Civils Prelims 2021 Model Questions (for GS Paper )SET30

Set No. 30 {Prepared on 25 .9.2021 } For Study purpose

Civils Prelims 2021 Model Questions (for GS Paper )

Set No. 30 {Prepared on 25 .9.2021 } For Study purpose

Prepared by :Praturi Potayya Sarma

Yojana, Andhra Jyothi Writer (for competitive examinations)
26 Years Teaching Experience for Civil Services Exams

Mobile No.8143189271

Blog : Praturi P Sarma

1)Consider the following with reference to Assam’s Cattle Protection Bill, 2021, which seeks to restrict the transport of bovine creatures within and through the State :

1)Beef is part of the diet in some Christian-majority north-eastern States, primarily Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland. Geography makes these States depend on the transportation of most food items through Assam. “We should have our own law to protect the interest of most of our people, the right to have access to high-protein red meat in this case. We respect the religious sentiments of all political parties and of citizens across the nation, but this [beef] is a part of our life and we cannot let another State disrupt our food habit,”

2)The Hynniewtrep Youth Council, a pressure group, submitted a memorandum to Meghalaya’s Deputy Chief Minister pointing out certain “objectionable” sections of the Assam Bill.

3)“Section 7 of the Assam Bill is in contravention of the Constitution of India as inter-State trade and commerce falls under the Union List of the Seventh Schedule and no State has the authority to regulate inter-State trade and commerce except by the rule of law passed by Parliament,” council’s president “If Assam is allowed to restrict the transportation of cattle, it could encourage them to regulate the supply or prohibit other food items and goods, which can greatly impact livelihoods and economy of Meghalaya,”

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

2)Consider the following with reference to :

Liverpool was named a World Heritage Site in 2004, joining cultural landmarks such as the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal.

1)The English city of Liverpool has been removed from UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites after the United Nations’ cultural agency found new buildings, including a football stadium, undermined the attractiveness of its Victorian docks.

2)Sites stripped previously of the title are :

i)wildlife sanctuary in Oman in 2007 after poaching and habitat loss, and the

ii)Dresden Elbe Valley in Germany in 2009 when a four-lane motorway bridge was built over the river.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b) 2(i)(ii) only

(d) None

Ans: c

3)Consider the following :

1) Flooding in Zhengzhou, the capital city of Henan province,

2) A section of the Yellow River passes by the northern edges of the urban area, extending 150.4 km (93.5 mi) within Zhengzhou prefecture

3)
The river Hwang Ho was also known as the ‘Sorrow of China’ because it often used to change its course after floods. This caused major damage to crops and canals dug for the purpose of irrigation. It also affected human life on a large scale and caused widespread distress

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

4)Consider the following :

1)Mr. Manoj Sinha will be the third Governor/Lieutenant-Gove-rnor appointed by the government in J&K in three years.

2)Mr. Murmu’s appointment as L-G was preceded by that of BJP leader Satyapal Malik, who was sent to Goa as Governor when J&K was reduced to a UT.

3)The special status of J&K under Article 370 was revoked last year and it was bifurcated into the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

5)Consider the following :

1)Mr. G.C. Murmu was appointed the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

2)“The President has been pleased to appoint Shri Manoj Sinha to be the Lieutenant-Governor of Jammu and Kashmir with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office vice Shri Girish Chandra Murmu,” a Rashtrapati Bhavan release said.

3) The Comptroller and Auditor General of India is the Constitutional Authority in India, established under Article 148 of the Constitution of India

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

6)Consider the following :

“A large number of firms that otherwise maintain a good track record under existing promoters face the challenge of their debt burden becoming disproportionate, relative to their cash flow generation abilities. This can potentially impact their long-term viability and pose significant financial stability risks if it becomes widespread,” RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said after a three-day meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee.

2)India’s GDP is set to contract in 2020-21, and inflation remains a bugbear, thanks to supply chain disruptions across sectors along with a sticky surge in food prices. 3)Consumer confidence turned more pessimistic in July than previous surveys by the RBI, so demand is expected to remain anaemic

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

7)Consider the following with reference to Milk Bank :

1)According to the available scientific evidence, milk from milk banks was safe for newborns.

2) “There is a three-tier safety net starting with precautionary measures during collection from donors, pasteurisation of milk at 62.5 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes and freezing it,”

3)The screening questions for mothers that included hepatitis B, HIV and other recent infections now included COVID-19

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

8)Consider the following :

1)While some districts along the Western Ghats are likely to see a downpour, most other parts of the Tamil Nadu State may see subdued rainfall

2)The Nilgiris district (Tamil Nadu) experienced such a spell of heavy rain due to orographic effect where moisture-laden winds in the hilly region formed clouds.

3)This was one of the main factors that triggered heavy rain in the region.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

9)Consider the following Covid-19 :

1)While Puducherry has been accounting for the bulk of the new cases, the uptick in infections in the Yanam and Karaikal enclaves, where facilities for institutional care are severely constricted, is a cause for worry for health authorities.

2)According to updated data, the case load is 1,013 in Puducherry, 97 in Karaikal and 119 in Yanam.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

10)Consider the following with reference to DNA profile – matching :

1)“DNA profile-matching is one of the modes to ascertain the identity of the deceased.

2)Certain details of Lokka are with us, which can be compared with that of the deceased to ascertain the identity of the individual, a priority for the investigation team now,”

3)DNA profiling (also called DNA fingerprinting) is the process of determining an individual’s DNA characteristics. DNA profiling is a forensic technique in criminal investigations

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

11)Consider the following :

1)Artefacts and pottery dating to the Sangam period were unearthed at Kodukkur village, located on the banks of Sankarabarani river in Villupuram district.

2)The artefacts, including black and red ware, conical shaped bowls, part of amphoras, various types of jars and lids with intricate carvings, were found spread in an expanse of 50 acres of agricultural lands on the southern bank of the river.

3The site is located close to the National Fossil Wood Park in Thiruvakkarai.

4) The Sankaraparani River is a river in Tamil Nadu state of southern India. It originates on the western slope of the Gingee Hills in Viluppuram District, and flows southeastwards to empty into the Bay of Bengal south of Pondicherry. The Sankaraparani is also known as Varahanadi or Gingee River

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

12)Consider the following with reference to Humanitarian crisis :

1)A number of global reports warn that hundreds of millions of people are being thrust into extreme poverty and hunger because of the economic impacts of the lockdown and the raging pandemic.

2)A United Nations University paper (‘Precarity and the pandemic’, June 2020) estimates that 400 million new workers are at risk of slipping into extreme poverty, of less than $1.90 a day.

3)What is even more worrying is that “the location of global poverty is likely to shift towards middle-income countries and South Asia and East Asia.” The impact could intensify because of “pre-existing conditions of fragmented or insufficient social protection systems” and could last for “years to come”.

3)The UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, similarly estimated in a study published in early July that more than 250 million people are at risk of acute hunger. This impact, he believes, “will be long-lasting”. He is critical of governments which “rather than acknowledging how badly the efforts to ‘end poverty’ have been faring, and how relentlessly the pandemic has exposed that fact… are doubling down on existing approaches that are clearly failing”. His angst about public policy failures to deal with the scale and depth of the humanitarian crisis is entirely justified. First, at senior levels of the Indian government, there is little acknowledgement of the depth of the crisis of hunger and the annihilation of livelihoods.

4)To revive the economy and, in particular, MSMEs — the sector employing the most people outside agriculture — the Finance Minister relies mostly on credit rather than on fiscal transfers, unmindful that when both demand and production have crashed, credit will have few takers and can accomplish little.

5)Second, governments also sought to revive the broken economy by excluding workers from regimes of labour rights protections, ostensibly for attracting capital investment. Instead of atoning for the immense distress of unprotected workers and mitigating future suffering by building sturdy legal walls for their protections, many State governments used the pandemic to further weaken the scant protections which the law currently provides informal workers. Some governments attempted to extend the workday to 12 hours, to suspend the protections of various labour laws for three years, and regulate the movement of workers across State borders.

6)Even prior to the pandemic, India slipped to the 102nd position in the Global Hunger Report of 2019 that ranked 117 countries. It had fallen behind its neighbours Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The economy was also stuttering, with unemployment at a 45-year high. In the midst of this smouldering crisis, the most stringent lockdown in the world was imposed, nearly halting both demand and supply overnight.

7)As the COVID-19 infection spreads to States with the most broken public health systems, such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, and with the homeless and the poor being excluded from highly privatised health facilities in cities, the problems of the poor will further exacerbate.

8)As the virus ravages bodies enfeebled by hunger and distress, they remain abandoned by the state, with no reliable access to care.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

13)Consider the following with reference to :

The Government of India is in the process of revisiting the Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Policy. The policy will guide the agencies of the government mandated with funding research in higher education institutions and national laboratories

1)Experts in science and technology studies have come up with alternate frameworks and terminology to provide a comprehensive picture and avoid any value judgement. One approach was proposed by NASA in the form of Technology Readiness Levels (TRL), a type of measurement system used to assess the maturity level of a particular technology.

TRL-1 corresponds to observation of basic principles. Its result is publications.

TRL-2 corresponds to formulation of technology at the level of concepts

Then the TRL framework advances to proof of concept, validation in a laboratory environment, followed by a relevant environment, and then to prototype demonstration, and ending with actual deployment.

2)The framework uses terms as applicable to aerospace applications, but one can come up with alternate terms depending on the field of application, including health sciences where the term ‘translational research’ is commonly used.

3)The number of levels can also be adjusted to suit the application.

4)An alternative is to use the terminology ‘Academic Research (AR)’, and ‘Post-Academic Research (PAR)’.

5)One can easily establish correspondence with the TRL framework, with AR corresponding to TRL-1 and the rest to higher levels. To provide some granularity, one can divide PAR into early-stage PAR, and late-stage PAR. Late-stage PAR has to be done by large laboratories (national or those supported by industry), while AR and early-stage PAR can be done at higher education institutions and large laboratories.

6)Judging the growth of S&T based only on publications provides an incomplete picture. Why is it that industries that have high technology intensity, such as aircraft and spacecraft, medical, precision and optical instruments, and communication equipment, have a low presence in India?

7)What should be done to increase value addition to raw materials in India? The answer lies in increasing the technology intensity of industry, which was identified as one of the goals of the STI policy issued in 2013. This needs reiteration and a mechanism should be devised to monitor progress with the objective of becoming an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

14)Consider the following :

The Ministry of External Affairs has termed Pakistan’s announcement of a new political map, which asserts its claims on Jammu and Kashmir, Siachen and Sir Creek, and lays a new claim to Junagadh, as an exercise in “political absurdity”, and accused Pakistan of attempting a form of “territorial aggrandisement supported by cross-border terrorism”.

Pakistan’s decision to issue the map, a tit-for-tat manoeuvre in return for India’s decision to reorganise Jammu and Kashmir a year ago, appears to reset several agreements with India that have been concretised over the past 70 years

The map the Imran Khan government unveiled lays claim to all of Jammu and Kashmir, thus far shown as disputed territory, draws a line demarcating Gilgit-Baltistan separately from the part of Kashmir under its control (Pakistan occupied Kashmir), and renames Jammu and Kashmir as “Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir”. The new map leaves the claim line with Ladakh unclear. While each of these acts is outrageous for New Delhi, it should also be questioned in Islamabad.

Pakistan’s claim to all of Jammu and Kashmir, but not Ladakh, goes against its own commitment to adjudicate the future of all six parts of the erstwhile royal state of Jammu-Kashmir (Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, PoK and Aksai Chin) with India.

1)The claims to Siachen and Sir Creek, that have been the subject of several discussions between India and Pakistan, are also a regressive step.

2)While Junagadh was in contention at the time of Partition, the issue was successfully resolved after a referendum was conducted there in February 1948, in which an overwhelming 95% of the state’s residents voted to stay with India.

3)Pakistan’s actions, while on completely bilateral matters, come in conjunction with map-related issues India faces today on two other fronts:

i)with China at the Line of Actual Control on Ladakh, and

ii)with Nepal at Kalapani and Limpiyadhura (which Nepal’s government has also issued a new map about).

4)It is surely no coincidence that all three countries objected to the map New Delhi had issued in November 2019, albeit for different reasons, and we must be well-prepared to deal with the three-pronged cartographic challenge it will face in the coming months.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

15)Consider the following with reference to :

Along the coastal areas ______ on India’s western coast are hundreds of families whose lives have been torn asunder, the men of their households missing with only stray hopes of their return, women and children struggling to make ends meet and see another sunrise.

1) Porbandar, Mangrol, Veraval in Gujarat and the

2) Union Territory of Diu

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

16)Consider the following :

1)A senior Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) official stated in the affidavit that the Central government had constituted an expert committee, under Section 6 of the A.P. Reorganisation Act, 2014, on March 28, 2014, under the chairmanship of retired IAS officer K.C. Sivaramakrishnan, to study alternatives for a new State capital.

2)It said the committee submitted its report on August 30, 2014, and it was sent to the State government on September 1, 2014.

3)Subsequently, the State government notified Amaravati as the Capital city through a G.O. on April 23, 2015.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

17)Consider the following with reference to :

Heavy rain in different parts of Karnataka has left a trail of destruction with at least five deaths in the last 48 hours, while five other people are missing.

The State has received 93 mm of rainfall from August 1 to 6 as against a normal of 51 mm, which is 81% excess rainfall.

1)A major landslip in the Brahamagiri Hills surrounding Talacauvery and Bhagamandala in Kodagu district flattened vast swathes of land and five people are missing.

2)A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was pressed into service but it took them quite a while to reach the scene of the disaster as the roads were inundated by the overflowing Cauvery or blocked by trees.

3)There was no sight of the dwellings feared to be flattened in the landslip. The search operation was called off late in the evening .

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

18)Consider the following with reference to :

1)The continuing rain hit life in many parts of Malabar.

2)Steady increase in water level of rivers, including Chaliyar and its tributaries in northeastern parts of Malappuram and Iruvazhinhi in Kozhikode, kept local administrators and rescue squads on their toes.

3)All tributaries of the Kabini river in Wayanad are in spate.

4)Large-scale crop destruction was reported from Mukkom, Thiruvambadi, Karassery, and Mavoor in Kozhikode and Udayagiri and Ayyankunnu in Kannur.

5)Several village roads and bridges were submerged in the region. As many as 1,396 members of 368 families in Wayanad district were shifted to 30 relief camps.

6)Water levels in the Idukki and Mullaperiyar dams are increasing steadily.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

19)Consider the following :

1)A day after China prompted the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to discuss the Kashmir issue in a closed-door meeting, India “firmly” rejected the Chinese initiative and reiterated that Kashmir is a domestic issue.

2)The Chinese move came on the first anniversary of the dilution of Article 370, which led to the creation of the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh and ended the special status for the region.

3)China initiated a similar move on August 16 last year when it revived “The India-Pakistan Question” at the UNSC.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

20)Consider the following :

1)EIA norms will make polluter pay heavy penalty

2)Among the key motives of the proposed Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2020 (EIA 2020) was to bring environmental violators under a regulatory regime by imposing a heavy penalty on them,

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

21)Consider the following with reference to Contempt of Court Act :

1)Section 2(c) (i) holds it is criminal contempt if a person publishes, by words spoken or written or by any other act, anything “which scandalises or tends to scandalise or lowers or tends to lower the authority of any court.”

2)“‘Scandalising the court’ is rooted in colonial assumption and objects, which have no place in legal orders committed to democratic constitutionality and maintenance of an open robust public sphere,”

3)The petition has challenged the legality of Section 2(c)(i) of the Contempt of Court Act and the “chilling effect” it has on free speech and right to dissent.

4)Mr. X said he was entitled under Section 17(5) of the Contempt of Courts Act of 1971 to mount his defence by filing a comprehensive affidavit.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

22)Consider the following with reference to UNHRC :

1)U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has urged UN members not to support Cuba’s bid to join the organisation’s Human Rights Council.

2)Cuba, which sat on the UNHRC in 2014-2016 and 2017-2019, has applied to fill one of the regional vacancies for 2021-2023.

3)The seats are distributed geographically and are awarded for a period of three years.

4)Members are not eligible for immediate re-election after serving two consecutive terms.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

23)Consider the following with reference to :

1)RBI Governor said the global economy had been stuttering again after some signs of recovery in May and June,2020 as a wave of fresh COVID-19 infections had taken hold.

2)“The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) noted that in India too,

3)economic activity had started to recover from the lows of April-May; however, surges of fresh infections have forced re-clamping of lockdowns in several cities and States.

4)Consequently, several high frequency indicators have levelled off,” , adding that imports also fell sharply in June, reflecting weak domestic demand and low crude oil prices.

5)“Given the uncertainty surrounding the inflation outlook and extremely weak state of the economy in the midst of an unprecedented shock from the ongoing pandemic, the MPC decided to keep the policy rate on hold, while remaining watchful for a durable reduction in inflation to use available space to support the revival of the economy,” he added.

6)“The decision to hold was correct as trajectory of economic growth, inflation, and external demand continues to be uncertain,” . “The calibrated approach is in consonance with evolving situation while keeping enough headroom for the future,” he added.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

24)Consider the following with reference to Positive Pay for all cheques of value Rs.50,000 and above :

1)To reduce instances of fraud occurring on account of tampering of cheque leaves, the RBI has decided to introduce a mechanism of Positive Pay for all cheques of value ₹50,000 and above.

2)Under this mehcanism, cheques will be processed for payment by the drawee bank based on information passed on by the issuer at the time of issuance of the cheque

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

25)Consider the following :

The Reserve Bank of India kept its powder dry in the third review of the monetary policy since the COVID-19 pandemic spread in the country, leaving key policy rates unchanged in the face of rising inflation pressures but asserted that propping up economic recovery has assumed “primacy” in the “worst peace-time health and economic crisis of the last 100 years”.

1)The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 6.8.2020 decided to broaden the scope of priority sector lending (PSL) by including start-ups and enhancing borrowing limits for renewable energy sectors.

2)RBI would also increase the targets for lending to ‘small and marginal farmers’ and ‘weaker sections’ under the PSL. Eligible entities get access to credit on easier terms from banks under the PSL.

3)Banks are required to assign 40% of adjusted net bank credit or credit equivalent amount of off-balance sheet exposure, whichever is higher, to priority sector, including agriculture and micro-enterprises

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

26)Consider the following with reference to landslips in Kerala :

1)At least 18 persons were killed and 52 others are missing after a series of landslips at the Nayamakkad tea estate at Pettimudy, near Rajamala in Idukki district, in August,2020

2)Four layams (housing lines of tea garden workers) were buried under debris as a hill nearly 3 km away from the housing lines, located in a landlocked valley, slid down. Most of the victims were asleep and were trapped under the debris.

3)It is said the landslide was eerily similar to the one at Kavalappara in Malappuram last year when the area had remained inaccessible and the outer world only came to know about the massive disaster next morning.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

27)Consider the following with reference to Calicut International Airport Table – top runway :

1)At least 15 persons, including the pilot and co-pilot, were killed and 153 injured when a Vande Bharat mission flight from Dubai overshot the runway at Calicut International Airport, broke into two parts and fell into a deep gorge in August,2020

2)According to an aviation safety report submitted to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the runway at Calicut International airport where an Air India Express flight from Dubai overshot the runway resulting in the death of at least 11 persons, was unsafe for flight operations due to inadequate safety area along the runway and at the end of the runway to safeguard against planes skidding off.

3)The Boeing aircraft, carrying 189 passengers and six crew, attempted to land amidst heavy tailwinds and rain on the table-top runway. It failed to hold on the runway due to poor weather conditions, and skidded for more than 75 m.

4)The accident was similar to the fatal crash of another Air India Express aircraft that overshot the Mangalore International Airport 10 years ago.

5)“The down slope at the end of the runway 10, on which the accident took place, has a very steep down slope. There is only a 90 metre safety area at the end of the runway, which should be at least 200 metres. Similarly, on both sides of the runway there is only 75 metre of safety area, when that should be at least 150 metres,” says aviation safety expert, as part of the Civil Aviation Safety Advisory Committee.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

28)Consider the following with reference to marines from Italy :

1)Marines Salvatore Girone and Massimiliano Latorre were detailed on Italian ship ‘Enrica Lexie’ when they allegedly shot the fishermen, thinking they were “pirates”.

2)The marines, who are in Italy now, will face criminal investigation there. India is entitled to compensation for the loss of life. Its freedom and right of navigation was violated by the marines, the tribunal held.

3)The hearing was based on an application filed by the Centre informing the Supreme Court that it has decided to “accept and abide” by an international tribunal’s award that the Marines enjoy immunity from prosecution in India.

4)The government said India was bound by the award of the arbitral tribunal formed under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It said the tribunal award was “final and without appeal”.

5)Senior advocate argued for Kerala, saying: “The award passed by the Permanent Court of Arbitration is in conflict with the Supreme Court judgment in 2013. This verdict upheld the authority of the Union of India to prosecute the Marines. So, an international award which is in conflict with a domestic law, notwithstanding India’s ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas, can be implemented only if it is made into law under Article 253 of the Constitution”.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

29)Consider the following with reference to Araku Valley ‘ABCDEFGH’ :

1)An organization’s titled “Arakunomics” was based on work with tribal farmers in Araku for nearly 20 years. It is a new integrated economic model that ensures profits for farmers, quality for consumers through regenerative agriculture. The model is a tribute to the tribal farmers of Araku region for the world-class coffee produced and launched in Paris in 2017, as well as for the high carbon landscape transformation they did in over 955 villages, thereby planting 25 million trees.

2)The award recognised the application of the Arakunomics model in regions of Araku, Wardha and New Delhi, leading to the Food Vision 2050 that follows an “ABCDEFGH” framework centring on: Agriculture, Biology, Compost, Decentralised decision-making, Entrepreneurs, Families, Global Markets, and ‘Headstands’, or turning current approaches on their head.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

30)Consider the following with reference to Afghanistan : (2020 news)

1)The ‘Loya Jirga’, or grand assembly of more than 3,000 representatives from around the country, has been convened after Mr. Ghani refused to release the men, an announcement that threatened to derail intra-Afghan talks, tentatively scheduled for August 10 in Doha.

2)The Jirga was called after some heavy lifting from the U.S. pushing the Ghani government for a compromise.

3)“The Loya Jirga is a highly respected traditional consultative body of Afghanistan and this meeting is an issue internal to Afghanistan. India’s policy is consistent in the support of the government of Afghanistan,”

4) “PM Modi and President Ghani had a telephone conversation on 3rd August, and our Ambassador in Kabul is in touch with the leadership there and is being briefed on all matters,” he added.

5)As Afghanistan began a three-day ‘Loya Jirga’ to decide on freeing about 400 Taliban fighters convicted for “serious crimes” including murder and abductions, India said it would support the Ashraf Ghani government on the issue, and that the government has been briefed on plans for intra-Afghan negotiations.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

31)Consider the following with reference to Computer :

1)Watson – one of the AI engines for IBM

2)Watson was aimed at understanding human speech, make sense out of it, gain an understanding of the intent behind it, and then come up with a response that complied with the rules of the game.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

32)Consider the following with reference to common leoprds :

1)A recent study by TRAFFIC India on the seizure and mortality of ‘common leopards’ (Panthera pardus fusca) revealed that of the total of 747 leopard deaths between 2015-2019 in India, 596 were linked to illegal wildlife trade and activities related to poaching.

2)TRAFFIC is a leading wildlife trade monitoring network across the world and the paper has been authored by head of the TRAFFIC India office and others

3)During the period 2015 to 2019, there were more than 140 cases of seizures of leopard body parts in Uttarakhand, and about 19 incidents where the deaths of these cats could be directly linked to poaching.

4)More than 40 cases of seizure of leopard body parts and 16 cases of poaching were recorded from Maharashtra between 2015 to 2019.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

33)

Article 163 of Constitution of India : Council of Ministers to aid and advise Governor

(1) There shall be a council of Ministers with the chief Minister at the head to aid and advise the Governor in the exercise of his functions, except in so far as he is by or under this constitution required to exercise his functions or any of them in his discretion

(2) If any question arises whether any matter is or is not a matter as respects which the Governor is by or under this Constitution required to act in his discretion, the decision of the Governor in his discretion shall be final, and the validity of anything done by the Governor shall not be called in question on the ground that he ought or ought not to have acted in his discretion

(3) The question whether any, and if so what, advice was tendered by Ministers to the Governor shall not be inquired into in any court

Consider the following with reference to State Governor’s discretionary powers :

1)The Governor can summon, prorogue and dissolve the House only on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister as the head. And not at his own,” the unanimous judgment by the Bench led by then Chief Justice J.S. Khehar held.

2)“It is an accepted principle that in a parliamentary democracy with a responsible form of government, the powers of the Governor as Constitutional or formal head of the State should not be enlarged at the cost of the real executive, viz. the Council of Ministers,”

2)The Supreme Court highlighted how Article 163 of the Constitution does not give the Governor a “general discretionary power to act against or without the advice of his Council of Ministers”.

3)The court said the Governor’s discretionary powers are limited to specified areas like giving assent or withholding/referring a Bill to the President or appointment of a Chief Minister or dismissal of a government which has lost of confidence but refuses to quit, etc.

4)“The area for the exercise of his discretion is limited. Even in this limited area, his [Governor’s] choice of action should not be arbitrary or fanciful. It must be a choice dictated by reason, actuated by good faith and tempered by caution,” the court said.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

34)Consider the following with reference to diabetes :

1)A recent study has found that glucagon, one of the two hormones produced by the pancreas, plays an important role in the development of Type 2 diabetes.

2)The aim was to assess the influence of glucagon in persons with normal glucose tolerance, pre-diabetics and newly diagnosed diabetes.

3)“The pancreas has alpha cells and beta cells.

4)Alpha cells produce glucagon and beta cells, insulin.

5)This is for the first time in India glucagon level has been studied.

6)So far, we were thinking insulin is the main culprit but here we have shown that glucagon levels are elevated especially in pre-diabetics and early, newly diagnosed diabetics. We found that glucagon level is high especially in the newly diagnosed and pre-diabetic people,”

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

35)Consider the following :

1)A low-pressure area over northwest Bay of Bengal and the neighbourhood will trigger isolated heavy rain over the Western Ghats.

2)As the circulation is tilting southwest, it would have an impact over Rayalaseema and north Tamil Nadu districts such as Erode, Tirupattur, Ranipet, Vellore, Chennai, Kancheepuram and Krishnagiri districts.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

36)Consider the following (1971-2021: 50 years Golden Jubilee) :

1)The victory in 1971 Indo-Pak war was a great milestone in India’s military achievements

2) Its Golden Jubilee had provided an opportunity to the people to thank and honour the bravehearts who made the victory possible.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

37)Consider the following :

1)The GLOSTAR (Global View on Star Formation in the Milky Way) project has reported new findings, including the identification of 80 supernova remnant (SNR) candidates, the IIST said in July,.2021 .

2)Supernova remnants are cosmic structures born out of the violent, explosive death of massive stars. The GLOSTAR team has now published a series of papers on its findings in Astronomy & Astrophysics.

3)Researchers also detected other traces of star formation such as radio emission from methanol molecules in Cygnus X. These are typically emitted by massive stars in the very early stages of their formation. The team was also able to detect dense pockets of ionised hydrogen, another telltale sign of the presence of massive young stars. Young stars are usually surrounded by thick clouds of dust and gas.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

38)Consider the following with Co-operative movement :

1)The cooperative movement certainly needs reform and revitalisation. Beset by political interference, many cooperative societies do not hold elections regularly, while some are superseded frequently.

2)The 97th Constitution Amendment, which came into effect in 2012, was a major step towards infusing autonomy, democratic functioning and professional management.

3) The recent Supreme Court verdict holding the amendment unconstitutional to the extent it applied to cooperative societies under the control of the States is a reminder that even well-intentioned efforts towards reforms cannot be at the cost of the quasi-federal principles underlying the Constitution.

4)The amendment added Part IXB to the Constitution, concerning cooperative societies.

5)Part IXB delineated the contours of what State legislation on cooperative societies ought to contain, including provisions on the maximum number of directors in each society, reservation for seats for SCs, or STs, and women, besides the duration of the terms of elected members, among others.

6)The question before the Court was whether the 97th Amendment impacted the legislative domain of the State Legislatures and, therefore, required ratification by half the legislatures, in addition to the required two-thirds majority in Parliament.

7)The Gujarat High Court had found the amendment invalid for want of such ratification.

8)The Supreme Court, by a 2:1 majority, upheld the judgment holding the amendment invalid, but only in relation to cooperatives under the States.

9)The elaborate amendment would hold good for multi-State cooperative societies, on which Parliament was competent to enact laws.

10)A significant limitation on Parliament’s amending power is the requirement that certain kinds of amendments to the Constitution must be ratified by 50% of the State legislatures. The Union government believed that as the subject of ‘cooperative societies’ in the State List was not altered in any way by the 97th Amendment, and that it only outlined guidelines on any law on cooperatives that the Assemblies may enact, the ratification was not necessary.

11)A key principle from the judgment is that the ratification requirement will apply if there is any attempt to fetter the State legislatures in any way while enacting a law in their own domain, even if there is no attempt to alter the distribution of legislative powers between the Union and States.

12)Thus, in the absence of ratification by the States, the amendment that sought to prescribe the outlines of State laws on a State subject did not pass constitutional muster. The judgment may mean that the concern expressed by some about the adverse implications of the formation of a new Ministry of Cooperation on federal principles could be true. However, there is no denying that the scope for democratising the functioning of cooperative societies and enhancing their autonomy remains unchanged.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

39)Consider the following with reference to :

1)In June, 2021 the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution came out with a list of proposed amendments to the Consumer Protection Act of 2019.

2)These include appointment of a Chief Compliance Officer and a Resident Grievance Officer, provisions of fallback liability, registration of e-commerce entities and a ban on flash sales.

3)The Centre claims that these amendments try to rein in unfair trade practices adopted by e-commerce companies and intend to take care of the interests of consumers. But not everyone agrees.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

40)Consider the following with reference to microplastics :

1)Pollution by microplastics, defined as synthetic solid particles sized ranging from 1 micrometre to 5 millimetre (mm), which are insoluble in water.

2)The Ganga flows across five States and has been at the centre of a massive multi-crore undertaking by the Union government, in the form of the National Mission for Clean Ganga, to rid it off contamination.

3)Microplastics are recognised as a major source of marine pollution. Untreated sewage from many cities along the river’s course, industrial waste and religious offerings wrapped in non-degradable plastics pile pollutants into the river as it flows through several densely populated cities.

4)The plastic products and waste materials released or dumped in the river, break down and are eventually broken down into microparticles. The river finally transports significantly large quantities downstream into the ocean, which is the ultimate sink of all plastics being used by humans.

5)An analysis of the stretches of the river Ganga by a Delhi-based environment NGO,

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

41)Consider the following with reference to UNGA elected President:

1)Maldives Foreign Minister Abdullah Shahid, who is also the President-elect of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA),

2)Mr. Shahid, who won the election for the President of the next General Assembly in June,2021 had thanked India for being the first to support his candidature publicly in an interview , and has made New Delhi his first stop in a string of visits ahead of the session.

3)He met Foreign Secretary .They discussed his plans for a “Presidency of Hope”, which is expected to focus on global post-COVID-19 recovery and equitable distribution of vaccines, and U.N. reforms and countering radicalism and terrorism.

3)Mr. Shahid said he would support India’s ongoing campaign for U.N. Security Council (UNSC) reform and for a permanent UNSC seat, a process that is stuck at the UNGA in Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) at present.

4)“Exchanged views on multilateral issues, my priorities for UNGA 76 (2021-22), and India’s priorities as the President of UN Security Council for August,” Mr. Abdullah tweeted.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

42)Consider the following with reference to central bank digital currency (CBDC). :

1)The Reserve Bank of India is likely to soon kick off pilot projects to assess the viability of using digital currency to make wholesale and retail payments to help calibrate its strategy for introducing a full-scale central bank digital currency (CBDC).

2)Transacting with CBDC would be an instantaneous process as the need for inter-bank settlement would disappear as it would be a central bank liability handed over from one person to another. Moreover, foreign trade transactions could be speeded up between countries adopting a CBDC.

3)“They could enable a cheaper and more real-time globalisation of payment systems — it is conceivable for an Indian exporter to be paid on a real-time basis without any intermediary…The risks of dollar-rupee transactions, the time zone difference in such transactions would virtually disappear,”

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

43)Consider the following with reference to Air India :

1)After an unsuccessful attempt to sell AI in 2018, the government restarted the divestment process and invited bids for 100% of its equity in the state-owned airline, including Air India’s 100% holding in Air India Express Ltd. and 50% in Air India SATS Airport Services Pvt. Ltd

2)Financial bids for Air India’s (AI) disinvestment are likely by September 15,2021

3)“Request for Proposal (RFP) along with draft Share Purchase Agreement have been shared with QIBs (qualified interested bidders) by the transaction advisor on 30.03.2021 for submission of financial bids,”

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

44) :

What is Table Top Airport ?

1)It is an airport built on top of a plateau or hilly surface, with one or both ends of the runway overlooking a drop. This increases the possibility of injuries and fatalities if pilots undershoot or overshoot their approach.

2)As the name suggests, it is an airport located and built on top of a plateau or hilly surface, with one or both ends of the runway overlooking a drop. The airports in the country which would count as “tabletops”, are namely Lengpui (Mizoram), Shimla and Kullu (Himachal Pradesh), Pakyong (Sikkim), Mangaluru (Karnataka), Kozhikode and Kannur (both Kerala).

3)Table Top Airports in India :

i)Kozhikode (Kerala) & (Calicut International Airport at Karipur)

ii)Mangalore (Karnataka)

iii)Shimla (Himachal Pradesh)

iv)Pakyong (Sikkim)

v) Lengpui (Mizoram)

4)The length of the two runways at the Calicut airport is 8,000 feet, which he claimed is adequate for wide-bodied and narrow-bodied planes.

5)8.8.2020’s ill-fated aircraft was the narrow-bodied Boeing 737.

6)The aircraft landed beyond the touchdown zone of zero feet to 3,000 feet, increasing the chances of overshooting the runway, and stopped 10 feet beyond the runway safety area.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

45)Consider the following with reference to Depsang Plains :

1)India and China held talks at the Major General-level to discuss issues concerning the strategic Depsang Plains, in August,2020

2)Despite the strategic importance of the Depsang Plains, the series of military talks held so far have focussed on the stand-off areas at Galwan, Gogra Hotsprings and Finger area of Pangong Tso.

3)Talks began at Daulat Beg Oldie and went on till late evening

4)The Depsang Plains along with the Pangong Tso are the two major areas of concern in the ongoing stand-off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

5)The Chinese ingress in this area threatens Indian positions at Burtse and Raki Nala well inside Indian territory and further Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) by bringing Chinese troops closer to the 255 km long crucial Darbuk-Skyok-DBO road.

6)Depsang is also close to the Karakoram Pass, overlooking the very strategic Saltoro Ridge and Siachen glacier.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

46)Consider the following with reference to gendered impact :

1)The pandemic and its gendered impact took centre stage at a virtual discussion organised by the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation , as experts deconstructed the effect COVID-19 has had on women’s work, nutrition security, reproductive health and education, and gender-based violence.

2)“Pandemics, outbreaks and emergencies, in general, have differential impacts on women and men, and experiences depend on biological and gender characteristics as well as their interaction with other social determinants.

3)Both global and national plans for COVID-19 preparedness and response need to be grounded on a strong gender analysis,” said Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist, World Health Organisation (WHO).

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

47)Consider the following with reference to Kodagu :

1) Floodwater of Netravathi entering the residences in Bantwal (Kodgu, Karnataka) in the first August,2021

2) Netravati river originates in the Western Ghats in Bangrabalike forest Valley in Yellaner Ghats of Kudremukha range in Karnataka State. The Kumaradhara River, which originates in the Subramanya range of Western Ghats, meets the Netravati river at Uppinangadi. Every year nearly around more than 100 tmc of water flowing to Arabian sea.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

48)Consider the following with reference to CAG :

1Former Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) Lieutenant-Governor (L-G), Girish Chandra Murmu took charge as the new Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).

2)Mr. Murmu was sworn in by President Ram Nath Kovind, the Rashtrapati Bhavan .

3)The ceremony, held in the Ashoka Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, among others.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

49)Consider the following with reference to Malaria :

1)The parasite Plasmodium vivax, responsible for 7.5 million malaria cases worldwide, remains understudied. Not much is known about its dormant stage in the liver.

2)Mosquitoes inject the sporozoite (spore-like) stage of the parasite into the skin when they bite, and the sporozoites travel to the liver.

3)“Imagine some 50 parasites enter a person’s liver, each infect one liver cell or hepatocyte and multiply enormously to 10,000 or more. These can then move out and infect blood cells,”

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

50)Consider the following with reference to :

1)The Sun is our closest star and we have been studying it for a long time.

2)There are two main puzzles about the Sun which this advancement will help address. First is the coronal heating problem. Though the core of the Sun is at a temperature of about 15 million degrees, its outer layer, the photosphere is a mere 5700 degrees hot.

3)However, its corona or outer atmosphere, which stretches up to several million kilometres beyond its surface, is much, much hotter than the surface. It is at a temperature of one million degrees or more. What causes the atmosphere of the Sun (corona) to heat up again, though the surface (photosphere) is cooler than the interior. That is the question which has baffled solar physicists.

4)Popular attempts to explain this puzzle invoke the magnetic field of the corona.

5)The other set of questions concerns the mechanisms of eruptions of the Sun, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections. These are driven by magnetic reconnections happening in the sun’s corona.

6)“Magnetic reconnection is a process where oppositely polarity magnetic field lines connect and some of the magnetic energy is converted to heat energy and also kinetic energy which leads to the generation of heating, solar flares, solar jets, etc,”

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

51)Consider the following with reference to Sir Creek :

1)Sir Creek is a collection of water bodies that extend from the Arabian Sea deep inside the territory of Kutch and is rich in biodiversity and mangrove forests.

2)India’s position on Sir Creek is based on the Kutch arbitration case of 1966-69.

3)The new map of Pakistan (2020) can be used to reassert Pakistan’s claims regarding the Rann which it had lost in the arbitration conducted in Geneva.

4)India’s position regarding Sir Creek is based on the fact that the arbitration had granted the entire Rann and its marshy areas to India while leaving the solid land across the Rann to Pakistan.

5)By demanding the demarcation to shift towards the eastern bank, Pakistan appears to be going back also on the spirit of the Rann of Kutch arbitration where the overwhelming evidence of maps supported India’s claims over the Rann and its marshlands.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

52)What are the features of the new map of Pakistan ?

1)The new political map of Pakistan has claimed the entire region of Jammu and Kashmir stretching all the way to the edge of Ladakh.

2)The map also claims Junagarh and Manavadar, a former princely State and territory, respectively, that are part of present-day Gujarat.

3)It leaves out a claim line at the eastern end of J&K indicating Pakistan’s willingness to make China a third party in the Kashmir issue. This clearly runs counter to the Simla Agreement which treated Kashmir as a bilateral matter.

4)At the launch of the map, Pakistan Prime Minister said the border in that area will be fixed after resolving the Kashmir issue.

5)Pakistan also claimed the entire territory and water bodies that fall in the Sir Creek region in the westernmost part of India.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

53)Consider the following with reference to impact of this cartographical warfare:

1)The map of Pakistan ,( released in August, 2020 ) is likely to lead to changes in Pakistan’s position on territorial disputes with India.

2)By demanding the entire Jammu and Kashmir region, Mr. Khan is changing the main features of Pakistan’s Kashmir discourse as it includes the Jammu region prominently. 3)The inclusion of Junagarh and Manavadar opens fundamental issues of territorial sovereignty of India.

4)Manavadar, a princely territory, joined India on February 15, 1948 and Indian troops marched into Junagarh in September that year incorporating it into Indian territory. By normalising Islamabad’s claims over these former princely territories, Pakistan is most likely to assert its rights over the former princely State of Hyderabad as well.

5)The map may be used to provide legal cover for some of Islamabad’s territorial ambitions, especially in Kashmir and Sir Creek

6) Sir Creek, originally Ban Ganga, is a 96-km tidal estuary in the uninhabited marshlands of the Indus River Delta on the border between India and Pakistan. The creek flows into the Arabian Sea and separates Gujarat state in India from Sindh province in Pakistan.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

54)Consider the following with reference to Confucius Institutes (CI)? ( news in 2020 )

1)Starting with a CI in Seoul in 2004, China’s National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (NOCFL), known as Hanban, has established 550 CIs and 1,172 Confucius Classrooms (CCs) housed in foreign institutions, in 162 countries.

2)The Hanban is under the Ministry of Education.

3)According to a recent directive from the Ministry of Education reported by the South China Morning Post, the Hanban has been renamed as a Center for Language Education and Cooperation, with suggestions that the Confucius Institute brand may even be dropped. While the closures in the West have made news, these cases still represent a minority.

4) July ,2020 : India’s Ministry of Education (previously the Ministry of Human Resource Development) sent a letter to several institutions seeking information about the activities of their Confucius Institutes (CIs) and Chinese language training centres. This was said to be part of a review of work being done by higher education institutions in partnership with foreign entities. The move has brought the spotlight to China’s CI programme, a key pillar of Beijing’s global soft power effort, and raised questions about the future of India-China cooperation in the education space.)

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

55)Consider the following :

1)The man-elephant conflict is complex. No one has simple solution. We are looking at a long-term solution. We will keep on creating bamboo plantation inside forests,”

2)“Elephants love chewing bamboo shoots. Once the shoots come out of the plants, the animal depredation in villages will definitely come down,

3)The growth in bamboo plantation is expected to meet food requirement of elephants, which often stray out of the forests and raid human habitations in search of food.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

56)Consider the following with reference to Covid-19 Origins in China :

1)It begins as an account from December 30, 2019, when a patient with a mysterious pneumonia tested positive for a new kind of coronavirus. The virus’s similarities with the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (SARS-CoV-1) provoked uncomfortable memories of the original SARS outbreak in 2003 in Asia that infected more than 8,000 people and killed at least 774.

2)There’s an account of how the ophthalmologist Li Wenliang first discussed this new virus, SARS-CoV-2, on Weibo but then was gagged and the virus’s origins traced to a seafood market in Hunan province before the World Health Organization was eventually informed. There are details on the WHO’s response and the steps involved in deciding if it is a pandemic or a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

3)While U.S. President Donald Trump condemns the WHO for being in cahoots with China, suppressing evidence of the potency of the virus, Horton reminds us that unlike in the case of SARS- CoV-1 it had taken only “thirty days and not eight months to issue WHO’s highest category of international alert. The world had been warned. And it was still only January.”

4)Early reports on the virus’s origins, case reports from China and indications that the pulmonary and organ damage it was causing made it different from flu passed through the pages of TheLancet. Horton’s book will serve as an authoritative account that future research will benefit from.

5)He comes down heavily on ‘Western democracies’ for their public health response. He pillories America’s response that begins with President Trump first describing confirmation of the virus in the country as a ‘giant hoax’ and as it got progressively worse explaining it away with ‘under control.’

6)The West shuffled its feet on implementing non-pharmaceutical interventions — washing of hands, improving cough etiquette, avoid touching your face and the recommendations on physical and social distancing. He ponders on the toll that social distancing and work from home can have on mental health. “Are these new behaviours simply examples of wise caution at a time of danger? Or do they represent a catastrophic loss of social trust, a fissuring in our communities, a fragmentation of our solidarity? The degree of isolation we live with has important implications for mental health.”

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

57)Consider the following with reference to landslips :

1)At least 60 persons have been killed in landslips triggered by intense rain in western Maharashtra and the coastal Konkan region as monsoon fury continued unabated.

2)While the entire State, including the normally arid Marathwada and Vidarbha regions, have been receiving particularly heavy showers over the last 72 hours, the situation remained particularly grim in the Mahad and Poladpur tehsils in Raigad, Chiplun and Khed in Ratnagiri, as well as the ‘sugar belt’ districts of Kolhapur, Satara and Sangli.

3)The situation aggravated with Maharashtra opening the crest gates of Koyna Dam. The outflow from the dam was stepped up and was at the rate of 20,000 cusecs and could increase to 80,000 cusecs if the rains continued in the Satara region.

4)The traffic on two major ghats that connect Dakshina Kannada with the rest of the State has been affected.

5)Tunga, Bhadra, Hemavathi, Yagachi rivers are in spate.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

58)Consider the following with reference to sero-surveillance :

1)The sero-surveillance from cities show the percent of the population infected with the virus and has antibodies in a specific time period.

2)The threshold for herd or population-level immunity is a local geographical phenomenon, wherein the population or herd is intermixing with each other and spreading the disease within itself.

3)Hence, it is reliable only to estimate the level of immunity at the city or town level, given that there are no sizeable amounts of migration occurring, changing the population dynamics of transmission.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

59)Consider the following :

1)The philosophy of biocentrism holds that the natural environment has its own set of rights which is independent of its ability to be exploited by or to be useful to humans.

2)Biocentrism often comes into conflict with its contrarian philosophy, namely anthropocentrism.

3)Anthropocentrism argues that of all the species on earth humans are the most significant and that all other resources on earth may be justifiably exploited for the benefit of human beings.

4)Expressions of such line of thought date back many centuries and find mention in Politics, a well-known work of Aristotle, as also the moral philosophy of Immanuel Kant amongst many others.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

60)Consider the following :

1)The British government’s demand to renegotiate parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol of the Brexit agreement with the EU has set the stage for another round of clashes between London and Brussels.

2)Just seven months after the agreement came into force, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government now says the Protocol, which was accepted by both sides to avoid physical and economic barriers between Northern Ireland, a part of the U.K., and the Republic of Ireland, an EU member, hampers trade inside the U.K.

3)When the Brexit agreement was signed in 2020, Mr. Johnson agreed to set up checks at the British side for goods entering Northern Ireland.

4)This meant, in order to avoid an economic barrier between the two Irelands, Britain effectively set up one between the British mainland and the Island of Ireland.

5)The decision had economic and political repercussions, affecting British traders every time they move goods across the Irish Sea.

6)Within Northern Ireland, the Irish nationalists who support unification are in favour of the Protocol, while the unionists, including the Democratic Unionist Party that was once an ally of Mr. Johnson, do not want it.

7)In a difficult economic and political situation now, Mr. Johnson’s conservative government is seeking a way out.

8)Many had warned even before the 2016 Brexit vote that Northern Ireland would be a thorny issue if the U.K. chose to leave the EU, given Ireland’s violent history.

9)The economic integration and soft borders between the two Irelands were one of the key aspects of the 1998 Good Friday agreement that brought peace to the island after 30 years of Troubles.

10)Now Mr. Johnson, a Brexit supporter, is caught in a difficult situation, thanks to Brexit. For London, continuing with the protocol will have economic and political consequences.

11)If the U.K. moves the customs checks to the border between the two Irelands, it can upset the peace agreement. In the event of the absence of an agreement, either party can suspend the Protocol using Article 16, which means the crisis would be back to square one.

12)Both sides should realise the seriousness of the situation and be ready for talks. Any amends to the Protocol should not compromise on the conditions that guarantee peace in the island of Ireland.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

61)Consider the following with reference to Microplastics, in the Ganga river, with the highest concentrations in Varanasi and Kanpur, followed by Haridwar :

1)The finding of significant levels of microscopic particles invisible to the naked eye at below 300 micrometres to 5 millimetres in the country’s holiest river calls into question the progress of two high-priority, well-funded missions of the NDA government, Swachh Bharat, to deal with solid waste, and Namami Gange, to rid the river of its pollution.

2)Surprisingly, Prime Minister’s support for the river clean-up, originally scheduled to be implemented by December 2020, has not saved it from serious deficits; official data indicate that 97 Ganga towns may be discharging about 750 million litres of untreated sewage a day into the river.

3)Microplastics, recorded in recent times in the remotest of places — Mount Everest, Arctic snow, Icelandic glaciers, the French Pyrenees, and the depths of the Mariana Trench, among others — pose a hazard as plastics production outpaces the ability of governments to collect and manage waste.

4)The Centre recently issued a draft to tighten the Plastic Waste Management Rules, cities have failed to implement existing rules as well as the Solid Waste Management rules, on ending single-use plastics, waste segregation, recycling labels on packaging, extended producer responsibility for manufacturers and recovery of materials.

5)Moreover, growing plastic waste will far exceed the capacity of governments to manage it, given that recycling has its limits. Swachh Bharat, therefore, must mean not merely keeping waste out of sight, achieved through costly dumping contracts, but sharply reduced generation, full segregation and recycling. Plastic waste around the world is threatening the food web and the crisis demands a new global treaty modelled on the Montreal Protocol and the Paris Agreement. India needs to demonstrate that it is serious about a clean-up at home.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

62)Consider the following with reference to renewable enegy :

1)India’s commitments include establishing a 450 GW (giga watt) of renewable energy by 2030, enhanced ambition in bio-fuels, India’s NDCs (nationally determined contributions), and initiatives taken on Urban Climate Action.

2)India remains steadfast in its commitments to join and lead efforts to combat climate change within the multilaterally agreed convention and its Paris Agreement.

3)The G20 climate meeting is seen as a prelude to the United Nations Conference of Parties meeting in Glasgow, Scotland in November,2021.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

63)Consider the following with reference to extreme rainfall :

1)Several parts of the western Konkan coast and the southern peninsula were witnessing instances of extreme rainfall. According to the India Meteorological Department data on the regional distribution, the ‘South Peninsula’ received 29% more rain than normal during the period June1-July 23.

2)In the same period, northwest and central India witnessed a 10% and 2% deficit respectively and northeast India a 14% deficit, though this region has a higher base rainfall than other regions.

3)Mahabaleshwar in western Maharashtra reported more than 60cm of rainfall in the past 24 hours (Thursday morning to Friday morning) which “exceeded its all-time record”, the IMD said. From Friday morning to 5.30 p.m., it recorded 18 cm. Torrential rain over the Konkan coast was likely to continue for the rest of the week, the agency added.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

64)Consider the following with reference to Cyclones over Arabian Sea :

According to the district-wise rainfall data for Maharashtra, except five districts, all the other 31 got “large excess rains”. July and August are the most important monsoon months, contributing over two-thirds of the seasonal rainfall. Central India and the south peninsula are expected to see most of the rainfall. However, climate scientists have warned that monsoon patterns overall have been changing.

1)The frequency and strength of cyclones over the Arabian Sea has increased in the past two decades.

2)There is a 52% increase in the frequency of cyclones over the Arabian Sea from 2001 to 2019 and an 8% decrease over the Bay of Bengal compared with the period 1982-2002, when historically most cyclones have been in the Bay of Bengal, according to a study published in Climate Dynamics.

3)Even the duration of cyclones has increased by 80%.

4)More cyclones were bringing in more moisture from the Arabian Sea and contributing to extreme rainfall events.

5)A climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune and among the authors , tweeted that it was important to monitor and better forecast these events. “The ongoing monsoon floods across India is unprecedented, but not unexpected. We already see a threshold rise in widespread extreme rains that cause floods across India,”

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

65)Consider the following with reference to secrecy of voting is “a must”. :

The Supreme Court in 2021 held that in any election, be it to Parliament or State legislature, the maintenance of secrecy of voting is “a must”.

1)Secrecy is a part of the fundamental right of freedom of expression. The confidentiality of choice strengthened democracy, it stated.

2)“In direct elections to the Lok Sabha or State legislature, the maintenance of secrecy is a must and is insisted upon all over the world in democracies where direct elections are involved to ensure that a voter casts his vote without any fear or being victimised if his vote is disclosed,”

3)Democracy and free elections were a part of the Basic Structure of the Constitution,it is noted. “An election is a mechanism which ultimately represents the will of the people. The essence of the electoral system should be to ensure freedom of voters to exercise their free choice,”

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

66)Consider the following with reference to Green Crackers :

1)The NGT had noted in its December 2020 order that only green crackers would be permitted for Christmas and New Year – between 11:55 pm and 12:30 am – in areas where the ambient air quality was in the moderate or below categories.

2)District magistrates were directed to ensure that firecrackers were not sold and violators would have to pay compensation.

2)The Tribunal said that the “right to business is not absolute. There is no right to violate air quality and noise level norms”.

3)The Supreme Court in July 2021, dismissed a challenge to a National Green Tribunal (NGT) ban on the sale and use of firecrackers during the COVID-19 pandemic in the National Capital Region (NCR) and all cities and towns where the ambient air quality is in the poor or above categories.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

67)Consider the following with reference to Yarlung Zangbo river, or Brahmaputra river — the Nyang river :

1)Mr. Xi arrived in Tibet in July,.2021 on a three-day visit, landing at the airport in Nyingchi, which is located less than 20 km from the border with India’s Arunachal Pradesh.

2)The Xinhua report said Mr. Xi drove to the Nyang river bridge to inspect the Yarlung Zangbo river, or Brahmaputra river — the Nyang is its second largest tributary.

3)He also visited Nyingchi town and its railway station to inspect the newly built Sichuan-Tibet railway.

4)From Nyingchi, Mr. Xi travelled to Lhasa, where he visited the Potala Palace — the traditional home of the Dalai Lamas — and Drepung monastery

5)Recently, China completed construction of a strategically significant highway through the Grand Canyon of the Yarlung Zangbo river, the “second significant passageway” to Medog county that borders Arunachal.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

68)Consider the following with reference to West Bank and East Jerusalem :

1)Israel seized the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the 1967 war and has promoted Jewish settlements in the territories since the 1970s.

2)Currently, there are about 140 Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem where more than 6,00,000 Jews live.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

69)Consider the following with reference to Dighi Port, Maharasta :

1)The Mumbai Bench of the NCLT had approved APSEZ’s bid for Dighi Port, (Maharastra) which is developing a greenfield port in Maharastra and owed lenders over ₹3,000 crore.

2)While Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) was initially chosen over APSEZ by the committee of creditors (CoC), JNPT subsequently withdrew from the fray.

3)Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited is India’s largest private multi-port operator. APSEZ represents a large network of ports with India’s largest SEZ at Mundra

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

70)Consider the following with reference to Monsoon rains and summer crops :

1) Farmers generally start planting rice, corn, cotton, soybeans, sugarcane and peanuts, among other crops, from June 1, when monsoon rains typically arrive in India. Sowing usually lasts until July or early August.

2)Monsoon rains play a crucial role in agriculture, which employs 50% of India’s 1.3 billion people, as nearly half of the country’s farmland lacks irrigation.

3)Indian Farmers planted 79.9 million hectares with summer crops, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, as robust monsoon rains spurred sowing in the world’s leading producer of farm goods.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

71)Consider the following with reference to Quad :

The Quad was originally born out of the crisis that followed the Tsunami in December 2004

India’s rescue mission in the Indian Ocean was coordinated with the three other naval powers engaged in similar efforts — U.S., Australia and Japan

The Quad effort was later handed over to the UN, but the idea of the Indo-Pacific as a larger maritime strategic community had been planted in the minds of all four countries leaders.

1)In 2017, the Quad returned, now named Quad 2.0, coinciding with the revision in Washington’s assessment of the challenge from China, and similar reassessments in New Delhi, Tokyo and Canberra. In November 2017, just months after the Doklam stand-off between the Indian Army and the PLA, officials from all four countries met in Manila for the ‘India-Australia-Japan-U.S.’ dialogue.

2)The name of the new Quad was innocuous, in an effort to dispel the notion this was a “gang-up”, and they did not even issue a common joint statement. In fact, differences within the group went deeper, and while India defined the “Indo-Pacific” region from Africa and the U.S. west coast, the U.S. limited it to the Indian coast (in 2020, the U.S. aligned its definition with India’s).

3)The emphasis on connectivity has seen the Quad challenge China in another sphere: a coordinated effort to provide financing and sustainable alternatives to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has led many nations to take loans and accept infrastructure bids from Beijing.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

72)Consider the following with reference to :

1)India’s relations with China have been in deep freeze for over a year. The crisis on the LAC remains unresolved, and tens of thousands of soldiers from both sides still remain deployed in forward areas. Against this backdrop, recent meeting between India’s External Affairs Minister and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Dushanbe assumes significance.

2)Their last meeting in Moscow, in September 2020, took place in the aftermath of the Galwan Valley clash and at a time of a tinderbox-like situation south of Pangong Lake, with troops and artillery dangerously close to each other on the heights of the Kailash Range.

3)A political agreement then paved the way for both sides to disengage in February, but the agreements in Galwan and Pangong Lake, where both sides have put in place no-patrolling zones, have not been followed at other disputed sites, in Depsang, Demchok, Gogra and Hot Springs.

4)India’s External Affairs Minister reiterated India’s view in their talks on the sidelines of the SCO meeting — their first meeting since September last year in Moscow — that the LAC crisis would have a bearing on broader ties.

5)“Assessing the overall relationship, the External Affairs Minister emphasised that maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas has been the foundation for the development of ties since 1988,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) quoted him as saying, adding that the attempts to change status quo last year “disregarded commitments under the 1993 and 1996 agreements” and “have inevitably affected ties”.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

73)Consider the following with reference to Section 124A of IPC : Sedition :

1)The CJI drew the attention of the Attorney General to the conviction rates under sedition.

2)“If you look at the history of use of this Section 124A of IPC, you will find that the conviction rate is very low. There is misuse of power by executive agencies,” the Chief Justice said.

3)The CJI asked the government why it did not throw out the sedition law along with the hundreds of “stale laws” it had expunged from the statute books. “Your government is taking out a lot of stale laws from the law books, why have they not looked into this,” Chief Justice asked Attorney General. People had suffered and were scared of the misuse of the sedition law, Chief Justice said.

4)“We are not blaming any particular government or State. But do look at how Section 66A of the Information Technology Act is continuing to be used… How many unfortunate people have suffered? And there is no accountability for all this…” he noted.

5)The CJI said the sweeping powers of Section 124A gives even a village police officer carte blanche to trample on the right to liberty and free speech of ordinary citizens.

6)“If a police officer wants to fix anybody in a village for something, he can use Section 124A… People are scared. Our concern is misuse of the law and the lack of accountability. Why has it continued in the statute book even after 75 years of our Independence,” Chief Justice asked the government’s law officers repeatedly.

7)The Chief Justice said the Supreme Court would “definitely look into this Section 124A”.

8)“The situation on the ground is grave… If one party does not like what the other is saying, Section 124A is used… It is a serious threat to the functioning of individuals and parties,” Chief Justice noted.

9)Attorney General submitted that the court need not strike down Section 124A. “It is enough to see if there were any excesses in its use and limit the Section to its real purpose… That would be enough,” .

10)The Bench issued notice to the Centre on a petition filed by retired Army General represented by advocates to quash Section 124A.

11)In its order, the court has also issued notice to the government on a writ petition filed jointly by the Editors Guild of India and cartoonist Aseem Trivedi.

12)The Bench noted that two other petitions filed and one is against the Andhra Pradesh government, was pending before the apex court. Both cases concerned sedition charges.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

74)Consider the following with reference to drones for research :

1)“The intent is to make the rules user-friendly and to encourage drone research and development. This is another important step towards realising the vision of India as a drone hub,”

2)“Drones are bringing the next big tech revolution around the globe with reduced costs, resources and time taken for operations. It is upon us to ride on the new wave and facilitate its uptake, especially among our start-ups,” tweeted Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia.

3)The number of forms to be filled to seek authorisation before operating a drone has been reduced from 25 to six, according to a statement issued by the Ministry.

4)While most drones will need a unique identification number, a certificate of airworthiness, a remote pilot licence for the person controlling the drone and prior permission, no such approvals will be required for drones used for research and development by entities and educational institutions recognised by the Union government, State governments or Union Territory Administrations, start-ups recognised by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade and drone manufacturers having a Goods and Service Tax Identification Number.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

75)Consider the following with reference to need for the continuance of Section 124A of IPC :

1)In a way, the court has questioned the need for the continuance of Section 124A — a colonial provision which was used to jail the Mahatma — in the law books of a modern democracy.

2)This is a step away from the court’s own Kedar Nath judgment of 1962 which had upheld Section 124A but read it down to mean any subversion of an elected government by violent means. The court will have to re-examine whether this 59-year-old judgment holds in the modern context when the State is itself using a punitive law to impose serious burdens on free speech.

3)The CJI’s reference to low conviction rates under the sedition law resonates with a petition filed by senior journalist Sashi Kumar, highlighting the “dramatic jump in charging a person with the offence of sedition since 2016”.

4)“In 2019, 93 cases were on the ground of sedition as compared to the 35 cases that were filed in 2016. The same constitutes a 165% increase. Of these 93 cases, chargesheets were filed in a mere 17% of cases and even worse, the conviction rate was an abysmally low 3.3%,” Mr. Kumar

5)The National Crime Records Bureau reports show that in 2019, 21 cases of sedition were closed on account of no evidence, two were closed for being false cases and six cases held to be civil disputes. Mr. Kumar referred to the sedition cases registered against climate activist Disha Ravi, filmmaker Aisha Sultana and journalists Vinod Dua and Siddique Kappan.

6)The CJI’s observations culminates the resolve shown by the court in recent months to examine the sedition law.

7)In May, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said “it is time to define the limits of sedition”. The judge had flagged the indiscriminate use of the sedition law against people who aired their grievances about the government’s COVID management, or even for seeking help to gain medical access, equipment, drugs and oxygen cylinders, especially during the second wave of the pandemic.

8)“This is muzzling the media,” using the sedition law to “silence” them. The CJI Bench issued notice to the government on a petition filed by the Editors Guild of India to quash the sedition law. Senior journalist Arun Shourie has also challenged the constitutionality of Section 124A.

9)The time is long past when the mere criticism of governments was sufficient to constitute sedition. The right to utter honest and reasonable criticism is a source of strength to a community rather than a weakness, the judgment recorded.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

76)Consider the following with reference to Anti-Defection Law & Privileges Committee :

1)The Lok Sabha Secretariat has issued notices to MPs under the anti-defection law.

2)“Well, the anti-defection law doesn’t specify a timeline in dealing with such complaints. All I can say is that the process will be carried out in the most transparent way,” Speaker said

3)“They [TMC] have written to me with their complaints. I have said that the complaint be taken on board as per form required, I shall ask the two named for their version and later refer it to the Privileges Committee which will then hear the matter,” Speaker said

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

77)Consider the following pairs :

1) National Diet : Japan

2) Federal Assembly : Russia

3) Cogress : USA

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

78)Consider the following with reference to financial inclusion and inclusive growth :

1) Financial inclusion promoted inclusive growth by making financial services, including credit and other safety nets, available to the bottom of the pyramid.

2)Lessons from the past and experiences gained during the COVID-19 pandemic clearly indicated that financial inclusion and inclusive growth reinforce financial stability.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

79)Consider the following with reference to Digital Payments /UPI :

1) Rapid adoption of digital payments in the country, the number of Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPI) had increased at a compounded annual growth rate of 53% from 41 crore in May 2017, to 226 crore in May 2021.

2)“The trends indicate that such instruments have become immensely popular for making small-value payments,”

3)The extent of digital penetration could be gauged from the fact that, each day on an average during June 2021, payment systems in India had processed more than 15 crore transactions amounting to almost ₹4.5 lakh crore per day.

4)The UPI platform facilitating payment transactions through smartphones had revolutionised the payments landscape in India.

5) “UPI has witnessed over 280 crore transactions in June 2021. Globally, there has been a lot of interest in UPI,” (UPI: Unified Payments Interface)

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

80)Consider the following with reference to O’ Valley or James Ouchterlony Valley :

1)Lack of mobile phone connectivity was a problem not just in O-Valley but across the Gudalur and Pandalur taluks. “We have had discussions with engineers from the telecommunications provider, and they have assured us that they will adress the issue,”

2)Many tribal communities, including members of the Kurumbas and Paniyas, live in Periya Solai in O-Valley.

3)Locals said a few days ago, some children were chased by elephants, indicating the threats that lie on their way to the new classroom.

4) O’ Valley or Ouchterlony Valley is a Town Panchayat in the Gudalur Taluk of The Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The name is a contraction of an older name after a James Ouchterlony, who established coffee plantations in the area

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

81)Consider the following with reference to Manali Island :

1)In a swift operation by the Naval team from INS Parundu, in coordination with the Coast Guard, 12 fishermen were saved after their boat capsized near Manali island

2)Manali Island is in south of Pamban bridge, Rameswaram , Tamil Nadu

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

82)Consider the following with reference to Criminal Contempt of Court :

The initiation of proceedings for criminal contempt of court against lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan has once again brought under focus the necessity for retaining the law of contempt as it stands today.

1)In an era in which social media are full of critics, commentators and observers who deem it necessary to air their views in many unrestrained and uninhibited ways, the higher judiciary should not really be expending its time and energy invoking its power to punish for contempt of itself. While it may not be reasonable to expect that the courts should ignore every allegation or innuendo, and every piece of scurrility, there is much wisdom in giving a wide latitude to publicly voiced criticism and strident questioning of the court’s ways and decisions

2)The objective for contempt is stated to be to safeguard the interests of the public, if the authority of the Court is denigrated and public confidence in the administration of justice is weakened or eroded.

3)But the definition of criminal contempt in India is extremely wide, and can be easily invoked. Suo motu powers of the Court to initiate such proceedings only serve to complicate matters. And truth and good faith were not recognised as valid defences until 2006, when the Contempt of Courts Act was amended.

4)Nevertheless, the Delhi High Court, despite truth and good faith raised as defences, proceeded to sentence the employees of Mid-Day for contempt of court for portraying a retired Chief Justice of India in an unfavourable light.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

83)Consider the following with reference to Floods in northeastern Bihar :

1) Floods continue to wreak havoc on 11 districts in northeastern Bihar, with over 14 lakh people affected so far. Seven persons have been reportedly killed.

2)The Baghmati, Burhi Gandak, Kamlabalan, Lalbakeya, Adhwara, Khiroi, Mahananda and Ghaghra rivers were flowing above the danger level in northeastern Bihar.

3)However, the Ganga was below the danger mark, in Bihar

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

84)Consider the following with reference to Silahalla pumped Hydro-electric storage Project (PHESP) ,Tamil Nadu :

1)Around 400 conservationists, scientists, people’s groups, members of Non-Governmental Organisations and the public have together signed an appeal to the government to scrap the proposed Sillahalla pumped hydro-electric storage project (PHESP).

2)In the appeal made to the Expert Appraisal Committee for River Valley Projects, the signatories pointed out that “The Kundah watershed region in the Nilgiris supports important last remaining vestiges of the Shola-grassland mosaic vegetation, which is one of the most endangered vegetation types in India. This region has crucial amounts of green cover in terms of forested tracts (plantations) which have been naturalised and serve as important habitat and corridors for endangered populations of wildlife.”

3)The proposed Sillahalla project, once implemented, will result in the construction of an upper and a lower reservoir along the Sillahalla stream and also past the existing Kundah Palam dam, and could lead to the direct submergence of 170 hectares of land.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

85)Consider the following with reference to :

The Union Ministry of Environment has been in the spotlight on more than one occasion during the pandemic, as it worked to push through retrograde environmental decisions in an atmosphere of general paralysis. In April, Environment Minister Prakash used a virtual conference to ensure that the National Board for Wildlife’s Standing Committee stamped its approval on several projects, with serious implications for conservation. He wants to hurriedly make a fundamental change to the process of project approvals, by introducing a new Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification.

1)In a Draft, it seeks to replace the existing EIA notification of 2006.

2)The proposed provisions show that the Ministry has gone to great lengths to reduce or even remove public participation, and by extension independent expert opinion, from the process of granting environmental clearances; public reporting of violations may also not be taken cognisance of. While there can be no argument about the importance of development projects, it has resorted to sophistry in classifying activity for exemptions.

3)Section 26 provides a list of projects that would not attract environmental clearance or permission, including coal mining and seismic surveys for oil, methane and shale gas on some lands.

4)Section 14 provides exemption for these and some other projects from public consultation, also limiting the scope of public involvement to the districts concerned, in the case of national parks and sanctuaries where pipeline infrastructure will pass. Roads and highways get liberal concessions. Further, it retains the clause that if a public agency or authority considers the local situation not conducive to participation by citizens, the public consultation need not include a public hearing.

5)In spite of the far-reaching nature of its proposed actions, the Centre has displayed unseemly haste to get them in place and the minister has not aided credibility by trying to shut down public responses to the draft early. It took a Delhi High Court order to extend the deadline to August 11. The exercise has been further muddied by the mysterious blocking of some activist websites calling for the EIA proposal to be dropped, and demanding a new approach towards conserving natural resources for future generations.

6)A study of coal mining clearances shows that 4,302 hectares of forest were diverted during 2014-18, favouring extraction over conservation. COVID-19 has powerfully demonstrated the value of nature for well-being: of lost forests and captured wildlife bringing virus reservoirs closer to humans and foul air destroying their health. While there might be a case for some changes, much of the proposed EIA system can only make things worse, and should not be pushed through.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

86)Consider the following with reference to , the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020 (SOFI 2020) :

New analysis from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) shows that hundreds of millions of people in India above the international poverty line of $1.90 purchasing power parity (PPP) per person per day cannot afford a healthy or nutritious diet. This analysis confirms the fact that the problem of poor nutrition in India is largely on account of the unaffordability of good diets, and not on account of lack of information on nutrition or tastes or cultural preferences. The large majority of Indians cannot afford a balanced diet.

Every year, the FAO, in partnership with other United Nations organisations, publishes a report on food security across the world. This year, the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020 (SOFI 2020) was released. A new feature of SOFI 2020 is a detailed analysis of the “cost and affordability of healthy diets around the world”.

Three types of diet are defined.

1)The first is termed a “basic energy sufficient” diet. This is one in which the required calorie intake is met by consuming only the cheapest starchy cereal available (say, rice or wheat). A requirement of 2,329 Kcal for a healthy young woman of 30 years is taken as the standard reference.

2)The second is a “nutrient adequate” diet, one where the required calorie norms and the stipulated requirement of 23 macro- and micro-nutrients are met. This diet includes least cost items from different food groups.

3)The third diet is a “healthy diet”. This is one which meets the calorie norm and the macro- and micro-nutrient norm and also allows for consumption of a diverse diet, from several food groups.

4)Defining a healthy diet is more complex than the other two diets, and the FAO uses actual recommendations for selected countries.

5)The Indian recommendation includes consumption of items from six groups: starchy staples, protein-rich food (legumes, meat and eggs), dairy, vegetables, fruits, and fats.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

87)Consider the following with reference to voice of dissent :

1) whether a legislators’ “voice of dissent” can be “shut down” with the threat of disqualification. 2)Can expressing dissent amount to “voluntarily giving up the party membership” under Paragraph 2(1)(a) of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution and invite anti-defection proceedings?

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

88)Consider the following with reference to Tigers :

1)The tiger is shining bright in Andhra Pradesh and the rising number of adult and sub-adult big cats during the last five years has filled conservationists with satisfaction.

2)Of the 3,980 tigers left in the world, India, with 2,226, accounts for 75%.

3)The magnificent animal is at the top of the food pyramid and is vital to maintain the ecosystem.

4)A massive conservation effort spearheaded by the Forest Department and many global NGOs has started showing results as is evident from the tangible increase in the population of tigers.

5)The Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR) is the largest one in the country and it is here the number of big cats is on the rise. According to the tiger census carried out by the Wildlife Institute of India and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (2018) and released in 2019, Andhra Pradesh has 48 adult tigers and Telangana 26, in comparison with 68 (2014), 72 (2010) and 95 (2006).

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

89)Consider the following with reference to Governor :

1)“It is settled law that the Governor shall act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers. The Governor has no discretion.

2)The fundamental basis of a parliamentary democracy is a functioning legislature.

3)If the executive government wants the legislature to meet, it has the absolute right and authority to call a session.

4)The Governor is only a formal instrument to sign and issue the summons to the MLAs. He [the Governor] must remember that he has no other masters except the Constitution and the law.”

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

90)Consider the following with reference to The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 :

1)The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha by Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ravi in 2019.

2)It seeks to provide for protection of personal data of individuals, and establish a Data Protection Authority for the same.

3)The data can be anything from traits or attributes of identity, financial or biometric data, caste, religion or even political beliefs.

4)Section 35 of the law says that “in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order” all or any provisions of this Act shall not apply to any agency of the government.

5)And as per Section 36 of the law the “safeguards for an individual can also be suspended in the interests of prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of any offence or any other contravention of any law for the time being in force”.

6)According to the sources, the Union Home Ministry made a presentation to the committee explaining that agencies including the NIA, National Crime Record Bureau, Narcotics Control Bureau and Registrar-General of India should be exempted from the provisions under Section 35 and Section 36 of the data protection law .

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

91)Consider the following with reference to elephants in Botswana & Okavango Delta :

1)Botswana has the world’s highest population of elephants with more than 1,56,000 counted in a 2013 aerial survey in the north.

2)Botswana’s National Veterinary Laboratory has not been able to establish the causes of death despite examining 281 of the elephant carcasses found in the popular Okavango Delta area of the country’s north

3) The Okavango Delta is a vast inland river delta in northern Botswana. It’s known for its sprawling grassy plains, which flood seasonally, becoming a lush animal habitat. The Moremi Game Reserve occupies the east and central areas of the region. Here, dugout canoes are used to navigate past hippos, elephants and crocodiles. On dry land, wildlife includes lions, leopards, giraffes and rhinos

4)The Okavango River , at 1500 KMs, is the third largest in southern Africa.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

92)Consider the following with reference to Article 21 Right to Life :

1)The Supreme Court disagreed with the Uttar Pradesh government’s proposal to conduct a “symbolic” Kanwar Yatra amid the pandemic for “compelling religious reasons”, saying the fundamental rights of citizens across faiths and their right to life trumped religious sentiments.

2)Supreme Court gave the State time till July 19 to rethink its proposal and file an affidavit. If it did not change its plans, the court “will deliver whatever we have to deliver”.

3)“We are of the prima facie view that this is a matter that concerns everyone of us as citizens of India and goes to the very heart of Article 21 [right to life], which has the pride of place in the Fundamental Rights Chapter of the Indian Constitution. Health of the citizenry of India and the right to life are paramount. All other sentiments, albeit religious, are subservient to this basic fundamental right,”

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

93)Consider the following with reference to KRMB and GRMB :

1)Seven years after their constitution under the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, the Centre has notified the purview of Krishna and Godavari River Management Boards (KRMB and GRMB) transferring the operation of all projects, including hydel generation, in the two river basins in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to the boards, effective from October 14.

2)The Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) issued the gazette notification bringing 35 projects and their components such as head works in the Krishna Basin and 71 in the Godavari Basin in the two States under the boards’ purview empowering them to supervise operation of head works of barrages, dams, reservoirs, regulating structures, water transmission lines and power houses at the projects.

3)The notification assumes significance in the backdrop of escalation in the dispute between the two States over project works and hydel generation at Srisailam, Nagarjunasagar and Pulichintala reservoirs. While Andhra Pradesh has been demanding notification of the boards’ purview for long, Telangana has been opposing it on the premise that handing over operation of projects without clarity on water share of the two States won’t serve the purpose.

4)At a press briefing in Delhi,it was said Telangana’s demand for a new tribunal for Krishna water sharing was with the Law Ministry. The MoJS had drafted a request to the Law Ministry to see if the issue should be referred to the existing tribunal with revised terms or whether a new tribunal must be set up. The request “was under process”

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

94)Consider the following with reference to Section 124 A : Sedition :

Recent cases show that sedition is used for three political reasons: to suppress criticism and protests against particular policies and projects of the government, to criminalise dissenting opinion from rights defenders, lawyers, activists and journalists, and to settle political scores, sometimes with communal hues.

1)It is not to be forgotten that the section was upheld in 1962 by a Constitution Bench mainly by reading down the import of the terms “bring into hatred or contempt”, or “to create disaffection towards the government established by law” and limit its scope to only those instances of speech or writing that show a pernicious tendency to create public disorder.

2)Without this attenuated interpretation, the restriction imposed on free speech by Section 124A would have been declared unconstitutional.

3)Supreme Court is now seized of several cases that seek a reconsideration of the 1962 verdict, citing more recent judgments expanding the scope of fundamental rights and doctrines that have been subsequently evolved.

4)In particular, the “chilling effect” that a law may have on free speech and the vague and ‘overbroad’ definition of sedition that renders both provocative and innocuous speeches or writings equally liable for prosecution, are points to be examined.

5)In 2016, the Government itself admitted in Parliament that the definition of sedition is too wide and requires reconsideration.

6)The Law Commission’s consultation paper in 2018 had said: “In a democracy, singing from the same songbook is not a benchmark of patriotism… People should be at liberty to show their affection towards their country in their own way.” While issuing fresh guidelines and safeguards is one way of quelling the potential for its misuse, it will be more helpful if Section 124A is struck down altogether.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

95)Consider the following with reference to FASTER‘ Fast and Secure Transmission of Electronic Records’ R’ :

1)“In this age of information and communication technology, we are still looking at the skies for the pigeons to communicate the orders,” Chief Justice of India

2)So, as a solution, it was announced in open court the rolling out of a new scheme called ‘FASTER‘ Fast and Secure Transmission of Electronic Records’ R’ or by which the Supreme Court would instantly, directly, securely and electronically transmit bail and other orders to jail authorities, district courts and High Courts. Attorney General appreciated the court’s initiative.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

96)Consider the following with reference to the ‘fingers’ which are mountain spurs on the northern bank of the Pangong lake(East Ladakh).

1)Disengagement has been completed from stand-off sites at Patrolling Point (PP) 14 at Galwan Valley and PP 15 in the Gogra-Hot Springs area. It is, however, only partially completed at PP17A, another patrolling point in the Gogra-Hot Springs area, and also incomplete at Pangong Lake, it was said, adding that there was no change in the ground situation with the first phase of disengagement remaining incomplete.

2)These issues, in addition to further disengagement, would be taken up during the talks.

3)Later, the Chinese Foreign Ministry was asked by Chinese media to confirm whether “Chinese and Indian troops have completed disengagement at three localities, namely, Galwan Valley, Hot Springs and Kongka Pass” and if “the only area where disengagement is left to be implemented is along the Pangong Lake.”

4) Kongka Pass is east of Gogra-Hot Springs.

5)The ‘fingers’ are mountain spurs on the northern bank of the Pangong lake.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

97)Consider the following with reference to Tigers Survey :

1)A detailed survey released in 2020 reveals that nearly a third of India’s tigers are living outside tiger reserves and nearly 17 of the 50 reserves are approaching the peak of their capacity at sustaining their populations.

2)India hosts 70% of the world’s tigers.

3)At 2,967, experts say, India may slowly be approaching its peak carrying capacity of tigers. For the first time, said a scientist associated with the survey, there was an attempt to segregate how many tigers were largely present within the reserves and how many flitted in and out and were dependent on the core reserve for sustenance. This was to guide conservation policy.

4)The ‘reserves’, by definition, are a “source” and suitable for nourishing a growing tiger population because of prey availability and territory.

5)However, when they get too crowded, tigers venture out further from “sources” and form “sinks” and much of wildlife population dynamics is about understanding this source-sink relationship.

6)“Generally, there’s a 60-40 split in tigers from source-sink, but this can vary. However, we are approaching the maximum capacity of several good reserves, and the focus should be on developing under-utilised reserves and not over-nourish those that have a good population,” .

7)In the tiger reserves in Uttar Pradesh, there were several more tigers that depended on the source but lived outside it.

8)In Corbett, there were 231 tigers within the reserves, but 266 were ‘utilising it.’

9)Kanha in Madhya Pradesh had 88 inside and 108 dependent on it.

10)The Pench reserve in Maharashtra had 53 inside but 82 utilising them.

11)These estimates were based on tigers photographed via camera traps .

12)“In the tall grass Terai and Shivalik hills habitat, highest tiger densities have been achieved. In these habitats, tiger densities at carrying capacity can be between 10 to 16 tigers per 100 sq km,” the authors note.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

98)Consider the following with reference to Government Botanical Garden :

1)Government Botanical Garden in Udhagamandalam and Sims Park in Coonoor.

2)They record some of the highest tourist footfalls in the district, and along with the Government Rose Garden and Kattery Park, have remained shut to tourists since March 17,2020

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

99)Consider the following with reference to Ennore Creek, Tamil Nadu :

1)The Ennore creek and its backwaters, the confluence point of Kosasthalaiyar river, North Buckingham canal and the sea, have been destroyed with hotwater discharge and leakage of fly ash slurry, for nearly two decades now.

2)A pipeline from NC Thermal Power Station carrying fly ash along the creek added layers of silt.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

100)Consider the following with reference to Russia, India and China (RIC) & BRIC :

1)In 2020 a few eyebrows were raised when India decided to attend a (virtual) meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Russia, India and China (RIC). Amid the tensions on the Line of Actual Control, the dominant calls were for a more decisive westward shift in India’s foreign policy. A RIC meeting seemed incongruous in this setting.

2)When the RIC dialogue commenced in the early 2000s, the three countries were positioning themselves for a transition from a unipolar to a multipolar world order. It was not an anti-U.S. construct; all three countries considered their relationship with the United States an essential prop to their global ambitions. The RIC shared some non-West (as distinct from anti-West) perspectives on the global order, such as an emphasis on sovereignty and territorial integrity, impatience with homilies on social policies and opposition to regime change from abroad. Their support for democratisation of the global economic and financial architecture moved to the agenda of BRIC (with the addition of Brazil).

3)The elephant in the RIC room is the Indo-Pacific. For India, it is a geographic space of economic and security importance, in which a cooperative order should prevent the dominance of any external power. China sees our Indo-Pacific initiatives as part of a U.S.-led policy of containing China. Russia’s Foreign Ministry sees the Indo-Pacific as an American ploy to draw India and Japan into a military alliance against China and Russia. India’s focus on economic links with the Russian Far East and activation of a Chennai-Vladivostok maritime corridor may help persuade Russia that its interests in the Pacific are compatible with our interest in diluting Chinese dominance in the Indo-Pacific; this also accords with President Putin’s concept of a Greater Eurasia.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c