05 April 2023

Q1. Which of the following rights is/are declared by Supreme Court as a part of Article 21?

1. Right against solitary confinement
2. Right of women to be treated with decency and dignity
3. Right to information
4. Right to marry

Select the correct answer code:

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 1 and 3 only
3. 1, 2 and 3 only
4. 1, 2, 3 and 4

D – Explanation

• The Supreme Court has reaffirmed its judgement in the Menaka case in the subsequent cases. It has declared the following rights as part of Article 21: (a) Right to live with human dignity. (b) Right to decent environment including pollution free water and air and protection against hazardous industries. (c) Right to livelihood. (d) Right to privacy. (e) Right to shelter. (f) Right to health. (g) Right to free education up to 14 years of age. (h) Right to free legal aid. (i) Right against solitary confinement. (j) Right to speedy trial.

Q2. With respect to Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. He holds office for a period of five years or up to the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
2. CAG audits all expenditures from the Contingency Fund of India and the Public Account of India.
3. CAG submits the audit reports relating to the accounts of the Center to the Parliament.

• 1 and 2 only
• 2 only
• 3 only
• 1, 2 and 3

B – Explanation

• Article 148 of the Constitution of India establishes the authority of this office. The incumbent is appointed for a period of 6 years or until attaining the age of 65 years whichever is earlier. Hence statement 1 is not correct.The CAG Duties, Powers and Conditions of Service (DPC) Act, was passed in the parliament in 1971.
• The duties and functions of the CAG as laid down by the Constitution are:
• Auditing the accounts related to all expenditure drawn from the Consolidated Fund of India, consolidated fund of every state and consolidated fund of every union territory having a Legislative Assembly.Audit of all expenditure from the Contingency Fund of India and the Public Account of India as well as the contingency funds and the public accounts of states. Hence statement 2 is correctAudit of all trading, manufacturing, profit and loss accounts, balance sheets and other subsidiary accounts of any department of the Central Government and state governments.Auditing the receipts and expenditure of the Government of India and each state to ensure that the rules and procedures in that regard are designed to secure an effective check on the assessment, collection and proper allocation of revenue.Auditing the receipts and expenditure of the following: All bodies and authorities substantially financed from the Central or state revenues; Government companies; and Other corporations and bodies when so required by related laws.Auditing all transactions of the Central and state governments related to debt, sinking funds, deposits, advances, suspense accounts and remittance business. He also audits receipts, stock accounts and others, with approval of the President, or when required by the President.Auditing the accounts of any other authority when requested by the President or Governor. For example, the audit of local bodies.Advising the President with regard to the prescription of the form in which the accounts of the Centre and the states shall be kept (Article 150).Submitting audit reports relating to the accounts of the Central Government to the President, who shall, in turn, place them before both the Houses of Parliament (Article 151).Submitting audit reports relating to the accounts of a state government to the Governor, who shall, in turn, place them before the state legislature (Article 151).Ascertaining and certifying the net proceeds of any tax or duty (Article 279). The certificate is final. The ‘net proceeds’ means the proceeds of a tax or a duty minus the cost of collection.
• Acting as a guide of the Public Accounts Committee of the Parliament. He compiles and maintains the accounts of state governments. In 1976, he was relieved of the responsibilities regarding the compilation and maintenance of accounts of the Government of India due to the separation of accounts from audit, through departmentalization of accounts. The CAG submits three audit reports to the President:
• Audit Report on Appropriation AccountsAudit Report on Finance AccountsAudit Report on Public Undertakings
• Article 151says that the reports of the CAG of India relating to the accounts of the Union shall be submitted to the President (NOT the Centre), who shall cause them to be laid before each House of Parliament. Hence statement 3 is not correct.

Q3. Kuril Islands is a dispute between?

1. Russia and China
2. China and Japan
3. Japan and Russia
4. China and Philippines

C – Explanation

• The Kuril Islands dispute, also known as the Northern Territories dispute in Japan, concerns the ownership of the four southernmost Kuril Islands byJapan and the Russian Federation.Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.

Q4. Consider the following statements with respect to NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India):

1. It was created by an executive resolution of the Government of India.
2. The Vice-Chairperson is appointed by the President and he enjoys the rank of a Cabinet Minister.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. None

A – Explanation

• NITI Aayog is an executive body. In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the Planning Commission’s abolition and created NITI Aayog through an executive resolution. It is neither a constitutional body nor a statutory body. Hence statement 1 is correct.The NITI Aayog council comprises all the state Chief Ministers, along with the Chief Ministers of Delhi and Puducherry, Lieutenant Governors of all UTs, and a vice-chairman nominated by the Prime Minister (NOT President).Hence statement 2 is not correct.

Q5. Consider the following statements regarding:

1. GO 111 was a government order issued by the erstwhile Government of Andhra Pradesh in 1996.
2. GO 111 prohibited the development or construction works in the catchment area of the Osman Sagar reservoir, built on the tributary of Godavari River.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

A – Explanation

• On 8^thMarch 1996, the government of erstwhile (undivided) Andhra Pradesh had issued GO 111 prohibiting development or construction works in the catchment area of the Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar lakes up to a radius of 10 km. Hence, statement 1 is correct.The GO prohibited the setting up of industries, residential colonies, hotels, etc. which cause pollution. The aim of the restrictions was to protect the catchment area, and to keep the reservoirs pollution-free.Thereservoirs were created by building dams on the Musi (also known as Moosa or Muchkunda) river, a major tributary of the Krishna, to protect Hyderabad from floods. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.The proposal to build the dams came after a major flood during the reign of the sixth nizam Mahbub Ali Khan (1869-1911) in 1908, in which more than 15,000 people were killed. The lakes came into being during the reign of the last nizam, Osman Ali Khan (1911-48). Osman Sagar was completed in 1921, and Himayat Sagar in 1927. The nizam’s guesthouse at Osman Sagar is now a heritage building.

Q6. Consider the following statements:

Western disturbances that affect India originate in the Indian Ocean. Rabi crops always benefit from the westerly jet stream.

Which of the above statements are correct?

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

D – Explanation

• Western disturbances arestorms that originate in the Caspian or Mediterranean Sea, and bring non-monsoonal rainfall to northwest India, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).Hence, statement 1 is not correct.The meaning of WD lies in its name.The disturbance travels from the “western” to the eastern direction.These travel eastwards on high-altitude westerly jet streams – massive ribbons of fast winds traversing the earth from west to east.Disturbance means an area of “disturbed” or reduced air pressure.Equilibrium exists in nature due to which the air in a region tries to normalise its pressure.A WD is associated with rainfall, snowfall and fog in northern India. It arrives with rain and snow in Pakistan and northern India. The moisture which WDs carry with them comes from the Mediterranean Sea and/or from the Atlantic Ocean.WD brings winter and pre-monsoon rain and is important for the development of the Rabi crop in the Northern subcontinent.The WDs are not always the harbingers of good weather. Sometimes WDs can cause extreme weather events like floods, flash floods, landslides, dust storms, hailstorms and cold waves killing people, destroying infrastructure and impacting livelihoods. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Q7. Consider the following statements with reference to Human Genome:

1. Human genome is mostly the same in all people, but a very small part of the DNA varies between one individual and another.
2. Every organism’s genetic code is contained in its Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid (DNA), the building blocks of life.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

C – Explanation

• A genome refers to all of the genetic material in an organism, and thehuman genome is mostly the same in all people, but a very small part of the Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid (DNA) does vary between one individual and another. Hence, statement 1 is correct.Every organism’s genetic code is contained in its Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid (DNA), the building blocks of life. Hence, statement 2 is correct.The discovery that DNA is structured as a “double helix” by James Watson and Francis Crickin 1953, started the quest for understanding how genes dictate life, its traits, and what causes diseases. Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.

Q8. The commercial applications of nano-technology in agriculture sector include:

Delivery of pesticides and fertilizersMonitoring soil conditions and plant growthDetection of animal and plant pathogensDeliver DNA to plants

Select the correct answer code:

1. 1, 2 and 3 only
2. 1 and 2 only
3. 1, 2, 3 and 4
4. 1, 2 and 4 only

C – Explanation

Q9. Which of the following statements is/are correct with respect to ‘Stem cells’:

1. Stem cells are mother cells that have the potential to become any type of cell in the body.
2. Stem cells have the ability to self-renew or multiply while maintaining the potential to develop into other types of cells.
3. Stem cells can become cells of the blood, heart, bones, skin, muscles, brain etc.

Select the correct answer from the code below

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. All of the above

D – Explanation

• Stem cells are mother cells that have the potential to become any type of cell in the body.Stem cells have the ability to self-renew or multiply while maintaining the potential to develop into other types of cells.Stem cells can become cells of the blood, heart, bones, skin, muscles, brain etc. Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

Q10. Which of the following is/are advantages of Genetically Modified Plants:

1. Made crops more tolerant to abiotic stresses (cold, drought, salt, heat).
2. Reduced reliance on chemical pesticides (pest-resistant crops).
3. Helped to reduce post-harvest losses.

Select the correct answer using the code below:

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 1 and 3 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. All of the above

D – Explanation

Plants, bacteria, fungi and animals whose genes have been altered by manipulation are called Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). GM plants have been useful in many ways. Genetic modification has:

1. Made crops more tolerant to abiotic stresses (cold, drought, salt, heat).
2. Reduced reliance on chemical pesticides (pest-resistant crops).

iii. Helped to reduce post-harvest losses.

1. Increased efficiency of mineral usage by plants (this prevents early exhaustion of fertility of soil).
2. Enhanced nutritional value of food, e.g., Vitamin ‘A’ enriched rice.