popular sovereignty is a basic idea of democracy. Popular sovereignty means that the people are the ultimate source of the authority of their government.

Popular sovereignty means that democratic government is by the people and for the people—for the benefit of the people, not for the benefit of those who govern in their name.

Government in a democracy is the servant of the people; it is not their master. Therefore, those who govern are public servants—they hold public office only to serve the people, not to serve themselves. In a democracy, political authority flows from the people to the government—not from government to the People.

Popular sovereignty means that the government can only exercise authority if it has been given permission to do so by the People. Therefore, popular sovereignty limits the powers of government.

33. Solution: c)

Article 13 declares that all laws that are inconsistent with or in derogation of any of the

fundamental rights shall be void. In other words, it expressively provides for the doctrine of judicial review.

This “power” (not source of power, read carefully) has been conferred on the Supreme Court (Article 32) and the high courts (Article 226) that can declare a law unconstitutional and invalid on the ground of contravention of any of the Fundamental Rights.

Thus, not only a legislation but any of the above can be challenged in the courts as violating a Fundamental Right and hence, can be declared as void.

34. Solution: d)

UPSC only certifies eligible candidates. Appointment is done by DoPT (Government of India).

Service Conditions of AIS are determined by the Parliament.

Members of AIS cannot be removed by an authority subordinate to the one that appointed it. President appoints members of AIS. So, they cannot be removed by the PM.

35. Solution: a)

The Appropriation Bill becomes the Appropriation Act after it is assented to by the President. This act authorises (or legalises) the payments from the Consolidated Fund of India. This means that the government cannot withdraw money from the Consolidated Fund of India till the enactment of the appropriation



bill. This takes time and usually goes on till the end of April.

But the government needs money to carry on its normal activities after 31 March (the end of the financial year). To overcome this functional difficulty, the Constitution has authorised the Lok Sabha to make any grant in advance in respect to the estimated expenditure for a part of the financial year, pending the completion of the voting of the demands for grants and the enactment of the appropriation bill.

This provision is known as the ‘vote on account’. It is passed (or granted) after the general discussion on budget is over. It is generally granted for two months for an amount equivalent to one-sixth of the total estimate.

36. Solution: d)

The Finance Ministry of India presents the Economic Survey in the parliament every year, just before the Union Budget. It is the ministry's view on the annual economic development of the country.

Economic Survey reviews the developments in the Indian economy over the previous 12 months, summarizes the performance on major development programs, and highlights the policy initiatives of the government and the prospects of the economy in the short to medium term. This document is presented to both houses of Parliament during the Budget Session (not along with the budget).

37. Solution: c)

Every department and official is given information about the amount of funds they have and they have to perform within it - if it goes overboard then they are accountable. These funds are passed by the Parliament/Legislature through voting. The auditing and reporting work is ex post facto as it is not easy to get the finance back once the Finance Ministry sanctions funds to the departments.

So, ultimately Parliament has to hold the executive financially accountable.

38. Solution: d)

The International North–South Transport Corridor is the ship, rail, and road route for moving freight between India, Russia, Iran, Europe and Central Asia. The route primarily involves moving freight from India, Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia via ship, rail and road.

The objective of the corridor is to increase trade connectivity between major cities such as Mumbai, Moscow, Tehran, Baku, Bandar Abbas, Astrakhan, Bandar Anzali and etc.

Dry runs of two routes were conducted in 2014, the first was Mumbai to Baku via Bandar Abbas and the second was Mumbai to Astrakhan via Bandar Abbas, Tehran and Bandar Anzali.

39. Solution: d)



British cosmologist Steven Hawking on Monday launched the biggest-ever search for intelligent life in the universe in a 10-year, $100-million (143-million-euro) project to scan the heavens.

• The Breakthrough Listen project, backed by Russian Silicon Valley entrepreneur Yuri Milner, will be the most powerful, comprehensive and intensive scientific search ever undertaken for signs of extra-terrestrial intelligent life.

• The project will use some of the biggest telescopes on Earth, searching far deeper into the universe than before for radio spectrum and laser signals.

• The initiative is allied with the Breakthrough Message project, an international competition to create digital messages that represent humanity.

There is no commitment to send any messages into space, and the project should spark discussion about whether humans should be sending messages at all out into the void.

40. Solution: a)

Aurangzeb was the last of the powerful Mughal rulers.

He established control over a very large part of the territory that is now known as India. After his death in 1707, many Mughal governors (subadars) and big zamindars began asserting their authority and establishing regional kingdoms.

As powerful regional kingdoms emerged in various parts of India, Delhi could no longer function as an effective centre.

41. Solution: c)

When Alivardi Khan died in 1756, Sirajuddaulah became the nawab of Bengal. The Company was worried about his power and keen on a puppet ruler who would willingly give trade concessions and other privileges. So it tried, though without success, to help one of Sirajuddaulah’s rivals become the nawab.

An infuriated Sirajuddaulah asked the Company to stop meddling in the political affairs of his dominion, stop fortification, and pay the revenues. After negotiations failed, the Nawab marched with 30,000 soldiers to the English factory at Kassimbazar, captured the Company officials, locked the warehouse, disarmed all Englishmen, and blockaded English ships. Then he marched to Calcutta to establish control over the Company’s fort there.

On hearing the news of the fall of Calcutta, Company officials in Madras sent forces under the command of Robert Clive, reinforced by naval fleets. Prolonged negotiations with the Nawab followed. Finally, in 1757, Robert Clive led the Company’s army against Sirajuddaulah at Plassey.

42. Solution: d)

This page deals brilliantly with Gandhian ideology of democracy and state.



http://www.mkgandhi.org/articles/indian_democracy.html

Mahatma Gandhi’s imagination of the democracy -fully encircled with non-violence -exists in no nation of the world as up to now. Democracy of his imagination happens to be one, which does not have any provision of punishment and even an organization like ‘State’ happens to be obsolete in it. This is because Mahatma Gandhi holds, “…State is symbolical of centralized and organized violence.” As non-violence is connected with human soul, man can be non-violent whereas in opposition to it, “… State is a soul-less machine. On this accord, it is impossible to get rid of violence. Its very existence depends upon violence.” Philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi, non-violence should be admitted as invariable part of our life and it is on the basis of this dictum that modem polities must operate.

While in the present day democracy, there is a great deal of centralization and inequality. In a stateless democracy there is decentralization and equality.

43. Solution: d)

The Organization and its Members, in pursuit of the Purposes stated in Article 1, shall act in accordance with the following Principles.

• The Organization is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members.

• All Members, in order to ensure to all of them the rights and benefits resulting

from membership, shall fulfill in good faith the obligations assumed by them in accordance with the present Charter.

• All Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered.

• All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.

• All Members shall give the United Nations every assistance in any action it takes in accordance with the present Charter, and shall refrain from giving assistance to any state against which the United Nations is taking preventive or enforcement action.

• The Organization shall ensure that states which are not Members of the United Nations act in accordance with these Principles so far as may be necessary for the maintenance of international peace and security.

• Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state or shall require the Members to submit such matters to settlement under the present Charter;



but this principle shall not prejudice the application of enforcement measures under Chapter Vll.

44. Solution: c)

The Wadiyar dynasty was an Indian Hindu dynasty that ruled the Kingdom of Mysore from 1399 to 1947.

It was in news recently due to the coronation of the new prince.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/yaduveer-gopal-raj-urs-is-new-heir-of-mysuru-royal-family/article6886404.ece

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/prince-of-mysore-srikantadatta-narasimharaja-wodeyar-passes-away/

Four wars were fought with Mysore (1767-69, 1780-84, 1790-92 and 1799). Only in the last – the Battle of Seringapatam – did the Company ultimately win a victory. Tipu Sultan was killed defending his capital Seringapatam, Mysore was placed under the former ruling dynasty of the Wodeyars and a subsidiary alliance was imposed on the state.

45. Solution: d)

The Buddha told us, "The nature of Human life is suffering". (He did not say all living being suffer).

This suffering has a case which is ignorance of what ‘is’.

Suffering can be ended by knowing the four noble truths and following the eightfold path. They essentially centre on ending ignorance by following dharma, right meditation, contemplation etc.

You can understand their meanings here http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/intro_bud.htm

46. Solution: c)

Dana is a virtue and duty in Jainism. It is considered an act of compassion, and must be done with no desire for material gain.

Four types of Dana are discussed in the texts of Jainism: Ahara-dana (donation of food), Ausadha-dana (donation of medicine), Jnana-dana (donation of knowledge) and and Abhaya-dana (giving of protection or freedom from fear, asylum to someone under threat).

Dāna is one of ten means to gain positive karma, in the soteriological theories of Jainism. Medieval era texts of Jainism dedicate a substantial portion of their discussions to the need and virtue of Dāna.

47. Solution: b)

Large Kingdoms and stately cities made their appearance in the later Vedic Period. In Taittariya Brahmana you will notice the theory of the divine origin of kingship.

The government machinery became more elaborate than before , as a sequel to the growth of the power of the king . New civil functionaries, besides the only civil functionary



of the Rigvedic Period the purohita came into existence. These were : the Bhagadudha ( Collector of taxes), the Suta/ Sarathi (the Royalherald or Charioteer ), the Khasttri (Chamberlain), The Akshavapa (Courier).

The military officials of the Rigvedic times, the Senani (the head of the village ) continued to function.

48. Solution: b)

Gandhi’s entry into public life began with the ‘Satyagraha’ in Champaron district of Bihar in 1917. He could mobilize the peasants of this district against the exploitation of European indigo planters. In 1918, Gandhiji led a “no tax campaign” at Khera in Gujarat where the peasants were not able to pay the revenue due to famine.

But, after the Jalianwala Bagh tragedy, the government expressed no sign of regret but went ahead with more repression.

Mahatma Gandhi was shocked and suspended the ‘Satyagraha’ declaring it as a “Himalayan Blunder”.

It was because he had asked those people to pursue non-violence who could not afford to be non-violent. The Satyagraha movement failed in attaining its object as the government did not withdraw the Rowlatt Act. However, it was the first experiment of non-violence of Gandhiji in Indian politics.

49. Solution: c)

Vaishnavism (Vaisnava dharma) is one of the major branches of Hinduism along with Shaivism, Smartism, and Shaktism. It is focused on the veneration of Vishnu. Vaishnavites, or the followers of the Vishnu, lead a way of life promoting the central importance of Vishnu and his ten avatars.

Vaishnavism flourished in predominantly Shaivite South India during the seventh to tenth centuries CE and is still commonplace, especially in Tamil Nadu, as a result of the twelve Alvars, saints who spread the sect to the common people with their devotional hymns.

In later years, Vaishnava practices increased in popularity due to the influence of sages like Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya, Nimbarkacharya, Vallabhacharya, Vedanta Desika, Manavala Mamunigal, Surdas, Tulsidas, eknath, Tyagaraja, and many others. But not everyone adopted and embraced Vaishnavism

50. Solution: d)

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/a-battle-without-winners/article7449218.ece

The novel Madhorubagan, written by Perumal Murugan published four years ago, deals with a ritual that has been practiced in Tiruchengode a century ago. As per the ritual, a women could go with any man on the night of the festival. A child born out of such a relation was treated as gift of God. In the novel, a couple is childless and the wife wants to take part in the ritual. The husband is opposed to it but is forced to be a silent witness when the wife choses to go her



way. The protest by some Hindu bodies is against the "sexual permissiveness' and blasphemy as shown in the book.

51. Solution: a)

The spacecraft also made several predictions about the planet which should be read here. It is quite contrary to what was understood till date about Pluto.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/historic-flyby/article7449216.ece

The Kuiper belt sometimes called the Edgeworth–Kuiper belt, is a region of the Solar System beyond the planets, extending from the orbit of Neptune (at 30 AU) to approximately 50 AU from the Sun.

It is similar to the asteroid belt, but it is far larger—20 times as wide and 20 to 200 times as massive.

52. Solution: b)

The Supreme Court in Mithu vs State of Punjab struck down Section 303 of the Indian Penal Code, which provided for a mandatory death sentence for offenders serving a life sentence.

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/death-sentences-trial-and-error/article7448579.ece

In the Bachan singh case it gave the rarest of rate doctrine according to which death penalty should be given only in the extreme cases and where life sentence should not at all be appropriate.

Last year, while handing down its Shatrughan Chauhan vs Union of India ruling, the Supreme Court spelt out clear guidelines on the legal rights of prisoners on death row.

53. Solution: d)

Agreement for establishing NDB was signed during the 6th BRICS Summit being held in Fortaleza, Brazil in April, 2014. It was formally launched at the 7th BRICS summit held in Ufa, Russia in July 2015.

Purpose: To fund infrastructure projects in the emerging economies. It is seen as an alternative institute to west dominated World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Capital: It will have initial capital of US 50 billion dollars and will be raised to US 100 billion dollars within the next couple of years.

Each member’s role: They will have an equal say in the bank’s management, regardless of GDP size and contribute an equal share in establishing a startup capital.

President: Eminent banker Kundapur Vaman Kamath from India is President of Bank for the first five years i.e. till 2020.

54. Solution: d)

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According to the OECD ‘Government at a Glance 2015’ report, trust represents the confidence of citizens and businesses in government to do what is right and perceived as fair.

Changes in trust levels could be affected by many factors, including the economic outlook, political changes such as elections or other major events such as disasters or major scandals including corruption cases. Moreover, expectations of citizens could grow at a faster pace than government responses.

This is the only survey that collects data on the issue of trust in governments. It is a sampling survey of 1,000 citizens in each country conducted by World Poll, which has been doing it since 2005.

55. Solution: d)

IPC Section 499/500 was in news recently.

The Centre has told the Supreme Court that defamation should remain a penal offence in India as the defamer may be too poor to compensate the victim. It has denied that criminal defamation had any chilling effect on free speech. The IPC under Section 499/500 criminalizes defamatory speech. This means that a person can be imprisoned for a maximum period of 2 years, if found guilty.

According to the Section 66A of the IT act, any person who sends, by means of a computer resource or a communication device,- (a) any information that is grossly offensive or has menacing character; or

(b) any information which he knows to be false, but for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred or ill will, persistently by making use of such computer resource or a communication device,

56. Solution: d)

In its 50-year history, Japan has been the only Asian country to hold it with India being bestowed the honor to host the 12th such International symposium now.

The Themes for the Symposium include Antarctica and Supercontinent Evolution, Antarctic Surface Processes, Landscapes, and Links with Cryosphere and Climate, Antarctic Solid Earth Structure and Interactions with the Cryosphere: Antarctica, the Southern Ocean, and Evolution of Climate and the Global Cryosphere, amongst others.

57. Solution: d) • The deal puts strict limits on Iran’s

nuclear activities for at least a decade and calls for stringent U.N. oversight, with world powers hoping this will make any dash to make an atomic bomb virtually impossible.

• In return, Iran will get sanctions relief although the measures can “snap back” into place if there are any violations.

• The international arms embargo against Iran will remain for five years but deliveries would be possible with special permission of the U.N. Security Council. Iran has accepted allowing the U.N.



atomic watchdog tightly-controlled “managed access” to military bases.

• Iran will slash by around two-thirds the number of centrifuges from around 19,000 to 6,104.

• The deal caps uranium enrichment at 3.67% and limits the stockpile to 300 kg, all for 15 years.

• Iran will be required to ship spent fuel out of the country forever, as well as allow inspectors from the IAEA inspectors certain access in perpetuity. Heightened inspections, including tracking uranium mining and monitoring the production and storage of centrifuges, will last for up to 20 years.

58. Solution: b)

DAC was set up in October 2001 following recommendations from Group of Ministers (GoMs) on ‘Reforming the National Security System.’

The need for DAC was felt post-Kargil conflict and this high-level body is chaired by the Defence Minister.

Other members include: Minister of State for Defence, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Chief of Air Staff, Defence Secretary, Secretary Defence Research & Development, Secretary Defence Production, Chief of Integrated Staff Committees (HQ IDS), Director General (Acquisition) and Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff.

The main aim of the DAC is to fast-track procurement process of the armed forces by optimally utilising the available budget.

59. Solution: c)

60. Solution: a) • It will comprise members of the Centre

and states to promote India’s overseas shipments.

• The council will be chaired by the Union Commerce and Industry Minister and secretaries of key ministries and state ministers will be the members.

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• The main objective of the council will be facilitating trade from states in a bid to boost the country’s exports and rationalising non-essential imports..

• The move comes amid declining exports which fell 5.45 per cent to $25.1 billion in June, while imports fell 13.46 per cent to $35.4 billion.

• The essential issues that will be taken up with the state officials include infrastructure bottlenecks in terms of road connectivity, power supply, law and order and overall governance; regulatory environment; and local taxation-related matters particularly where refunds are involved.

http://indianexpress.com/article/business/business-others/with-aim-to-promote-exports-govt-to-set-up-trading-facilitation-council/

61. Solution: a)

In a major fillip to industrial infrastructure in the Palakkad region, the Union government’s Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has approved a proposal from the Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Kinfra) to set up the country’s first defence industrial park at Ottappalam.

• The proposed park will be established as part of the Make in India, Make in Kerala project

• It will have modern common infrastructure facilities aimed at attracting component manufacturers in the defence industry.

• The Union government has agreed to bring it under the Modified Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation Scheme (MIIUS).

62. Solution: c)

The Supreme Court recently directed the government to have a re-look at the drug pricing policy to help make life-saving medicines affordable for the common man.

• The government had approved the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy (NPPP) in 2012.

• This policy at bringing 348 essential drugs under price control and also lead to reduction in prices. With this, the Govt would control prices of 348 essential drugs.

• The policy debars the companies from using the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) to increase the prices of the essential medicines on their own each year. Thus, the companies had to seek approval from the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority whenever they wanted to increase the prices of the items covered under the Drug Price Control Order.

• It covers only 348 drugs covered under National list of life saving medicines.

63. Solution: d)

The GI tag ensures that none other than those registered as authorised users (or at least those residing inside the geographic territory) are



allowed to use the popular product name. Darjeeling tea became the first GI tagged product in India, in 2004-05, since then by September 2010, 184 had been added to the list. These are listed below.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Geographical_Indications_in_India

Just scan through the list. Its a long one. Be aware of popular names.

64. Solution: d)

The “Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh” (JSK) (National Population Stabilisation Fund) has been registered as an autonomous Society established under the Societies Registration Act of 1860.

• The Union Health Minister heads the General Body of JSK and the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare, Women and Child Development, Department of School Education & Literacy, Rural Development, Planning Commission are represented by their Secretaries on the General Body of JSK.

• All State Governments are members of JSK.

65. Solution: c) • Antarctica is recognized as a heritage of

mankind and as mandated by the provisions of the Antarctic treaty, signed by 29 consultative parties, no commercial activity is permitted in Antarctica and its environment and all claims to its territory are frozen.

• The scientific programs of this natural polar laboratory are designed and approved by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) which has a President and two to three vice-presidents and a small secretariat located at Cambridge, England.

• The science research programs are proposed and co-ordinated by three standing scientific groups (SSG’s) on Geosciences (GS), life sciences (LS) and physical sciences (PS) each having three chief officers.

• India currently has two permanent stations, Maitri at Schirmacher oasis and Bharati in the Larsemann Hill area located ~1000km east of Maitri. The first Indian station, Dakshin Gangotri, located on shelf ice is now buried and lost.

66. Solution: d)

• This Bill amends the principal Act passed in 2013.

• The Bill enables the government to exempt five categories of projects from the requirements of: (i) social impact assessment, (ii) restrictions on acquisition of multi-cropped land, and (iii) consent for private projects and public private partnerships (PPPs) projects.

• The five categories of projects are: (i) defence, (ii) rural infrastructure, (iii) affordable housing, (iv) industrial corridors, and (v) infrastructure

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including PPPs where government owns the land.

• The Act would apply retrospectively, if an award had been made five years earlier and compensation had not been paid or possession not taken. The Bill exempts any period when a court has given a stay on the acquisition while computing the five year period.

• The Act deemed the head of a government department guilty for an offence by the department. The Bill removes this, and adds the requirement of prior sanction to prosecute a government employee.

67. Solution: c)

The stone chariot located inside the campus of Vittala temple is almost an iconic structure of Hampi. The Stone Chariot at the Vijaya Vittala temple complex in Hampi, Karnataka will now adorn the new Rs. 10 note.

An image of Garuda (eagle god) was originally enshrined within its sanctum. Garuda, according to the Hindu mythology, is the vehicle of lord Vishnu. Thus the Garuda shrine facing the temple’s sanctum is symbolic.

In reality this stone shrine was built with many giant granite blocks. The joints are smartly hidden in the carvings and other decorative features that adorn the Stone Chariot. The chariot is built on a rectangular platform of a feet or so high.

In front of the chariot two elephants are positioned as if they are pulling the chariot. In fact these elephants where brought from elsewhere and positioned here at a later stage. Originally two horses were carved in that position. The tails and the rear legs of the horses can be still seen just behind these elephant sculptures.

68. Solution: d)

It will be adorn a Rs. 50 note as per a decision taken recently by the government.

Sun Temple is a 13th-century Sun Temple at Konark in Odisha, India. It is believed that the temple was built by king Narasimhadeva I of Eastern Ganga Dynasty around 1250 CE. The temple is in the shape of a gigantic chariot with elaborately carved stone wheels, pillars and

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walls. A major part of the structure is now in ruins. The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also featured on NDTV's list of Seven Wonders of India and Times of India's list of Seven Wonders of India.

The temple was originally built at the mouth of the river Chandrabhaga, but the waterline has receded since then. The temple has been built in the form of a giant ornamented chariot of the Sun god, Surya.

69. Solution: b)

Goa churches were in news as they will adorn the new Rs. 500 note. Amongst them most prominent is this church.

The Basilica of Bom Jesus or Borea Jezuchi Bajilika is located in Goa, India, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The basilica holds the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier. The church is located in Old Goa, which was the capital of Goa in the early days of Portuguese rule.

'Bom Jesus' (literally, 'Good (or Holy) Jesus') is the name used for the Ecce Homo in the countries of Portuguese colonization. The Jesuit church is India’s first minor basilica, and is considered to be one of the best examples of baroque architecture in India.

70. Solution: a)

It has been choosen to adorn new 1000 currecny notes in India.

It is a beautiful painting of Ajanta caves. This segment from Gardner’s Art through the Ages: Non-Western Perspectives (2009) describes the scene shown:

The bodhisattva Padmapani sits among a crowd of devotees, both princesses and commoners. With long, dark hair handing down below a jeweled crown, he stands holding his attribute, a blue lotus flower, in his right hand. […] The artist has carefully considered the placement of the painting in the cave. The bodhisattva gazes downward at worshipers passing through the entrance to the shrine on their way to the rock-cut Buddha image in a cell at the back of the cave.

Also go through this beautiful description of Ajanta caves.



https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-asia/south-asia/buddhist-art2/a/the-caves-of-ajanta

71. Solution: c)

A cloudburst is an extreme amount of precipitation, sometimes accompanied by hail and thunder that normally lasts no longer than a few minutes but is capable of creating flood conditions.

A cloudburst can suddenly dump 72,300 tons of water over one acre. However, cloudbursts are infrequent as they occur only via orographic lift or occasionally when a warm air parcel mixes with cooler air, resulting in sudden condensation.

Cloud burst is a situation when the inter-molecular forces between the H2O molecules get very high due to the rapid decrease in the temperature or excess of electrostatic induction in the clouds causing the lighting to remain inside the cloud only, which causes hyperactive energy inside the cloud. The water molecules get denser and denser and get condensed but do not leave the cloud due to excess of electroforces.

As the water concentration get higher and higher and so the weigh gets heavier the water no longer is able to maintain force with the clouds and so they fall and it precipitates.

In the Indian subcontinent, a cloudburst usually occurs when a monsoon cloud drifts northwards, from the Bay of Bengal or Arabian Sea across the plains, then onto the Himalaya

and bursts, bringing rainfall as high as 75 millimeters per hour.

72. Solution: d)

The move came after a petitioner said the non-native eucalyptus tree was responsible for the lowering groundwater levels in the region.

• A eucalyptus tree consumes 90 litres of water a day

• During summers and times of drought, its roots can go down up to 30ft

• It was introduced in Karnataka in 1960s. In the 1970’s, eucalyptus plantations were spread across 2.1 lakh hectares.

73. Solution: a)

§ The GSLV-III or Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III, is a launch vehicle developed by the Indian Space Research Organization.

§ GSLV Mk III is conceived and designed to make ISRO fully self reliant in launching heavier communication satellites of INSAT-4 class, which weigh 4500 to 5000 kg.

§ It would also enhance the capability of the country to be a competitive player in the multimillion dollar commercial launch market. The vehicle envisages multi-mission launch capability for GTO, LEO, Polar and intermediate circular orbits.



74. Solution: d)

Indian space industry experts recently opined that there is a need to have a space law to protect sovereign, public or commercial interests in India.

This is to ensure that space assets and applications are used for the right causes. There is no single space law in India.

Currently, space activities are guided by a handful of international space agreements, the Constitution, national laws, the Satellite Communications (SatCom) Policy of 2000 and the revised Remote sensing policy or 2011.

India is among the five countries that do not have a space law; while 15 others including the US, Russia, Japan, China, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, have laws based broadly on the Outer Space Treaty of 1967.

75. Solution: c)

The government has drafted the National Renewable Energy Bill, 2015 which aims to consolidate the renewable energy sector and give it an institutional structure.

• After it is passed by Parliament it would enable a National Renewable Energy Policy, Renewable Energy Corporation

of India, an advisory group and a committee on the same.

• At present, the renewable energy sector is governed by the Electricity Act, 2003, which is also undergoing amendments.

• The policy would enable a supportive system for growth of the sector.

• The various segments which are the focus of the policy are: Renewable energy resource assessment, technical and safety standards, monitoring and verification, manufacturing and skill development and data management.

• Through a separate law, the ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) would get freedom to execute projects and not depend on other ministries and departments for necessary clearances, said officials.

• The law also aims to set up dedicated renewable electricity investment zones. The law makes it clear who will finance, who will plan and monitor and what support will come from where.

76. Solution: b)

The security legislation proposed by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration moved a step closer to becoming law when Parliament’s lower house approved it. The bills, which seek to rewrite the country’s post-War pacifist security policy, are now before the upper house.

Over a period of seven decades, Japan’s security policy, shaped under a war-renouncing Constitution following the misadventures of

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the imperial regime, has been focussed on self-defence.

But the present bills seek to replace the self-defence doctrine with “collective self-defence”, that would allow Japan to send troops abroad to rescue allies under attack. This big shift in approach makes the legislation controversial and unpopular.

For reasons refer this article:

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/japans-security-legislation-approved-by-lower-house/article7444346.ece

77. Solution: c)

Rocks that carry organic matter are broken in sediments of different sizes.

A river then carries it from higher altitude in form of sediment and then deposits it layer wise from high-lying areas (coarse) to low-lying areas (fine clay having organic matter).

These sediments get compressed and cemented together under high temperature and pressure to become sedimentary rocks. And fossil fuel at an even greater temperature and pressure applied over a large period of time.

78. Solution: d)

When two plates come together, it is known as a convergent boundary. The impact of the two colliding plates buckles the edge of one or both plates up into a rugged mountain range, and sometimes bends the other down into a deep seafloor trench. A chain of volcanoes often

forms parallel to the boundary, to the mountain range, and to the trench. Powerful earthquakes shake a wide area on both sides of the boundary.

This usually happens with an oceanic plate being subducted under a continental plate.

Mountains are more likely to be formed when two continental plates converge.

79. Solution: c)

Rivers are cheap means of transport, compared to roads and railway. But most rivers in Africa are not navigable due to water falls, weeds and being seasonal.

Africa need to combine forces to utilise this rivers for irrigation, hydro electric power and combat the big problem of transport by overcoming weeds and waterfalls.

Navigation can be done only in Zambeji and Nile river.

80. Solution: d)

Heating the atmosphere is secondary. Visible light from the Sun penetrates the atmosphere and strikes objects on the Earth's surface.

These objects absorb that energy and re-emit that energy as infra red energy that heads back out into space.

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But, the atmosphere contains gases like water vapor and water droplet clouds that absorb that infra red energy. So the energy is re-emitted back and forth. This heats the atmosphere. Basically the atmosphere is heated by the Earth's surface which is heated by the Sun.

81. Solution: d)

Katabatic wind, also called downslope wind, or gravity wind, wind that blows down a slope because of gravity. It occurs at night, when the highlands radiate heat and are cooled.

The air in contact with these highlands is thus also cooled, and it becomes denser than the air at the same elevation but away from the slope; it therefore begins to flow downhill. This process is most pronounced in calm air because winds mix the air and prevent cold pockets from forming.

When a katabatic wind is warmed by compression during its descent into denser air, it is called a foehn. A large-scale katabatic wind that descends too rapidly to warm up is called a fall wind. In areas where fall winds occur, homes and orchards are situated on hill slopes above the lowlands where the cold air accumulates.

82. Solution: a)

Statement 4 is not true because indentation of coasts is a long term natural phenomenon. It is caused by erosion of coasts and a host of other factors. It is not caused by tides.

By the rising and falling action of tides, they take back all the mud deposited by incoming rivers to the sea. Otherwise the water availability for the ships would have reduced.

83. Solution: a)

Murmansk in the Arctic and the Baltic ports near St. Petersburg are both important for Russian access to the Atlantic. Despite St. Petersburg being much further south, it is surrounded by ice for a month or more each year, while Murmansk is always ice free.

Warm currents increase the temperature of the sea water. By the action of land and sea breezes the local area temperature is also increased. Hence, the ports remain ice-free.

84. Solution: a)

Most large objects in orbit around the Sun lie near the plane of Earth's orbit, known as the ecliptic. The planets are very close to the ecliptic, whereas comets and Kuiper belt objects are frequently at significantly greater angles to it.

All the planets and most other objects orbit the Sun in the same direction that the Sun is rotating (counter-clockwise, as viewed from above Earth's north pole). There are exceptions, such as Halley's Comet.

Venus and Uranus rotate in the opposite direction to what they revolve.

85. Solution: b)

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If the Moon didn't spin at all, then eventually it would show its far side to the Earth while moving around our planet in orbit.

However, since the rotational period is exactly the same as the orbital period, the same portion of the Moon's sphere is always facing the Earth.

It can be understood in detail here

http://www.moonconnection.com/moon-same-side.phtml

86. Solution: d)

Prime Meridian and all other meridians are semi-circles, not circles.

Time zone of a place is decided only by its latitude. This is because the earth rotates around the Sun from West to East.

The rotation causes the Sun pass overhead from one place from the east to west. Only latitude makes the Sun’s entry timing different in the regions.

87. Solution: a)

The actual amount of insolation received at a place on the earth varies according to the conditions of the atmosphere as well as the seasons. The following astronomical and geographical factors govern the amount of insolation received at any point on the earth's surface:

o Angle of incidence o Duration of sunshine o Solar constant o Distance between the earth and

the sun o Transparency of the atmosphere.

The vertical rays of the sun heat the minimum possible area, but on the contrary, the oblique rays are spread over a relatively larger area, so that the amount of area over which the available solar energy has to be distributed in increased and the energy per unit area on the earth's surface is decreased.

In addition, the oblique rays have to traverse a larger distance through the atmosphere before they strike the surface of the earth. The longer their path, the larger the amount of energy lost by various processes of reflection, absorption, and scattering, etc.

88. Solution: d)

The decision is arrived after a joint meeting between the Secretary of the Union Finance Ministry, the Chief General Manager of the Currency Management Department, Reserve Bank of India, and the Director-General of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Recently they agreed to put new images on the currency notes. For e.g. Stone chariot of Vittal, Hampi is to be put on a Rs. 10 note.

89. Solution: a)

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A rise in the purchasing power (income) of the consumer can sometimes induce the consumer to reduce the consumption of a good.

The demand for such a good can be inversely or positively related to its price depending on the relative strengths of these two opposing effects. If the substitution effect is stronger than the income effect, the demand for the good and the price of the good would still be inversely related.

However, if the income effect is stronger than the substitution effect, the demand for the good would be positively related to its price. Such a good is called a Giffen good.

90. Solution: b)

Consumer welfare refers to the individual benefits derived from the consumption of goods and services. In theory, individual welfare is defined by an individual's own assessment of his/her satisfaction, given prices and income. Exact measurement of consumer welfare therefore requires information about individual preferences.

The central idea in consumer welfare is to enhance consumer surplus which is the difference between what people prefer to pay and what they actually pay. The greater the difference, higher is the surplus. It means that the market is allocating goods most efficiently (at competitive prices) to people.

91. Solution: b)

GDP grows when the present market value of this year’s produce is more than that of last year.

But growth in total market value can also be because of high inflation and no rise in production.

So, real GDP indicator is used to determine whether there has been an actual growth in production.

At a constant base price (2011-12 year) in India, increase in total value is calculated. So, real GDP will only increase if there has been even slight growth in production irrespective of inflation or deflation in the economy.

92. Solution: a)

To understand the concept properly refer to the article

http://www.ehow.com/about_6605945_interest-rate-employment.html

In brief, low interest rates entice greater investments in the economy for they promise better returns on projects.

More investment leads to more employment creation. However, this relationship need not hold necessarily in the long run.

93. Solution: b)

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The Reserve Bank of India was established on April 1, 1935 in accordance with the provisions of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.

The Central Office of the Reserve Bank was initially established in Calcutta but was permanently moved to Mumbai in 1937. The Central Office is where the Governor sits and where policies are formulated.

Though originally privately owned, since nationalisation in 1949, the Reserve Bank is fully owned by the Government of India.

The constitution makes no mention of the RBI.

94. Solution: a)

It refers to the process by which the RBI takes away money from the banking system to neutralise the fresh money that enters the system from foreign capital inflows.

It does so by selling or buying government bonds from public.

If it does not do so, money supply in the economy will shoot up in a very short period of time playing havoc with the interest rates and inflation in the economy.

Refer to the article to better understand sterilization

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/iw/2003/02/02/stories/2003020201001400.htm

95. Solution: d)

Liquidity trap is a situation when expansionary monetary policy (increase in money supply) does not increase the interest rate, income and hence does not stimulate economic growth.

It is a situation in which the general public is prepared to hold on to whatever amount of money is supplied, at a given rate of interest. They do so because of the fear of adverse events like deflation, war.

There is a liquidity trap at short term zero percent interest rate. When interest rate is zero, public would not want to hold any bond, since money, which also pays zero percent interest, has the advantage of being usable in transactions. Hence, if the interest is zero, an increase in quantity of money cannot not induce anyone to buy bonds and thereby reduce the interest on bonds below zero.

96. Solution: c)

The objectives of the Public Distribution System is to ensure food security and poverty alleviation by making available the essential commodities, specially food grains at an affordable and uniform price at the door steps of the consumers.

The department of Food and Civil supplies arranges procurement of PDS items like rice, wheat/atta, levy sugar, iodised salt (procurement not being done now), Kerosene

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oil, LPG under various Govt. of India scheme under Public Distribution System.

97. Solution: a)

Devaluation of currency means more of that currency can be purchased for any given foreign currency.

This means more of domestic goods can be purchased from abroad following a fall in currency’s value.

In other words, since our currency becomes more affordable to the foreigners, so do the goods that are priced in them.

98. Solution: c)

When economy is operating at a much lower level then there is scope for immediate increase in production of goods following an increase in demand.

If economy is already operating at its peak, then industries will find it difficult to produce more goods even by adding extra labour since the productivity of labour will be limited given the limit of capital goods (machines).

Therefore, only when the industry can produce more (supply) as per the demand, a greater money supply will not lead to inflation.

99. Solution: a)

Economic development in the modern world is fundamentally based on industrialization which leads to generation of gainful

employment and higher production of goods and services.

A strong industry favours greater growth in the services as well as primary sector.

But, if an economy becomes highly dependent on the primary sector, it will not be able to produce adequate amount of goods and services for its population.

On a different note, financial risks have become a part of the global economic environment. Better policies and institutional coordination amongst global and national monetary and fiscal authorities is required to rationalize this risk.

100. Solution: a)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Energy_and_Resources_Institute

Test 31 Solutions.final .

Documents

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currency swap agreements