30 August 2022

Q1. With reference to Scheduled Tribes, consider the following statements:

1. The Constitution prescribes the criteria for declaring a community declared as a Scheduled Tribe.
2. Primitive Tribal Groups were created on the recommendation of the Dhebar Commission.

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

B – Explanation

• Article 366 (25)of the Constitution refers to Scheduled Tribes as those communities that are scheduled in accordance with Article 342 of the Constitution.Article 342 says that only those communities who have been declared as such by the President through an initial public notification or through a subsequent amending Act of Parliament will be Scheduled Tribes.The list of Scheduled Tribes is State/UT specific, and a community declared as a Scheduled Tribe in one State need not be so in another State.The Constitution is silent about the criteria for specification of a community as a Scheduled Tribe. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.In 1973, the Dhebar Commission created Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) as a separate category, that are less developed among the tribal groups. In 2006, the Government of India renamed the PTGs as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). Hence, statement 2 is correct.PVTGs are more vulnerable among the tribal groups.

Q2. Consider the following statements:

1. The sale of menthol cigarettes is not banned in India.
2. In 2012, Finland became the first country to ban the menthol cigarettes:

Which of the statements given above is/are not correct?

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

B – Explanation

• Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration issued a proposal to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.
• In 2012, Brazil became the first countryin the world to ban menthol cigarettes. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.India has not banned the sale of menthol cigarettes. Hence, statement 1 is correct.In 2019, the Centre banned electronic cigarettes and in addition, different states have their own rules in place banning hookah consumption, including flavored hookahs, in public places.Menthol, with its minty taste and aroma, “reduces the irritation and harshness of smoking. This increases appeal and makes menthol cigarettes easier to use, particularly for youth and young adults. Menthol also interacts with nicotine in the brain to enhance nicotine’s addictive effects, while making it more difficult for people to quit smoking.

Q3. Report on Currency and Finance has been recently in the news. It is released by which of the following institutions?

1. World Economic forum
2. Asia Development Bank
3. Reserve Bank of India
4. World Bank

C – Explanation

• Recently, theReserve Bank of India (RBI) released the Report on Currency and Finance (RCF).
• According to the report, the Indian economy may take more than a decade to overcome the losses caused by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.The theme of the report is “Revive and Reconstruct”in the context of nurturing a durable recovery post-Covid-19 and rising trend growth in the medium-term. Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.

Q4. Consider the following statements with reference to the MSME Sustainable (ZED) Certification Scheme:

1. It is an extensive drive to enable and facilitate MSMEs adopting Zero Defect Zero Effect practices.
2. There are three levels of certifications which are Bronze, Silver and Gold.

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

• MSME Sustainable (ZED) Certification Scheme
• This Scheme is an extensive drive to enable and facilitate MSMEs adopt ZED practices and motivate and incentivize them for ZED (Zero Defect Zero Effect) Certification while also encouraging them to become MSME Champions.Hence statement 1 is correct.MSME Sustainable (ZED) Certification can be attained in Three Levels after registering and taking the ZED Pledge:Certification Level 1: BRONZECertification Level 2: SILVERCertification Level 3: GOLD. Hence statement 2 is correct.After taking the ZED Pledge, the MSME can apply for any Certification Level if it feels that it can fulfil the requirements mentioned in each level.The intent of taking a ZED Pledge is to take a “pre-commitment” or a solemn promise by MSMEs to uphold the values of Zero Defect Zero Effect in their practices and to urge them to move ahead on the journey of ZED.

Q5. Consider the following statements with reference to GAGAN:

1. It is a Space Based Augmentation System (SBAS).
2. It is jointly developed by Indian Space Research Organization and National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

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

• GAGAN
• GAGAN is an acronym for GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation. It is a Space Based Augmentation System (SBAS). Hence statement 1 is correct.It is jointly developed by Indian Space Research Organization and AAI to provide the best possible navigational services over Indian FIR (Flight Information Region) with the capability of expanding to neighboring FIRs. Hence statement 2 is not correct.GAGAN is a system of satellites and ground stations that provide GPS signal corrections, giving you better position accuracy.GPS alone does not meet the ICAOs navigational requirements for accuracy, integrity, and availability. GAGAN corrects for GPS signal errors caused by Ionospheric disturbances, timing, and satellite orbit errors and it provides vital information regarding the health of each satellite.

Q6. Consider the following statements with reference to GAGAN:

1. It is a Space Based Augmentation System (SBAS).
2. It is jointly developed by Indian Space Research Organization and National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

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

• GAGAN
• GAGAN is an acronym for GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation. It is a Space Based Augmentation System (SBAS). Hence statement 1 is correct.It is jointly developed by Indian Space Research Organization and AAI to provide the best possible navigational services over Indian FIR (Flight Information Region) with the capability of expanding to neighboring FIRs. Hence statement 2 is not correct.GAGAN is a system of satellites and ground stations that provide GPS signal corrections, giving you better position accuracy.GPS alone does not meet the ICAOs navigational requirements for accuracy, integrity, and availability. GAGAN corrects for GPS signal errors caused by Ionospheric disturbances, timing, and satellite orbit errors and it provides vital information regarding the health of each satellite.

Q7. Which of the following countries forms part of The Pacific Pumas?

1. Peru
2. Cuba
3. U.S.A

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

A – Explanation

• Peru’s fifth president in five years, Manuel Merino, was forced out of power, just five days after taking office, as massive protests swept the South American country.
• Peru is a country in western South America.It lies wholly in the Southern Hemisphere, its northernmost extreme reaching to 1.8 minutes of latitude or about 3.3 kilometres (2.1 mi) south of the equator.It is borderedin the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pacific Ocean.Peru is a megadiverse country with habitats ranging from the peaks of the Andes mountains vertically extending from the north to the southeast of the country to the tropical Amazon Basin rainforest in the east with the Amazon river.The country forms part of The Pacific Pumas, a political and economic grouping of countries along Latin America’s Pacific coast that share common trends of positive growth, stable macroeconomic foundations, improved governance and an openness to global integration.Its Capital is Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

Q8. Which of the following countries are part of ASEAN?

1. Brunei
2. Cambodia
3. Indonesia

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

D – Explanation

• Recently, 15 countries solidified their participation in the RCEP. Even as India opted to stay out after walking out of discussions last year, the new trading bloc has made it clear that the door will remain open for India to return to the negotiating table.
• Described as the “largest” regional trading agreement to this day, RCEP was originally being negotiated between 16 countries — ASEAN members and countries with which they have free trade agreements (FTAs), namely Australia, China, Korea, Japan, New Zealand and India.The purpose of RCEP was to make it easier for products and services of each of these countries to be available across this region. Negotiations to chart out this deal had been on since 2013, and India was expected to be a signatory until its decision last November.On November 4, 2019, India decided to exit discussions over “significant outstanding issues”.Its decision was to safeguard the interests of industries like agriculture and dairy and to give an advantage to the country’s services sector.Escalating tensions with China are a major reason for India’s decision.Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam are the ten members of ASEAN.
• Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

Q9. With reference to the Ramsar Convention, consider the following statements:

1. It is one of the oldest inter-governmental accord signed by member countries to preserve the ecological character of their wetlands of international importance.
2. The Asan Conservation Reserve is a Ramsar Site

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

• India has added two more Ramsar sites. They are Lonar lake in Maharashtra which is the only crater lake of the country while the other is Sur Sarovar, also known as Keetham lake in Agra of Uttar Pradesh.
• The Ramsar Convention signed on 2nd February, 1971, is one of the oldest inter-governmental accord signed by member countries to preserve the ecological character of their wetlands of international importance.It is named after Ramsar, the Iranian city where the treaty was signed in 1971, and places chosen for conservation under it are given the tag ‘Ramsar site’.The aim of the Ramsar list is to develop and maintain an international network of wetlands which are important for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes and benefits.Recently, Kabartal in Bihar’s Begusarai district was recognised as a wetland of international importance, the first such wetland in the state, under the Ramsar Convention, according to the Union Environment Ministry.The Asan Conservation Reserve in Dehradun, the first wetland from Uttarakhand to be recognised by Ramsar convention, was added to the list in October this year.Hence both statements are correct.

Q10. With reference to the National Press Day, consider the following statements:

1. The National Press Day is observed on 16th November every year.
2. The Press Council of India was first set up in the year 1966 by the Parliament on the recommendations of the First Press Commission.

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

• National Press Day was observed on 16th November.
• The National Press Day is observed on 16th November every year. It was on this day the Press Council of India (PCI) started functioningas a moral watchdog to ensure that the press maintains high standards and is not fettered by any influence or threats.The Press Council of India was first set up in the year 1966 by the Parliament on the recommendations of the First Press Commission.It is a statutory body functioning under the Press Council Act, 1978.Objective: Preserving the freedom of the press and of maintaining and improving the standards of press in India.Function: It is aquasi-judicial authority. It adjudicates the complaints against and by the press for violation of ethics and for violation of the freedom of the press respectively.Hence both statements are correct.