Q1. Take into account the following statements regarding manual scavenging:
- In India, it is illegal to engage individuals as manual scavengers.
- A effort to automate sewage cleaning in each of the 50 states is called the Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge.
- The NAMASTE programme works to eliminate risky septic tank and sewer cleaning techniques.
Which of the preceding statements is true?
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
Answer – D
- Manual scavenging is defined as “the removal of human excrement from public streets and dry latrines, cleaning septic tanks, gutters, and sewers”. In India, the practise was prohibited by the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (PEMSR).
- The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs issued the Safaimitra Suraksha challenge in 2020, urging all states to automate sewer cleaning. World Toilet Day is observed on November 19, 2020. The NAMASTE campaign, which aims to halt risky septic tank and sewer cleaning methods, is a joint effort by the MoSJ&E and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
Q2. Consider the following statements regarding Majuli island:
- Assam is home to the world’s largest river island.
- There, the Mishing tribe makes up the majority of the population.
Which of the preceding statements is true?
1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Answer – C
- Majuli Island, which is situated in the Brahmaputra River in Assam, is the largest river island in the world, according to Guinness World Records. It takes up a vast 352 sq km area. It is formed by the convergence of the Subansiri River, the Brahmaputra River, and the Kherkutia Xuti River in the north. The Mising tribe has lived largely on the island of Majuli in Assam since the sixteenth century.
Q3. Consider these statements in light of FEMA (the Foreign Exchange Management Act):
- FEMA, which was approved by the Indian Parliament in 1999, has replaced the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) of 1973.
- At the moment, disobeying FEMA requirements is a serious offence with severe consequences.
Which of the preceding statements is true?
1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Answer – A
- The Foreign Exchange Management statute of 1999 (FEMA) was put into effect by a parliamentary statute. It started working on December 29, 1999. FEMA took the role of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA), 1973. The regulatory framework of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is consistent with this new Act.
- As opposed to FERA’s objective of maintaining foreign exchange, FEMA’s objective is to manage it. While breaking FEMA rules is considered a civil infraction, breaking FERA rules was considered a criminal offence. In contrast to FERA, which will provide legal help, a person charged with breaking that statute did not get it.
Q4. Consider the following statements on the “Shompen” tribe:
- On the Great Nicobar Island, there is a separate indigenous population.
- Shompen is the sole PVTG in the region having negroid characteristics.
Which of the preceding statements is true?
1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Answer – A
- On Great Nicobar Island, there is a distinct indigenous group called the Shompen who are renowned for having a unique culture, civilization, and language. They have a unique language that underlines the tribe’s uniqueness and is an isolation.
- Shompens is one of the five PVTGs that call the Andamans archipelago home. North Sentinelese, Great Andamanese, Jarwas, and Onges are the other four. Shompen is the sole PVTG in the region with mongoloid characteristics. The other PVTGs’ negroid features.
Q5. Consider these rabies-related statements:
- It is caused by a DNA virus that is present in saliva from rabid animals.
- The government has pledged to eliminate it from India by 2030.
Which of the preceding statements is true?
1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Answer – B
- Rabies is a viral zoonotic illness that can be protected against by immunisation. An RNA virus that is present in the saliva of a rabid animal (such as a dog, cat, monkey, etc.) is what causes it.
- Once an infected animal bites someone, the virus and saliva lodge in the wound, allowing it to spread. Rabies is virtually invariably lethal once the first clinical symptoms appear.
- The government has unveiled the “National Action Plan For Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination (NAPRE) from India by 2030.”
Q6. Consider the following statements regarding Jagannath Temple Puri:
- The main shrine of the temple was built in the tenth century by Anantavarman of the Chodaganga dynasty.
- The Marathas seized control of the Temple complex in the sixteenth century.
- The temple was pillaged and looted while Gajapati monarch Mukunda Deva was still in power.
What statement or statements above are false?
1 and 2 only
2 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
Answer – B
- The Jagannath Temple in Puri is one of the most revered Vaishnava temples in India. In the eleventh century, the Chodaganga dynasty’s Anantavarman built the main shrine.
- The gods of the temple, on the other hand, are believed to be far older and associated with King Indrayumna, a legendary king of the Satya-yuga.
- The temple serves as an illustration of Nagara Style temple architecture. In the year 1174, Anang Bhim Deo became king. He built the Jagannath Temple’s perimeter and auxiliary shrines.
- General Kalapahad led the triumphant army of the Nawab of Bengal into the Temple complex in 1568 after toppling the Gajapati ruler Mukunda Deva. They then robbed the complex. But somewhere near Chilika Lake, the gods had been stealthily removed from the Garbha Griha.
- The Marathas and the British, respectively, acquired control of the Temple complex in 1751 and 1803, respectively. In 1809, the Rajas received official sovereignty of the Temple from the British East India Company.
Q7. Which of the aforementioned statements regarding Sudan is/are correct?
- Sudan is located in northwest Africa.
- Only Ethiopia, Libya, and Chad share a border with the Sudan.
- The River Nile reaches Sudan from the north.
Select the appropriate response using the codes below:
1 and 3 only
2 only
1 and 2 only
1, 2 and 3
Answer – A
- Sudan is a landlocked country in the northeastern part of Africa. It shares borders with Egypt and Libya in the north, Chad and the Central African Republic in the west, South Sudan in the south, Ethiopia and Eritrea in the east, and Egypt and Libya in the north.
- The Red Sea is where Sudan’s northern and eastern boundaries meet. Unlike Sudan, where the River Nile almost exclusively flows from north to south.
Q8. Regarding the Public Distribution System (PDS) in question 8, take into account the following statements:
- The Targeted PDS was first launched in 1997.
- The corresponding states determine who would receive benefits under PDS.
- Food grains are transported for distribution from the central pool.
Which of the preceding statements is true?
1 only
2 only
1 and 2 only
1 and 3 only
Answer – D
- The Indian government launched the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) in 1997. The PDS mandates that States create and implement strategies for the transparent and accountable identification of the poor for the purpose of delivering food grains and distributing them at the FPS level.
- PDS management is split between the Central and State Governments. The task of purchasing, storing, transporting, and distributing food grains in bulk to the State Governments is under the purview of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), a division of the Central Government.
- The States identified the needy for the project based on state-level estimations of poverty.
- According to Ashok Gulati in an editorial for Indian Express (8584605), ration shops act as feeding facilities.
Q9. Who established the Azad Hind Radio as a part of Germany’s radio service in 1942?
Captain Dr. Lakshmi Swaminadhan
Subhas Chandra Bose
Usha Mehta
Rash Behari Bose
Answer – B
- In 1942, Subhash Chandra Bose founded the Azad Hind Radio as a part of Germany’s radio programme. The purpose of the projects was to build bridges between Indians who had emigrated and those who were still living in India under British colonial rule.
- Its headquarters were initially located in Nazi Germany, but following the war in Southeast Asia, they were moved to Hyderabad and subsequently to Singapore, which was seized by the Japanese.
Q10. Which of the following statements regarding the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is true?
- Iceland and Liechtenstein are EFTA participants.
- It was formed in 1994 by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).
Select the appropriate response using the codes below:
1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Answer – A
- The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) was created as an intergovernmental organisation to promote free trade and economic integration for the benefit of its four Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, as well as its external trading partners.
- In 1960, the Stockholm Convention created EFTA. The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) has always placed a priority on its relationship with the EU.
- The Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) between India and EFTA is currently being finalised.
- According to the Secretary General of EFTA, the economic agreement between India and EFTA States will help to further encourage trade and investment.
