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ᴀᴋʜɪʟᴇsʜ:
programme .
The continuation PSLV programme will enable Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO) to launch of satellites required for earth jobservation & navigation and Space
Sciences. It will also help government to clinch commercial lauunch service contracts
and meet the demand for the launch of satellites at a frequency of four to five
launches per year.
It was sanctioned by Union Government in 2008 to use PSLV as a workhorse vehicle
to meet the country’s satellite launch requirements. The operationalisation of this
programme has made India self-reliant in the launching capability of satellites for
the purpose of earth observation, disaster management, space sciences and
navigation.
2. Solution: d)
Urea is an inexpensive form of nitrogen fertilizer with an NPK (nitrogen-
phosphorus-potassium) ratio of 46-0-0. Although urea is naturally produced in
humans and animals, synthetic urea is manufactured with anhydrous ammonia.
Although urea often offers gardeners the most nitrogen for the lowest price on the
market, special steps must be taken when applying urea to the soil to prevent the loss
of nitrogen through a chemical reaction.
3. Solution: d)
Union Government has decided to amend Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) norms
for NRIs, Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) to
increase capital flows into the country.
Government will amend FDI policy on investments by NRIs, PIOs & OCIs which will
give them parity in economy and education. Now non-repatriable investments of
NRIs, PIOs & OCIs under under Schedule 4 of FEMA regulations will considered as
domestic investment.
4-A
Word “Repatriation” is derived from the latin word “Repatriare” which means go
home. Repatriation is the process of returning a person back to one’s place of origin
or citizenship. The term is also used to refer to the process of converting a foreign
currency back into the currency of the home country.
Repatriable NRI Investment : It refers to the investment wherein NRI can take the
invested money back to foreign currency i.e., amount invested can be converted to an
investor’s home country.
Non-Repatriable NRI Investment: It refers to the investment wherein NRI cannot
convert invested money back to his home country.
5. Solution: d)
The fish is native to Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot. It is generally found in
two streams of Mudba and Turad of Tunga River. The male of the Pethia striata
species is red in colour and measures 3-4cm in length, while the female is grey with a
striking pattern of scales. They are usually are found in small groups of 3-4
individuals in shallow pools.
he discovery of species is addition to the largest fish family which is scientifically
called as Cyprinidae that includes goldfish, common carp and zebrafish.
6. Solution: b)
Ancient ruins of Palmyra dates back to the first and second Century when it was
under Roman rule. Palmyra was once a Silk Road hub and one of the cultural centres
of the ancient world. The city occupies mythological status in Syria and is home to
some of the most beautiful and well-preserved ruins of antiquity, including the
Temple of Bel, built in 1st century.
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants have taken complete control of the
ancient Syrian city of Palmyra. The city is a UNESCO designated World Heritage site
and home to some of the world’s most magnificent ancient ruins. With the seizure of
entire ancient city, there are fears that the militants will destroy the ancient ruins as
there is no presence of government troops who had entirely withdrawn from the city
following an IS advance. It should be noted that the ancient ruins are situated in a
strategically important area on the road between Syria’s capital Damascus and the
contested eastern city of Deir al-Zour.
7. Solution: b)
The Vernacular Press Act was passed in 1878 under the Governor Generalship and
Viceroyalty of Lord Lytton, for better control of Indian language newspapers. The
purpose of the Act was to control the printing and circulation of seditious material,
specifically that which could produce disaffection against the British Government in
India in the minds of the masses.
8. Solution: b)
The report has projected India’s economy to grow by 7.6 per cent in year 2015 and
7.7 per cent in 2016. While, it has projected China’s economic growth will be 7 per
cent in year 2015 and 6.8 per cent in 2016.
The main reasons for strengthening of growth in this region will be because of
stronger domestic consumption and investment, and increase in exports.
The report has forecasted South Asian region’s GDP will grow by 6.7 per cent in 2015
and 6.9 per cent in 2016.
9. Solution: c)
Union Finance Ministry on 14 November 2014 announced that Goa and Kerala
became the first states in the country to achieve 100 percent Financial Inclusion
under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY).
Also, three Union Territories (UTs) namely Chandigarh, Puducherry and
Lakshadweep achieved 100 percent financial inclusion.
And recently, Meghalaya has achieved 100 percent success in implementing Union
Government’s flagship scheme for financial inclusion-Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan
Yojna (PMJDY).
10. Solution: b)
This discovered site is dry as Mars and has a mean atmospheric relative humidity
(RH) of 17.3 percent and a soil RH of a constant 14 percent at a depth of one meter.
Soil value taken form the MES site matches the lowest RH measurements taken on
Mars by the Mars Science Laboratory at Gale Crater. Thus, making these conditions
to establish the fact that this site is as dry as those found recently on the Martian
surface. Apart from this scientist also have found some bacteria species living there
11. Solution: b)
There are several ways of removing particulate matter; the most widely used of which
is the electrostatic precipitator (Figure 16.1), which can remove over 99 per cent
particulate matter present in the exhaust from a thermal power plant. It has
electrode wires that are maintained at several thousand volts, which produce a
corona that releases electrons. These electrons attach to dust particles giving them a
net negative charge. The collecting plates are grounded and attract the charged dust
particles. The velocity of air between the plates must be low enough to allow the dust
to fall.
12.Solution: c)
The catalysts, are fitted into automobiles for reducing emission of poisonous gases.
As the exhaust passes through the catalytic converter, unburnt hydrocarbons are
converted into carbon dioxide and water, and carbon monoxide and nitric oxide are
changed to carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas, respectively. Motor vehicles equipped
with catalytic converter should use unleaded petrol because lead in the petrol
inactivates the catalyst.
13.Solution: b)
Plants, bacteria, fungi and animals whose genes have been altered by manipulation
are called Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). GM plants have been useful in
many ways. Genetic modification has:
• made crops more tolerant to abiotic stresses (cold, drought, salt, heat).
• reduced reliance on chemical pesticides (pest-resistant crops).
• helped to reduce post harvest losses.
• increased efficiency of mineral usage by plants (this prevents early exhaustion
of fertility of soil).
• enhanced nutritional value of food, e.g., Vitamin ‘A’ enriched rice.
In addition to these uses, GM has been used to create tailor-made plants to supply
alternative resources to industries, in the form of starches, fuels and
pharmaceuticals.
14.Solution: b)
Some strains of Bacillus thuringiensis produce proteins that kill certain insects such
as lepidopterans (tobacco budworm, armyworm), coleopterans (beetles) and
dipterans (flies, mosquitoes). B. Thuringiensis forms protein crystals during a
particular phase of their growth. These crystals contain a toxic insecticidal protein.
Why does this toxin not kill the Bacillus? Actually, the Bt toxin protein exist as
inactive protoxins but once an insect ingest the inactive toxin, it is converted into an
active form of toxin due to the alkaline pH of the gut which solubilise the crystals.
15.Solution: d)
Ecologists and evolutionary biologists have proposed various hypotheses; some
important ones are (a) Speciation is generally a function of time, unlike temperate
regions subjected to frequent glaciations in the past, tropical latitudes have remained
relatively undisturbed for millions of years and thus, had a long evolutionary time for
species diversification, (b) Tropical environments, unlike temperate ones, are less
seasonal, relatively more constant and predictable. Such constant environments
promote niche specialisation and lead to a greater species diversity and (c) There is
more solar energy available in the tropics, which contributes to higher productivity;
this in turn might contribute indirectly to greater diversity.
18.Solution: d)
BoP is a statement that summarizes an economy’s transactions with the rest of the
world for a specified time period. The balance of payments, also known as balance of
international payments, encompasses all transactions between a country’s residents
and its nonresidents involving goods, services and income; financial claims on and
liabilities to the rest of the world; and transfers such as gifts. The balance of
payments classifies these transactions in two accounts – the current account and the
capital account. The current account includes transactions in goods, services,
investment income and current transfers, while the capital account mainly includes
transactions in financial instruments. An economy’s balance of payments
transactions and international investment position (IIP) together constitute its set of
international accounts. All the four options form a part of the capital account.
19.Solution: c)
Romesh Chandra Dutt, a retired ICS officer, published The Economic History of
India at the beginning of the 20th century in which he examined in minute detail the
entire economic record of colonial rule since 1757.
20. Solution: a)
The Triffin dilemma or paradox is the conflict of economic interests that arises
between short-term domestic and long-term international objectives when a national
currency also serves as a world reserve currency. The dilemma of choosing between
these objectives was first identified in the 1960s by Belgian-American economist
Robert Triffin. He pointed out that the country whose currency, being the global
reserve currency, foreign nations wish to hold, must be willing to supply the world
with an extra supply of its currency to fulfill world demand for these foreign
exchange reserves, and thus cause a trade deficit.
22. Solution: c)
CGA is the principal Accounts Adviser to the Union Government. He is responsible
for maintaining and establishing a technically sound management accounting
system. Every month he prepares a critical analysis of revenues, expenditures,
borrowings and the deficit for Union Finance Minister. He also prepares annual
Union Finance Accounts and Appropriation Accounts (Civil) for presentation to the
Parliament.
Union Ministry of Finance has recently appointed M J Joseph as the Controller
General of Accounts (CGA). He will succeed Jawahar Thakur, who was recently
appointed as OSD (Accounting Reforms) in the office of CGA.
23. Solution: d)
Royal Dutch Shell plc commonly known as Shell, is anAnglo
Dutch multinational oil and gas company headquartered in the Netherlands and
incorporated in the United Kingdom.Created by the merger of Royal Dutch
Petroleum and UK-based Shell Transport & Trading, it is the fourth largest company
in the world as of 2014, in terms of revenue, and one of the six oil and gas
"supermajors".
As of January 2013 the largest shareholder is Capital Research Global Investors with
9.85% ahead of BlackRock in second with 6.89%.
Recently the United Steelworkers union striked against Royal Dutch Shell Plc at nine
U.S. oil and chemical plants. Up until recently oil prices had undergone steep drops
24. Solution: a)
Warm-blooded animals generate their own heat and maintain a body temperature
independent of the environment. They are also known as endotherms. It should be
noted most of mammals and birds are warm-blooded animals.
Opah or moonfish has ability to circulate heated blood throughout its body which
makes it first fish known to be fully warm-blood.
It can internally generate heat through constant flapping of wing-like pectoral fins.
Its unique structure also help to prevent this heat from being lost to the environment
as its gills lets warm blood to heat up cold blood returning from the gills’ respiratory
surface. This generated heat has an average muscle temperature about 4 to 50 C
above the surrounding water temperature.
26. Solution: a)
Union Government formally launched Upgrading the Skills and Training in
Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development (USTAAD) Scheme.
The Scheme aims at upgrading Skills and Training of minority communities by
preservation of traditional ancestral Arts and Crafts. It also envisages boosting the
skill of craftsmen, weavers and artisans who are already engaged in the traditional
ancestral work. Under the scheme, assistance will be provided to traditional artisans
to sell their products in order to make them more compatible with modern markets.
It is fully funded by Union Government and Union Ministry of Minority Affairs is
nodal agency in implementing it.
28. Solution: c)
Mahatma Gandhi led the Civil Disobedience Movement that was launched in the
Congress Session of December 1929. The aim of this movement was a complete
disobedience of the orders of the British Government. During this movement it was
decided that India would celebrate 26th January as Independence Day all over the
country. On 26th January 1930, meetings were held all over the country and the
Congress tricolour was hoisted. The British Government tried to repress the
movement and resorted to brutal firing, killing hundreds of people. Thousands were
arrested along with Gandhiji and Jawaharlal Nehru.
But the movement spread to all the four corners of the country Following this, Round
Table Conferences were arranged by the British and Gandhiji attended the second
Round Table Conference at London. But nothing came out of the conference and the
Civil Disobedience Movement was revived.
During this time, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were arrested on the charges
of throwing a bomb in the Central Assembly Hall (which is now Lok Sabha) in Delhi,
to demonstrate against the autocratic alien rule. They were hanged to death on
March 23, 1931.
29. Solution: c)
The Moro people or Bangsamoro are a population of indigenous Muslims in the
Philippines, forming the largest non-Catholic group in the country, and comprising
about 5% of the total Philippine population.
The Moro Insurgency in the Philippines is an ongoing insurgency in the
predominantly-Muslim Southern Philippines. Recently it derailed a peace treaty and
caused millions of dollars of revenue loss to Philippines government.
30. Solution: d)
The effect can be seen in the drawing up of liquids between the hairs of a paint-
brush, in a thin tube, in porous materials such as paper, in some non-porous
materials such as liquefied carbon fiber, or in a cell. It occurs because
Supreme Court (SC) on 13 May 2015 issued a slew of guidelines on regulation of
public advertisements. This guidelines seeks to prevent ruling politicians at all levels
from misusing tax payers’ money to enhance their image or of their parties as it is
against democratic principles.
Only photographs of the President, Prime Minister (PM) and Chief Justice of India
(CJI) can feature in the government advertisements with their prior approval.
Besides, the photos of late national leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal
Nehru can be used in these advertisements. Henceforth, official advertisements
should not carry the name of any political party, political symbol, logo or flag. In
order to regulate the issue of public advertisement and to keep check on framed
guidelines to prevent its violation, Union government must constitute a three-
member committee.