UPSC WEEKLY CURRENT AFF. QUIZ 08 TO 14 SEPT. 2019 ENGLISH

UPSC WEEKLY CURRENT AFF. QUIZ 

08 TO 14 SEPT. 2019

                                                          BY. PK PRAJAPAT

1. Consider the following statements regarding Foreigners Tribunals.

1. Only the Centre can set up Foreigners tribunals to decide whether a person staying illegally in India is a foreigner or not.

2. The amended Foreigners (Tribunal) Order, 2019 empowers individuals to approach the Tribunals to decide if they are foreigners or not.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

 a) 1 only

 b) 2 only

 c) Both

 d) None

2. Consider the following statements regarding South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA).

1. SAA is a region above the South Atlantic Ocean where there are a large number of charged particles that can damage sensitive instruments.

2. All space telescopes are shut down when they pass through the SAA.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

 a) 1 only

 b) 2 only

 c) Both

 d) None

3. Consider the following statements regarding Ambedkar Hastshilp Vikas Yojana (AHVY).

1. The scheme which was launched in Union Budget 2019-20 aims to mobilize the artisans into Self Help Groups and training the groups on various aspects of forming and running the community business enterprises for self-sustainability of artisans.

2. It provides training to artisans and expose them to greater market to sell their handicraft products.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

 a) 1 only

 b) 2 only

 c) Both

 d) None

4. Consider the following statements about Measles.

1. Measles is a highly contagious bacterial disease.

2. It remains an important cause of death among young children.

3. India, along with ten WHO South-East Asia Region member countries, plans to eliminate measles by 2030.

Which of the above statements is/are incorrect?

 a) 1, 3

 b) 2 only

 c) 2, 3

 d) 1 only

5. Consider the following statements regarding Composite Water Management Index (CWMI 2.0).

1. The report on Composite Water Management Index (CWMI 2.0) has been released by Jal Shakti Ministry.

2. The CWMI is an important tool to assess and improve the performance of States/ Union Territories in efficient management of water resources.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

 a) 1 only

 b) 2 only

 c) Both

 d) None

6. Mission Reach Out, recently seen in news is associated with which state?

 a) Jammu and Kashmir

 b) Assam

 c) Kerala

 d) Karnataka

7. Consider the following statements regarding Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).

1. The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 and rules framed under it regulate the receipt and usage of foreign contribution by non-governmental organisations in India.

2. The intent of the Act is to prevent use of foreign contribution for any activity detrimental to the national interest.

3. It is not applicable to NRIs and overseas branches of Indian companies.

4. It is implemented by the Ministry of External Affairs.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

 a) 1, 2

 b) 1, 2, 3

 c) 1, 2, 4

 d) 1, 2, 3, 4

8. Consider the following statements about International Finance Corporation (IFC)

1. It is a sister organization of the IMF.

2. It is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector in developing countries.

3. Its goals are to increase sustainable agriculture opportunities, improve healthcare and education.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

 a) 1, 2

 b) 1, 3

 c) 2, 3

 d) 1, 2, 3

9. Consider the following statements.

1. India has been allotted some area in the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) by the UN Security Council for exploitation of polymetallic nodules (PMN).

2. Polymetallic nodules (PMN) are rocks scattered on the seabed containing iron, manganese, nickel and cobalt.

3. The ‘Deep Ocean Mission (DOM)’ to be led by the Union Earth Sciences Ministry focus on deep-sea mining, ocean climate change advisory services, underwater vehicles and underwater robotics related technologies.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

 a) 1, 2

 b) 1, 3

 c) 2, 3

     d) 1, 2, 3

10. Consider the following statements regarding Renaming of states in India.

1. The procedure of renaming of the state can be initiated by either the Parliament or the State Legislator.

2. Article 3 lays down that a bill to alter the name of any state can be introduced in the Parliament, only with the prior recommendation of the President.

3. After recommending the bill to alter the name of any state to the Parliament, the President has to refer the same to the state legislature concerned for expressing its views within a specified period.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

 a) 1, 3

 b) 2 only

 c) 1, 2

 d) 2, 3

11. Consider the following statements regarding Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs).

1. Atal Innovation Mission is establishing Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs) with a vision to ‘Cultivate one Million children in India as Neoteric Innovators’.

2. At present, only schools managed by Government and local body can set up Atal Tinkering Laboratories.

3. Financial assistance is provided as grant-in-aid for both establishment and operational expenses of Atal Tinkering Laboratories.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

 a) 1, 2

 b) 1, 3

 c) 2, 3

 d) 1, 2, 3

12. Consider the following statements about Kyasanur Forest disease (KFD).

1. It is a tick-borne viral haemorrhagic fever endemic to South India.

2. Viruses related to KFDV have been identified in China and Saudi Arabia.

3. There is widespread person to person transmission of the disease.

A vaccine for KFD is not yet available.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

 a) 1, 2

 b) 1, 2, 3

 c) 2, 3, 4

 d) 1, 3, 4

13. Consider the following statements regarding Regulatory Sandbox.

1. A regulatory sandbox refers to live testing of new products or services in a controlled environment for which regulators may permit certain regulatory relaxations for the limited purpose of the testing.

2. It will help fintech companies launch innovative products at a lower cost and in less time.

3. With the aim of financial inclusion, all fintech companies are allowed access to the Regulatory Sandbox.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

 a) 1, 3

 b) 2, 3

 c) 1, 2

     d) 1, 2, 3

14 ‘SLINEX’ is bilateral maritime exercise between India and

a)     Singapore

b)     Sri Lanka

c)      Senegal

d)     South Africa

15. Consider the following statements with respect to ‘Lucayan Archipelago’

1. They are a group of seven atolls comprising more than 60 individual tropical islands in the Indian Ocean near Maldives.
2. The sovereignty of the Archipelago is disputed between the United Kingdom and Mauritius.

Select the correct statements 

1. 1 Only
2. 2 Only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

16. Which of the following statements is/are correct with respect to ‘Regulating Act of 1773’

1.      It provided the establishment of Supreme Court at Calcutta 

2.      It designated the Governor of Bengal as Governor-General of Bengal

3.      The act prohibited servants of EIC from engaging in any private trade or accepting bribes and gifts from native

Select the correct statements

1. 1 Only
2. 1 and 2
3. 2 and 3
4. 1, 2 and 3

17. ‘MERCOSUR’ is a sub-regional bloc of 

1. Northern Africa
2. Scandinavia
3. Latin America
4. Caribbean

18. ‘Tulbul navigation project’ is associated with India and

1. Nepal
2. Bhutan
3. Pakistan
4. Myanmar

19. ‘Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ is located in

1. Atlantic Ocean
2. Pacific Ocean
3. Arctic Ocean
4. Indian Ocean

20. Consider the following statements regarding ‘Day Zero’

1.      It is a movement in which the participants switch off the lights for twenty four hours on a certain day every year.

2.      It is an initiative of United Nations Environment Programme

Which of the statements given above is / are correct?

a.       1 Only

b.      2 Only

c.       Both 1 and 2

d.      Neither 1 nor 2

21. Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched?

1.      Hampi – Tungabhadra River

2.      Pandharpur – Chandrabhaga River

3.      Tryambakeshwar – Godavari River

Select the correct code:

a.       3 Only

b.      1 and 2

c.       2 and 3

d.      1, 2 and 3

22. ‘Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT)’ is a programme created by

a.       International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

b.      Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

c.       BRICS

d.      Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

23. ‘Navtej Johar’ Judgement is associated with 

1. Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code
2. Article 370 & 35A of Indian Constitution
3. Passive Euthanasia
4. Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act

24. Consider the following statements with respect to ‘Man-Portable Antitank Guided Missile (MPATGM)’

1. It is an indigenously-developed low weight, fire and forget missile.
2. It is derived from Nag missile

Select the correct statements

1. 1 Only
2. 2 Only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

25. Italian Traveler Nicolo di Conti and Portuguese traveler Domingos Paes visited and wrote about which of the following empires?

1. Chola 
2. Vijayanagar
3. Ahom
4. Nawabs of Bengal

26. Consider the following statements:

1. Saharias are not classified under the category of particularly vulnerable tribal group.

2. Saharias are majorly found in Madhyapradesh and also in Rajasthan.

Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?

a. 1 only

b. 2 only

c. Both 1 and 2

d. Neither 1 nor 2

27. Consider the following statements:

1. The keystone species of the Mukurthi National Park is the Nilgiri tahr

2. Mukurthi National Park is a part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve

Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?

a. 1 only

b. 2 only

c. Both 1 and 2

d. Neither 1 nor 2

28. Consider the following statements:

1.      Goiter is a swelling of the neck resulting from enlargement of the thyroid gland.

2.      The most common cause of goiter is an excess of iodine in the diet.

Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?

a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2

29. Consider the following statements:

1.      It stems from a direct recommendation of the Rio Conference’s Agenda 21

2.      It is the only internationally legally binding framework set up to address the problem of desertification.

Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?

      a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2

30. Consider the following statements:

1.      In India fortification of salt with iodine is mandatory, for direct human consumption.

2.      The Supreme Court has mandated universal iodization.

Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?

         a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2

31. Consider the following statements:

1.      The Smart Cities Mission is undertaken by the Urban Development Ministry.

2.       The Smart Cities Mission works in partnership with the state governments in which the different cities are located.

Which of the given statement/s is/are INCORRECT?

      a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2

32. Consider the following statements with respect to Gwadar Port:

1. Gwadar Port is situated on the Arabian Sea.
2. It lies to the West of Chabahar port.

Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?

      a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2

33. Consider the following statements:

1. Motihari-Amlekhganj oil pipeline is a project between India and Bangladesh.
2. It is South Asia’s first cross-border oilproduct pipeline.

Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?

     a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2

34. Consider the following statements with respect to National Commission for

Scheduled Tribes:

1. National Commission for Scheduled Tribes is a constitutional body.
2. It is the central authority for declaring an area as a tribal area.

Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?

      a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2

35. Consider the following statements with respect to the Sixth Schedule of Indian Constitution:

1.      Sixth Schedule is related to the administration of the North Eastern states of of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura and Mizoram.

2.      The Sixth Schedule provides for District Councils and Regional Councils.

Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?

      a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2

36. Consider the following statements:

1. Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease.
2. Brucellosis causes early abortions in animals, and prevents the addition of new calves to the animal population.

Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?

      a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2

37. Consider the following statements.

1. The government has set up the National Genomic Grid (NGG) to study genomic data of cancer patients in India.

2. The Genome India Initiative aims to scan 20,000 Indian genomes in order to develop diagnostic tests and effective therapies for treating diseases such as cancer.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A 1 only

B 2 only

C  Both 1 and 2

D Neither 1 nor 2

38. Consider the following statements:

1. Bio-catalysts are enzymes that increase or catalyzes the rate of a biochemical reaction.

2. The use of bio-catalyst in industrial processes can lead to an increase in chemical oxygen demand.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A 1 only

B 2 only

C Both 1 and 2

D Neither 1 nor 2

39. With reference to Imported Inflation, Consider the following statements:

1. It is the result of a general rise in prices of imported commodities.

2. In the context of India, crude oil imports can result in cost-push inflation.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A 1 only

B 2 only

C Both 1 and 2

D Neither 1 nor 2

40. Consider the following statements.

1. India Investment Grid (IIG) is a single online platform providing for investment options across India.

2. India Investment Grid (IIG) is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Commerce and Invest India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A 1 only

B 2 only

C Both 1 and 2

D Neither 1 nor 2

41. With reference to ‘Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)’’, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1.      It was set up by the Government of India in March 2002, under the provision of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.

2.      It is a statutory body under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

3.      It has launched the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) in 2007 to set energy efficiency standards for the design and construction of buildings.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

A 1 only

B 1 and 2 only

C 2 and 3 only

D 1 and 3 only

42.  With reference to ‘Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)’, consider the following statements:

1. It is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
2. It is the largest network of agricultural research and education institutes in the world.
3. The Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education serves as its president.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A 1 and 2 only

B 2 only

C 3 only

D 1 and 3 only

43. Consider the following statements:

1. Recently, the National Conference on Crop Residue Management was held for the farmers from the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh & Delhi only.
2. It was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
3. The conference has proposed to intensify the ex-situ management of crop residue to stop the straw burning.
4. The straw burning incidents in 2018 have reduced by 15% and 41% as compared to 2017 and 2016 respectively.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A 1 and 2 only

B 2, 3 and 4 only

C 2 and 3 only

D 1, 2 and 4 only

44. Consider the following statements:

1.      Deficiency of iodine can result in a range of disabilities and disorders such as goitre, hypothyroidism, cretinism etc.

2.      In 1992, India made fortification of salt with iodine mandatory, for direct human consumption.

3.      Jeevan Bindi initiative was started to help tribal women in north-west Maharashtra to battle iodine deficiency.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A 1 and 2 only

B 2 and 3 only

C 1 and 3 only

D 1, 2 and 3

45. Consider the following statement in respect of ‘development banks’:

1. Development banks are financial institutions that provide long-term credit for capital-intensive investments such as urban infrastructure, mining, etc.

2. These banks are often supported by governments or international institutions.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

    d) Neither 1 nor 2

46. Recently, the government has announced the merger of 10 state-owned banks to create four large banks.

Consider the following statement in this regard:

1. With this latest merger, the number of stateowned banks is down to 12.

2. This merger is done to meet the norms under the BASEL III.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

47. With reference to the ‘Safe Cities Index 2019’, consider the following statements:

1. World Bank and the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) have released the Safe Cities Index (SCI) 2019.

2. Tokyo topped the index.

3. As far as India is concerned, two cities Mumbai and Delhi got 45th and 52nd place respectively.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 2 and 3 only

c) 1 and 3 only

d) 1, 2 and 3

48. Consider the following statements in respect of ‘International Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure C (DRI)’:

1. The CDRI is launched at the 14th COP to UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

2. It is proposed jointly by the government of India and UNCCD.

3. It will serve as a platform where knowledge is generated and exchanged on different aspects of disaster and climate resilience of infrastructure.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 2 and 3 only

c) 2 only

d) 3 only

49. With reference to the ‘India Child Well-Being Report’, consider the following statements:

1. It has been released by the NITI Aayog to analyse the well-being of children based on 24 government data indicators.

2. Among states, Kerala (0.76), Tamil Nadu (0.67) and Himachal Pradesh (0.67) bagged the top three slots in the index.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

50. Consider the following statements in respect of ‘Pacific Islands Forum’:

1. Pacific leaders have issued the ‘Kainaki II Declaration for Urgent Climate Change Action Now.

2. The forum has comprises 18 members and India as an observer member state.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

51. Consider the following statements in respect of ‘Automatic Exchange of information A( EOI)':

1. AEOI is to be carried out under the Common Reporting Standard (CRS).

2. The CRS has been developed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and World Bank.

3. Under this agreement, India will start receiving information on all financial accounts held by Indian residents in Switzerland.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 2 and 3 only

c) 1 and 3 only

d) 1, 2 and 3

52. First generation bio-fuels can be made from which of the following materials?

 1. Wood

 2. Sugar

 3. Animal fat

 4. Vegetable oil

 Which of the following statement is/are correct?

 (a) 1, 2 and 3 only

 (b) 2, 3 and 4 only

 (c) 1, 3 and 4 only

 (d) 1, 2 and 4 only

53. Consider the following statements regarding Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana.

 1. It has been launched by the Government of India in 2019

 2. It is an area based development approach of predominantly dalit villages.

 3. It aimed to achieve integrated development of selected villages with more than 25% SC population.

 Which of the following statement is/are not correct?

 (a) 1 and 2 only

 (b) 2 and 3 only

 (c) 1 and 3 only

 (d) 1, 2 and 3

54. Which of the following institution publishes Global Liveability Index?

 (a) World Economic forum.

 (b) World Bank

 (c) The Economist Intelligence Unit

 (d) United Nations Development Program

55. Which of the following statement is correct regarding Samudrayaan Project?

 (a) It is an ocean project of ISRO to carry persons into deeper ocean.

 (b) It is a pilot project of th Ministry of Earth Sciences’ for deep ocean mining for rare minerals.

 (c) It is a Ministry of Home project to strengthen the maritime security.

 (d) It is a Ministry of Shipping’s project to develop indigenous nuclear powered submarine.

56. India has recently signed Automatic

      Exchange of Information (AEOI) with

      Switzerland. Consider the following

      statements about Automatic Exchange

      of Information (AEOI).

 1. The new global standard on Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) reduces the possibility for tax evasion.

 2. Participating jurisdictions that implement AEOI send and receive pre-agreed information each year, without having to send a specifi c request.

 3. AEOI will enable the discovery of formerly undetected tax evasion.

Which of the following statement is/are correct?

 (a) 1 and 2 only

 (b) 2 and 3 only

 (c) 1 and 3 only

 (d) 1, 2 and 3

57. With which of the following companies/ organizations, The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has signed a statement of intent to roll-out ‘Build for Digital India’ programme?

 (a) Facebook

 (b) Microsoft

 (c) Google

 (d) Powerhouse Cooper

58. Which of the following statements is

correct regarding Core Industries of India?

 (a) The Index of Eight Core Industries is a monthly production index.

 (b) Refinery products have the highest weightage of all.

 (c) All the core industries combined have more than 40% weight in the Index of Industrial Production.

 (d) All statements are correct.

59. Consider the following statements regarding El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO).

1. The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)

     is a natural phenomenon that comprises

     a warm and a cold phase known as El

     Niño and La Niña respectively.

2. El Niño is cooling of the ocean surface or

     above-average Sea surface temperatures (SST), in the central and eastern tropical Pacifi c Ocean.

Which of the following statement is/are correct?

 (a) 1 only

 (b) 2 only

 (c) Both 1 and 2

 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

60. Who is the ex-offi cio chairman of The

      National Board for Wildlife (NBWL)?

 (a) Union Minister of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

 (b) Prime Minister

 (c) Secretary to Environment Ministry

 (d) Chief Secretary

61. Consider the following statements

        regarding the POSHAN Abhiyaan.

 1. POSHAN Abhiyaan is a multi-ministerial convergence mission with the vision to ensure attainment of malnutrition free India by 2022.

 2. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) is implementing POSHAN Abhiyaan.

 3. The objective of POSHAN Abhiyaan to reduce stunting in identifi ed Districts of India with the highest malnutrition burden by improving utilization of key Anganwadi Services and improving the quality of Anganwadi Services delivery.

Which of the following statement is/are correct?

 (a) 1 and 2 only

 (b) 2 and 3 only

 (c) 1 and 3 only

 (d) 1, 2 and 3

62. Consider the following statements regarding Institutions of Eminence (IoE) Scheme.

 1. The aim of the scheme is to bring higher educational institutions selected as IoEs in top 500 of world ranking in the next 10 years and in top 100 eventually overtime.

 2. The IoEs will be free to fi x and charge fees from all the students without restriction.

 3. Each Institution selected as IoE will be provided fi nancial assistance up to Rs. 1000 Cr over a period of fi ve years.

Which of the following statement is/are not correct?

 (a) 1 and 2 only

 (b) 2 and 3 only

 (c) 1 and 3 only

 (d) 1, 2 and 3

63. Consider the following statements about combatants to Tuberculosis:

 1. Rapid molecular, sputum, and culturebased methods are only 50% accurate in the early detection of Tuberculosis in patients.

 2. National Strategic Plan set a target of TB elimination by 2025

 3. The Health Ministry has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence (AI) to explore the application of Artificial Intelligence technology in its fight against tuberculosis (TB) in 2019.

 4. MDR-TB is not resistant to anti-TB drugs.

Which of the following statement(s) given above is/are correct?

 (a) 1, 3 and 4 only

 (b) 1 only

 (c) 1, 2 and 3 only

 (d) 2, 3 and 4 only

64. Consider the following statements about National Electronics Policy (NEP), 2019:

 1. To position India as a global hub for Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) by creating an enabling environment for the industry to compete globally.

 2. Promote domestic manufacturing in the entire value-chain of ESDM, including core components and materials to increase the domestic value addition and reduce dependence on import of electronic goods by focusing on scale, skill and technology.

 3. It does not provide incentives to promote export of electronic goods.

 4. Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme (M-SIPS) was launched under this policy in 2019

Which of the following statement(s) given above is/are correct?

 (a) 1 only

 (b) 1 and 2 only

 (c) 1, 2 and 3 only

 (d) 2, 3 and 4 only

65. Which of the following are in Nagarhole National Park?

 (a) Devamacchi, Maavukal, Anechowkuru, Cauvery forests.

 (b) Neyyar, Peppara and Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuaries.

 (c) Chandratal and Sarchu & Kibber Wildlife Sancturaries.

 (d) Bherjan-Borajan-Podumoni Wildlife Sanctuary.

66. Consider the following statements regarding United Nations Convention to Combat Desertifi cation (UNCCD),

 1. It is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management.

 2. India is hosting a UNCCD Conference of Parties for the fi rst time.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

 (a) 1 only

 (b) 2 only

 (c) Both 1 and 2

 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

67. EX TSENTR is recently seen in news,

        it is

 (a) An asteroid which might strike the Earth surface in recent future.

 (b) Apart of the annual series of exercises that form part of the Russian Armed Forces’ annual training cycle.

 (c) A military exercise between India and Thailand.

 (d) A vaccine developed to cure cancer which is under research.

68. Consider the following statements:

 1. The collegium System for the appointment of Judges of Higher Judiciary is brought through an act of Parliament.

 2. Supreme Court collegium is headed by the Chief Justice of India and four other senior most judges of the court.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

 (a) 1 only

 (b) 2 only

 (c) Both 1 and 2

 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

69. Consider the following statements regarding Project Miniature Sun:

 1. It is India’s indigenously designed and developed plasma based fusion reactor.

 2. It aims to harness fusion energy by mimicking the sun and other stars.

 Which of the above statements is/are correct?

 (a) 1 only

 (b) 2 only

 (c) Both 1 and 2

 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

70. Which of the following statements is/ are incorrect?

 (a) Article 226 confers the right to Constitutional remedies to the aggrieved citizens of India.

 (b) High Court can issue writ for the enforcement of fundamental rights as well as ordinary legal rights.

 (c) The high court can issue writs to any person, authority and government not only within its territorial jurisdiction but also outside its territorial jurisdiction if the cause of action arises within its territorial jurisdiction.

 (d) Both (b) and (c).

71. The Constitution of India mentions which of the following eligibility criterias for the appointment of the Governor in a particular state?

 1. He or she must be a citizen of India.

 2. He or she must have completed 35 years of age.

 3. He should not belong to the state where he is appointed, so that he is free from the local politics.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

 (a) 1 only

 (b) 1 and 2 only

 (c) 2 and 3 only

 (d) 1, 2 and 3

Vajiram & Ravi

72. Which of the following statements is not correct about the Particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs)?

A. In 2006, the Government of India renamed the Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).

B. They reside in 18 States and UT of A&N Islands.

C. There are 175 PVTGs officially notified in the country so far.

D. Saharias are a particularly vulnerable tribal group.

73. Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched?

Tribes                    States

1. Sentinelese        Odisha

2. Sangtams           Assam

3. Adi                      Arunachal Pradesh

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

A. 3 only

B. 2 and 3 only

C. 1 and 2 only

D. 1, 2 and 3

74. Consider the following statements:

1. It is a landlocked multiethnic country located in the heart of south-central Asia.

2. The Hindu Kush mountains that run northeast to southwest divide the northern provinces from the rest of the country.

3. The country served as a buffer between the British and Russian Empires until it won independence from notional British control in 1919.

4. In 1979 Soviet Union invaded this country.

Above statements describes which of the following countries?

     A. Iraq

     B. Iran

     C. Turkmenistan

     D. Afghanistan

75. With reference to the Automatic Identification System (AIS), consider the following statements:

1. It is an automatic tracking system that uses transponders on ships and is used by vessel traffic services (VTS).

2. It works through satellite and the ISRO has already delivered 1000 transponders for trails in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

     A. 1 only

     B. 2 only

     C. Both 1 and 2

     D. Neither 1 nor 2

76. With reference to the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Act, 2019, consider the following statements:

1. It establishes an independent body called the Arbitration Council of India (ACI).

2. The ACI will consist of a Chairperson who should be a retired Chief Justice of India.

3. The amendment act remove this time restriction for international commercial arbitrations.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

     A.            1 and 2 only

     B.            1 and 3 only

     C.            2 and 3 only

     D.            1, 2 and 3

77. With reference to buckwheat, consider the following statements:

1. It suppresses weeds and attracts beneficial insects and pollinators with its abundant blossoms.

2. It thrives in cool, moist conditions but it is not frosted tolerant.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

            A. 1 only

            B. 2 only

            C. Both 1 and 2

            D. Neither 1 nor 2

78. With reference to the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), consider the following statements:

1. It is the largest grassroot level youth organization in the world.

2. It is an autonomous organization under Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, within the Government of India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

79. With reference to the 24th World Energy Congress, consider the following statements:

1. World energy congress is the world’s largest and most influential energy event covering all aspects of the energy agenda and 24th World Energy Congress will take place in Geneva.

2. The theme of this World Energy Congress is Energy for Prosperity which also represents the ambitious and dynamic energy transition of the country.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

     A. 1 only

     B. 2 only

     C. Both 1 and 2

     D. Neither 1 nor 2

80. With reference to the India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), consider the following statements:

1. India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has recently announced the rollout of Aadhaar enabled Payment Services (AePS) at the first anniversary of its business operations.

2. It has been established under the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communication with 100% equity owned by Government of India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

     A. 1 only

     B. 2 only

     C.  Both 1 and 2

     D. Neither 1 nor 2

81. With reference to the Indian Skill Development Services (ISDS), consider the following statements:

1. It is the newest central government services.

2. It has been specially created for the Training Directorate of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and is a Group ‘B’ service.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

     A.            1 only

     B.            2 only

     C.            Both 1 and 2

     D.            Neither 1 nor 2

82. A three-day long international conference ANGAN (Augmenting Nature by Green Affordable New- habitat) focussed on Energy Efficiency in Building Sector began in New Delhi. It is being organised by the:

A. NITI Aayog

B. The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)

C. Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)

D. None of the above

83. With reference to the 14th Conference of Parties (COP14) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, consider the following statements:

1. India will raise target of restoring land with degraded status from 21 million hectares to 26 million by 2030.

2. India proposed to setup a global technical support institute for the member countries of the UNCCD.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

     A. 1 only

     B. 2 only

     C. Both 1 and 2

     D. Neither 1 nor 2

84. With reference to the ‘black spots’ on national highways, consider the following statements:

1. A black spot is defined as a stretch not more than 500m in length where five accidents have taken place or where ten fatalities have happened in the last three years.

2. It accounts for 90% of road accidents in the country.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

     A. 1 only

     B. 2 only

     C. Both 1 and 2

     D. Neither 1 nor 2

85. With reference to the National Genomic Grid (cancer), consider the following statements:

1. It will collect samples from cancer patients to study genomic factors influencing cancer and identifying the right treatment modalities for the Indian population.

2. The grid to be formed will be in line with the National Cancer Tissue Biobank (NCTB) set up at the Indian Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A.   1 only

B.   2 only

C.   Both 1 and 2

D.   Neither 1 nor 2

86. Which of the following pipeline is the first ever cross-border petroleum products pipeline in South Asia?

A. Motihari-Amlekhganj petroleum product pipeline

B. Naharkatia-Nunmati-Barauni Pipeline

C. Salaya-Koyali-Mathura Pipeline

D. Hajira-Bijapur-Jagdishpur (HBJ) Gas Pipeline

87. “Sanjay Mitra committee”, recently seen in news is related to?

  A. Expert Committee on Tribal Health.

  B. Assess the socio-economic status of tribals.

  C. To look into various issues related to Linguistic and Religious minorities in India.

  D. To oversee the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories.

88. According to a national survey to measure the coverage of iodised salt, which of the following state in India has the lowest consumption of iodised salt?

A. Gujarat

B. Tamil Nadu

C. Andhra Pradesh

D. Kerala

89. With reference to the Yadadri temple being renovated in Telangana, consider the following statements:

1. The temple is built entirely in stone.

2. The architecture of the temple is based on Agama Shashtra.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

90. Five Star Movement (M5S), recently in news, is a political party in which of the following countries?

A. Italy

B. France

C. Germany

D. Sweden

91. Consider the following statements:

1. In 1921, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh.

2. After independence, he served as the 1st Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh from 1950 to 1954.

3. He was also responsible for the establishment of Hindi as an official language of the central government and a few states.

Above statements are about who among the following Personalities?

     A.            Govind Ballabh Pant

     B.            Ram Prakash Gupta

     C.            Kalyan Singh

     D.            Narayan Datt Tiwari

92. Recently, American investment firm  JPMorgan has created ‘Volfefe’ index to track:

A. the impact of Climate Change on Arctic sea ice.

 B. the impact of Donald Trump’s tweets on US interest rates and stock market.

C. the impact of main five pollutants Ozone, Nitrogen Dioxide, Sulphur Dioxide, PM2.5 and P.M 10.

D. None of the above.

93. With reference to the Bombay blood group, consider the following statements:

1. The individuals with Bombay blood group can only be transfused autologous blood or blood from individuals of Bombay hh phenotype only which is very rare.

2. This blood type is more common in South Asia than anywhere else because of inbreeding and close community marriages.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

     A. 1 only

     B. 2 only

     C. Both 1 and 2

     D. Neither 1 nor 2

94. With reference to the World Health Organization (WHO) report on suicides, consider the following statements:

1. Suicides account for one death every 40 seconds.

2. Suicide was the first leading cause of death among young people aged 15-29 years.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

95. According to a report titled “Turbocharging Delhi-NCR Startup Ecosystem” released by Not-for-profit organisation TiE Delhi-NCR and Bangalore-based research firm Zinnov which of the following is home to 10 unicorns, or those with a valuation of at least $1 billion?

A. Mumbai

B. Delhi-NCR

C. Bengaluru

D. Chennai

96. What is 'Golden Arrows', recently seen in news?

A. Resurrected Ambala-based 17 Squadron Air Force Station.

B. Israel's new anti-missile system

C. A mobile all-weather air defence system developed by Russia

D. None of the above

97. Scientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) have recently discovered two new species of Zingiber, commonly referred to as ginger, from:

A. Nagaland

B. Kerala

C. Mizoram

D. Arunachal Pradesh

98. With reference to the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), consider the following statements:

1. All the agricultural and horticultural commodities for which Minimum Support Price (MSP) are not fixed and are generally perishable in nature are covered under MIS.

2. Under MIS, funds are allocated to the States.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

99. With reference to the India Urban Data   Exchange (IUDX), consider the   following statements:

1. It is a research project under smart cities mission being implemented by Union Ministry of Finance.

2. It will be an open source software platform for cities, industry and researchers to share Smart City data with each other that could be monetised in the future, similar to the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) for bank accounts and digital payments.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

     A.1 only

     B. 2 only

     C. Both 1 and 2

     D. Neither 1 nor 2

100. With reference to the National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP), consider the following statements:

1. It has been launched for eradicating the Swineflu amongst the livestock in the country.

2. The Programme has two components – to control the diseases by 2025 and eradication by 2030.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

ANSWER KEY

WEEKLY CURRENT AFF. 08 TO 14 SEPT. 2019

ANSWER KEY WITH EXPLACATION

1. Solution: b)

The MHA has amended the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964.

It has empowered district magistrates in all States and Union Territories to set up tribunals to decide whether a person staying illegally in India is a foreigner or not.

The amended Foreigners (Tribunal) Order, 2019 also empowers individuals to approach the Tribunals.

So far, the powers to constitute tribunals were vested only with the Centre. The 1964 order on Constitution of Tribunals said: “The Central Government may by order, refer the question as to whether a person is not a foreigner within meaning of the Foreigners Act, 1946 (31 of 1946) to a Tribunal to be constituted for the purpose, for its opinion.”

2. Solution: c)

3. Solution: b)

 The Government launched the Ambedkar Hastshilp Vikas Yojana (AHVY) in the year 2001-2002.

The scheme was launched with a view to mobilize the artisans into Self Help Groups and training the groups on various aspects of forming and running the community business enterprises for self sustainability of artisans.

4. Solution: a)

 Measles is a highly contagious viral disease. It remains an important cause of death among young children globally, despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine.

India, along with ten WHO South-East Asia Region member countries, plans to eliminate measles and control rubella/ congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) by 2020.

5. Solution: b)

 To supplement the efforts of Jal Shakti Ministry, NITI Aayog has prepared the second Round of Composite Water Management Index (CWMI 2.0).

NITI Aayog first launched and conceptualized the Composite Water Management Index in 2018 as a tool to instil the sense of cooperative and competitive federalism among the states.

6. Solution: a)

The Army has launched “Mission Reach Out” in Jammu to ensure basic necessities and essential services are available in the region post the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 and reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir.

7. Solution: a)

The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 and rules framed under it (the “FCRA” or “Act”) regulate the receipt and usage of foreign contribution by non-governmental organisations (“NGOs”) in India.

The intent of the Act is to prevent use of foreign contribution or foreign hospitality for any activity

detrimental to the national interest. It has a very wide scope and is applicable to a natural person, body corporate, all other types of Indian entities (whether incorporated or not) as well as NRIs and overseas branches/subsidiaries of Indian companies and other entities formed or registered in India. It is implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.

8.Solution: c)

 IFC—a sister organization of the World Bank and member of the World Bank Group—is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector in developing countries. The Bank Group has set two goals for the world to achieve by 2030: end extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity in every country.

9.Solution: c)

Ministry Of Earth Sciences Plans Rs 8000 Crore ‘Deep Ocean Mission’ To Boost India’s Sea Exploration Capabilities.

The focus of the mission will be on deep-sea mining, ocean climate change advisory services, underwater vehicles and underwater robotics related technologies.

10.Solution: c)

The procedure of renaming of the state can be initiated by either the Parliament or the State Legislator and the procedure is as follows:

1.      The renaming of a state requires Parliamentary approval under Article 3 and 4 of the Constitution.

2.      A bill for renaming a state may be introduced in the Parliament on the recommendation of the President.

3.      Before the introduction of the bill, the President shall send the bill to the respective state assembly for expressing their views within a stipulated time. The views of the state assembly are not binding, neither on the President nor on the Parliament.

4.      On the expiry of the period, the bill will be sent to the Parliament for deliberation. The bill in order to take the force of a law must be passed by a simple majority.

5.      The bill is sent for approval to the President. After the approval of the said bill, the bill becomes a law and the name of the state stands modified.

11.Solution: b)

With a vision to ‘Cultivate one Million children in India as Neoteric Innovators’, Atal Innovation Mission is establishing Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs) in schools across India.

·         Objective: The objective of this scheme is to foster curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds; and inculcate skills such as design mindset, computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing etc.

·         Financial Support: AIM will provide grant-in-aid that includes a one-time establishment cost of Rs. 10 lakh and operational expenses of Rs. 10 lakh for a maximum period of 5 years to each ATL.

·         Eligibility: Schools (minimum Grade VI – X) managed by Government, local body or private trusts/society can set up ATL.

12. Solution: a)

 Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) is a tick-borne viral haemorrhagic fever endemic to South India. The disease is caused by a virus belonging to the family Flaviviridae, which also includes yellow fever and dengue fever.

Viruses related to KFDV have been identified in China and Saudi Arabia.

Transmission to humans may occur after a tick bite or contact with an infected animal, most importantly a sick or recently dead monkey. No person-to-person transmission has been described.

A vaccine does exist for KFD and is used in endemic areas of India. Additional preventative measures include insect repellents and wearing protective clothing in areas where ticks are endemic.

13.Solution: c)

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued the final framework for regulatory sandbox in order to enable innovations in the financial technology space.

A regulatory sandbox usually refers to live testing of new products or services in a controlled/test regulatory environment for which regulators may permit certain regulatory relaxations for the limited purpose of the testing.

Q.14 ) Solution (b)

Q.15) Solution (d) The Lucayan Archipelago (named for the original native Lucayan people), also known as the Bahama Archipelago, is an island group comprising the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the British Overseas Territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands. The archipelago is in the western North Atlantic Ocean, north of Cuba along with the other Antilles, and east and southeast of Florida.

Q.16.) Solution (d) Features of the Act: Regulating Act of 1773 · The Act designated the Governor of Bengal as the ‘Governor-General of Bengal’ and created an Executive Council of four members to assist him. The first such GovernorGeneral was Lord Warren Hastings (1774-1785). · The Act provided for establishment of Supreme Court (1774). · Real objective was to control and manage corrupt EIC so the Act prohibited servants of EIC from engaging in any private trade or accepting bribes and gifts from native. · The Act told the governing body of the Company i.e. Court of Directors to report all its affairs (revenue, civil, military etc) to British Government.

Q.17) Solution (c) It is a sub-regional bloc. Its full members are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela. Its associate countries are Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Suriname Observer countries are New Zealand and Mexico.

Q.18) Solution (c) Tulbul navigation project is between India and Pakistan. India had started constructing of a 439-feet-long and 40-feet-wide barrage at the mouth of the Wular Lake to ensure the flow of water in winter to 4,000 cusecs. To facilitate trade, tourism and employment of local population, India envisages controlled release of water from the lake during the lean season months of October to February to facilitate year-round navigation.

Q.19) Solution (a) Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an Anglo-Caribbean country in the Lesser Antilles island arc, in the southern portion of the Windward Islands, which lies in the West Indies at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean. The sovereign state is also frequently known simply as Saint Vincent.

Q.20) Solution (d) Both the statements are incorrect. The City of Cape Town has introduced the idea of Day Zero to focus everyone's attention on managing water consumption as tightly as possible by cajoling water consumers into reducing usage.

Q.21) Solution (d) All the pairs are correctly matched

Q.22) Solution (a) Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT) is a programme created by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2004 to build upon the Agency’s experience in radiation medicine and technology, and enable developing countries to introduce, expand or improve their cancer care capacity and services in a sustainable manner by integrating radiotherapy into a comprehensive cancer control programme that maximizes its therapeutic effectiveness and impact.

Q.23) Solution (a) Navtej Singh Johar & Ors. v. Union of India thr. Secretary Ministry of Law and Justice is a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of India in 2018 that decriminalised all consensual sex among adults in private, including homosexual sex. The court was asked to determine the constitutionality of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, a colonial-era law which, among other things, criminalised homosexual acts as an "unnatural offence". While the statute criminalises all anal sex and oral sex, including between opposite-sex couples, it largely affected same-sex relationships. On 6 September 2018, the court unanimously declared the law unconstitutional "in so far as it criminalises consensual sexual conduct between adults of the same sex". The verdict was hailed as a landmark decision for LGBT rights in India, with campaigners waiting outside the court cheering after the verdict was pronounced. Portions of Section 377 relating to sex with minors, non-consensual sexual acts such as rape, and bestiality remain in force.

Q.24) Solution (c) The MPATGM, or Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile, is an Indian third-generation fireand-forget anti-tank guided missile. It is currently under development by the Defence Research and Development Organisation in partnership with Indian defence contractor VEM Technologies Private Limited. The missile is derived from India's Nag ATGM.

25. B

26. Answer: b

Explanation:

Saharias are a particularly vulnerable tribal group. The Saharia are an ethnic group in the state of Madhya Pradesh. They are also found in Baran district of Rajasthan.

27. Answer: c

Explanation:

Mukurthi National Park (MNP) is a protected area located in the western corner of the Nilgiris Plateau west of Ootacamund hill station in the northwest corner of Tamil Nadu state in the Western Ghats mountain range of South India.  The park was created to protect its keystone species, the Nilgiri tahr. The park is a part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, India’s first International Biosphere Reserve.

28. Answer: a

Explanation:

The most common cause of goiters worldwide is a lack of iodine in the diet. Deficiency of iodine can result in a range of disabilities and disorders such as goitre, hypothyroidism, cretinism, abortion, still births, mental retardation and psychomotor defects.

29. Answer: c

Explanation:

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is a Convention to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought through national action programs that incorporate long-term strategies supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements. The Convention, is the only convention stemming from a direct recommendation of the Rio Conference’s Agenda 21, was adopted in Paris, France on 17 June 1994 and entered into force in December 1996. It is the only internationally legally binding framework set up to address the problem of desertification.

30. Answer: c

Explanation:

Iodine is a vital micro-nutrient for the optimal mental and physical development of human beings. Deficiency of iodine can result in a range of disabilities and disorders such as goitre, hypothyroidism, cretinism, abortion, still-births, mental retardation, and psychomotor defects. In 1992, India made fortification of salt with iodine mandatory, for direct human consumption. In 2011, the Supreme Court also mandated universal iodization for the control of iodine deficiencies.

31. Answer: d

Explanation:

Both the statements are correct. Smart Cities Mission, sometimes referred to as Smart City Mission, is an urban renewal and retrofitting program by the Government of India. It was launched in 2015 with the mission of developing 100 smart cities across the country making them citizen friendly and sustainable. The mission is undertaken by the Urban Development Ministry. It works in partnership with the state governments in which the different cities are.

32. Answer: a

Explanation:

Gwadar Port is situated on the Arabian Sea. It lies to the East of Chabahar port. The port features prominently in the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) plan, and is considered to be a link between the ambitious One Belt, One Road and Maritime Silk Road projects.

33. Answer: b

Explanation:

The Motihari-Amlekhgunj oil pipeline project is a project between India and Nepal. It is South Asia’s First Cross-border Oil Pipeline. The 69-km pipeline, having a capacity of 2 million metric ton per annum, will provide cleaner petroleum products at affordable costs to the people of Nepal. The project is being led by the Indian Oil Corporation and the Nepal Oil Corporation which has built infrastructure in Amlekhgunj for distribution of energy in Nepal.

34. Answer: a

Explanation:

The Home Ministry is the central authority for declaring an area as a tribal area.

35. Answer: b

Explanation:

The Sixth Schedule  is related to the administration of the North Eastern states of of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. It gives tribal communities considerable autonomy.

6th schedule provides for District Councils and Regional Councils with certain legislative and judicial powers. The District Council and the Regional Council under the Sixth Schedule have real power to make laws, possibility on the various legislative subjects, receiving grants-in-aids from the Consolidated Fund of India to meet the costs of schemes for development, health care, education, roads and regulatory powers to state control.

36. Answer: c

Explanation:

Brucellosis is a disease caused by the bacteria of the genus Brucella. These bacteria are primarily passed among animals, and they cause disease in many different vertebrates. Brucellosis causes early abortions in animals, and prevents the addition of new calves to the animal population. Brucellosis is a widespread zoonosis mainly transmitted from cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and camels through direct contact with blood, placenta, fetuses or uterine secretions, or through consumption of contaminated raw animal products (especially unpasteurized milk and soft cheese). Zoonoses or Zoonotic diseases are infectious diseases that can naturally be transmitted / spread between animals (usually vertebrates) and humans. These diseases can be caused by viruses, fungi, parasites and bacteria.

37. C  Both 1 and 2

• The government has announced to set up a National Genomic Grid (NGG), which will study genomic data of cancer patients from India. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• The Genome India Initiative aims to scan of 20,000 Indian genomes, where in the first phase, the sequencing the complete genomes of 10,000 healthy Indians will be done, followed by genome sequencing of 10,000 diseased individuals in the second phase. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

38. A 1 only

• Biocatalyst is an enzyme or a protein that increases or catalyzes the rate of a biochemical reaction. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• Chemical oxygen demand (COD) is the amount of oxygen required to oxidize all of the organic carbon completely into CO₂ and H₂O. Since no chemicals are used in the process, the chemical oxygen demand will also decrease. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

39. C Both 1 and 2

• When the general price level rises in a country because of the rise in prices of imported commodities, inflation is termed as imported. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• Crude Oil is the key contributor to India’s imports. Thus rise in prices of crude lead to rise in the import bill of the country. Along with it, production cost also increases which result in cost-push inflation. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

40. C Both 1 and 2

• It showcases a menu of investment options across India on a single online interactive platform. It connects potential investors to project promoters across India. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• India Investment Grid (IIG) is an initiative of the Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT) Ministry of Commerce and Invest India, the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

41. D) 1 and 3 only

Explanation

• The Government of India has set up Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) on 1st March 2002 under the provision of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001. Its mission is to assist in developing policies and strategies with a thrust on self-regulation and market principles with the primary objective of reducing energy intensity of the Indian economy within the overall framework of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• BEE is a statutory body under the Ministry of Power. In 2007, it has launched the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) to set energy efficiency standards for the design and construction of buildings, as a first step towards promoting energy efficiency in the building sector. Hence, statement 2 is not correct but statement 3 is correct.

42. A)  1 and 2 only

Explanation

• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare , Government of India. Formerly known as Imperial Council of Agricultural Research, it was established on 16 July 1929 as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 in pursuance of the report of the Royal Commission on Agriculture. The ICAR has its headquarters at New Delhi. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• ICAR is responsible for coordinating agricultural education and research in India. It is the largest network of agricultural research and education institutes in the world.and the Union Minister of Agriculture serves as its president. Hence, statement 2 is correct but statement 3 is not correct.

43. D) 1, 2 and 4 only

Explanation

• Recently, National Conference on Crop Residue Management was held for the farmers from the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh & Delhi.
• The conference was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in collaboration with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in order to address concerns of farmers and State Governments. Hence, statements 1 and 2 are correct.
• The conference has proposed to intensify In-Situ Management of Crop Residue to stop the straw burning. The straw burning incidents in 2018 have reduced by 15% and 41% as compared to that in 2017 and 2016 respectively. Hence, statement 3 is not correct but statement 4 is correct.

44. D) 1, 2 and 3

Explanation

• Iodine is a vital micro-nutrient for optimal mental and physical development of human beings.Deficiency of iodine can result in a range of disabilities and disorders such as goitre, hypothyroidism, cretinism, abortion, still-births, mental retardation, and psychomotor defects (defects in which there is a slow down in thought process and a reduction of physical movements in an individual). Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• In 1992, India made fortification of salt with iodine mandatory, for direct human consumption. In 2011, the Supreme Court also mandated universal iodization for the control of iodine deficiencies. A recent initiative in this regard named Jeevan Bindi (an iodine patch designed like a regular bindi) was started to help one lakh tribal women in north-west Maharashtra battle iodine deficiency as these tribals did not consume iodized salt. Hence, statements 2 and 3 are correct.

45. Answer: (c)

Explanation: Both statements are correct.

Development banks are financial institutions that provide long-term credit for capital-intensive investments spread over a long period and yielding low rates of return. These banks often lend at low and stable rates of interest to promote long-term investments with considerable social

benefits. Considering the social benefits of such investments, and uncertainties associated with them, development banks are often supported by governments or international institutions.

46. Answer: (a)

Explanation: Statement 1 is correct. Recently, the

government has announced the merger of 10 state-owned banks to create four large banks.With these series of mergers, the number of state-owned banks is down to 12 from 27.

Statement 2 is not correct. The government, after

consultations, decided that amalgamation is the “best route” to achieve banking sector scale and to support the target of achieving a $5 trillion economic size for India in five years.

47. Answer: (b)

Explanation: Statement 1 is not correct. The

Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has released the Safe Cities Index (SCI) 2019. Statement 2 and 3 are correct. Cities in the Asia- Pacific (Apac) region made up six of the top-10 safest cities with Tokyo took top position, followed by Singapore, Osaka, Amsterdam, Sydney, and Toronto. As far as India is concerned, As far as India is

concerned, two cities Mumbai and Delhi got 45^th and 52^nd place respectively.

48. Answer: (d)

Explanation: Statement 1 and 2 are incorrect.

The Union Cabinet has given ex-post facto approval for the establishment of International Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). The CDRI is proposed to be launched at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York, USA on 23rd September 2019.

Statement 3 is correct. The CDRI will serve as a

platform where knowledge is generated and exchanged on different aspects of disaster and climate resilience of infrastructure.

49. Answer: (b)

Explanation: Statement 1 is not correct. World Vision India and research institute IFMR LEAD has released the 'India Child Well-Being Report'. It analysed the well being of children based on 24 government data indicators. The indicators are a mix of health, education, human rights, family income and so on.

Statement 2 is correct. Among states, Kerala (0.76), Tamil Nadu (0.67) and Himachal Pradesh (0.67) bagged the top three slots in the index.Kerala surpassed most Indian states by ensuring access to good health and nutrition to children and safe drinking water and sanitation, providing quality education and addressing poverty.

50. Answer: (a)

Explanation: Statement 1 is correct. Pacific leaders

have issued a 'Forum Communique' and the ‘Kainaki II Declaration for Urgent Climate Change Action Now’ – the strongest collective statement the Forum has issued on climate change.

Statement 2 is not correct. India is not an observer state of the PIF. It comprises only 18 member states.

51. Answer: (c)

Explanation: Statement 1 is correct. The automatic

exchange of information (AEOI) is to be carried out under the Common Reporting Standard (CRS), the global reporting standard for such exchange of information, which takes care of aspects such as confidentiality rules and data safeguards. Statement 2 is not correct. The CRS has been developed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Statement 3 is correct. From September 1, India will

start receiving information on all financial accounts held by Indian residents in Switzerland, for the year 2018 as the 'AEOI’ regime kicks off between the two countries.

52. Correct Option: (b)

Explanation:

• Option (b) is correct: Wood is used to

make second generation biofuels.

Supplementary Notes:

Biofuels are generally classified into three

categories. They are

• First generation biofuels - Firstgeneration biofuels are made from sugar,

starch, vegetable oil, or animal fats using

conventional technology. Common firstgeneration biofuels include Bioalcohols,

Biodiesel, Vegetable oil, Bioethers, Biogas.

• Second generation biofuels - These are

produced from non-food crops, such as

cellulosic biofuels and waste biomass (stalks

of wheat and corn, and wood). Examples

include advanced biofuels like biohydrogen,

biomethanol.

• Third generation biofuels - These are

produced from micro-organisms like algae.

53. Correct Option: (c)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: The scheme was

first launched on a pilot basis in 2009-10

• Statement 3 is incorrect: It aimed to

achieve integrated development of selected

villages with more than 50% SC population.

Supplementary Notes:

• The Union government has identified

26,968 Dalit-majority villages for focused

implementation of various government

schemes over the next five years.

About

• All existing Central and state welfare

schemes that are necessary to meet critical

gaps in socio-economic and infrastructure

needs, and reduce disparities will be

implemented in Dalit villages.

• These villages — where over 50 per cent of

the total population are Dalits and those

with a sizeable overall population — have

been zeroed in under the Pradhan Mantri

Adarsh Gram Yojana for “integrated

development”.

• While the scheme is mainly about ensuring

focused implementation and convergence

of existing Central and state

government schemes, the ministry

provides Rs 21 lakh per village as gap

funding.

• According to the 2011 Census, Dalits make

up 16.6 per cent of the country’s total

population, with states such as Punjab,

Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh,

West Bengal, and the Union Territory of

Delhi recording more than 20 per cent Dalit

population.

54. Correct Option: (c)

Explanation:

• Option (c) is correct: The Economist

Intelligence Unit (EIU) releases Global

Liveability Index.

Supplementary Notes:

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) recently

released Global Liveability Index 2019.

About:

• The survey ranks countries across indicators

including stability, healthcare, education,

infrastructure, culture and environment.

• Vienna in Austria, Melbourne and Sydney

in Australia make the top three cities in the

list.

• In India, New Delhi and Mumbai rank 118th

and 119th out of 140 cities.

• Damascus in Syria, Lagos in Nigeria and

Dhaka in Bangladesh rank in the bottom.

• The index assesses which locations around

the world provide the best or the worst living

conditions. Each factor in a city is rated as

acceptable, tolerable, uncomfortable,

undesirable or intolerable.

• According to the report deterioration in

culture and environment scores is of concern

including the quality of air in cities like New

Delhi.

• Of the 37 Asian and Australasian cities

included in the index, five are among the

ten most liveable and six are among the 20

least liveable.

• The top 10 most liveable cities in the world

according to The Global Liveability Index

2019, are:

55. Correct Option: (b)

Explanation:

• Option (b) is correct: The ‘Samudrayaan’

is a pilot project of the Ministry of Earth

Sciences’ for deep ocean mining for rare

minerals. Supplementary Notes:

India to join developed nations in ocean studies with ‘Samudrayaan’ project.

About:

• The ‘Samudrayaan’ is a pilot project of the

Ministry of Earth Sciences for deep ocean

mining for rare minerals.

• The project proposes to send a submersible

vehicle with three persons to a depth of

about 6000 metres to carry out deep

underwater studies.

• The indigenously developed vehicle is

capable of crawling on the sea bed at a

depth of six kilometre for 72 hours.

• Similar to ISRO’s plan to carry persons on a

space mission, NIOT has undertaken

Samudrayaan. The ¹ 200 croreproject

proposes to carry three persons in a

submersible vehicle to a depth of 6000

metres under sea for various studies.

• The success of the ‘’Samudrayaan’’ will help

India join the league of developed nations

in exploration of minerals from oceans.

• India has been allocated a site of 75,000 sq

km in the Central Indian Ocean Basin by

the International Sea Bed Authority for

exploration of polymetallic nodules from

seabed.

56. Correct Option: (d)

Explanation:

• All the statements are correct.

Supplementary Notes:

Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI)

• The new global standard on Automatic

Exchange of Information (AEOI) reduces

the possibility for tax evasion.

• It provides for the exchange of non-resident

financial account information with the tax

authorities in the account holders’ country

of residence.

• Participating jurisdictions that

implement AEOI send and receive preagreed information each year, without

having to send a specific request.

• AEOI will enable the discovery of

formerly undetected tax evasion.

• It will enable governments to recover tax

revenue lost to non-compliant taxpayers,

and will further strengthen international

efforts to increase transparency,

cooperation, and accountability among

financial institutions and tax

administrations.

57. Correct Option: (c)

Explanation:

• Option (c) is correct: The Ministry of

Electronics and Information Technology

(MeitY) and Google have signed a

statement of intent to roll-out ‘Build for

Digital India’ programme.

Supplementary Notes:

• The Ministry of Electronics and Information

Technology (MeitY) and Google have signed

a statement of intent to roll-out ‘Build for

Digital India’ programme.

About:

• The programme will give engineering

students a platform to develop technologybased solutions to address key social

problems.

• As part of the programme, engineering

students across the country will be invited

to apply and join in a learning journey that

will help them transform their bright ideas

into real-world solutions.

• Applicants will take part in online and offline

learning opportunities on key technologies

such as machine learning, cloud and

android.

58. Correct Option: (d)

Explanation:

• Option (d) is correct: All the statements

are correct regarding the core industries.

Supplementary Notes:

• India’s core sector output remained weak

in July, with growth slowing to 2.1% from a

year earlier, as production of coal, crude oil,

natural gas and refinery products declined.

• The eight core industries of coal, crude oil,

natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers,

steel, cement and electricity, which have a

40.27% weight in the Index of Industrial.

59. Correct Option: (a)

Explanation:

• Statement 2 is incorrect: El Niño: A

warming of the ocean surface, or aboveaverage sea surface temperatures (SST), in

the central and eastern tropical Pacific

Ocean. Over Indonesia, rainfall tends to

become reduced while rainfall increases over

the tropical Pacific Ocean. The low-level

surface winds, which normally blow from

east to west along the equator (“easterly

winds”), instead weaken or, in some cases,

start blowing the other direction (from west

to east or “westerly winds”).

Supplementary Notes:

• There has been no El Niño event in the

central and equatorial Pacific Ocean and yet

the world will be subjected to recordbreaking land and sea temperatures and

extreme weather events for three more

months, according to the World

Meteorological Organization (WMO).

• These points towards a clear link to humaninduced climate change being the reason

for greater heat in the atmosphere.

• “July 2019 was the hottest month on record

with heat waves and other extreme weather

events, even without a strong El Niño

event,” said Maxx Dilley, director of WMO

Climate Adaptation and Prediction Branch.

This was a clear sign of global warming

rather than any natural force, he added.

• The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is

a natural phenomenon that comprises a

warm and a cold phase known as El Niño

and La Niña respectively. When both these

conditions do not exist the period is termed

as ENSO neutral.

60. Correct Option: (b)

Explanation:

• Option (b) is correct: PM is the ex-officio

head of the NWBL.

Supplementary Notes:

• Wildlife board nod to Gulmarg defence

project.

• The proposed project in J&K includes

installation of air defence and weaponry

along with helipad construction. “Only radar

system would be set up in the sanctuary

area and all other basic infrastructure will

be outside the wildlife area”.

• The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has

given its nod for an air defence and

weaponry project in Jammu and Kashmir in

which 1.18 hectares of Gulmarg Wildlife

Sanctuary land will be used. The project will

also cover 12.35 hectares of forest land

outside Gulmarg Sanctuary.

• The proposal, recommended by the then

State Chief Wildlife Warden with 17 riders/

conditions, was cleared at a July 18 meeting

of the standing committee of NBWL. The

meeting was chaired by Minister for

Environment, Forest and Climate.

61. Correct Option: (c)

Explanation:

• Statement 2 is incorrect: The Ministry of

Women and Child Development (MWCD)

is implementing POSHAN Abhiyaan.

Supplementary Notes:

• POSHAN Abhiyaan is a multi-ministerial

convergence mission with the vision to

ensure attainment of malnutrition free India

by 2022.

• The objective of POSHAN Abhiyaan to

reduce stunting in identified Districts of India

with the highest malnutrition burden by

improving utilization of key Anganwadi

Services and improving the quality of

Anganwadi Services delivery.

• Its aim to ensure holistic development and

adequate nutrition for pregnant women,

mothers and children.

• The Ministry of Women and Child

Development (MWCD) is implementing

POSHAN Abhiyaan in 315 Districts in first

year, 235 Districts in second year and

remaining districts will be covered in the

third year.

• There are a number of schemes directly/

indirectly affecting the nutritional status of

children (0-6 year’s age) and pregnant

women and lactating mothers. In spite of

these, level of malnutrition and related

problems in the country is high. There is no

dearth of schemes but lack of creating

synergy and linking the schemes with each

other to achieve common goal. POSHAN

Abhiyaan through robust convergence

mechanism and other components would

strive to create the synergy.

Feature:

The POSHAN Abhiyaan, as an apex body, will

monitor, supervise, fix targets and guide the

nutrition related interventions across the

Ministries.

62. Correct Option: (b)

Explanation:

• Statement 2 is incorrect: IoEs will be free

to fix and charge fees from foreign

students without restriction

• Statement 3 is incorrect: Each Public

Institution selected as IoE will be provided

financial assistance up to Rs. 1000 Cr over

a period of five years.

Supplementary Notes:

• University Grants Commission (UGC) issued

/ notified enabling regulatory architecture

in the form of UGC (Declaration of

Government Educational Institutions as

Institutions of Eminence) Guidelines, 2017

and UGC (Institutions of Eminence Deemed

to be Universities) Regulations, 2017 to

enable 10 public and 10 private

Institutions to emerge as World Class

Teaching and Research Institutions. These

Institutions shall be called as ‘Institutions

of Eminence (IoEs)’.

• The aim of the scheme is to bring higher

educational institutions selected as IoEs in

top 500 of world ranking in the next 10

years and in top 100 eventually overtime.

63. Correct Option: (c)

Explanation:

• Statement 1, 2 & 3 are correct:

– Rapid molecular tests: This tests is

used to detect influenza viral RNA or

nucleic acids in respiratory specimens

with high sensitivity and high specificity.

Notably, the detection of influenza viral

RNA or nucleic acids by molecular assays

does not necessarily indicate detection

of viable virus or on-going influenza viral

replication.

– Sputum smear microscopy: This

technique requires the examination of

sputum samples using a microscope to

determine the presence of bacteria. In

the current case definitions

recommended by WHO, one positive

result is required for a diagnosis of

smear-positive pulmonary TB.

– Culture-based methods: A culture test

involves studying bacteria by growing

the bacteria on different substances. This

is to find out if particular bacteria are

present. In the case of the TB culture test

the test is to see if the TB bacteria

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, are present.

• Statement 4 is incorrect: MDR-TB is

resistant to anti-TB drugs like isoniazid and

rifampicin

Supplementary Notes

• Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease

usually caused by Mycobacterium

tuberculosis (MTB) Bacteria. Tuberculosis

generally affects the lungs, but can also

affect other parts of the body.

• India is the country with the highest

burden of TB According to the World

Health Organization (WHO) India has

close to 27 lakh TB cases every year and

4.23 lakh cases die (2016).

• National Strategic Plan (NSP) for 2017-

2025 has been set up in line with other

health sector strategies and global efforts,

such as the draft National Health Policy

2015, World Health Organization’s (WHO)

End TB Strategy and the Sustainable

Development Goals (SDGs) of the United

Nations (UN) for TB elimination by 2025.

• The Health Ministry has signed a

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with

Wadhwani Institute for Artificial

Intelligence (AI) to explore the application

of Artificial Intelligence technology in its

fight against tuberculosis (TB) in 2019.

• Revised National TB Programme

(RNTCP) aims at adoption of AI

technologies for building easy TB combats.

RNTCP is the state-run tuberculosis (TB)

control initiative of the Government of

India.

• As per the National Strategic Plan 2012–

17, the program has a vision of achieving a

“TB free India”, and aims to achieve

Universal Access to TB control services.

• As part of the collaboration, Wadhwani AI

would support the National TB programme

by helping it become AI-ready which

includes developing, piloting, and deploying

AI-based solutions. It would support the

programme in vulnerability and hot-spot

mapping, modeling novel methods of

screening and diagnostics.

• India plans to end TB by 2025, five years

ahead of the Global Sustainable

Development targets. Meanwhile, World

Health Organization (WHO) stated that

countries aiming to reduce their TB burden

by 2035.

64. Correct Option: (b)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 & 2 are correct: National

Electronics Policy (NEP) is launched in 2019

and replaced the earlier National Electronics

Policy, 2012. It aims at making India a global

hub for Electronics System Design and

Manufacturing (ESDM) by creating an

enabling environment for the industry to

compete globally. It promotes domestic

manufacturing in the entire value-chain of

ESDM, including core components and

materials to increase the domestic value

addition and reduce dependence on import

of electronic goods by focusing on scale, skill

and technology.

65. Correct Option: (a)

Explanation:

• Option (a) is correct: Devamacchi,

Maavukal, Anechowkuru, Cauveryforests

are in Nagarhole National Park.

Supplementary Notes:

• The reserve forests include Devamacchi,

Maavukal, Anechowkuru, Dodda,Arve,

Cauvery, Muddenahalli. Their addition has

increased the area of Nagarahole National

Park to 847 square kilometres, from 647.

• There addition will bring down humanwildlife conflict in the area as wild animals

would get more room to move from one

place to another. Also, more grants can now

be obtained to prevent such conflict.

About Nagarhole National Park:

• Nagarahole is named after Nagarahole

(Cobra river in the local language, Kannada),

a winding river which runs eastwards

through its centre. Situated in the two

districts of Mysore and Kodagu in the state

of Karnataka.

• It was originally constituted into a sanctuary

in the year 1955 covering an area of 258

sq. kms and subsequently enlarged to

include the adjoining areas of Mysore

district and now extends over an area of

643.39 sq. kms which was given the status

of a National Park in 1983.

• Nagarahole National Park forms a part of

the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and together

with Bandipur National Park (875 sq. kms)

and Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary (325 sq.

kms) to its South East and Wayanad (350

sq. kms) to the South-West, is one of the

last remaining and best protected habitats

for endangered species like the Elephant and

the Tiger.

In News: On 15 august 2019 seven reserved

forests have been added to the Nagarahole

National Park in Karnataka in order to protect

its animals.

66. Correct Option: (c)

Explanation:

• Both statements are correct.

Supplementary Notes:

About UNCCD:

• Established in 1994, the United Nations

Convention to Combat Desertification

(UNCCD) is the sole legally binding

international agreement linking

environment and development to

sustainable land management.

• The Convention addresses specifically the

arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas,

known as the drylands, where some of the

most vulnerable ecosystems and peoples

can be found.

• The UNCCD is particularly committed to a

bottom-up approach, encouraging the

participation of local people in combating

desertification and land degradation.

• The new UNCCD 2018-2030 Strategic

Framework is the most comprehensive

global commitment to achieve Land

Degradation Neutrality (LDN) in order to

restore the productivity of vast expanses of

degraded land, improve the livelihoods of

more than 1.3 billion people, and reduce the

impacts of drought on vulnerable

populations to build.

• The UNCCD secretariat facilitates

cooperation between developed and

developing countries, particularly around

knowledge and technology transfer for

sustainable land management.

• The UNCCD collaborates closely with the

other two Rio Conventions; the

Convention on Biological Diversity

(CBD) and the United Nations

Framework Convention on Climate

Change (UNFCCC) with an integrated

approach and the best possible use of

natural resources.

67. Correct Option: (b)

Explanation:

• Option (b) is correct: Exercise TSENTR2019

is part of the annual series of large scale

exercises that form part of the Russian

Armed Forces’ annual training cycle.

Supplementary notes:

• Russia holds this major military exercise

every year at one of its four military

Commands i.eVostok (East), Zapad (West),

TSENTR (Centre) and Kavkas (South).The

series of exercise rotates through the four

main Russian operational strategic

commands.

• These annual exercises have slowly begun

taking an international character, with

Belarus participating in ZAPAD-2017 and

China and Mongolia participating in

VOSTOK-2018.

• This year’s Exercise TSENTR 2019 will be

conducted by Central Military Commission

of Russia. Apart from host Russia, military

contingents from China, India, Kazakhstan,

Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan and

Uzbekistan will also take part in this mega

event.

• The exercise aims at evolving drills of the

participating armies and practicing them in

the fight against the scourge of

international terrorism thereby ensuring

military security in the strategic central Asian

region.

• The TSENTR-2019 strategic measures will

focus on evaluating the level of troop

preparedness, the acquisition of the

required skills and raising the level of interoperability and demonstrate the readiness

of the participating armies.

In news: India will take part in this year’s

military exercise TSENTR 2019 that will be

conducted by Russia from September 9 to 23,

2019.

68. Correct Option: (b)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: It has evolved

through judgments of the Supreme Court,

and not by an Act of Parliament or by a

provision of the Constitution

Supplementary notes:

Collegium System

• It is the system of appointment and

transfer of judges that has evolved through

judgments of the Supreme Court, and not

by an Act of Parliament or by a provision

of the Constitution.

• The Supreme Court collegium is headed by

the Chief Justice of India and comprises four

other senior-most judges of the court.

• A High Court collegium is led by its Chief

Justice and four other seniormost judges of

that court.

69. Correct Option: (b)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: India is a major

part of this project but it is not

indigenously designed and developed

in India.

Supplementary notes:

Project Miniature Sun

• Nick named as ‘miniature sun’,

International Thermonuclear

Experimental Reactor (ITER) is the largest

plasma based fusion reactor ever built.

• It is the costliest technological project of the

21st century with an estimated construction

cost of $25 Billion.

• The project site is located in Cadarache,

Southern France.

• The term ‘Thermonuclear’ indicates the

nuclear fusion reaction.

• ITER will be two times the size of the largest

fusion reactor present and the chamber

volume will be 10 times the present one.

• It is worth mentioning here that the mega

project is undertaken by USA, Russia, South

Korea, China, Japan, European Union and

India.

India’s Contribution

.

70. Correct Option: (a)

Explanation:

• Statement (a) is incorrect: Only Article

32 confers the Right to Constitutional

Remedies. Article 226 empowers the High

Courts to issue writs for the enforcement

of rights.

Supplementary notes:

Jurisdiction of High Court

• The High Court is the highest court of

appeal in the state. It is the protector of

the Fundamental Rights of the citizens. It

is vested with the power to interpret the

Constitution. Besides, it has supervisory

and consultative roles.

• However, the Constitution does not

contain detailed provisions with regard

to the jurisdiction and powers of a high

court.

71. Correct Option: (b)

Explanation:

• Statement 3 is incorrect: It is a convention

and not mentioned in the constitution.

Supplementary notes:

Governor

The Governor is the head of a state just like

the President is the head of the republic. The

Governor is the nominal head of a state, while

the Chief Minister is the executive head. All

executive actions of the state are taken in the

name of the Governor.

Eligibility Criteria

As per the Constitution of India, the following

are the eligibility criteria for the appointment

of the Governor in a particular state:

• He or she must be a citizen of India.

72. C.  There are 175 PVTGs officially notified in the country so far.

Explanation :
Acute malnutrition among Saharias, a particularly vulnerable tribal group, due to crushing poverty, delayed breastfeeding, premature pregnancies and seasonal migrations is continuing to take away lives. As a result, every second child under five in the Shivpuri and Sheopur districts of central India is underweight. The Saharia, Sahar, Sehariya, or Sahariya are an ethnic group mainly found in the districts of Morena, Sheopur, Bhind, Gwalior, Datia, Shivpuri, Vidisha and Guna districts of Madhya Pradesh and Baran district of Rajasthan. Saharias are a particularly vulnerable tribal group. An Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) study revealed that, among Saharias, TB prevalence is an alarming 1,995 per 1,00,000 persons.

73. A.  3 only

Explanation :

Almost nine months after American national John Allen Chau was allegedly killed by the Sentinelese on the North Sentinel Island of Andaman and Nicobar islands, a recent publication by the Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI) throws more light on the incident.

74.D.

Afghanistan

Explanation :

U.S. envoy announced a draft troop pullout deal with Taliban. Under a draft peace deal with the Taliban the United States will withdraw 5,400 troops from Afghanistan and close five bases within 135 days. The accord requires the insurgent movement to ensure Afghanistan is not used by Al Qaeda or so-called Islamic State as a base for global attacks. Top U.S. negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad showed a draft deal to the Afghan president after declaring that they are “at the threshold of an agreement” following the end of the ninth round of U.S.- Taliban talks in Qatar. The agreement still needs President Donald Trump’s approval. The Taliban, at their strongest since their 2001 defeat by a U.S.-led invasion, want all U.S. and NATO troops out of Afghanistan immediately, while the U.S. seeks a withdrawal in phases that would depend on the Taliban meeting certain conditions such as a reduction in violence.

75. C.  Both 1 and 2

Explanation :

There has been a huge increase in Chinese deep-sea fishing trawlers in the southern Indian Ocean far from the Chinese coast which has raised concerns in the government and the security establishment. There were 1,100 occurrences near Somalia and 1,500 occurrences near the Coast of Oman. Occurrences are recordings of the Automatic Identification System (AIS) aboard trawlers and ships recorded when they are activated.

Statement 1 is correct:

76. B.  1 and 3 only

Explanation :

The Central Government has enforcement various Sections of the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Act, 2019 by notifying it in Gazette.

Salient features of amendment act:

• It amends the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. The Act contains provisions to deal with domestic and international arbitration, and defines the law for conducting conciliation proceedings.

77. C. Both 1 and 2

Explanation :

Statement 1 is correct:

In Meghalaya, a four-day international symposium on buckwheat with the theme ‘diversifying food systems for health and nutritional security’ was organised by North Eastern Hills University, Shillong from 3rd to 6th September 2019. Buckwheat suppresses weeds and attracts beneficial insects and pollinators with its abundant blossoms. It extracts soil phosphorus from soil better than most grain-type cover crops. Buckwheat is a relatively low input crop that has relatively high yields even in marginal soil. Since it adds nutrients to the soil, it makes a good cover crop or rotational crop.

78. C.  Both 1 and 2

Explanation :

NYKS will prepare Disaster Response Teams (DRTs) for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in collaboration with NDRF to be launched on pilot basis in 32 Districts of 28 States/UTs.

Nehru Yuva Kendras were established in the year 1972. Later in year 1987 it became Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS). It is an autonomous organization under Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, within the Government of India. It is the largest grassroot level youth organization in the world. It channelizes the power of youth on the principles of voluntarism, self-help and community participation. Over the years, NYKS has established a network of youth volunteers through its 623 District Kendras. It has played a major role in implementing various flagship schemes of the Government. Hence both statements are correct.

79. B.  2 only

Statement 1 is incorrect:

The 24th World Energy Congress commenced in Abu Dhabi under the patronage of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates. With over 150 countries represented, it is the world’s largest and most influential energy event covering all aspects of the energy agenda. Running since 1924, the triennial World Energy Congress enables dialogue amongst Ministers, CEOs, policy-makers and industry practitioners on critical developments in the energy sector. The 24th World Energy Congress will take place in Abu Dhabi at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, United Arab Emirates from 9-12 September 2019.

80. C.  Both 1 and 2

Explanation :

Statement 1 is correct:

India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) announced the rollout of Aadhaar enabled Payment Services (AePS) at the first anniversary of its business operations. With AePS services any common person with a bank account linked to Aadhaar can perform basic banking services such as cash withdrawals and balance enquiry irrespective of the bank they hold their account with. This gives a strong boost to the Centre’s efforts in expanding access to financial services for millions of unbanked and underbanked customers. With this launch, IPPB has become the single largest platform in the country for providing interoperable banking services to customers of any bank by leveraging the last mile unprecedented reach of the Postal network.

81. A.  1 only

Explanation :
Statement 1 is correct:

The first batch of the Indian Skill Development Services (ISDS) commenced their training program at the Administrative Training Institute (ATI), Mysuru. Indian Skill Development Services (ISDS) is the newest central government services. The ISDS has 263 all India posts. The cadre comprises of 3 posts at Senior Administrative Grade, 28 posts at Junior Administrative Grade, 120 posts at Senior Time Scale and 112 posts at Junior Time Scale.

82. C.  Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)

Explanation :

A three-day long international conference ANGAN (Augmenting Nature by Green Affordable New-habitat) focussed on Energy Efficiency in Building Sector began in New Delhi. The Conference is being organised by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power, Government of India in collaboration with GIZ under the Indo German Technical Cooperation. Experts and Policy Makers across 16 countries are participating in the event to discuss various technologies in the field of design and construction of energy efficient Commercial as well as Residential Buildings and suggest ways in implementing the same. It is estimated that an investment of Rs. 2000 billion in Building energy efficiency activities would lead to a cumulative savings of 388 Billion units of electricity for the next ten years with payback of about 2 years. Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.

83. C.  Both 1 and 2

Explanation :

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the High Level Segment of the 14th Conference of Parties (COP14) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

Key highlights of his speech:

84. C.  Both 1 and 2

Explanation :

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued new guidelines to State governments for identifying accident ‘black spots’ on national highways and rectifying them.

85. C.  Both 1 and 2

Explanation :
Statement 1 is correct:

Union Minister for Health said that the government has plans to set up a National Genomic Grid, so as to take cancer research to the next level and make treatment viable for people of different economic classes. The National Genomic Grid for India-specific cancer research will collect samples from cancer patients to study genomic factors influencing cancer and identifying the right treatment modalities for the Indian population. The grid will have four parts, with the country divided into east, west, north and south

86. A.  Motihari-Amlekhganj petroleum product pipeline

87. D. To oversee the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories.

88. B.   Tamil Nadu

89. C.   Both 1 and 2

90. A.   Italy

91. A.   Govind Ballabh Pant

92.B

93. C.   Both 1 and 2

94. A.   1 only

           

95. B.   Delhi-NCR

96. A.   Resurrected Ambala-based 17 Squadron Air Force Station.

97. A.   Nagaland

98. A.   1 only

99. B.   2 only

100. B.            2 only