18 July 2023

Q. Take into account the following statements about Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas:

1. To honour tribal independence heroes, the Janjatiya Gaurav Divas is observed.
2. On November 15, which is also Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary, it is commemorated as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas.

Which of the aforementioned statements is/are false?

• 1 only
• 2 only
• Both 1 and 2
• Neither 1 nor 2

C – Explanation

• The first statement is true.
• To honour tribal independence heroes, the Janjatiya Gaurav Divas will be observed.
• The sacrifices made by tribal freedom warriors during India’s independence movement will be brought to the attention of future generations.
• Every year, the day will be observed to honour the contributions made by tribal people to the preservation of their cultural heritage and the promotion of Indian ideals such as hospitality and national pride.
• The second statement is true.
• The tribal groups all over India revere Birsa Munda, who was born on November 15, and celebrate his birth anniversary on that day.
• Birsa Munda’s fight against the British colonial government’s exploitative system contributed significantly to India’s independence.
• He was a member of the Munda tribe and led a millenarian religious movement among Indian tribes in late 19th-century tribal Bihar and Jharkhand.

Q. Which of the following statements about public interest litigation is untrue?

1. There is no definition of public interest lawsuit under any law or regulation.
2. The ability granted to the public by courts through judicial activism is known as public interest litigation.
3. “Public interest litigation” is a term borrowed from American law.
4. None of the above

D – Explanation

• All of the options are valid choices.
• A legal action brought in a court of law to enforce a public interest in which the general public or a class of the community has some interest and which could have an impact on their legal rights or obligations is referred to as public interest litigation (PIL).
• The phrase “public interest litigation” is derived from American law, where it was created to provide underrepresented groups with legal representation, including those who were underprivileged, from racial minorities, unorganised consumers, and those who were passionate about environmental issues, among others.
• There is no definition of public interest lawsuit under any law or regulation. Judges have understood it to mean taking the general public’s intent into account.
• Some of the issues considered in PILs include:
• Bonded labour is important.
• abused children
• exploiting temporary workers and not paying minimal salaries to employees
• violence against women
• Pollution of the environment and disruption of the ecological equilibrium
• Adulteration of food
• preservation of culture and legacy
• Justice In Mumbai, Krishna Iyer was the first to develop the concept of public interest litigation in India. Abdul Thai vs. Kamagar Sabha in 1976.
• The first PIL case that became known to the general public was Hussainara Khatoon v. State of Bihar (1979). It concentrated on the cruel treatment of detainees and those who were awaiting trial and led to the release of over 40,000 such detainees. It became evident that one of these prisoners’ most fundamental rights—the right to speedy justice—had been violated. The same preset pattern was applied in subsequent instances.

Q. Which of the following nations enabled the first export-import trade based on the rupee?

1. UK
2. Russia
3. Iran
4. France

B – Explanation

• Russia is the first nation to support export-import transactions using the rupee.
• India’s exports to Russia, which is under suspension and had a 24% decrease in business from April to August, will be made easier by the action. Exchange concerns are eliminated by the RBI-designed method, which exclusively permits trade in Indian rupees.
• The government recently amended its foreign trade policy to allow exporters to take advantage of incentives or tax reductions for settling trade in rupee terms in order to facilitate commerce through this method.
• The plan is to continue trading in rupees in order to avoid Western sanctions on Russia.

Q. Take into consideration the following statements about your Vostro account:

1. It is an account that a correspondent bank manages on another bank’s behalf.
2. Money deposited into a Vostro account will be sent to the account holder’s bank.

Which of the aforementioned statements is true?

• 1 only
• 2 only
• Both 1 and 2
• Neither 1 nor 2

C – Explanation

• Both of the statements are true.
• Vostro accounts are those that a correspondent bank manages on another bank’s behalf.
• Money deposited into a Vostro account will be sent to the account holder’s bank.
• These accounts are a crucial component of correspondent banking, where the bank holding the funds oversees or acts as the custodian for the account of a foreign counterpart.
• For instance, if a Spanish life insurance company asks a U.S. bank to manage money on its behalf, the holding bank will view that account as a vostro account of the insurance business.
• For the bank that opens the account, a Nostro account is a Vostro account.

Q. Which of the following nations is a part of the BASIC Group?

1. India
2. China
3. Brazil
4. Africa
5. Argentina
6. Canada
7. South Korea

Select the appropriate code:

• 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
• 1, 2, 3, and 4
• 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6
• 1, 2,3 and 7

B – Explanation

• The BASIC countries, sometimes known as the Basic countries or BASIC, are a group of four sizable newly industrialised nations: Brazil, South Africa, India, and China. They came together on November 28, 2009, by way of an agreement.
• The four agreed to work together at the Copenhagen climate meeting, including the possibility of a joint walkout if the industrialised countries did not agree to their shared minimum position.
• They are all BRICS members.
• Together, the four countries control approximately 40% of the world’s population and one-third of its landmass.

Q. Which state is Sembakkam Lake located in?

• Telangana
• Tamil Nadu
• Andhra Pradesh
• Kerala

B – Explanation

• One of Tamil Nadu’s most vital and vulnerable marshlands, the Pallikaranai Marshland, receives water from 54 lakes, including Lake Sembakkam.
• The Pallikaranai Marshland is one of the city’s last remaining natural wetlands. It is home to a number of endangered and unusual species and serves as a nesting habitat for thousands of migratory birds, including the Spot-billed Pelican, Northern Shoveller, Wood Sandpiper, Comb Duck, and Pintail Dusk.
• Only 10% of the original wetland’s 8,000 hectares still exist, and it is now protected against development. Up until recently, this freshwater marsh served as a reliable natural system for groundwater recharging and as a flood reservoir during heavy downpours.
• Lake Sembakkam has deteriorated over time as a result of excessive silt accumulation, untreated sewage disposal, solid waste dumping, and growing encroachment. The lake is flanked on all sides by residential constructions.

Q. Take into account the following statements against The Nature Conservancy (TNC):

1. The USA-based The Nature Conservancy is an intergovernmental environmental organisation.
2. The Nature Conservancy’s goal is to protect the lands and rivers that support all life.

Which of the aforementioned statements is true?

• 1 only
• 2 only
• Both 1 and 2
• Neither 1 nor 2

B – Explanation

• The first statement is untrue.
• It is a NPO, not an intergovernmental organisation.
• An international environmental organisation with its main office in Arlington, Virginia, is called The Nature Conservancy (TNC).
• By 2021, it will operate through affiliates or branches in every state in the US as well as 79 other nations and territories.
• Since its founding in 1951, The Nature Conservancy has preserved more than 119,000,000 acres (48,000,000 ha) of land, and as of 2021, it had more than one million members worldwide.
• By assets and income, it is the largest environmental non-profit in the Americas as of 2014.
• The second statement is true.
• The Nature Conservancy’s goal is to protect the lands and rivers that support all life.
• On the eve of COP27, The Nature Conservancy India sponsored a gathering in the India Pavilion. “Climate Smart Urban Development: An Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) for Enhancing Climate Resilience in India” was the discussion’s theme. Two publications were released at the event: “Greenprint for Chennai: Integrating Natural Infrastructure for City Planning” and “An Integrated Approach for Urban Wetland Restoration – A Case Study of Sembakkam Lake, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.”

Q. Which of the following nations are involved in the joint training exercise “YUDH ABHYAS 22” with India?

• USA
• UK
• France
• Italy

A – Explanation

• This month, Uttarakhand will host the 18th iteration of the joint training exercise between India and the United States, “YUDH ABHYAS 22.”
• Each year, India and the USA conduct Exercise Yudh Abhyas with the goal of exchanging best practises, tactics, techniques, and procedures between their armed forces.
• The previous round of the exercise took place in October 2021 at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Alaska (USA).
• The exercise will comprise discussions and drills on a variety of combat skills, including information operations, the use of UAS/Counter UAS, and combat engineering.

Q. Which of the following sets of pairs is the proper match?

1. Alluri Sitaram Raju, the Larka movement
2. Budhu Bhagat Rampa movement.
3. Massacre in Mangarh: Govind Guru ji
4. Rup Singh’s Naikdas Revolt

Select the right option from the list of codes below:

• 2 and 3 only
• 1, 2, and 4 only
• 1, 2, and 3 only
• 1, 2, 3, and 4

D – Explanation

• Each and every pair is correctly matched.
• Budhu Bhagat organised the Larka rebellion in 1832 and inspired the tribal people to rise against the British and landowners’ unjust control. Bhagat and his supporters engaged in combat using ad hoc weapons including axes, arrows, and bows.
• The Rampa Rebellion of 1922, often referred to as the Manyam Rebellion, was a tribal insurrection in British India’s Godavari Agency of the Madras Presidency that was led by Alluri Sitarama Raju.
• On the border of Banswara and Santrampur, at the Mangarh Hill, Govind Guru was able to organise and train a large number of Bhils in 1903. At the conclusion of the Bhil Revolt, British and Indian troops stormed Govindgiri’s stronghold on November 17, 1913, and this attack resulted in the Mangarh massacre.
• The Naikdas forest tribe of Panchamahal Hills, Gujarat, revolted twice against British expansionist and meddling policies (1858 and 1868). Rup Singh and Joria Bhagath organised this tribal uprising with the intention of ousting the British and establishing Dharma-Raj.

Q. Which of the following tribes does tribal freedom warrior Tilka Majhi belong to?

• Munda
• Santhal
• Bhil
• Kuki

B – Explanation

• Tilka Majhi was the first Adivasi leader from the Santal Community and an Indian liberation fighter.
• He started fighting the British in 1784, which was almost 70 years before Mangal Pandey.
• In order to combat the British’s resource exploitation and resource grabbing, he recruited the Adivasis to join an armed militia.
• The first armed rebellion against the British took place in 1784, marking the start of Santal. Due to the severe famine of 1770 and the repercussions of a Court of Directors decree inspired by William Pitt the Younger, which was issued ten years after the settlement of Zamindari and subsequently in 1800, local Zamdindars and Santhal peasants had little opportunity to bargain.
• With a Gulel (a weapon akin to a slingshot), Baba Tilka Majhi attacked Augustus Cleveland, the British commissioner [lieutenant], and Rajmahal. Cleveland later died as a result of the attack.
• He operated out of the Tilapore forest, which the British besieged, but he and his men kept them at bay for a number of weeks. When he was ultimately apprehended in 1784, he was bound to a horse’s tail and taken to the collector’s home in Bhagalpur, Bihar, India. There, a Banyan tree was used as a hanger for his mutilated body.