ALL INDIA PRELIMS TEST SERIES 2019 · 2019-04-23 · 2 AIPTS 2019 (GS - 14) (E) Answer Key Byju’s Classes: 9205881869 created by the banking system qualitative measures or selective

1 AIPTS 2019 (GS - 14) (E) Answer Key Byju’s Classes: 9205881869

ALL INDIA PRELIMS TEST SERIES – 2019

MOCK - 1

GENERAL STUDIES - 14

Answer Key

Ans:1)(b)

Explanation: NNP= NDP+ NFIA (Net Factor Income from Abroad)

It depends on the value of NFIA whether NDP

will be greater or lesser than GDP.

If NFIA is positive, then NNP > NDP.

If NFIA is negative, then NNP< NDP.

Hence first statement is wrong. Second statement is correct.

GNP= NNP+ Depreciation

GDP= NDP+ Depreciation

Thus, relationship between a nation’s GNP

and NNP is similar to the relationship between its GDP and NDP.

Ans:2)(a)

Explanation: Companies need approval

under the Companies Act for any merger or

acquisition. Currently, the NCLT does it. An approval from the NCLT under the

Companies Act is one of the several

regulatory clearances required for any merger

or acquisition. Some of the other approvals

required are from the Competition Commission for India, the home ministry

(when foreign companies are involved), and

the respective regulators for sectoral mergers.

Recently, the government is considering

taking away the power of the NCLT to approve

or reject M&A and give the responsibility to the regional directors of the Ministry of

Corporate Affairs (MCA).

Ans:3)(a)

Explanation: Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) is the share of a bank’s total deposit that is

mandated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

to be maintained with the latter in the form

liquid cash. Banks do not earn any interest

rate on money parked as CRR with RBI.

Open Market Operations is the sale and purchase of government securities and

treasury bills by RBI or the central bank of

the country. The objective of OMO is to

regulate the money supply in the economy.

When the RBI wants to increase the money supply in the economy, it purchases the

government securities from the market and to

decrease the money supply in the market, it

sells government securities. RBI carries out

the OMO through commercial banks and

does not directly deal with the public. OMO is one of the tools that RBI uses to smoothen

the liquidity conditions through the year and

minimise its impact on the interest rate and

inflation rate levels.

Ans:4)(a)

Explanation: The WTO agreements cover

goods, services and intellectual property.

They spell out the principles of liberalization,

and the permitted exceptions. They include individual countries’ commitments to lower

customs tariffs and other trade barriers, and

to open and keep open services markets. They

set procedures for settling disputes.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an organization of 189 countries, working to

foster global monetary cooperation, secure

financial stability, facilitate international

trade, promote high employment and

sustainable economic growth, and reduce

poverty around the world. Created in 1945, the IMF is governed by and

accountable to the 189 countries that make

up its near-global membership.

The IMF's primary purpose is to ensure the

stability of the international monetary system—the system of exchange rates and

international payments that enables

countries (and their citizens) to transact with

each other.

IDA (International Development Association)-

IDA complements the World Bank’s original lending arm—the International Bank for

Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).

IBRD was established to function as a self-

sustaining business and provides loans and

advice to middle-income and credit-worthy poor countries. IBRD and IDA share the same

staff and headquarters and evaluate projects

with the same rigorous standards. IDA is one

of the largest sources of assistance for the

world’s 75 poorest countries, 39 of which are

in Africa, and is the single largest source of donor funds for basic social services in these

countries.

IDA lends money on concessional terms.

It has nothing to do with promotion of trade

among South Asian Countries.

Ans:5)(a)

Explanation: The various methods employed

by the RBI to control credit creation power of

the commercial banks can be classified in two

groups, viz., quantitative controls and qualitative controls. Quantitative controls are

designed to regulate the volume of credit


created by the banking system qualitative

measures or selective methods are designed

to regulate the flow of credit in specific uses.

Quantitative or traditional methods of credit control include banks rate policy, open

market operations and variable reserve ratio.

Qualitative or selective methods of credit

control include regulation of margin

requirement, credit rationing, regulation of

consumer credit and direct action.

Ans:6)(d)

Explanation: Hedging is used by businesses

to manage their currency exposure. If a

business needs to buy or sell one currency for another, they are exposed to fluctuations in

the foreign exchange market that could affect

their costs (or revenues) and ultimately their

profit. Hedging covers the risk associated

with exchange rate fluctuations.

By booking a hedge, businesses protect an exchange rate against a specified sum for a

desired timescale, providing businesses with

certainty.

Ans:7)(a) Explanation: Primary deficit refers to

difference between fiscal deficit of the current

year and interest payments on the previous

borrowings. Primary Deficit = Fiscal Deficit –

Interest Payments.

Ans:8)(c)

Explanation: The Phillips curve is an

economic concept developed by A. W. Phillips

stating that inflation and unemployment have

a stable and inverse relationship. The theory claims that with economic growth comes

inflation, which in turn should lead to more

jobs and less unemployment.

The Engel curve, named after the German

statistician Ernst Engel (1821-96), is a

relation between the demand for a good and the income of its buyers, the former

depending on the latter. It states that the

lower a family’s income, the greater is the

proportion of it spent on food. The negative

relationship between price and demand is shown by the demand curve.

Hence second statement is wrong.

Lorenz curve is a graphical representation of

the distribution of income or of wealth. It was

developed by Max O. Lorenz in 1905 for

representing inequality of the wealth distribution.

Hence third statement is also wrong.

Ans:9)(c)

Explanation: Union of India is a federal system with a unitary bias. Federal features

of the constitution include: two governments,

division of powers, written Constitution,

supremacy of Constitution, rigidity of

Constitution, independent judiciary and

bicameralism. Unitary features of the

constitution include: strong Centre, single Constitution, single citizenship, flexibility of

Constitution, integrated judiciary,

appointment of state governor by the Centre,

all-India services, emergency provisions etc.

Ans:10)(d) Explanation: A managed float is a flexible

exchange rate system in which the

government or central bank may occasionally

intervene in order to direct the country’s

currency value in certain directions. It is generally done in order to act as a buffer

against economic shocks and hence to softer

its effect in the economy.

Ans:11)(b)

Explanation: Predatory pricing is the pricing of goods and services at such a low level that

other firms cannot compete and are forced to

leave the market.

Theoretically, if competitors or potential

competitors cannot sustain equal or lower prices without losing money, they go out of

business or choose not to enter the business.

The so-called predatory merchant then

theoretically has fewer competitors or even is

a de facto monopoly.

Predatory pricing is considered anti-competitive in many jurisdictions and is

illegal under some competition laws.

However, it can be difficult to prove that

prices dropped because of deliberate

predatory pricing, rather than legitimate price competition. In any case, competitors may be

driven out of the market before the case is

ever heard.

Maximizing profits or attaining least cost

output is not the purpose of predatory

pricing.

Ans:12)(b)

Explanation: In economics, a public good is a

good that is both non-excludable and non-

rivalrous in that individuals cannot be excluded from use or could be enjoyed

without paying for it, and where use by one

individual does not reduce availability to

others or the goods can be effectively

consumed simultaneously by more than one

person. Defence Security is a public good since

everyone together get the benefit of it

irrespective of whether they pay for it or not.

Hence it is non- excludable. It is also non-

rivalrous because defence security to one person does not reduce its availability for the

other.


The other three options are not public goods

since people can be excluded if they don’t pay

for it. Live Cricket match, whether live in

stadium or on television can be seen only if one pays for it. Those who don’t pay can be

excluded.

Similarly, those who do not buy tickets for

zoological park can be excluded from entering

it.

Getting higher education can also be restricted to few, either who pay for it or who

get scholarships.

Ans:13)(c)

Explanation: The all India index of Industrial Production (IIP) is compiled and published

monthly by the Central Statistical

Organization (CSO).

CPI(Urban) and CPI(Rural) are compiled by

Central Statistical Organisation.

CPI for Industrial workers CPI(IW) compiled by Labour Bureau.

In India, Office of Economic Advisor (OEA),

Department for Promotion of Industry and

Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and

Industry calculates the Wholesale Price Index (WPI).

Ans:14)(d)

Explanation: Multidimensional poverty index

is made up of several factors that constitute

poor people’s experience of deprivation – such as poor health, lack of education, inadequate

living standard, lack of income (as one of

several factors considered), disempowerment,

poor quality of work and threat from violence.

A multidimensional measure can incorporate a range of indicators to capture the

complexity of poverty and better inform

policies to relieve it. Different indicators can

be chosen appropriate to the society and

situation.

Ans:15)(c)

Explanation: Right against economic

exploitation and Right to work are Non-

justiciable rights. The rationale Can be- if a

woman is paid less wage than a male counterpart who is doing same work , it

amounts to economic exploitation; since

equal pay for equal work is stipulated in

DPSP, Right against economic exploitation is

non-justiciable.

Right to work has not been explicitly recognized under the Fundamental Rights;

rather it has been recognized under the DPSP

under article 41.

Right to liberty is a fundamental right under

Article 21. Hence it is Justiciable right.

Ans:16)(b)

Explanation: Second schedule deals with the

following emoluments.

The President and the Governors of the States

Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the

House of the People and of the Legislative Assemblies of States

Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the

Council of the States and of the Legislative

Councils of States

Judges of the Supreme Court and of the High

Courts

The Comptroller and Auditor-General

Ans:17)(c) Explanation: The Office of Governor provided

by the Indian Constitution is required to act

with the advice of Council of Ministers

headed by Chief Minister of the State [Article

163]. The Governor position had been existing

(under British rule) very much before the GoI Act 1935 came into effect. However scheme of

arrangement (as present day) is envisaged in

Government of India Act, 1935. The Act

introduced responsible governments in

provinces, that is, the governor was required

to act with the aid and advice of ministers responsible to the provincial legislature. But,

with respect to the Role and powers exercised

by him it is 1935 Act which served as an

inspiration for our present day setup.

Ans:18)(c)

Explanation: Government of India Act of

1858 ended the system of double government

in India by abolishing the Board of Control

and Court of Directors. For the first time, the

legislative and executive functions of the Governor-General’s council were separated.

Charter Act 1853: This act served as the

foundation of the modern parliamentary form

of government. The legislative wing of the

Governor-General’s Council acted as a parliament on the model of the British

Parliament. For the first time, local

representation was introduced into the

legislative council in the form of four

members from the local governments of

Bengal, Bombay, Madras and North Western Provinces.

Ans:19)(d)

Explanation: Originally, the Constitution

provided for seven Fundamental Rights. However, the Right to Property (Article 31)

was deleted from the list of Fundamental

Rights by the 44th Amendment Act of 1978.

It is made a legal right under Article 300A in

Part XII of the constitution. The state of

Jammu and Kashmir has its own constitution and thus, enjoys a special status by virtue of


Article 370 of constitution of India. 10th

schedule provides for provisions relating to

disqualification of members of Parliament and

State legislature on grounds of defection. This schedule was added by the 52nd Amendment

Act of 1985 and is also known as Anti-

Defection Law.

Ans:20)(b)

Explanation: Andhra Pradesh government has recently launched “Bhudhaar” and

“Bhuseva” initiative. It aimed at enabling easy

identification of details of the land parcel.

Under this, each land parcel will be given a

Bhudhaar number, an 11-digit unique figure. It would put an end to irregularities in land

registration and corruption in revenue

department.

Ans:21)(c)

Explanation: WCCB is a statutory multi-disciplinary body established by the

government under the Environment Ministry

to combat organized wildlife crime in the

country. The Bureau was constituted by

amendment to the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. It has been envisaged as a multi -

disciplinary statutory body that will have

officials from forests, police, customs and

other similar agencies.

Ans:22)(c) Explanation: NFCH is an autonomous

organisation under Union Ministry of Home

Affairs (MHA). It principally provides

assistance for the rehabilitation of child

victims of different kinds of societal violence, promotes communal harmony and national

integration either independently or through

state governments or NGOs, etc. Recently, the

NFCH is observing the Communal Harmony

Campaign and Fund Raising Week from 19th

to 25th November 2018 and the Flag Day was also celebrated on 22nd November 2018.

Ans:23)(b)

Explanation: The Battle of Aberdeen has

been fought between the Andamanese tribe and the British forces in 1859. The tribals

fought with knives, axes, bows and arrows

against a larger and well-armed enemy. While

the British suffered hardly any losses, a large

number of the Andamanese were annihilated

in a single day. It quelled organised resistance from the Andamanese forever, and

established the colonial Empire firmly in

these remote islands.

Ans:24)(a) Explanation: Some of the terms which are

not mentioned in the Constitution, but used

in general practice are:

Judicial Review,

Caretaker Government,

Budget (“annual financial statement),

No Confidence Motion (it is mentioned in the

Lok Sabha rules) etc.

The terms which are mentioned in the

constitution but not defined are:

Procedure established by law”

Contempt of Court

Untouchability,

Minority,

Martial law,

Domicile,

Violation of the constitution,

Office of profit.

Ans:25)(c)

Explanation: Bankruptcy and insolvency, Electricity and Education are Concurrent List

subjects while Insurance is Union List

Subject.

Ans:26)(d)

Explanation: The Delimitation Commission after drawing the boundaries of the

constituencies looks at the composition of

population in each constituency. Those

constituencies that have the highest

proportion of Scheduled Tribe population are reserved for ST. In the case of Scheduled

Castes, the Delimitation Commission looks at

two things. It picks constituencies that have

higher proportion of Scheduled Caste

population. But it also spreads these

constituencies in different regions of the State.

Ans:27)(c)

Explanation: The State can impose

reasonable restrictions on the exercise of freedom of speech and expression on the

grounds of sovereignty and integrity of India,

security of the state, friendly relations with

foreign states, public order, decency or

morality, contempt of court, defamation and

incitement to an offence. Sedition is not explicitly mentioned under the article 19 of

the Indian Constitution.

Ans:28)(d)

Explanation: When a large country decides to divide its power between the constituent

states and the national government and the

central government tends to be more powerful

vis-a-vis states, such a federation is called

‘holding together’ federation. In such

federation constituent units of the federation have unequal powers. Some units are granted

special powers. In the light of these features,

India can be termed ‘holding together’

federation; India’s “Federal with Unitary Bias”


Constitution stands as a testimony to this.

Spain and Belgium are the other examples.

On the other hand, the federation in which all

the constituent States usually have equal power and are strong vis-a-vis the federal

government is called ‘coming together’

federation. USA, Switzerland and Australia

are such federations.

The Constitution clearly demarcates subjects,

which are under the exclusive domain of the Union and those under the States. If there is

any unauthorized excess of the Union

government by over stepping into state’s list

this can be nullified by the Judiciary on the

basis of the division of powers in the seventh schedule. Thereby, federalism can be

strengthened.

Originally, India is a two-tier federation. But,

after the 73rd and 74th Constitutional

amendments, India has become a three-tier

federation as Local governments in the form of Panchayats and Municipal corporations

have got some powers in the administration

of local subjects.

Ans:29)(b) Explanation: As per the 73rd Constitutional

Amendment Act, All the members of

Panchayat at the village, intermediate and

district levels shall be elected directly by the

people. For anybody to contest Gram

Panchayat election one’s name must there in the voter list of that particular panchayat.

Therefore statement 2 is incorrect. To contest

as a candidate for the local body election the

minimum age should not be less than 21 year

on the date of scrutiny of papers.

Ans:30)(d)

Explanation: In respect of the subjects

enumerated in the Concurrent List, the

executive power rests with the states except

when a Constitutional provision or a parliamentary law specifically confers it on

the Centre. The Essential Commodities Act,

made by the Parliament on a concurrent

subject, the executive power is vested in the

Centre.

Ans:31)(a)

Explanation: The Central Information

Commission has been constituted under the

Right to Information Act, 2005. Hence, it is

not a Constitutional body. The decision of the commission is binding under section 19 (7) of

the Act. The Commission consists of the Chief

Information Commissioner (CIC) and

Information Commissioners not exceeding 10.

Ans:32)(a)

Explanation: If the office of the vice-

president falls vacant by resignation, removal,

and death or otherwise, then election to fill

the vacancy should be held as soon as

possible after the occurrence of the vacancy.

The newly- elected vice-president remains in office for a full term of five years from the

date he assumes charge of his office.

Ans:33)(b)

Explanation: Under the Rules of Lok Sabha,

the Speaker nominates from amongst the members a panel of not more than ten

chairpersons. Any of them can preside over

the House in the absence of the Speaker or

the Deputy Speaker. He has the same powers

as the Speaker when so presiding. He holds office until a new panel of chairpersons is

nominated. It must be emphasized here that

a member of the panel of chairpersons cannot

preside over the House, when the office of the

Speaker or the Deputy Speaker is vacant.

During such time, the Speaker’s duties are to be performed by such member of the House

as the President may appoint for the purpose.

A House can declare the seat of a member

vacant if he is absent from all its meetings for

a period of sixty days without its permission. In computing the period of sixty days, no

account shall be taken of any period during

which the House is prorogued or adjourned

for more than four consecutive days. When a

resolution for the removal of the Speaker is

under consideration of the House, he cannot preside at the sitting of the House, though he

may be present. However, he can speak and

take part in the proceedings of the House at

such a time and vote in the first instance,

though not in the case of an equality of votes.

Ans:34)(c)

Explanation: In first of its kind event held by

any government organization, the Indian

Railways organized a programme on Ethics in

Public Governance and Launched “Mission Satyanishtha”. It aims at sensitizing all

railway employees about the need to adhere

to good ethics and to maintain high

standards of integrity at work. Talks and

Lectures on the subject are being organised all over the Indian Railways today for this

purpose. The objectives of the Mission are:

1. To train every employee to understand the

need and value of ethics in Personal and

Public life.

2. To deal with ethical dilemmas in life and Public Governance.

3. To help understand the policies of Indian

Railways on ethics and integrity and the

employee’s role in upholding the same.

4. To develop inner governance through tapping inner resources.


Ans:35)(a)

Explanation: NAM is envisaged as a pan-

India electronic trading portal which seeks to

network the existing APMC and other market yards to create a unified national market for

agricultural commodities. NAM is a “virtual”

market but it has a physical market (mandi)

at the back end.

The NAM electronic trading platform has been

created with an investment by the Government of India (through the Ministry of

Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare). It offers a

“plug-in” to any market yard existing in a

State (whether regulated or private). The

special software developed for NAM is available to each mandi which agrees to join

the national network free of cost with

necessary customization to conform to the

regulations of each State Mandi Act.

Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare,

Govt. of India has appointed Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) as the Lead

Implementing Agency of NAM. SFAC will

operate and maintain the NAM platform with

the help of a Strategic partner selected for the

purpose.

Ans:36)(a)

Explanation: IIFCL is a wholly-owned

Government of India company set up in 2006.

It has been registered as a NBFC-ND-IFC with

RBI since September 2013. It provides long term finance to viable infrastructure projects

– Both Greenfield and Brownfield projects. It

provides refinance to banks and other eligible

financial institutions for their loans to

infrastructure projects. Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Government of India has

recently signed $300 million Loan Agreement

to support lending by IIFCL.

Ans:37)(d)

Explanation: The KUSUM scheme consists of three components:

Component-A: 10,000 MW of Decentralized

Ground Mounted Grid Connected Renewable

Power Plants.

Component-B: Installation of 17.50 lakh

standalone Solar Powered Agriculture Pumps.

Component-C: Solarisation of 10 Lakh Grid-

connected Solar Powered Agriculture Pumps.

All three components combined, the scheme aims to add a solar capacity of 25,750 MW by

2022. The total central financial support

provided under the scheme would be Rs.

34,422 crore.

The Component-A and Component-C will be implemented on pilot mode for 1000 MW

capacity and one lakh grid connected

agriculture pumps respectively and

thereafter, will be scale-up on success of pilot

run. Component-B will be implemented in

full-fledged manner.

Ans:38)(b) Explanation: ‘Seva Bhoj Yojna’ is a Central

Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Culture,

Government of India. Under the Scheme of

‘Seva Bhoj Yojna’ Central Goods and Services

Tax (CGST) and Central Government’s share

of Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) paid on purchase of specific raw food items

by Charitable Religious Institutions for

distributing free food to public shall be

reimbursed as Financial Assistance by the

Government of India. The scheme is being implemented from

01.08.2018 with a total outlay of Rs. 325.00

Crores for Financial Years 2018-19 and 2019-

20.

Ans:39)(c) Explanation: Ministry of Drinking Water &

Sanitation has launched the GOBAR

(Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources) -

DHAN scheme. The scheme is being

implemented as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin).

The GOBAR-DHAN scheme, with its focus on

keeping villages clean, increasing the income

of rural households, and generation of energy

from cattle waste, is an important element of

this ODF-plus strategy. GOBAR-Dhan shall cover 700 districts in

2018-19. The scheme will be implemented in

350 districts on pilot basis. Remaining

districts would be covered in second half of

the financial year 2018-19. The programme will be implemented using

SLWM funding pattern of SBM-G Guidelines.

The total assistance under SBM (G) for SLWM

projects is worked out on the basis of total

number of households in each GP, subject to

a maximum of Rs 7 lakh for a GP having up to 150 households, Rs.12 lakh up to 300

households, Rs. 15 lakh up to 500

households and Rs.20 lakh for GPs having

more than 500 households. Funding for

SLWM project under SBM (G) will continue to be provided by the Central and State

Government in the ratio of 60:40 as per the

existent formula.

Ans:40)(a)

Explanation: After the Chauri Chaura incident, Mahatma Gandhi withdrew the non-

cooperation movement in 1922. This was met

with a lot of disagreements among leaders of

the Congress Party.

While some wanted to continue non-cooperation, others wanted to end the

legislature boycott and contest elections. The

former were called no-changers and such


leaders included Rajendra Prasad, Sardar

Vallabhai Patel, C Rajagopalachari, etc.

The others who wanted to enter the legislative

council and obstruct the British government from within were called the pro-changers.

These leaders included C R Das, Motilal

Nehru, Srinivasa Iyengar, etc.

In 1922, in the Gaya session of the Congress,

C R Das (who was presiding over the session)

moved a proposal to enter the legislatures but it was defeated. Das and other leaders broke

away from the Congress and formed the

Swaraj Party. Hence third statement is wrong.

C R Das was the President and the Secretary

was Motilal Nehru. Hence second statement is wrong.

Prominent leaders of the Swaraj Party

included N C Kelkar, Huseyn Shaheed

Suhrawardy and Subhas Chandra Bose.

Ans:41)(c) Explanation: Second Round Table

Conference was held between September and

December 1931. In this conference, INC took

part and Mahatma Gandhi was appointed as

sole representative of Indian National Congress.

The Quit India Movement, or the August

Movement, was a movement launched at the

Bombay session of the All-India Congress

Committee by Gandhiji on 8 August 1942.

The Royal Indian Navy revolt encompasses a total strike and subsequent revolt by Indian

sailors of the Royal Indian Navy on board

ship and shore establishments at Bombay

harbour on 18 February 1946.

Ans:42)(c)

Explanation: Indian Council Act of 1909 is

also known as Morley- Monto Reform. It was

instituted to placate the Moderates (Congress)

and introduces separate electorates on the

basis of religion. Therefore Lord Minto came to be known as Father of Communal

Electorate in India.

Ans:43)(c)

Explanation: The main points of the Nehru report were as follows:

India would be given Dominion status. This

means independence within the British

Commonwealth.

India will be a federation which shall have a

bicameral legislature at the centre and

Ministry would be responsible to the

legislature.

Governor General of India would be the constitutional head of India and will have the

same powers as that of British Crown.

There will be no separate electorate.

The draft report also defined the citizenship

and fundamental rights.

Ans:44)(c)

Explanation: In Government of India Act 1919 the spheres of the central and

provincial governments were demarcated by a

division of subjects into “central” and

“provincial”. Generally speaking, the central

subjects included all subjects directly

administered by the Government of India or in which extra-provincial interests were

dominant. The provincial subjects included

subjects in which the interests of the

provinces essentially predominated.

The Dyarchy was for the Provincial Governments. The provincial subjects were

divided into two categories viz. reserved and

transferred. The members in control of the

reserved subjects were made responsible to

British parliament through secretary of state.

The ministers who controlled the transferred subjects were made responsible through the

legislative councils to an Indian electorate.

Ans:45)(b)

Explanation: It’s not reflection but ‘refraction’ that creates advance sunrise and

delayed sunset. An observer can see a

rainbow only when his back is towards the

sun. Therefore, statements 1 & 3 are

incorrect.

Mirages occur on sunny days. The role of the sun is to heat the roadway to high

temperatures. This heated roadway in turn

heats the surrounding air, keeping the air

just above the roadway at higher

temperatures than that day's average air temperature. Hot air tends to be less optically

dense than cooler air. As such, a non-uniform

medium has been created by the heating of

the roadway and the air just above it. While

light will travel in a straight line through a

uniform medium, it will refract when traveling through a non-uniform medium.

Light that is traveling downward into this less

optically dense air begins to speed up.

Though there isn't a distinct boundary

between two media, there is a change in

speed of a light wave. As expected, a change in speed is accompanied by a change in

direction. If there were a distinct boundary

between two media, then there would be a

bending of this light ray away from the

normal. For this light ray to bend away from the normal (towards the boundary), the ray

would begin to bend more parallel to the

roadway and then bend upwards towards the

cooler air. As such, a person in a car sighting

downward at the roadway will see an object

located above the roadway.


Ans:46)(d)

Explanation: Sound needs a medium to

travel. In vacuum there is no medium so two

people cannot talk like we talk on earth. The velocity of sound is dependent on the nature

of medium through which it travels. The

velocity increases from gas to liquid to solid.

Ans:47)(a)

Explanation: Project Sunrise aims at bringing the people living with HIV/AIDS into

the national mainstream and creates more

awareness about the disease in these N-E

states. It will be implemented in addition to

the existing projects of the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO).

Ans:48)(d)

Explanation: On increasing the temperature

of solids, the kinetic energy of the particles

increases. Due to the increase in kinetic energy, the particles start vibrating with

greater speed. The energy supplied by heat

overcomes the forces of attraction between

the particles. The particles leave their fixed

positions and start moving more freely. A stage is reached when the solid melts and is

converted to a liquid. The temperature at

which a solid melts to become a liquid at the

atmospheric pressure is called its melting

point. The state of a matter changes at a

constant temperature when pressure is fixed and there is no increase or decrease in

temperature when state changes. Example:

When a solid melts, its temperature remains

the same.

Ans:49)(c)

Explanation: Prolactin is a hormone named

originally after its function to promote milk

production (lactation) in mammals in

response to the suckling of young after birth.

Prolactin occurs in both men and women but is more commonly diagnosed in women who

are less than 50 years than in older women or

men.

Ans:50)(c) Explanation: Measles and Hepatitis are

caused by virus, while, Cholera and

Tuberculosis are both caused by bacteria.

Ans:51)(d)

Explanation: Four spacecraft have visited Saturn. Pioneer 11, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2

made flybys. Cassini–Huygens entered orbit,

and deployed a probe into the atmosphere of

Titan (largest moon of Saturn).

Ans:52)(d)

Explanation: Scramjet stands for Supersonic

Combustion Ramjet. Scramjet breathes air

and uses high speed vehicle to forcefully

compress the incoming air before

combustion. Conventional aircraft engines on

the other hand compresses air using fan before combustion. Scramjets are efficient

only at supersonic speed. The fact that

scramjet uses atmospheric oxygen to burn

the fuel in the first phase will considerably

reduce the amount of oxidizer to be carried

aboard. This in turn will reduce cost-to payload ratio. A rocket using scramjet engine

would be significantly lighter, smaller and

therefore cheaper.

Ans:53)(d) Explanation: Genome editing is a way of

making specific changes to the DNA of a cell

or organism. It involves making cuts at

specific DNA sequences using enzymes called

engineered nucleases.

Genome editing can be used:

For research: to understand biology of organisms and how they work.

To treat disease: i.e. to modify human blood

cells to treat conditions including leukaemia

and AIDS.

For biotechnology: in agriculture to

genetically modify crops to improve their

yields and resistance to disease and drought.

Ans:54)(a)

Explanation: CSIR launched BGR-34 -

India's first anti-diabetic Ayurveda drug. Its

full form is Blood Glucose Regulator 34 where

34 represent the number of active phyto-constituents from herbal resources. BGR-34

is designed for Type 2 Diabetes mellitus.

BGR-34 has been jointly developed by

National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI)

and Central Institute for Medicinal and

Aromatic Plants (CIMAP).

Ans:55)(b)

Explanation: The Barak Missiles are surface-

to-air missiles. Long Range Surface-to-Air

Missile (LR-SAM) and Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MR-SAM) are being developed.

LR-SAM is the Ship Launch Version of Barak-

08 Missile system. MR-SAM is the Land

Launch Version of the Barak-08 Missile

system. It can intercept all types of aerial

targets like Subsonic and Supersonic Missiles, Fighter Aircraft, Maritime Patrolling

Aircraft, etc. It provides missile defense

against a variety of aerial, naval and airborne

threats. These are jointly developed by Israel

Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Israel. Barak-8

missile system, the upgraded version of

BARAK Missile System is developed in


collaboration with India’s Defense Research

and Development Organization (DRDO).

Ans:56)(b) Explanation: The Barak river, the head

stream of Meghna, rises in the hills in

Manipur. The important tributaries of the

river are Makku, Trang, Tuivai, Jiri, Sonai,

Rukni, Katakhal, Dhaleswari, Langachini,

Maduva and Jatinga. Barak continues in Bangladesh till the combined Ganga-

Brahmaputra join it near Bhairab Bazar.

Ans:57)(c)

Explanation: The entire country has been divided into 20 river basins/group of river

basins comprising 12 major basins and eight

composite river basins. The 12 major river

basins are : (1) Indus, (2) Ganga-

Brahmaputra-Meghna, (3) Godavari, (4)

Krishna, (5) Cauvery, (6) Mahanadi, (7) Pennar, (8) Brahmarti-Baitarani, (9)

Sabarmati, (10) Mahi, (11) Narmada and (12)

Tapti. Each of these basins has a drainage

area exceeding 20,000 sq. km.

The eight composite river basins combining suitably together all the other remaining

medium (drainage area of 2,000 to 20,000

sq.km) and small river systems (drainage area

less than 200 sq.km) for the purpose of

planning and management are: (1)

Subarnarekha-combining Subarnarekha and other small rivers between Subarnarekha and

Baitarani; (2) east flowing rivers between

Mahanadi and Pennar; (3) east flowing rivers

between Pennar and Kanyakumari; (4) area of

Inland drainage in Rajasthan desert; (5) west flowing rivers of Kutch and Saurashtra

including Luni; (6) west flowing rivers from

Tapi to Tadri; (7) west flowing rivers from

Tadri to Kanyakumari and (8) minor rivers

draining into Myanmar (Burma) and

Bangladesh.

Ans:58)(c)

Explanation: For the purpose of census

2011, a person aged seven and above, who

can both read and write with understanding in any language, is treated as literate. A

person, who can only read but cannot write,

is not literate. In the censuses prior to 1991,

children below five years of age were

necessarily treated as illiterates.

The results of 2011 census reveal that there has been an increase in literacy in the

country: The literacy rate in the country is

73.0 per cent, 80.9 for males and 64.6 for

females.

Ans:59)(b)

Explanation: The design of the National Flag

was adopted by the Constitutent Assembly of

India on July 22, 1947. The State Emblem of India is an adaptation of

the Lion Capital of Asoka at Sarnath.

The profile of the Lion Capital showing three

lions mounted on the abacus with a Dharma

Chakra in the centre, a bull on the right and

a galloping horse on the left, and outlines of Dharma Chakras on the extreme right and

left was adopted as the State Emblem of India

on January 26, 1950.

Ans:60)(a) Explanation: Commission for ‘Agricultural

Costs and Prices’ (CACP), set up with a view

to evolve a balanced and integrated price

structure, is mandated to advice on the price

policy (MSP) of 23 crops. These include seven

cereal crops (paddy, wheat, jowar, bajra, maize, ragi and barley), five pulse crops

(gram, tur, moong, urad and lentil), seven

oilseeds (groundnut, sunflower seed,

soyabean, rapessedmustard, safflower,

nigerseed and seasmum), copra (dried coconut), cotton, raw jute and sugarcane.

CACP submits its recommendations in the

form of Price Policy Reports every year,

separately for five groups of commodities

namely kharif crops, rabi crops, sugarcane,

raw jute and copra. The Commission for Agricultural Costs &

Prices (CACP) is an attached office of the

Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare,

Government of India. It came into existence

in January 1965. Currently, the Commission comprises a Chairman, Member Secretary,

one Member (Official) and two Members (Non-

Official). The non-official members are

representatives of the farming community

and usually have an active association with

the farming community.

Ans:61)(d)

Explanation: Livestock production and

agriculture are intrinsically linked, each

being dependent on the other, and both crucial for overall food security. Livestock

sector is an important subsector of the

agriculture of Indian economy. It forms an

important livelihood activity for most of the

farmers, supporting agriculture in the form of

critical inputs, contributing to the health and nutrition of the household, supplementing

incomes, offering employment opportunities,

and finally being a dependable “Bank on

hooves” in times of need. It acts as a

supplementary and complementary enterprise.


Ans:62)(c)

Explanation:

Item/Year 2006-

2007

2011-

2012

2016-

2017

Egg 50.70B 66.45B 88.14B

Wool 45.1MKg 44.7MKg 43.5MKg

Meat 2.3MT 5.5MT 7.4MT

Ans:63)(d) Explanation: Botanical Survey of India (BSI)

is the apex research organization under

Ministry of Environment, forest and Climate

Change (MoEF&CC), Govt. of India for

carrying out taxonomic and floristic studies on wild plant resources of the country. It was

established in 1890 with the basic objective

to explore the plant resources of country and

to identify the plants species with economic

virtues. Sir George King, the then

Superintendent of the ‘Royal Botanic Garden’ Calcutta was appointed as-officio Honorary

Director of the BSI.

Ans:64)(a)

Explanation: The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is one of the key agreements

adopted during the Earth Summit held in Rio

de Janeiro in 1992. The objective of CBD are:

conservation of biological diversity,

sustainable use of its components, and fair

and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of genetic resources. Pursuant to

the ratification of the CBD by India in 1994,

several steps were initiated to meet the

commitments under the Convention, and to

realize the opportunities offered by the Convention. These efforts were aimed at

bringing the legislative, administrative and

policy regimes in tune with the three-fold

objectives of the CBD. India enacted the

Biological Diversity (BD) Act in 2002 to give

effect to the provision of this Convention. India also prepared a National Biodiversity

Action Plan (NBAP) in 2008, and an

Addendum to NBAP in 2014 with 20 national

targets on biodiversity.

The Nagoya Protocol on access and benefit sharing (ABS) adopted under the aegis of

CBD in 2010, is aimed at fair and equitable

sharing of benefits arising from the utilization

of genetic resources.

Ans:65)(b) Explanation: Cartagena Biosafety Protocol

(CPB) : It was negotiated under the aegis of

the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

and adopted in 2000. India is a party to the

Protocol. The main objective of the Protocol is

to ensure safe transfer. Handling and use of living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting

from modern biotechnology that may have

adverse effect on the conservation and

sustainable use biological diversity, taking

into account risk to human health.

Ans:66)(d)

Explanation: India is a founder member of

Global Environment Facility (GEF). Set up in

1991, GEF is the designated multilateral

funding mechanism of 183 countries to

provide incremental finance for addressing global environmental benefits which are also

identified national priorities.

The GEF grants are available under five focal

areas namely, biodiversity, climate change,

land degradation, international waters and chemicals and waste.

Ans:67)(b)

Explanation: The irrigation project is in

Rajgarh District in Madhya Pradesh.

It is constructed on river Newaj in Chambal River Basin.

The project is implemented under the

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana.

Ans:68)(b) Explanation: An agreement for Renukaji

Dam Multipurpose Project is to be signed

soon among six states- Uttar Pradesh,

Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi,

Rajasthan and Uttarakhand.

Renukaji Dam project has been conceived as a storage project on Giri River (tributary of

river Yamuna) in Sirmour District of

Himachal Pradesh.

Ans:69)(a) Explanation:

Atmosphere & Climate Research-Modelling

Observing Systems & Services (ACROSS)

scheme was recently approved by the Cabinet

Committee.

It will be implemented by the Ministry of

Earth Sciences (MoES) through its institutes.

Its objective is to provide a reliable weather

and climate forecast for betterment of society.

It pertains to the atmospheric science programs of the MoES and addresses

different aspects of weather and climate

services, which includes warnings for cyclone,

storm surges, heat waves, thunderstorms etc.

Ans:70)(c) Explanation:

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA) of USA has recently

granted permits for seismic airgun blasting in

the Atlantic Ocean.

The blasting will be used to conduct surveys

that will provide data to oil and gas industry

businesses.


It will harm the marine creatures as the

companies search for potential oil and gas

reserves off the Atlantic coast.

The testing will involve the use of seismic air

guns which fire continuous blasts to

ascertain whether deposits of oil and gas are present.

Scientists have warned that the extreme

disruption caused by airguns can harm a

wide range of aquatic life, including sea

turtles, fish and zooplankton.

Ans:71)(d) Explanation:

● Recently the Alphonso mangos from

Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and other adjoining

areas in Maharashtra have been accorded the

Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the

Ministry of Commerce. ● Other examples of products from India with a

GI tag are Darjeeling Tea, Mahabaleshwar

Strawberry, Blue Pottery of Jaipur, Banarasi

Sarees, and Tirupati Laddus.

● Pokkali paddy variety is a saltwater-tolerant paddy grown in the coastal fields of

Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur districts

of Kerala.

● It is endemic to Kerala and was given

Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

Ans:72)(d)

Explanation:

The Intergovernmental Oceanographic

Commission of UNESCO (IOC/UNESCO) was

established by a resolution adopted by the

General Conference of UNESCO.

It assists governments to address their

individual and collective ocean and coastal management needs, through the sharing of

knowledge, information and technology.

IOC also coordinates and fosters the

establishment of regional intergovernmental

coordinating tsunami warning and mitigation

systems in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, in the North East Atlantic, Mediterranean and

Caribbean seas.

Its headquarters is in Paris, France.

General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans

(GEBCO), Tara Expeditions, Océanopolis

Brest are some of its partners.

There are 149 members of which India is also

a member.

Ans:73)(a)

Explanation:

The National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean

Research (NCAOR) was established as an

autonomous Research and Development

Institution of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

It is designated as the nodal organization for

the co-ordination and implementation of the

Indian Antarctic Program.

It is also responsible for the maintenance of

India’s permanent station in Antarctica.

It is located in the state of Goa.

It has the Governing Council comprising 12

members representing a cross section of the

country's leadership in Polar and Ocean Sciences, research education and

administration.

Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, is the

Chairman (ex-officio) of the Governing

Council.

Ans:74)(d)

Explanation:

Ans:75)(c)

Explanation: It is a forum of countries that

decides on managing the region’s resources

and popular livelihood in Arctic region.

The Ottawa Declaration lists the few

countries as Members of the Arctic Council.

They are Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian

Federation, Sweden and the United States.

Observer countries are China, France,

Germany, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea,

Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, Spain, and

the United Kingdom.

India setup an underground observatory,

called IndARC in 2015. It is located at the Kongsfjorden fjord, half way between Norway

and the North Pole.

Ans:76)(b)

Explanation: A masterpiece of Indian architecture is the Rajarani temple of

Bhubaneswar, a work of exquisite grace in


which the masses of the Jagamohana and the

Vimana are admirably combined to express

perfection. The architecture of other temples

in central India originated from the temple. The notable ones in the category are the

Khajuraho temples and Totesvara Mahadeo

temple in Kadawa.

The temple is believed to have been known

originally as Indreswara. It is locally known

as a “love temple” because of the erotic carvings of women and couples in the temple.

Ans:77)(d)

Explanation: The Gandhara School of art:

The Gandhara School of art was closely

connected to the Mahayana Buddhism.

It bears a distinct influence of the old Greek

school of art. Buddha iconography seems to be inspired by those of Apollo.

The geographical location of Gandhara made

it the meeting point of Indian, Chinese,

Persian and Graeco-Roman Cultures and

ideas.

It flourished in Afghanistan and North-

Western India with prominent centres at Taxila, Peshawar, Begram and Bamiyan

The entire period of this school of art is

around 1st century BCE to 4TH century CE.

• Besides free standing images many chaityas,

viharas and stupas were constructed.

• Extensive use of Blueish-Grey, black stone

was used besides stucco (a fine plaster) at a later period.

• Images are realistic, natural and common

human features are depicted.

• Even though the images are technically

perfect they do not reflect a higher level of

spiritualism • Image of Greek gods like Apollo and other

kings were also made

Ans:78)(b)

Explanation: Bagh Caves: • It is located on the banks of river

Bagh/Baghani in Dhar District, Madhya

Pradesh

• It is a group of 9 Buddhist Caves, only 5

survive today.

• These are not natural caves but rock-cut architecture.

• These are Viharas having quadrangular plan.

• Chaitya or prayer Hall is usually at the end of

the Hall.

• Cave 4 is commonly known as the Rang Mahal (Palace of Colors)

• It is dated around 5-6th Century CE

• It was patronized by the Vakataka rulers.

• Architecturally Bagh Caves are similar to

Ajanta caves.

Ans:79)(c)

Explanation: Nalanda Mahavihara

• It is Situated 10 km to the North of Rajagriha

(Rajgir). • Ashoka visited the place, worshipped at the

Chaitya of Sariputra, Buddha’s disciple.

• Nalanda as an educational monastery

developed under Gupta rule

• During Harshavardhana’s rule it was a

prominent centre of Mahayana Buddhism • Chinese travelers Fa Hien and Huen Tsang

visited the place

Ans:80)(c)

Explanation: The Kishangarh School of Painting

It was a small state between Ajmer and

Jaipur ruled by a line of Rathors of Marwar

This kingdom was founded by Kishan Singh

(1600-1615)

Development of a school of painting at such a

small court has often been termed as a

“miracle” in the history of Indian art

Raja Sawant Singh ( 1748-1764) gave a new

and stylized form to this painting style

A pretty woman often called “ Bani Thani”

has often been mentioned as the inspiration for these paintings

Nihalchand, a painter depicted scenes

involving Radha and Krishna

Associated with the most romantic legends –

Sawant Singh and his beloved Bani Thani

The paintings of Sawant Singh (pen name

Nagaridas), Bani Thani and Nihal Chand form

a school by themselves

Radha and Krishna are shown in a pavilion or

grove or celebrating various festivals and expressions of divine love

The Kishangarh school is more devotional,

lyrical and sensuous

This school is unrivalled in its charm and

beauty

There is a fine blending of art, love and

devotion

Associated with the interwining of lives and

myths, romance and bhakti.

Ans:81)(c)

Explanation: Carbon Mineralization

In the arid vastness of Oman of the Arabian

Peninsula rocks naturally react with carbon

dioxide from the atmosphere and turning it

into stone.

This natural process is called as carbon

mineralization.

Carbonate surrounds pebbles and cobbles, turning ordinary gravel into natural mosaics.

Scientists say that if carbon mineralization

process could be harnessed, accelerated and

applied inexpensively on a huge scale it could

help fight climate change.


Ans:82)(a)

Explanation: Wildlife Protection Act, 1972

It is an Act of Parliament of India enacted

for protection of plants and animal species.

It extends to whole of India except Jammu &

Kashmir.

It has 6 schedules which give varying degree of

protection. Five schedules for the animals and 1 for the protection of plants.

Various other Acts like Air Act (1981),

Environment Protection Act (1986), Biological

Diversity Act (2002), National Green Tribunal

Act (2010), etc. have been enacted in

subsequent years in India which aims at protecting the overall environment.

Ans:83)(c)

Explanation: Inner core of the Earth is called

Barysphere.

Ans:84)(c)

Explanation: The long ‘L’ waves do not pass

and do not go deeper in the earth. The ‘S’

waves cannot pass through a liquid and are transmitted only through a rigid or a solid

body.

Ans:85)(b)

Explanation: IPCC was established by the

joint efforts of UNEP and WMO in 1988 to provide policymakers with regular scientific

assessments concerning climate change.

India is a member to it. In its recent report

while mentioning the impact of transition

from 1.5 degree C to 2.5 degree C, it highlighted that additional people could be at

risk from Malaria.

Ans:86)(b)

Explanation: UNCCD was adopted in 1994

and entered into force in 1966. It is the only internationally legally binding

framework set up to address the problem of

Desertification. The convention addresses

specifically the arid, semi-arid and dry sub-

humid areas, known as the dry lands.

2010-2020 has been declared as UN Decade

for Deserts and the Fight Against Desertification.

Ans:87)(a)

Explanation: Impacts of Rising sea

temperatures- For each degree of ocean

warming, oxygen concentration goes down; It causes layers of ocean water to stratify; so

the more oxygen-rich surface waters are less

able to mix with oxygen-poor waters from the

deeper ocean; The higher temperatures are

putting more stress on marine species, causing their metabolisms to speed up and

their need for oxygen to increase.

Ans:88)(d)

Explanation: (BOBLME) project was started

by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2009, involving all eight countries

along its coastline - Bangladesh, India,

Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Sri

Lanka and Thailand.

BOBLME project aims to promote sustainable fishing, reduce marine pollution and improve

the lives of approximately 400 million people

who live along its coasts.

Ans:89)(c)

Explanation: Virtual Climate Summit-

It is organized as part of the Talanoa Dialogue.

It is a Heads of Government level conference

held entirely online as the first Virtual

Summit (#VirtualClimateSummit).

It was organised by the Climate Action

Network (CAN) and the Climate Vulnerable

Forum (CVF).

Ans:90)(a)

Explanation: A special unit of the Odisha

Police has launched a drive to bust an

international syndicate that illegally trades

pangolin.

Pangolins are nocturnal mammals, often called “scaly anteaters,” are covered in tough,

overlapping scales.

These burrowing mammals eat ants and

termites using an extraordinarily long tongue,

and are able to quickly roll themselves up

into a tight ball when threatened.

There are eight different pangolin species can

be found across Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

They are one of the most trafficked mammal in the world.

They are listed as "Endangered" in IUCN red

list of threatened species.


Ans:91)(d)

Explanation; The index is published by

Germanwatch, the New Climate Institute and

the Climate Action Network. It has only been possible to include a review of each country’s

national and international climate policies

thanks to the help of around 350 energy and

climate experts from all over the world.

The experts are mainly representatives of

NGOs who work within their respective countries, being experts on the climate

policies of their countries with a high level of

independence.

Ans:92)(b) Explanation: It is the supreme decision

making body of the United Nations

Framework Convention on Climate Change

(UNFCCC), opened for signature in 1992

during the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro

and later entered into force in 1994. “First Conference of the Parties” (COP-1) was

held in Berlin.

Ans:93)(b)

Explanation: Supporting services

Ecosystem services "that is necessary for the

production of all other ecosystem services".

These include services such as nutrient

recycling, primary production and soil

formation. These services make it possible for the ecosystems to provide services such as

food supply, flood regulation and water

purification.

Provisioning services

"Products obtained from ecosystems" 1) Food (including seafood and game), crops,

wild foods, and spices

2) Raw materials (including lumber, skins, fuel

wood, organic matter, fodder, and fertilizer)

3) Genetic resources (including crop

improvement genes, and health care) 4) Water

5) Minerals (including diatomite)

6) Medicinal resources (including

pharmaceuticals, chemical models, and test

and assay organisms) 7) Energy (hydropower, biomass fuels)

8) Ornamental resources (including fashion,

handicraft, jewelry, pets, worship, decoration

and souvenirs like furs, feathers, ivory,

orchids, butterflies, aquarium fish, shells,

Regulating services "Benefits obtained from the regulation of

ecosystem processes"

1) Carbon sequestration and climate regulation

2) Waste decomposition and detoxification

3) Purification of water and air 4) Pest and disease control

Cultural services

"Nonmaterial benefits people obtain from

ecosystems through spiritual enrichment,

cognitive development, reflection, recreation,

and aesthetic experiences" 1) Cultural (including use of nature as motif in

books, film, painting, folklore, national

symbols, architect, advertising, etc.)

2) Spiritual and historical (including use of

nature for religious or heritage value or

natural). 3) Recreational experiences (including

ecotourism, outdoor sports, and recreation).

4) Science and education (including use of

natural systems for school excursions, and

scientific discovery).

Ans:94)(c)

Explanation: It is a Government of India’s

scheme promoted by the Department of

Agriculture & Co-operation under the

Ministry of Agriculture. It will be implemented through the Department of Agriculture of all

the State and Union Territory Governments.

A SHC is meant to give each farmer soil

nutrient status of his holding and advice him

on the dosage of fertilizers and also the needed soil amendments, that he should

apply to maintain soil health in the long run.

SHC is a printed report that a farmer will be

handed over for each of his holdings. It will

contain the status of his soil with respect to

12 parameters, namely N,P,K (Macro-nutrients) ; S (Secondary- nutrient) ; Zn, Fe,

Cu, Mn, Bo (Micro - nutrients) ; and pH, EC,

OC (Physical parameters). Based on this, the

SHC will also indicate fertilizer

recommendations and soil amendment required for the farm.

It will be made available once in a cycle of 3

years, which will indicate the status of soil health of a farmer‟s holding for that

particular period. The SHC given in the next

cycle of 3 years will be able to record the changes in the soil health for that subsequent

period.

Ans:95)(a)

Explanation: The northeastern state of Assam in India is famous for Majuli, the

largest river island in the world. The island of

Majuli is positioned in the middle of river

Brahmaputra and is the abode to the place of

Vaishnavite culture in Majuli. The total area

of Majuli has been diminishing gradually due to strong erosion of the river Brahmaputra.

The Majuli Festival provides lot of

opportunities to fit oneself into the festival.

During the Majuli Festival in Assam, special

events like cultural programs and exhibitions are organized.


Ans:96)(c)

Explanation: Sathyamangalam Forest in

Erode district, Tamil Nadu has been declared

a Tiger Reserve. It is the fourth such reserve in Tamil Nadu. The three other tiger reserves

are at Mudumalai in the Nilgiris district,

Anamalai in Coimbatore districtand Kalakad-

Mundanthurai in Tirunelveli district.

Maharashtra's oldest and largest National

Park, the "Tadoba National Park", also known as the "Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve" is one

of India's 47 project tiger reserves existing in

India. It lies in the Chandrapur district of

Maharashtra state and is approximately 150

km from Nagpur city. The total area of the tiger reserve is 1,727 Sq.km, which includes

the Tadoba National Park, created in the year

1955. The Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary was

formed in the year 1986 and was

amalgamated with the park in 1995 to

establish the present Tadoba Andheri Tiger Reserve.

Satkosia spreads along the magnificent gorge

over the mighty river Mahanadi in Odisha.

Established in 1976 as a wildlife sanctuary,

Satkosia is a paradise of immense scenic charm. It is one of the best ecosystems in the

country, representing a diverse floral and

faunal extravaganza.

The name Satkosia originates from two

words; sat meaning seven and kos meaning

two miles, indicating the length of the gorge as 14 miles or 22 km. The area was declared

as Satkosia Tiger Reserve in 2007, comprising

two adjoining wildlife sanctuaries; the

Satkosia Gorge sanctuary and Baisipalli

sanctuary. The Reserve is spread over 4 districts like; Angul, Cuttack, Nayagarh and

Boudh.

Ans:97)(a)

Explanation: Grazing food chain

The consumers which start the food chain, utilising the plant or plant part as their food

constitute the grazing food chain. This food

chain begins from green plants at the base

and the primary consumer is herbivore.

Detritus food chain It starts from dead organic matter of decaying

animals and plant bodies consumed by the

micro-organisms and then to detritus feeding

organism called detrivores or decomposer and

to other predators.

Ans:98)(a) Explanation: Depencing upon the size and

biomass, the pyramid of numbers may not

always be upright, and may even be

completely inverted.

An energy pyramid, reflects the laws of

thermodynamics, with conversion of solar energy to chemical energy and heat energy at

each trophic level and with loss of energy

being depicted at each transfer to another

trophic level. Hence the pyramid is always

upward, with a large energy base at the bottom.

Pyramid of biomass is usually determined by

collecting all organisms occupying each

trophic level separately and measuring their

dry weight. This overcomes the size difference

problem because all kinds of organisms at a trophic level are weighed. Biomass is

measured in g/m2.

Ans:99)(a)

Explanation: Excess nitrate in drinking water reacts with hemoglobin to form non-

functional methaemoglobin, and impairs

oxygen transport. This condition is called

methaemoglobinemia or blue baby syndrome.

Ans:100)(a) Explanation:

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ALL INDIA PRELIMS TEST SERIES 2019 · 2019-04-23 · 2 AIPTS 2019 (GS - 14) (E) Answer Key Byju’s Classes: 9205881869 created by the banking system qualitative measures or selective