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ANSWERS & EXPLANATION

GENERAL STUIDES (P) TEST – 2457 (2018)

Q 1.B

Statement 1 is not correct. Chit funds are basically savings instruments that are registered under Chit

Funds Act 1982. Chit funds are registered and regulated by the respective states (Centre and RBI have no

role in it)

Statement 2 is correct. Since 2015, RBI has allowed Non Resident Indians (NRIs) to subscribe to chit

funds without any upper limit, on a non repatriation basis, i.e. the amount invested would not be eligible

for repatriation outside India.

Q 2.C

A party is recognised as a state party in a state if any of the following conditions is fulfilled:

If it secures six per cent of the valid votes polled in the state at a general election to the legislative

assembly of the state concerned; and, in addition, it wins 2 seats in the assembly of the state

concerned; or

If it secures six per cent of the valid votes polled in the state at a general election to the LokSabha

from the state concerned; and, in addition, it wins 1 seat in the LokSabha from the state concerned; or

If it wins three per cent of seats in the legislative assembly at a general election to the legislative

assembly of the state concerned or 3 seats in the assembly, whichever is more; or

If it wins 1 seat in the LokSabha for every 25 seats or any fraction thereof allotted to the state at a

general election to the LokSabha from the state concerned; or

If it secures eight per cent of the total valid votes polled in the state at a General Election to the

LokSabha from the state or to the legislative assembly of the state. This condition was added in

2011.

Q 3.B

Option (b) is correct.

At the Nagpur Session of 1920, under presidentship of C. Vijayaraghavachariar, the Indian National

Congress decided that instead of having the attainment of self-government through constitutional

means as its goal, the Congress decided to have attainment of swaraj through peaceful and legitimate

means, thus committing itself to an extra-constitutional mass struggle.

At this stage, some leaders like Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Annie Besant, G.S. Kharpade and B.C. Pal left the

Congress as they believed in a constitutional and lawful struggle while other like Surendranath Banerjee

founded the Indian National Liberation Federation and played a minor role in national politics henceforth.

Q 4.C

BIMSTEC or Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation was

formed nearly two decades ago, in June 06, 1997. It celebrated its 20th anniversary on June 06, 2017.The

permanent secretariat of BIMSTEC was established in Dhaka in 2014. The BIMSTEC comprises India,

Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

Q 5.A

Ministries of Power and Textiles have joined hands under a new initiative SAATHI (Sustainable

and Accelerated Adoption of efficient Textile technologies to Help small Industries). Under this

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initiative, Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a public sector entity under the administrative

control of Ministry of Power, would procure energy efficient Powerlooms, motors and rapier kits in

bulk and provide them to the small and medium powerloom units at no upfront cost.

The SAATHI initiative of the Government will be jointly implemented by EESL and the office of the

Textile Commissioner on a pan-India basis. To kick start the implementation, cluster wise demonstration

projects and workshops will be organized in key clusters such as Erode, Surat, Ichalkaranji, etc.

The use of these efficient equipment would result in energy savings and cost savings to the unit owner and

he would repay in installments to EESL over a 4 to 5 year period. This is the aggregation, bulk

procurement and financing model that EESL has successfully deployed in several sectors like LED bulbs,

Smart Meters and Electric Vehicles.

Q 6.A

o The terms Lokayata and Charvaka have historically been used to denote the philosophical school

of Indian Materialism. Literally, 'Lokayata' means philosophy of the people. In its most generic sense,

'Indian Materialism' refers to the school of thought within Indian philosophy that rejects supernaturalism.

It is regarded as the most radical of the Indian philosophical systems.

o It rejects the existence of other worldly entities such an immaterial soul or god and the

afterlife.According to the Charvakaschool, to speculate as to why the universe exists would be an

exercise in futility.

o The purpose and origin of existence is not discoverable through scientific means. Furthermore, the

speculation about such matters leads to anxiety and frustration, which reduce pleasure and overall

contentment.

Q 7.C

o Statement 1 is correct and statements 2 and 3 are not correct.

o All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2016-17 : AISHE is a pan India, annual web-based

survey which covers all the Higher Educational Institutions in the country conducted by Ministry of

Human Resource Development.

o Various parameters on which the data is collected are teachers, student enrolment, programs, examination

results, education finance, infrastructure etc.

o Recently, 8th All India Survey on Higher Education for the year 2016-17 was released by Union

Ministry of Human Resource Development.

o The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) is released by NGO Pratham.

Q 8.B

Statement 1 is not correct. Earth‘s atmosphere is largely transparent to short wave solar radiation.

Earth‘s atmosphere generally absorbs long wave solar radiation.

Statement 2 is correct. Solar radiation during passage of earth undergoes phenomena of reflection,

scattering and absorption. Reflection is done mainly by clouds, snow and ice-covered areas of earth. The

reflected amount of radiation is called albedo of the earth. Scattering is done by very small suspended

particles. The red color of the rising and the setting sun and the blue color of sky are the result of

scattering of light within the atmosphere. Absorption is mostly done by green house gases like CO2 etc.

Statement 3 is not correct. Maximum solar radiation is received at the sub-tropical deserts where the

cloudiness is least. Equator receives comparitively lesser insolation because of cloud cover which has

high albedo (reflection). Thus, the solar radiation received on Equator is lesser than at sub-tropical deserts.

Q 9.C

Any elector or candidate can file an election petition if he or she thinks there has been malpractice

during the election. An election petition is not an ordinary civil suit, but treated as a contest in which the

whole constituency is involved. Election petitions are tried by the High Court of the state involved,

and if upheld can even lead to the restaging of the election in that constituency.

Q 10.C

Soil formation involves a number of processes such as eluviations, illuviation, podzolisation, laterisation,

gleization etc.

Eluviation - The process of washing down material such as organic matter or minerals through the soil.






Illuviation - The deposition in a soil horizon of minerals, humus and other materials.

Leaching - The dissolving and washing down of calcium and other bases through the soil as a result of

percolating rain water.

Podzolization is a soil forming process which prevails in a cold and humid climate where coniferous and

acid forming vegetations dominate. The humus and Sesquioxide (oxides of iron and aluminium) become

mobile and leached out from the upper horizons and deposited in the lower horizon.

Laterization is the process that removes silica, instead of sesquioxides from the upper layers and thereby

leaving sesquioxides to concentrate in the solum which form hard pan. Laterization take place in the

humid climate having copious rainfall well distributed throughout the year and the mean annual and

monthly temperature are high so that there is rapid chemical weathering.

The Gleization is a process of soil formation resulting in the development of a glei (or gley horizon) in the

lower part of the soil profile above the parent material due to poor drainage condition (lack of oxygen)

and where waterlogged conditions prevail. Such soils are called hydromorphic soils.

Q 11.D

Scientists have created a new gene editing tool RNA Editing for Programmable A to I Replacement

(REPAIR) that tweaks the individual RNA „letters‟ in human cells without making changes to the

entire genome, paving the way for therapies that can reverse disease-causing mutations. The molecular

system, called REPAIR has profound potential as a tool for both research and disease treatment. REPAIR

is based on the gene editing tool CRISPR that can be used to modify DNA in cells.

Q 12.A

Viruses are made of genetic material inside of a protein coating. Viruses invade living, normal cells and

use those cells to multiply and produce other viruses like themselves. This can kill, damage, or change the

cells and make us sick.

Different viruses attack certain cells in our body such as the liver, respiratory system, or the blood.Viruses

cause familiar infectious diseases such as the common cold, flu and warts.

They also cause severe illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, smallpox, and Ebola. On the other

hand, tuberculosis is caused by a bacterium.For most viral infections, treatments can only help with

symptoms while the immune system fights off the virus. Antibiotics do not work for viral infections.

There are antiviral medicines to treat some viral infections. Vaccines can help prevent us from getting

many viral diseases.

Q 13.D

Clouds can be categorised according to their height, expanse, density, transparency/opaqueness under four

types:

1. Cirrus: Formed at high altitudes (8000 - 12000m). They are thin and detatched clouds having a feathery

appearance. They are always white in colour.

2. Cumulus: Look like cotton wool. They are generally formed at a height of 4000 - 7000 m. They exist in

patches and can be seen scattered here and there. They have a flat base.

3. Stratus: Layered clouds covering large portions of the sky. These clouds are generally formed either

due to loss of heat or the mixing of air masses with different temperatures.

4. Nimbus: They are black or dark gray. They form at middle levels or very near to the surface of

the earth. These are extremely dense and opaque to the rays of the sun. Sometimes, the clouds are

so low that they seem to touch the ground. Nimbus clouds are shapeless masses of thick vapour.

Q 14.A

o Statement 1 is correct: The giant monolithic statue dedicated to Jain deity Lord Gommateshwara, also

known as Bahubali is the world's largest monolithic statue situated in Shravanabelagola. Bahubali was the

son of Rishabhanatha, the first of the 24 Tirthankaras in Jainism. The granite statue was completed in 993

by Chavundaraya, the Prime Minister, and Commander in chief of the Western Ganga king, RachaMalla.

o Statement 2 is not correct: The site is an important Jain pilgrimage centre.TheMahamastakabhisheka

festival is held once in 12 years, when the Gommateshwara statue is anointed with milk, saffron, ghee,

etc.

o Statement 3 is not correct: It reached its architectural and structural peak under the Western Gangas of

Talakad (in modern-day South Karnataka).






Q 15.A

Charles Wilkins (1749 –1836), who was trained as a type-setter and printer, came to India during 1770,

while he was about twenty years of age; and, joined the service of the East India Company as a writer, or

junior clerk. He learnt Persian and Bengali; and, was soon appointed as Company‘s official translator of

Persian and Bengali.

In 1772, when Warren Hastings was appointed the governor general of Bengal, he recommended that the

British colonial administration should seek to govern the territories under its control not according to

British law but rather according to the laws and customs of the local residents. This provided the impetus

for British administrators to study Sanskrit and, in 1785, with Hastings‘ support Charles Wilkins

published his translation of the Bhagavad Gita. It was the first work of classical Sanskrit translated

directly into English.

Q 16.A

The light compensation point is the amount of light intensity on the light curve where the rate of

photosynthesis exactly matches the rate of respiration. At this point, the uptake of CO2 through

photosynthetic pathways is exactly matched to the respiratory release of carbon dioxide, and the uptake of

O2 by respiration is exactly matched to the photosynthetic release of oxygen.

Q 17.A

o The traditional basic units of construction in ancient India consisted of clay, stones, wood and

occasionally bricks. The simplest cementing material or mortar was plain earth mixed with water. An

improved kind was straw (bhus) added to a mixture of clay and water which was used for plastering also.

But lime mortar was definitely brought by the immigrant Muslims during the Delhi Sultanate.

o An important consequence was that lime mortar paved the way for the construction of true

arch (mihrab). Arches are made in a variety of shapes, but in India the pointed form of the Islamic world

was directly inherited. And sometime in second quarter of the 14th century, another variant of the pointed

form, the four-centred arch, was introduced by the Tughluqs in their buildings.

o lt remained in vogue till the end of the Sultanate.In the latter half of Jahangir's reign, a new device of

inlay decoration called pietradura was adopted. In this method, semi-precious stones such as lapis lazuli,

onyx, jasper, topaz and cornelian were embedded in the marble.

Q 18.D

Coal mine dust causes a spectrum of lung diseases collectively termed coal mine dust lung disease

(CMDLD). These include Coal Workers‘ Pneumoconiosis, silicosis, mixed dust pneumoconiosis, dust-

related diffuse fibrosis (which can be mistaken for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis), and chronic obstructive

pulmonary disease.CMDLD cannot be cured, prevention is critical.Coal mine dust remains a relevant

occupational hazard and miners remain at risk for CMDLD. Hence, all options are correct.

Q 19.B

Statement 1 is not correct: Wildlife Conservation Trust is a non-government organization.

Statement 2 is correct: WCT strives to conserve wildlife through community participation and its

development. The communities living in and around India‘s forests depend heavily on forest produce to

supplement their income. Hence, WCT imparts vocational training to young people and co-ordinate with

over 100 job providers to find them gainful employment, thereby reducing their dependency and negative

impact on forests.

WCT is the only NGO globally that conducts large-scale tiger population estimation programmes in

corridors and habitats outside protected areas.

Q 20.C

Pair 1st is correctly matched: Mediterranean-Indian Ocean Route connects Western Europe, Africa,

Middle-East, South-Asia and South-East Asia. Port Said lies in Egypt.

Pair 2nd is not correctly matched: South Pacific Sea Route Western Europe and North America with

Australia, New Zealand and the scattered Pacific islands via the Panama Canal. Tokyo is a major port

along the North Pacific sea route






Pair 3rd is correctly matched:Third Match is correct: The North Atlantic Sea Route is the busiest sea

route of the world, hence it is called Big Trunk Route.It connects North-eastern USA and North-western

Europe, London is one of the major ports on this route.

Q 21.C

The term Horn of Africa(HOA) is used for peninsula in Northeast Africa that includes the 4 countries

of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia. The region has been recognized by different names in

history. Ancient Greeks and medieval Arabs referred to the HOA as ‗Bilad al Barbar‘.

The region is strategically located near major sea routes and is often in news for piracy related incidents.

China‘s opened its first overseas military base in Djibouti, last year.

Q 22.B

Chemotrophs - organisms that obtain energy by the oxidation of electron donors in their environments

Photoautotrophs - organisms that obtain energy using light and carbon dioxide via the process of

photosynthesis

Chemoorganotrophs - organisms that obtain energy from the oxidation of reduced organic compounds

Chemolithotrophs - groups of prokaryotes that obtain their energy from the oxidation of reduced

inorganic compounds such as sulfide.

Q 23.D

The 92nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003 included four more languages in the Eighth Schedule.

They are Bodo, Dogri (Dongri), Mathilli (Maithili) and Santhali. With this, the total number of

constitutionally recognised languages increased to 22.

The Eight Schedule initially had 14 languages that were recongnised by the Constitution of India. They

were: Assamese; Bengali; Gujarati; Hindi; Kannada; Kashmiri; Malayalam; Marathi; Oriya;

Punjabi; Sanskrit; Tamil; Telugu; Urdu. Later, to this were added 8 other languages through 3

amendment acts that amount to 22 languages.

Q 24.C

Purvanchal hills refer to Himalayas extension beyond Dihang Gorge (Brahmaputra flows in it). Patkai,

Naga, Manipur and Mizo hills are part of Purvanchal hills.

Dafla, Abor, Miri and Mishmi hills which lie in Arunachal Pradesh are part of Shiwaliks and not

Purvanchal.

Garo, Khasi and Jaintia lie on Meghalaya plateau and are eastward extension of peninsula and not that of

Himalayas.

Similarly, Rajmahal hills and Garhjat hills lie at edge of Chhotanagpur plateau in West Bengal and Odisha

respectively and are not part of Purvanchal hills.

Q 25.D

The Global Education Monitoring Report (the GEM Report, formerly known as the Education for All

Global Monitoring Report) is an editorially independent, authoritative and evidence-based annual report

published by UNESCO. Its mandate is to monitor progress towards the education targets in the new

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework. The substance of the GEM Report is developed and

its quality assured by an experienced team under the leadership of the GEM Report Director.

Q 26.D

The Government has announced the decision to launch a Smart Campus Campaign under which

educational institutions will be encouraged to optimize use of water, electricity and also adopt

measures for generating power through solar installations. The institutions which perform on the

parameters of saving, conserving and recycling would be identified and honoured.

Q 27.C

o The Customs Convention on International Transport of Goods under cover of TIR Carnets, 1975 (TIR

Convention), is an international transit system under the auspices of the United Nations Economic

Commission for Europe (UNECE).






o The Convention facilitate the seamless movement of goods within and amongst the Parties to the

Convention. At present there are 70 parties to the Convention, including the European Union. It is

managed by International Road Transport Union.

o Recently, India has also ratified the Convention. The Convention will help Indian traders to have

access to fast, easy, reliable and hassle free international system for movement of goods by road or multi-

modal means across the territories of other contracting parties.

o Hence, all the statements are correct.

Q 28.A

Statement 1 is correct: Banking Regulations Act is the primary Act responsible for regulation of banks

in India. All banks are given licences under the regulation. The Act supplements the Companies Act,

1956. In 1965 it was amended to make it applicable to cooperative banks too The Act gives the Reserve

Bank of India (RBI) the power to license banks, have regulation over shareholding and voting rights of

shareholders, supervise the appointment of the boards and management, regulate the operations of banks,

lay down instructions for audits etc. Under Section 10A, RBI can remove and reconstitute the Board of

Directors of a bank to fulfill requirements given in the Act. However, Section 51 does not allow it to

remove the chairman, directors or management of the PSU banks.

Statement 2 is not correct: The Act does not provide for mergers of PSU banks. The power to merge

PSU banks is provided to the central government by the Bank Nationalisation Act, 1969

Q 29.C

o Statement 1 is not correct. Weathering refers to gradual breakdown or disintegration of rocks. It is in

situ process. Unlike erosion, weathering does not include transportation. Weathering is a static

phenomena.

o Statement 2 is correct: Mass movement is the movement of weathered material down the slope due to

gravitational forces. It is one type of erosion where atmospheric forces such as running water, ice or wind

are not important.

Statement 3 is correct: Weathering is a gradual process. Mass movement like soil creep is a slow process

but landslide is a sudden type of Mass movement.

Q 30.C

o ITEC programme was predicated on the underlying belief that 'it was necessary to establish relations of

mutual concern and inter-dependence based not only on commonly held ideals and aspirations, but also on

solid economic foundations. Technical and economic cooperation was considered to be one of the

essential functions of an integrated and imaginative foreign policy.'

o Components of ITEC include – Line of credits; Training (civilian and defence) in India of nominees from

ITEC partner countries; Projects and project related activities such as feasibility studies and consultancy

services; Deputation of Indian experts abroad; Study Tours; Gifts/Donations of equipment at the request

of ITEC partner countries; and Aid for Disaster Relief .

o Statement 1 is not correct: ITEC is to share the fruits of Indian development with other developing

countries. ITEC is a visible symbol of India's role and contribution to South-South cooperation.

o Under ITEC and its sister programme SCAAP (Special Commonwealth African Assistance Programme),

161 countries in Asia, Africa, East Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean as well as Pacific and Small

Island countries are invited to share in the Indian developmental experience acquired over six decades of

India's existence as a free nation.

o Statement 2 is not correct: The DPA-II Division of Development Partnership Administration (DPA) in

the Ministry of External Affairs is the nodal agency for ITEC.

o Statement 3 is correct: The ITEC Programme is fully funded by the Government of India.

Q 31.A

Marsh- It is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species. If woody plants

are present they tend to be low-growing shrubs.They are often dominated by grasses, rushes or reeds.

Swamp- A swamp is a wetland that is forested. Swamps are characterized by slow-moving to stagnant

waters. They are usually associated with adjacent rivers or lakes.

Mire- A mire is a wetland without forest cover, dominated by peat-forming plants.

There are two types of mires:-Bog and Fen.

Hence, the answer is (a).






Q 32.C

o North East Rural Livelihood Project: It is a central sector externally aided multi-state project which

was launched in 2012 with World Bank assistance. NERLP is being implemented in four North

Eastern States of Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. It covers two districts each in Mizoram

(Aizawl and Lunglei), Nagaland (Peren and Tuensang), Sikkim (South Sikkim and West Sikkim) and 5

districts in Tripura (West Tripura, Sepahijala, Khowai, Unakoti and North Tripura).

o The specific project objectives are to :

(a) Create sustainable community institutions around women Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Youth

Groups of men and women (YG) and Community Development Groups (CDG).

(b) Build capacity of community institutions for self-governance, bottom up planning, democratic

functioning with transparency and accountability

(c) Increase economic and livelihood opportunities by:

o Managing natural resources and improving agriculture for food security and income enhancement

from farming and allied activities

o Skill development of youth for employability and establishment of self and/or group managed

enterprises

o Establishing backward and forward linkages for economic enterprises

o Creating access to finance through linkages with banks and other financial institutions

o Creating critical infrastructures

(d) Develop partnership of community institutions for natural resource management, microfinance,

market linkages, and sectoral economic services.

o The project is implemented by Ministry for Development of North-East Region .Recently, Union

Minister of State for Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER) talked about North East Rural

Livelihood Project as an exclusive 'Rural Livelihood' scheme for the Northeast.

Q 33.A

o Option (a) is correct.

o First statement is correct for both Krishna and Kaveri but other three statements are correct in case of

Kaveri only. Both Krishna and Kaveri originate in western ghats and both form water falls for example

Manikyadhara on R. Krishna and Hogenkal falls on R. Kaveri. Both have dams but only Kaveri has

dedicated bird sanctuary.

o Vaigai also originates in western ghats but it flows only in Tamil Nadu.

o Penneru originates in Bangalore plateau and flows through Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

o Periyar is a west flowing river which originates in western ghats near the border of Tamil nadu and Keral,

flows westwards through Kerala and empties into Arabian sea.

Q 34.B

Statement 1 is correct: Global Environment Facility Trust Fund are available to developing countries

and countries with economies in transition to meet the objectives of the international environmental

conventions and agreements. GEF support is provided to government agencies, civil society

organizations, private sector companies, research institutions, among the broad diversity of potential

partners, to implement projects and programs in recipient countries.

Statement 2 is not correct: The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Trust Fund was established on the

eve of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, to help tackle our planet‘s most pressing environmental problems.

GEF funding to support the projects is contributed by donor countries. These financial contributions are

replenished every four years.

Statement 3 is correct: The World Bank serves as the GEF Trustee, administering the GEF Trust Fund

(contributions by donors). The Trustee helps mobilize GEF resources; disburses funds to GEF Agencies;

prepares financial reports on investments and use of resources; and monitors application of budgetary and

project funds.

Q 35.C

o Recently, government launched ECO-NIWAS (Energy Conservation–New Indian Way for Affordable &

Sustainable homes) portal. Objective: Increasing awareness about sustainable building and energy

efficient homes in the country.

o The portal has been developed by Bureau of Energy Efficiency under Ministry of Power.






Q 36.A

‗OP Sahayam‘ is an Indian Navy exercise for undertaking Search and Rescue (SAR) and providing

Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster relief (HADR) material support, over Southeast Arabian Sea and

L&M islands in the aftermath of Very Severe Cyclonic Storm 'OCKHI'.

A multi-agency exercise was conducted on the banks of HussainSagar Lake as the final event of

‗PralaySahayam‘ by efforts of all central and state agencies, National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) and

the Armed Forces towards jointly tackling an urban flooding scenario in Hyderabad.

Q 37.B

o The bright dancing lights of the aurora are actually collisions between electrically charged particles

from the sun that enter the earth's atmosphere. The lights are seen above the magnetic poles of the

northern and southern hemispheres. They are known as 'Aurora borealis' in the north and 'Aurora australis'

in the south, commonly known as Northern Lights and Southern Lights respectively. Auroral displays

appear in many colours although pale green and pink are the most common.

Q 38.D

o The Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia (RIMES) is an

international and intergovernmental institution, owned and managed by its Member States, for the

generation and application of early warning information.

o RIMES evolved from the efforts of countries in Africa and Asia, in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian

Ocean tsunami, to establish a regional early warning system within a multi-hazard framework for the

generation and communication of early warning information, and capacity building for preparedness and

response to trans-boundary hazards.

o RIMES was established on 30 April 2009, and was registered with the United Nations on 1 July

2009. It is owned and managed by 45 collaborating countries in the Asia Pacific and Africa Region.

It is being chaired by India. RIMES operates from its regional early warning center located at the

campus of the Asian Institute of Technology in Pathumthani, Thailand.

Q 39.C

o International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) is an intergovernmental organization promoting the

conservation and sustainable management, use and trade of tropical forest resources. Its members

represent about 80% of the world's tropical forests and 90% of the global tropical timber trade. Hence,

statement 1 is correct.

o International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA), 2006- This is the international treaty under which

ITTO operates. The ITTA was negotiated under United Nation Conference for Trade and Development

(UNCTAD‘s) auspices to provide an effective framework for cooperation and consultation among

countries producing and consuming tropical timber.

o It is headquartered at Yokohama, Japan. India is a founder member (producer country category) of ITTO

which aims for conserving tropical forest and assisting countries to develop economically in the field of

forestry. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Q 40.A

Statement 1 is correct: The objective of the Small Finance Banks is to increase financial inclusion by

provision of savings vehicles to under-served and unserved sections of the population, supply of credit to

small farmers, micro and small industries etc. They provide a whole suite of basic banking products such

as deposits and supply of credit, but in a limited area of operation. They can also undertake selling of

services like mutual funds, pension products etc but only after prior approval of RBI.

Statement 2 is correct: A small bank can transform into a Universal bank. However, such transition will

not be automatic, but would be subject to fulfilling minimum paid-up capital / net worth requirement as

applicable to universal banks; its satisfactory track record of performance as a small finance bank and the

outcome of the Reserve Bank‘s due diligence exercise.

Statement 3 is not correct: A small finance bank has to open at least 25% of its branches in unbanked

rural areas

Q 41.B

o The first time that INC session was held in a village was at the Faizpura Session of 1936 under

presidentship of Jawaharlal Nehru.






o National Planning Committee was setup under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru at the Haripura

Session of 1938 under presidentship of Subhash Chandra Bose. Hence, option (b) is correct.

o The Independence Resolution was adopted by INC at the Madras session of 1927 under presidentship of

M.A. Ansari.

o New Constitution for INC was framed at the Nagpur Session of 1920 under the presidentship of C.

Vijayaraghavachariar.

Q 42.D

Bhaskara II was born in Bijapur in modern Karnataka. He & his work represent a significant contribution

to mathematical & astronomical knowledge in the 12th century. He has written a lot about zero, surds,

permutation and combination.

His main work “SiddhantaShiromani” is divided into four parts called Lilawati, Bijaganit, Grahaganita

and Goladhyaya. These four sections deal with arithmetic, algebra,mathematics of planets and spheres

respectively.

Q 43.C

Apart from non-statutory instructions issued by the Government from time to time, the display of the

national flag is governed by the provisions of the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act,

1950 and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. The Flag Code of India, 2002, is an

attempt to bring together all such laws, conventions, practices and instructions for the guidance and

benefit of all concerned.

As per the Flag Code, the national flag of India shall be made of hand spun and hand woven

wool/cotton/silk khadi bunting. The flag shall not be used as a portion of costume or uniform of any

description nor shall it be embroidered or printed upon cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins or any dress

material.

Hence, both the statements are correct.

Q 44.A

The Government of India has decided to launch a new sub-scheme named ―AajeevikaGrameen Express

Yojana (AGEY)” as part of the DeendayalAntyodayaYojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission

(DAY-NRLM). The Self Help Groups under DAY-NRLM will operate road transport service in

backward areas. This will help to provide safe, affordable and community monitored rural transport

services to connect remote villages with key services and amenities (such as access to markets, education

and health) for the overall economic development of backward rural areas.

Q 45.D

Statement 1 is not correct: Lieutenant Governor can promulgate an ordinance on all the subjects on

which the legislature of the UT can make laws. Hence, he cannot promulgate ordinance on 3 matters of

the State List – Public order, land and police.

Statement 2 is not correct: In case of difference of opinion between the Lieutenant Governor and the

Chief Minister, the matter shall be referred to the President and the Lieutenant Governor has to act

according to his decision.

Q 46.D

o The correct order of events is: The Tethys sea crust began to fracture when two plates (Indian and

Eurasian) came closer about 30-60 million years ago. The Himalayan orogeny has been divided in three

main phases.

o The first phase is marked by the uplift of the Central Himalayan axis i.e. Greater Himalaya in the

Oligocene times (approximately 33-23 miilion years ago).

o Second major uplift of Himalayan orogeny occured as a consequence of warping up of the sediments

deposited in a basin which occupied the Potwar region of West Pakistan.

o Third phase of Himalayan orogeny was marked by the folding of Siwaliks in the post-Pliocene

time(approximately 5.3-2.5 million years ago).






Q 47.D

o Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) : It is a statutory authority established under the

provisions of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and

Services) Act, 2016 (“Aadhaar Act 2016”) on 12 July 2016 by the Government of India, under the

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

o UIDAI was created with the objective to issue Unique Identification numbers (UID), named as 'Aadhaar',

to all residents of India that is (a) robust enough to eliminate duplicate and fake identities, and (b) can be

verified and authenticated in an easy, cost-effective way.

o Under the Aadhaar Act 2016, UIDAI is responsible for Aadhaar enrolment and authentication,

including operation and management of all stages of Aadhaar life cycle, developing the policy,

procedure and system for issuing Aadhaar numbers to individuals and perform authentication and also

required to ensure the security of identity information and authentication records of individuals.

o Recently, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), announced introduction of a two-tier security

system in the wake of alleged data breaches of Aadhaar.

Q 48.C

o Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is an important management tool for ensuring optimal use of

natural resources for sustainable development. EIA has been made mandatory under the Environmental

Protection Act, 1986 for 29 categories of developmental activities involving investments of Rs. 50 crores

and above.

Q 49.C

o Government of India has given nod to India based Neutrinos Observatory which is going to be built in

Tamil Nadu in Bodi Hills. Neutrinos are invisible, nearly massless subatomic particles that are

electrically neutral. They can travel at nearly the speed of light from the edge of the universe without

being deflected by magnetic fields or absorbed by matter. They travel in straight lines from their source.

This makes them excellent messengers of information about the objects or events in which they originate.

o Neutrinos originate in some of the most violent and least understood events in the universe. Events like

supernovas and objects like active galactic nuclei and black holes are just a few possible sources of high-

energy neutrinos. Other than particles of light, called photons, neutrinos are the most common particle in

the universe. Neutrinos may give us a better understanding of dark matter and dark energy. Since neutrino

rarely interact and they can pass though Sun, Earth and even human body without causing any

harm. Hence, option (c) is correct.

Q 50.B

Nature Forever Society generally referred to as NFS, is a non-governmental, non-profit organization

devoted to conserving House Sparrows. It was established in 2005. NFS was founded in 2005 by

Mohammed Dilawar, an avid environmentalist. It is an organization working for the conservation

of common bird species such as House Sparrows. These birds are facing the threat of extinction in

India. NFS aims to raise awareness of the need to save both the native flora and fauna of India. It

conducts research on the problems facing common birds and their environment. NFS encourages

urban planners to take into consideration the impact of developmental activities on the environment and

wildlife.

Q 51.D

o It is held bi-annually in Medaram village, Telegana to honour the twin goddesses - Sammakka and

her daughter Sarakka.

o It is held by forest dwelling Koya Tribe of the region and is the biggest tribal festival in Asia attracting

non-adivasis as well. Medaram is a remote place in the Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary, a part of

Dandakaranya, the largest surviving forest belt in the Deccan. Central government is likely to declare

Medaram‘s Sammakka-Sarakka/Saralamma Jatara a national festival this year.

Q 52.C

o Free radicals are produced in the body as by-products of normal metabolism and as a result of exposure to

radiation and some environmental pollutants. Because they are highly reactive, they can damage cellular

components and are implicated in a variety of diseases. Free radicals are normally neutralized by efficient






systems in the body that include the antioxidant enzymes and the nutrient-derived antioxidant small

molecules.Hence, statement 1 is correct.

o Some important human antioxidants must be acquired through diet, while others can be made by the body

itself. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), vitamin E (alphatocopherol), vitamin A (retinol), and beta-carotene are

the most important antioxidants the body must obtain from food sources. Fresh fruits and vegetables are

rich source of antioxidants. Hence, statement 2 is not correct and statement 3 is correct.

Q 53.A

The constitution of India has borrowed most of its provisions from Government of India act of 1935 and

constitution of various other countries.

Procedure for election of members of RajyaSabha and procedure for amendment of the constitution is

taken from South African constitution

Nomination of members to RajyaSabha, Directive principles of state policy and method of election of

president is taken from Irish constitution and not the British constitution.

Q 54.C

o Statement 2 is correct and statements 1 and 3 are not correct.

o The Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), a program for immunizing all children during the first

year of life with DPT, OPV, BCG and typhoid–paratyphoid fever vaccines was launched in 1978. In 1985,

the name of EPI was changed to the Universal Immunization Program (UIP) .

o The stated objectives of UIP are to: 1. Rapidly increase immunization coverage 2. Improve the quality of

services 3. Establish a reliable cold chain system to the health facility level 4. Introduce a district-wise

system for monitoring of performance 5. Achieve self-sufficiency in vaccine production.

o It aims to protect children from life threatening conditions by providing vaccination.

o It is 100% funded by central government and covers all children and pregnant women.

o Vaccines under UIP: The program now consists of vaccination for 12 diseases- tuberculosis, diphtheria,

pertussis(whooping cough), tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, Hepatitis B, Diarrhoea,Japanese Encephalitis,

rubella, Pneumonia (Heamophilus Influenza Type B) and Pneumococcal diseases (Pneumococcal

Pneumonia and Meningitis). Hence, it aims to provide protection to children against communicable

diseases.

Q 55.A

o Statement 1 is correct: Rotation of earth is responsible for diurnal cycle of day and night. If the earth

stops rotating, half the earth is illuminated while half is dark. Hence, there will be no diurnal cycle of day

and night.

o Statement 2 is correct: If the earth stops rotating, there will be no Coriolis force. Coriolis force forms

one of the pre-condition for formation of Tropical Cyclone. Absence of coriolis force is the reason for

absence of tropical cyclones near equator, inspite of presence of other pre-conditions.

o Statement 3 is not correct: Cycle of seasons is an outcome of earth‘s tilt and revolution. Owing to this,

there is an apparent movement of Sun leading to differential heating and consequently cycle of seasons.

o Statement 4 is not correct: 6 months of polar days and polar night at poles is because of Earth‘s tilt and

revolution. Owing to this, there is an apparent movement of Sun leading to a situation wherer poles are 6

months in sunlight (polar day) and 6 months in complete darkness (polar night).

Q 56.D

Statement 1 is not correct: It is a global fund created to support the efforts of developing countries to

respond to the challenge of climate change. GCF helps developing countries limit or reduce their

greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to climate change. It seeks to promote a paradigm shift to

low-emission and climate-resilient development. The Fund pays particular attention to the needs of

societies that are highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, in particular Least Developed

Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and African States.

Statement 2 is not correct: It was set up at the Conference of the Parties-16 (COP-16) in Cancun in

2010.

Statement 3 is correct: It aims to deliver equal amounts of funding to mitigation and adaptation, while

being guided by the Convention‘s principles and provisions. It also aims for a floor of 50 percent of the






adaptation allocation for particularly vulnerable countries, including Least Developed Countries (LDCs),

Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and African States.

As per the international agreement, advanced economies should provide an annual assistance of $100

billion, through public and private sources, by 2020 — the deadline is now extended to 2025. The fund

currently has pledges worth $10 billion from various developed countries and there is a commitment to

fund projects that enable the lowering of emissions and help in dealing with the effects from climate

change.

Q 57.D

o Both the statements are not correct.

o NRC contains the names of bona fide Indian Citizens (of Assam) that distinguish them from the

foreigners. It is updated periodically.

o However, in Assam the updation could not be carried on since 1951 due to various political tensions such

as Assam Movement of 1980s, the language movement and other ethnic movements. • But after the

Supreme Court judgment (2014), NRC is now being updated in a time bound manner to incorporate

Assam Accord of 1985 in order to tackle the issue of illegal immigration from Bangladesh.

o The NRC will include names of person or their descendants whose name appear in NRC 1951 or any of

the Electoral Rolls up to the midnight of 24th March 1971. The NRC will be updated as per the provisions

of The Citizenship Act, 1955 and The Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity

Cards) Rules, 2003. The updated NRC shall contain names of persons eligible for inclusion inupdated

NRC by virtue of being original inhabitants of Assam.

Q 58.A

International Labour Organisation :

Established in 1919, it became first affiliated specialized agency of the United Nations in 1946.

It has total 187 member nation including India.

It is the only organisation of UN having tripartite governing structure, representing Workers,

Employers and Government.

It sets labor standards, develops policies and devises programmes promoting decent work for all

women and men. India has ratified two key ILO conventions on child labour: the Minimum Age

Convention (No 138) and the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention (No 182).With ratification of

these two core ILO conventions, India has now ratified 6 out of 8 core ILO conventions.The other

four core ILO conventions ratified by India are:Forced labour convention (No 29) and Abolition of

Forced Labour convention (No 105) relating to abolition of forced labour, Equal Remuneration

convention (No 100) Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) convention relating to removing

discrimination between men and women in employment and occupation.Two core ILO conventions

which are yet to be ratified by India are: Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to

Organise Convention (No 87) and Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention (No 98)

Q 59.A

The Nuclear Command Authority comprises a Political Council and an Executive Council. The

Political Council is chaired by the Prime Minister. It is the sole body which can authorise the use of

nuclear weapons. The Executive Council is chaired by the National Security Advisor. It provides

inputs for decision making by the Nuclear Command Authority and executes the directives given to it by

the Political Council.

Q 60.D

The 5th BRICS Education Ministers Meeting was held in July 2017. The meeting witnessed the

signing of the „Beijing Declaration on Education‟. The Declaration shall function as the guideline for

education cooperation among BRICS countries, showing that cooperation will be extended beyond higher

education to cover basic education, and more fields will be incorporated, including joint scientific

research, information sharing and personnel exchanges, etc.






Q 61.D

During the 9th century, in the Ganga Valley, Kanauj became the centre of gravity due to its strategic and

geographical potentiality. The control over Kanauj implied control over the eastern and western parts of

the Ganga doab which was very fertile. It was also interconnected with land and water routes. Therefore

the three leading contemporary powers such as the Palas, the Pratiharas and the Rashtrakutas clashed over

the possession of Kanauj.

The Palas were primarily centered in Eastern India, the Pratiharas in Western India and

the Rashtrakutas in the Deccan. But all the three power tried to control the Ganga plains, especially

Kanauj. This is known as the tripartite struggle.

Q 62.B

o Pair 1 is correctly matched: Wheat is a rainfed crop in parts of Malwa Plateau in Madhya Pradesh.

o Pair 2 is not correctly matched: Jute is grown only Eastern and North-Eastern plains of India mainly in

West Bengal, Bihar, Assam and coastal Odisha. Kathiawar peninsula of Gujarat is suitable for cotton.

o Pair 3 is correctly matched: Rayalseema is the part of Peninsular plateau south of tropics suitable for the

cultivation of oilseeds like groundnuts or sunflower.

Q 63.A

The Indian government has started looking at means to revive the traditional systems of water harvesting

in the country. Given that these methods are simple and eco-friendly for the most part, they are not just

highly effective for the people who rely on them but they are also good for the environment.

Traditional water harvesting systems.

Region Name of traditional water harvesting system.

Rajasthan Kunds

Gujarat Tankas

Maharashtra Phad system

Karnataka Kere

Ladakh Zings

Western Ghats Surangams

Odisha Katas

Hence, option (a) is correct.

Q 64.C

Under Article 323 B, the Parliament and the state legislatures are authorised to provide for the

establishment of tribunals for the adjudication of disputes relating to the following matters:

(a) Taxation

(b) Foreign exchange, import and export

(c) Industrial and labour

(d) Land reforms

(e) Ceiling on urban property

(f) Elections to Parliament and state legislatures

(g) Food stuffs

(h) Rent and tenancy rights

Article 323 A empowers the Parliament to provide for the establishment of administrative tribunals for

the adjudication of disputes relating to recruitment and conditions of service of persons appointed to

public services of the Centre, the states, local bodies, public corporations and other public authorities.

Article-262 provides for adjudication of disputes relating to waters of inter-state rivers or river

valleys.The Inter-State Water Disputes Act(1956) empowers the Central government toset up an ad hoc

tribunal for the adjudication of a dispute between two ormore states in relation to the waters of an inter-

state river or river valley.






Q 65.D

o Statement 1 is not correct: S-400 systems are being purchased by India from Russia. India will buy S-

400 'Triumf' air defence systems from Russia for over $5 billion.

o Statement 2 is not correct: S-400 is capable of destroying incoming hostile aircraft, missiles and even

drones at ranges of up to 400 km.

Q 66.D

o All of them act as blue carbon ecosystems.

o Blue carbon ecosystems sequester and store carbon. When degraded or destroyed, these ecosystems emit

the carbon they have stored for centuries into the atmosphere and oceans and become sources of

greenhouse gases. Experts estimate that as much as 1.02 billion tons of carbon dioxide are being released

annually from degraded coastal ecosystems, which is equivalent to 19% of emissions from tropical

deforestation globally. Mangroves, tidal marshes and seagrasses are critical along the world's coasts,

supporting coastal water quality, healthy fisheries, and coastal protection against floods and storms. For

example, mangroves are estimated to be worth at least US$1.6 billion each year in ecosystem services that

support coastal livelihoods and human populations around the world. Phumdis are a series of floating

islands, exclusive to the Loktak Lake in Manipur state, in northeastern India. They cover a substantial part

of the lake area and are heterogeneous masses of vegetation, soil and organic matter, in different stages of

decay seagrass meadows are CO2 sinks too, they take up and store carbon dioxide in their soils and

biomass through biosequestration. The carbon that is locked in the soils. The Blue Carbon

Initiative focuses on mangroves, salt marshes and seagrasses, which are found on every continent except

Antarctica.

Q 67.D

The Government of India Act of 1919 gave right to vote to women at provincial level. However, it was

limited. In 1921, Bombay (now Mumbai) and Madras (now Chennai) became the first provinces to give

the limited vote to women. Between 1923 and 1930, seven other provinces allowed women franchise.

Q 68.B

Extrusive landforms are determined by the nature and composition of lava and other ejected materials that

reach the surface of the earth.

The highly fluid lavas build up shield volcanoes. They have gently rising slopes and broad, flattened tops.

Some of the examples are Mauna Loa, Kilauea.

The less fluid lavas that explode more violently form ash and cinder cones with large central craters and

steep slopes. Some of the prominent examples are Mt. Nuovo, near Naples and Mt. Paricutin in Mexico.

In composite types, cones are built by several eruptions of lava, ashes and other volcanic materials from

main conduit which leads down a reservoir of magma. Each new eruption adds new layers of ashes or lava

to the sides of volcano, which grows steadily in height. Some of the prominent examples are Mt. Etna,

Mt. Stromboli, Mt Fuji.

Q 69.C

o Asian Premium is the practice of Gulf suppliers like Saudi Arabia charging Asian customers like

India a higher price than Western buyers for the same grade of oil. Oil cartels like OPEC have long

subsidized Western buyers at the cost of Asian buyers.

o India has been asking for an 'Asian dividend' instead of an 'Asian Premium'.But in the past few years, the

premium has greatly eroded with Asian demand, led by China and India, expanding and refiners asserting

themselves. India has also been asking for a 'responsible' pricing mechanism so that it can provide energy

to the common people and ensure energy security

Q 70.B

o Madam BhikajiCama, a Parsi revolutionary who had developed contacts with French socialists and who

brought out BandeMataram.

o On August 21, 1907, at International Socialist Conference in Stuttgart, Germany BhikajiRustomCama

unfurled the first version of the Indian national flag—a tricolour of green, saffron, and red stripes.

o Together with Singh RewabhaiRana and MunchershahBurjorji Godrej—she co-founded the Paris Indian

Society. She wrote, published and distributed revolutionary literature for the movement, including






BandeMataram (founded in response to the British ban on the patriotic poem) and later Madan‘sTalwar

(in response to the execution of MadanLalDhingra)

Q 71.A

Aflatoxins are a family of toxins produced by certain fungi that are found on agricultural crops such as

maize (corn), peanuts, cottonseed, and tree nuts. The main fungi that produce aflatoxins are

Aspergillusflavus and Aspergillusparasiticus, which are abundant in warm and humid regions of the

world. Aflatoxin-producing fungi can contaminate crops in the field, at harvest, and during storage.

People can be exposed to aflatoxins by eating contaminated plant products (such as peanuts) or by

consuming meat or dairy products from animals that ate contaminated feed. Farmers and other agricultural

workers may be exposed by inhaling dust generated during the handling and processing of contaminated

crops and feeds.

Q 72.D

The Himalayan Yew is a medicinal plant. It is found in various parts of Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal

Pradesh. A chemical compound called 'taxol' is extracted from the bark, needles, twigs and roots of this

tree. It has been successfully used to treat some cancers. This species is heavily exploited. It is currently

classified as endangered by the IUCN. Hence, the answer is (d).

Q 73.D

o All statements are correct:

o The objective of the National Agricultural Higher Education Project for India is to support participating

agricultural universities and ICAR in providing more relevant and higher quality education to

Agricultural University students.

o There are three components to the project, the first component being support to agricultural universities.

This component will finance investments by participating AUs to improve the quality and relevance of

agricultural education and research toward agricultural transformation. The component will competitively

award significant additional resources to participating AUs and will finance goods, works, non-consulting

services, training and consultant‘s services. This component includes three subcomponents: support to

AUs, centers for advanced agricultural science and technology, and ICAR innovation grants to AUs.

o The second component is the investment in ICAR leadership in agricultural higher education.This

component will finance the carrying out of institutional reforms within ICAR in order to enhance

ICAR‘s effectiveness in coordinating, guiding and managing agricultural higher education and its

interactions with AUs and key stakeholders nationwide through interventions that increase the quality and

relevance of agricultural higher education. Finally, the third component is the project management and

learning. The component will strengthen ICAR‘s management capacity for project implementation.

o The project is proposed on 50:50 cost sharing basis between the World Bank and the Government

of India, implemented at the Education Division, ICAR, New Delhi.

Q 74.A

o The Clement Atlee government announced in February 1946 the decision to send a high powered mission

of three British Cabinet ministers (Pethick Lawrence, Secretary of State for India; Stafford Cripps,

President of the Board of Trade; and A.V. Alexander, First Lord of Admirality) to India to find out ways

and means for a negotiated, peaceful transfer of power to India.

o Hence, option (a) is correct.

Q 75.D

o The Kanauj Assembly was followed by another spectacular assembly at Prayaga in the same year. While

the Kanauj Assembly was a religious assembly to highlight Mahayanism, the Prayaga Assembly was an

assembly of universal character for offerings of royal charities to all classes of people. It was known as

the Maha Moksha Parishud. Harsha was at his best in the Prayaga Assembly as a generous monarch and

an admirer of all the major faiths of his country.

o The Prayaga Assembly saw a huge gathering of people. The Emperor came there with Hiuen Tsang, and

the kings of twenty countries. The site of the assembly was on the vast expanses of sands at the meeting

place of the rivers Ganga and Yamuna. Half a million people, summoned from the distant corners of the






‗Five Indies‘ attended this unique assembly to receive gifts from the king. The ceremonies lasted for 75

days. Every arrangement was made for the accommodation and food of such a big multitude.

o Harsha held this assembly every five years for donating gifts to people. The assembly which Hiuen Tsang

saw at Prayaga in 643 A.D. was the sixth Moksha Paris had of Harsha‘s reign.

o On the first day of the Prayaga Assembly, an image of Buddha was worshipped amidst distribution of

valuables. On the second day was worshipped the image of Surya. And, on the third day, the image of

Siva was worshipped.

o There after followed the many days of gift making to thousands upon thousands of Buddhists, Brahmanas,

Jainas, and the followers of other faiths. Next followed the giving of alms to the mendicants, to the poor,

the orphans, and the destitute. The Prayaga Assembly finally closed after 75 days.

Q 76.A

o A Pigovian tax is a government cost on activities that create socially harmful externalities. A

negative externality is an activity that creates a negative effect on others. For example, pollution is an

externality. This negative externality might be corrected, by levying taxes equal to the externalized costs.

Q 77.C

Statement 1 is correct: Earth's magnetic field is attributed to a dynamo effect. In dynamo effect, rotation

of earth and molten outer core stimulate a circulating electric field. Consequently, this induces magnetic

field around earth.

Statement 2 is not correct: Magnetic field isn‘t constant in direction. This has been recorded by rock

specimens of different age in similar locations which have different directions of permanent

magnetization.

Statement 3 is correct: The earth‘s magnetic field serves to deflect solar winds, whose charged particles

would otherwise strip away the ozone layer that protects the Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation.

Q 78.A

According to Elphinstone (Governor of Bombay), the two important features of the Maratha government

were:

the existence of village communities as units of local administration

the existence of mirasi tenure

Mirasdars were hereditary peasant proprietors who cultivated their own fields and paid land tax at

fixed rates to the state. The Mirasdar belonged to the village and could not be dispossessed of it so long as

he continued to pay the rent. He could sell and transfer his fields and had the right to sit in the village

council. All the land which did not belong to the Mirasdar belonged to government or those to whom

government assigned it. His lands were measured out and classified, and the standard demand on them

fixed. If, however, the rains failed, if the village suffered from war or pestilence or if a family calamity

intervened, he could seek remission.

Q 79.D

o The 'VinayaPitaka' gives an account of the establishment of the Buddhist 'sangha' and the rules that

governed it. It has two main sections - the 'SuttaVibhanga' and 'Khandaka' - and an appendix known as

'Parivara'.

o The 'SuttaVibhanga' contains the 'Patimokkha', a set of monastic rules, 227 for monks and 311 for

nuns. According to tradition the first lay followers of the Buddha were two merchants, Tapassu and

Bhallika. Thereafter, the ranks of the laity expanded swiftly. The laity included male followers(upasakas)

and female followers(upasikas).

o The Therigatha is a collection of 73 poems consisting of 522 verses, supposed to have been composed by

72 nuns who had reached a high level of spiritual attainment.

o The Pravrajya ceremony marked a person's going forth from home into homelessness and his/her

becoming a novice under a preceptor. It involved shaving the head and donning ochre robes.

Q 80.A

Pump priming is the action taken to stimulate an economy, usually during a recessionary period,

through government spending, and interest rate and tax reductions. The term pump priming is






derived from the operation of older pumps; a suction valve had to be primed with water so that the pump

would function properly.

Pump priming assumes that the economy must be primed to function properly once again. In this regard,

government spending is assumed to stimulate private spending, which in turn should lead to economic

expansion. Hence, option 'a' is correct.

Q 81.B

o A conservative plate boundary, which is sometimes called a ‗transform plate margin‘, occurs when plates

move alongside each other, in the opposite direction or in the same direction at different speeds. These are

associated with fault and earthquake. The San Andreas Fault in California (USA) is an example of a

conservative plate boundary.

o At a convergent plate boundary between two oceanic plates, there are large volcanoes. These volcanoes

are found in lines that outline the subduction zone. Aleutian Islands that border southern Alaska are

example of such an island arc. Alps is also located along the convergent plate interaction between African

and Eurasian plates.

Q 82.D

The President and the Governors cannot be sued during the term of their office or thereafter, for any act

done by them in the exercise and performance of their official powers and duties. No criminal proceedings

can be started against the President and the Governors in respect of their personal acts nor can they be

arrested or imprisoned. This immunity is limited to the period of the term of their office only and does not

extend beyond that. However, civil proceedings can be started against them during their term of

office in respect of their personal acts after giving two months‘ advance notice.

The Constitution does not grant any immunity to the ministers for their official acts. However, they are

not liable for the official acts done by the President and the Governors on their advice as the courts

are debarred from inquiring into such advice. However, the ministers do not enjoy any immunity for their

personal acts, and can be sued for crimes as well as torts in the ordinary courts like common citizens.

The judicial officers enjoy immunity from any liability in respect of their official acts and hence, cannot

be sued. Hence, both the statements are not correct.

Q 83.A

In the Cytoplasm, Glucose (six-carbon compound) is broken down into Pyruvate (three-carbon

compound). This Pyruvate is converted into Carbon Dioxide, water and energy in presence of oxygen in

the mitochondria. However, due to lack of oxygen the Pyruvate gets converted into lactic acid in the

muscles. The build-up of lactic acid in our muscles during sudden activities leads to cramps.

Q 84.C

Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitat Scheme is a Centrally sponsored scheme. Under the scheme

Government of India provides financial and technical assistance to the State/UT Governments for

activities aimed at wildlife conservation. The scheme has following three components:

1. Support to Protected Areas (National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and

Community Reserves).

2. Protection of Wildlife Outside Protected Areas. There is substantial wildlife and natural resources

lying outside the Protected Areas network of India. This component seeks to support the conservation

of wildlife in these areas.

3. Recovery programmes for saving critically endangered species and habitats. This component is

for affecting the recovery of critically endangered species in the country. These are Snow Leopard,

Bustard (including Floricans), Dolphin, Hangul, NilgiriTahr, Marine Turtles, Dugongs, Edible Nest

Swiftlet, Asian Wild Buffalo, Nicobar Megapode, Manipur Brow-antlered Deer, Vultures, Malabar

Civet, Indian Rhinoceros, Asiatic Lion, Swamp Deer and Jerdon‘s Courser.

Q 85.B

o Cross elasticity of demand is an economic concept that measures the responsiveness in the quantity

demand of one good when a change in price takes place in another good. Also called cross price

elasticity of demand, this measurement is calculated by taking the percentage change in the quantity

demanded of one good and dividing it by the percentage change in price of the other good. Hence,

statement 1 is not correct.






o The cross elasticity of demand for close (stronger) substitute goods is always positive because the demand

for one good increases if the price for the other good increases. For example, if the price of coffee

increases, the quantity demanded for tea (a substitute beverage) increases as consumers switch to a less

expensive yet substitutable alternative. This is reflected in the cross elasticity of demand formula, as both

the numerator (percentage change in the demand of tea) and denominator (the price of coffee) show

positive increases. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Q 86.D

A major characteristic of an atom is its atomic number, which is defined as the number of protons. The

chemical properties of an atom are determined by its atomic number. The total number of nucleons

(protons and neutrons) in an atom is the atomic mass number. Atoms with the same atomic number but

with different atomic masses are called isotopes. Isotopes have identical chemical properties, yet have

very different nuclear properties. For example, there are three isotopes of hydrogen. Two of these isotopes

are stable (not radioactive), but tritium (one proton and two neutrons) is unstable. Most elements have

stable isotopes.

Radioactive isotopes can also be created for many elements. An isotope of uranium (Uranium-235) is

used as a fuel in nuclear reactors. An isotope of cobalt (Cobalt-60) is used in the treatment of

cancer. An isotope of iodine (Iodine-131) is used in the treatment of goitre.

Q 87.A

o Constitution did not define the criteria for recognition of Scheduled Tribe & hence the Lokur committee

1965 was set up by Government to look in to the issue. The committee recommended five criteria for

identification of Tribal status.1. Primitive traits.2. Distinct culture.3 .Geographical Isolation 4. Shyness of

contact with community at large.5. Backwardness.\

o Statement 1 is correct: The word ―Scheduled Tribe ―is mentioned in the Constitution in Art. 366 and

Art. 342-The Constitution of India, Article 366 (25) defines Scheduled Tribes as ―such tribes or tribal

communities or part of or groups within such tribes or tribal communities as are deemed under Article 342

to the scheduled Tribes (STs) for the purposes of this Constitution‖.

o Statement 2 is not correct: Schedule V & VI are concerned with tribal areas and does not mention the

criteria for recognition of 'scheduled tribes'.

Q 88.A

o The Free Movement Regime permits the tribes residing along the border to travel 16 km across the

boundary without visas. However it‘s misuse by insurgents for arms and drug trafficking has been a cause

of concern to India.

o Statement 1 is correct: Free movement regime operates along India-Myanmar border to facilitate socio-

economic interaction amongst the local tribes.

o Statement 2 is not correct: The regime is about movement of people and not for goods transportation.

Q 89.B

o The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) through the Indian Agricultural Research Institute

(IARI) has formulated a collaborative research project entitled ―SENSAGRI: SENsor based Smart

AGRIculture‖ involving six partner Institutes (Agriculture & IT) to be funded by Information Technology

Research Academy (ITRA), Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DEITY), Ministry

of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT), Govt. of India and ICAR. The major objective

is to develop indigenous prototype for drone based crop and soil health monitoring system using

hyperspectral remote sensing (HRS) sensors. This technology could also be integrated with satellite-

based technologies for large scale applications.

o Drone technology based unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has ability for smooth scouting over farm fields,

gathering precise information and transmitting the data on real time basis. This capability could be used

for the benefit of farming sector at regional/local scale for assessing land and crop health; extent, type and

severity of damage besides issuing forewarning, post-event management and settlement of compensation

under crop insurance schemes.






Q 90.C

Lord Ripon‟s resolution of 1882 provided for the introduction of principles of local self-government in

the municipalities. The resolution is regarded as the Magna Carta of Local self-government in India.

According to Lord Ripon, Local self-government was ―an instrument of political and popular education.‖

Lord Ripon‘s resolution introduced a new era in the constitution, powers and functions of the municipal

bodies which were changed greatly.According to it, the actual municipal administration was to be

transferred to the elected representative of the people working under a non-official chairman, though, the

ultimate supervision, control and superintendence remained with the government. The system of election

for the municipal bodies was introduced with a limited franchise.

Lord Ripon‘s resolution mainly armed at greater uniformity, greater association of the people in the task

of administration and for exercising control from without rather than from within. The guiding principles

enunciated in Lord Ripon‘s resolution for development of local government were:

o increasing elective, non-governmental membership of the council;

o endowing financial resources to local bodies commensurate with the functions; and

o the control over local personnel.

Q 91.B

The Table of Precedence is related to the rank and order of the officials of the Union and State

Governments. The order of precedence is given below:

1. President

2. Vice-President

3. Prime Minister

4. Governors of states within their respective states

5. Former presidents

5A. Deputy Prime Minister

6. Chief Justice of India; Speaker of LokSabha

7. Cabinet Ministers of the Union; Chief Ministers of States within their respective States; Vice-

Chairperson, NITI Aayog; Former Prime Ministers; Leaders of Opposition in RajyaSabha and

LokSabha

7A. Holders of Bharat Ratna decoration

8. Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and High Commissioners of Commonwealth

countries accredited to India; Chief Ministers of States outside their respective States Governors of

States outside their respective States

9. Judges of Supreme Court

9A. Chairperson, Union Public Service Commission; Chief Election Commissioner; Comptroller &

Auditor General of India

Q 92.C

Statement 1 is incorrect. Shifting wind belts is a feature of Mediterranean climate which is responsible

for summer being dry and rainfall in winter.

Statement 2 is incorrect. Rain shadow effect plays important role in aridity of Patagonian desert which is

a mid-latitude desert. The reasons behind major hot deserts lying on the western margin of continents

between 15 and 30 degrees latitudes are as follows-(1) sub-tropical high pressure belts where the air is

descending, does not favour precipitation.(2) The rain bearing trade winds blow off-shore.(3) Presence of

cold currents has a chilling effect on the wind which inhibits precipitation.Thus statements 3 and 4 are

correct.

Q 93.B

In the state of Kerala, a leader of the Ezhava caste (untouchable caste), Shri Narayan Guru(1854-1928)

established the SNDP(SreeNarayana Dharma ParipalanaYogam). He and his associates launched a

two point programme for the uplift of the Ezhavas. Firstly, to give up untouchability with respect to castes

below their caste. Secondly, Narayan Guru built a number of temples which were declared open to

all castes. He also simplified rituals regarding marriage, religious worship and funerals.

The Vaikom Satyagraha was launched in Kerala in 1924 and was led by K.P. Kesava.






Sri Narayan Guru openly criticised the Congress and Mahatma Gandhi for their lip-sympathy towards

the lower castes. He criticisedGandhiji for his faith in the 'chaturvana' system, which, according to him,

is the parent of the caste system and of untouchability. He gave a new slogan : 'One religion, one caste,

and one god for mankind'.

Q 94.B

o Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), a department under the Ministry of Finance has launched a

new app known as AaykarSetu. The app is part of the Digital India initiative to help users understand

the various nuances of direct taxes, file income tax, apply for PAN, check TDS statement, and even

share grievances with the right authorities. It also lets users to link their Aadhaar to their PAN.

Q 95.A

The incremental capital output ratio (ICOR) is a metric that assesses the marginal amount of

investment capital necessary for an entity to generate the next unit of production. Overall, a higher

ICOR value is not preferred because it indicates that the entity's production is inefficient. The measure is

used predominantly in determining a country's level of production efficiency. Hence, statement 1 is

correct and 2 is not correct.

Q 96.C

The National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH) was set up in 1992. It is an autonomous

body under the administrative control of the Union Home Ministry.

The vision and mission of the NFCH are as follows:

Vision: India free from communal and all other forms of violence where all citizens especially children

and youth live together in peace and harmony.

Mission: Promoting communal harmony, strengthening national integration and fostering unity in

diversity through collaborative social action, awareness programs, reaching out to the victims of violence

especially children, encouraging interfaith dialogue for India‘s shared security, peace and prosperity.

The activities undertaken by the NFCH are mentioned below:

To provide financial assistance to the child victims of societal violence for their care, education

and training, aimed at their effective rehabilitation.

To promote communal harmony and national integration by organising variety of activities either

independently or in association with educational institutions, NGOs & other organisations.

To conduct studies and grant scholarships to institutions / scholars for conducting studies.

To confer awards for outstanding contribution to communal harmony and national integration.

To involve Central / state governments / UT Administrations, industrial / commercial organisations,

NGOs and others in promoting the objectives of the Foundation.

To provide information services, publish monographs and books, etc. on the subject.

Q 97.D

The National Mission for Green India (GIM) is one of the eight Missions outlined under the National

Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). Hence, statement 2 is correct.

It aims at protecting; restoring and enhancing India‘s diminishing forest cover and responding to climate

change by a combination of adaptation and mitigation measures.This mission has adopted an integrated

cross-sectoral approach as it will be implemented on both public as well as private lands with a key role of

the local communities in planning, decision making, implementation and monitoring. Hence, statement 3

is correct.

Mission Goals 1.To increase forest/tree cover to the extent of 5 million hectares (mha) and improve

quality of forest/tree cover on another 5 mha of forest/non-forest lands; 2. To improve/enhance eco-

system services like carbon sequestration and storage (in forests and other ecosystems), hydrological

services and biodiversity; along with provisioning services like fuel, fodder, and timber and non-timber

forest produces (NTFPs); and 3. To increase forest based livelihood income of about 3 million

households. Hence, statement 1 is correct.






Q 98.C

The World Water Development Report 2018, aligned with the World Water Day theme, demonstrates

how nature-based solutions can provide the means to address the world‘s water challenges was provided

by United nations.

According to the World Water Development Report, the global demand for water has been increasing at a

rate of about 1% per annum due to population growth, economic development and changing consumption

patterns, among other factors.

The UN report has identified the industrial and domestic sectors' demand for water to increase much faster

than agricultural demand – although agriculture will remain the largest user overall.

The vast majority of the growth in demand for water will occur in countries with developing or emerging

economies, states the report.

Q 99.A

Climatic Stress refers to the changes in/on the human body when it try to adapt to a climate change. It can

be caused by any combination of air temperature, humidity, air movement, and radiant heat. Climate

change can have a range of impacts on physical, mental, and community health. Climate change will

likely increase the frequency and strength of extreme events (such as floods, droughts, and storms) that

threaten human health and safety. Climate changes may expose more people to diseases.

Q 100.D

Statement 1 is correct : When the Governor reserve the bill for the consideration of the President under

Article 200 of constitution, he will not have any further role in the enactment of the bill. This means that

the assent of the Governor is no longer required.

Statement 2 is correct: In these bills the President may either give his assent, withhold or return the bill

for reconsideration of the house or houses of state legislature.

Statement 3 is correct: When a bill is so returned, the House or Houses have to reconsider it within a

period of six months. The bill is presented again to the presidential assent after it is passed by the House

or Houses with orwithout amendments. It is not mentioned in the Constitution whether it is obligatory on

the part of the president to give his assent or not.'

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