Shankar Ias Academy General Studies - Mock Test 5

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SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY GENERAL STUDIES - MOCK TEST 5 – ANSWER KEY 1. Ans (b) Explanation: Regional/International organisations • As a formal grouping, BRIC started after the meeting of the Leaders of Russia, India and China in St. Petersburg on the margins of G8 Outreach Summit in 2006. The grouping was formalized during the 1st meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers on the margins of UNGA in New York in 2006. The 1st BRIC Summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on 16 June 2009. • India has been a WTO member since 1 January 1995 and a member of GATT since 8 July 1948. • India has requested membership in APEC, and received initial support from the United States, Japan, Australia and Papua New Guinea. Officials have decided not to allow India to join for various reasons, considering that India does not border the Pacific Ocean, which all current members do. However, India was invited to be an observer for the first time in November 2011. • The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), or Shanghai Pact, is a Eurasian political, economic, and military organisation which was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. These countries, except for Uzbekistan, had been members of the Shanghai Five, founded in 1996; after the inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001, the members renamed the organisation. On July 10, 2015, the SCO decided to admit India and Pakistan as full members. India and Pakistan signed the memorandum of obligations on 24 June 2016 at Tashkent, thereby starting the formal process of joining the SCO as full members.

2. Ans (d) Explanation: Bharat Stage VI • The Bharat Stage (BS) norms are emission control standards introduced by the government in 2000 to keep a check on air pollution. • Based on the European regulations (Euro norms), these standards set specifications/limits for the release of air pollutants from equipment using internal combustion engines, including vehicles. • Typically, the higher the stage, the more stringent the norms. The current norms in India are BS IV in 33 cities and BS III in the remaining country. • Implementation of the BS V standard that was earlier scheduled for 2019 has now been skipped. BS VI, originally proposed to come in by 2024 has been now advanced to 2020, instead. The changes in the automobiles under the wake of BS VI norms will be- 1. Vehicles must be fitted with DPF (diesel particulate filter) for Particulate Matter (PM) reduction. It is a cylindrical object mounted vertically inside the engine compartment. 2. BS-VI vehicles also have to be equipped with an SCR (selective catalytic reduction) module to reduce oxides of nitrogen. 3. To attain the specified super low emissions, all reactions have to be precise, and controlled by microprocessors. 4. Manufacturers will also need to make petrol engines more fuel-efficient as CO emission levels will also need to be controlled. This may lead to a shift towards gasoline direct injection engines. 5. Engine downsizing will get big thrust. Smaller engines means lower fuel consumption, especially at lower speeds where most cars spend most of their times. 6. Hybrids will get more and more popular, as this is a good way to cut down on emissions, maintain performance levels and boost fuel economy. 7. Cars will get more expensive as emission cutting equipment on cars is pricey. This is particularly true in case of diesels, which need much more effort to stay clean. 8. Alternate fuels may become more mainstream than ever before. By alternate, we’re referring to electric cars, CNG, ethanol blends, LPG and petrol-electric and diesel-electric hybrids.

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Refer:http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/vehicular-pollution-what-is-bs-and-why-should- you-care/story-c6Ruvhni2GYEuKowpqaQsJ.html

3. Ans (c) Explanation: Pasupati Seal Seal : Pasupati, Stone, Mohen-jo-daro, Pakistan

This seal shows a seated figure of a Yogi, probably Shiva Pashupati, surrounded by four animaals - a rhino, a buffalo, an elephant and a tiger. There are two deer shown under the throne. Pashupati means the lord of animals. This seal may throw light on the religion of the Harappan age. Most of these seals have a knob at the back through which runs a hole and it is believed that they were used by different guilds or merchants and traders for stamping purposes. When not in use they could be worn round the neck or the arm like an amulet. 4. Ans (b) Explanation: Geo tagging • Geotagging- It is the process of adding geographical identification like latitude and longitude to various media such as a photo or video. Geotagging can help users find a wide variety of location- specific information from a device. It provides users the location of the content of a given picture. • Refer: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=160514 http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/mgnrega-geo-tagging-employment-assets-isro-nrsc/1/934900.html http://mord.geomgnrega.in/support/home

5. Ans (c) Explanation: NABARD Ans: c • Government of India created the RIDF in NABARD in 1995-96, with an initial corpus of Rs.2, 000 crore. With the allocation of Rs.25, 000 crore for 2016-17 under RIDF XXII, the cumulative allocation has reached Rs.2, 67,500 crore, including Rs. 18,500 crore under Bharat Nirman. • NABARD discharge its duty by undertaking the following roles : 1. Serves as an apex financing agency for the institutions providing investment and production credit for promoting the various developmental activities in rural areas 2. Takes measures towards institution building for improving absorptiive capacity of the credit delivery system, including monitoring, formulation of rehabilitation schemes, restructuring of credit institutions, training of personnel, etc.

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY 3. Co-ordinates the rural financing activities of all institutions engaged in developmental work at the field level and maintains liaison with Government of India, state governments, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and other national level institutions concerned with policy formulation 4. Undertakes monitoring and evaluation of projects refinanced by it. 5. NABARD refinances the financial institutions which finances the rural sector. 6. NABARD partakes in development of institutions which help the rural economy. 7. NABARD also keeps a check on its client institutes. 8. It regulates the institutions which provide financial help to the rural economy. 9. It provides training facilities to the institutions working in the field of rural upliftment. 10. It regulates the cooperative banks and the RRB’s, and manages talent acquisition through IBPS CWE. • NABARD's refinance is available to state co-operative agriculture and rural development banks (SCARDBs), state co-operative banks (SCBs), regional rural banks (RRBs), commercial banks (CBs) and other financial institutions approved by RBI. While the ultimate beneficiaries of investment credit can be individuals, partnership concerns, companies, State-owned corporations or co- operative societies, production credit is generally given to individuals. NABARD has its head office at Mumbai, India. Refer: http //www.nabard.org/content1.aspx id=514&catid=8&mid=4895

6. Ans (c) Explanation: Happiness Index Department Andhra Pradesh is the second state in the country after Madhya Pradesh to start a Happiness Index Department. Refer: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/amaravati/time-to-cheer-up-andhra-pradesh-gets-happiness- department/articleshow/58001710.cms

7. Ans (c) Explanation: Composite water management index NITI Aayog has developed a Composite Water Management Index as a useful tool to assess and further improve the performance in efficient management of water resources. Refer: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=160580 http://niti.gov.in/content/composite-water-management-index

8. Ans (b) Explanation: Tejaswini A Financing Agreement for IDA credit of US$ 63 million (equivalent) for the “Tejaswini” Socio- Economic Empowerment of Adolescent Girls and Young Women Project” was signed here with the World Bank on 23rd February, 2017. The project seeks to empower the adolescent girls with basic life skills and thereafter provide further opportunities to acquire market driven skill training or completion of secondary education, depending on the inclination of the beneficiary. Refer: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=158720

9. Ans (b) Explanation: Non debt flow of capital Equity flows under foreign direct investment (FDI) and foreign portfolio investments constitute the major forms of non-debt creating capital flows to India. Refer: https://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/BS_SpeechesView.aspx?Id=406

10. Ans (d) Explanation: Money Bill A Money Bill can be introduced in Lok Sabha only. If any question arises whether a Bill is a Money Bill or not, the decision of Speaker thereon is final. The Speaker is under no obligation to consult any one in coming to a decision or in giving his certificate that a Bill is a Money Bill. The certificate of the Speaker to the effect that a Bill is a Money Bill, is to be endorsed and signed by him when it is transmitted to Rajya Sabha and also when it is presented to the President for his assent. The Speaker’s 3

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY certificate on a Money Bill once given is final and cannot be challenged. A Money Bill cannot be referred to a Joint Committee of the Houses.

11. Ans (d) Explanation: • The president can also prorogue the house while in session. • The prorogation is applicable to both the houses of the Parliament whereas the dissolution is applicable only to the Lok Sabha not for the Rajya sabha.

12. Ans (c) Explanation: Wetlands and types • Lonar Lake is a notified National Geo-heritage Monument and saline soda lake located at Lonar in Buldhana district, Maharashtra, India which was created by a meteor impact during the Pleistocene Epoch and it is the only known hyper velocity impact crater in basaltic rock anywhere on Earth. • The Sambhar Salt Lake, India's largest inland salt lake a bowl shape lake encircles historical Sambhar Lake Town located 96 km south west of the city of Jaipur (Northwest India) and 64 km north east of Ajmer along National Highway 8 in Rajasthan. • Wular Lake is one of the largest fresh water lakes in Asia. It is sited in Bandipora district in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The lake basin was formed as a result of tectonic activity and is fed by the Jhelum River. • Chilika lake is a brackish water lagoon, spread over the Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Odisha state on the east coast of India, at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal, covering an area of over 1,100 km2. It is the largest coastal lagoon in India and the second largest lagoon in the world after The New Caledonian barrier reef in New Caledonia • Refer: http://www.orissatourism.org/chilka-lake.html http://envfor.nic.in/divisions/csurv/WWD_Booklet.pdf

13. Ans (d) Explanation: Trade agreements • Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and the six states with which ASEAN has existing free trade agreements (Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand). • The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is a proposed trade agreement between the European Union and the United States, with the aim of promoting trade and multilateral economic growth. TTIP is considered a companion agreement to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) • The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), or the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), is a trade agreement between Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States (until 23 January 2017) and Vietnam. Recently US pulled out of TPP.

14. Ans (d) Explanation: Soil Conservation Refer: http://megapib.nic.in/soil_conservation_control.htm http://edugreen.teri.res.in/explore/forestry/social.htm

15. Ans (c) Explanation: Loss and damage The term Loss and damage denotes impacts of climate-related stressors that occur despite efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climatic changes. Loss and damage can result from sudden-onset events (climate disasters, such as cyclones) as well as slow-onset processes (such as sea level rise). Loss and damage can occur in human systems (such as livelihoods) as well as natural systems (such as biodiversity), though the emphasis in research and policy is on human impacts.

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY Within the realm of loss and damage to human systems, a distinction is made between economic losses and non-economic losses. The main difference between the two is that non-economic losses involve things that are not commonly traded in markets. Refer: http://unfccc.int/adaptation/workstreams/loss_and_damage/items/6056.php http://unfccc.int/adaptation/workstreams/loss_and_damage/items/8134.php

16. Ans (c) Explanation: IMF Ms. Christine Lagarde the current MD, IMF was selected to serve a second five-year term starting on July 5, 2016 Refer: http://www.imf.org/en/About/Factsheets/Managing-Director-Selection-Process http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/christine-lagarde-appointed-for-second-term-as-imf- chief/article8261142.ece

17. Ans (b) Explanation: Kuiper Belt The Kuiper belt sometimes called the Edgeworth–Kuiper belt, is a circumstellar disc in the Solar System beyond the (known) planets, extending from the orbit of Neptune (at 30 AU) to approximately 50 AU from the Sun. It is similar to the asteroid belt, but is far larger—20 times as wide and 20 to 200 times as massive.

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• The Asteroid Belt, consists of hundreds of thousands of rocks, with all kinds of different shapes, ranging in size from the Dwarf Planet Ceres at 950 Km in Diameter, down to small bits the size of dust particles. It lies between Mars and Jupiter. • The Kuiper Belt (pronounced Kai-per) consists of Icy rocks, and it a major source of short-period Comets in the Solar system. Extending beyond the planet Neptune, Pluto was discovered to be one of the largest objects in the belt. • The mysterious Oort cloud is a collection of Comets, thought to extend far beyond the planets of the Solar System. ‘Cloud’ is a correct term, as the Oort comets are distributed spherically about the Sun, possibly extending as far as half way to the next star. The Oort orbits are not regular or planar like the Asteroid and Kuiper belts, and are often perturbed through gravitational interactions during their long journeys on highly eccentric orbits. • The belts and the Oort cloud show just how many rocks there are in the Solar System. The Planets may be the largest objects, but they are certainly not alone.

18. Ans (b) Explanation: Payment Bank Airtel has launched India's first live payments bank. Paytm is the second such service to be launched in the country. India Post Payments Bank is the third entity to receive payments bank permit after Bharti Airtel and Paytm.

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY 19. Ans (a) Explanation: Taqavi • Taqavi: Advance of money for sowing or extending cultivation. • As Muḥammad bin Tughluq adopted a stern policy, he provoked rebellion by the rural chiefs and the peasants, but, interestingly, he was also the first Indian ruler in recorded history to advance loans (taccavi) to the villagers for rehabilitation following a disastrous famine. He also proposed a grand scheme for improving cropping patterns and extending cultivation.

20. Ans (b) Explanation: Competent Authority "Competent authority" in RTI means— i. the Speaker in the case of the House of the People or the Legislative Assembly of a State or a Union territory having such Assembly and the Chairman in the case of the Council of States or Legislative Council of a State; ii. the Chief Justice of India in the case of the Supreme Court; iii. the Chief Justice of the High Court in the case of a High Court; iv. the President or the Governor, as the case may be, in the case of other authorities established or constituted by or under the Constitution; v. the administrator appointed under article 239 of the Constitution; Refer: http://righttoinformation.gov.in/webactrti.htm

21. Ans (c) Explanation: The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi: • If the President, on receipt of a report from the Lieutenant Governor or otherwise , is satisfied : (a) that a situation has arisen in which the administration of the National Capital Territory cannot be carried on in accordance with the Provisions of article 239AA or of any law made in pursuance of that article; or (b) that for the proper administration of the National Capital Territory it is necessary or expedient so to do. • The President may by order suspend the operation of any provision or article 239 AA or all or any of the provisions of any law made in pursuance of that article for such period and subject to such conditions as may be specified in such law and make such incidental and consequential provisions as may appear to him to be necessary or expedient for administering the National Capital Territory in accordance with the provisions of article 239 and article 239 AA. Refer: http://delhiassembly.nic.in/constitution.htm

22. Ans (a) Explanation: H1-B visa The H-1B is a non-immigrant visa in the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act, section 101(a)(17)(H). It allows U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations. If a foreign worker in H-1B status quits or is dismissed from the sponsoring employer, the worker must either apply for and be granted a change of status to another non-immigrant status, find another employer (subject to application for adjustment of status and/or change of visa), or leave the United States. Effective January 17, 2017, USCIS modified the rules to allow a grace period of up to 60 days. United States lawful permanent residency, informally known as green card, is the immigration status of a person authorized to live and work in the United States of America permanently. Green cards are valid for 10 years for permanent residents, and 2 years for conditional permanent residents. After this period, the card must be renewed or replaced. The application process may take several years. An immigrant usually has to go through a three-step process to get permanent residency that includes petition and processing. http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/All-you-need-to-know-about-the-H1-B-visa- programme-Bill/article16999948.ece http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/us-tightens-h-1b-visa- programme/article17796574.ece http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/trump-signs-executive-order-on-h-1b- visa/article18129277.ece 7

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY 23. Ans (c) Explanation: International Arbitration Centre: It provides an arbitration platform for Indian business houses to negotiate commercial disputes. Refer:http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/CM-launches-India%E2%80%99s-first- international-arbitration-centre/article15476696.ece

24. Ans (c) Explanation: Commission on the limits of continental shelf: The Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf consists of 21 experts in geophysics, hydrography or geology. It was established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to review the submissions of coastal states and provide recommendations on the location of the outer limits of their continental shelves. The Commission meets in New York for up to six months per year. Members of the Commission are elected by states parties to the Convention for five years and can be re-elected. The composition of the Commission is based on geographic representation. Ministry Of Earth Sciences is the nodal ministry of the government for the law of the sea related issues. Refer:http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-to-lose-presence-on-un-scientific- panel/article17453348.ece

25. Ans (b) Explanation: Rift Valley Narmada is one of the rivers in India that flows in a rift valley, flowing west between the Satpura and Vindhya ranges. The other rivers which flow through rift valley include Damodar River in Chota Nagpur Plateau and Tapti.

26. Ans (b) Explanation: PM Fasal Bhima Yojana This Crop Insurance Scheme is in line with One Nation – One Scheme theme. It incorporates the best features of all previous schemes and at the same time, all previous shortcomings/weaknesses have been removed. Refer: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=134432

27. Ans (d) Explanation: Special category Status: The Constitution does not include any provision for categorisation of any State in India as a Special Category Status (SCS) State. But, recognising that some regions in the country were historically disadvantaged in contrast to others, Central plan assistance to SCS States has been granted in the past by the erstwhile Planning Commission body, National Development Council (NDC). The NDC granted this status based on a number of features of the States which included: hilly and difficult terrain, low population density or the presence of sizeable tribal population, strategic location along international borders, economic and infrastructural backwardness and non-viable nature of State finances. Refer:http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/What-is-the-special-category- status/article14553662.ece

28. Ans (b) Explanation: Dinka and Nuer The Nuer people are a Nilotic ethnic group primarily inhabiting the Nile Valley. They are concentrated in South Sudan, with some also found in southwestern Ethiopia. They speak the Nuer language, which belongs to the Nilo-Saharan family. The Nuer are related to the Dinka people of South Sudan with whom they share customs, languages, myths, and culture. Despite the many conflicts, the Dinka and the Nuer have intertwined their lineages and community since their origin. Refer: http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/cannibalism-in-south-sudan-says-au- report/article7815486.ece http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/Karnataka-man-killed-by-rebels-in-South- Sudan/article17331267.ece

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY 29. Ans (b) Explanation: Sovereign Gold Bonds Persons resident in India as defined under Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 are eligible to invest in SGB. Eligible investors include individuals, HUFs, trusts, universities, charitable institutions, etc. Refer: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/FAQView.aspx?Id=109

30. Ans (d) Explanation: Base year All-India WPI has been revised from 2004-05 to 2011-12 by the Office of Economic Advisor (OEA), Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry to align it with the base year of other macroeconomic indicators like the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Index of Industrial Production (IIP). Refer: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=161741 http://www.thehindu.com/business/india-to-launch-new-iip-series-with-2011-12-base-year-on-may- 9/article18356550.ece http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=135926

31. Ans (c) Explanation: VoLTE: • VoLTE stands for voice over Long Term Evolution. Utilising IMS technology, it is a digital packet voice service that is delivered over IP via an LTE access network. Voice calls over LTE are recognised as the industry-agreed progression of voice services across mobile networks, deploying LTE radio access technology. • The implementation of VoLTE offers many benefits, both in terms of cost and operation. VoLTE: • Provides a more efficient use of spectrum than traditional voice; • Meets the rising demand for richer, more reliable services; • Eliminates the need to have voice on one network and data on another; • Unlocks new revenue potential, utilising IMS as the common service platform; • Can be deployed in parallel with video calls over LTE and RCS multimedia services, including video share, multimedia messaging, chat and file transfer; • Ensures that video services are fully interoperable across the operator community, just as voice services are, as demand for video calls grows; • Increases handset battery life by 40 per cent (compared with VoIP); • Delivers an unusually clear calling experience; and • Provides rapid call establishment time.

32. Ans (d) Explanation: International Criminal Court The International Criminal Court is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal that sits in The Hague in the Netherlands. The ICC has the jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. Refer: http://www.icj-cij.org/information/index.php?p1=7&p2=2#5 http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/index.php?p1=3&p2=2 http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/116/10455.pdf http://www.internationalcrimesdatabase.org/Crimes/CrimesAgainstHumanity

33. Ans (a) Explanation: Rushikulya River • The Rushikulya River is one of the major/important rivers of Odisha state and covers entire catchment area in the districts of Kandhamal and Ganjam district of Odisha. The Rushikulya originates at an elevation of about 1000 metres from Daringbadi hills. The place from where the river originates, Daringbadi is called the ' Kashmir of Odisha '. Its tributaries are the Baghua, the Dhanei, the Badanadi etc. It has no delta as such at its mouth.

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY • In 1993, biologists from the Odisha Forest Department and the Wildlife Institute of India learned that large scale nesting of Olive Ridley turtles was taking place near the mouth of the Rushikulya river. This area is the location of one of the largest mass nesting (arribada) sites of olive ridley sea turtles in India. • Refer http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/olive-ridley-turtles-lay-eggs-in-new-place-near-rushikulya-river- mouth-1664652

34. Ans (b) Explanation: DPSP Article-48: The State shall endeavour to organise agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines and shall, in particular, take steps for preserving and improving the breeds, and prohibiting the slaughter, of cows and calves and other milch and draught cattle.

35. Ans (b) Explanation: Species in Ganga River • Susu also called gangetic river dolphin. The Ganges river dolphin has been recognized by the government of India as its National Aquatic Animal. Further, the Gangetic river dolphin has been elected to be the city animal of the Indian city of Guwahati.The Ganges subspeciescan be found along the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sanguriver systems of Bangladesh and India, although its range formerly extended to Nepal. A small subpopulation can be still found on the Ghaghara River and possibly the Sapta Kosi River. • The gharialis a fish-eating crocodile, native to the northern part of the Indian Subcontinent. It is categorised as critically endangered species. Gharials once thrived in all the major river systems of the Indian Subcontinent, spanning the rivers of its northern part from the Indus River in Pakistan across the Gangetic floodplain to the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar. Today, they are extinct in the Indus River, in the Brahmaputra of Bhutan and Bangladesh, and in the Irrawaddy River. Their distribution is now limited to only 2% of their former range. • Olive ridley turtles also known as the Pacific ridley sea turtle, is a medium-sized species of sea turtle found in warm and tropical waters, primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. They are not found in rivers. In the Indian Ocean, the majority of olive ridleys nest in two or three large groups near Gahirmatha in Odisha. The coast of Odisha in India is the largest mass nesting site for the olive ridley, followed by the coasts of Mexico and Costa Rica. • http://www.wwfindia.org/indian_gharial.cfm • http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/cetaceans/about/river_dolphins/ganges _river_dolphin/

36. Ans (c) Explanation: Kaziranga National Park: Kaziranga is one of the few wild breeding areas outside Africa for multiple species of large cats, such as Indian Tigers and Leopards. Kaziranga was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006 and has the highest density of tigers in the world (one per five km²), with a population of 86, as per the 2000 census. Other felids include the Jungle Cat, Fishing Cat, and Leopard Cats. Small mammals include the rare Hispid Hare, Indian Gray Mongoose, Small Indian Mongooses, Large Indian Civet, Small Indian Civets, Bengal Fox, Golden Jackal, Sloth Bear, Chinese Pangolin, Indian Pangolins, Hog Badger, Chinese Ferret Badgers, and Particolored flying squirrels. Nine of the 14 primate species found in India occur in the park. Prominent among them are the Assamese Macaque, Capped, Golden Langur, as well as the only ape found in India, the Hoolock Gibbon. Kaziranga's rivers are also home to the endangered Ganges Dolphin. Refer: http://www.kaziranga.co.in/fauna.php

37. Ans (c) Explanation: North Eastern Rajasthan Rajasthan receives comparatively lower rainfall than all the other regions. • An 80 km wide coastal belt from Nellore to Point Calimere – 100 to 200 cm. • The middle and lower Asom Valley – 200 cm.

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY • North-Eastern Rajasthan – 40 to 60 cm. • The coastal plains of Gujarat south of Narmada-100 to 200 cm. Refer: http://www.rainwaterharvesting.org/Urban/Rainfall.htm

38. Ans (d) Explanation: INS Viraat INS Viraat involved in her first major operation- ‘Operation Jupiter’ in July 1989 as a part of Indian Peace Keeping Operations in Sri Lanka in the wake of the breakdown of the Indo- Sri Lankan Accord of 1986. On 27th July 1989, the ship mounted 76 helo sorties off Kochi to embark over 350 army personnel and over 35 tons of stores of 7 Garhwal Rifles. Over the next few weeks, Viraat and her task group remained deployed at a measured distance from the war zone, utilizing the time to train soldiers, which adequately demonstrated the ship’s operational versatility. She also played a pivotal role in Operation Parakram followed after the terrorist attack on Indian Parliament in 2013. The Ship also played a key role in Operation Vijay by creating blockade against Pakistan during Kargil War in 1999. Refer: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/printrelease.aspx?relid=151118 http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-end-of-a-voyage/article17413039.ece

39. Ans (b) Explanation: Allahabad Pillar Inscription Samudragupta’s court poet and minister Harisena composed the Allahabad pillar Inscription or Prayag Prasasti in Sanskrit. The Pillar was an Asokan Pillar erected by Asoka six century before him.

40. Ans (c) Explanation: Dayanand Saraswati Satyarth Prakash is a 1875 book written originally in Hindi by Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati, a renowned religious and social reformer and the founder of Arya Samaj. It is considered one of his major scholarly works.

41. Ans (c) Explanation: Kessler Syndrome The Kessler Syndrome is a theory proposed by NASA scientist Donald J. Kessler in 1978, used to describe a self-sustaining cascading collision of space debris in LEO. It’s the idea that two colliding objects in space generate more debris that then collides with other objects, creating even more shrapnel and litter until the entirety of LEO is an impassable array of super swift stuff. At that point, any entering satellite would face unprecedented risks of headfirst bombardment.

42. Ans (a) Explanation: Bank Notes Contemporary Currency notes have 15 languages on the panel which appear on the reverse of the note. http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/new-one-rupee-notes-to-be-in-circulation- soon/article18654062.ece

43. Ans (b) Explanation: Labour Force Labour Force refers to the number of persons actually working or willing to work. However, workforce refers to the number of persons actually working. The difference between labour force and workforce is the total number of unemployed persons.

44. Ans (b) Explanation: Cubesat A Cube Sat is a type of miniaturized satellite for space research that is made up of multiples of 10×10×10 cm cubic units. Cube Sats have a mass of no more than 1.33 kilograms per unit, and often use commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components for their electronics and structure. Cube Sats are 11

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY most commonly put in orbit by deployers on the International Space Station, or launched as secondary payloads on a launch vehicle.

45. Ans (b) Explanation: Republic Republic - a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected president rather than a monarch.

46. Ans (b) Explanation: POCSO Act The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) 2012 was formulated in order to effectively address sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children. The Act defines a child as any person below eighteen years of age. It defines different forms of sexual abuse, including penetrative and non-penetrative assault, as well as sexual harassment and pornography.

47. Ans (c) Explanation: NHRC Refer: http://nhrc.nic.in/hrissues.htm#top

48. Ans (a) Explanation: New All India Service As per the Constitution of India, under Article 312, a new All India service can be instituted with only on the initiative of Rajya Sabha.

49. Ans (d) Explanation: Pollinating Agents The transfer of pollen between anther and stigma is accomplished by various agents. These agents could be living organisms (bees and butterflies) or natural agents (wind and water). Living organisms are the more numerous of pollinators and honey bees (social and solitary), wasps, flies, moths, butterfly, birds, bats and animals are the most common agents of pollination. Other pollination agents such as wind and water also contribute to cross pollination. • A pollinator is an animal that moves pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma of a flower. This helps to bring about fertilization of the ovules in the flower by the male gametes from the pollen grains. • Insect pollinators include bees, (honey bees, solitary species, bumblebees); pollen wasps (Masarinae); ants; flies including bee flies and hoverflies; lepidopterans, both butterflies and moths; and flower beetles. Vertebrates, mainly bats and birds, but also some non-bat mammals (monkeys, lemurs, possums, rodents) and some lizards pollinate certain plants. • Among the pollinating birds are hummingbirds, honeyeaters and sunbirds with long beaks; they pollinate a number of deep-throated flowers. Among the animals, insects, particularly bees are the dominant biotic pollinating agents http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150514-extraordinary-pollinators http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Pollination#Agents_of_pollination

50. Ans (d) Explanation: Resourcesat-2A It will give regular micro and macro information on land and water bodies below, forests, farm lands and crop extent, coastal information, mineral deposits, rural and urban spreads besides helping in disaster management. Refer : http://www.isro.gov.in/applications/earth-observation http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/Remote-sensing-satellite-Resourcesat-2A- launched/article16771746.ece

51. Ans (d) Explanation: Climate smart agriculture Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is an approach that helps to guide actions needed to transform and reorient agricultural systems to effectively support development and ensure food security in a 12

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY changing climate. CSA aims to tackle three main objectives: sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and incomes; adapting and building resilience to climate change; and reducing and/or removing greenhouse gas emissions, where possible. The Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), which defines CSA as “agriculture that sustainably increases productivity, enhances resilience (adaptation), reduces/removes GHGs (mitigation) where possible, and enhances achievement of national food security and development goals”. The principal goal of CSA is identified as food security and development, while productivity, adaptation, and mitigation are identified as the three interlinked pillars necessary for achieving this goal. Refer: http://www.fao.org/climate-smart-agriculture/en/ https://csa.guide/csa/what-is-climate-smart-agriculture http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/Charting-a-road-map-for-climate-smart- agriculture/article16079881.ece

52. Ans (c) Explanation: In situ conservation • In situ conservation means the conservation of ecosystems and natural habitats and the maintenance and recovery of species in their natural surroundings. • Examples: National Parks, Wild Life sanctuaries, Biosphere Reserves, Gene Sanctuaries etc.

53. Ans (b) Explanation: Endemic Species • Endemic species are plants and animals that exist only in one geographic region. • The great Indian Bustard was formerly widespread in India and Pakistan. The bustard is critically endangered in Pakistan primarily due to lack of protection and rampant hunting. A few birds have been detected in a September 2013 survey of the Cholistan Desert in Pakistan. Refer: http://www.wildlifeindia.co.uk/birding-india/indian-wildlife-species.html http://www.wwfindia.org/about_wwf/priority_species/threatened_species/great_indian_bustard/

54. Ans (c) Explanation: CBDR • Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) was formalized in United Nations Framework of Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) of Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, 1992. It was the first international legal instrument to address climate change and the most comprehensive international attempt to address negative impacts to global environment • The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity. It provides a transparent legal framework for the effective implementation of one of the • Three objectives of the CBD: the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources. • CBDR is not applicable to Nagoya Protocol. • India joins the nations of the world in lauding the Hydroflurocarbon (HFC) Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, agreed to at the 28th Meeting of Parties at Kigali, Rwanda. The Kigali Agreement is a reaffirmation of the global intent to mitigate climate change and exemplifies international co-operation in this regard. The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol is legally binding and will come into force from January 1, 2019. • The Agreement upholds the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR & RC). It recognizes the development imperatives of high-growth economies like India, and provides a realistic and viable roadmap for the implementation of a phase-out schedule for high global warming potential (GWP) HFCs. http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=151685 13

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY 55. Ans (a) Explanation: Ngari Observatory Refer: http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/China-setting-up-highest-altitude-telescopes- close-to-LAC/article17005568.ece

56. Ans (b) Explanation: Snow leopard Refer: http://www.wwfindia.org/?12461/WWF-India-observes-first-anniversary-of-Bishkek-Declaration-a- global-agreement-on-snow-leopards https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/snow-leopard http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/ghost-of-the- mountains/article18712580.ece http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kozhikode/on-the-trail-of-elusive-snow- leopard/article8444147.ece http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/why-leopards-are-changing-their-hunting- spots/article18410343.ece http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/Snow-leopards%E2%80%99-return-brings-hope- to-remote-Afghan-region/article14635604.ece

57. Ans (d) Explanation: NCBC • The Supreme Court of India in its Judgment dated 16.11.1992 in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 930 of 1990 – Indra Sawhney & Ors. Vs. Union of India and Ors., reported in (1992) Supp. 3 SCC 217 directed the Govt. of India, State Governments and Union Territory Administrations to constitute a permanent body in the nature of a Commission or Tribunal for entertaining, examining and recommending upon requests for inclusion and complaints of over-inclusion and under-inclusion in the list of OBCs. • Refer: http://www.ncbc.nic.in/User_Panel/UserView.aspx?TypeID=1025 http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/bc-commission-set-to-get-constitutional- status/article17834979.ece

58. Ans (b) Explanation: Constitutional Immunity Article 361 is an exception to Article 14 (Right to Equality) of the Indian Constitution. The features are as follows: 1. The President or the Governor is not answerable to any court for the exercise of the powers and duties of his office. 2. No criminal proceedings shall be conducted against the President or the Governor during his term of office. 3. No arrest or imprisonment shall be made against the President or Governor during his term of office. 4. No civil proceedings shall be made against the President or the Governor during his term of office in respect of any act done by him in his personal capacity.

59. Ans (a) Explanation: Climatic regions • Tundra is a type of biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine tundra, and Antarctic tundra. In tundra, the vegetation is composed of dwarf shrubs, sedges and grasses, mosses, and lichens. Scattered trees grow in some tundra regions. The ecotone (or ecological boundary region) between the tundra and the forest is known as the tree line or timberline. • Tundra Climate or Polar Climate - There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine tundra, and Antarctic tundra. 14

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY 60. Ans (c) Explanation: Supreme Court Article 141 - Law declared by Supreme Court to be binding on all courts the law declared by the Supreme Court shall be binding on all courts within the territory of India Refer: http://supremecourt.gov.in/jurisdiction

61. Ans (d) Explanation: Constitutional bodies • Constitutional bodies in India are the bodies or institutes that have its name mentioned in Indian constitution. It derives power directly from the constitution. Any type of change in mechanism of these bodies needs constitutional amendment. Eg. Election commission, CAG, UPSC etc. • The Central Administrative Tribunal is a Statutory Body established under The Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 and is directly under the Supervision of the Department of Personnel and Training. The CAT is not constructional body. It is constituted by the act of Parliament. Hence it is a statutory body having Quasi Judicial Powers vested in it. • Article 323-A: 1) Parliament may, by law, provide for the adjudication or trial by administrative tribunals of disputes and complaints with respect to recruitment and conditions of service of persons appointed to public services and posts in connection with the affairs of the Union or of any State or of any local or other authority within the territory of India or under the control of the Government of India or of any corporation owned or controlled by the Government. • The National Integration Council (NIC) is a group of senior politicians and public figures in India that looks for ways to address the problems of communalism, casteism and regionalism. • The National Development Council (NDC) or the Rashtriya Vikas Parishad is the apex body for decision making and deliberations on development matters in India, presided over by the Prime Minister. It was set up on 6 August 1952 to strengthen and mobilize the effort and resources of the nation in support of the Plan, to promote common economic policies in all vital spheres, and to ensure the balanced and rapid development of all parts of the country. The Council comprises the Prime Minister, the Union Cabinet Ministers, Chief Ministers of all States or their substitutes, representatives of the Union Territories and the members of the NITI Aayog. • It is an extra-constitutional and non-statutory body. NDC is the listed as an advisory body to the erstwhile Planning Commission but its advice is not binding.

62. Ans (b) Explanation: Litchi In tests carried out in animals, MCPG has been shown to lower blood sugar levels and produce brain problems. It was found to interfere with a biochemical pathway in cells that turns fatty acids into glucose, which also resulted in the accumulation of toxic molecules. Refer:http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/a-compound-in-litchi-behind-mystery-brain- disease/article6857197.ece

63. Ans (d) Explanation: Ozone Depleting and GHGs: • Ozone depleting substances (ODSs) are those substances which deplete the ozone layer and are widely used in refrigerators, air conditioners, fire extinguishers, in dry cleaning, as solvents for cleaning, electronic equipment and as agricultural fumigants. http://www.envfor.nic.in/legis/ods/odssch1.html Greenhouse gases • Greenhouse gases are those that absorb and emit infrared radiation in the wavelength range emitted by Earth. In order, the most abundant greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere are:

• Water vapour (H2O) • Carbon dioxide (CO2) • Methane (CH4) • Nitrous oxide (N2O) • Ozone (O3) • Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) • Hydrofluorocarbons (incl. HCFCs and HFCs) 15

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) • Produced mostly in developed countries, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) replaced CFCs and HCFCs. HFCs pose no harm to the ozone layer because, unlike CFCs and HCFCs, they do not contain chlorine. They are however greenhouse gases, with a high global warming potential (GWP), comparable to that of CFCs and HCFCs. • At 28th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol in Kigali amendment was adopted to eliminate planet-warming HFC gases, they also figure in the basket of six greenhouse gases under the Kyoto Protocol. Developed countries following the Kyoto Protocol report their HFC emission data to the UNFCCC; • The amendment to the legally-binding Montreal Protocol will ensure that the rich and industrialised countries bring down their HFC production and consumption by at least 85 per cent compared to their annual average values in the period 2011-2013. A group of developing countries including China, Brazil and South Africa are mandated to reduce their HFC use by 85 per cent of their average value in 2020-22 by the year 2045. India and some other developing countries — Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, and some oil economies like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait — will cut down their HFCs by 85 per cent of their values in 2024-26 by the year 2047. • A recent NASA study has found that HFC contributes to ozone depletion by a small but measurable amount https://phys.org/news/2015-10-nasa-common-coolants-contribute-ozone.html https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/goddard/nasa-study-shows-that-common-coolants- contribute-to-ozone-depletion Nitrous oxide (N2O) • Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas or nitrous is a chemical compound, an oxide of nitrogen with the formula N2O. • At room temperature, it is a colorless, odorless non-flammable gas, with a slightly metallic scent and taste. At elevated temperatures, nitrous oxide is a powerful oxidizer similar to molecular oxygen. • Nitrous oxide occurs in small amounts in the atmosphere, but has been found recently to be a major scavenger of stratospheric ozone, with impact comparable to that of CFCs. It is estimated that 30% of the N2O in the atmosphere is the result of human activity, chiefly agriculture • Though it is an ODS, it is not classified as ODS under any agreement or Montreal Protocol or any Government Document. Only the research bodies are claiming that N20 is an ODS. • http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2009/20090827_ozone.html • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3306630/

64. Ans (b) Explanation: Extended Producer responsibility The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified the E-Waste Management Rules, 2016 in supersession of the e-waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2011. E-waste rules will now include Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) and other mercury containing lamps, as well as other such equipment. For the first time, the Rules will bring the producers under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), along with targets. Producers have been made responsible for collection of E- waste and for its exchange. Refer: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=138319 http://envfor.nic.in/sites/default/files/Waste%20Management%20Rules,%202016.pdf

65. Ans (b) Explanation: Decomposition • Decomposition is the natural process of dead animal or plant tissue being rotted or broken down. This process is carried out by invertebrates, fungi and bacteria. The result of decomposition is that the building blocks required for life can be recycled. Those which are not eaten by larger animals are quickly decomposed or broken down into their constituent chemicals by a host of creatures including beetles and their larva, flies, maggots and worms as well as bacteria, moulds and fungi. Collectively these are known as decomposers. • The rate and manner of decomposition in an animal body is strongly affected by several factors. In roughly descending degrees of importance, they are: ¾ Temperature; 16

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY ¾ The availability of oxygen; ¾ Prior embalming; ¾ Cause of death; ¾ Burial, depth of burial, and soil type; ¾ Access by scavengers; ¾ Trauma, including wounds and crushing blows; ¾ Humidity, or wetness; ¾ Rainfall; ¾ Body size and weight; ¾ Clothing; ¾ The surface on which the body rests; ¾ Foods/objects inside the specimen's digestive tract (bacon compared to lettuce). • Some of the most common decomposers are bacteria, worms, slugs, snails, and fungi like mushrooms. • A virus is a small infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of other organisms. Viruses can infect all types of life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. Virus is not decomposers.

66. Ans (b) Explanation: Powers of President and Governor • President’s powers can be classified into several heads such as executive powers, legislative powers, financial powers, judicial powers, Diplomatic powers, Military powers as well as emergency powers. • Being a constitutional head in the state, the Governors have executive, legislative, financial, judicial and discretionary powers. • Governor has no military, diplomatic and Emergency powers. • State Emergency or President Rule is declared by the President based on the report given by the Governor • Governor has also pardoning powers but not equal to the President

67. Ans (a) Explanation: Council of Ministers • The Union Council of Ministers 'or federal cabinet' exercises executive authority in the Republic of India. It consists of senior ministers, called "Cabinet Ministers", junior ministers, called "Ministers of State" as well as Minister of State with independent charge and deputy ministers. • It is led by the Prime Minister. A smaller executive body, called the Union Cabinet is the decision- making body in India.

68. Ans (a) Explanation: Sallekhana/ Santhara: • A unique ritual in Jainism involves a holy fasting until death called Sallekhana. Through this one achieves a death with dignity and dispassion as well as a reduction of negative karma to a great extent. This form of dying is also called Santhara. It is viewed in Jainism as the thinning of human passions and the body and another means of destroying rebirth-influencing karma by withdrawing all physical and mental activities. It is not considered as a suicide by Jain scholars because it is not an act of passion, nor does it deploy poisons or weapons. • Sallekhana is embracing the death voluntarily when both householders and ascetics foresee that the end of the life is very near either due to the old age, incurable disease, severe famine, attack from the enemy or wild animal, etc. At such time one overcomes all the passions and abandons all the worldly attachments by observing austerities such as gradually abstaining from the food and the water and simultaneously meditating on the true nature of the Self until the soul parts the body. An approximate assessment of the remaining span of the life is necessary in order to adjust to the nature of the fasting. He should endure all the hardships, but if he falls ill or for any other reason cannot maintain the peace of mind, then he should give up Sallekhana and resume taking foods and other activities. • Sallekhana is a vow available to both for Jain ascetics and householders.

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY 69. Ans (b) Explanation: Eka Movement Eka Movement or Unity Movement is a peasant movement which surfaced in Hardoi, Bahraich and Sitapur of the United Provinces during the end of 1921 by Madri Passi. The initial thrust was given by the leaders of Congress and Khilafat. The main reason of movement was higher rent, which was generally higher than 50% of recorded rent in some areas. Oppression of thekedhars who were entrusted to collect rent and practice of share rent also contributed to this movement.

70. Ans (a) Explanation: Legal tender Money Legal tender is a medium of payment recognized by a legal system to be valid for meeting a financial obligation. Paper currency and coins are common forms of legal tender in many countries. Legal tender is variously defined in different jurisdictions. Formally, it is anything which when offered in payment extinguishes the debt. Thus, personal cheques, credit cards, and similar non-cash methods of payment are not usually legal tender. http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=154450 http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=155923

71. Ans (d) Explanation: El-Nino El Niño is a climate cycle in the Pacific Ocean with a global impact on weather patterns. The cycle begins when warm water in the western tropical Pacific Ocean shifts eastward along the equator toward the coast of South America. Normally, this warm water pools near Indonesia and the Philippines. During an El Niño, the Pacific's warmest surface waters sit offshore of north-western South America. Due to this reversal, the upwelling of the cold water gets weakened. The surface water is warm. This lowers the nutrients available to fish and thus poses problems to the economics of fisheries. The prominent function of currents on the earth is to uniformly distribute the temperature on earth. Warm currents tend to move towards polar region while the cold current moves towards equatorial region. Meeting of cold currents provide favourable and susceptible conditions for the breeding of marine organisms. The temperature on the points where hot and cold currents meet is suitable for phytoplankton that is the key source of nutrition in marine food chain. Some of the attentive regions where meeting of currents take place are Bahama blancas (brazillian current + Falkland current) , Japanese coast (oya siwo+kuro siwo current) , newfoundland (Labrador current + N. Atlantic drift).Such portions of the seas are suitable for fishing and sea food trade.

72. Ans (a) Explanation: Open market operations Open market operations are conducted by the RBI by way of sale or purchase of government securities (g-secs) to adjust money supply conditions. The central bank sells g-secs to suck out liquidity from the system and buys back g-secs to infuse liquidity into the system. These operations are often conducted on a day-to-day basis in a manner that balances inflation while helping banks continue to lend. The RBI uses OMO along with other monetary policy tools such as repo rate, cash reserve ratio and statutory liquidity ratio to adjust the quantum and price of money in the system. Refer: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/columns/all-you-wanted-to-know-about-open- market-operations/article8462165.ece

73. Ans (a) Explanation: Amendment to the constitution • The president must give his assent to the bill. He can neither withhold his assent to the bill nor return the bill for reconsideration of the Parliament. Judicial review is the basic feature of the constitution and it is applicable to constitutional amendments also. • The Constitution (Twenty-fourth Amendment) Act, 1971, enables Parliament to dilute Fundamental Rights through Amendments of the Constitution. It also amended article 368 to provide expressly that Parliament has power to amend any provision of the Constitution. The amendment further made it obligatory for the President to give his assent, when a Constitution Amendment Bill was presented to him. 18

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY • The 99th Constitutional Amendment Act 2014, which established the National Judicial Appointments Commission, was held to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of India on the 16th October 2015. The Collegiums system will thus be continued to be followed for the appointment of Supreme Court and High Court Judges.

74. Ans (b) Explanation: Cabinet committee on parliamentary affairs • The Government has reconstituted six Committees of the Cabinet i.e. Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, Cabinet Committee on Accommodation, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs and Cabinet Committee on Security. • All the committees except Cabinet Committee on Parliament Affairs are headed by the Prime Minister of India. The full list of Cabinet Committees (2016) is: • Appointments Committee of the Cabinet is chaired by the Prime Minister of India • Cabinet Committee on Accommodation is chaired by the Home Minister of India • Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs is chaired by the Prime Minister of India • Cabinet Committee of Parliamentary Affairs is chaired by the Home Minister of India • Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs is chaired by the Prime Minister of India • Cabinet Committee on Security is chaired by the Prime Minister of India http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=105747

75. Ans (b) Explanation: Delhi proposals In December 1927, a large number of Muslim leaders had met at Delhi at the Muslim League session and evolved four proposals for Muslim demands to be incorporated in the draft constitution. These proposals, which were accepted by the Madras session of the Congress (December 1927), came to be known as the ‘Delhi Proposals’. These were: 1. Joint electorates in place of separate electorates with reserved seats for Muslims; 2. One-third representation to Muslims in Central Legislative Assembly; 3. Representation to Muslims in Punjab and Bengal in proportion to their population; 4. Formation of three new Muslim majority provinces— Sindh, Baluchistan and North-West Frontier Province.

76. Ans (b) Explanation: Salt Satyagraha • The 24-day salt march began from 12 March 1930 and continued till 6 April 1930 as a direct action campaign of tax resistance and nonviolent protest against the British salt monopoly, • While Gandhi marched along India's west coast, his close associate C. Rajagopalachari, who would later become sovereign India's first Governor-General, organized the Vedaranyam salt march in parallel on the east coast. His group started from Tiruchirappalli, in Madras Presidency (now part of Tamil Nadu), to the coastal village of Vedaranyam. • The Vedaranyam March (also called the Vedaranyam Satyagraha) was a framework of the nonviolent civil disobedience movement in British India. Modeled on the lines of Dandi March, which was led by Mahatma Gandhi on the western coast of India the month before, it was organised to protest the salt tax imposed by the British Raj in the colonial India. • It began at Trichinopoly (now Tiruchirappalli) on 13 April 1930 and proceeded for about 150 miles towards the east before culminating at Vedaranyam, a small coastal town in the then Tanjore District. • The Salt March was also called the White Flowing River because all the people were joining the procession wearing white khadi. • Third Round Table Conference was held in London on November 17, 1932.

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY 77. Ans (c) Explanation: Summer rain in Malabar Coast: The Arabian Sea Branch of the Southwest Monsoon first hits the Western Ghats (Malabar Coast) of the coastal state of Kerala, India, thus making this area the first state in Mainland India to receive rain from the Southwest Monsoon.

78. Ans (d) Explanation: Qualitative method of credit control: • The qualitative measures do not regulate the total amount of credit created by the commercial banks. These measures make distinction between good credit and bad credit and regulate only such credit, which creates economic instability. Therefore, qualitative measures are known as the selective measures of credit control. • Qualitative credit control measures include: i. Prescription of margin requirements ii. Consumer credit regulation iii. Moral suasion iv. Direct action

79. Ans (c) Explanation: Type and nature of investments: Foreign direct investment (FDI) is an investment made by a company or individual in one country in business interests in another country, in the form of either establishing business operations or acquiring business assets in the other country, such as ownership or controlling interest in a foreign company. Foreign direct investments are distinguished from portfolio investments in which an investor merely purchases equities of foreign-based companies.

80. Ans (b) Explanation: No confidence motion No-confidence motion can be moved only in Lok Sabha {or state assembly as the case may be}. It is not allowed in Rajya Sabha or state legislative council. It is moved against the entire Council of Ministers and not individual ministers or private members. It needs support of at least 50 members when introduced in Lok Sabha. It needs no reason for its adoption in the lower house of the Parliament. Context of the question http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/palaniswami-wins-trust-vote-after-violence-by- dmk-mlas/article17327547.ece http://www.livemint.com/Politics/ltGGUTXbfY1dOUS7wUw7jL/Congress-to-vote-against- Palaniswami-govt-in-Tamil-Nadu-asse.html

81. Ans (b) Explanation: Crypto currency • China, South Korea and Japan have adopted use of bitcoins with regulations, not India. • The birth of the first cryptocurrency — bitcoin — was announced to the world in 2008 by still unidentified inventor(s) who goes by the name ‘Satoshi Nakamoto’. • cryptocurrencies are generated by a network of computers that run a software called ‘blockchain’. • Since 2014, the American tax authorities have treated cryptocurrencies as ‘property’ subject to appropriate capital gains tax rate. On April 1 this year, Japan deemed bitcoin as a legitimate payment method; on July 1, Australia will follow suit. Chinese authorities have aggressively stepped in, when needed, to ensure cryptocurrency exchanges function well. • In April 12 this year, the Indian government constituted an inter-disciplinary committee to study regulatory frameworks for cryptocurrencies. Refer: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/all-about-bitcoins/article17961273.ece http://www.thehindu.com/business/panel-to-suggest-norms-for-bitcoins-virtual- currencies/article17956474.ece http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/cryptocurrency-an-idea-whose-time-has- come/article18714908.ece

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY 82. Ans (c) Explanation: Global seed vault Deep inside a mountain on a remote island in the Svalbard archipelago, halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole, lies the Global Seed Vault. Its mission is to ensure the conservation and availability of crop diversity for food security worldwide http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/arctic-vault-receives-new-seed- deposits/article17362653.ece

83. Ans (c) Explanation: Movement and Persons associated • Satguru Ram Singh was a great leader of Kuka Movement and Namdhari Sikh Sect, a Spiritual Teacher, Social Reformer and a prominent Freedom fighter. He was born in the year 1816. The year 2016 is his 200th Birth Anniversary year. • Prarthana Samaj was founded by Atmaram Pandurang with the help of Keshav Chandra Sen in 1867, with an aim to make people believe in one God and worship only one God. • Seva Sadan Society was founded in 1908 by two gentlemen, Shri Behramji Malbari and Diwan Dayaram Gidumal, who were eminent social activists and philanthropists of their time.

84. Ans (c) Explanation: Satavahana Dynasty The Satavahana dynasty started the custom of naming the Kings after their Mother's Name, like Gautamiputra satakarni.

85. Ans (a) Explanation: Iqta system • The Iqta system (assignment of land revenue) was provided institutional status by Iltutmish and later this system became the mainstay of the sultanate administration under slave dynasty. • Iltutmish introduced the Iqta-dar system, which had been the common practice of the majority of the Islamic world since the time of the Buyids. The system shares some similarities with the contemporary European custom of Feudalism, and involved dedicating the profits of a certain land of fief (Quta'/Iqta' in other Islamic lands) to warlords in payment of their martial service and political loyalty. It was basically grant of revenue from a territory instead of a salary.

86. Ans (a) Explanation: Measures and meaning • Devaluation is a deliberate downward adjustment to the value of a country's currency relative to another currency, group of currencies or standard. • Depreciation is a decrease in the level of a currency in a floating exchange rate system due to market forces. Currency depreciation can occur due to any number of reasons – economic fundamentals, interest rate differentials, political instability, risk aversion among investors and so on. • Deflation is a contraction in the supply of circulated money within an economy, and therefore the opposite of inflation. In times of deflation, the purchasing power of currency and wages are higher than they otherwise would have been. • Exchange controls are put in place by governments and central banks in order to ban or restrict the amount of foreign currency or local currency that can be traded or purchased. These controls allow countries a greater degree of economic stability by limiting the amount of exchange rate volatility due to currency inflows/outflows.

87. Ans (a) Explanation: Current account • A country's current account is one of the two components of its balance of payments, the other being the capital account (sometimes called the financial account). The current account consists of the balance of trade, net primary income or factor income (earnings on foreign investments minus payments made to foreign investors) and net cash transfers, that have taken place over a given

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY period of time. The current account balance is one of two major measures of a country's foreign trade. • A capital account shows the net change in physical or financial asset ownership for a nation and, together with the current account, constitutes a nation's balance of payments. The capital account includes foreign direct investment (FDI), portfolio and other investments, plus changes in the reserve account. A capital account may also refer to an account showing the net worth of a business at a specific point in time.

88. Ans (a) Explanation: Muhammad bin Tughlaq • Experiments with Token Currency the heavy drains of the treasury led him to do another disastrous experiment of a token currency. The Idea of token currency was probably borrowed from Paper Money issued by his near contemporary Kublai Khan in China. He introduced the Copper/ brass coins which were to pass at the value of the contemporary Silver Tanka. The silver coin introduced by Muhammad Bin Tughlaq was called Adl. The Gold coin, which was finely engraved was called “Dinar” • An important work about Muhammad bin Tughlaq is left by Ibn Battuta. Ibn Battuta has discussed his travels and incursions in contemporary Islamic world and documented them in Rihla. He was appointed as Qazi by Muhammad Tughlaq and was also appointed ambassador to China. • Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant traveller. Marco Polo visited India probably sometime around 1289–1293 and made note of Rudrama Devi's rule belonged to Kakatiya Dynasty and nature in flattering terms.

89. Ans (d) Explanation: Monuments • Brihadeeswara Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located in Thanjavur in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is also known as Raja Rajeswara Temple, Rajarajeswaram and Peruvudayar Temple. It is one of the largest temples in India and is an example of Dravidian architecture during the Chola period. Built by Raja Raja Chola I and completed in 1010 CE, the temple turned 1000 years old. The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Great Living Chola Temples", with the other two being the Brihadeeswarar Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Airavatesvara temple. • Rajendra I was a Chola emperor who is considered one of the greatest rulers and military generals of India. He succeeded his father Rajaraja Chola I in 1014 CE. During his reign, he extended the influence of the Chola Empire to the banks of the river Ganga in North India and across the Indian Ocean to the West, making the Chola Empire one of the most powerful empires of India. After his successful campaign to Ganges river in north India he got the title Gangaikonda Chola (The Chola who took the Ganges river). And after his successful Southeast Asian campaign he got the title "Kadaram Kondan" (He who took Kedah in Malaysia). He founded a new capital city called Gangaikonda Cholapuram and built a Shiva temple similar to the Thanjavur Brihadisvara temple built by his father Rajaraja Chola.

90. Ans (d) Explanation: Capital receipts • Government receipts which either (i) create liabilities (e.g. borrowing) or (ii) reduce assets (e.g. disinvestment) are called capital receipts. Thus when govt. raises funds either by incurring a liability or by disposing off its assets, it is called a capital receipt. They are non-recurring and non- routine in nature. • http://indiabudget.nic.in/budget2016-2017/ub2016-17/rec/cr.pdf

91. Ans (c) Explanation: Lahore session The importance of the Lahore session of the Indian National Congress may be summed up as follows: • Firstly, the election of Jawaharlal Nehru to the post of President Ship of the Congress was a clear indication of the growing strength of the Leftists in the Congress.

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY • Secondly, it was in this session that the Congress for the first time raised the demand for complete independence. Such demand was not raised from the Congress platform earlier. The Lahore Congress accepted the new interpretation for Swaraj which was now to be 'complete independence'. • Thirdly, it was in the Lahore session that the Congress decided not to participate in the first Round Table Conference. • Fourthly, the Nehru Report was declared to be null and void in the Lahore Conference. • Fifthly, another significant decision arrived at in the Lahore Congress was that the Congressmen all over the country will take an Oath of Independence in the midnight of 31st December, 1929. • Sixthly, it was further decided in the Congress that 26 January, 1930 was to be celebrated as the 'independence Day'. This fake Independence Day under the British rule was to e celebrated to make the Indian national movement more lively. • Seventhly, Lahore Congress also decided to launch a Civil Disobedience Movement with complete independence as its goal. The detailed programme of the movement was, however, to be drawn up by Gandhiji.

92. Ans (b) Explanation: Samkhya school of Philosophy • Samkhya or Sankhya is one of the six āstika schools of Hindu philosophy. Samkhya is strongly dualist. Sage Kapila is traditionally credited as a founder of the Samkhya school. Kapila appears in Rigveda, but context suggests that the word means "reddish-brown color". • Kapila, the proponent of the Samkhya School, rules out the existence of God. He asserts that the existence of God cannot be proved and that God does not exist. Samkhya argues that if God exists and if God is eternal and unchanging as is widely claimed, then he cannot be the cause of the world. A cause has to be active and changing. However some of the later commentators of Samkhya seem to bend towards theistic interpretation. • Samkhya received its classical form and expression in the Samkhya-karikas (“Stanzas of Samkhya”) by the philosopher Ishvarakrishna (c. 3rd century CE). Vijnanabhikshu wrote an important treatise on the system in the 16th century. • It is a strong Indian example of metaphysical dualism, but unlike many Western counterparts it is atheistic. The two types of entities of Sā khya are Prak ti and puru a-s, namely Nature and persons. Nature is singular, and persons are numerous.

93. Ans (c) Explanation: Mattavilasa Prahasana Mattavilasa Prahasana is a short one-act Sanskrit play. It is one of the two great one act plays written by Pallava King Mahendravarman I (571– 630CE) in the beginning of the seventh century in Tamil Nadu.

94. Ans (a) Explanation: Rivers

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95. Ans (d) Explanation: Volcanoes • Most of the world's active volcanoes are located along or near the boundaries between shifting plates and are called "plate-boundary" volcanoes. However, some active volcanoes are not associated with plate boundaries, and many of these so-called "intra-plate" volcanoes form roughly linear chains in the interior of some oceanic plates. The Hawaiian Islands provide perhaps the best example of an "intra-plate" volcanic chain, developed by the northwest-moving Pacific plate passing over an inferred "hot spot" that initiates the magma-generation and volcano formation process. The peripheral areas of the Pacific Ocean Basin, containing the boundaries of several plates, are dotted by many active volcanoes that form the so-called "Ring of Fire." The "Ring" provides excellent examples of "plate boundary" volcanoes, including Mount St. Helens. • In Himalayas Volcanoes are not present even though, it is the convergence zone of plate boundaries • Volcanoes occur along both subduction and rift zones but are generally absent along strike-slip plate margins. • Volcanoes occur because of the following reasons: ¾ The first and foremost reason is the crustal disturbance in the zone of weakness due to deep faulting or mountain folding. ¾ Heat generated by degeneration of radioactive elements inside the earth which causes an increase in temperature inside the earth, thus causing eruptions of the inside materials. ¾ Reduction in pressure of rock due to formation of fractures causing the formation of magma. ¾ Formation of gases due to high temperature.

96. Ans (c) Explanation: Deltas • The west flowing rivers do not make delta, but estuaries. These rivers contain very few amounts of Slits and due to its fast speed it cannot make delta. When these fast flowing rivers reach to its mouth it become unable to deposit its slits, due to this reason slits falls in to the sea. • There are many small rivers which originate from the western Ghat Mountains and the fall in to the Arabian Sea. Due to the high gradient of Western Ghat these rivers flow with a very high speed and unable to deposits slits. They pass through the hard rocks, these rivers contain very little amount of silts. The estuaries made by these rivers are full of bio-diversity. • In rivers with higher gradient, the velocity of the river is high. Therefore West flowing rivers end up forming estuaries rather than deltas. Reasons for the formation of Deltas • Deltas are formed due to accumulation of sediments brought by the rivers.

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY • The east flowing rivers cover large distances and deposit their sediments at the coast forming deltas - eg Krishna-Godavari delta, Kaveri delta,etc. • With regards to Himalayan Rivers, they form large extensive deltas irrespective of whether they flow east or west - Ganga-brahamputra delata in east coast and the Indus river delta in the west coast. These rivers have long courses, flow through soft sedimentary plains thus carrying large amounts of sediments forming massive deltas dwarfing those formed by the peninsular rivers. • Deltas occur throughout the world, except at the poles (see slides). They all have three characteristics in common: 1. The presence of a large catchment, or drainage, basin (the area where all run-off water drains to the river). The top 30 river deltas all have catchment basins in excess of 1,000,000 sq km. 2. They all are at the mouth of large river systems that carry large quantities of clastic sediments (soils or portions of rocks that have been moved by water from where they formed). 3. They are not near geologically active coastlines. In order to have a large catchment basin, a very complex tributary system is necessary. These long, complex systems take a long time to develop, so they are very rarely situated on tectonically active coasts.

97. Ans (b) Explanation: National waterway 1

98. Ans (d) Explanation: Self Explanatory • Competition Commission of India is a statutory body of the Government of India responsible for enforcing The Competition Act, 2002 throughout India and to prevent activities that have an appreciable adverse effect on competition in India. • An Act to provide, keeping in view of the economic development of the country, for the establishment of a Commission to prevent practices having adverse effect on competition, to promote and sustain competition in markets, to protect the interests of consumers and to ensure freedom of trade carried on by other participants in markets, in India, and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. • To achieve its objectives, the Competition Commission of India endeavours to do the following: ¾ Make the markets work for the benefit and welfare of consumers. ¾ Ensure fair and healthy competition in economic activities in the country for faster and inclusive growth and development of economy.

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY ¾ Implement competition policies with an aim to effectuate the most efficient utilisation of economic resources. ¾ Develop and nurture effective relations and interactions with sectoral regulators to ensure smooth alignment of sectoral regulatory laws in tandem with the competition law. ¾ Effectively carry out competition advocacy and spread the information on benefits of competition among all stakeholders to establish and nurture competition culture in Indian economy. http://www.cci.gov.in/vision-and-mission

99. Ans (d) Explanation: Chinnar Wildlife sanctuary Refer-http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/chinnar-wildlife-sanctuary- hitches-wagon-to-star-tortoises/article18410581.ece

100. Ans (b) Explanation: Zingiber Refer-http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/New-Ginger-species-with- medicinal-properties-found-in-Andamans/article17009348.ece