Model question paper 25 - Ananta IAS Academy

Civils Prelims 2021 Model Questions (for GS Paper )

Set No. 25 {Prepared on 19 .9.2021 (Evening)}

Prepared by :P.Potayya Sarma

Mobile No.8143189271

1)Consider the following with reference to POSHAN Abhiyan :

1) POSHAN Abhiyaan has been launched in March 2018 to achieve improvement in nutritional status of Children from 0-6 years, Adolescent Girls, Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers in a time bound manner by leveraging technology, convergence and Jan Andolan.

2) Malnutrition is not the direct cause of death among children under five years of age. Though it can increase morbidity and mortality by reducing resistance to infections. Malnourished children are more vulnerable to any infection than normal children.

3) The overall under five mortality rate (number of deaths per thousand live births) has reduced from 74.3 as reported by 3^rd National Family Health Survey report released in 2005-06 to 49.7 as 4^th National Family Health Survey report released in 2015-16

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 Cloud computing & GI Cloud (MeghRaj) :

Cloud computing is the on demand availability of computer system resources, especially data storage and computing power, without direct active management by the user

1)For better governance and speeding up the delivery of e-services, India has already started an ambitious initiative on harnessing the advantages of cloud computing. This initiative called “MeghRaj”, is technically known as “GI Cloud”.

2) An important report of the Department of Electronics and IT (DeitY), Government of India published in April 2013 titled “Government of India’s GI Cloud (MeghRaj) Strategic Direction Paper” shows the ambition and objective of the Government of India to provide information and communication technology (ICT) services at the most reliable manner at a cheaper cost.

3) As per the report, the GI Cloud is the Government of India’s cloud computing environment that will be used by government departments and agencies at the centre and states to provide services to citizens and businesses via internet and mobile connectivity.

4)It will enable the government to leverage cloud computing for effective delivery of e-services and optimise ICT spending of the government

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

3)Consider the following with reference to Sources of Lunar Water :

1) Understanding the sources of lunar water is crucial for studying the history of lunar evolution and also the solar wind interaction with Moon and other airless bodies.

2)There have been several theories about the origin of water on Moon.

3) The prevailing theory is that positively charged hydrogen ions (H+) propelled by the solar wind bombard the lunar surface and spontaneously react to make water as hydroxyl (OH−) ions and molecular water (H2 O).

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 with reference to MOXIE :

1) Mars has a thin atmosphere predominantly composed of carbon dioxide and no breathable oxygen

2) Hence, in future, human missions will have to be self-sufficient and produce breathable oxygen and liquid oxygen rocket fuel in-house on Mars.

3) MOXIE or Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment will perform the task. Like a tree, MOXIE will breathe-in the Martian atmospheric carbon-di-oxide and breathe out oxygen to produce oxygen on Mars. This car-battery-sized instrument is an experimental one.

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 with reference to 2021 as the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables and Aahaar Kranti :

1) A balanced diet is one which provides all the nutrients in required amounts and proper proportions. It can easily be achieved through a blend of the four basic food groups.

2) United Nations has also declared 2021 as the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables, whichvibes very well with Aahaar Kranti. In any case, fruits and vegetables make a large part of a balanced diet.

3) We all know that diet and well-being are inseparable partners. The UN sustainable goal # 3 that emphasizes on human well-being reads, “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.” This goal too makes Aahaar Kranti more meaningful.

4)Aahaar Kranti is a movement to raise awareness about the importance of nutritionally balanced diet in India. It is an effort to rouse the people to the value of our traditional diet, to the healing powers of local fruits and vegetables, and to the miracles of a balanced diet.

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 with reference to Covid-19 :

To analyse the genome sequence of the new strain of the virus, scientists around the world had collected samples from COVID-19 patients. The samples were then sequenced and the sequence analysis revealed that it has 88% genetic similarity to SARS-CoV and 50% similarity to MERS-CoV; also, the genome sequence does not support the belief that COVID-19 is laboratory construct.

1)The infection process has a lock-and-key mechanism. Here the lock is the spike surface glycoproteins present on SARS-CoV2 virus and the key is the ACE2 receptor present on the surface of human cell.

2)These ACE2 receptors unlock the virus by binding to spike surface glycoproteins that allow it to enter into the host body after which a second protein called TMPRSS2 activates the virus, allowing it to reproduce and transmit within the cell.

3)Once the virus starts multiplying inside the body, the infected person starts showing symptoms (symptomatic); although in some cases no symptoms are observed (asymptomatic).

4)The absence of symptoms does not mean that the individual is safe and would not spread any infection. In fact, they may suffer irreversible damage to their vital organs resulting in death. In Vishakhapatnam, for instance, a doctor working at AntiRetroviral Therapy (ART) Centre, and in the premises of the old Government Hospital in Vijayawada died suddenly after having breathing problems, though he was asymptomatic otherwise.

5)When it comes to sudden deaths, silent hypoxia caused by SARS-CoV-2 may be the main cause of death. More studies are required to identify why exactly the virus causes silent hypoxia, compared to other viruses like influenza, where it is not seen as often.

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 Vaccines :

Back in 1796, English doctor Edward Jenner used cowpox blood serum to generate immunity to smallpox. In the late 1800s, Louis Pasteur showed that microbes cause several infectious diseases. Later, Pasteur developed the process of laboratory-created vaccines using microbes.

1)Vaccines are essentially preventive agents and not curative.

2)Vaccines stimulate a person’s immune system to produce immunity to a specific disease and protect the person from that disease.

3)Vaccines are mostly specific to a particular microbe (virus or bacteria) and helps in tuning the recipient’s immune system against it

4) Following immunisation, vaccines elicit a controlled and very specific immune response and create cellular memory of immune cells to protect the person from future infection by the same infectious agent.

5) In most cases, vaccination is required once in a life-time and may involve booster doses in some diseases like tetanus, polio, etc

6) Vaccines are generally administrated orally, through nasal spray or injection and do not require to be metabolized

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 with reference to Strict ethical norms and vaccine research :

1)Strict ethical norms are associated with vaccine research as it involves sacrifice, experimental harm, pain and discomfort of a large number of laboratory animals and risking health of human subjects.

2) Mammalian model animals such as rats, mice, rabbits, pigs, calves, cattle, sheep, monkeys, and horses are frequently used for vaccine research to assess: (i) vaccine safety, (ii) protection against the disease/infection, (iii) limiting clinical symptoms, (iv) critical function of immune system, (v) magnitude of immune response, (vi) routes of administration, and (vii) which immune components are induced.

3) Major objective of ethical considerations for clinical trials include rationale of the trial, selection of participants, limiting biasness, health outcome, participant’s consent, confidentiality, medical care and clinical follow-up.

4) Respective “Institutional Ethics Committees” (IEC) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) oversee the strict ethical compliance as per the guidelines issued by ICMR, New Delhi.

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 with reference to Food Processing in the Indian economy :

. Food processing also offers huge employment potential. In India, while the food processing industry’s contribution to overall Gross Value Added (GVA) is only 1.6 per cent, it accounts for 1.8 million (12.4 per cent) and 5.1 million (14.2 per cent) jobs in registered and un-incorporated sectors, respectively.

1)Recognising this, the government has set the target for raising the share of processed food to 25 per cent of the total agricultural produce by 2025

2) The food processing sector was also opened up for 100 per cent FDI in 2016 under the automatic route.

3) Further, in 2017, 100 per cent FDI under the government route for retail trading, including through e-commerce, was permitted in respect of food products manufactured and/or produced in India

4) . For ensuring adequate credit flows, the Reserve Bank has accorded priority sector status to the food processing industry in 2015.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

10)Consider the following with reference to Food security and food distribution :

COVID has brought the importance of food security and food distribution or supply chain network to the forefront of public policy debate in India. Successive years of record production of foodgrains and horticulture crops has transformed India into a food surplus economy

1) Recognising this challenge, much of the policy attention in recent years for the sector has focused on addressing post-production frictions, comprising agri-logistics, storage facilities, processing and marketing.

2) Greater focus on processed food is one option that could help in dealing with multi-pronged challenges of surplus management.

3) Development of the food processing industry is likely to benefit the farm sector and the economy through greater value addition to farm output, reducing food wastages, stabilising food prices, expanding export opportunities, encouraging crop diversification, providing direct and indirect employment opportunities, increasing farmers’ income and enhancing consumer choices.

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 with reference to Tourism and opportunities :

1)Tourism has been one of the sectors in the economy most severely impacted by COVID-19. At the same time, this is also a sector where pent up demand could drive a V- shaped recovery when the situation normalises.

2) India has immense potential to meet a diverse range of tourist interests – religion; adventure; medical treatment; wellness and yoga; sports; film making; and eco-tourism.

3)We have four major biodiversity hotspots, 38 UNESCO World heritage sites 18 biosphere reserves, over 7,000 km of coastline, rain forests, deserts, tribal habitation and a multi-cultural population.

4)The challenge nevertheless is to scale up our tourism market and enhance its contribution to economic development.

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 Tourism and employment :

As per the Third Report of Tourism Satellite Account for India (TSAI) 2018, the share of tourism in GDP was 5.1 per cent in 2016-17 and the share in employment was 12.2 per cent (with the direct and indirect shares at 5.32 per cent and 6.88 per cent, respectively).

1) In 2018-19, tourism’s share in employment increased further to 12.8 per cent, with the total size of employment at 87.5 million.

2) The employment elasticity in this sector, thus, appears to be high. India attracted 10.89 million foreign tourists in 2019, an increase of 3.2 per cent over the previous year.

3) The foreign exchange earnings generated by the sector during the same period was about ₹2 trillion, a year-on-year increase of more than 8 per cent.

4)The country also jumped six positions to 34 out of 140 counties in the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index 2019 of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

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 post Global Financial Crisis :

In the post global financial crisis (GFC) period, a view has emerged that the era of export-led growth is over, and India missed the opportunity by not prioritizing exports at the right time. Globally, the key impediments to exports post-GFC include:

(1) generalized increase in protectionism by trading partners;

(2) weak global demand conditions;

(3) race to the bottom (to gain unfair competitive advantage, by using a policy mix of competitive depreciation, subsidies, tax and regulatory concessions);

(4) automation, reducing the cost advantages stemming from cheap labour.

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 with reference to effects of Covid-19 on productivity levels :

By any reckoning, COVID-19 will leave long lasting scars on productivity levels of countries around the world

1) According to a recent World Bank assessment, COVID-19 could entail adverse effects on productivity because of dislocation of labour, disruption of value chains and decline in innovations

2) During earlier episodes of epidemics in the past – Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), Ebola and Zika – productivity is estimated to have declined by about 4 per cent over three years.

3) The COVID impact on productivity could be expected to be much larger.

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 India Innovation Index released by NiTi Aayog :

The share of patents applied and granted to India in total patents granted globally has been rising in recent years.

1) India’s share, however, continues to be low at less than 1 per cent. Globally, the private sector plays a major role in R&D expenditure, while in India, a major part of R&D expenditure is incurred by the government, particularly on atomic energy, space research, earth sciences and biotechnology. Stepping up R&D investment in other areas would require more efforts by the private sector, with the government focusing on creating an enabling environment.

2) With a view to further promoting innovations in financial services, the Reserve Bank has announced an Innovation Hub with a focus on new capabilities in financial products and services that can help deepening financial inclusion and efficient banking services. Ongoing efforts are yielding results

3) India has recently entered the group of top 50 countries in the global innovation index (GII) list of 2020 for the first time.

4) The India Innovation Index, released by Niti Aayog , has been widely accepted as a major step in the direction of decentralisation of innovation across all states of the country. Sustaining this process will be vital, given particularly the trend decline in saving and investment rate in India.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

16)Consider the following with reference to Health and affordable healthcare :

Health is another vital component of human capital.

1)Good health increases life expectancy and productive working years.

2)In high income countries, per capita health expenditure in 2017 was about US$ 2937, as against US$ 130 in low middle-income countries (which include India).

3)Initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Aushadi Pariyojana (PMBJP) and Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP), free drugs and diagnostic service provision initiatives are expected to improve the quality and affordability of healthcare.

4)The most important step towards providing affordable healthcare has been the launch of the Ayushman Bharat Yojna, which lays down the foundation of a 21st century health care system, covering both government and private sector hospitals.

5)COVID has brought to the fore the importance of easy access to health services to contain the mortality rate, given significant inter-state and intra-state differences in healthcare infrastructure.

6)While laudable crisis time response to scale up health infrastructure has helped in dealing with the health emergency, a more comprehensive approach similar to NEP for the health sector may be warranted, which must also cover deeper penetration of insurance, given the high burden of out of pocket expenses in India, and also preventive care.

7)Greater attention is required to improve the health ecosystem by ensuring creation of new medical colleges, higher number of PG seats and colleges for paramedics and nursing.

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 NEP 2020 :

The New Education Policy 2020 (NEP), a historic and much needed new age reform, has the potential to leverage India’s favourable demographics by prioritising human capital.

The goal to increase public investment in the education sector to 6 per cent of GDP must be pursued vigorously.

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) can develop necessary infrastructure, without jeopardising financial viability of private investment while ensuring quality education at affordable costs. Indian banks and the financial system would need to respond proactively to opportunities arising from the NEP for new financing.

1)Besides improving access to education, focus on quality of education and research will be critical to shape the outcome of education on economic development.

2)Skill acquisition is more important than mere mean years of schooling. The assessment of quality aspect of education often requires a multi-dimensional approach: reading and language proficiency; mathematics and numeracy proficiency; and scientific knowledge and understanding.

3)The emphasis on quality of education must begin at the foundation stage in schools up to plus 2 level.

4)At another level, the formation of the National Research Foundation as announced in the NEP is a welcome step to fund outstanding peer-reviewed research and to actively promote research in universities and colleges.

5)The creation of a National Educational Technology Forum as a platform for use of technology in education is a necessary step to meet the requirement of rapidly changing labour market.

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 education as human capital :

Investing in people adds to the stock of skills, expertise and knowledge available in a country, and that is critical to maximise its future growth potential. The assignment of importance to education dates back to Plato, Aristotle, Socrates and Kautilya. Its significance for economic development has received progressively increasing attention in recent decades, especially in the work of several Nobel laureates, including T.W. Schultz, Gary Becker, Robert Lucas and James Heckman. There has come about an explicit recognition of education as human capital in endogenous growth theory, backed up by cross-country empirical evidence.

1)In India, states with higher literacy rates are found to have higher per capita income, lesser infant mortality, better health conditions and also lower poverty.

2)Education and skill development, however, contribute less than half a percentage point to our overall labour productivity growth.

3)In order to reap the demographic dividend, we have to raise expenditure on education and acquisition of skills substantially.

4)It is important to recognise that investment in education pays by raising average wages.

5)In its Global Education Monitoring Report 2012, the UNESCO highlighted that every US$1 spent on education generates additional income of about US$10 to US$15.

6)A World Bank (2014) study showed that an additional year of schooling increases earnings by 10 per cent a year.

7)Higher education also contributes to economic development through greater sensitivity to environment/climate change, energy use, civic participation and healthy lifestyle.

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 with reference to stabilization of economy and support a quick recovery :

The immediate policy response to COVID in India has been to prioritize stabilization of the economy and support a quick recovery. Polices for durable and sustainable high growth in the medium-run after the crisis, nevertheless, are equally important.

While interacting with members of the National Council of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on July 27, 2020, experts had found five major dynamic shifts taking place in the economy: (i) fortunes shifting in favour of the farm sector; (ii) changing energy mix in favour of renewables; (iii) leveraging information and communication technology (ICT) and start-ups to power growth; (iv) shifts in supply/value chains, both domestic and global; and (v) infrastructure as the force multiplier of growth.

The following would determine our ability to step up and sustain India’s growth in the medium-run:

1)human capital , in particular education and health

2) productivity

3) exports , which is linked to raising India’s role in the global value chain

4) tourism

5)food processing and associated productivity gains

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 with reference to financial markets in India :

1)Financial market conditions in India have eased significantly across segments in response to the frontloaded cuts in the policy repo rate and large system-wide as well as targeted infusion of liquidity by the RBI.

2)Despite substantial increase in the borrowing programme of the Government, persistently large surplus liquidity conditions have ensured non-disruptive mobilisation of resources at the lowest borrowing costs in a decade.

3)In August 2020, the yield on 10-year G-sec benchmark surged by 35 basis points amidst concerns over inflation and further increase in supply of government papers.

4)Following the RBI’s announcement of special open market operations (OMOs) and other measures to restore orderly functioning of the G-sec market, bond yields have softened and traded in a narrow range in September,2020

5)Although bank credit growth remains muted, scheduled commercial banks’ investments in commercial paper, bonds, debentures and shares of corporate bodies in the year so far (up to August 28,2020) increased by ₹5,615 crore as against a decline of ₹32,245 crore during the same period of last year.

6)Moreover, the benign financing conditions and the substantial narrowing of spreads have spurred a record issuance of corporate bonds of close to ₹3.2 lakh crore during 2020-21 up to August,2020.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

21)Consider the following with reference to global economy :

The global economy is estimated to have suffered the sharpest contraction in living memory in April-June 2020 on a seasonally adjusted quarter-on-quarter basis. World merchandise trade is estimated to have registered a steep year-on-year decline of more than 18 per cent in Q2 of 2020, according to the Goods Trade Barometer of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

High frequency indicators point to a trough in global economic activity in April-June quarter and a subsequent recovery is underway in several economies, such as the USA, UK, Euro-area and Russia. The global manufacturing and services PMIs rose to 51.8 and 51.9, respectively, in August,2020 from 50.6 for both in July. Yet, infections remain stubbornly high in the Americas and are increasing again in many European and Asian countries, causing some of them to renew containment measures.

1) On the back of large policy stimulus and indications of the hesitant economic recovery, global financial markets have turned upbeat.

2)Equity markets in both advanced and emerging market economies have bounced back, scaling new peaks after the ‘COVID crash’ in February-March. (2020)

3) Bond yields have hardened in advanced economies on improvement in risk appetite, fuelling shift in investor’s preferences towards riskier assets.

4) Portfolio flows to EMEs have resumed, and this has pushed up EME currencies, aided also by the US dollar’s weakness following the Fed’s recent communication on pursuing an average inflation target..

5) Gold prices moderated after reaching an all-time high in the first week of August 2020 on prospects of economic recovery

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 :

1)India, with a large section of population in the working age group, is already the third largest economy in the world in terms of purchasing power parity and is aiming to become a USD 5 trillion economy.

2)The Government has been undertaking a series of calibrated macro measures through wide ranging structural reforms.

3)We need to harness the demographic dividend by meeting the aspirations of a large young population. This necessitates creating an enabling environment and infrastructure in the form of education, training and opportunity.

4)Among all the prerequisites for achieving demographic dividend and accelerated growth, quality of human resources, greater formalisation of economy, a higher credit to GDP ratio and greater financial inclusion are the differentiating factors that would elevate our economy to the desired level.

5)To improve the credit to GDP ratio, access to credit and cost of credit need to be addressed by lesser reliance on collateral security and greater cash-flow based lending.

6)Credit bureaus and the proposed Public Credit Registry (PCR) framework are expected to improve the flow of credit as well as credit culture.

7)As regards financial inclusion, a number of steps have been taken by the government and the RBI. As a result, large and hitherto excluded, sections of the population have been brought into the formal financial fold. In this context, promoting and deepening financial education would play a very important part in our endeavour to realise our collective potential.

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 :

While pandemics are rare events and seldom replicate past episodes, studying their impact and policy responses provide valuable insights.

1)Four such severe pandemic outbreaks in India viz., 1896 plague, 1918 Spanish flu, 1958 Asian flu and 1974 small pox show that all were associated with a contraction/deceleration in GDP, with the 1918 Spanish flu remaining the “mother of all pandemics” in terms of loss of life and livelihood.

2)The recovery, however, was observed to be swift and complete within 2 years of these outbreaks, except in the case of the Spanish flu wherein GDP per capita climbed back to pre-outbreak levels only after four years in 1922.

3)Policy responses post these pandemics had essentially focused on the provisioning for medical and public health sectors as well as offsetting the debilitating impact of the pandemic on the economy.

4)It was seen that growth became excessively dependent on government expenditure, while timely and well calibrated exit from exceptional fiscal measures were critical for macroeconomic stability, going ahead.

5)Policy focus on boosting private consumption expenditure and investment was the key in reviving the economy on a durable basis.

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 :

The past year has witnessed unimaginable misery and agony across the world entailing large destruction of human life and wealth. Governments and central banks across the globe unleashed conventional and unconventional policy support

1)In India, the Reserve Bank undertook several conventional and unconventional measures in the wake of COVID-19.

2)Other than conventional measures, the RBI introduced long term repo operations (LTROs) and targeted long-term repo operations (TLTROs) to augment system as well as sector-specific liquidity to meet sectoral credit needs and alleviate stress.

3)Special refinance facilities were provided to select all India financial institutions (AIFIs), while a special liquidity facility for mutual funds (SLF-MF) was introduced to ease redemption pressures.

4) RBI’s asset purchases did not dilute its balance sheet and hence, did not compromise on core principles of central banking. These purchases were confined to risk-free sovereign bonds (including state government securities) only.

5)The focus was to foster congenial financing conditions without jeopardising financial stability. Further, forward guidance gained prominence in the Reserve Bank’s communication strategy to realise cooperative outcomes. Our commitment to ensure ample liquidity conditions supportive of recovery dispelled illiquidity fears and bolstered market sentiments. We will continue to support the recovery process through the provision of ample liquidity in the system, while maintaining financial stability.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

25)Consider the following :

The impact of demand and supply shocks is also reflected in the balance of payments. While commodity exporting countries faced lower current account surpluses due to negative shocks to their net terms of trade, net commodity importing countries such as India benefited, recording either lower deficits or even surpluses.

Lower crude oil prices and weak demand due to COVID-19 related lockdown in early days of the pandemic squeezed India’s oil import bill by 42.5 per cent during April-January 2020-21.

In contrast to goods trade, India’s net services exports remained relatively resilient despite travel receipts falling sharply due to travel restrictions. Unlike most of the other major economies, India’s services exports gained traction from software exports. Domestic information technology (IT) companies benefitted from growing global demand for core transformation services as their customers focused on new models for IT operations during the pandemic. Remittance inflows fell amid widespread job losses in host countries. Nevertheless, the decline in remittances was more than offset by the lower trade deficit and robust net exports of services.

As noted by UNCTAD (2021), India’s inward foreign direct investment (FDI) bucked the global trend and grew positively in 2020, boosted by investments in the digital sector.

1) In 2020-21 (April-December), net FDI to India at US$ 40.5 billion was higher than US$ 31.1 billion a year ago. India’s optimistic growth outlook and ample global liquidity also induced net foreign portfolio investment of US$ 35 billion in domestic equity market in 2020-21 (up to February 19,2021).

2) Non-residents also made higher accretion to deposits with banks in India. Consequently, the surplus on both current and capital account is reflected in build-up of foreign exchange reserves during the year.

3) As on February 19, 2021, foreign exchange reserves were US$ 583.9 billion, an accretion of US$ 106.1 billion since end-March 2020. The external sector outlook would continue to be reshaped by headwinds and tailwinds associated with both domestic and global recovery

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 manufacturing sector (MSME Sector) :

The manufacturing sector is spearheading the growth recovery as many contact intensive services sub-sectors are severely affected by the crisis. The initiatives by the Government under the AatmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan and Union Budget 2021-22 towards developing a vibrant manufacturing sector and infrastructure acknowledges the strong linkages they have with the rest of the sectors.

1)The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme aims to make India an integral part of the global value chain. This, along with reforms in labour market, can go a long way in propelling growth to an elevated trajectory for the manufacturing sector and reap its employment potential.

2)small and medium enterprises account for about two-thirds of the current membership of the Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

3) The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector in India has emerged as the growth engine of the economy with a vast network of about 6.33 crore enterprises contributing 30 per cent to our nominal GDP and around 48 per cent to exports.

4)MSME sector employs about 11 crore people, second only to agriculture. The sector has been rendered especially vulnerable by the pandemic, necessitating concerted efforts to combat the stress and focus on revival of the sector.

5)In this regard, two major schemes, viz., the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) and the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Subordinate Debt (CGSSD) were introduced by the Government.

6)These schemes have been duly supported by various monetary and regulatory measures by the Reserve Bank in the form of interest rate cuts, higher structural and durable liquidity, moratorium on debt servicing, asset classification standstill, loan restructuring package and CRR exemptions on credit disbursed to new MSME borrowers. These measures will not only help in ameliorating stress in the sector but also open new opportunities. Going forward, the Reserve Bank stands ready to support the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) for greater credit penetration to the MSME sector.

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 Digital Penetration in India :

Digital penetration in India has scaled a new high. The time has come to leverage its applications while at the same time strengthening the digital infrastructure. With approximately 1.2 billion wireless subscribers and 750 million internet subscribers, India is the second largest and one of the fastest-growing markets for digital consumers.

As digital capabilities improve and connectivity becomes omnipresent, technological innovation and technology-driven revolution are poised to quickly and radically change India’s economy. They have the potential to raise the productivity of agriculture, manufacturing and businesses as well as improve the delivery of public services, such as health and education.

1)In the financial sector, this could lead to higher financial inclusion, lesser information asymmetry and reduced credit risk.

2)Similarly, open online courses, audio-visual training programmes and remote learning can strengthen the match between skills required by the industry and skills imparted in schools, colleges and technical institutes.

3)Healthcare delivery can be improved via digitisation of medical records, remote provision of diagnosis and prescription via smartphones and mobile internet.

4) Technology adoption in rural areas for ‘precision farming’ by using geographical information systems-based soil, water and climate data to guide farming decisions as well as using real-time market information to guide sale of agro-products can add high value to the agriculture sector. The e-commerce sector with its lower cost of transactions is already revolutionising the market structure culminating in deeper market integration.

5) Gross domestic expenditure on research and development (GERD) in India is mainly driven by the Government with a share of 56 per cent in total R&D. It is important that for India to become a global technology and innovation leader, the corporate sector should take the lead as is the case in many emerging markets and advanced economies.

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 :

Post COVID-19, the health sector has undoubtedly emerged as a major fault line as well as the sector with tremendous growth opportunities.

1) With a network of more than 3000 companies, India now ranks third globally for pharmaceutical production by volume, with the sector generating a trade surplus of over US $ 12 billion annually.

2) India now supplies more than half of the global demand for vaccines. The sector is expected to witness strong growth in the coming years with its commitment to R&D and low cost of production.

3) It is expected to supply a significant share of increased global demand for vaccines and medicines in the post COVID-19 scenario. Going forward, focus should be more on enhancing overall supply of health services at every level of value chain in a cost effective manner. Corporate sector needs to invest more to create scale and skill in this sector.

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 Free Trade Agreements :

Another policy area which needs focus for providing a durable push to India’s exports and growth is Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with key strategically important economies. The potential FTAs need to take cognisance of not only domestic strengths and global opportunities but also the emerging geo-political landscape in the post-pandemic period..

1) While designing future FTAs, India’s experience with FTAs can be a significant guidepost. Key considerations should be to identify countries and regions that not only have the potential as a market for domestic goods and services but also have the scope to enhance domestic competitiveness, especially in sectors covered under the PLI scheme

2) The post-Brexit scenario offers a greater scope for having separate trade agreements with the UK and the European Union. FTAs with these economies can boost not only the bilateral trade and investment relations but may also pave the way for greater collaboration in the areas of scientific research and climate change.

3) Due to favourable demographic dividend, Africa also offers immense potential for exports and investment from Indian firms. Large presence of Indian diaspora could help tap this potential.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

30)Consider the following with reference to global trade :

1)Recovery in world services trade, which grew faster than merchandise trade in the pre-pandemic period, is expected to be slower due to cross-border travel restrictions being still in place. There has, however, been greater emphasis on carrying out business operations with efficiency. This has increased the demand for cutting-edge software services and new business opportunities brought on by the ongoing global value chain reconfiguration. This has also provided resilience to software exports of IT companies.

2) A recent study by WTO (February 2021) estimates that by 2030, global trade growth would be 2 per cent higher annually, on average, because of the adoption of digital technologies

3) This should open up new opportunities for trade by reducing trade costs and strengthening ties between global value chains. Given our renewed focus on digitisation, India by being the largest software exporting country, is expected to gain with increased servicification.

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 Covid-19 :

1) Overall, we are on the cusp of a turnaround in fortunes. In contrast to rest of the world, the caseload of COVID-19 in India has declined and it is crucial for us to consolidate this decline and capitalise on the success that has been hard-earned.

2) The infection caseload in some parts of the country is, however, again creeping up. We need to stay vigilant and steadfast, and on our toes. The COVID war continues.

3) The battle of 2020 has been won, albeit with significant costs in terms of lives, livelihood and economic activity. We need to win the battle of 2021 also. Let us resolve to eventually win this war.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

32)Consider the following with reference to Open Banking and Account Aggregator (NBFC) :

Globally, open banking regulatory frameworks are structured to enable third party access to customer-permissioned data, requiring licencing or authorisation of third parties, and implementing data privacy and disclosure and consent requirements. Some frameworks may also contain provisions related to whether third parties can share and/or resell data onward to “fourth parties”, use the data for purposes beyond the customer’s original consent and to whether banks or third parties could be remunerated for sharing data. Open banking frameworks may also contain expectations or requirements on data storage and security.

1)India has kick started its approach to Open Banking by enabling an intermediary which will be responsible for the customers’ consent management.

2)These intermediaries are licensed as Non-Banking Financial Companies. In September 2016, RBI announced creation of a new licensed entity called Account Aggregator (AA) and allowed them to consolidate financial information of a customer held with different financial entities, spread across financial sector regulators.

3)In India, AA acts as an intermediary between Financial Information Provider (FIP) such as bank, banking company, non-banking financial company, asset management company, depository, depository participant, insurance company, insurance repository, pension fund etc., and Financial Information User (FIU) which are entities registered with and regulated by any financial sector regulator. The flow of information takes place through appropriate Application Programming Interfaces (APIs).

4)The transfer of such information is based on an explicit consent of the customer and with appropriate agreements/ authorisations between the AA, the customer, and the financial information providers.

5)Data cannot be stored by the aggregator or used by it for any other purpose. Explicit and robust data security and customer grievance redressal mechanisms have been prescribed and the Account Aggregators are not permitted to undertake any other activity, primarily to protect the customers’ interest.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

33)Consider the following with reference to Financial market conditions :

Domestic financial market conditions were benign at the start of the year(2020) but witnessed severe stress and dislocation as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded.

1)Thinning out of activity impacted market liquidity. Increased volatility of financial prices was observed across most asset classes.

2)Yields hardened in the government securities market and the yield curve steepened sharply amidst concerns about fiscal slippage and sustained sell-off by FPIs.

3)The financing conditions in the commercial paper and corporate bond market also deteriorated, reflecting overall market conditions as well as generalised risk aversion.

4)The Rupee sharply depreciated, with increasing volatility and heightened forward premia.

5)The Reserve Bank acted proactively and nimble-footedly to ease financial market conditions and mitigate risks with a slew of conventional and unconventional measures.

6)Market participants responded with alacrity and together we have been able to ensure stable and resilient markets across all segments.

7)The Reserve Bank remains committed to fostering orderly functioning of financial markets and will continue to evaluate incoming information having a bearing on the financial markets and act, as needed, to mitigate any downside risks.

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 :

Internationalisation of financial markets can lower transaction costs with efficiency gains. Over the last three decades, India has undergone a transformation from being a virtually closed economy to one that is globally connected and open to a much larger volume of international transactions and capital flows than before. Today, the capital account is convertible to a great extent.

1) Inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is allowed in most sectors and outbound FDI by Indian incorporated entities is allowed as a multiple of their net worth. The external commercial borrowing framework has also been significantly liberalised to include more eligible borrowers, even as maturity requirements have been reduced and end-use restrictions have been relaxed.

2) Foreign portfolio investment in Indian debt markets has been expanded within calibrated macro-prudential norms. Limits under the Medium-Term Framework for investment by Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) have been gradually increased and procedures rationalized.

3)A Voluntary Retention Route (VRR) has been introduced, which provides relaxations from macroprudential controls but subject to a minimum retention period. In a major step towards greater internationalisation, the Fully Accessible Route (FAR) was introduced under which non-residents can invest in specified government securities without any restriction. Capital account convertibility will continue to be approached as a process rather than an event, taking cognizance of prevalent macroeconomic conditions. A long term vision with short and medium term goals is the way ahead.

4)As a major milestone towards opening up of markets, banks in India have been permitted to deal in the offshore rupee derivative markets. The measure is expected to reduce the segmentation between onshore and offshore markets, apart from reducing volatility and the cost of hedging.

5)Banks have also been permitted to undertake foreign exchange transactions beyond the usual onshore market hours, thus fostering real time market activity. In a complementary measure, exchanges and banking units in the GIFT City have been permitted to undertake Over the Counter (OTC) and exchange traded Rupee derivatives.

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 :

After witnessing a sharp contraction in GDP by 23.9% in Q1:2020-21 and a multi-speed normalisation of activity in Q2, the Indian economy has exhibited stronger than expected pick up in momentum of recovery.

1)The global economy has also witnessed a stronger than expected rebound in activity in Q3. The IMF has accordingly revised its assessment for global growth in 2020 to a less severe contraction than what was assessed in June 2020.

.2) Even as the growth outlook has improved, downside risks to growth continue due to recent surge in infections in advanced economies and parts of India. We need to be watchful about the sustainability of demand after festivals and a possible reassessment of market expectations surrounding the vaccine.

3) The monetary policy guidance in October,2020 emphasised the need to see through temporary inflation pressures and also maintain the accommodative stance at least during the current financial year and into the next financial year.

4) A key source of resilience in recent months has been the comfortable external balance position of India supported by surplus current account balances over two consecutive quarters, resumption of portfolio capital inflows on the back of robust FDI inflows, and sustained build-up of foreign exchange reserves.

5)The Government’s recent policy focus to enhance India’s participation in global value chains, including through production linked incentives for targeted sectors, can leverage on the strong external balance position of India

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

36)Consider the following with reference to objectives of conducting 5G trials :

1)The objectives of conducting 5G trials include testing 5G spectrum propagation characteristics especially in the Indian context; model tuning and evaluation of chosen equipment andvendors; testing of indigenous technology; testing of applications (such as tele-medicine, tele-education, augmented/ virtual reality, drone-based agricultural monitoring, etc.);and to test 5G phones and devices.

2)5G technology is expected to deliver improved user experience in terms of data download rates (expected to be 10 times that of 4G), up to three times greater spectrum efficiency, and ultra low latency to enable Industry 4.0.

3)Applications are across a wide range of sectors such as agriculture, education, health, transport, traffic management, smart cities, smart homes, and multiple applications of IOT (Internet of Things).

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

37)Consider the following :

The permissions have been given by DoT as per the priorities and technology partners identified by TSPs themselves. .

1) The experimental spectrum is being given in various bands which include the mid-band (3.2 GHz to 3.67 GHz), millimeter wave band (24.25 GHz to 28.5 GHz) and in Sub-Gigahertz band (700 GHz).

2) TSPs will also be permitted to use their existing spectrum owned by them (800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2500 MHz) for conduct of 5G trials

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

38)Consider the following with reference to SVAMITVA :

SVAMITVA, a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj was nationally launched by the Prime Minister on the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day on 24^th April 2021 after successful completion of the pilot phase of the Scheme in 9 States. SVAMITVA Scheme aims to provide property rights to the residents of rural inhabited areas in India by using Drone survey and CORS Networks which provides mapping accuracy of 5 cms.

.1) The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) is the Nodal Ministry for implementation of the SVAMITVA scheme.

2) In the States, the Revenue Department/Land Records Department will be the Nodal Department and shall carry out the scheme with the support of State Panchayati Raj Departments

3) The SVAMITVA Framework developed by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj provides a detailed roadmap and guidelines for the various States in terms of the Scheme objectives, coverage, various components involved, year-wise funding pattern, survey approach and methodology, stakeholders involved and their roles and responsibility, monitoring and evaluation, and deliverables

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 biodegradable and compostable yoga mat :

1) A biodegradable and compostable yoga mat developed from water hyacinth by six young girls from the fishing community in Assam could turn this water plant from a nuisance to wealth.

2) The girls belong to the fishing community living in the fringe of the Deepor Beel, a permanent freshwater lake in south west of Guwahati city, recognised as a Ramsar Site (a wetland of international importance) and a bird wildlife sanctuary..

3) The lake has been a source of livelihood for 9 villages of the fishing community who shared this biome for centuries, but over the years suffered from excessive growth and accumulation of water hyacinth

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 :

1) Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) Uttar Pradesh and Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology – Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species (CCMB-LaCONES) Hyderabad do research .

2)With support from Dept. of Biotechnology (DBT), Govt. of India, New Delhi, Central Zoo Authority of India (CZA), New Delhi and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi and Government of Andhra Pradesh project LaCONES was established in 1998.

3) Effective conservation measures include both in situ habitat preservation, species protection and ex situ conservation (captive breeding in controlled environment to restock original wild populations). In order to support both these measures using biotechnological tools and techniques in an innovative manner, LaCONES was established. The laboratory was itself established in 2007. This lab would strive to: “To promote excellence in conservation biotechnology and serve for conservation of endangered wildlife in India”.

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 :

In pursuant to the announcement of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY ) by Prime Minister, to ameliorate the hardships faced by the poor and needy due to various disruptions caused by the resurgence of COVID-19 in the country, the Department of Food & Public Distribution, Government of India has started implementation of the Scheme for a period of 2 months i.e. May and June 2021,

1) The poor and vulnerable beneficiaries under NFSA do not suffer on account of the non-availability of foodgrains during the unprecedented time of crisis.

2) The Government of India will bear the entire cost on implementation of PMGKAY (May-June 2021) scheme, without any sharing by States/UTs.

3) Under this special scheme, about 80 Crore NFSA beneficiaries covered under both categories of NFSA, namely Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Households (PHH), are being provided with an additional quota of free-of-cost foodgrains (Rice/Wheat) at a scale of 5 Kg per person per month, over and above their regular monthly entitlements.

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 LMO from steel plants and PSA :

Liquid Medical Oxygen is sent from Durgapur (Steel Plant)

Liquid Medical Oxygen is sent from Angul (Orissa) and Rourkela (Orissa) (Steel Plants)

1) The process of converting the existing Pressure Swing Absorption (PSA) nitrogen plants for production of oxygen was discussed.

2) In the nitrogen plants Carbon Molecular Sieve (CMS) is used whereas Zeolite Molecular Sieve (ZMS) is required for producing oxygen

3) Therefore, by replacing CMS with ZMS and carrying out few other changes such as oxygen analyzer, control panel system, flow valves etc. existing nitrogen plants can be modified to produce oxygen.

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 SUTRA model :

1) SUTRA model predicted the second wave to peak by the third week of April and to stay most likely around 1 lakh daily cases.

2) In the case of COVID-19, it is clear that the nature of the virus has been changing very rapidly

3) In such a context, any prediction for COVID-19 must be continually readjusted, sometimes almost daily

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

44)Consider the following with reference to ‘Kayakalp’ :

Kayakalp initiative of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare began in 2015 with the aim of improving infrastructure upkeep, hygiene and sanitation, and infection control practices in Central Government institutions and public health facilities in all the States and UTs. Health facilities are assessed and scored on a number of parameters.

1) The number of “satisfied” patients as reported through “Mera Aspataal”, an ICT-based patient feedback system. Kayakalp made a modest beginning in its first year with assessing only the District Hospitals (DH).

2) Subsequently, within a span of three years, all the Sub District Hospitals, Community Health Centres, and Primary Health Centres (Rural and Urban) have also been brought under its ambit.

3) The number of facilities participating in Kayakalp has increased manifold. Starting with participation of 700 DHs, in the last financial year, approximately 26,000 health facilities have participated in Kayakalp

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 :

The Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi was concerned for public and private sanitation which was also a part of his Satyagraha campaign since the days he spent in South Africa.

1) For Gandhiji, the drive for cleanliness in society was an integral part of the process in bringing about a casteless and free society. “Everyone is his own scavenger,” said Gandhiji, reiterating the fact of making cleanliness a personal responsibility and the key to removing untouchability.

2) In South Africa itself, Gandhiji took to scavenging and propagated the advice among Indians to keep their lavatories clean and dry. Once he returned to India, his focus on sanitation grew stronger. He firmly emphasised on the need for education on hygiene and sanitation among Indians and stated “the scavenger’s work must be our special function in India.” Gandhiji laid down the need for having clean water and air and the precise method of dealing with open defecation. “

3) Swaraj ought to begin with our streets,” he always said. Gandiji has said, ‘Sanitation is more important than Independence’. Our Hon’ble Prime Minister took inspiration from Gandhiji’s ideas on hygiene and started a campaign, ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ or ‘Clean India Mission’

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 :

1) Efforts made under Kayakalp and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan have been well recognised by the WHO as well, which mentions that nearly all (97%) DHs now have some or the other form of proper waste management.

2) Swachh Bharat Abhiyan along with Kayakalp has given thrust to the country’s efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good health and well-being) and Goal 6 (Clean water and sanitation) respectively.

3) As reported by the WHO, it is expected that Swachh Bharat Abhiyan will result in averting more than 3,00,000 deaths (diarrhoea and protein-energy malnutrition) between 2014 and October 2019. More than 14 million DALYs (DisabilityAdjusted Life Years) are estimated to be avoided (diarrhoea and proteinenergy malnutrition) between 2014 and October 2019.

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 water budgeting :

1) Water budgeting involves understanding a household’s overall water requirement based on the number of family members, major areas of consumption, and identifying areas for potential reuse for water

2) It is a simple yet effective tool that allows households to concretely appreciate utilisation of their resources.

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 Green House Gases footprint :

1) The anthropogenic activities such as burning fossil fuel, power generation, agriculture, industry, polluting water bodies, and urban activities are responsible for increasing GHG footprint of which 72% constitute CO2 .

2) GHG footprint needs to be in balance with sequestration of carbon to sustain ecosystem functions. Forests are the major carbon sinks (about 45%) that aid in mitigating global warming.

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 Carbon footprint :

1)Carbon footprint is contributed by emissions from the energy sector (68%), agriculture (19.6%), industrial processes (6%), LU change (3.8%) and forestry (1.9%), respectively in India with CO2 emissions of about 3.1 MGg (2017) and the per capita CO2 emissions of 2.56 metric tonnes.

2)Carbon emissions from major metropolitan cities of India is about 1.3 MGg contributed by major cities such as Delhi (38633.20 Gg) Greater Mumbai (22783.08 Gg), Chennai (22090.55 Gg), Bengaluru (19796.6 Gg), Kolkata (14812.1 Gg), Hyderabad (13734.59 Gg), and Ahmedabad (6580.4 Gg) from energy, transportation, industrial sector, agriculture, livestock management and waste sectors per year

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

50)Consider the following with reference to electronic goods/gadgets are classified under three major heads:

1)White goods: Household appliances;

2)Brown goods: TVs, camcorders, cameras; and

3)Grey goods: Computers, printers, fax machines, scanners 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 :

Waste from the white and brown goods is less toxic when compared to grey goods. Table shows the effect of grey goods on health.

Metal Used in Health problem

1)Lead Acid battery,CRT Kidney failure

2)Cadmium Battery, CRT, housing Bone disese

3)Mercury Batteries,switches,housing Brain,liver, nervous systems damage

4)Chromium Decorative hardener,corrosion protection agents DNA damage,lung cancer

5)Plastic Computer mouldings,cablings Generates dioxins and furans

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

52)Consider the following :

Landscape Corridor State(s)

1)Shivalik Hills & Gangetic Plains Dudhwa-Kishanpur-Katerniaghat Uttarakhand

2)Central India &

Eastern Ghats Kanha-Achanakmar MP &Chattisgarh

3)North East Buxa – Jaldapara West Bengal

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 :

The National Tiger Conservation Authority has issued following three (Standard Operating Procedures) SOPs to deal with man-animal conflict which are available in public domain:

1) To deal with emergency arising due to straying of tigers in human dominated landscapes

2) To deal with tiger depredation on livestock

3)For active management towards rehabilitation of tigers from source areas at the landscape level.

4) The three SOPs inter alia include the issue of managing dispersing tigers, managing livestock kills so as to reduce conflict as well as relocating tigers from source areas to areas where density of tiger is low, so that conflict in rich source areas does not occur.

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 Planning Commission and NITI Aayog :

1)Planning Commission adopted a ‘one-size-fits-all approach towards the Indian States.

2) NITI Aayog is guided by a ‘States-first’ approach.

3)NITI Aayog’s founding principles include cooperative federalism (a collaboration between Central and State Governments) and competitive federalism (spurring healthy competition among States)

4)Instead of a straitjacket approach, NITI Aayog has adopted a decentralized and bottom-up strategy, to ensure that Central and State Governments work together as equal partners in Team India

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 with reference to Sahyadri Range and Konkan :

1)Sahyadri Range is the defining geographical feature of Maharashtra

2)The Konkan, lying between the Arabian Sea and Sahyadri Range is narrow coastal lowland, barely 50 KMs wide.

3)Highly dissected and broken, the Konkan alternates between narrow valleys and low laterite plateau.

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 simultaneous elections :

Two seemingly relevant factors in favour of simultaneous elections as opposite to separate elections are :

1)Simultaneous elections reduce labour, time and expenditure in the conduct of elections

2) Instances of pause in governance are addressed if elections are conducted in one go instead of staggered elections.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

57)Consider the following with reference to Vickrey-Clark-Groves(VCG) auction :

1)In Spectrum auctions, bidders generally prefer combinations of complementary licenses, which is more complex than substitute products.

2)Phone-service providers often seek to cover large areas, and so they prefer licenses for adjacent geographical regions.

3)Given the efficiency focus, the eventual solution is to use the Vickrey-Clark-Groves (VCG) auction.

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 Wolf Warrior Diplomacy :

1)China’s “wolf warrior diplomacy”, an aggressive and often abrasive stance adopted by its diplomats since 2020, is simply “justified defence” against attacks by a West determined to contain it, one of Beijing’s most outspoken ambassadors said.

2)”In the eyes of the Westerners, our diplomacy is on the offensive and aggressive, but the truth is, it is them who are on the offensive and aggressive,” Lu Shaye, China’s envoy to France, said in an interview with the Chinese government-aligned website Guancha.cn that was published recently.

3) Chinese officials tend to argue that their changed attitude is necessary to defend ‘national honour and dignity’ and ‘refute all groundless slander’ targeting China. Or as China’s outgoing ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming, argued last year: “ Where there is a ‘wolf’, there should be a ‘warrior’.

4)The term “wolf warrior diplomacy” came into vogue during the Covid-19 pandemic. The term drew from a jingoistic Chinese film franchise, “Wolf Warrior”. The second film of the series came in 2017 with a tagline, “Though far away, anyone who affronts China will pay”.

5)That “wolf warrior” diplomacy is part of China’s state policy is confirmed from reports that Xi Jinping administration has more than doubled the budget for diplomacy and that the performance appraisals of the foreign office staffers are linked to “public relations” activities. The second is a big incentive for the government employees.

6)The fiercer they prove themselves as “wolf warrior” diplomat, the bigger would be their appraisal and higher the career growth. Zhao Lijian saw his career take a flight after he took on the American government over human rights abuse issue in 2019 — from a counsellor in the Chinese embassy in Pakistan, where for about two years he prefixed “Muhammad” to his name to becoming one of the three formidable spokespersons in the Chinese foreign ministry.

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 :

A day after the Union government banned 59 Chinese applications, including popular ones such as TikTok, Shareit, Mi Video Call, Club Factory and Cam Scanner, citing threat to national security and sovereignty, an Information Technology Ministry official said the banned platforms would be given a chance to submit their clarifications.

This is in line with provisions of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking of Access of Information by Public) Rules, 2009.

1)Following the ban, TikTok withdrew its app from Google Play Store and Apple App Store. In a statement, it said it had been invited to meet the authorities concerned and submit clarifications. The company’s India head, said it had complied with all Indian laws related to data privacy and had not shared information of any Indian user with foreign governments, including the Chinese.

2)“The government has issued an interim order for the blocking of 59 apps, including TikTok, and we are in the process of complying with it.”

3)Citing concerns to both data security and national sovereignty, the Indian government on June 29,2020 announced it would block 59 widely used apps, most linked to Chinese companies.

4)These include the popular video-sharing social networking app TikTok, a mobile browser called UC Browser, and a file-sharing app called SHAREit. What is common to all three is their wide user base in India, with each claiming more than 100 million monthly active users, and their origins in China.

5)Explaining the ban, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology cited “the emergent nature of threats” posed by the apps and “information available” that they are engaged in activities “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order”.

6)The apps, according to the Ministry, had been reported for “stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India”, which “impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India”.

7)From the perspective of data security and privacy, there is indeed a strong case to be made to more strictly regulate apps that handle vast amounts of user data. Such a move was surely long overdue.

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 :

The government has allowed SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing in many government and private laboratories.

1) The boon and bane of PCR testing are in its capacity to amplify even one viral gene segment in the sample to generate a detectable signal — a positive test; it is a boon because it accurately detects the presence of virus but a bane because it is prone to false negative and false positive results

2) A false negative PCR means that a person with infection was missed by the test, but that is in the very nature of PCR. The viral load is lower in the throat than in the nasopharynx

3) Hence throat swabs are falsely negative in 60% of tests and nasopharyngeal swabs in 30%, according to published studies. An incorrectly taken nasal swab may miss the virus altogether and lead to a false negative test.

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 :

The Union government has extended the term of K.K. Venugopal as Attorney-General (A-G) for one year, Tushar Mehta as Solicitor-General (S-G) for three years, beginning July 1,2020 appointed six new Additional Solicitors- General (ASGs) and extended the tenure of five ASGs.

1) A-G was reappointed by President Ram Nath Kovind,

2) The other appointments were notified by the Law Ministry after the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC), headed by Prime Minister , cleared them

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

62)Consider the following :

1) The Ministry of External Affairs declined to comment on the issue, and the government has thus far issued no statement on Mr. Netanyahu’s stated plans, that were part of his election promises, to pass a Cabinet vote enacting sovereignty rights over the Jordan Valley, 132 Israeli settlements and other areas totalling about 30% the West Bank.

2) The annexation is a part of US President Donald Trump’s “peace plan” authored by his advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner. Under an agreement amongst partners in Israel’s ruling coalition, the enactment can proceed from July 1,2020

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

63)Consider the following :

1) Nepal passed the new map in the Lower House of Parliament on June 13,2020 and the Second Constitution Amendment, which gave constitutional guarantee to the map, completed the legislative process on June 18 with the authentication of the Bill by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari.

2) Indian Army chief General had said Nepal was working at the behest of a third country, hinting at Chinese support to Nepal’s territorial assertion in the Limpiyadhura-Kalapani-Lipulekh region.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

64)Consider the following ECLGS :

1)The Finance Ministry said banks have sanctioned more than ₹1 lakh-crore loans under the ₹3-lakh crore Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) for the MSME sector reeling under COVID-19-induced economic slowdown.

2)As much as ₹45,860 crore was disbursed under the 100% ECLGS for the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) till June 26, it said.

3)The scheme is the biggest fiscal component of the ₹20-lakh crore ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ package announced by Finance Minister

4)The latest number on ECLGS, as released by the Finance Ministry, comprises all the 12 public sector banks (PSBs), 20 private sector banks and eight NBFCs.

“5)Under the 100 per cent ECLGS backed by a government guarantee, banks from public and private sectors have sanctioned loans worth over Rs 1 lakh crore as of June 26, 2020, of which more than Rs 45,000 crore has already been disbursed,” the finance ministry said in a statement.

6)This would help more than 30 lakh MSME units and other businesses as they restart operations post the lockdown

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 :

PMFBY was launched in 2016 under the leadership of PM Shri Narendra Modi and his vision to provide financial security to the farmers of India from vagaries of nature and secure their hard work. Till middle of 2020, the scheme has insured over 29.16 crore farmer applications (5.5 crore farmer applications on year-on-year basis). Over the period of 5 years, more than 8.3 crore farmer applications have benefited from the scheme. Moreover, Rs.95,000 crores claims have been paid as against Rs. 20,000 crore farmers share.

1) State governments and insurance companies have an important role in the implementation of PMFBY.

2) The result of their hard work is that in the last 4 years, premium amounting to Rs 17 thousand crores was deposited by the farmers, against which more than Rs 95 thousand crores have been provided to them as claims.

3) Still there is a need to expand the scheme in the country, so that its coverage can be increased and more farmers get benefits.

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 Digital India :

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said India has shown both passion for innovation and ability to adopt those innovations rapidly..

1)Digital India is the resolve of India. Digital India is the instrument for AatmaNirbhar Bharat. Digital India is a manifestation of a strong Indian that is emerging in the 21st Century.

2)The Prime Minister evoked his mantra of Minimum Government – Maximum Governance and explained how Digital India is empowering the common citizen by reducing the gap between government and people, system and facilities, problems and solutions.

3)He gave an example of how Digilocker helped millions of people especially during the pandemic. School certificates, medical documents and other important certificates were stored digitally across the nation.

4)He said the services like getting a driving license, birth certificate, paying electricity bill, paying water bill, filing income tax return, etc have become fast and convenient and, in villages, e Common Service Centres (CSCs) are helping the people.

5)It is through Digital India, initiatives like One Nation One Ration Card are realized. He commended the Supreme Court for asking all the states to implement the initiative in the respective states

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 Citizenship :

1)Citizenship is a Central subject and the Home Ministry periodically delegates powers to States through gazette notification under Section 16 of the Citizenship Act,1955.

2)Indian citizenship can be acquired on eight grounds – based on registration made by a person of Indian origin, by a person married to an Indian, minor child, whose parents are registered as citizens of India, by a person whose either parent was a citizen of Independent India, overseas citizens of India, by naturalization and registration of a child at an Indian consulate.

3)The May 28, 2021 notification intends to benefit legal migrants (who entered on passport/visa) from the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who have already applied for Citizenship under Section 5 (by registration ) and Section 6 (naturalisation) of the Citizenship Act, 1955 .

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 Pag-asa islands :

1)The Pag-asa Islands is an integral part of the Philippines over which it has sovereignty and jurisdiction, the Ministry said in a statement .

2) Thitu, known as Pag-asa in the Philippines is 451 KM from the mainland and is the biggest of the eight reefs, shoals and islands it occupies in the Spratly archipelago.

3)China has built a mini-city with runways, hangars and surface-to-air missiles in the Subi Reef about 25 KM from Thitu.

4)An international tribunal that year invalidated China’s expansive claim in the South China Sea, where about $3 trillion worth of ship-borne trade passes annually. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have competing claims to various islands.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

69)Consider the following :

According to Section 304-B, to make out a case of dowry death, a woman should have died of burns or other bodily injuries or “otherwise than under normal circumstances” within seven years of her marriage. She should have suffered cruelty or harassment from her husband or in-laws “soon before her death” in connection with demand for dowry.

1) Dowry deaths accounted for 40% to 50% homicides in the country for almost a decade from 1999 to 2018..

2) The judgment pronounced by a Bench, led by Chief Justice of India called dowry harassment a “pestiferous” crime where women are subjected to cruelty by “covetous” husbands and in-laws

3)In 2019 alone, 7,115 cases of dowry death were registered under Section 304-B of the Indian Penal Code

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 Hypoxemia (low oxygen levels in blood) :

According to WHO, Hypoxemia (low oxygen levels in blood) may eventually result in loss of life.

1) When oxygen levels become low because of a sickness such as COVID-19, the cells in the body don’t get enough oxygen to perform their normal functions. If the level remains low for long, maybe due to lack of treatment, organs start to malfunction; in severe cases, it may cause death.

2) Warning signs of low oxygen level include difficulty in breathing, confusion, difficulty in waking up and bluish lips or face. Adults may develop chest pain that doesn’t go away.

3) Children may experience flaring up of nostrils, grunting while breathing or inability to drink or eat.

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 YUVA :

1) YUVA is a part of India@75 Project (Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav) to bring to the fore the perspectives of the young generation of writers on themes like Unsung Heroes, Freedom Fighters, Unknown and Forgotten Places and their role in National Movement, and other related themes in an innovative and creative manner.

2) This scheme will thus help to develop a stream of writers who can write on a spectrum of subjects to promote Indian heritage, culture and knowledge system.

3) The launch of YUVA (Young, Upcoming and Versatile Authors) is in tune with PM’s vision to encourage young writers to write about India’s freedom struggle. It was during Mann ki Baat on 31 January 2021, Prime Minister called upon the young generation to write about freedom fighters, incidents associated with freedom, the saga of valour during the period of freedom struggle in their respective areas – as the best tribute to the heroes of India’s freedom – as we celebrate 75 years of Indian Independence

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 Sundarbans :

1) Over just the past three years, the Sunderbans, which is home to close to five million people, has been battered by four tropical cyclones — Fani (May 2019), Bulbul (November 2019), Amphan (May 2020) and Yaas (May 2021). On each occasion, the region has suffered damage because of gale winds and breached embankments, leading to ingress of sea water.

2) Ghoramara is one of the islands that has been sinking due to rising sea levels, where a few dozen houses and acres of land go under water every year.

3) Sagar Island, the biggest island of the Sundarbans chain and site of the famous Gangasagar Mela during Makar Sankranti, has also suffered damage.

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 Covid-19 vaccines :

1) According to a May 24,2021 preprint, in the UK, the effectiveness of a single dose of AstraZeneca/Covishield was only 33.5% against the B.1.617.2 variant and 51.1% against the B.1.1.7 variant

2) After the second dose, the protection increased to 59.8% against the B.1.617.2 variant and 87.9% against the B.1.1.7 variant

3) With the B.1.617 and B.1.1.7 variants being the most prevalent in India should we not be reducing the gap between two doses especially since the protection against B.1.617 from the first dose is just 33.5%

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 :

Rule 4(2) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 imposes an obligation on significant social media intermediaries providing a messaging function, to ensure traceability of the originator of information on their platforms. A failure to implement this obligation can lead to intermediaries being held responsible for illicit content on their platforms. These rules have recently come into effect.

The Government primarily relies on the argument that: privacy is not an absolute right, and that the traceability obligation is proportionate, and sufficiently restricted. Notably, the new Rules mandate traceability only in the case of significant social media intermediaries that provide messaging services (i.e. those that meet a user threshold of 50 lakh users, which WhatsApp does), subject to an order being passed by a court or government agency and only in the absence of any alternatives.

Under Rule 4 of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Ethics Code) Rules 2021 a Resident Grievance Officer is to be appointed.

1)“No Fundamental Right, including the Right to Privacy, is absolute and it is subject to reasonable restrictions.” A traceability order shall only come about, as Rule 4(2) states, “for the purposes of prevention, detection, investigation, prosecution or punishment of an offence related to the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, or public order, or of incitement to an offence relating to the above or in relation with rape, sexually explicit material or child sexual abuse material, punishable with imprisonment for a term of not less than five years”.

2)The second legal argument is about the test of proportionality, the cornerstone of which, as the release says, “is whether a lesser effective alternative remedy exists”. The traceability measure will be a measure of “last resort”, according to the release, which cites the rule in this regard.

3)The rules further state that “in complying with an order for identification of the first originator, no significant social media intermediary shall be required to disclose the contents of any electronic message, any other information related to the first originator, or any information related to its other users”.

4)“The Central government under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 has the authority to issue directions for blocking access to information but that authority cannot be used in respect of ordering an intermediary to remove the label on content… If a user is not abiding by the terms of service, the intermediary even has the right to terminate the user account,”

5)MeitY pointed out that while Twitter has not shared the details of its chief compliance officer, the resident grievance officer and the nodal contact person nominated by the company are not employees of Twitter Inc. in India, as required under the rules. Further, the office address submitted for Twitter Inc. is that of a law firm in India.

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 :

Serology surveys take blood samples from participants and measure antibodies to check past exposure to the virus. From about 10 days after infection, antibodies grow to sizeable numbers in most patients. As some studies show, they start to decline after five to six months.

1) Researchers are more interested in a class of antibodies called Immunoglobulin G (IgG), that persist the longest and latch onto the coronavirus to prevent them from proliferating and so their longevity and numbers are proxies to immunity against future infection.

2) Because the SARS-CoV-2 virus is new, there is uncertainty on how long these antibodies actually last. Serology surveys are thus a crude measure of what proportion of a population is likely to be protected from a second infection; this can be used by planners to decide on future health-care capacity and opening up the economy.

3) The specific blood-analysis tests, called assays, can be used to check if antibodies produced by the body are targeting the spike region of the coronavirus or an inner envelope containing its genetic material called the nucleocapsid.

4) The antibodies against the spike are believed to be more relevant to preventing future infections and hence a better proxy for immunity. They can also thus provide inputs for improving vaccines.

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 :

Based on its study of possible natural origins, the Joint WHO-China study report identifies a SARS-related coronavirus in a (horseshoe) bat (SARSr-CoV; RaTG13) to which the SARS-CoV-2 virus has 96.2% genomic similarity. The novel coronavirus is less similar, by comparison, to the genome of viruses that have caused other epidemics such as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome).

1) Again, the higher infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 is attributed to peculiarities that it contains in the form of unique insertion of four amino acids in its spike protein that makes it more efficient than the virus causing SARS, for instance.

2) It is concluded that natural selection on a human or human-like host appeared to facilitate optimal binding of the spike protein of the novel coronavirus with ACE2 receptors. “This is strong evidence that SARS-CoV-2 is not the product of purposeful manipulation,” the authors wrote.

3) Their arguments are based, among other things, on genetic differences between the viruses: while the RaTG13 in bats is extremely similar to SARS-CoV-2, the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike — the RBD protein binds to the ACE2 receptor — actually is divergent for the two, with the former appearing less efficient. Again, some coronaviruses found in pangolins in China are similar to SARS-CoV-2 in the RBD, showing that the optimised spike protein for efficient binding with human-like ACE2 may have resulted from natural selection

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 :

Lakshadweep , Union territory located about 200 km from the west coast of Kerala in the Arabian Sea, comprises 16 atolls and 32 islands. However, human presence is limited only to 11 islands.

The inhabited islands are Kavaratti, Agatti, Amini, Kadmat, Kiltan, Chetlat, Bitra, Andrott, Kalpeni and Minicoy. Bitra is the smallest of all having only a population of 271 persons (Census 2011). The uninhabited island Bangaram has been enumerated during 2011 census operation and has a population of 61 persons.

All the islands are northeast-southwest in orientation, and they are characterised by shallow lagoons on the west and steep reef slopes on the east. These peculiarities provide a perfect haven for several marine flora and fauna.

A paradise set in the Arabian Sea, the archipelago of Lakshadweep also gives India a vast and exclusive economic zone with three distinct ecosystems: land, lagoon and ocean. Fishery is a primary occupation here. The language, except in Minicoy, is Malayalam; in Minicoy, Mahl is spoken, a language akin to the 17th century Divehi of the Maldives.

The society in all islands is matriarchal. The religion is Islam of the pristine Shafi school of law. On the other hand, social conventions, dress and the position accorded to Thangals within the community all point to the Mappilas of Malabar as progenitors of present-day Islam in Lakshadweep

There is an estimated population of about 70,000 people on the islands — 36 in total with 10 being habitable and the others having vast lagoons spread over 4,200 sq km

The British system of having two separate collectorates — Malabar for the Laccadive group and Mangalore for the Amindivi group — continued till 1956 when it was all united to form the Union Territory. It was renamed Lakshadweep in 1973.

1)Meanwhile, tourism societies formed in all islands ensured that the UT, a notified Scheduled Tribes (ST) district with outsiders’ entry limited by permits, conducted tourism in keeping with the ethos of the people and a ban on alcohol was fitting.

2)The islands’ water bodies are accommodating rich seagrass beds and algal and coral communities. They provide a haven for various fish species, invertebrates, sea turtles, elasmobranchs and marine mammals.

3)The density of the human population in Lakshadweep, unlike other states and Union territories, is also significantly less than the national average.

4)But, in recent years, the fragile archipelago had faced significant climate change-related disasters. In 2017, Cyclone Ockhi had caused large-scale destruction.

5)Now, during every (southwest) monsoon, surging storms damage the islands. Large-scale coral bleaching events reported in 2013 and 2016 are another threat the islands face in the environmental sector.

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 benefits of mRNA vaccine technology :

An article published in Nature points out the benefits of mRNA vaccine technology compared to conventional vaccine technologies.

1)The key advantage of this technology is easy scalability in production. At present, the WHO has approved two mRNA COVID-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNtech and Moderna, and those vaccines have proven to be more effective than other vaccines. Global cooperation is needed to create an environment where those companies interested in producing the mRNA vaccines get open licence from the innovators.

2)Scaling up production of existing vaccines and producing new vaccines is not easy. Unavailability of raw materials, complexities in the transfer of technology, and intellectual property barriers all hinder production. Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech have faced constraints in continuing production due to the lack of raw materials.

3)Intellectual property rights act as a major barrier in scaling up production. About 1,800 patents cover the single-use plastic reactors which are used in the production of some of the COVID-19 vaccines.

4)Similarly, other equipment and materials used in the production of vaccines are patent-protected and therefore supplied by only a few players.

5)India and South Africa had led an initiative at the World Trade Organization (WTO) for the waiver of intellectual property rights over products required for treating COVID-19.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

79)Consider the following :

1)West African leaders were due to meet in Ghana to discuss a response to Mali’s second coup in nine months, which has sparked warnings of fresh sanctions and deep concerns over stability in the volatile Sahel region.

2)Mali’s new President Colonel Assimi Goita arrived in Accra for preliminary talks ahead of the extraordinary summit of regional bloc ECOWAS, which was due.

3)Presidents Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, Alassane Ouattara of Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso’s Marc Christian Kabore were among those attending the summit, which came as another deadly jihadist attack underscored Mali’s chronic instability.

4)Col. Goita led the young Army officers who overthrew Mali’s elected President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita last August over perceived corruption and his failure to quell a bloody jihadist insurgency.

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 :

China took another step towards completing the construction of its first space station by the end of next year following the launch and docking of a cargo spacecraft .

1)The Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft, described by China’s state media as “the delivery guy for China’s space station”, was launched on a Long March-7 rocket from the island of Hainan, and docked eight hours later with the space station’s first core module called Tianhe, or “heavenly harmony”.

2)The launch was a third landmark for China’s space programme in recent weeks. China landed a spacecraft in Mars on May 15 carrying its first Mars rover, Zhurong. The Tianhe module, which the cargo spacecraft docked with on Sunday, was launched on April 29.

3)The Tianzhou-2 spacecraft carried a range of supplies, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said, and will be followed by the launch of another cargo spacecraft, Tianzhou-3, and two manned missions, Shenzhou-12 and Shenzhou-13, this year, each carrying three astronauts who will spend several months in orbit. The Shenzhou-12 launch is slated for mid-June.

4)The six missions to follow this year, including for the space station’s second and third modules, Wentian and Mengtian, will close to complete the construction of China’s first space station, expected to be finished in 2022.

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 SDRF :

The SDRF is the primary fund available with the State governments as part of their response to notified disasters to meet expenditure on immediate relief to victims. The Centre contributes 75% of the allocation for general category States and Union Territories and 90% for special category States (northeastern, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and J&K).

1)“Normally, the first instalment is released in June as per the recommendations of the Finance Commission. However, in relaxation of the normal procedure, not only has the release of the SDRF been advanced, the amount has also been released without waiting for the utilisation certificate of the amount provided to the States in the last financial year. Up to 50% of the amount released, i.e., ₹4,436.8 crore can be used by the States for COVID-19 containment measures,”

2)The Centre has released the first instalment of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to the States, in the wake of the second wave of COVID-19 that has claimed thousands of lives since April.

3)The Union Home Ministry, in a statement, said ₹8,873.6 crore had been released, an annual exercise usually done in June.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

82)Consider the following with reference to Banni grassland :

1)Banni grassland is spread over 2,618 kilometre and account for almost 45 per cent of the pastures in Gujarat. It comprises 48 hamlets / villages organised into 19 panchayats, with a population of about 40,000.

2)Two ecosystems, wetlands and grasslands, are juxtaposed in Banni. The area is rich in flora and fauna, with 192 species of plants, 262 species of birds, several species of mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

3)Banni grasslands, traditionally, were managed following a system of rotational grazing. On May 11 1955, the court notified that the grassland will be a reserve forest.

4)The region’s nomadic pastoralist community, the Maldharis, whose livelihoods are depend on this protected shrub-savanna, welcomed the move.

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 cyclones :

During April 2021, there was a high atmospheric pressure area over western Siberia, resulting in higher-than-normal temperatures over the region. This lead to outbreaks of cold polar air westward from this high-pressure area and resulted in lower-than-normal temperatures in a large area from Iceland to the Mediterranean and Black Seas.

Air temperatures were also below-average over eastern Siberia, China, and most of the tropical and sub-tropical part of the eastern Pacific Ocean.

In northern Pakistan and northern and central India, temperatures were about three- four degrees Celsius lower than average. “I expect that this temperature tendency will remain during the beginning of the monsoon. If so, it disorganises the onset of monsoon, alternating premature rainfall and dry spells and leading to a delayed monsoon onset over central India regions,”

Heavy showers and continuous drizzle since the afternoon of May 19, 2021 brought down the temperature of Delhi 16 degrees below normal to 23.8 degrees Celsius, one of the lowest in the century.

The rains were brought in by the confluence of two weather systems over the north Indian plains that met after travelling thousands of kilometres from different directions, according to a press release from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

1)The first of these systems was a western disturbance that travelled from the Mediterranean region over Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan to reach Jammu and Kashmir.

The second was a remnant depression of Cyclone Tauktae that travelled from the south-eastern Arabian Sea near the Lakshadweep area and lay as low pressure area over Agra in Uttar Pradesh in the morning of May 20.

2)The interaction of the two storm systems, along with moisture incursion from the Arabian Sea, caused widespread rainfall throughout northern, north-western and central India.

3)Apart from its long journey over ocean and land, cyclone Tauktae held many surprises. It was only the third May cyclone to make landfall in Gujarat. The first was in 1900 and the second in 1976.

“It is likely that Cyclone Tauktae is the first Extremely Severe Cyclone (166-220 kilometres per hour) to reach very close to Mumbai in the last 130 years (according to IMD Cyclone eAtlas),

4)Cyclones are likely to become deadlier due to ocean surface warming — an impact of human-induced climate change. Recent research papers have found clinching evidence for the correlation between rapid intensification of cyclones, their increased intensity and warming ocean waters even in usually cooler waters like the Arabian Sea.

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 :

1)The north Indian Ocean region is exposed to six per cent of the world’s cyclones, according to a December 2020 pre-print paper submitted by Koll and Vineet Singh of IITM in Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics.

2)It found that sea surface temperatures (SST) prior to cyclones in the Arabian Sea are 1.2–1.4°C higher in the recent decades, compared to SSTs four decades ago.

During Cyclone Amphan, which underwent rapid intensification, SSTs were around 32-33°C — one of the highest-ever recorded.

3)Circular ocean currents similar to whirlpools, known as eddies, also play a role in the intensification of cyclones, the paper observed. These eddies could be generated by winds or by density differences of ocean waters.

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 Supreme Court on said “it is time to define the limits of sedition” even as it protected two Telugu channels from any coercive action by the Chief Minister-led Andhra Pradesh government for their reportage of the COVID-19 pandemic in the State.

1)A three-judge Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud flagged indiscriminate use of the sedition law against critics, journalists, social media users, activists and citizens for airing grievances about the governments’ COVID-19 management, or even for seeking help to gain medical access, equipment, drugs and oxygen cylinders.

2)“We are of the view that the ambit and parameters of the provisions of Sections 124A (sedition), 153A and 505 of the Indian Penal Code 1860 would require interpretation, particularly in the context of the right of the electronic and print media to communicate news, information and the rights, even those that may be critical of the prevailing regime in any part of the nation,” the court noted in its order.

3)“This is muzzling the media,” Justice L. Nageswara Rao, another judge on the Bench along with Justice S. Ravindra Bhat, said about the manner in which A.P. had tried to “silence” channels TV5 and ABN.

4)“It is time to define the limits of sedition,” Justice Chandrachud said.

5)The court issued notice to the A.P. government and directed that “there shall be a stay on the State adopting coercive proceedings against the two channels”.

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 Sedition :

1)The Supreme Court quashed a sedition case registered against senior journalist and Padma Shri awardee Vinod Dua for his critical remarks against the Prime Minister and the Union government in a YouTube telecast, underscoring its 59-year-old verdict that “strong words” of disapproval about the ruling regime did not amount to sedition.

2)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 said.

3)It upheld the spirit and intent of the 1962 Kedar Nath Singh verdict, which said, “Commenting in strong terms upon the measures or acts of government, or its agencies, so as to ameliorate the condition of the people or to secure the cancellation or alteration of those acts or measures by lawful means, that is to say, without exciting those feelings of enmity and disloyalty which imply excitement to public disorder or the use of violence is not sedition”.

4)It is declared, “Every journalist is entitled to protection under the Kedar Nath Singh judgment.”

5)The 1962 judgment said Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (sedition) was intended only to punish subversion of a lawfully established government through violent means.

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 National Income Estimates :

1)India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted by 7.3% in 2020-21, as per provisional National Income estimates released by the National Statistical Office, marginally better than the 8% contraction in the economy projected earlier. GDP growth in 2019-20, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, was 4%.

2)The Gross Value Added (GVA) in the economy shrank 6.2% in 2020-21, compared to a 4.1% rise in the previous year. Only two sectors bucked the trend of negative GVA growth — agriculture, forestry and fishing, which rose 3.6%, and electricity, gas, water supply and other utility services (up 1.9%).

3)Though this is the bleakest performance on record for the economy, the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2020-21 helped moderate the damage, with a higher-than-expected growth of 1.6% in GDP. This marked the second quarter of positive growth after the country entered a technical recession in the first half of the year.

4)GDP had contracted 24.4% in April-June 2020, followed by a 7.4% shrinkage in the second quarter. It had returned to positive territory in the September to December quarter with a marginal 0.5% growth.

GVA for trade, hotels, transport, communication and broadcasting-related services saw the sharpest decline of 18.2%, followed by construction (-8.6%), mining and quarrying (-8.5%) and manufacturing (-7.2%).

5)Economists said these numbers would moderate growth prospects for 2021-22 through the base effect, even as the scourge of the virus is hurting activity again.

6)“With a lower contraction in GDP as well as GVA in 2020-21, the sharp recovery projected for 2021-22 by a number of agencies like the IMF at 12.5% and the RBI at 10.5% may have to be moderated,” . “The combination of the second wave and the revised base effect may imply a lower GDP growth for the Indian economy for 2021-22, may be in the range of 9-9.5%,”

7)“Whether growth will be in double digits or single digits, there is uncertainty. Some of the scientists are talking about the possibility of a third wave too. It would be speculative to tell you exact numbers,” said, stressing that vaccination was important for the health of the people and economy.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

88)Consider the following with reference to Israel and Palestine :

Britain renounced its Mandate over Palestine in 1948, paving the way for the United Nations to divide Palestine between the Jews and Arabs, giving them about 55% and 45% of the land, respectively. The Jews, meanwhile, had declared the establishment of the state of Israel for which they had been working for long. The Palestinians, who lacked the resources to conceive of a state, failed to form a state of their own in the land allotted to them. Instead, a coalition of Arab countries invaded the nascent state of Israel to nip it in the bud. Israel not only defeated the Arab armies, but also unleashed what the Palestinians call Nakba, an Arabic word which means holocaust. Israel destroyed about 600 Palestinian villages and expelled about 80% of Arabs from its territory.

In 1967, in the Six-Day War, Israel captured not just more Palestinian land but also Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and Syria’s Golan Heights. During the Yom Kippur War of 1973, the Arabs came to realise that Israel is here to stay. But the Arab states, while washing their hands off Palestine, failed to impress the same realisation upon their Palestinian brethren, a sizeable number of whom remain committed to seeking a solution through counter-violence. Non-Arab Muslim countries, while being of no help to the Palestinians have been the greatest cheerleaders of the violent section of the struggle.

1)This vicious cycle of violence is not going to end unless there is realism on both sides. The Hamas should know that Israel will not give up on holding on to land it has held for years, and Israel should understand that total subjugation, expulsion or even decimation of Palestinians will not make it any safer. Both the sides will have to seek a solution through non-violence. A solution based on the common humanity of all stakeholders, one that is not riven by racial and religious schisms, needs to be explored. Secularisation of the discourse is an inescapable prerequisite for any workable solution. This is especially more applicable for the weaker side

2)The Indian model of democracy and secularism, which accommodates religious, ethnic, linguistic and other diversities, could be a viable model for the peaceful coexistence of formerly antagonistic groups.

3)The European model of the annihilation of natives in the Americas and Australia, last tried on the Jews in Nazi Germany, is not a solution which we can morally countenance and practically resort to. India, on the other hand, evolved a unique model of accommodating the victors and the vanquished, without ever resorting to the latter’s decimation.

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 liquid oxygen for industrial purposes :

1)The government would take a decision to lift restrictions on use of liquid oxygen for industrial purposes “as soon as possible”,

2)“We are talking to State governments to find out what their needs for medical oxygen are. After confirmation from them as well as the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, whatever needs to be done to revive the continuous process industries we will do as soon as possible,” said , Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, who is the convener of the Empowered Group 4 that oversees the country’s demand for medical oxygen and its logistics.

3)The current demand for medical oxygen was down to 5,200 metric tonnes (MT) a day from a peak of 8,900 MT . This was expected to drop further to 3,000 MT in one week.

The government issued an order banning the supply of liquid oxygen to industry in view of increased demand for medical oxygen.

4)The Empowered Group was consulting medical professionals to assess the demand for medical oxygen for the next wave.

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 NHRC :

1)Former Supreme Court Justice Arun Kumar Mishra is likely to be the new Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) after a high-powered recommendation committee proposed his name

2)The selection panel consisted of Prime Minister Narendra Modi; Home Minister Amit Shah; Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Harivansh; Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla; and the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

91)Consider the following :

1) In a bid to extend relief to the Maratha community in the State, the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra extended the benefits of reservation for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) to the Socially and Economically Backward Class (SEBC).

2) Previously, the government had decided that the Maratha community could not take advantage of the 10% EWS category as Maratha reservation was in force in the State. The Supreme Court, however, scrapped the SEBC reservation in jobs and education, making it possible for the State government to extend the benefit of the EWS quota to the Marathas.

3) As per the government resolution, a person fulfilling the criterion for EWS would be eligible for 10% reservation in educational institutes, barring minority institutes.

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 :

1) A dynamite blast led to the flooding of a coal mine in East Jaintia Hills district in Meghalaya, trapping five labourers

2) In Meghalaya, rat-hole coal mining is existing

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

93)Consider the following (as per old data) :

1)At the current pace of vaccination, it could be eight months before every adult Indian gets at least one shot of vaccine, back-of-the-envelope calculations from the government’s portal CoWin suggest.

2)The Centre expects to inoculate 94.4 crore adults, according to a note last week by R.S. Sharma, Chairman of the technical committee that oversees the portal. Several Cabinet Ministers and policy advisers, spearheading India’s COVID vaccination campaign, have claimed that India will inoculate “all eligible” by December. These statements do not specify if that refers to just all adults, or the number of doses administered.

3)The recommended vaccination protocol is to administer two doses at least four to 16 weeks apart depending on the vaccine administered. Given that only 4.4 crore second doses have been administered and the daily pace of second doses — for most of last month — has been about 10% of that of the first dose (on May 29, 27 lakh first doses were administered to 3 lakh second doses), it could theoretically be years before all those over 18 get their second doses.

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 China Population :

The census recorded 264 million in the age group of 60 and over, up 5.44% since 2010 and accounting for 18.70% of the population. Those in the 15-59 age group were 894 million persons, down by 6.79% since 2010 and accounting for 63.35% of the population. China’s workforce in the 15-59 age bracket peaked at 925 million in 2011, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said previously. That number was down to 894 million in this census and would drop to 700 million by 2050.

1)China will for the first time allow couples to have a third child, the country’s government said on Monday, in a further relaxation of family planning rules five years after a “two-child policy” largely failed to boost birth rates. The announcement followed a meeting of the 25-member Politburo, chaired by China’s President and Communist Party of China General Secretary Xi Jinping, “to hear reports on major policy measures to actively address the ageing of population during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025)”, State media said.

2) The change comes less than three weeks after the release of China’s once-in-a-decade population census that painted an alarming picture of declining births. The National Bureau of Statistics said on May 11 that 12 million babies were born last year, the lowest number since 1961, a time when Mao’s China was in the midst of a four-year famine, and down from 17.86 million in 2016.

3) The census said China’s population was 1.41 billion in 2020, an increase of 72 million since the last census in 2010, reflecting a 5.38% growth in this period and a 0.53% annual growth. Forecasts say the population could peak in the next couple of years and most likely by 2025, when India will become the world’s most populous country

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 universal basic income (UBI) programme :

1)Many consider a universal basic income (UBI) programme to be a solution that could mitigate the looming crisis caused by dwindling job opportunities. UBI is also deliberated as an effective poverty-eradication tool. Supporters of this scheme include Economics Nobel Laureates Peter Diamond and Christopher Pissarides, and tech leaders Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk.

2)UBI in its true sense would entail the provision of an unconditional fixed amount to every citizen in a country. Nevertheless, countries across the world, including Kenya, Brazil, Finland, and Switzerland, have bought into this concept and have begun controlled UBI pilots to supplement their population.

3)India’s huge capacity and infrastructure-building requirements will support plenty of hands in the foreseeable future. Nonetheless, even before the pandemic, India was struggling to find enough opportunities for more than a million job aspirants who were entering the job market each month

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

96)Consider the following :

1)In the 68 days since the nationwide lockdown was imposed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the Union Home Ministry on an average, issued 1.3 orders a day.

2)The orders were issued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, invoked for the first time in the country since the legislation was drafted after the tsunami in 2004.

3)The Act also, for the first time, introduced a legal framework for disaster management in the country, with the Ministry being the nodal Ministry. Under the Act, the States and district authorities can frame their own rules on the basis of broad guidelines issued by the Ministry.

4)The lockdown first imposed on March 24 was extended four times. The fifth phase has been renamed Unlock 1.0 to open up economic activities even as more than 1.75 lakh cases and around 4,900 deaths.

5)The Ministry had also started three control rooms to monitor the complaints received from States and to resolve the migrant crisis. As all modes of public transport were suspended, thousands of migrants have been walking back several hundred kilometres to reach home.

6)A senior Ministry official said the helplines in the control room had been getting around 600 calls daily in the initial days but gradually the number had come down. After over 50 days into the extended lockdown, the Railways started running Shramik Special trains for the migrant workers.

7)Meanwhile, the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) are yet to receive orders from the Ministry on what comprises swadeshi or indigenous products. On May 13, Union Home Minister had announced that CAPF canteens would sell only swadeshi goods from June 1,2020

8)A government official said the Commerce Ministry was yet to issue the guidelines defining swadeshi products, though the scheme is to be implemented from June 1. The canteens sell many daily-use products at a subsidised rate to around 10 lakh personnel, their families and those retired.

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 migrant workers :

1)There is a wealth of theoretical and empirical literature on the reasons behind short-term seasonal and circular migratory flows in India. For a majority of migrant labourers, migration is either a livelihood accumulation strategy or survival risk reducing strategy whichever way we define the nature of migration.

2)The migration studies also confirm that the migrant labourers are the most exploited and also disenfranchised invisible citizens of contemporary India. It’s shocking that those who build fantasy cities not only can’t own a home of their own but also can’t vote in elections and treated like almost ‘as second-class citizens’. This double tragedy of migrant life is ironically further exploited by sons of soil politicians in various States of India.

3)According to the Census of India, 2011, more than 450 million Indians (37%) are internal migrants who change their residence within a country’s national borders.

4)About 30% of the migrants are youth aged 15-29 years and another 15 million are children.

5)Women migrants are less represented in regular jobs and more likely to be self-employed than non-migrant women.

6)Domestic work has emerged as an important occupation for migrant women and girls.

7)Facing relentless bouts of gender discrimination at home, and on the farms as wage workers, these migrant women are forced into various forms of servitude in the domestic spaces of affluent city dwellers.

8)The Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979 is largely a regulatory law failing to incorporate welfare rights of the migrant labourers

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 :

U.S. President Donald Trump said in June, 2020 that he would postpone a Group of Seven summit he had hoped to hold next month until September or later and expand the list of invitees to include Australia, Russia, South Korea and India.

1)Russia was expelled from what was then the G8 in 2014 when Mr. Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama, was U.S. President, after Moscow annexed the Crimea region from Ukraine. Russia still holds the territory, and various G7 governments have rebuffed previous calls from Mr. Trump to readmit Moscow

2)Dismissing the current configuration of the “Group of Seven” or G-7 of the world’s most developed nations as “outdated”, U.S. President Donald Trump announced over the weekend that he would like to expand it to a G-11, by adding India, Russia, South Korea and Australia.

3)Despite its border tensions with Beijing, India must also consider its objectives in attending a grouping that appears aimed at fuelling a new Cold War between the U.S. and China. Finally, an evaluation of the G-7’s effectiveness as a multilateral forum thus far is needed, given deep member differences on issues including climate change, security contributions, Iran, etc. In France, last year, the grouping was unable to issue a joint communiqué due to these differences — a first in its 45-year-old history.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

99)Consider the following :

However, 700 km from Mumbai, a nascent cyclone is brewing in the Arabian Sea and is likely to hit north Maharashtra as well as the Gujarat coast by June 3,2020.

1) “Its track is northward but will recurve into Harihareshwar and Daman. However, more details on the potential damage would be available once it begins to form. Right now, it’s a depression in the South East Arabian Sea and is about 690 km away from Mumbai,” Director-General, IMD, said at a press conference.

2)The IMD’s latest cyclone update expects it to balloon into a “severe cyclone” by the middle of the week

3) The presence of a cyclone near land during the monsoon onset could delay the progress of the monsoon and put it into a “hiatus,”

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c

100)Consider the following :

China, being Africa’s largest trading partner, was quick to signal its intent to help Africa cope with the pandemic.

1) It despatched medical protective equipment, testing kits, ventilators, and medical masks to several African countries. The primary motive of such donations has been to raise Beijing’s profile as a leading provider of humanitarian assistance and “public goods” in the global public health sector.

2) China’s billionaire philanthropy was also in full display when tech founder Jack Ma donated three rounds of anti-coronavirus supplies. These consignments were transported mostly by Ethiopian aircraft

3) Chinese embassies across Africa have taken the lead by coordinating both public and private donations to local stakeholders and have also embarked on a donation blitz of cash even as the sub-optimal quality of China’s medical supplies and its deputing of medical experts have been a major cause for concern

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only

(d) None

Ans: c