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GENERAL STUDIESImportant Traditional & Current Issues

World History,

Internal Security, Disaster Management, International Relations

Economic Development, Social Justice, Science & Technology

Ethics, Int. & Aptitude with more than 100 Case Studies

Geography, Environment & Ecology, Polity & Governance

Covering More than 800 Marks

MAINS SPECIAL BATCH - 2018

18NEW BATCHES COMMENCE June

Course Duration12 Weeks

S. BALIYAN, ABHAY THAKUR,

A. MANGTANI, A.N. REDDY,

A.S. SHEKHAR, & S.M. THAKUR

DR. VIVEK,

WITH BEST EVER TEAM WITH BEST EVER TEAM

INSIGHT GEN.STUDIES & CSAT

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1. C

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a regional economic forum of 21 Pacific Rim member

economies. India is not a member of APEC. India has applied but membership was denied because it

does not border Pacific Ocean. India is an observer member in APEC.

ASEAN + 6 include ASEAN + China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and India.

East Asia Summit (EAS) is a forum of East Asian, South East Asian and South Asian nations. It consists of

18 members (ASEAN + 8): 10 ASEAN nations, China, Japan and South Korea (ASEAN + 3), Australia,

New Zealand, India, Russia and USA.

OECD is an international economic organization that aims to stimulate economic progress and world

trade. Most OECD members are high-income economies with e very High Human Development Index

(HDI) and are regarded as developed countries. India is not a member of OECD.

Thus, Option C is correct.

2. A

A National Committee on Trade Facilitation (NCTF) headed by the Cabinet Secretary was constituted under

Article 23.2 of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). The NCTF comprises of stakeholders from the

Government and the private sectors including trade community. The NCTF has adopted 76 point National Trade

Facilitation Action Plan (NTFAP) which is a reflection of the Government’s commitment to implement the Trade

Facilitation Agreement (TFA).

The National Action Plan aims to transform cross border clearance ecosystem through efficient, transparent, risk

based, co-ordinated, digital, seamless and technology driven procedures which are supported by state-of-the-art

sea ports, airports and land borders.

The objectives to be achieved by National Action Plan are improvement in ease of doing business by reduction

in cargo release time and cost, move towards paperless regulatory environment, transparent and predictable

legal regime and improved investment climate through better infrastructure.

Thus, Option A is correct.

3. C

In a move that aims to address the perennial irrigation water crisis affecting rural India, Ministry of Water

Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and NABARD signed an agreement to operationalise the

Long Term Irrigation Fund (LTIF) to be instituted in NABARD as part of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana

(PMKSY). The Fund, with an initial corpus of about Rs 20,000 crore, was announced in the Union Budget 2016-17

by Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley. Corpus would be raised by way of budgetary resources and market

borrowings to fund fast tracking of implementation of incomplete major & medium irrigation projects.


COMPREHENSIVE TEST - 4

(FULL MOCK TEST)




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4. C

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Speaker is elected by the Lok Sabha from amongst its members (as soon as may be

after its first sitting). Thus, it is a Member of Parliament.

The Presiding Officer of the Rajya Sabha is known as the Chairman. The Vice-President of India is the ex-officio

Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Unlike the Speaker (who is a member of the House), the Chairman is not a

Member of the House.

Statement 2 is correct: As a Presiding Officer, the powers and functions of the Chairman in the Rajya Sabha are

similar to those of the Speaker in the Lok Sabha. However, the Speaker has two special powers which are not

enjoyed by the Chairman:

The Speaker decides whether a bill is a Money Bill or not and his decision on this question is final.

The Speaker presides over a joint sitting of two Houses of Parliament.

Statement 3 is incorrect: The Speaker can be removed only by a resolution passed by the Lok Sabha by an

effective majority (i.e. a majority of then members of the House).

The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha can be removed from his office only if he is removed from the office of the

Vice-President. Thus, he can be removed by a resolution of the Rajya Sabha passed by an effective majority (i.e.

a majority of the then members of the House) and agreed to by the Lok Sabha.


5. A

Dutch Disease is the negative impact on an economy of anything that gives rise to a sharp inflow of foreign

currency, such as the discovery of large oil reserves. The currency inflows lead to currency appreciation, making

the country’s other products less price competitive on the export market. It also leads to higher levels of cheap

imports and can lead to de-industrialisation as industries apart from resource exploitation are moved to cheaper

locations.

In the long run, these factors can contribute to higher unemployment due to manufacturing jobs being moved to

lower-cost countries. The end result is non-resource industries are hurt by the increase in wealth generated by

the resource-based industries.

The term "Dutch disease" was coined by The Economist magazine in 1977. The magazine was analyzing a crisis

taking place in the Netherlands following discoveries of vast natural gas deposits in the North Sea in 1959. The

newfound wealth and massive exports of oil caused the Dutch guilder to rise sharply, making exports of all

nonoil products less competitive on the world market.


6. D

Statement 1 is incorrect: Section 33(7) of the Representation of People Act (RPA), 1951 permits a candidate to

contest any election (Parliamentary, state assembly, biennial council, or by-elections) from up to two

constituencies.

Statement 2 is incorrect: 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




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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.

Thus, Option D is correct.

7. B

Statement 1 is correct: Warren Hastings was instrumental in modernizing Indian Judicial system. His attempts to

reform the judicial system were categorised in two plans - Judicial Plan of 1772 and Judicial Plan of 1774. It

was the first step to regulate machinery of administration of justice and the plan being a landmark in the history

become famous as Warren Hasting’s plan of 1772.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The Charter Act of 1833 conferred all lawmaking power on the Governor-General-in-

Council.

Statement 3 is correct: In 1833, Government had appointed a Law Commission headed by Lord Macaulay to

codify Indian laws. Its labors eventually resulted in the Indian Penal Code in 1860. It was based on the

Western-derived Codes of Civil and Criminal Procedure and other codes of laws. The same laws now prevailed all

over the country and they were enforced by a uniform system of courts. Thus, it may be said that India was

judicially unified.

Thus, Option B is correct.

8. A

To demonstrate the potential of satellite technology for development of rural areas, ISRO established Village

Resource Centres (VRCs) on a pilot scale, in association with selected NGOs, Trusts and State Government

Departments.

VRCs have provided various space technology enabled services such as tele-healthcare, tele-education, natural

resources information, advisories related to agriculture, career guidance to rural students, skill development and

vocational training etc.


9. C

Statement 1 is correct: CEZs are spatial economic regions comprising group of coastal districts or districts with

strong linkage to ports in region to tap into synergies with synergies with planned industrial corridor projects.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The Union Cabinet in 2016 had approved setting up of 14 mega CEZs under National

Perspective Plan of Sagarmala Programme. Its aim was to promote development of industrial clusters around

ports, encourage port-led development, reduce logistics cost and time for movement of cargo, enhance global

competitiveness of country’s manufacturing sector and create hubs of job creation.

Statement 3 is incorrect: The Union Government has given go-ahead for setting up India’s first mega Coastal

Economic Zone (CEZ) at Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) in Maharashtra.


10. B

The World Energy Outlook report is published annually by International Energy Agency (IEA). The International Energy Agency (IEA) was established in the framework of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1974.





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11. A

Annie Besant was the First Woman President of INC whereas Sarojini Naidu was the First Indian Woman

President. A.O. Hume did not preside in any session though he was a founder member of INC.


12. A

According to Article 200, when a Bill, passed by the Legislature of a State, is presented to the Governor, he has

four options:

He assents to the Bill.

He withholds assent.

He reserves the Bill for the consideration of the President.

He returns the Bill to the Legislature for reconsideration.

The first proviso says that as soon as the Bill is presented to him, he may return the Bill to the Legislature (if it

is not a Money Bill) together with a message requesting the Legislature to reconsider the Bill.


13. A

Kedareshwara Temple is a Hoysala era construction in the historically important town of Halebidu, in

the Hassan district of Karnataka state, India. The temple was constructed by Hoysala King Veera Ballala

II (1173–1220 A.D.) and his queen Ketaladevi, and the main deity is Ishwara (another name for the

Hindu god Shiva).

The Chennakesava Temple is a Vaishnava Hindu temple on the banks of River Kaveri at

Somanathapura, Karnataka, India. The temple was consecrated in 1258 CE by Somanatha Dandanayaka,

a general of the Hoysala King Narasimha III.

The Hazara Rama temple was constructed during Vijayanagara Empire period. The Hazara Rama

temple, referred to as the Ramachandra temple in inscriptions, occupied the western part of the urban

core in the royal centre section of Hampi. This temple was dedicated to Rama of the Ramayana fame,

and an avatar of Vishnu. It was the ceremonial temple for the royal family. The temple is dated to the

early 15th century and is attributed to Devaraya I.


14. A

‘Project Jal Sanchay’, a water conservation model which is successfully adopted in Nalanda district of South-

Central Bihar, has been chosen for the national award for excellence in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural

Employment Guarantee Programme (MGNREGP) by the Ministry of Rural Development.

Under this, check dams were created and traditional Aahar-Pyne irrigation system and traditional water bodies

were desilted and renovated, accompanied by campaigns to create awareness about rainwater harvesting. The

water conservation project has not only improved the availability of water but has also positively impacted farm

production in the areas covered by the project.





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15. A

Rani Gaidinliu was a Naga spiritual and political leader who led a revolt against British colonial rule in India. She

was born on 26th January 1915 at Nungkao, a Rongmei village in Manipur. Ranima, as she was known with

respect and affection, had humble beginnings. At the age of 13, she came under the influence of Haipou

Jadonang, the leader who launched a religious movement that sought to reform the Zealiangrong Naga

communities. The movement grew into a political struggle to uproot the British Colonialism from Manipur and

the nearby Naga-inhabited area.

By the late 1920s, British officials began to view the political underpinnings of the movement with deep

suspicion as they saw it as undermining their authority. After the execution of Jadonang in 1931, Rani Gaidinliu

took up the leadership of the movement for independence. She was arrested in 1932 by the British authorities.

She became a political prisoner but at the same time had emerged a veteran leader of the resistance movement.

Rani Gaidinliu identified her people’s struggle with the wider Indian freedom struggle. For her, the Naga

people’s journey to freedom was part of India’s wider movement for freedom. She also spread the message of

Gandhi ji in Manipur region.


16. A

The grant of ‘Infrastructure Status’ to the logistics sector is entitled to a number of benefits and concessions.

This grant of status enables an industry to raise money from insurance companies, pension funds, and

international lenders with a longer tenure and on easier terms. Infrastructure status gives industries access to

cheaper foreign currency funding through the external commercial borrowing route. Falling under

infrastructure category helps the sector get credit at competitive rates and on long-term basis with enhanced

limits. Furthermore, the logistics sector will be also be eligible to borrow from India Infrastructure Financing

Company (IIFCL).

These benefits coupled with the consequences of implementation of good and services tax, will decrease the

overall costs of logistics, in turn boosting the demand for Indian goods. Additionally, this will also contribute

towards furthering the objective of the “Make in India” initiative.


17. D

The Antarctic Treaty was signed in Washington on 1 December 1959 by the twelve nations that had been active

during the International Geographical Year (Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand,

Norway, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States and USSR).

The Treaty, which applies to the area south of 60° South latitude, is surprisingly short, but remarkably effective.

The Treaty has 52 signatories, 28 Consultative.


18. D

Communication Satellites provides services to telecommunications, television broadcasting, satellite

newsgathering, societal applications, weather forecasting, disaster warning and Search and Rescue operations.




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The data from Indian Remote Sensing satellites are used for several applications covering agriculture, water

resources, urban planning, rural development, mineral prospecting, environment, forestry, ocean resources and

disaster management.


19. C

Statement 1 is correct: The Ministries/Departments of the Government of India are created by the President

on the advice of the Prime Minister under these Rules. The business of the Government of India are transacted

in the ministries/departments, secretariats and offices (referred to as "Department") as per the distribution of

subjects specified in these Rules. Each of the Ministry (ies) will be assigned to a Minister by the President on the

advice of the Prime Minister. Each department will be generally under the charge of a Secretary to assist the

Minister on policy matters and general administration.

Statement 2 is correct: The Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961 is made by the President

of India under Article 77 of the Constitution for the allocation of business of the Government of India.


20. D

Statement 1 is incorrect: Under Price Deficiency Payment, farmers are proposed to be compensated for the

difference between the government-announced MSPs for select crops and their actual market prices. This PDP

scheme is launched by various state governments such as Madhya Pradesh and Haryana.

Statement 2 is incorrect: For crops such as rice and wheat where it is effective currently, MSP announcements

will continue. For other targeted crops, price deficiency payments will be made. However, it has to be noted that

there may be a cap on the extent to which the Centre will bridge the gap between MSP and market price.

Statement 3 is incorrect: To avail this benefit, each farmer would have to register with the nearest APMC mandi

and report the total area sown. Thus, crops will be sold to the Mandi at the market price.


21. A

Sir Thomas Roe: British ambassador who represented England in the Mughal Empire.

Albuquerque: He was the second Governor of Portuguese India played a crucial role for the longevity of

the Portuguese Empire.

Count de Lally: He was the French commander in the Third Carnatic War.


22. D

Drought is generally considered as a deficiency in rainfall/precipitation over an extended period usually a season

or more resulting in a water shortage causing adverse impacts on vegetation, animals, and/or people.

There is no single, legally accepted definition of drought in India. Some states resort to their own definitions of

drought. State Government is the final authority when it comes to declaring a region as drought affected.





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23. B

Statement 1 is incorrect: It is an inter-governmental body that organizes, regulates and controls all mineral

(non-living resources) related activities in the international seabed area beyond the limits of national

jurisdiction (not in the territorial waters).

Statement 2 is correct: It is an organization established by the Law of the Sea Convention. It functions under the

aegis of the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It has an observer status to UN.


24. D

Audit Powers of CAG

He audits the accounts related to all expenditure from the Consolidated Fund of India, Consolidated

fund of each State and Consolidated Fund of each Union Territory having a Legislative Assembly.

He audits all expenditure from the Contingency Fund of India and the Public Account of India as well as

the Contingency Fund of each state and the Public Account of each state.

He audits the accounts of any other authority when requested by the President or Governor. For

example, the audit of local bodies.

Regretting that economic progress has thrown up a class of 'rent seekers', Comptroller and Auditor

General Shashi Kant Sharma today said the CAG will continue to audit private companies and Private

Public Partnership (PPP) projects in cases where revenue sharing with the government is involved.

Sharma emphasised that there should "be no doubt that the principle (laid down by the Supreme Court)

which is applicable to spectrum, applies to all natural resources which belong to public and where

revenue is to be shared with Government; and CAG is duty bound to report to Parliament in all such

matters".

The CAG had earlier initiated an audit of private telecom companies after TRAI allegedly found they

were under-reporting income to avoid sharing it with the Government. The telecom companies later

approached the High Court against CAG audit, but their plea was rejected. Supreme Court too upheld

the ruling of the HC.

Similarly private power distribution companies resisted CAG audit, but their plea was rejected by the

Delhi High Court. CAG is currently engaged in audit of these discoms.


25. B

Option B is correct.

26. B

The Partnership for Land Use Science (Forest-Plus) is a joint programme by the United States Agency for

International Development (USAID) and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to

strengthen capacity for REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation)

implementation in India. The programme brings together experts from India and the United States to develop




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technologies, tools and methods of forest management to meet the technical challenges of managing forests for

the health of ecosystem, carbon stocks, biodiversity and livelihood.

The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has launched “Wood is Good”

Campaign under Partnership for Land Use Science (Forest-Plus). It was launched on side-lines of two-day

conference on “Sustainable landscapes and forest ecosystems: Theory to Practice” in New Delhi.

The purpose of campaign is to promote wood as climate-friendly resource and substitute to materials like steel

and plastic as it is carbon neutral unlike others materials which leave carbon footprint in their production.


27. B

Crop-sharing was one of the land revenue methods used during Mughal Period. It is of three types:

First was bhaoli where the crops are reaped and stacked, and divided by agreement in the presence of

the parties.

The second type was Khet Batai where the fields were divided after they were sown.

The third type was Lang Batai where after cutting the grain it was formed in heaps and divided. This

system needed a large number of intelligent inspectors, otherwise there was deception.


28. B

Statements 1 and 3 are correct.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Adjournment is done by the Presiding Officer of the House and Prorogation is done by

the President of India.


29. A

The government of Andhra Pradesh has entered into an agreement with the moon-shot factory of Alphabet

(earlier Google) - X - to bring the breakthrough Free Space Optical Communication (FSOC) technology in order to

provide internet through the government Fibergrid project.


30. A

Statements 1 and 3 are correct: A shell corporation is a corporation without active business operations or

significant assets.

A shell company may be legal or illegal. There are many shell companies which work within legal limits. For

example, a company may create a subsidiary to look after only its HR functions but not to engage in its main

trade or business. It would be a shell company but not be illegal.

However, the term shell company is mostly used for illegal shell companies and such companies should be

identified on the basis of purpose of their creation. This purpose is to divert money for tax evasion; route

money generated from illegal activities to formal financial institutions; and transfer assets from one company

to new company without the transfer of liabilities of the former company, to save tax.




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Statement 2 is incorrect: They are not defined under Companies Act, 2013.


31. B


32. A

Statement 1 is correct: Article 59(1) - The President shall not be a member of either House of Parliament or of a

House of the Legislature of any State.

Statement 2 is correct: Article 79: There shall be a Parliament for the Union which shall consists of the President

and two Houses to be known respectively as the Council of States and the House of the People.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Since the Constitution does not provide any time limit within which the President is to

declare his assent or refusal, the President could exercise Pocket veto by not taking any action for an indefinite

time.


33. A

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has launched pilot project ‘Blue Flag’ to develop

and enhance standards of cleanliness on beaches. Under the pilot programme, each of the coastal State/UT

was requested to identify/nominate a beach, to be funded through the ongoing Integrated Coastal Management

Programme.

The ‘Blue Flag’ is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that a beach meets its

stringent standards. Its purpose is to enhance standards of cleanliness, upkeep and basic amenities at beaches.


34. B

Government of India Act 1919 was passed by British Parliament to further expand the participation of Indians in

the Government of India. Since the act embodied reforms as recommended by a report of Edwin Montagu

{Secretary of State for India} and Lord Chelmsford {Viceroy and Governor General}, it is also called as Montague-

Chelmsford Reforms or simply Mont-Ford Reforms.

Statement 1 is correct: In Government of India Act 1919 the spheres of the central and provincial governments

were demarcated by a division of subjects into “central” and “provincial”. Generally speaking, the central

subjects included all subjects directly administered by the Government of India or in which extra-provincial

interests were dominant. The provincial subjects included subjects in which the interests of the provinces

essentially predominated.

Statement 2 is correct: The Dyarchy was for the Provincial Governments. The provincial subjects were divided

into two categories viz. reserved and transferred. The reserved subjects were kept with the Governor and

transferred subjects were kept with Governor acting with the Indian Ministers.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Communal electorate for the first time in India was introduced with Minto Morley

Reforms of 1909.





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35. D

Netrani (also known as Pigeon Island) is a small island of India located in the Arabian Sea. It is off the

coast of Karnataka situated approximately 19 km from the temple town of Murudeshwara in Bhatkal

Taluk. Netrani is a coral island which has a coral reef with many varieties of coral, butterfly fish, trigger

fish, parrot fish, eels and shrimps can be seen here..

In India there are a very few places where scuba diving can be done and Malvan is one of them. Due to

its relatively clear sea waters, Malvan serves as a perfect spot for scuba diving (done mostly with surface

oxygen supply). Three new coral reefs have been found near Malvan on the Sindhudurg coast,

Maharashtra during a recent survey. The survey was conducted by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).

Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat are known for coral reefs.


36. B

Kuiper belt is a region of the solar system beyond the planets, extending from the orbit of Neptune. It consists of

mainly small bodies or remnants from the solar system’s formation. It consists of a great ring of debris similar to

the asteroid belt, but composed mainly of objects composed primarily of ice.


37. B

(*Option B was changed at the time of examination to 1, 2 and 3 only)

Siberian Cranes are snowy white color birds and migrate during winter to India. These cranes are

omnivorous and breeds in the Arctic tundra of Russia and Siberia. Siberian Cranes or snow cranes are

critically endangered species of migratory birds, wintered in Bharatpur Keoladeo National Park till 2002.

Greater Flamingo is the largest of all species of the flamingo family, found in the Indian subcontinent.

The migratory bird found in parts of Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary, Flamingo City

and in the Thol Bird Sanctuary of Gujarat during entire winter season.

Black-necked cranes migrate from Tibet during the winter. The black-necked crane is an endangered

bird that has chosen a remote – untouched from modern ills – area deep inside Tawang district of

Arunachal Pradesh as its wintering site.


38. B

Statement 1 is correct: A long inscription of Kharavela of Kalinga from Hathigumpha engraved on the Udayagiri

hills near Bhuvaneswar, enables us to reconstruct his biography despite its being in a bad state of preservation.

He was a Jaina by faith though given to military conquests. Kharavela enlarged an irrigation canal originally dug

by a Nanda king and spent large sums of money on the welfare of his subjects.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Naganika's inscription in the Naneghat cave describes about Satakami I of

Satavahana. He conquered Western Malwa and called him as Lord of Dakshinapatha.

Statement 3 is correct: Uttaramerur inscription describes the Chola’s local self-governance.





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39. B

Nominated Members of Parliament

The President nominates 12 members to the Rajya Sabha from people who have special knowledge or

practical experience in art, literature, science and social service.

The President can nominate two members from the Anglo-Indian community if the community is not

adequately represented in the Lok Sabha.


40. D

India has financial institutions which are not banks but which accept deposits and extend credit like banks.

These are called Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) in India.

NBFCs in India include not just the finance companies that the general public is largely familiar with; the term

also entails wider group of companies that are engaged in investment business, insurance, chit fund, nidhi,

merchant banking, stock broking, alternative investments, etc., as their principal business.

In terms of Section 45-IA of the RBI Act, 1934, no Non-banking Financial company can commence or carry on

business of a non-banking financial institution without a) obtaining a certificate of registration from the Bank

and without having a Net Owned Funds of Rs. 25 lakhs (Rs. Two crore since April 1999).


41. C

In order to utilize and harness the benefits of Cloud Computing, the Central Government has embarked upon an

ambitious initiative – ‘GI Cloud’ which has been named as ‘MeghRaj’. National Information Centre (NIC) is

providing Cloud services under the umbrella of ‘MeghRaj’.

Cloud computing can aid by accelerating delivery of e-services in the country while optimizing ICT spending of

the Government. This will ensure optimum utilization of the infrastructure and speed up the development and

deployment of e-Gov applications.


42. D

A judge of the Supreme Court or High Court can be removed from his office by an order of the

President. The President can issue the removal order only after an address by Parliament has been

presented to him in the same session for such removal. The address must be supported by a Special

Majority of each House of Parliament (i.e. a majority of the total membership of that House and a

majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting). The grounds of

removal are two - proved misbehaviour or incapacity.

The Chief Election Commissioner cannot be removed from his office except in same manner and on the

same grounds as a judge of the Supreme Court.

The State Election Commissioner shall not be removed from the office except in the manner and on the

grounds prescribed for the removal of a judge of the State High Court.




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CAG can be removed by the President on same grounds and in the same manner as a judge of the

Supreme Court.


43. C

Fergusson College is a college in Pune. It was founded in 1885 by the Deccan Education Society. The

college is named after Scottish born Sir James Fergusson, the Governor of Bombay who helped in

establishing it.

In 1817, David Hare, who had come out to India in 1800 as a watchmaker but who spent his entire life in

the promotion of modern education in the country founded the famous Hindu College.

Bethune College is a women's college in India. It was founded as a school in 1849 by John Elliot

Drinkwater Bethune and in 1879 developed into the first women's college in India, after whom it is

named as Bethune College.


44. C

Statement 1 is correct: It is a voluntary partnership of governments, intergovernmental organizations,

businesses, scientific institutions and civil society organizations committed to protecting the climate and

improving air quality through actions to reduce short-lived climate pollutants.

Statement 2 is correct: The CCAC aims to catalyze rapid reductions in short-lived climate pollutants to protect

human health, agriculture and the environment (methane, black carbon, and HFCs).

Statement 3 is correct: The program is managed out of the United Nations Environmental Programme through a

Secretariat in Paris.


45. B

Statement 1 is incorrect: The majority of the South America (not the complete continent) lies in the Tropical

zone. Although the northern part of South America extends north of the Equator and four-fifths of its landmass

is located within the tropics, it also reaches sub-antarctic latitudes.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Campos and Llanos are the examples of Tropical Grasslands (Savanna Regions) found

in South America.

Statement 3 is correct: Brazil is the only country that passes through both the Equator and a Tropic of Capricorn.


46. D

Option D is correct.

47. A

Statement 1 is correct: The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification is a Convention to combat

desertification and mitigate the effects of drought through national action programs that incorporate long-term




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strategies supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements. The Convention, was adopted

in Paris, France on 17 June 1994 and entered into force in December 1996. It is the first and only internationally

legally binding framework set up to address the problem of desertification. UNCCD activities are coordinated

with the secretariats of other relevant international bodies and conventions like those of the UN Framework

Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

Statement 2 is incorrect: Earth Summit 1992 was the United Nations Conference on Environment and

Development (UNCED), commonly known as the Rio Summit, Rio Conference. It was attended by 172

Governments. The outcome of this summit was the following documents:

Rio Declaration on Environment and Development

Agenda 21

Convention on Biological Diversity

Forest Principles Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Out of the above, the documents on Convention on Biological Diversity and UNFCC were set as legally binding

agreements. Moreover UNCCD is the only convention stemming from a direct recommendation of the Rio

Conference's Agenda 21 and also legally binding.


48. C

GeneXpert is a device released recently by the WHO which can be used to diagnose TB and HIV infections, and

quantitatively measure HIV and hepatitis C viral loads. India recently procured 600 GeneXpert machines for the

National Tuberculosis programme.


49. A

The Company enjoyed monopoly in Britain for trading with India comparing with other companies.

As Britain was an island nation traditionally Navy was their strength. Therefore the Company also

enjoyed a strong Navy

Industrial Revolution was a phenomenon of 18th Century not the 17th Century one.


50. C

Statement 1 is incorrect: Apart from the Directives included in Part IV, there are some other Directives

contained in other Parts of the Constitution. They are:

Claims of SCs and STs to Services

Instruction in Mother Tongue

Development of the Hindi Language

Statement 2 is correct: The Fundamental Rights conferred by Article 14 and Article 19 were accepted as

subordinate to the Directive Principles specified in Article 39 (b) and (c). Thus, certain Fundamental Rights can

be overridden to implement certain directives.




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The Parliament can amend the Fundamental Rights for implementing the Directive Principles so long as the

amendment does not damage or destroy the basic structure of the Constitution.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Fundamental Rights is not a basic feature of the Constitution. Harmony and balance

between Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles is a basic feature of the Constitution.


51. B


52. C

Advance Pricing Agreement is usually signed between taxpayer and central tax authority on an appropriating

transfer pricing methodology for determining the value of assets and taxes on intra-group overseas transactions

introduced by Finance Act, 2012.

It gives certainty to MNCs that agree on certain principles in valuation of their cross-border transactions. They

also provide assesses with alternate dispute resolution mechanism with respect to transfer pricing. Moreover, it

seeks to introduce certainty in tax law by reducing compliance costs and make tax regime investment friendly.


53. C

Megalithic burials have been reported in large numbers from Maharashtra (around Nagpur), Karnataka (sites

like Maski), Andhra Pradesh (Nagarjunakonda), Tamil Nadu (Adichanallur) and Kerala.

The Megaliths usually refer to burials amidst stones in graveyards away from the habitation area. In south

India, this kind of elaborate burial came with Iron Age. An important feature of the iron objects which are grave

goods recovered from the excavated burials is the uniformity in types. Such a wide distribution of identical types

of iron objects right from Junapani (near Nagpur) to Adichanallur in the South, testifies to the movement of a

fairly tightly knit group of iron workers. According to one scholar the megalithic people of Tamil Nadu and

Karnataka were proficient in tracing iron ore deposits and in the manufacture of a variety of iron objects.


54. C

The UN climate conference (COP23) commenced in Bonn, Germany at last, agreed to budge on the issue of their

pre-2020 actions as well world got a new platform to discuss the issue, called Talanoa Dialogues.

The contentious issue, which requires revisiting of greenhouse gas mitigation targets or the emission cut target

by developed countries and provision of finance, technology know-how, and capacity building support to

developing countries, has now found a place in the draft decision text of the COP23.

The Talanoa dialogue emerged during the COP23 is a Fijian concept of negotiations and discussions to arrive at

an acceptable solution. Talanoa is a traditional word used in Fiji and the Pacific to reflect a process of inclusive,

participatory and transparent dialogue. The purpose of Talanoa is to share stories, build trust and to make wise

decisions, which are for the collective good.





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55. C

BIS is an international financial organisation owned by 60 member central banks representing countries

from around the world (including India).

It fosters international monetary and financial cooperation and serves as a bank for central banks.


56. D


57. D

The Bharatiya Nirdeshak Dravya is India’s first home-grown high purity gold reference standard. It is the

reference material for gold of ‘9999’ fineness (gold that is 99.99% pure). It will be beneficial to the consumers

and public at large to ensure purity of gold.

The high purity gold reference standard has been developed through a collaboration between IGM, Bhabha

Atomic Research Centre, National Centre for Compositional Characterization of Materials (Hyderabad), and

Council of Scientific & Industrial Research-National Physical Laboratory (New Delhi).


58. B

Statement 1 is incorrect: The World Energy and Environment Conference is a World Energy and Environment

Council’s conference.

Statement 2 is correct: The conference focusses on achieving clean and renewable energy and preservation and

protection of environment for the present and future generation.


59. A

Option A is correct.

60. C

Statement 1 is correct: Each state having Scheduled areas has to establish a tribes advisory council to advise on

welfare and advancement of the Scheduled Tribes.

Statement 2 is incorrect: A similar council can also be established in a state having Scheduled Tribes but not

scheduled areas therein, if the President so directs.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Article 244 confers plenary power on the Governor to bring independent legislations in

respect of Tribal Affairs in consultation with the TAC. Due to this, the role of TAC is very crucial in the

governance of Scheduled Areas.


61. C

Option C is correct.




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62. C

Statement 1 is incorrect: Ecosystem Service Improvement Project is a project funded by Global Environment

Facility (GEF) of the World Bank.

Statement 2 is correct: The objective of the Project is to strengthen the institutional capacity of the

Departments of Forestry and Community Organizations to enhance forest ecosystem services and improve the

livelihoods of forest dependent communities in Central Indian Highlands.

Statement 3 is correct: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change will implement the Project through

Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education under the National Mission for Green India.


63. C

A supplementary Memorandum of Agreement has also been signed between Ministry of Water Resources, River

Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Government of India, National Water Development Agency, NABARD

with State Governments of Bihar and Jharkhand for funding of the state share under Long Term Irrigation Fund

(LTIF) for North Koel reservoir project.

The project is situated on North Koel river which is a tributary of Sone river finally joining the river Ganga.


64. C

Hortinet is an integrated traceability system developed by APEDA for providing Internet based electronic

services to the stakeholders for facilitating farm registration, testing and certification of Grape, Pomegranate

and Vegetables for export from India to the European Union in compliance with standards.

This mobile app initiative is expected to increase the accessibility and reach of the Traceability software system

among the farmers and other stakeholders.

This new Mobile app will also assist State Horticulture/ Agriculture Department to capture real time details of

farmers, farm location, products and details of inspections like date of inspection, name of inspecting directly

from field. After registration and approval of farm, farmer gets approval information.


65. B

Statement 1 and 2 are correct: The magnetically charged nanoparticles have been proved potent in researches

to have effectively carried on adsorption process to remove heavy & toxic metals, dyes from and oil spills from

water bodies.

Statement 3 is correct: They accelerate the conversion of organic waste into organic manures or biogas and

fertilizerscan also be quickened through use of Nanoparticles (such as Iron oxide particles) thus aid in solid

waste management.

Statement 4 is correct: The use of nanomaterials to diagnose different diseases is the most important

achievement of medical field. Nanoparticles are attached to the antibody or they can be attached to the

molecules to label or to see the structures of proteins in any organism.




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Statement 5 is correct: Nano science aided in producing stain- and wrinkle-resistant clothing called SMART

Textiles.


66. D


67. C

Statement 1 is correct: WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) is an international organization working to stop the

degradation of the planet’s natural environment and build a future in which humans live in harmony with

nature.

Statement 2 is correct: The Living Planet Report is published every two years by WWF since 1998. It is based on

a Living Planet Index and ecological footprint calculation.

WWF also organizes earth hour.


68. A

Estimates Committee

The origin of this committee can be traced to the standing financial committee set up in 1921. The first

Estimates Committee in the post-independence era was constituted in 1950 on the recommendation of John

Mathai, the then finance minister. All the thirty members are from Lok Sabha only. The Rajya Sabha has no

representation in this committee. These members are elected by the Lok Sabha every year from amongst its

members, according to the principles of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote.

Thus, all parties get due representation in it. The term of office is one year. A minister cannot be elected as a

member of the committee. The chairman of the committee is appointed by the Speaker from amongst its

members and he is invariably from the ruling party.


69. A

CR Das and Motilal resigned from their respective offices in the Congress and on 1 January 1923 announced the

formation of the Congress-Khilafat Swaraj Party better known later as the Swaraj Party. The Swaraj Party

accepted the Congress programme in its entirety except in one respect - it would take part in elections due later

in the year. It declared that it would present the national demand for self government in the councils and in case

of its rejection its elected members would adopt 'a policy of uniform, continuous and consistent obstruction

within the councils, with a view to make the Government through the councils impossible. The councils would,

thus, be wrecked from within by creating deadlocks on every measure that came before them. The adherents

of the council-entry programme came to be popularly known as 'pro-changers' and those still advocating

boycott of the councils as 'no-changers.'

The no-changers, whose effective head was Gandhiji even though he was in jail, argued for the continuation of

the full programme of boycott and non-cooperation, effective working of the constructive programme and quiet

preparations for the resumption of the suspended civil disobedience.





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70. A

Graded Surveillance Measure: SEBI introduced this measure to keep a tab on securities that witness an

abnormal price rise that is not commensurate with financial health and fundamentals of the company such as

earnings, book value and price to earnings ratio among others.


71. D

Statement 1 is correct: Neutrinos is the second most abundant particle in the universe after photon. They are

fundamental particles that were first formed in the first second of the early universe, before even atoms could

form.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Neutrinos are similar to the electron with one crucial difference neutrinos do not carry

electric charge because neutrinos are electrically neutral.

Statement 3 is correct: Neutrinos are continually being produced in the nuclear reactions of stars, like our sun,

and common nuclear reactors.


72. C

Statement 1 is incorrect: He started an era known as Shaka in 78 AD.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Headless image of Kanishka with long coat was recovered from Mathura.

Statement 3 is correct: He extended his patronage to Buddhism in the Fourth Buddhist Council which was held

during the reign of Kanishka.


73. A

Statement 1 is correct: Global Wildlife Programme (GWP) is a global partnership of 19 countries in Asia and

Africa to promote the conservation and sustainable development by combating trafficking in wildlife.

Statement 2 is correct: Global Wildlife Programme is funded by Global Environment Facility of World Bank.

Statement 3 is incorrect: India is a partner country. In fact India co-hosted a joint conference in Delhi along

with Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, World Bank and United Nations Development

Programme.


74. C

Project Brainwave is a Microsoft project that aids in deep learning acceleration platform for real-time artificial

intelligence (AI). The ‘Project Brainwave’ uses the massive field-programmable gate array (FPGA) infrastructure

that Microsoft has been deploying over the past few years.


75. B





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76. B

Tarang Sanchar is a web portal for information sharing on Mobile Towers and Electromagnetic frequency (EMF)

Emission Compliance. It has been developed in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode by Department of

Telecommunications with Industry.


77. B

Fundamental Rights: Art. 15(4) says that government can make special provisions for SC and ST’s in the name of

“positive discrimination”.

DPSP: Art. 46 says that educational and economic interests of SCs and STs shall be protected and promoted.


78. A

India has improved its performance both in relative and absolute terms in the latest edition of the U.S. Chamber

of Commerce Global Innovation Policy Center’s (GIPC) ‘International IP Index,’ which analyses the intellectual

property (IP) climate in 50 world economies, including India. India ranked 44th of 50 economies, a jump from 43rd

of 45 economies one year ago according to the sixth edition of the Index.


79. A

Statement 1 is correct: It is World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) programme. It provides

innovators in developing countries with access to locally based, high quality technology information and related

services. It helps them to exploit their innovative potential and to create, protect, and manage their IPRs.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM) has been designated as the

national focal point for the TISC national network.


80. B

Statement 1 is correct: The Oceans redistribute heat from high to low latitudes by moving warm water from the

Equator toward the Poles. They also cause a net transfer of heat from the Southern to the Northern

Hemisphere.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The Coriolis force deflect Ocean Currents anti-clockwise in Northern Hemisphere.

Statement 3 is correct: The currents in the northern portion of the Indian Ocean change their direction from

season to season in response to the seasonal rhythm of the monsoons. The effect of winds is comparatively

more pronounced in the Indian Ocean.


81. C

Laterite has been derived from the Latin word ‘Later’ which means brick. The laterite soils develop in

areas with high temperature and high rainfall. Red laterite soils in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and

Kerala are more suitable for tree crops like cashewnut.




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Black soil covers most of the Deccan Plateau which includes parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh,

Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and some parts of Tamil Nadu.

Alluvial soils are widespread in the northern plains and the river valleys. These soils cover about 40 per

cent of the total area of the country. Widespread in northern plains and river valleys including west

Bengal.


82. A

Congress and Muslim League negotiated an agreement whose main clauses are as follows:

There shall be self-government in India.

Muslims should be given one-third representation in the central government.

There should be separate electorates for all the communities until a community demanded joint

electorates.

Firstly, a blunder was committed by approving one third representations of the Muslims on the basis of their

being a minority was biggest blunder; not because Muslims deserved it; but because it sowed the seeds of

communal politics. Secondly, this pact made it open and clear that India has different communities and each one

of them has its own interests.

Ambica Charan Mazumdar (1850–1922) was a Bengali Indian politician who served as the president of the

Indian National Congress. He had served as the President of the 31st session of the Indian National Congress in

1916 where the famous Lucknow Pact was signed between the Congress and the Muslim league and also

moderates and extremists of the Congress party came together once again


83. C

“Article 49 - Protection of monuments and places and objects of national importance: It shall be the obligation

of the State to protect every monument or place or object of artistic or historic interests, declared by or under

law made by Parliament to be of national importance, from spoliation, disfigurement, destruction, removal,

disposal or export, as the case may be”


84. D

Earth Overshoot Day (EOD) means the day when human consumption exceeds the earth’s capacity in that

particular year to regenerate natural resources. It is the day the world completely consumes all the natural

resources produced that year. It is calculated by Global Footprint Network. Since 1987, the EOD has been

moving up the calendar, from December 19 in 1987 to August 2, 2017.

About Global Footprint Network,

It is an international nonprofit organization, was founded in 2003 to enable a sustainable future where all

people have the opportunity to thrive within the means of one planet.





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85. D

Statement 1 is correct: Bonds acquired by the banks through the Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme shall be counted

towards Statutory Liquidity Ratio.

Statement 2 is correct: Interest on the Bonds will be taxable as per the provisions of the Income-tax Act, 1961

(43 of 1961). The capital gains tax arising on redemption of SGB to an individual has been exempted.

Statement 3 is correct: Bonds can be used as collateral for loans.


86. D

The New Frontiers program is a series of space exploration missions being conducted by NASA with the

purpose of researching several of the Solar System bodies, including the dwarf planet Pluto.

There are currently three New Frontiers missions in progress:

New Horizons, which was launched in 2006 and reached Pluto in 2015

Juno, which was launched in 2011 and entered Jupiter orbit in 2016,

OSIRIS-REx, launched in September 2016 towards asteroid Bennu for detailed studies from 2018 to 2021

and a sample return to Earth in 2023.


87. A

Statement 1 is correct: National Power Portal is a Centralized Platform for Collation and Dissemination of Indian

power sector information. The system has been conceptualized, designed and developed by National

Informatics Centre (NIC).

Statement 2 is incorrect: Central Electricity Authority (CEA) is nodal agency for implementation and operational

control of National Power Portal.

About National Power Portal

It is a centralized system for Indian Power Sector. It will facilitate online data capture, input (daily, monthly and

annually) from generation, transmission and distribution utilities in country. It will also disseminate Power

Sector Information (operational, capacity, demand, supply and consumption) through various analyzed reports,

graphs and statistics for generation, transmission and distribution at all India, state, regional level for central,

state and private sector.

National Power Portal is integrated with associated systems of CEA, Power Finance Corporation (PFC), Rural

Electrification Corporation (REC) and other major utilities. It will serve as single authentic source of power sector

information to apex bodies, utilities for purpose of analysis and planning, monitoring and for public users.

The NPP Dashboard has been designed and developed to disseminate analyzed information about sector

through Geographic Information System (GIS) enabled navigation and visualization chart windows on capacity,

generation, transmission, distribution at national, state, DISCOM, town, feeder level and scheme based funding

to states.





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88. D

AGRI UDAAN is a programme for helping shortlisted agricultural startups with promising models scale up their

business operations.

About the AGRI UDAAN

Chosen innovative startups would be mentored in to scale up their operations in agricultural value chain for

effective growth in agriculture. This move intends to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in agriculture.

Through rigorous mentoring, networking and helping the Startups connect with potential investors, this

programme intends to give a boost to the startups in the agricultural sector.

Under the programme, incubation space will be provided to the startups to run their businesses. They would

also be provided access to libraries and research laboratories.


89. C

Statement 1 is incorrect: In 1992, at the Rio Earth Summit, the GEF was restructured and moved out of the

World Bank system to become a permanent, separate institution

Statement 2 is correct: The World Bank has served as the Trustee of the GEF Trust Fund and provided

administrative services.

Statement 3 is correct: India is both a donor and a recipient of GEF. It has been a leading developing country

participant in the GEF since its inception in 1991 and has played a major role in shaping the restructuring of the

GEF.The total funds pledged so far by India amounts to US$ 51 million and an amount of US$ 48.75 million has

been paid by December 2012 towards GEF replenishments.

About Global Environment Facility

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) was established in October 1991 to provide new and additional grants and

concessional funding to cover additional costs associated with transforming a project with national benefits into

one with global environmental benefits. The GEF unites 180 member governments in partnership with

international institutions, nongovernmental organizations and the private sector.

It is the largest funder of projects to improve the global environment and it provides grants for projects related

to biodiversity, climate change, land degradation, ozone depleting substances, persistent organic pollutants and

international waters.

GEF serves as financial mechanism for:

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Minamata Convention on Mercury





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90. C

Statement 1 is incorrect: Article 35A was incorporated into the Constitution in 1954 by an order of the then

President Rajendra Prasad on the advice of the Jawaharlal Nehru Cabinet. The Presidential Order was issued

under Article 370 (1) (d) of the Constitution.

Statement 2 is correct: This provision allows the President to make certain “exceptions and modifications” to

the Constitution for the benefit of ‘State subjects’ of Jammu and Kashmir. So, Article 35A was added to the

Constitution as a testimony of the special consideration the Indian government accorded to the ‘permanent

residents’ of Jammu and Kashmir.

Statement 3 is incorrect: It does not form basic feature of the Constitution and therefore recently a petition was

filed by a NGO to abrogate the Art. 35A of Indian Constitution.


91. C

Western Ghats are comparatively higher in elevation and more continuous than the Eastern Ghats. Their

average elevation is about 1,500 m with the height increasing from north to south. ‘Anaimudi’ (2,695

m), the highest peak of Peninsular plateau is located on the Anaimalai hills of the Western Ghats

followed by Dodabetta (2,637 m) on the Nilgiri hills.

Eastern Ghats comprising the discontinuous and low hills are highly eroded by the rivers such as the

Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna, the Kaveri, etc. Some of the important ranges include the Javadi

hills, the Palconda range, the Nallamala hills, the Mahendragiri hills, etc. The Eastern and the Western

Ghats meet each other at the Nilgiri hills.

Most of the Peninsular rivers have their origin in the Western Ghats. The Eastern Ghats are the source

points for many small and medium rivers along the east coastal plains of South India. Some of the rivers

originating on the Eastern Ghats include: Rushikulya River, Vamsadhara River, Nagavali River, etc.


92. C

A Money Bill can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha and not in the Rajya Sabha. Rajya Sabha cannot

amend or reject a Money Bill. It should return the bill to the Lok Sabha within 14 days, either with

recommendations or without recommendations.

The Council of ministers shall be collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.

An amendment of the Constitution can be initiated only by the introduction of a bill for the purpose in

either House of Parliament and not in the state legislatures. The bill must be passed in each House by a

Special Majority, that is, a majority (that is, more than 50 per cent) of the total membership of the

House and a majority of two-thirds of the members of the House present .and voting. Each House must

pass the bill separately. In case of a disagreement between the two Houses, there is no provision for

holding a joint sitting of the two Houses for the purpose of deliberation and passage of the bill.

The President is elected not directly by the people but by members of electoral college consisting of:

o the elected members of both the Houses of Parliament;




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o the elected members of the legislative assemblies of the states; and

o the elected members of the legislative assemblies of the Union Territories of Delhi and

Puducherry.


93. D


94. D

DARPAN (The Digital Advancement of Rural Post Office for A New India) is launched by Ministry of

Communications to improve quality of service, add value to services and achieve financial inclusion of un-

banked rural population.DARPAN is Information Technology (IT) modernisation project aimed at realising

financial inclusion of un-banked rural population. It offers core banking services to the account holders. The

project intends to provide low power technology solution to each branch postmaster (BPM). This will enable

each of approximately 1.29 lakhs branch post offices (BOs) to improve service delivery.


95. B

It is located in Bijapur. It is the mausoleum of sultan Muhammed Adil Shah, sultan of Bijapur.

The skyline of Bijapur is dominated by the India’s largest antiquated dome that is called the Gol Gumbaz.

The name finds its roots from the words Gola Gummata meaning circular dome. The majestic structure

is a mausoleum of Mohammed Adil Shah, the Sultan of Bijapur and the seventh ruler of the Adil Shahi

dynasty.

Mahmud Gawan was a Prime Minister in the Bahamani Sultanate of Deccan in 15th century. Gol Gumbaz

was constructed in the mid of 17th century.


96. B

Statement 1 is incorrect: Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) It functions as a statutory body

under the under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

Statement 2 is correct: It is responsible for appraisal of activities involving large scale use of hazardous

microorganisms and recombinants in research and industrial production from the environmental angle. The

committee is also responsible for appraisal of proposals relating to release of genetically engineered (GE)

organisms and products into the environment including experimental field trials. Moreover, it is also responsible

for approval of proposals involving the use of living modified organisms.

GEAC is chaired by the Special Secretary/Additional Secretary of MoEF&CC and co-chaired by a representative

from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).





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97. A

DHARMA is a web tool to digitize all dam related data effectively. It will help to document authentic asset and

health information pertaining to the large dams in the country, enabling appropriate actions to ensure need

based rehabilitation. It is a new stride in asset management aspect by India.


98. B

The absence of Congress representation in the First Round Table Conference led to the decision to have a

second one in which, it was hoped, that Congress representatives would take part. Efforts in that direction by Sir

Tej Bahadur Sapru and Sir M.R. Jayakar led to the famous-Gandhi Irwin Pact, being signed in March 1931, by

which all political prisoners were released and the Civil Disobedience Movement called off. Gandhiji was

appointed the sole representative of the Congress to the Second Round Table Conference (September 1 to

December 1, 1931).

As a result of the Third Round Table Conference, in November 1932, the then Prime Minister of Britain

Ramsay Macdonald gave his 'award', known as the Communal Award. The Communal Award announced by the

British Prime Minister on 17 August 1932 provided for separate electorates for the Depressed Classes.


99. A


100. A


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