Unit 1 Exam Review (Due 10 20, 10 19 (For: Fill & Download for Free

Last Week Revision strategyTwo days for Essay:Prepare quotes, facts and intro and conclusion on below topics. You can also do mind mapping of below topics.Read here my essay strategy:What should be our strategy for the essay paper in the IAS (UPSC) exam?Very Important Topics1. $5 trillion in five years: Can we do it?2. Is Bretton Woods still relevant today?3. Politics without principle is a disaster.4. What India needs: Population control or population development?5. With Big Data comes Big responsibility6. Destiny of the nation is shaped by its citizens7. Is water crisis in India a manmade crisis?8. Means or Ends: what is more important?9. Is Gandhian philosophy relevant today10. Rapid Urbanization : Problems and prospects11. Can Zero Budget Natural farming ensure food security?12. Is privatization panacea for ailing Public Sector?13. Can UBI be a panacea for poverty?14. Rising inequality in India: An anomaly or an outcome of economic reforms?15. Industry 4.0: Is India ready?16. Without the rule of law there can be no democracy.17. Is India’s water Crisis a Man Crisis?18. Is Artificial intelligence boon or curse?19. Can State Funding ensure free and fair elections?20. India’s Population: Demographic dividend or demographic Disaster?21. Development and tribal welfare must be synchronous.22. Extreme is the new normal: Climate Change23. “Is development possible without making compromises on our environment?”24. Inequality is not just a moral issue—it is a macroeconomic issue.25. Is de globalization underway?Less Important Topics:26. The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs security of all.27. If you don’t vote you lose the right to complain.28. If voting made the difference they won’t us do it29. Politics, Business and Bureaucracy – a fatal triangle30. E-vehicle : Is it the right time to make a transition31. Malnutrition : A silent epidemic32. Suicide: A silent emergency33. Live simply so that others can simply liveGS Strategy:Answer writing Strategy:What should I do to improve if I only scored a total of 328 marks out 1000 in GS 1,2,3,4 and an overall score of 718 out of 1750 in the UPSC Civil Services 2018 Mains?Important Topics GS1:Culture:1. Mughal painting2. Indian school of philosophy with special focus on Vedanta (advaita, DaVita, Vishist Advaita) and Yoga.3. Ancient Indian Sruti literature4. Aryan invasion theory.5. Trace the evolution of Hindustani and Carnatic style of music in India6. Guptas as Golden Age in Ancient Indian History7. Mughal chroniclesModern India:1. Contribution of Jawaharlal Lal Nehru in pre and post-Independence India2. GoI Act 19193. Subhas Chandra Bose and his Azad Hind Fauj4. Jallianwala Bagh5. Ishwar Chandra Vidya Sagar6. contributions of Indians living abroad in India’s freedom struggle movement, especially during WW1World History:1. French revolution2. Treaty of Versailles of 1919 had sown the seeds for the Second World War3. Colonialization and decolonialisation : China and Hong Kong4. Cold war5. Communism6. Nationalism: Compare and contrast the policy of Bismarck with that of Count Cavour.Post-Independence:1. The language problem2. Unification of post partition India and the princely states under one administration.3. The 1969 bank nationalization4. Assam AccordSociety:1. Secularization of caste in India2. Social exclusion3. New social movement4. Sexual Harassment of women (prevention, prohibition ad redressal) Act and Crimes against Women5. Female labour force participation in India has fallen to 26%.6. Indian family – changing structure and norms7. Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic techniques Act and intentional sex selection- sex rati8. Discuss the linkage between the poor sanitation and Malnourishment9. POSCO and child sex abuse10. Optimum population and population explosion11. Anti-Trafficking Bill12. Tribal land alienation13. Drug menace in society14. Malnourishment problem15. HIV (Prevention and Control) Act 201716. Multi-dimensional poverty17. Disability and Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan18. Migrant workers and one nation one ration19. Sec 377 and transgender20. What are PVTGs? Discuss their geographical location along with characteristics and vulnerabilities. List few schemes for PVTGs.21. UNCCD’s land degradation neutrality (LDN) and land degradation in India22. Globalizations and tribal23. Globalizations and labour24. Rapid urbanization and environment degradation25. Counter urbanization26. Secularism and Communalism27. Does regionalism a threat to the unity and integrity of IndiaGeography1. Why earthquake and kinds of waves ?2. Tsunami2. Marine biodiversity and Depp ocean mining and deep sea fishing3. Biodiversity hot spots4. Indian monsoon and extreme climate events5. Polar vortex6. Forest fire in India?7. Hindu Kush Himalayan assessment report8. Gacial lakes outburst floods9. Heat wave10. Rare earth minerals significance and distribution around the world.11. Formation and distribution of coal deposits in India12. Two time zones in India.13. How tropical cyclones are formed and what phenomenon strengthens them? Explain how cyclone Tilti and Fani are different from the early ones?14. Identify the significance of jute industry? Explain the factors responsible for jute industry?15. Discuss the factors influencing the locations of automobile manufacturing Clusters in India.16. Port led development17. Bangalore as IT CITY locational factors18. Despite a ban, rat hole mining remains a prevalent practice for coal mining in India, why?19. Discuss the geographical factors responsible for the growth of Iron and steel industry in India?GS 2: Important Topics• Government of India Act, 1919• Due process of law• The 44th amendment• Fundamental duties enlargement and enforcement• Directive Principles• 102nd constitutional amendment Act and 103rd Constitutional Amendment Act. Does this violate the basic structure doctrine?• Assam Accord? Citizen Amendment Bill, 2016• 124A of IPC violate the freedom of expression given in article 19• Mob lynching and rule of law• Right to religious freedom• Section 499 of IPC• Article 32• Concurrent list• Madras High court has held that the elected government of Union Territory generally assumes supremacy over the lieutenant government.• Indian fiscal federalism suffers from vertical and horizontal imbalances- Role of NITI Ayog• Office of the governor and Article 356• 15th Finance commission• Finance of ULBs- municipal bonds• Cooperative federalism is an important tool in healing many evils like inter-state and intra-state inequalities• CBI credibility• Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas Act, 1996• Gram panchayat development plans• Inter-state River Water Dispute (Amendment) Bill, 2019 helps in overcoming the challenges.• Cooperative federalism and Zonal councils in this regard.• Demand for smaller states will lead to balkanization of Indian states. In your opinion, can more number of smaller sates bring in effective governance at state level? Discuss• judicial legislation in India• interstate council• Decline in performance of Indian Parliament• Parliamentary committees are like mini Parliament. Discuss how they increase the efficiency and expertise of the Parliament.• Department related standing committees necessary?• Cabinet Committees• Parliamentary privileges codification• office of profit• Compare and contrast the vote on account and interim budget• Rajya Sabha relevance• Anti-defection Law has achieved its desired purpose and role of speaker.• Opposition Party and leader• Need of Legislative Councils• 5th and 6th schedules tribal area administration• Legalizing lobbying• State funding of elections• Rapid criminalization of politics, SC judgment and Regulation of political parties?• Feminization of Indian politics• FPTP system to PR system• Delimitation.• MCC• electoral bonds• Increasing role of PMO vs cabinet secretariat?• Judicial reforms and vacancy• Pressure groups role and limitation• India had a piecemeal approach to transport planning with multiplicity of agencies .How far can a unified ministry.• Election Commission Appointments• Tor of 15th Finance commission• National Green Tribunal• Tribunalization of justice• Lokpal can be an effective anti-corruption body• National Human Rights Commission commemorates its 25th anniversary• centrally sponsored schemesNGOs vs state and National policy on voluntary sector, 2007• Self Help Group and Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana• Manual scavenging Act• Transgender being the third genders according to the landmark Supreme Court judgment in NALSA vs. Union of India• Forest Rights Act, 2006• Extensive amendments to Forest Act 1927• The consumer protection bill, 2019 is a major step forward in consumer empowerment. Discuss• RTI (Amendment) Bill is RTI elimination bill and Official Secrets Act• E-Gov• NCD Challenge in India• Ayushman Bharat scheme and how far it would address these limitations?• draft NEP• Bihar Primary health crisis.• What do you understand by family law/personal law? Do they come under laws mentioned in Article 13 of Indian Constitution Lateral entryImportant Topics GS 3:• Middle income trap? How can India avert this?• Employment elasticity? Examine the causes of decline in employment elasticity• domestic demand falling• Private investments• India's tax-GDP ratio is still abysmally low and widening tax base• Restrictive labor laws• MSMEs significance• India’s demographic transition• The nationalization of banks and bank merger , NPA• Under-employment• Share of manufacturing in India’s GDP is low.• Demographics especially age structure of the population and economic growth• Black economy• 1991 reform and inequality• Domestic demand driven economy to export driven economy• Green GDP• Is GDP a satisfactory• capital account convertibility and risk• Twin balance sheet problem• Double farmers’ income by 2022and Agriculture Export Policy, 2018. In this context, discuss the key recommendations of the agriculture export policy.• Farm loan waiver.• Agri distress and structural Imbalance in agriculture• Agriculture census shows trends of slide in farm size and rise in woman land owners• Ease of doing business• The vision of $5trillion economy• Missing middle• Farmer security and Farm security• Agriculture and Inclusive growth• Inclusive growth and increasing economic inequality.• Financial inclusion is a prerequisite to inclusive growth.• Economic Survey 2019 and Budget 2019 role of private investment is a key driver of the growth.• Is there a need to revisit the FRBM act FRBM Review Committee headed by NK Singh• Outcome based budgeting• Cropping pattern? Discuss the factors affecting the cropping pattern in India.• Crop diversification for doubling farmer’s income.• Agricultural marketing problems and APMC , ENAM• Precision agriculture• National Agro-forestry policy 2014• GM crops• Price deficiency payment• Challenges of Public Distribution System• Potential of FPOs• Technology missions in agriculture• Non-farm employment in the rural areas• Global warming and its impact on crop productivity.• Model Contract Farming Act, 2018.• E-technological intervention for farmers?• Discuss the scope and prospects of food processing in India. Also examine the challenges faced by the sector.• It has often been suggested that an essential element of “Make in India” has to be “Bake in India”, i.e. a renewed focus on value addition and on processed agricultural products. Comment• land reforms of India• How far LPG reforms introduced in 1991 succeeded in fulfilling the original goal of liberalization? Do you think the economic reforms are the main causes of increasing inequality in India? What are its impacts? How can this be corrected?• What is Industry 4.0? Do you think that India is prepared for this?• dedicated freight corridor-• Infrastructure deficit is the biggest hurdle in achieving $5 trillion economy. In this context, discuss the budget proposal to build a robust infrastructure.• What is strategic oil reserves• What do you understand by energy poverty• Only Solar farming• Private investments need to be encouraged in infrastructure through renewed public private partnership (PPP) mechanism on the lines suggested by the Kelkar Committee.• What is Artificial Intelligence? How artificial intelligence can transform the Indian economy and provide for inclusive growth? Discuss in the light of Niti Aayog's National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence.• Internet of Things IoT and Big Data• India’s policy on Data localization and its implications.• Net Neutrality.• Block chain• Gene editing? What is the role of Crisper-Cas9• DNA Technology (use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2019 would augment the justice delivery system of the countr• What is Personalized Medicine? How Genome India Project• Food fortification• Antibiotic resistance, superbugs.• gravitational waves• ISRO space industry and Vikram Sarabhai contribution• Mission Shakti. Does• Why the world is in a second race to the moon? What is the importance of India launching Chandrayaan-2 mission to moon?• Electric vehicles• India’s new drone regulations• Generic medicine and pharma industry• Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001• India's rank in Global Innovation Index.• National Supercomputing Mission (NSM)• Water crisis• Biofuel Policy• The coastal regulation zone notification 2018• Rat hole mining• Illegal mining has ravaged the Aravallis• Space private players• E Wastes• Large hydropower reservoirs• Extreme climate events• Circular Economy?• zero draft EIA notification, 2019• solar geoengineering• Biofuel policy 2018.• climate change on Ocean• National Clean Air Programme and Green Mobility• water crisis• GM technology• . Modernization and indigenization for the armed forces.• Digital currency security• Money laundering• Coastal Security• Smart fencing on borders• India nuclear doctrine• Mission Shakti• Indian Army's "Cold Start" doctrine• How organized crime in India is reinforcing Terrorism• NIA (Amendment) bill and UAPA bILL• Police reforms• Central Armed forces• State and non-state actorsGS 4: Topics:• Altruism• Surrogacy ethics• Medical Ethics• Sports ethics• Political campaign Ethics• Climate justice• Citizen Charter• Work Culture• Citizen charter• Probity• Courage of conviction• Civil service activism• Neutrality• Intellectual Integrity• Organ donation• Prejudice and stereotype• Mob violence –psychology• Abortion ethical dilemma• Price gouging• Sacrifice• Honor killing• Social audit• CSR• Corporate governance• Trusteeship• Auditors ethics• Politics and principles• Consumerism• Challenges of corruption• Leadership ethics• Altruistic surrogacy:• What do you understand by altruism? Does true altruism• How is compassion related to altruism?• What is ethical egoism?• What are ethical and legal issues in surrogacy?• Altruistic surrogacy and Women agency?• What are medical ethics?• Women hysterectomies:Doctors sans ethics: How medical malpractice has made hysterectomies a big business in MarathwadaWhy many women in Maharashtra’s Beed district have no wombs• What do you understand by medical malpractice?• What are reproductive rights?Fire: A young man saved life in Ahmadabad fire incident.This man saved two girls from deadly Surat coaching centre fire. Internet calls him a hero• What do you understand by self-sacrifice and courage? Why courage is called mother of all virtues?Caste discriminationNegative attitude and prejudice.Defections: Politics without principle is a disaster. Politics Without Ethics | Youth Ki AwaazWhat are the ethical issues involved in gene editing?Ethics in voting: Explain the below quote and their relevance in present context.• If you don’t vote you lose the right to complain. Somewhere inside all of us is the power to change the world.• The ballot is stronger than bulletAbortionDiscuss the moral, legal and religious issues regarding abortion.Prejudice and stereotypes• What are prejudices? Explain with examples.• How do we develop prejudices? How it leads to discriminatory behavior? How can we get rid of it?Ethics in disasters• Disasters are not administrative challenge they create moral problems also. Discuss• What is price gouging? What are the ethical issues involved in it?• Should businesses lower prices of their services during disaster?Sports ethics• What role ethics plays in sports?• Why ethics is important in sports?• What are the ethical issues involved in allowing use of performance enhancing drugs in sports?Social accountability: RTI, SOCIAL AUDIRSensitivityPrivate and Public Ethics• Is it sufficient to practice ethics in public life?Important Facts for mains 2019ResourcesWater:World’s 9th largest freshwater reservesTotal water resource: 1869 BCMReplenishable groundwater: 433 BCMAnnual per capita water availability 1951 20195177 1720 Cubic MeterWorld Bank Report: Ganga River Basin water shortage: 39%Asian Development forecast: By 2030, water deficit of 50%Niti Ayog Report: 600 mn will face water shortageStanding Committee on water resources: Waterbodies, wetlands are getting encroachedGroundwater: 85% used only for irrigation (221 BCM out of 243BCM).80% of rural people still don't have access to piped water supply.India has only 4% of the world’s renewable water resources but about 18% of the world’s population.NITI Ayog “Composite water management Index”- The report warns that twenty-one cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad will run out of groundwater by 2020, affecting 100 million people. If the present situation continues, there will be a 6 percent loss to the country’s GDP by 2050.Of 91 major reservoirs in the country, 11 have zero percent storage. Further, almost two-thirds of the country's reservoirs have below normal levels, a report by the Central Water Commission’s report.As per a 2018 study by NABARD and Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, shifting a major chunk of the rice production to India’s central and eastern states like Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, while encouraging wheat cultivation through sustainable irrigation in the rice-growing regions of Punjab and Haryana, could help India prevent an impending water crisis by 2030.As per the Central Water Commission, 85.3 percent of the total water consumed in India was for agriculture in 2000, and the figure is likely to decrease to 83.3 percent by 2025.Rice and wheat, two of India’s most important food crops, are the most water-intensive. Producing a kilogram of rice requires an average of 2,800 liters of water, while a kilogram of wheat requires 1,654 liters of water, as per a recent report by WaterAid IndiaGroundwater makes up 40 percent of the country’s water supply. The erratic monsoon and successive droughts have led to excessive depletion of groundwater, which resulted in the decline of groundwater by 61 percent between 2007 and 2017. A 2018 report by Water Aid has already put India at the top of a list of countries with the worst access to clean water close to homesUtilization of water: Agriculture>Domestic>Industrial>Commercial consumptionAcc. to The Energy and Resources Institute states, quoting the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organization, that the average water supply in urban local bodies of the country is 69.25 litres per capita per day (LPCD) against the service level benchmark of 135 LPCD.On an average, 85 liters of water goes waste for every 100 liters utilized.According to information furnished by the Centre, while urban areas of the country generate 61,948 MLD of sewage on a daily basis, the installed capacity of sewage treatment plants (STPs) is just 23,277 MLD. This means that only 37.5% of sewage generated can be treated.As per the Agriculture Census 2010-11, there are 138.35 million farm-holdings in India, of which 92.8 million are marginal (<1 ha) and 24.8 million are small (1-2 ha). Even though small and marginal farmers account for more than 85% of total farm holdings, their share in operational area is only 41.2%. About 1.5-2 million new marginal and small farmers are added every year due to law of inheritance.The International Seabed Authority (ISA), an autonomous international organization established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, allots the ‘area’ for deep-sea mining. India was the first country to receive the status of a ‘Pioneer Investor ‘ in 1987 and was given an area of about 1.5 lakh sq km in the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) for nodule exploration. In 2002, India signed a contract with the ISA and after complete resource analysis of the seabed 50% was surrendered and the country retained an area of 75,000 sq km.According to a release from the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the estimated polymetallic nodule resource potential in this area is 380 million tonnes (MT), containing 4.7 MT of nickel, 4.29 MT of copper, 0.55 MT of cobalt and 92.59 MT of manganeseClose to 80% of the electricity generated is from coal and gas. Yet another 50,000MW of coal-fired power plants are being set up under the National Electricity Plan. More than 20% of all the electricity generated goes into “transmission and distribution losses"Due to inadequate and irregular last-mile supply, close to 15 million tonnes of diesel is used by local generators to produce 80 billion KWh of electricity. Close to $2 billion worth of battery storage capacity is imported every year. And most independent power plants operate at 12-15% below their declared capacity as they over-invoice plant costs.Official estimates indicate that around 3, 00,000 farmers have committed suicide over the past 30 years.The single largest factor about India’s water is that 90% of it is consumed in farming. 80 per cent of this irrigation is for water-guzzling crops — rice, wheat and sugarcaneFood Security:·Global Food Security Index (Economist Intelligence Unit) india’s rank - 76/113Resource Mobilisation:Tax collection for 2018-19 fell by,Direct Tax: 74,774crIndirect tax: 93,198Gross tax revenue- GDP 2018-19= 11.9% 2019-20=11.7Direct Tax:GDP will fall from 6.4 to 6.3Indirect Tax:GDP will fall from 5.5 to 5.3Disinvestment target :1 lac croreGovernment interest payment for past borrowings forms the largest component of revenue expenditureCapital expenditure is projected to grow at a rate slower than the projected rate of GDP growth.Investments of Rs 100 lakh crore would be needed cumulatively over the next 5 years to boost infrastructure.The digital payment market, with 800 million mobile users in the country of which more than 430 million have internet access, is estimated to grow to over $ 1 tn by 2025.Pre 1980’s era- GDP growth rate was about 3-3.5% and the population growth rate was 2%.World bank in its Global Economic Prospects, has projected weakening of global trade in 2019. It is projected to grow at 2.6% this year.Requirement will rise to 2.3-2.7 million digitally-skilled professionals during 2023: NasscomIIP dips to 3.1% in May owing to slow down.Index of Industrial Production (IIP) measures the quantum of changes in the industrial production in an economy and captures the general level of industrial activity in the country.Index of Industrial Production is compiled and published every month by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme ImplementationBlockchain technology is considered revolutionary for its ability to enable the secure movement of assets, without intermediaries, with its economic impact projected to exceed $3 trillion in the next decade. Blockchain is now the fastest-growing skill set demanded on job sites, with job growth rates at 2,000-6,000% and salaries for blockchain developers 50-100% higher than regular developer jobs.Blue Revolution:Blue Revolution 1.0: 1987-1997Blue revolution 2.0: 2016 onwardsIndia is second in the world in aquaculture production @ 4.7mn tnChina no.1 @ 60mn tnEEZ= 2MN km squareIndia exported fish worth 2017-18Energy:India is one of the world’s largest producers and consumers in 2 and 3 wheelers.Under National Biofuel Policy, 2018- 20% ethanol blending by 2030 10% ethanol blending by 2022One of the key requirements for a $ 5 tn economy is an investment of about Rs 5 lakh crore in the power transmission sector over the next few years, in order to cater to the 1.8 lakh crore units of electricity that India is likely to consume by 2025.·Share of green power increased from 6 %( 2014-15) to 10 %( 2018-19).Acc. to Oil Minister, India will continue to rely on petrol and diesel for running automobiles, and needs to expand its oil refining capacity by 80%.About ⅕ th of the world’s oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz.Even with the growth of renewable energy, coal has been projected to be the backbone of electricity sector until 2030 and beyond.India has created 80,000 MW of renewable energy and set a target of achieving 1,75,000 MW by 2022, reduced energy intensity by 21%.Global Innovation Index 2019 : Rank 52Boost demand for vehicles as 1 mnIndia and China will surpass the U.S. as the World’s Centers of Tech Innovation by 2035, according to Bloomberg New Economy Global Survey.India has just 4% of the world’s renewable energy but have 18% of the world's population.·The advantages of transporting water over water include the fact that one Horsepower of energy can move 150 kg on road, 500 kg on rail and 4,000 kg on water. Similarly, one liter of fuel can move 24 tonnes per km on road, 85 tones on rail and 105 tones on inland water transport.·China is way ahead of India in its expansion. Over the 2014-17 period, China’s addition to its renewable energy capacity (207.2 GW) was nearly six times India’s (33.3 GW). Over the same period, China increased its installed capacity in solar energy by 105.5 GW, while India increased its capacity by only 14.3 GW — a mere one-seventh of the former. Advanced economies like the U.S. and Japan installed almost twice the amount of solar capacity over this period compared to India.·India’s annual coal demand rose by 9.1% to nearly one billion tones during the year ending March 2019. Coal features among the top five imports of India, with total imports rising from 166.9 million tons in 2013-14 to 235.24 million tons in 2018-19.·A report published by the Centre for Financial Accountability in June 2018 showed that out of a total lending of ₹83,680 crore for 72 energy projects, 12 coal-fired power plants with a combined capacity of 17 GW obtained loans of ₹60,767 crore. The 60 renewable energy projects, with a combined capacity of 4.5 GW, were able to mobilize only ₹22,913 crore·According to BP Energy Outlook 2019, coal’s share in India’s primary energy consumption will decline from 56% in 2017 to 48% in 2040. But that is still nearly half of the total energy mix and way ahead of any other source of energy. Oil’s share, the second largest, will decline from 29% to 23%, and the contribution of renewables will rise fivefold to 16%. Even the NITI Aayog, which replaced the Planning Commission, in a 2017 report estimated the share of coal in the energy mix in 2040 to be at least 44%.Science and technology:Chandrayaan-1- Launched by PSLV -C11. Detected signs of water molecules.·Chandrayaan-2- Orbiter, Lander(Vikram) and a rover(Pragyan). GSLV Mk III. 3 stage(solid, liquid, cryogenic). 2 Vikas engine. Science and Technology.·The establishment of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 1969 heralded the Indian space programme. As the sixth-largest space agency celebrates its golden jubilee, India has slowly and steadily emerged as a pre-eminent space power with 102 spacecraft missions, the largest fleet of civilian satellites in the Asia-Pacific region, a successful inter-planetary Mars Orbiter Mission and a world record of launching 104 satellites from a single rocket.·The establishment of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in 1969 heralded the Indian space programme. As the sixth-largest space agency celebrates its golden jubilee, India has slowly and steadily emerged as a pre-eminent space power with 102 spacecraft missions, the largest fleet of civilian satellites in the Asia-Pacific region, a successful inter-planetary Mars Orbiter Mission and a world record of launching 104 satellites from a single rocketEducation:·Acc. to RTI query, scientists from SC and ST are grossly underrepresented in scientific institutions funded by Dept. of Biotechnology.·UGC has issued list of 23 fake universities and 14 of them also appear on the 2005-2006 list of fake universities by UGC·Water: India has 4% of the world's renewable water and 18% of the population.Health:Health: SDG AIM END AIDS BY 2030AIDS: consumed 20 mn lives22 mn under ART1.7mn new infections every year and 1mn deathsPreventing mother to child transmission of HIV by 2020By 2024- 80% less new HIV infection.The second edition of NITI Aayog’s Health Index was recently released in its report titled ‘Healthy States, Progressive India: Report on Rank of States and UTs’.What does the trend imply?Some States and Union Territories are doing better on health and well-being even with a lower economic output.In contrast, others are not improving upon high standards, and some are actually slipping in their performance.In the assessment during 2017-18, a few large States showed less encouraging progress.This reflects the low priority their governments have accorded to health and human development since the first edition of the ranking for 2015-16.The disparities are very evident in the rankings, with the populous and politically important Uttar Pradesh being in the bottom of the list.A World Health Assembly Resolution passed in May is hoping to catalyse domestic and external investments to help reach the global targets. These include ensuring at least 60% of all healthcare facilities have basic WASH services by 2022; at least 80% have the same by 2025; and 100% of all facilities provide basic WASH services by 2030.As a joint report published earlier this year by the World Health Organization and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) outlines, WASH services in many facilities across the world are missing or substandard. According to data from 2016, an estimated 896 million people globally had no water service at their healthcare facility. More than 1.5 billion had no sanitation service. One in every six healthcare facilities was estimated to have no hygiene service .Despite decades of effort, India still has less than one doctor for every 1,000 people, the World Health Organization’s minimum ratio for a country’s healthcare adequacy.On an average, a government doctor attends to 11,082 people, more than 10 times than what the WHO recommends. The shortage of government doctors does not augur well for India where 70 per cent of health care expenses are met by out-of-pocket expenditureIn Bihar, one government doctor serves 28,391 people. Uttar Pradesh is ranked second with 19,962 patients per doctor, which is followed by Jharkhand (18,518), Madhya Pradesh (16,996), Chhattisgarh (15,916) and Karnataka (13,556).Delhi is better in terms of doctor-population ratio (1:2203), but it is still twice the ratio recommended by WHO. The states and UTs that are closest to meeting the WHO standards are Arunachal Pradesh, Puducherry, Manipur and Sikkim.As of March 31, 2017, the country had a shortfall of 10,112 female health workers at primary health centres, 11,712 female health assistants, 15,592 male health assistants and more than 6,1000 female health workers and auxiliary nurse midwifes at sub-centres.In fact, primary health centres across the country are in want of at least 3,000 doctors with 1,974 such centres operating without a single doctor. In community health centres, there is a shortfall of close to 5,000 surgeonsThere are reportedly 462 medical colleges that churn out 56,748 doctors every year. Similarly, 3,123 institutions across the country prepare 125,764 nurses each year. However, with India’s population increasing by about 26 million each year, the increase in number of medical staff is too little.States, which are the worst performers in the entrance test for admission to MBBS courses, have the highest number of registered doctors. Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu had the lowest pass percentage in entrance test and yet they top the list of registered doctors—153,513 and 126,399, respectively. Rajasthan, the best-performing state in entrance test, has less than half the number of registered doctors.If the entire country wants to achieve 1:1,000 ratio, it will need 2.07 million more doctors by 2030, according to a study published in the Indian Journal of Public Health, in September last year. With the government sparing just 1.3 per cent of the GDP for public healthcare, as opposed to the global average of 6 per cent, shortage of government doctors means people will continue to incur heavy medical expenditure in private health care system.The study titled 'The Health Workforce in India', published in June 2016 by WHO, also revealed that in urban parts of India, only 58.4% of doctors have a medical qualification. The figure is really poor in rural areas with only 18.8% qualified doctorsAs per the WHO World Health Statistics 2015, India ranked 187 out of 194 countries for its public healthcare services with the public sector spending only 1.16% on health as a percentage of the GDP.Non Communicable Diseases- disease pattern in India in general and particularly in rural India has undergone a significant shift over the last 15 years. An early inkling of this change was evident in a 2001-2003 government of India report on the causes of death in the country. The report revealed that the deaths in rural India due to communicable diseases (41%) were almost matched by those due to NCDs (40%)A follow-up study on the causes of death in rural India for the years 2010-13 showed that NCDs accounted for 47% of all deaths while communicable, maternal, peri-natal and nutritional conditions together accounted for 30%High blood pressure, the biggest risk factor for death worldwide, now affects one in five adults in rural India, while diabetes affects about one in 20 adultsA recent report released by the India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative shows that three of the top five leading causes of DALYs lost in India were NCDs: coronary artery disease, chronic lung diseases and stroke.It is estimated that India is likely to lose $4.58 trillion before 2030 due to NCDs.NCDs in rural India are affecting a relatively younger population—about a decade younger—compared to that in the developed countries. This is likely to be due to malnutrition early in life, which paradoxically increases the risk of NCDs and an unhealthy lifestyle in early adulthood.The government-run healthcare system in rural India largely focuses on maternal and child health and infection. For instance, of the total health budget of Rs47,343 crore in 2017-18, only Rs955 crore was allotted to the NCD programme.India has a doctor-population ratio of 1:1,655; the World Health Organisation standard is 1:1,000. Moreover, there is a considerable skew in the distribution of doctors, with the urban to rural doctor density ratio being 3.8:1.Diabetes has increased in every Indian state between 1990 and 2016, even among the poor, rising from 26 million in 1990 to 65 million in 2016. This number is projected to double by 2030. A major contributor to this epidemic is the displacement of whole foods in our diets by energy dense and nutrient-poor, ultra-processed food products.Self-styled doctors without formal training provide up to 75 per cent of primary care visits. Moreover, at present, 57.3 per cent of personnel practicing allopathic medicine do not have a medical qualification.Population:·As the National Family Health Survey-4 (2015-16) notes, women in the lowest wealth quintile have an average of 1.6 more children than women in the highest wealth quintile, translating to a total fertility rate of 3.2 children versus 1.5 children moving from the wealthiest to the poorest.·Similarly, the number of children per woman declines with a woman’s level of schooling. Women with no schooling have an average 3.1 children, compared with 1.7 children for women with 12 or more years of schooling.·This reveals the depth of the connections between health, education and inequality, with those having little access to health and education being caught in a cycle of poverty, leading to more and more children, and the burden that state control on number of children could impose on the weakest.·As the latest Economic Survey points out, States with high population growth are also the ones with the lowest per capita availability of hospital beds.·Today, as many as 23 States and Union Territories, including all the States in the south region, already have fertility below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman·The Economic Survey 2018-19 notes that India is set to witness a “sharp slowdown in population growth in the next two decades”. The fact is that by the 2030s, some States will start transitioning to an ageing society as part of a well-studied process of “demographic transition”·A study by the UN Population Fund titled Demographic Dividend in India projects that by 2060, India’s population is expected to touch 166 crore. Most of this increase will translate into a larger working population of people aged between 15 and 59 years. Eighty percent of India’s total population growth during the period 2001-’31 will get translated into an increase in the working age population. By the mid-2040s, this sub-group will consist of more than a billion people·For the first time in Indian history, the population increase during 2001-2011 has been greater in urban areas than in rural areas. Nearly one-third of India’s population, 377 million people, lives in urban areas. The level of urbanization is higher in the south-western Indian states at an advanced demographic stage, accounting for 45% of the population of India’s urban population.Demographic Dividend:·For the first time since independence, India’s working age population — those aged between 15-64 years — will outnumber its dependents, that is, children aged 14 and below as well as people aged 65 and above·This demographic dividend is expected to last for the next 37 years, till 2055 — and is expected to spur India’s economic growth, as well as per capita income.·In Japan, for instance, which was among the first major economies to experience rapid growth because of changing population structure, the demographic dividend phase started in 1964 and ended in 2004. It was seen that in the first 10 years of this phase, it recorded a double digit GDP growth in five of those years, above 8% in two of those years and a little less than 6% in one year. Only two of these 10 years saw growth below 5%.·In Singapore, the dividend years started in 1979 and in the next 10 years, there were only two years when its economy grew at less than 7%. The island country saw double digit growth in four of these 10 years. South Korea entered this phase in 1987 and in the next 10 years, there were only two years when its growth rate fell below 7%.·The dividend years started in 1979 in Hong Kong and it witnessed less than 8% growth rate in only two of the next ten years.·According to the UNFPA — which cites the example of Latin American countries that, despite a demographic dividend, saw only a two-fold increase in their GDP in the late 20th century whereas the Asian countries in the same period saw a seven-fold increase.·Much of what India is able to achieve through its working population increase, says the UNFPA, will depend on whether India is able to provide good health, quality education and decent employment to its entire population.·India’s dependency ratio has declined from 68.4 %( 1950) to 49.8 %( 2018). Total Fertility rate declined from 5.9(1950) to 2.2(2018).India’s working-age population is now increasing because of rapidly declining birth and death rates.In their study, Atri Mukherjee, Priyanka Bajaj and Sarthak Gulati examine how changes in India’s population have influenced macroeconomic outcomes between 1975 and 2017. They find that while overall population growth is associated with lower economic growth, an increase in the working-age population is associated with higher growth.India’s age dependency ratio, the ratio of dependents (children and the elderly) to the working-age population (14- to 65-year-olds), is expected to only start rising in 2040, as per UN estimates.India’s labour force participation rate is declining, especially among rural youth (15- to 29-year-olds) and women.Agriculture:Acc. to FAO, insufficient investment in the agriculture sector in most developing countries over the past 30 years has resulted in low productivity and stagnant production.In India, with a steadily decreasing share of 14.4% in Gross Value Added since 2015-16, the sector’s contribution to a $ 5 tn economy would be around $1 tn- assuming a positive annual growth rate.An early experience of BRIC nations has shown that a 1% growth in agriculture is at least 2-3 .times more effective in reducing poverty than similar growth in non-agricultural sector.Public Investment in agricultural research and development in terms of percentage share in agriculture GVA stands at 0.37%, which is fairly low in comparison to between 3% and 5% in developed countries.·Acc. to Deputy Governor, RBI disinvestment in PSEs would alleviate crowding out effects of government borrowings in the country. Currently, the share of capital expenditure is meagre 14%.·Digital Payment- The number of transactions done through UPI has increased by 180 times since its inception in 2016. However, private players have cut into the government backed BHIM app’s share of the transactions, while card based transactions are still the most preferred online payment method.The Ashok Dalwai Committee clarified real incomes will need to be doubled over seven years (over a base income of 2015-16), which requires a growth rate of 10.4 percent per year in order to realise doubling of farmer’s income by 2022.India is the largest exporter of rice in the world, exporting about 12 to 13 MMT of the cereal per year. If the government raises the MSP of rice, by say 20 per cent, rice exports will drop and stocks with the government will rise to levels far beyond the buffer stock norms.Today, India spends roughly 0.7 per cent of agri-GDP on agri-R&D and extension together. This needs to double in the next five years.India, with a large and diverse agriculture, is among the world’s leading producer of cereals, milk, sugar, fruits and vegetables, spices, eggs and seafood products. Indian agriculture continues to be the backbone of our society and it provides livelihood to nearly 50 per cent of our population. India is supporting 17.84 per cent of world’s population, 15% of livestock population with merely 2.4 per cent of world’s land and 4 per cent water resources.Various studies on fresh fruits and vegetables, fisheries in India have indicated a loss percentage ranging from about 8% to 18% on account of poor post-harvest management, absence of cold chain and processing facilitiesIndia is currently ranked tenth amongst the major exporters globally as per WTO trade data for 2016. India’s share in global exports of agriculture products has increased from 1% a few years ago, to 2.2 % in 2016.Women in agriculture:The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that if women had the same access to productive resources as men, they could increase yields on their farms by 20-30%. This could raise total agricultural output in developing countries by up to 4%, which could in turn reduce the number of hungry people in the world by 12–17% - that's 100-150 million people.MobilityThe higher your educational qualifications, the longer your work commute. That, in essence, is the finding reported in a working paper on mobility in one of India’s most congested cities, Bengaluru, by researchers from the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC).Unlike people with higher education qualifications, those in the unorganised sector without degrees work within five km of home.The commute to work required 42.45 minutes for about 10.84 km. This is an increase from around 40 minutes in 2001. Peak hours add on average six minutes to the commute one-way. Over 95% working in government, or in trade and commerce, move in peak time, while in the industrial sector, 66% of workers have peak-hour travel. That figure falls to just 10% for IT and 6% for the informal sector.Also, 41.91% of commuters used public transport, and a quarter used two-wheelers. Over 10% of commuters walked to work, highlighting the need for better pedestrian infrastructure.·Farm Mechanization: Laser guided land leveler can flatten the land in less time than oxen powered scrapper. It increases farmers productivity by 15%.·Agriculture Census 2018: Uttar Pradesh is home to the largest number of people tilling land, followed by Bihar and Maharashtra, according to the 2015-16 Agriculture Census.·India has been allotted a site of 75,000 sq. km. in the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) by the UN International SeaBed Authority for exploitation of polymetallic nodules (PMN). These are rocks scattered on the seabed containing iron, manganese, nickel and cobalt.·Being able to lay hands on even 10% of that reserve can meet the energy requirement for the next 100 years. It has been estimated that 380 million metric tonnes of polymetallic nodules are available at the bottom of the seas in the Central Indian Ocean.·India’s Exclusive Economic Zone spreads over 2.2 million sq. km. and in the deep sea, lies “unexplored and unutilised”·The Amazon basin, spread across millions of hectares in multiple countries, hosts massive sinks of sequestered carbon, and the forests are a key factor in regulating monsoon systems.·As the custodian of forests in about 5 million sq km of Amazon land. One estimate by the World Bank some years ago noted that 15 million hectares had been abandoned due to degradation. Globally, there is tremendous momentum to save the Amazon forests. Brazil must welcome initiatives such as the billion-dollar Amazon Fund backed by Norway and Germany which has been operating for over a decade, instead of trying to shut them down.·The rainforests harbour rich biodiversity and about 400 known indigenous groups whose presence has prevented commercial interests from overrunning the lands.Zero Based Natural Farming:·Acc. to NSSO 70% of agri household spend more than they earn·50% of farmers are in debt.·In AP and Telangana debtedness is 90%(Avg debt 1lac)·Acc to NITI Aayog , more than 1.6 lakh farmers are practicing the ZBNF in almost 1,000 villages.Banking:The opening of 36 crore bank accounts in Jan Dhan Yojana has linked the poor to our growing economy.Government is in talks with foreign lenders to provide $14.5 bn in credit to millions of small firmsIndia’s 63 million firms in micro, small and medium firm sector are responsible for more than a quarter of the country’s manufacturing and services output. Gross domestic product growth fell to a 5 year low of 5.8% in January-March quarter, well below the 8% plus rates that the government is targeting.Credit availability for SMEs, which also account for about 45% of the country’s exports, has worsened due to a liquidity crisis in the NBFCs sector.A study by RBI Panel said the overall deficit in credit for the MSME sector is estimated at about Rs 20-25 lakh crore.Employment:MGNREGA- Lack of adequate financial allocation, pending liabilities and low wages have dogged the programme over the past 8 years.About 20% of budget allocation in each of the last 5 years is pending wage liabilities from previous years. It was worst in 2016-17 when pending liabilities were 35% out of total allocation of Rs 38,500 crore.MGNREGA wages in many states are about 40% lower than the national minimum wage.Swaraj Abhiyan vs Union of India, 2015- Government should provide more work to the people of drought prone area and timely wages.Public employment in India is only one-tenth of that in Norway, only 15% of that in Brazil and much than a third of that in ChinaAuto Industry:8-10 lac job lossAutomatic Hubs: Gurugram - Manesar belt , Pune , Jamshedpur,PithampurEnvironment:The total surface area of our Earth is 52 billion hectares (Ha), and 31% of this has been forest cover.FAO defines forest as a land area of at least 0.5 hectare, covered by at least 10% tree cover without any agricultural activity or human settlementSwiss and French ecologists have found out that there is potential climate change mitigation through global tree restoration by adding 0.9 bn hectares. More than 50% of this restoration potential can be found in 6 countriesIndia has 21.54% tree cover and between 2015 and 2018, we have added 6,778 sq kmPhilippines Success story- Making mandatory for each elementary, high school and college student to plant 10 trees before graduatingSection 15 of the Environment Protection Act(for thermal power plants) provides for blanket penalty for contravention of any of the provisions of EPA: up to 5 years of imprisonment and up to Rs 1 lakh fine along with additional daily fines for continuing offences.·As per Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) norms for upgraded fuels, (IS: 2796 – petrol and IS: 1460 – diesel), sulphur content is reduced to 10 mg/kg max in BS-VI from 50 mg/kg under BS-IV. This key reduction in sulphur makes it possible to equip vehicles with better catalytic converters that capture pollutants.·As per June 2019 sales data released by SIAM, automobile companies sold 16.28% fewer passenger vehicles compared to June 2018. There was a 23.39% drop in the sale of commercial vehicles in the same period. Two-wheeler sales dipped by 11.70%.·India has been emerging as one of the world’s most polluted countries, with particulate matter PM 2.5 levels spiking more than 999 microgram per cubic metre in parts of Delhi last year.·The government also commissioned a study to gauge the economic value of tiger reserves. Based on an analysis of 10 of them, the government claimed that the cumulative benefits — from the carbon and timber conserved, livelihood to those who depend on forests and tourism — were anywhere from ₹4,200 crore to ₹16,000 crore annually.·Nearly 3,000 tigers now reside in India, that's more than 70% of the world's tiger population.·The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has asserted in its report, ‘Status of Tigers in India’ 2018, that 83% of the big cats censused were individually photographed using camera traps, 87% were confirmed through a camera trap based capture-recapture technique, and other estimation methods were used to establish the total number.·The less accessible Western Ghats has witnessed a steady increase in numbers from 2006, notably in Karnataka, and Central India has an abundance, but there is a marked drop in Chhattisgarh and Odisha; in Buxa, Dampa, Palamau, which are Tiger Reserves, no trace of animal was found.·Madhya Pradesh saw the highest number at 526, closely followed by Karnataka (524) and Uttarakhand (442).·Chhattisgarh and Mizoram saw a decline in tiger population and all other states saw a “positive” increase, according to a press statement.Studies show that India’s road transport emissions are small in global comparison but increasing exponentially.Global Carbon Project reports that India’s carbon emissions are rising more than 2 times as fast as the global rise in 2018.Globally, the transport sector accounts for a quarter of total emissions, out of which three quarters are from road transport.According to the recent National Family Health Survey(2015-16), nearly 30% of all men are overweight or obese in southwest Delhi. These data correlate with high reliance of car use in Delhi and low demand for walking.India Human Development Survey shows that 10% increase in cycling could lower chronic disease for 0.3 mn people.A recent UN Global Assessment Report estimated India’s economic losses would be 4% of GDP annually if we don’t invest in building natural ecosystems, while a 2018 World Bank Report said that 600 million Indians are moderately to severely affected by changes in temperature and rainfall.Greenpeace air pollution report for 2019 lists as many as seven Indian cities among the 10 worst in the worldAnother report said that 1.2 million deaths in 2017 could be directly attributable to all-round pollutionThe IPCC report warns that clean energy, clean transport and reduction emissions alone will not cut global emissions enough to avoid dangerous warming beyond 2 degrees Celsius. It points out that the global food system is responsible for 21 to 37 per cent of the world’s GHG emissionsAbout a quarter of the Earth’s ice-free land area is subjected to what the report describes as “human-induced degradation”. Rapid agricultural expansion has led to destruction of forests, wetlands and grasslands and other ecosystems. Soil erosion from agricultural fields, the report estimates, is 10 to 100 times higher than the soil formation rate.The Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) estimates that the commercial production of shale gas would require multiple fracking activities in each well with water requirement of up to nine million liters per fracking activity. As of today, 56 sites across six States have been identified for fracking, and according to the World Resources Institute, all of them fall under ‘water stress’ zones, having limited supply of fresh water.The world is 1° C hotter than preindustrial 1850-1900 levels, with 2015-19 comprising the hottest years on record.As a result of global warming, sea levels could rise by 2.8 ft. by 2100, presenting an existential threat to India’s coastlines.Driving this temperature increase, carbon emissions rose by a record 2.65 parts per million (ppm) a year in 2015-19, reaching 412 ppm today. At this rate, the catastrophic threshold of 450 ppm for reaching the 2° C increase in warming will be breached in just 15 years. By 2050, temperatures in India are projected to increase 1.5-3° C relative to 1981-2010, if little action is taken.The average cost of these two renewable power sources is now in the range of the cost of fossil fuels. Even so, renewable energy still accounts for only 17% of India’s electricity needs, with 80% coming from polluting fossil fuelsAlso, energy-related CO2 is rising because of increased fossil fuel consumption, encouraged by government subsidies for this energy source. Worldwide, these subsidies increased by one-third in 2018, to $400 billion globally.Perversely, coal plant capacity is set to expanding South and Southeast Asia, which together account for half of the world’s planned coal power expansion, with India, Vietnam and Indonesia combined for over 30%. Bangladesh and Pakistan plan to increase coal-based capacity threefold, and the Philippines wants to double capacity.·Marine culture: Agriculture Minister further said that fish production in India is estimated at 11.4 million tones, out of which 68% is registered from inland fisheries sector and the remaining 32% from marine sector. It is expected that the indigenous fish requirement by 2020 would be 15 million tones as against the production of 11.4 million tonnes. This gap of 3.62 million tonnes is expected to be made up by Inland Aquaculture and also through Mari culture.E-Waste:According to the United Nations University’s Global E-waste Monitor, India’s e-waste generation amounted to 2 million tonnes in 2017. Computer and telecom equipment accounted for 82 per cent of the total e-waste generated in India, according to an ASSOCHAM-KPMG study.However, only 0 .036 million tonnes of waste was processed.E-waste generation in India is estimated to increase by 500 per cent by 2020. Approximately 95 per cent of e-waste generated ends up in the informal sector according to reports.As of now, government has 312 registered recycling facilities across 19 states with the capacity to recycle 0.78 million metric tonnes.Infrastructure:Road Transport- More people die in India due to road accident related incidents than anywhere else in the world. With over half a million accidents and over 1.5 lakh fatalities every year — and that’s the official figure; unofficially, fatalities could be 20 per cent higher and accidents 50 per cent higher than what’s captured in the crime records database.India overtook China in 2006 as the country with the world’s deadliest roads. A total of 146,133 people were killed on Indian roads in 2015, an increase of 4.6% from 2014, according to the latest data with the roads ministry. The number of road accidents in India increased 2.5% in 2015 to 501,423 while injuries from road accidents rose 1.4% to 500,279 in 2015.According to NITI Aayog “Transforming Mobility Report”, congestion in the 4 biggest metro causes annual economic losses of over $22 bnElectric Vehicles:In 2018 China accounted for 57% of EV sold globally.By 2023 100% electric 3 wheelersBikes by 2025Science and Technology:It is feared that these multidrug-resistant superbugs may kill as many as 10 million people worldwide by 2050.On Medical Devices- “The fact is after the GST regime, importers have to pay respective customs duty which is around 7.5%-10% in addition to 12% of GST. So in effect, importers are paying more taxes after the GST regime than before.It is true that the input tax credit is applicable against GST component on inputs, but the same is available for locally manufactured goods as well.In total, GST regime does not benefit importers in any way over domestic players. In fact, post-GST import duties on many implantable devices have gone up to 10% due to increase in custom duties.Micro RNAs- These are regulators of gene expression, acting like switches. They decide which protein should be made and how much in a given cell or tissue or an organism. They are tiny, having some 20-22 digits of RNA.·The establishment of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 1969 heralded the Indian space programme. As the sixth-largest space agency celebrates its golden jubilee, India has slowly and steadily emerged as a pre-eminent space power with 102 spacecraft missions, the largest fleet of civilian satellites in the Asia-Pacific region, a successful inter-planetary Mars Orbiter Mission and a world record of launching 104 satellites from a single rocketSecurity:“30,000 to 40,000” militants — trained in Afghanistan and Kashmir — are still operating in Pakistan, Mr. Khan(PM of Pakistan) has admitted.Western countries such as U.S, U.K, Canada, Australia, Germany advise their citizens against travelling to Kashmir valley. Against 13 lakh tourists who travelled to Kashmir in 2016, the first 6 months of 2019 recorded just 3.54 lakh.Migration:·Top out migration states: UP,Bihar , Rajasthan,MP,Karnataka·Top in migration states: Maharashtra, delhi, up , gujarat,Haryana.5.43 cr roughly population of Myanmar was the interstate migrant at the time of census 2011.More migrants in Maharashtra ( 91l) than Delhi ( 63l)and Rajasthan(26l). Gujrat( 39l), UP( 41L)21% of interstate migrant go to Maharashtra.22% of job seeker migrants prefer MaharashtraReasons for migration:23% for employment31% for marriage3% for education1% for business40% for familyGender perspective:o47 % Men migrate for employmento4% Women migrate for employmentoHalf of women interstate migrant state marriage as the mains reason.Innovation:·Global Innovation Index : India’s rank 52nd·Israel in top 10.·It invest 7% of GDP in education.·It invest 4% in R&D.Organized Crime:·In 2016, in its reply to a Lok Sabha question, the Union Health Ministry noted that there is a huge gap between the demand and supply of human organs for transplant even though the precise numbers of premature deaths due to heart, liver, lung and pancreas failures have not been compiled.·The Ministry noted that against the demand of 2 lakh kidneys, only 6,000 were available. Similarly, against the demand of 30,000 livers only 1,500 were available, and against the demand of 50,000 hearts merely 15 were available across the country.·According to the Multi Organ Harvesting Aid Network Foundation (Mohan Foundation), a Chennai-based NGO working on organ donation, only about 3% of the demand is met.·“In India, [the] deceased organ donation programme is largely restricted to big institutions and the private sector which makes it less accessible for all. The deceased donation rate in 2013 was 0.26/million population and this went up to 0.36/million population in 2014.Innovation:·Global Innovation Index : India’s rank 52nd·Israel in top 10.·It invest 7% of GDP in education.·It invest 4% in R&DEconomyThe latest International Monetary Fund (IMF)-World Economic Outlook update in July 2019 has confirmed a growing belief that global growth has decelerated and dark clouds seem to be looming in the near term. Specifically, the IMF has downgraded global growth multiple times since October 2018 and now projects it to be 3.2% compared to 3.6% in 2018.The government’s fiscal deficit touched ₹4.32 lakh crore for the June quarter, which is 61.4% of the Budget Estimate for 2019-20 fiscal.In absolute terms, the fiscal deficit, or the gap between expenditure and revenue, was ₹4.32 lakh crore at June-end, as per the data released by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA).The government aims to restrict the fiscal deficit to 3.4% of the GDP (gross domestic product) in the current fiscal, the same as last financial year.India dropped two places in GDP rankings in 2018 compared to2017. With a slump in consumption, and new investments reducing to a trickle, the government’s aim of making India a $5 trillion economy 2024 seems far fetched.Drop in position : In 2017, the size of the Indian economy stood at $2.65 trillion, the fifth largest. In 2018, India’s economy in $ terms grew by 3.01% to $2.73 trillion. But in the same period, the U.K. and France grew by 6.8% and 7..3% respectively, pushing India to the seventh place in the World Bank’s GDP rankings in 2018.Investment Woes : Investments in new projects nosedived to a 15 year low in the quarter ending June 2019. The drop in value of new projects was driven by a dip in both private and government investments.Consumption drops : Three of the four major indicators of the consumer economy recorded negative growth rates in the first half of 2019.Downward revision : The IMF, Asian Development Bank and CRISIL brought down their projections for India for FY20. While both IMF and ADB have projected that India will grow at 7% or more, CRISIL has estimated that the GDP will grow by 6.9%India will now need to attract private capital amounting to 3%-4% of GDP for the ‘Great March’ that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged off to $5 trillion GDPBanking: After nationalisation of banks in 1969, the share of institutional sources in the outstanding debt of rural households increased from just 16.9% (1962) to 64%(1992).The share of bank deposits to GDP rose from 13% in 1969 to 38% in 1991. The gross savings rate rose from 12.8% in 1969 to 21.7% in 1990. The share of advances to GDP rose from 10% in 1969 to 25% in 1991. The gross investment rate rose from 13.9% in 1969 to 24.1% in 1990.After economic reforms of 1991, more than 900 rural bank branches closed down across the country. The rate of growth of agricultural credit fell sharply from around 7% per annum in the 1980s to about 2% per annum in the 1990s.Between 1991 and 2002, the share of institutional sources in the total outstanding debt of rural households fell from 64% to 57.1%RBI new branch authorisation policy in 2005- the number of rural bank branches rose from 30,646 in 2005, to 33,967 in 2011 and 48,536 in 2015. The annual growth rate of real agricultural credit rose from about 2% in the 1990s to about 18% between 2001 and 2015.Between 2010 and 2016, the key responsibility of opening no-frills accounts for the unbanked poor fell upon public banks. Data show that more than 90% of the new no-frills accounts were opened in public banks·A revenue deficit of Central govt. Is relatively recent, having been virtually non existent till the 1980s. After that a rampant populism has taken over all political parties, reflected in revenue deficit accounting for over ⅔ rd of the fiscal deficit.·World Economy: IMF forecast for the world is 3.2%Disaster ManagementAccording to the World Health Organization (WHO), 30-40 per cent of the victims of catastrophic natural disasters suffer from major mental distress and require counselling.CybersecurityInternet Shut down·During 2012-017, says Icrier, 16,315 hours of Internet shutdown cost India’s economy around $3 billion, the 12,600 hours of mobile Internet shutdown about $2.37 billion, and the 3,700 hours of mobile and fixed-line Internet shutdowns nearly $678.4 million.··India is the 5th largest producer of solar energy and 6 th largest producer of renewable energy.·China ranks 1st in terms of renewable energy production according to International Renewable Energy Agency·A study by the Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, shows that Indian coal-fired thermal power plants are considered the most inefficient and polluting in the world. More than 75% of these plants don’t comply with governmental regulations.IMPORTANT TOPICS FOR MAINS-2019:Employment:The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) of the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) released on Friday showed the unemployment rate in the country in FY18 was at 5.3% in rural India and 7.8% in urban India, resulting in overall unemployment rate of 6.1%.Middle income trap:The per-capita income at current prices during 2018-19 is estimated to have attained a level of ₹1,26,406 ( ₹10,533.83 monthly) as compared to the estimated for the year 2017-18 of₹1,14,958 ( ₹9,579.83 a month), showing a rise of 10%," according to the annual national income and GDP 2018-19 data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).Export policy:India’s revenue from exports of merchandise over the last four fiscal years was $310 billion, $262 billion, $275 billion and $302 billion, respectively. Thus over the four years from April 2014 till March 2018, the total growth was zero, or, rather, a tad negative. Even the ratio of exports to gross domestic product (GDP), at 11.6%, is at a 14-year low.In 2014, the trade policy announced by the Union commerce minister envisaged total exports worth $900 billion by 2020. That looks almost impossible, unless exports grow by 40% per annum from now onEmployment elasticity:The old link between growth and jobs is now much weaker than before. In the 1990s, the employment elasticity in India was nearly 0.4. This number measures how much a given rise in growth impacts jobs. At 0.4, a one per cent rise in GDP growth gives us a 0.4% rise in employment; 5% growth gives jobs a 2% boost.Now, this elasticity is down to 0.2 or lower. This means, for every percentage rise in growth, we get only a 0.2% impact on employment. Put another way, we need a minimum of 10% GDP growth to give us the kind of jobs kick we used to get in the 1990s.The gap between jobs created and jobs sought will be just over 1.5 million annually.Tax-GDP Ratio :The tax-GDP ratio is expected to cross 12% in FY19, a new high in over a decade, but lower than emerging market peers.Tax-to-GDP ratio for India has inched up slightly in recent years, but remains well below the world average. It is 10.6% , 11.6% , 12.1% in the years 2016, 2018, 2019 respectively.MSME :MSME has played a prominent role in the development of the country in terms of creating employment opportunities-MSME has employed more than 50 million people, scaling manufacturing capabilities, curtailing regional disparities, balancing the distribution of wealth, and contributing to the GDP-MSME sector forms 8% of GDP.MSME sector has cut jobs in the last seven yearsDemographic transition:India’s working-age population is now increasing because of rapidly declining birth and death ratesIndia’s age dependency ratio, the ratio of dependents (children and the elderly) to the working-age population (14- to 65-year-olds), is expected to only start rising in 2040, as per UN estimatesDemographic Dividend:For the first time since independence, India’s working age population — those aged between 15-64 years — will outnumber its dependents, that is, children aged 14 and below as well as people aged 65 and above.India’s dependency ratio has declined from 68.4 %( 1950) to 49.8 %( 2018). Total Fertility rate declined from 5.9(1950) to 2.2(2018).Black Money:Various studies and estimates have pegged black money circulation india anywhere between 7 per cent and 120 per cent of the country’s GDP in 2009-10 and 2010-11.Green GDP:Damage to the environment is put at Rs 34,0000 crores per year and it reduces the GDP by 9.5 percent annually.If water scarcity persists, it can lead to an alarming loss of six percent in the GDP by year 2050.Non Performing Asset:In recent years, the gross NPAs of banks have increased from 2.3% of total loans in 2008 to 4.3% in 2015 .Care Ratings says 17 banks have bad loan ratio above 10%. Gross NPAs of a set of 36 banks increased from ₹6.71 lakh crore in March 2017 to a peak of ₹9.66 lakh crore in March 2018 and subsequently moderated to ₹8.70 lakh crore in March 2019 before increasing to ₹8.97 lakh crore in June 2019.Agriculture export policy :India’s share in global exports of agriculture products has increased from 1% a few years ago, to 2.2 % in 2016.In 2018, India accrued a $14.6 billion trade surplus of agricultural, fishery, and forestry goods. Leadingexports consisted of Basmati rice, carabeef/meat of bovine animals, frozen shrimp and prawns, cotton, and refined sugar.Farm loan waiver:Agricultural NPAs were on a continuous decline between 2001 and 2008. Second, there is no evidence to argue that the 2008 waiver led to a rise in default rates among farmers.The rise of agricultural NPAs, from 2% to 5%, is no evidence for indiscipline in farmer repayment behaviour. One, NPAs in agriculture remained stable at around 4 to 5% between 2011 and 2015. This was despite the fact that agricultural growth averaged just 1.5% between 2011 and 2015.Agriculture census:Small and marginal farmers with less than two hectares of land account for 86.2% of all farmers in India, but own just 47.3% of the crop area, according to provisional numbers from the 10th agriculture census 2015-16.Inequality and Inclusive growth :About 50% of wealth in India in owned by just 100 people which is due to unequal distribution of wealth.Agriculture has a share of 17% in the GDP but employs about half the total labour force while the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) have a share of 32% in the gross value added (GVA) and have an important place in providing an “above the poverty line” lifestyle to the people (GoI 2018).Financial Inclusion:600 million deposit accounts were opened between fiscals 2013 and 2016, or twice the number between 2010 and 2013. Nearly a third of this was on account of Jan Dhan.for fiscal 2016 (the latest period for which data is available) show financial inclusion has improved significantly in India, with the all-India score rising to 58.0 in fiscal 2016, compared with 50.1 in fiscal 2013.Private investment:Investment in private sector projects fell similarly (83% compared to the previous quarter and 89% compared to last year).The stalling rate of private sector projects, which has hovered above 20% since the September 2017 quarter, reached an all-time high of 26.1% in the June 2019 quarter.Livestock Population:About 20.5 million people depend upon livestock for their livelihood. Livestock contributed 16% to the income of small farm households.The value of output from livestock was about 31.11% of the value of the output from total agriculture and allied sector.Food security in India :The country is home to 270 million hungry people, the highest in the world. India stands 97th in Oxfam’s Food Availability Index, and 103rd in the 2018 Global Hunger Index. In 2015-16, food grains accounted for 79 per cent of the imported agricultural produce; the figure was 76% the following year.Large-scale import of wheat in 2016 is often attributed to drought years. But there has been large-scale import of edible oil and pulses as well in the past two decades.Energy Poverty:India has just 4% of the world’s renewable energy but have 18% of the world's population.Agricultural technology:Farm Mechanization: Laser guided land leveler can flatten the land in less time than oxen powered scrapper. It increases farmers productivity by 15%.Food processing :According to the ministry of food processing industries annual report, the sector employs 12.8% of the workforce in the organised sector (factories registered under Factories Act, 1948), and 13.7% of the workforce in the unorganised sector. Despite being one of the largest producers of agricultural and food products in the world, India ranks fairly low in the global food processing value chains.Food processing is also important from the point of reducing food waste. In fact, the United Nations estimates that 40% of production is wasted. Similarly, the NITI Aayog cited a study that estimated annual post-harvest losses of close to Rs 90,000 crore.Renewable energy and energy security :Even with the growth of renewable energy, coal has been projected to be the backbone of electricity sector until 2030 and beyond.India has created 80,000 MW of renewable energy and set a target of achieving 1,75,000 MW by 2022, reduced energy intensity by 21%.India’s annual coal demand rose by 9.1% to nearly one billion tones during the year ending March 2019. Coal features among the top five imports of India, with total imports rising from 166.9 million tons in 2013-14 to 235.24 million tons in 2018-19.Best of luck to all mains candidates!God bless you all

I was very arrogant about my health until recently.At 59, I had never been sick, I’m very fit, and look quite a bit younger than my age. My father is 90 and lives the same lifestyle now as 30 years ago, living in his own home in the Texas Hill Country.I’m a physician and have almost daily occasions to offer health advice, and I have a healthy, thriving practice.I am a fan of Nortin Hadler, MD, who writes extensively on intelligent, informed healthcare, offering facts and studies a healthcare consumer should be aware of before giving or refusing consent to commonly recommended medical screenings and treatments for conditions such as high cholesterol, blood pressure, or glucose; colonoscopy; mammography; PSA screening and more. Lest you think he’s fringy, he’s Professor Emeritus of Medicine at UNC School of Medicine at Chapel Hill, and Harvard and Yale educated. You can see his brilliance and relevance in this PBS interview.For 20 years or so, I’ve seen a wonderful internist yearly, but, would abdicate responsibility for this behavior, saying. “The only reason I have a doctor is I have a wife.”Thank goodness I have a wife.September, the year before last, 2018, I had previsit labs for my annual visit with Rick Earnest, who was Chief Resident during his internal medicine residency at Emory, he’s top notch.My white count was low. Rick’s nurse called and said he wanted another CBC and a folate. White count low; folate normal.Then, I saw Rick in his office and we chatted dispassionately about the neutropenia… WBC was around 2, with 4–12 being normal.He told me he had talked to a local heme/onc that morning and then, he shrugged his shoulders and said, “Looks like you need to see a hematologist…” I agreed.About a month later, I had extensive labs at the local oncology center; met the delightful hematologist, Kavita Nirmal, who recommended a bone marrow biopsy.I knew this was coming and, once again, being very healthy and having no signs or symptoms, I thought serial CBC’s would do.However, after my consult with Kavita, I had no urge to refuse the bone marrow biopsy, and it was done that day.Things moved quickly from there.The next day, Kavita called and said I needed to see a specialist at Baylor. Five minutes later, she called back and said, “You could also go to MD Anderson.”Baylor is two hours, MD Anderson is four.Initially, I balked at accepting an MD Anderson referral, as this meant, in my mind, saying, “This is serious.”Over the next 24–48 hours, I had the strong intuition I should go to MD Anderson.I responded to Kavita’s phone call about my treatment choice in a way I found funny/odd… I said, “I owe it to my family to go to MD Anderson.” I thought, “Wow, Dude, you can’t even take responsibility for your choice to go to MD Anderson.” (It wasn’t a big deal… but, interesting.)My records and actual marrow specimen were Fedexed to MDA; I went there for labs and another bone marrow biopsy; and met with a national leader in leukemia, Naveen Pemmaraju.All this occurred in a very compressed period of time and in a context of general surreality, punctuated by briefs periods of extreme surreality.I had accepted there was something wrong with my bone marrow. I had actually been aware I was neutropenic as far back as August 2016; but, again, arrogant invincibility had me ignore it.In Longview, I was told, based on microscopic evaluation of my marrow, and an estimated 13% blast count, I had myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), something I was familiar with when a fellow staff psychiatrist told me he had it. It was a significant health scare for him, but that was in the 90’s and he and I were in touch for at least 10 years after that, and to my knowledge, he’s still fine today… (we both moved on from that mental health center years ago).Then, as I was going through the process leading up to seeing Dr. Pemmaraju, a nurse who was checking me in and reviewing my chart, was reading out loud to herself… as I listened, it was all quite routine to me as a health care provider, until the letters “AML” came out of her mouth.They weren’t intended for me; she was just one of those people who reads out loud when they read. Perhaps she thought I knew. Perhaps she didn’t know she was reading out loud. It is a cancer center…I can’t think of an adequate adjective to put in front of “stunned” and “frozen” to adequately express that instant as the biggest WTF! of my life rang out in my mind…“It’s leukemia?! I have leukemia?!!!” My mind was reeling with that shock…It was quite a mental shift, in an instant, unsuspecting, unprepared, from MDS to AML.I suppose it was helpful to have the time to be past that initial reaction later, as I sat in one of Dr. Pemmaraju’s exam rooms, waiting to see him. He burst into the room almost as enthusiastically as Kramer on Seinfeld. He was young, energetic, positive and extremely enthusiastic.There I was, sitting face to face with one of the finest allopathic physicians… a hematologist/oncologist who only treats two types of leukemia and MDS.It was a briefly challenging/confronting situation on a philosophical level.You see, I’ve been writing, Power Without Pills: A Curious Psychiatrist’s Guide to Healing and Growth in the Modern World since Googling John Sarno, MD in February 2006. And, I have talked some trash about modern medicine. Not irresponsibly or inappropriately… but, trash talking nonetheless.I was challenged with substantial, in-my-face cognitive dissonance.I resolved it for myself quickly.I had been throwing the baby out with the bath water.I had been all “mindbody medicine is where it’s at!” and, then and there, I realized I had been going to an extreme.I once heard a man say, “You’re just as half-assed no matter which cheek you got.”So, I decided, “Alright... I like this guy... I trust this guy... I’m going to roll with this, and I’ll handle the mindbody part... and he’ll handle the traditional medicine part…”Both cheeks were suddenly firmly in place.He told me they have a clinical trial, using the CLIA protocol, where they’re getting upwards of 90% complete remission rates in frontline AML.All three drugs are FDA-approved for AML, but no one is using all three together. “We are gonna rock this thing! We are going to crush it together!”, he said, beaming.He told me I’d need some preliminary tests, like an echocardiogram, to qualify for the study... a formality.Then, I would be admitted, given five days of chemo, be in isolation, and have a total of around 28 days inpatient before being discharged to outpatient treatment where I would receive five consolidation rounds of the same three chemotherapy drugs every 28 days.He said I’d be in complete remission by Day 28.That conversation was on the Friday before Thanksgiving. He told me to go home and spend time with family... my wife was there in that initial consult and throughout, but I hadn’t seen my father in Austin in a while... it was a wonderful, deeply meaningful break/visit with close family before I went inpatient… ostensibly 28 days, in isolation.On the eve of Thanksgiving Day, I was admitted to the Leukemia Specialty Care Unit at MDA, at around 7 pm, and began chemotherapy that night.How I’ll be bathing in isolation for the next 3–4 weeks…My wife and father-in-law visit me in the square bubble…This woke me up in the middle of the night, tickling my nose…Going…Gone. My hair didn’t survive.It went exactly as he said; except I had a Day 21 bone marrow biopsy in the hospital. The next day, the attending on the service strode briskly into my room, smiling, and said, “Go home. You don’t need to be here any more.”My blast count had gone from 30% to 4%, complete remission, in 21 days.I said, “Uh… I’m not ready.” (My wife was four hours away and expecting me to be discharged in about a week).I went home the next day, six days early, for good biological behavior.I was in complete remission.There was suspense though. I was told through some magic called flow cytometry, they could give a measure of prognostication, MRD, Measurable Residual Disease. With MRD, they could find traces of leukemia, the presence of abnormal blasts, “down to levels of 1:10,000 to 1:1,000,000 white blood cells (WBCs), compared with 1:20 in morphology-based assessments.”[1]A few nervous days later, at my first outpatient follow up, I was given the news, “You are MRD negative.”A Senior Coordinator of Clinical Studies, Department of Leukemia, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Rabiul Islam, who’s worked there since 2003, gave me that wonderful news, and he added, “I have never seen an MRD negative patient at Day 21.”As I have said, I highly value and practice mindbody medicine; parts of that are a positive mental attitude and faith in the healing propensity of the body and the intelligence of life.And my positivity and faith had been rewarded at every turn (even developing leukemia, which I would not have consciously asked for); but it was never the kind of faith and positivity that produced a reaction to, “You are MRD negative,” of, “Well, of course, I’m MRD negative.”I cried when he told me and it brings tears to my eyes now as I write this. I am deeply grateful.And, along those lines, I have taught mindbody medicine concepts for over 20 years and was pleased to find nothing changed with being diagnosed with an illness that has a 25% five-year survival rate. I found, not surprisingly, I walked the talk. Yet, you don’t know how solidly your ship is moored until there’s a storm.As interesting foreshadowing, for years, as one approach to mindbody medicine, I would discuss the hypothetical situation in which someone was diagnosed with a type of cancer that had their physician say, “The 5-year survival rate is 5%.” I would then say, “I wouldn’t say, ‘Oh, no! Those are terrible odds!’ I would say, ‘What did the 5% do?’’’ (My apologies for the complex, and possibly incorrect sentence structure.)I have had many profound blessings in the powerful life lesson leukemia brought to me.To address the question:The leukemia was caught on a yearly routine blood test before I was symptomatic.I am young and healthy, with no comorbid illnesses, and I really stood out on the Leukemia Specialty Care Unit because of my youth, fitness, and lack of comorbid illness.I got the best cancer treatment in the world, I assert.I’ve had an excellent attitude throughout.I never fought the leukemia. I was never inclined to. At the local cancer center, the narrative was everywhere about fighting cancer; even the wifi password had that rhetoric… yet, I could not abide by that narrative.I’m not suggesting that people not adopt that narrative; it’s fine with me if they do; it’s just not for me. I’m not going to start a “Fight Fighting Cancer!” campaign.I do want people to know there’s more than one narrative to adopt in the face of cancer. Pick according to your gut.I’ve said thousands of times: “What you resist persists.” I would not fight. I would listen.I viewed the leukemia as a messenger, and my job was/is to get the message.I have enjoyed Louise Hay’s work, and was aware of the fact she gave meaning to particular illnesses.I thought, “Leukemia is a childhood disease…” Hmmmmmmm…I had started guided journaling at What is Self Authoring? many months earlier, and had started with the Past module (there are also two for the present and one for the future… starting with the past made the most sense to me…) but, I quickly fell into procrastination…One obvious message was, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you…”, meaning, I got one message as, “Don’t keep putting off deep work.”Now, acute myeloid leukemia is relatively rare with about 20,000 newly diagnosed cases a year. That’s an incidence of 0.006%. It’s rare.But, things would likely be much darker (which sounds weird to write, because I can’t say they’re dark (though I can admit if one looks at the five year survival rate for AML, one would be inclined to say they’re dark… but, that’s a statistic, and part of good mindbody medicine is not being negatively influenced by stats…)) if I hadn’t been getting yearly routine labs.TLDR:Get yearly routine labs like a CBC and complete metabolic panel.The risk/benefit ratio argues for it.Think of it as insurance… you definitely want to have it, even though you don’t want to use it.Extra credit edit:So as to exclude as few readers as possible, I am adding an important point…I have used the word, “blessing” more than once, and said that there is meaning in this life challenge/lesson, thereby asserting/strongly implying it’s not random; we don’t live in a strictly mechanical Universe, in which we humans are machines that break and consequently go to doctors that intervene on our behalf and restore us to health.I was ultimately convinced of that mechanistic worldview until the age of 23. I no longer believe in or inhabit that worldview… but no matter…I’m working on a reply to the gentleman’s comment in which it’s asked what I think caused the leukemia.My reply involves logic I learned from my mother, an adept at logic. She changed her worldview late in life with logic.She told me one day, she had done a thought experiment in which she made a matrix of cells… the particulars will be in the reply when I post it.It is the particular thought exercise that’s relevant here:Let’s say you can’t abide by the notion of an actual blessing, or the idea there’s meaning to be mined in a disease, especially a life-threatening one like leukemia, you can still potentially get the value of that system/belief through this exercise:Let’s construct a matrix of four cells: 2 rows, 2 columns…I’m blessed really/I’m not actually blessedI believe I’m blessed/I reject the possibilityThen stand in each cell and look out at the world as if those conditions are so… what do you see? Is that possibility empowering?You see, it isn’t the truth that I was blessed and it isn’t the truth there is meaning, not randomness, in the leukemia… it’s a powerful place to stand.For the strictly “If I can’t see it in a lab, it doesn’t exist,” Do you want to be empowered, or do you want to be right? Or, if your health isn’t good, do you want to be healthy, or do you want to be right?Consider everyone is a house with four rooms: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.In the modern world, you risk falling prey to the paradigm, the physical level of reality is all there is… It’s all matter and energy… if you can’t see in the lab it doesn’t exist.That worldview may be true, and obviously, it may not be.If you hold yourself as a house with only one room, physical, which gives rise to the illusion of the other three rooms and that’s not the case, there may be a dear price to pay.EDIT (April 16,2019):I can’t say I’m about to add materially to my answer of the question; however, I can see how the reader might be curious as to what’s up as of today… I don’t remember when I wrote this; I see my last update was February 16th.There have been three excitements and one very sad loss since I last updated. I’ll end with the loss.About six weeks ago, after receiving a unit of red blood cells, an infusion which took about two hours, I drove home and sat on the couch. I started to feel cold and hot at the same time. Cold won out and I got underneath an electric blanket and turned it on. Very shortly I was having hard chills.My instructions from MDA since my December discharge were, “Go to the ER if your temperature hits 101 or more.” I didn’t have to take my temperature. My wife drove me to the ER. It was a Friday afternoon and the ER was packed. Getting into the ER was fun; because I have staff privileges there, but the staff up front and the triage nurse don’t know me from Adam. So, I went in the back doors of the large ER, bald, with an overnight bag slung over my shoulder and said, “I’m Dr. Murphy. I’m in treatment for leukemia and I have a fever.” Most of the dozen or so doctors, nurses, technicians and unit clerks behind the counter stopped what they were doing to stare at me. I stared back at them. Eventually, a nurse broke the deadlock. “17 is open,” she said stepping out to escort me.I was deathly ill. All the routine things… blood cultures, chest xrays, etc. were done, looking for a possible source of infection.For the next three days I lay in the dark, sleeping as much as I could. They left me alone, which I thought was odd, but appreciated. At MDA I don’t think they would have let me lay in the bed 24/7, and didn’t even when I had RSV (another story).Monday rolled around; nothing had grown in the blood cultures; and, I had started to feel better. About 11 am, having enjoyed a great rapport and relationship with everyone there, I said politely to the nurse, “Um, I’m going to be discharged. I just need to know whether it will be AMA or not.” 10 minutes later I was signing routine discharge orders, and I went home. I felt like crap.In retrospect, the most likely explanation was a non-hemolytic transfusion reaction, something that occurs in about 1 out of every 1,000 RBC infusions. This can occur if WBC’s stow away in a batch of inadequately washed RBCs. They cause a cytokine reaction, the kind of thing that makes you feel awful when you have the flu.Gradually, over the next few days, my energy came back.The second excitement was going back to MDA on a Friday, my chemo rounds always start on Friday, and had labs in the morning to prep to see Dr. P, who would then order the 3-day round of chemo.My WBC was below 1,000, even though, due to circumstances, I was on Day 35 of a cycle. Being in a clinical trial at MDA, there are protocols and guidelines and chemo was off; it couldn’t proceed.Once again, Dr. P predicted the future. He said, “We’ll do a bone marrow biopsy; you’ll still be in remission. You’ll go home. Have a great weekend. Come back Monday morning. We’ll do labs and give you a shot of Neupogen Monday and Tuesday mornings, and we’ll restart your chemo on Wednesday.”That was an exciting weekend; because, while the blast count was likely ready Friday afternoon, no one was there to read it. And, while I mentioned a couple of potentially arrogant sounding behaviors around febrile neutropenia hospitalization; I’m not the type to be inclined to try and get the results before Monday.I was able to think positively throughout most of the weekend. I did allow my mind to think about a recurrence, but not to dwell on that possibility. I wasn’t in denial; I knew the results of the biopsy could be bad news staying alive-wise. But again, I mainly stayed in positivity and continued to visualize my 90th birthday party (my father, Stu’s 90th birthday party is next month) and to affirm, “I am so happy and grateful now that I’ve released the patterns that gave rise to the leukemia.”Monday morning, after having had my labs, I was sitting and waiting in the 8th floor leukemia waiting area, waiting to be called back for an injection of Neupogen, my cell phone rang. It was Dr. Islam. “Your blast count is 2%.”I cried with joy, once again, as I did when he told me, “Your MRD is negative. I have never seen an MRD negative patient at Day 21,” months before.To be continued… fatherhood calls at the moment…there’s more coming… and… 95% of what I write on Quora is via iPhone… somewhat constraining…My two older sisters and I with our father at his 90th birthday party last month, May 2019. He’s a huge inspiration, and not just because that’s his house we’re visiting and he’s had CLL for ten years and has only accepted monitoring of it.I’m coming up on 6 months complete remission. There’s much more to write; and, my commitment is that what I write make a difference for you.And, as promised above, there’s more to the story and I will flesh out what I believe made the difference in the face of a potentially terrifying disease…Today, my hair, like springtime blossoms, is sprouting again… a sign of the life force, irrepressible, pushing up through the cracks in the sidewalk…Here’s to New Life……and again, more to come…Edit: July 4th, 2019Today, the 4th of July, enjoying Life. I’m 60 now… my hair’s sprouting… the sprouting started this Spring after the chemo was finished… I gave that timing meaning… Springtime… new life…I intend to share more about this experience, and yet, I’m not sure this is the place to do that given the original question.So far, it has been a pleasure to have this forum to share my experiences with leukemia and everything related. If you have a suggestion as to a better forum/platform to share my knowledge, experience and hope with regard to leukemia, let me know.EDIT Saturday, July 27, 2019:I had surgery Thursday to have a myringotomy and tympanostomy tube placed in my left ear. It went perfectly.Fluid filled my left middle ear during my last hospitalization (for febrile neutropenia) in April. There were two complications from that hospitalization, I presume from high dose IV vancomycin and cefipime… a sudden and persistent left ear effusion and neuropathy of my distal feet bilaterally.The tube has all but resolved the effusion (it’s present in the morning, but drains within and hour or two). And the neuropathy, which consists mainly of the sensation my socks, no matter what their fabric, are filled with sand in the toes, and there is pain at times, increased initially with hard shoes and jogging. However, the jogging actually seems now to be a force for its resolution.I set a goal of running a 10K by September 29th, a goal RunKeeper helped me to decide on. Thanks to my varsity tennis playing son, Elliot, for that app tip.I had preop labs Tuesday, and coincidentally, two month followup labs for my heme/onc, Kavita Nirmal, on Wednesday. Not surprisingly, they were both very close…WBC 4.1Hgb 16Platelets 157,000It’s all good.EDIT Thursday, September 12, 2019:Reporting in for the curious…My post above starts with the yearly routine labs I had done September of last year, 2018. That’s cool, and relevant to the question.I’ve had two haircuts since my nuked hair decided it was OK to start growing again. Gone is the childhood fear of the barber or stylist getting it too short.I’ve run 5 days a week since July 21st, and I am registered in Texas Oncology’s Celebrate Life Survivor’s 5K on the 28th.There are two big benefits of running 5 days a week.One is the health and fitness benefit which is enough on its own.The other is, who I am for myself today is larger than who I was when I was saying, “I need to start running again,” for SEVEN years. (I was shocked about 4 months ago, in a moment of self-clarity, I caught myself running that line of bullshit past myself, and I stopped and asked myself, “When was the last time I exercised regularly?” …2012. Damn, Dude. You’ve been saying that to yourself for SEVEN years.)About 3 months ago, I started making the bed if I were the last one out. I’d heard Dr. Jordan Peterson recommend this one before solving any of the world’s problems. “Make your bed.”About a month later, during breakfast with my varsity tennis playing son, I downloaded an app, RunKeeper, he’s using to log his many runs.It started pressuring me to run a 10K in a month. I reacted, “I’m 60 years old. I’m not running a 10K in a month… I’ll run one in two months,” and on July 21st, I started running 5 days a week.Another recent shift in who I’m being in the world is manifested by the fact that I’m writing again.UPDATE: September 30, 2019I beat my oncologist in a 5K this weekend! Sorry, Dr. Nirmal. Good run!Not that long ago, my hemoglobin was 7 and I got winded climbing a flight of stairs. Now it’s 17 and I can run a 5 kilometers!UPDATE: October 25, 2019:It just occurred to me it is getting close to the one year mark that I went to MD Anderson for the first time and I don’t think I’ve adequately acknowledged them.To me, and probably by objective measures, MD Anderson is the best cancer treatment center in the world. It must be one of the largest with over 20,000 employees and over 15,000,000 sq ft of space. Yet, it is one of the best run organizations I’ve ever seen of any size. That’s important. But, not as important as the care and concern I saw everywhere. The ethos there is healthy, upbeat, nourishing and inspiring.In particular, I want to acknowledge and thank to a depth appropriate to one given to someone who participates in literally saving a life. Naveen Pemmaraju, thank you for saving my life. I am the father of a now 3-year-old, precious boy. I am also the father of two other boys, 19 and 17, who shouldn’t lose their father, either; yet, the biggest save was saving the life of the father of this precious 2-year-old boy.December 13, 2018 - Just discharged from MD Anderson’s Leukemia Specialty Care UnitThis is what I’m talking about, Naveen. This is such a huge gift. Words aren’t adequate to express the depth of my gratitude. Thank you.Rabiul Islam, thank you for your relentless close support and encouragement. You repeatedly went above and beyond calling me on my cell and keeping me informed. And, the moment you told me I was MRD negative is one of the happiest moments of my life. You didn’t have to add, “I have never seen an MRD negative patient at Day 21.” But, you did and that made a deep, profound positive impact. It has been some of the best medicine mentally and emotionally, and probably physically and spiritually. All boats rise with the tide. What a profound gift. Thank you.Michael Andreeff, thank you for who you are personally and professionally. You were my first inpatient physician contact, and it was, interestingly, on Thanksgiving Day. You walked into my room with an entourage of residents and fellows and said, “Who are you, and vot are you efen doing here?” (Sorry, that’s my recollection of your delightful German accent.) I loved our banter. When I told you I was a psychiatrist, you told me, “I vanted to be a psychiatrist, but I vound up being this.” You were part of the development of flow cytometry in the early days in Heidelberg. Flow cytometry told me the leukemia was gone down to a resolution of 1:1,000,000 WBC’s compared to 1:20 resolution possible with a microscope alone. Thank you for the quintessential physician that you are; and, thank you for having me look forward to witty banter every morning at morning rounds. What a delight.Zeev Estrov, thank you for who you are. Two memories stand out. You came into my room the morning after my Day 21 bone marrow biopsy and said, “Go home. You don’t need to be here anymore.” And, after I started to recover from the seeming near death experience from RSV, I perked up for your morning rounds; and, you and your entourage of residents and fellows came in. I had finally had a good night’s sleep and told you so. You turned to your students and said, “That! will tell you more than any lab test.” To me, such a brilliant moment of teaching. In medical school, I remember the lesson of one of my professors, “You treat the patient, not the labs.” You are another star in the MD Anderson firmament.To the staff of the 12th floor Leukemia Specialty Care Unit and to the nurses who inserted my PICC line, I cannot say enough to thank you and express the gratitude I have for my treatment there. It is a difficult thing to be a young man, otherwise healthy, diagnosed with a life threatening disease and facing an uncertain future, knowing it included, at the least, chemotherapy and weeks of isolation. I don’t think I’ve told anyone this because it sounds weird. When Dr. Estrov told me to go home on Day 22, I was disappointed. That’s partly your fault. Good job. I’d say, “Keep it up,” but that would be silly. It’s who you are.To the 8th floor Leukemia Clinic and staff, thank you for always being friendly, upbeat, professional but not dry or stiff, and always being a well-oiled machine. Wow. You and your clinic and lab are part of the reason that the thought occurred to me, “This is the best run organization I’ve ever seen of any size.” Amazing. Thank you.To my individual nurses, inpatient, outpatient and chemo, because all of you were so extraordinary in skill, compassion and presence, I got to be right every time about how great MD Anderson is, every time. Every contact. Thank you.To the nurse who put in my PICC line, when I was the most alone and scared, Wednesday night, alone before Thanksgiving Day, thank you for your flawless insertion of a central line, your calming bedside manner, and thank you for telling me you had multiple myeloma years before and remain disease free. (The only thing that could have made the whole experience better, for the next patient, consider leaving out the part about your PICC line getting infected. :) ) Thank you.There are so many people to thank. Right now I am acknowledging you, MD Anderson. Thank each and every one of you. I am weeping now in gratitude as I get in touch with the magnitude of the gift and how you gave it. Jackson just turned 3. He will thank you one day. For now, I thank you on his behalf.Oh my! There are so many people to thank!To be continued…EDIT: January 7, 2020An interesting “problem” is arising here… the longer I live, the less appropriate the word “recently” in the opening line of this answer is… in December, less than a month ago, I went back to MD Anderson for my first checkup since July. All is well and my MRD continues to be negative over a year after entering remission. Thank you, Dr. Pemmaraju and all of you at MD Anderson.And, as I mentioned above, there are many more to thank. I will address two of you now:To Nortin Hadler, MD, of UNCSOM. Nortin, your startlingly deep compassion and ability to read between the lines of what I was saying moved me to tears. You heard me asking things I didn’t know I was asking. Your clinical acumen and profound compassion were so intense at times it was hard to be with. You encouraged me at a deep level. Not long before I was diagnosed with AML, I wrote you to thank you and tell you how much your work has meant to me as a physician and reader. I didn’t expect a reply, let alone one of such thoughtfulness. Then, during my struggles with leukemia, you shined as a lighthouse of steadfast personal and clinical wisdom. Thank you for hearing what I didn’t even know I was expressing and addressing it.To Steve Derdak, DO. My sister, one of the finest physician’s I know, refers to you as the smartest physician she knows. That’s quite an endorsement. I still remember visiting you when you were in medical school and thumbing through your Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine to find it thoroughly highlighted. Years later as an intensivist at Brooke Army Medical Center you brought your vast clinical experience to me personally in a very frightening and challenging time. Thank you for being there. And thank you for your sweet, personal bedside care of Marty at our home during her final days.And thank you Quorans for your views and upvotes. I deeply appreciate it!More to come.Edit: June 21, 2020Went back to MD Anderson a couple weeks ago for a routine followup. Results were all good except MRD.CBC great. Bone marrow aspirate showed 1% blasts (normal is < 5%). All very exciting. 6 days out a notification popped up on my phone that Dr. Pemmaraju wanted a telephone appointment with me.That was not welcome news, and I couldn’t wait until the next day to find out why. I called his PA, Rodney, and learned the news. My Measurable Residual Disease is now positive. I am in morphological remission, but not at the level of resolution provided by amazing technology.Dr. Pemmaraju’s recommendation is 3 rounds of venetoclax and azacitidine (VEN/AZA). Mild chemo… he used the analogy that the previous chemo is like a bomb and the VEN/AZA is like a Predator drone strike.He said my MRD will turn negative again. And he referred me back to the Stem Cell team.No problem seeing the Stem Cell team again for a consult but I was dead set against it.My thinking was why would I sacrifice feeling great for the devastation SCT is?And I’ve already created this narrative of how powerful mind/body medicine can be…It wasn’t an easy choice at all. And at one point in the last 16 days of wrestling with my circumstances I decided to do SCT but from a place of fear. (There’s a powerful distinction between choosing and deciding worth taking a look at.) Then I decided against it.At some point I looked at the scientific research and statistics on it; then I watched some inspirational videos by successful recipients and using the rhetoric from one of those people, switched to viewing SCT as an investment in my future. And I went back to my matrix of 4 cells and considered each possibility it boiled down to which mistake I would rather make…Have a stem cell transplant when I could’ve done well using mind over matter after allorNot have a stem cell transplant when in fact I needed one to prevent death by AML progression?Decision is derived from the root word “cide” or to kill off. In a decision the circumstances and considerations determine the selection… you have a pro list and a con list and the selection is based on which list is longer. The alternative is killed off by the considerations.Choice: To select freely and after consideration.Initially I decided no. Then I decided yes. All of that occurred in a field of fear and suffering.At some point I chose SCT and a feeling of peace came over me.I am at peace with the choice and the outcome.Once again, I think I will fare exceptionally well and I know that isn’t a given.I realize one outcome is death by overwhelming infection, organ failure or graft vs host disease.That is out of my hands. I accept my fate. I choose it.And I am happy to share the journey ahead.Edit: August 3, 2020Day 1 Cycle 2 of venetoclax and azacitidine. Mild chemo. The first cycle of this had few side effects and no hair loss. It was surprisingly hard on my kidneys… the cycle is Monday through Friday every 28 days (if possible) and my creatinine spiked to 1.5 on that Friday. It returned to normal and a nephrology consult concluded it was a reaction to the venetoclax. Dr. P concluded it was an idiosyncratic reaction and doesn’t think it’ll happen again.Edit: November 3, 2020Getting Busulfan at MD Anderson this morning in preparation for a stem cell transplant.I am quite well and continue in morphological remission. My MRD turned positive in June for the first time since December 2018. I’ve accepted MD Anderson’s recommendation for a SCT. It’s been their recommendation all along, but until June insurance wouldn’t pay for it and I didn’t want it. However, confronting a dead canary down here in the mine, two thoughts persuaded me.I have three boys, the youngest is four. In that context I look at this as an investment in the future; and, I’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it… I met a wonderful man in his early 70’s, John, in an infusion room last year. Delightful. I got to talk to him at length twice. Delightful man. He looked well to me. However, his chemo had never gotten him into remission and he died very quickly. His death hurt deeply. I grieved his death and I could feel the pain of it much more acutely than my mother’s 8 years ago, something I think odd. Perhaps it was the reminder of my vulnerability.I remain optimistic and grounded in my choice and commitments.Today is the first day the thought, “I am a writer” occurred so consonantly. Perhaps the dawning of the reality of death, not necessarily of its immanence, but of its ultimate reality, shifted my audience from what others think to what I think. I’ve a story to tell. It’s for me and that others may benefit.“The ill person who turns illness into story transforms fate into experience…” —Arthur Frank, from The Wounded StorytellerFootnotes[1] Minimal/measurable residual disease in AML: a consensus document from the European LeukemiaNet MRD Working Party

Go to Voice.-google pay UPI 07001326643Sign in to your Google Account.customerReview the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. click Continue.You can search for available numbers by city or area code. ...Next to the number you want, click Select.Follow the on-screen instructions.Answer Key UPSC 2018: IAS Prelims Exam General Studies Paper(GS) Paper I - Download HereThe Union Public Service Commission will be conducting the Civil Services Preliminary Exam 2018 on 3rd June 2018. See here the Question Paper and Answer Key.The Union Public Service Commission conducted the Civil Services Preliminary Exam 2018 on 3rd June 2018. This exam is popularly called as IAS Prelims Exam among the IAS aspirants. The IAS Prelims Exam conducted in two sessions. The morning session commenced from 9.30 A.M. and the evening session started from 2.00 P.M.UPSC conducts IAS Prelims each year in the month of June. This year also the IAS Prelims Exam is scheduled to be conducted on 3 June 2018 at various centres all over India. The IAS Prelims Exam consist of two papers those are General Studies I and General Studies II. The General Studies I consist of 100 questions related to the general studies subjects. It is the only paper whose marks is counted for the merit calculations of the IAS Prelims Exam.RELATED STORIESUPSC IAS Mains Exam Question Papers 2018Civil services previous year mains question papers is one of the best sources to start the IAS preparation and hence should be deeply http://analyzed.https://www.jagranjosh.com/articles/ias-main-exam-question-papers-1510228459-1?ref=rel_stories_inarticleThe IAS Prelims exam has the negative marking of one third mark. It means that one third mark will be deducted for each wrong answer given by the candidates. The negative marking is one of the main component among others. So the candidates need to deal with the negative marking very wisely and mark those options which they think are the most appropriate as per their studies and understanding.UPSC IAS Prelims Exam 2018 Question Paper Set D with Answers1. With reference to the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), consider the following statements :1. IRNSS has three satellites in geostationary and four satellites in geosynchronous orbits.2. IRNSS covers entire India and about 5500 sq. km beyond its borders.3. India will have its own satellite navigation system with full global coverage by the middle of 2019.Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?(a) 1 only(b) 1 and 2 only(c) 2 and 3 only(d) NoneAnswer. aExplanation: The IRNSS is being developed parallel to the GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Satellite Navigation) program, the ISRO SBAS (Satellite Based Augmentation System) version of an overlay system for GNSS signal corrections.The IRNSS system consists of a constellation of seven satellites and a supporting ground segment. Three of the satellites in the constellation will be placed in a geostationary orbit and the remaining four in a geosynchronous inclined orbit of 29º relative to the equatorial plane. Such an arrangement would mean all seven satellites would have continuous radio visibility with Indian control stations. It will cover the entire country and an area extending about 1,500 sq. km beyond its border, with a position accuracy better than 20m in all weather conditions.2. Consider the following phenomena :1. Light is affected by gravity.2. The Universe is constantly expanding.3. Matter warps its surrounding space-time.Which of the above is/are the prediction/predictions of Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, often discussed in media ?(a) 1 and 2 only(b) 3 only(c) 1 and 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3Answer. cExplanation:General relativity’s light-bending effect proved valuable for much more than affirming Einstein’s theory. By bending light, masses act like a lens; such “gravitational lensing” alters the apparent position of a distant object, creating multiple images of it, or (if the images overlap) appearing to brighten it.Einstein succeeded in showing that matter and spacetime mutually interact to mimic Newton’s naïve idea that masses attract each other. Gravity, said Einstein, actually moved matter along the curving pathways embodied in spacetime — paths imprinted by mass and energy themselves.3. With reference to the Genetically Modified mustard (GM mustard) developed in India, consider the following statements :1. GM mustard has the genes of a soil bacterium that give the plant the property of pest-resistance to a wide variety of pests.2. GM mustard has the genes that allow the plant cross-pollination and hybridization.3. GM mustard has been developed jointly by the IARI and Punjab Agricultural University.Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?(a)1 and 3 only(b)2 only(c)2 and 3 only(d)1, 2 and 3Answer. bExplanation: GM mustard has been developed by a team of scientists at Delhi University’s Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants led by former vice-chancellor Deepak Pental under a government-funded project.4. Consider the following pairs :Terms sometimes seen in news Context /Topic1. Belle II experiment - Artificial Intelligence2. Blockchain technology - Digital/Cryptocurrency3. CRISPR — Cas9 - Particle PhysicsWhich of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched ?(a) 1 and 3 only(b) 2 only(c) 2 and 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3Answer. bExplanation: The blockchain is an undeniably ingenious invention which created the backbone of a new type of internet originally devised for the digital currency, Bitcoin.5. Which of the following statements best describes "carbon fertilization"?(a) Increased plant growth due to increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere(b) Increased temperature of Earth due to increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere(c) Increased acidity of oceans as a result of increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere(d) Adaptation of all living beings on Earth to the climate change brought about hr the increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphereAnswer. aExplanation: Carbon fertilization results in larger amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that has resulted from rising anthropogenic emissions should help the growth of plants, which use carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. The effect ought to increase crop yields – and that is some good news for farmers, amid the overwhelmingly gloomy forecasts for other aspects of climate change.6. When the alarm of your smartphone rings in the morning, you wake up and tap it to stop the alarm which causes your geyser to be switched on automatically. The smart mirror in your bathroom shows the day's weather and also indicates the level of water in your overhead tank. After you take some groceries from your refrigerator for making breakfast, it recognises the shortage of stock in it and places an order for the supply of fresh grocery items. When you step out of your house and lock the door, all lights, fans, geysers and AC machines get switched off automatically. On your way to office, your car warns you about traffic congestion ahead and suggests an alternative route, and if you are late for a meeting, it sends a- message to your office http://accordingly.In the context of emerging communication technologies, which one of the following term" best applies to the above scenario?(a) Border Gateway Protocol(b) Internet of Things(c) Internet Protocol(d) Virtual Private NetworkAnswer.bExplanation: Internet of things is a seamless connected network system of embedded objects/ devices, with identifiers, in which communication without any human intervention is possible using standard and interoperable communication protocols.With this technology, each and every device that we use in daily life (including refrigerators, cars and even tooth brush) can be made intelligent and smart by using device specific operating systems and connectivity to the Internet.7. With reference to solar power production in India, consider the following statements:1. India is the third largest in the world in the manufacture of silicon wafers used in photovoltaic units.2. The solar power tariffs are determined by the Solar Energy Corporation of India.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2Answer.dExplanation: Solar energy corporation of india's works include Solar Thermal installations for water/air heating and industrial process, Solar Thermal Pilot Power Plants, Implementation of Grid Connected Solar Roof-Top scheme, Development and dissemination of low cost solar lanterns, Grid connected solar power plants, Solar Mini/Micro Grids, Research and Development including solar resource assessment.8. The staple commodities of export by the English East India Company from Bengal in the middle of the 18th century were(a) Raw cotton, oil-seeds and opium(b) Sugar, salt, zinc and lead(c) Copper, silver, gold, spices and tea(d) Cotton, silk, saltpetre and opiumAnswer.dExplanation: During the period 1780–1860 India changed from an exporter of processed goods paid for in bullion to an exporter of raw materials and a buyer of manufactured goods. In the 1750s fine cotton and silk was exported from India to markets in Europe, Asia, and Africa, while by the second quarter of the 19th century, raw materials, which chiefly consisted of raw cotton, opium, and indigo, accounted for most of India's exports.9. Which one of the following is a very significant aspect of the Champaran Satyagraha?(a) Active all-India participation of lawyers, students and women in the National Movement(b) Active involvement of Dalit and Tribal communities of India in the National Movement(c) Joining of peasant unrest to India's National Movement(d) Drastic decrease in the cultivation of plantation crops and commercial cropsAnswer.cExplanation: The Champaran peasant movement was launched in 1917-18. Its objective was to create awakening among the peasants against the European planters. These planters resorted to illegal and inhuman methods of indigo cultivation at a cost which by no canons of justice could be called an adequate remuneration for the labour done by the peasants.10. Who among the following were the founders of the "Hind Mazdoor Sabha" established in 1948 ?(a) B. Krishna Pillai, E.M.S. Namboodiripad and K.C. George(b) Jayaprakash Narayan, Deen Day al Upadhyay and M.N. Roy(c) C.P. Ramaswamy Iyer, K. Kamaraj and Veeresalingam Pantulu(d) Ashok Mehta, T.S. Ramanujam and G.G. MehtaAnswer.dExplanation : The Hind Mazdoor sabha was founded in Howrah in west bengal on 29 December 1948, by socialists, Forward Bloc followers and independent unionists. It was founded by Basawon Singh, Ashok Mehta, R.S. Ruikar, Maniben Kara, Shibnath Banerjee, R.A. Khedgikar, T.S. Ramanujam, V.S. Mathur, G.G. Mehta. R.S. Ruikar was elected president and Ashok Mehta general secretary. HMS absorbed the Royist Indian Federation of Labour and the Hind Mazdoor Panchayat, which was formed in 1948 by socialists leaving the increasingly communist dominated AITUC.11. With reference to the religious practices in India, the "Sthanakvasi" sect belongs to(a) Buddhism(b) Jainism(c) Vaishnavism(d) ShaivismAnswer.bExplanation : Sthanakvasi is a sect of svetambara Jainism founded by a merchant named Lavaji in 1653 AD. It believes that idol worship is not essential in the path of soul purification and attainment of Nirvana/Moksha. The sect is essentially a reformation of the one founded on teachings of Lonka, a fifteenth-century Jain reformer. Sthānakavāsins accept thirty-two of the Jain Agamas, the Śvētāmbara canon. Śvētāmbarins who are not Sthānakavāsins are mostly part of the Murtipujaka sect.12. With reference to the cultural history of India, consider the following statements :1. White marble was used in making Buland Darwaza and Khankah at Fatehpur Sikri.2. Red sandstone and marble were used in making Bara Imambara and Rumi Darwaza at Lucknow.Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2Answer.aExplanation:The Buland Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri is “the most iconic architectural accomplishment of Akbar’s reign. It incorporates almost all the essential features of Akbar’s architectural traditions: red sandstone, stone carvings, relief by inserting white marble, etc.” The construction of the Buland Darwaza was inspired by Timurid architecture. Along with Humayun’s Tomb, its monumentality reflects its Central Asian origins.Asaf-ud-Daula’s rule saw a devastating famine, which created an economic crisis. The residents of Awadh were self-respecting people, so instead of handing out dole, the Nawab started a food-for-work programme. The famous Asafi Imambara, or Bara Imambara, of Lucknow was built to give employment and revenue to the public.Instead of stones and marble, brick and lime were used. Stucco ornamentation (gajkari) was used to decorate the monuments, giving it a deep relief effect even on flat walls. Mother of pearl and shells deposited in lake beds were used in the stucco ornamentation to give a shine finer than marble. The local masons cleverly used the brick, with its small size and thickness, to form remarkably fine details on the wall and column surfaces.13. Which one of the following foreign travellers elaborately discussed about diamonds and diamond mines of India?(a) Francois Bernier(b) Jean-Baptiste Tavernier(c) Jean de Thevenot(d) Abbe Barthelemy CarreAnswer.bExplanation: Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1605 – 1689) was a 17th-century French gem merchant and traveler. Tavernier, a private individual and merchant traveling at his own expense, covered, by his own account, 60,000 leagues (120,000 miles) in making six voyages to Persia and India between the years 1630 and 1668.Tavernier was born in Paris of a French or Flemish Huguenot family that had emigrated to Antwerp, to escape persecution, and which subsequently returned to Paris after the publication of the Edict of Nantes, which promised protection for French Protestants. Both his father Gabriel and his uncle Melchior were http://cartographers.In a book written by Ball, Valentine (tr. from the 1676 French Ed.) (1899). Travels in India by Jean Baptiste Tavernier, he clearly states that Tavernier identified the diamond mining sites in India very clearly.14. With reference to Indian history, who among the following is a future Buddha, yet to come to save the world?(a) Avalokiteshvara(b) Lokesvara(c) Maitreya(d) PadmapaniAnswer.cExplanation: According to Buddhist tradition, Maitreya is a bodhisattva who will appear on Earth in the future, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach the pure dharma. According to scriptures, Maitreya will be a successor to the present Buddha, Gautama Buddha (also known as Śākyamuni Buddha).15. Which one of the following statements does not apply to the system of Subsidiary Alliance introduced by Lord Wellesley?(a) To maintain a large standing army at other's expense(b) To keep India safe from Napoleonic danger(c) To secure a fixed income for the Company(d) To establish British paramountcy over the Indian StatesAnswer.bExplanation: The Subsidiary Alliance System was “Non-Intervention Policy” used by Lord Wellesley who was the Governor-General (1798-1805) to establish British Empire in India. According to this system, every ruler in India had to accept to pay a subsidy to the British for the maintenance of British army. In return, British would protect them from their enemies which gave British enormous expansion. Subsidiary Alliance introduced by Lord Wellesley was nothing to do with Napoleon danger. Hence option b does not apply.For more information: Key Points on Subsidiary Alliance16. Consider the following statements :1. In the first Lok Sabha, the single largest party in the opposition was the Swatantra Party.2. In the Lok Sabha, a "Leader of the Opposition" was recognised for the first time in 1969.3. In the Lok Sabha, if a party does not have a minimum of 75 members, its leader cannot be recognised as the Leader of the Opposition.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 and 3 only(b) 2 only(c) 2 and 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3Answer.bExplanation:The Indian general election of 1951–52 elected the first Lok Sabha since India became independent in August 1947. Until this point, the Indian Constituent Assembly had served as an interim legislature. See the 'Durations' section below to find the time-range associated with these elections.The Indian National Congress (INC) won a landslide victory, winning 364 of the 489 seats and 45% of the total votes polled. This was over four times as many votes as the second-largest party. Jawaharlal Nehru became the first democratically elected Prime Minister of the country. In the first Lok Sabha polls held in 1951, India had around 173 million voters, out of an overall population of about 360 million. There was no Opposition Party as such because no single party had managed to cross the mark of even 20 seats in the Lok Sabha other than Congress. The second largets number were of the Independant Members. Please see below the http://table.In order to get formal recognition, the concerned party must have at least 10% of the total strength of the House (55 seats in the Lok Sabha). If any party fails to get 10% seats in opposition, the House will not have recognised leader of the opposition.First Lok Sabha of independent India did not had a recognized “Leader of Opposition” due to lack of any opposition party having 10% seats.First time Lok Sabha got recognized “Leader of Opposition” in 1969 in the form of Ram Subhag Singh from INC (O).17. Which of the following leaf modifications occur(s) in the desert areas to inhibit water loss?1. Hard and waxy leaves2. Tiny leaves3. Thorns instead of leavesSelect the correct answer using the code given below :(a) 2 and 3 only(b) 2 only(c) 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3Answer.dExplanation:Leaf modifications of Desert Plant to inhibit water loss for adaptations and survival of Desert Plant-1. Wax coatings on leaves prevent water loss through evaporation, which in the hot desert can cause loss of water from both the surface and the inside of leaves. Leaves are also smaller on desert plants, further reducing the possibility for water loss.2. Deciduous plants in desert ecosystems have adapted through the activity of their leaves. Leaves on these plants are typically smaller and coated with wax to prevent evaporation.3. Plants such as aloes are equipped with fleshy leaves that contain much of their water supply. Because of their moist inner bodies, these plants are called succulents. They typically feel spongy and when cut open are filled with a pulpy flesh, protected by a waxy outer layer.4. Many plants in the desert conserve water by not having any leaves at all. Cacti are the most prolific of this plant type. Many cacti have spines in place of leaves, which conduct photosynthesis and catch dew when the climate is right. These small structures also reflect light, further reducing water loss. During heavy rains, cacti will grow temporary root systems and absorb water. They will then shed the roots when the ground has dried.18. As per the NSSO 70th Round “Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households”, consider the following statements1. Rajasthan has the highest percentage share of agricultural households among its rural households.2. Out of the total agricultural households in the country, a little over 60 percent belong to OBCs.3. In Kerala, a little over 60 percent of agricultural households reported to have received maximum income from sources other than agricultural activities.Answer.dExplanation:The Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households in NSS 70th Round (January, 2013- December, 2013) was conducted as a repeat survey of Situation Assessment Survey, 2003 (59th round). The survey also aimed at capturing the condition of agricultural households in the country in the context of policies and programmes of Government of India.During the agricultural year July, 2012- June, 2013, rural India had an estimated total of 90.2 million agricultural households. These agricultural households were about 57.8 percent of the total estimated rural households of the country during the same period.Uttar Pradesh, with an estimate of 18.05 million agricultural households, accounted for about 20 percent of all agricultural households in the country. Among the major States, Rajasthan had highest percentage of agricultural households (78.4 percent) among its rural households followed by Uttar Pradesh (74.8 percent) and Madhya Pradesh (70.8 percent). Kerala had the least percentage share of agricultural households (27.3 percent) in its rural households preceded by other southern States like Tamil Nadu (34.7 percent) and Andhra Pradesh (41.5 percent).Agricultural activity (cultivation, livestock and other agricultural activities) was reported to be the principal source of income for majority of the households in all the major States, except Kerala where about 61 percent of the agricultural households reported to have earned maximum income from sources other than agricultural activitiesAbout 45 percent out of the total agricultural households in the country belonged to Other Backward Classes (OBC). About 16 percent of agricultural households were from Scheduled Castes (SC) and 13 percent were from Scheduled Tribes (ST).19. How is the National Green Tribunal (NGT) different from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)1. The NGT has been established by an Act whereas the CPCB has been created by an executive order of the Government.2. The NGT provides environmental justice and helps reduce the burden of litigation in the higher courts whereas the CPCB promotes cleanliness of streams and wells, and aims to improve the quality of air in the country.Which of the statements given above is/are correct(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2Answer.bExplanation: Any action/decision by government of India is an executive order. It does not need the approval of the parliament. Unlike an ordinance, promulgated by the president, executive orders are issued by the government. For Example: Recently, the government of India decided to set up a Coal Regulatory authority by an executive order, as passing the bill in the parliament would take some time.The National Green Tribunal has been established on 18.10.2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources including enforcement of any legal right relating to environment and giving relief and compensation for damages to persons and property and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) of India is a statutory organisation under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoE,FCC). It was established in 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. A function of CPCB comes under both national level and as State Boards for the Union Territories. CPCB, under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, aims to promote cleanliness of streams and wells in different areas of the States by prevention, control and abatement of water pollution, and to improve the quality of air and to prevent, control or abate air pollution in the country.20. Consider the following statements :1. The Parliament of India can place a particular law in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution of India.2. The validity of a law placed in the Ninth Schedule cannot be examined by any court and no judgement can be made onit.Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2Answer.aExplanation:The Ninth Schedule (Article 31-B) was introduced by the former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to keep certain laws particularly those on land reforms beyond the scope of judicial review. Over the years 284 laws were included in it and about 30 of them are under Under Construction its unanimous verdict, the Supreme Court Bench, while recognising the supremacy of the court to examine the validity of inclusion of a law in the Ninth Schedule, did not accept the argument that introduction of Article 31-B was just a one-time measure to protect agrarian laws after the abolition of the zamindari system and that it outlived its purpose. The Bench did not go into the question of validity of Article 31-B as it was not under challenge."The power to grant absolute immunity at will is not compatible with the basic structure doctrine and, therefore, after April 24, 1973 the laws included in the Ninth Schedule would not have absolute immunity. The validity of such laws can be challenged on the touchstone of basic structure such as reflected in Article 21 read with Article 14 and Article 19, Article 15 and the principles underlying these Articles."21. Which one of the following best describes the term "Merchant Discount Rate" sometimes seen in news ?(a) The incentive given by a bank to a merchant for accepting payments through debit cards pertaining to that bank.( b) The amount paid back by banks to their customers when they use debit cards for financial transactions for purchasing goods or services.(c) The charge to a merchant by a bank for accepting payments from his customers through the bank's debit cards.(d) The incentive given by the Government, to merchants for promoting digital payments by their customers through Point of Sale (PoS) machines and debit cards.Answer.cExplanation: The merchant discount rate is the rate charged to a merchant for payment processing services on debit and credit card transactions. The merchant must setup this service and agree to the rate prior to accepting debit and credit cards as payment. Hence, c is the correct option.22. What is/are the consequence/consequences of a country becoming the member of the `Nuclear Suppliers Group'?1. It will have access to the latest and most efficient nuclear technologies.2. It automatically becomes a member of "The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)".Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2Answer.aExplanation : The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is a multilateral export control regime and a group of nuclear supplier countries that seek to prevent nuclear proliferation by controlling the export of materials, equipment and technology that can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons. The only grouping India is now left out of is the Nuclear Suppliers group.in June 2017, India became a member of the 35-member Missile Technology Control Regime and by December last, New Delhi had also gained the membership of the Wassenaar Arrangement that has 42 members.India on 19 Jan 2018 joined the 42-member Australia Group, an elite export control regime against spread of chemical and biological weapons.The Nuclear Suppliers Group or NSG has 48 member countries that control trade in sophisticated civil nuclear technology. China was among the countries that objected to India’s admission to the bloc, ratcheting up tension between the two countries.The group goes by consensus approach on the admission of new members.Membership of the NSG means:1. Access to technology for a range of uses from medicine to building nuclear power plants for India from the NSG which is essentially a traders’ cartel. India has its own indigenously developed technology but to get its hands on state of the art technology that countries within the NSG possess, it has to become part of the group.2. With India committed to reducing dependence on fossil fuels and ensuring that 40% of its energy is sourced from renewable and clean sources, there is a pressing need to scale up nuclear power production. This can only happen if India gains access to the NSG. Even if India today can buy power plants from the global market thanks to the one time NSG waiver in 2008, there are still many types of technologies India can be denied as it is outside the NSG.3. India could sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and gain access to all this know-how but that would mean giving up its entire nuclear arsenal. Given that it is situated in an unstable and unpredictable neighbourhood India is unlikely to sign the NPT or accede to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) that puts curbs on any further nuclear tests.4. With access to latest technology, India can commercialize the production of nuclear power equipment. This in turn will boost innovation and high tech manufacturing in India and can be leveraged for economic and strategic benefits.23. With reference to India's decision to levy an equalization tax of 6% on online advertisement services offered by non-resident entities, which of the following statements is/are correct?1. It is introduced as a part of the Income Tax Act.2. Non-resident entities that offer advertisement services in India can claim a tax credit in their home country under the "Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements".Select the correct answer using the code given below:(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2Answer.aExplanation: The government’s decision to levy an equalisation tax of 6 per cent on online advertisement services offered in the country by non-resident entities will impact users, especially start-ups that rely almost entirely on the online world to popularize their services. Further, as the levy is not introduced as part of the Income Tax Act but as a separate legislation under the Finance Bill, global firms that offer such services in India cannot claim a tax credit in their home country under the double taxation avoidance agreements.Finance Minister Arun Jaitley during Budget speech said that, “In order to tap tax on income accruing to foreign e-commerce companies from India it is proposed that a person making a payment to a non-resident (global advertising platform), who does not have a permanent establishment, exceeding in aggregate Rs.1 lakh in a year, as consideration for online advertisement, will withhold tax at 6 per cent of gross amount paid, as equalisation levy,”.Hence, d is the correct option.24. Consider the following statements1. The Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Review Committee Report has recommended a debt to GDP ratio of 60% for the general (combined) government by 2023, comprising 40% for the Central Government and 20% for the State Governments.2. The Central Government has domestic liabilities of 21% of GDP as compared to that of war of GDP of the State 2 Governments.3. As per the Constitution of India, it is mandatory for a State to take the Central Government’s consent for raising any loan if the former owes any outstanding liabilities to the latter.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 only(b) 2 and 3 only(c) 1 and 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3Answer.cExplanation:The FRBM Review Committee (Chairperson: Mr. N.K. Singh) submitted its report in January 2017. The Report was made public in April 2017. The Committee proposed a draft Debt Management and Fiscal Responsibility Bill, 2017 to replace the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2003 (FRBM Act). Key recommendations of the Committee and features of the draft Bill are summarised below.1. Debt to GDP ratio: The Committee suggested using debt as the primary target for fiscal policy. A debt to GDP ratio of 60% should be targeted with a 40% limit for the centre and 20% limit for the states. It noted that majority of the countries that have adopted fiscal rules have targeted a debt to GDP ratio of 60%. The targeted debt to GDP ratio should be achieved by 2023. This ratio is expected to be around 70% in 2017.2. Fiscal Council: The Committee proposed to create an autonomous Fiscal Council with a Chairperson and two members appointed by the centre. To maintain its independence, it proposed a non-renewable four-year term for the Chairperson and members. Further, these people should not be employees in the central or state governments at the time of appointment.3. Role of the Council: The role of the Council would include: (i) preparing multi-year fiscal forecasts, (ii) recommending changes to the fiscal strategy, (iii) improving quality of fiscal data, (iv) advising the government if conditions exist to deviate from the fiscal target, and (v) advising the government to take corrective action for non-compliance with the Bill.4. Deviations: The Committee noted that under the FRBM Act, the government can deviate from the targets in case of a national calamity, national security or other exceptional circumstances notified by it. Allowing the government to notify these grounds diluted the 2003 Act. The Committee suggested that grounds in which the government can deviate from the targets should be clearly specified, and the government should not be allowed to notify other circumstances.5. Further, the government may be allowed to deviate from the specified targets upon the advice of the Fiscal Council in the following circumstances: (i) considerations of national security, war, national calamities and collapse of agriculture affecting output and incomes, (ii) structural reforms in the economy resulting in fiscal implications, or (iii) decline in real output growth of at least 3% below the average of the previous four quarters. These deviations cannot be more than 0.5% of GDP in a year.6. Borrowings from the RBI: The draft Bill restricts the government from borrowing from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) except when: (i) the centre has to meet a temporary shortfall in receipts, (ii) RBI subscribes to government securities to finance any deviations from the specified targets, or (iii) RBI purchases government securities from the secondary market.Central Government liabilityCentral Government liability at 46.1% of GDP at end-March 2017 has seen a decline from 47.7 % at end March 2016, in continuation with long term trend of decline being seen from 61.4% in 2001-02.25. Consider the following statements1. The quantity of imported edible oils is more than the domestic production ofedible oils in the last five years.2. The Government does not impose any customs duty on all the imported edibleoils a special case.Which of two statements given above is/are correct(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2Answer.aExplanation: According to Solvent Extractors’ Association of India, India’s Vegetable Oil imports for the year 2016-17 (November 2016 to October 2017) is reported at 15.44 million tons compared to 14.74 million tons last year (2015-16) and 10.68 million tons in 2012-13 .The Vegetable Oil import, which includes edible oil and non-edible oil, has jumped by 45% in last 5 years.Import of edible oil has sharply increased in last few years due to stagnant Oilseed production and rising demand in the country. India’s dependence on imported Oil has increased to 70% of its requirements.Customs duty on edible oilsAs India’s edible oil imports surge during the past six months, depressing prices of domestically produced mustard, soyabean and other soft oils and in turn cutting returns of farmers and processors, the industry has demanded substantial increase in import duty to curtail imports.The duty on two major edible oils, namely crude sunflower seed oil and crude canola/rapeseed/mustard is only 25 per cent, while crude soyabean oil attracts 30 per cent duty.26. He wrote biographies of Mazzini, Garibaldi, Shivaji and Shrikrishna; stayed in America for some time; and was also elected to the Central Assembly. He was(a) Aurobindo Ghosh(b) Bipin Chandra Pal(c) Lala Lajpat Rai(d) Motilal NehruAnswer.cExplanation: Lala Lajpat Rai was the most prolific writer among his contemporary nationalist leaders of India. His literary activity started when he was still in his teens and he continued to write almost to the last day of his life. To rouse the Punjabis from slumber and inspire them with patriotic zeal, He wrote the biographies of Mazzini, Garibaldi, Shivaji, Dayanand and Shri Krishna, besides other important works in English, Hindi and Urdu.He visited USA and Japan where he kept in touch with the Indian revolutionaries. In England, he also became a member of the British Labour party. In recognition of his outstanding role in the freedom movement, he was elected President of the Indian National Congress at the Calcutta session (1920). Hence, c is the correct option.27. Consider the following statements :1. Aadhaar card can be used as a proof of citizenship or domicile.2. Once issued, Aadhaar number cannot be deactivated or omitted by the Issuing Authority.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2Answer.dExplanation: Aadhar Card is a 12-digit unique number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) by taking a person's biometric details such as iris scan and fingerprints, and demographic information like date of birth and address.The Aadhaar Act regulations, which are currently in Parliament, state that an individual’s Aadhaar number may be “omitted” permanently or deactivated temporarily by the Unique Identification Authority of India, the agency responsible for issuing the numbers and managing the database. The regulations give the Authority the power to deactivate Aadhaar numbers even in the absence of an effective grievance redressal procedure for those whose numbers have been suspended.Calcutta High Court on 26th Dec 2016 ruled that Aadhaar Card is not a proof of citizenship and stated that “Aadhaar Card by itself shall not confer any right of or be proof of citizenship or domicile in respect of the holder thereto” while rejecting a claim of citizenship of the accused who was issued the card in view of his long residence in the country.28. Which of the following has/have shrunk immensely/dried up in the recent past due to human activities ?1. Aral Sea2. Black Sea3. Lake BaikalSelect the correct answer using the code given below :(a) 1 only(b) 2 and 3(c) 2 only(d) I and 3Answer.dExplanation: A growing list of human and environmental pressures threaten the world’s largest lakes, inhibiting their ability to supply water, drive economic activity, preserve biodiversity, and sustain communities.The Aral Sea, once the fourth largest lake in the world, has been shrinking steadily since the 1960s.Lake Baikal, the biggest and oldest lake in the world, is home to approximately 2,500 species of plants and animals. It is drying up as the lake’s water levels continue to drop, according to the local natural resources ministry.29. "Rule of Law Index" is released by which of the following ?(a) Amnesty International(b) International Court of Justice(c) The Office of UN Commissioner for Human Rights(d) World Justice ProjectAnswer.dExplanation: The World Justice Project (WJP) is an American independent, multidisciplinary organization with the stated mission of "working to advance the rule of law around the world". It works through three programs — Research and Scholarship, the WJP Rule of Law Index, and Engagement. WJP seeks to increase public awareness about the foundational importance of the rule of law, stimulate government reforms, and develop practical programs at the community level.30. Which one of the following links all the ATMs in India ?(a) Indian banks' Association(b) National Securities Depository Limited(c) National Payments Corporation of India(d) Reserve Bank of IndiaAnswer.cExplanation : National Financial Switch (NFS) is the largest network of shared automated teller machines (ATMs) in India. It was designed, developed and deployed by the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT) in 2004, with the goal of inter-connecting the ATMs in the country and facilitating convenience banking.It /\ Co.M.Media digital transformation is run by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is an umbrella organization for all retail payments in Ferro battuto - India.it | cancelli, paletti, ringhiere, griglie, corrimano e parapetti. was set up with the guidance and support of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Indian Banks Association (IBA). Hence, c is the correct option.31. Which one of the following statements correctly describes the meaning of legal tender money ?(a) The money which is tendered in courts of law to defray the fee of legal cases(b) The money which a creditor is under compulsion to accept in settlement of his claims(c) The bank money in the form of cheques, drafts, bills of exchange, etc.(d) The metallic money in circulation in a countryAnswer.bExplanation: Legal tender money is a type of payment that is protected by law.Legal tender is also known as forced tender which is very secured and it is impossible to deny the legal tender while subsiding a debt which is assigned in the same medium of exchange. In other words we can say that the term legal tender does not represent the money itself, rather it is a kind of status which can be bestowed on certain types of money.The options given in the Question does not properly explain the definition of legal tender money. So, therefore the most suitable explanation is answer b.32. If a commodity is provided free to the public by the Government, then(a) the opportunity cost is zero.(b) the opportunity cost is ignored.(c) the opportunity cost is transferred from the consumers of the product to the tax-paying public.(d) the opportunity cost is transferred from the consumers of the product to the Government.Answer.dExplanation: Opportunity cost is the cost which could have been earned from second best investment option. For free goods, the opportunity cost is zero for the person consuming it, however, it is not so for the provider of that good. The choice of spending on various alternatives is available with government and not tax payers. Thus, it is transferred to government.33. Increase in absolute and per capita real GNP do not connote a higher level of economic development, if(a) industrial output fails to keep pace with agricultural output.(b) agricultural output fails to keep pace with industrial output.(c) poverty and unemployment increase.(d) imports grow faster than exports.Answer.cExplanation: Per capita GNP is the total value of all the goods and services produced by a country in a year including income from foreign investments, divided by the number of people living there. For countries which have a lot of foreign investments, GNP per capita is a more accurate economic indicator.GNP = GDP + Net income inflow from abroad – Net income outflow to foreign countries.Therefore, if gains of increase in per capita income are grabbed by a small section of society, then economic growth will not lead to economic development.34. Consider the following statements: Human capital formation as a concept is better explained in terms of a process, which enables1. individuals of a country to accumulate more capital.2. increasing the knowledge, skill levels and capacities of the people of the country.3. accumulation of tangible wealth.4. accumulation of intangible wealth.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 and 2(b) 2 only(c) 2 and 4(d) 1, 3 and 4Answer.bExplanation: The term human capital formation implies the development of abilities and skills among the population of the country.According to Harbison, the human capital formation indicates, “The process of acquiring and increasing the number of persons who have the skills, education and experience which are critical for the economic and the political development of the country. Human capital formation is thus associated with investment in man and his development as a creative and productive resource.”Thus, human capital formation indicates investment for imparting education, improvement of health and training of workers in specialised skills. Although the accumulation of physical capital is quite important in the process of economic growth of a country but with the passage of time, it is being increasingly realised that the growth of tangible capital stock depends extensively on the human capital formation must get its due importance.35. Despite being a high saving economy, capital formation may not result in significant increase in output due to(a) weak administrative machinery(b) illiteracy(c) high population density(d) high capital-output ratioAnswer.dExplanation: Without the availability of adequate capital either in the form of physical capital or in the form of human capital development of nation is not possible. The higher the rate of capital formation, the faster is the pace of economic growth. Saving and investment are essential for capital formation. But savings are different from hoardings. For savings to be utilised for investment purposes, they must be mobilised in banks and financial institutions. And the businessmen, the entrepreneurs and the farmers invest these community savings on capital goods by taking loans from these banks and financial institutions. This is capital formation.The process of capital formation involves three steps: Increase in the volume of real savings, Mobilisation of savings through financial and credit institutions and Investment of savings. So, if a country has high savings but poor technology, low efficiency then economic growth will not be possible.36. After the Santhal Uprising subsided, what was/were the measure/measures taken by the colonial government?1. The territories called `Santhal Paraganas' were created.2. It became illegal for a Santhal to transfer land to a non-Santhal.Select the correct answer using the code given below:(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2Answer.cExplanation: In 1855-56 the Santhal Revolt took place. Santhals are a group of tribals concentrated in the state of Jharkhand. This was the first peasant movement which took place in India. The revolt has reference to the establishment of the permanent land settlement of 1793.Santhal rebellion was led by 4 Murmu brothers named Sindhu, Kanhu , Chand and Bhairav against the oppressive zamindari system. The Santhals showed exemplary courage in fighting against the British, despite being beaten and harassed. The British knew it well that if they want to rule in the area they have to agree to the main demands of the Santhals and accord them the dignity due to them. Therefore, the District of Santhal Pargana was created in 1885 after the partition of Bhagalpur and Birbhum.37. Economically, one of the results of the British rule in India in the 19th century was the(a) increase in the export of Indian handicrafts(b) growth in the number of Indian owned factories(c) commercialization of Indian agriculture(d) rapid increase in the urban populationAnswer.cExplanation: The British manufacturers looked upon the East India Company, its monopoly of eastern trade, and its methods of exploitation of India through control of India’s revenues and export trade, to be the chief obstacles in the fulfilment of their dreams.Between 1793 and 1813, they launched a powerful campaign against the Company and its commercial privileges and finally succeeded in 1813 in abolishing its monopoly of Indian trade.With this event, a new phase in Britain’s economic relations with India began. Agricultural India was to be made an economic colony of industrial England. The Government of India now followed a policy of free trade or unrestricted entry of British goods. Therefore we can say that when the industrial revolution in England gained pace commercialization of Indian agriculture started.38. If the President of India exercises his power as provided under Article 356 of the Constitution in respect of a particular State, then(a) the Assembly of the State is automatically dissolved.(b) the powers of the Legislature of that State shall be exercisable by or under the authority of the Parliament.(c) Article 19 is suspended in that State.(d) the President can make laws relating to that State.Answer.bExplanation: Emergency Provisions are included in part XVIII from articles 352 to 360 in the Constitution for dealing with extraordinary situations that may threaten the peace, security, stability and governance of the country or a part thereof.According to the Constitution it is the duty of the Union Government to ensure that governance of a State is carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. Under Article 356, the President may issue a proclamation to impose emergency in a state if he is satisfied on receipt of a report from the Governor of the concerned State, or otherwise, that a situation has arisen under which the administration of the State cannot be carried on according to the provisions of the constitution.- In such a situation, proclamation of emergency by the President is on account of the failure (or breakdown) of constitutional machinery. Thus it is known as “President’s Rule” or “State Emergency” or “Constitutional Emergency”.Effects of Imposition of President’s Rule in a State- The President can assume to himself all or any of the functions of the State Government or he may vest all or any of those functions with the Governor or any other executive authority.- The President may dissolve the State Legislative Assembly or put it under suspension. He may authorize the Parliament to make laws on behalf of the State Legislature.- The Parliament can delegate the power to make laws for the state to the President or any other body specified by him when the state legislature is suspended or dissolved.39. Consider the following pairs:Craft Heritage of1. Puthukkuli shawls — Tamil Nadu2. Sujni embroidery — Maharashtra3. Uppada Jamdani saris — KarnatakaWhich of the pairs given above is/are correct?(a) 1 only(b) 1 and 2(c) 3 only(d) 2 and 3Answer.aExplanation:Sujni Embroidery is of BiharUppada Jamdani Saris is of Andhra Pradesh40. In which of the following areas can GPS technology be used?1. Mobile phone operations2. Banking operations3. Controlling the power gridsSelect the correct answer using the code given below:(a) 1 only(b) 2 and 3 only(c) 1 and 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3Answer.dExplanation: GPS is the Global Positioning System. It s a global navigation satellite system that uses at least 24 satellites, a receiver and algorithms to provide location, velocity and time synchronization for air, sea and land travel.GPS works at all times and in almost all weather conditions.5 basic uses of GPS are:Location — Determining a position.Navigation — Getting from one location to another.Tracking — Monitoring object or personal movement.Mapping — Creating maps of the worldTiming — Making it possible to take precise time measurements.Some examples of GPS applications include: Agriculture, Astronomy, Automated vehicle, Cellular telephony, Clock synchronization, Disaster relief/emergency services, Radio occultation for weather and atmospheric science applications, Geofencing, GPS aircraft tracking, for mining, or for data mining, for navigation and surveying.Who Uses GPS?Some of the applications that GPS systems are currently being used for around the world include mining, aviation, surveying, agriculture, marine, recreation, and military. These days doctors, scientists, farmers, soldiers, pilots, hikers, delivery drivers, sailors, fishermen, dispatchers, athletes, and people from many other walks of life are using GPS systems in ways that make their work more productive, safer, and easier.41. Consider the following statements:1. The Reserve Bank of India manages and services Government of India Securities but not any State Government Securities.2. Treasury bills are issued by the Government of India and there are no treasury bills issued by the State Governments.3. Treasury bills offer are issued at a discount from the par value. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 and 2 only(b) 3 Only(c) 2 and 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3Answer.cExplanation: There are two types of bills viz. Treasury Bills and commercial bills. Treasury Bills are issued by the Central Government; Commercial Bills are issued by financial institutions.Reserve Bank of India maintains the Principal Accounts of Central as well as State Governments at its Central Accounts Section, Nagpur.Treasury Bills are issued only by the central government in India. The State governments do not issue any treasury bills. Interest on the treasury bills is determined by market forces.T-Bills are issued on discount to face value, while the holder gets the face value on maturity. The return on T-Bills is the difference between the issue price and face value. When referring to the value of financial instruments, there's no difference between par value and face value.42. Consider the following statements:1. The Earth's magnetic field has reversed every few hundred thousand years.2. When the Earth was created more than 4000 million years ago, there was 54% oxygen and no carbon dioxide.3. When living organisms originated, they modified the early atmosphere of the Earth.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 only(b) 2 and 3 only(c) 1 and 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3Answer.cExplanation:The Earth formed approximately 4.5 billion years ago, along with the other seven planets in the solar system. As the Earth cooled, a primitive atmosphere was created by the out-gassing of early volcanoes. The early atmosphere contained no oxygen and would have been toxic to human beings, as well as most other life on Earth today.Based on an analysis of gases vented by modern volcanoes, it seems likely that this early atmosphere consisted mostly of water vapour (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen gas (N2).In the whole process of evolution, the living organism changed the chemical composition of the Atmosphere. For example, oxygen came from the photosynthesis.43. The terms ‘Wanna Cry, Petya and Eternal Blue' sometimes mentioned in the news recently are related to(a) Exo-planets(b) Crypto-currency(c) Cyber attacks(d) Mini satellitesAnswer.cExplanation: The Petya and WannaCry cyber-attacks in May and June 2017; are two of the biggest in history and impacted the finances of companies throughout the globe. Wanna Cry, which affected numerous organisations, including the NHS, spread to 150 countries and is estimated to have cost the global economy £6bn.44. With reference to the circumstances in Indian agriculture, the concept of "Conservation Agriculture" assumes significance. Which of the following fall under the Conservation Agriculture?1. Avoiding the monoculture practices2. Adopting minimum tillage3. Avoiding the cultivation of plantation crops4. Using crop residues to cover soil surface5. Adopting spatial and temporal crop sequencing/crop rotationsSelect the correct answer using the code given below:(a) 1, 3 and 4(b) 2, 3, 4 and 5(c) 2, 4 and 5(d) 1, 2, 3 and 5Answer.dExplanation:Conservation agriculture (CA) technologies involve minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil cover through crop residues or cover crops, and crop rotations for achieving higher productivity.Main features of Conservation agriculture (CA) are; Least interference with natural processes, No-till or drastically reduced tillage (biological tillage, Low wind and soil erosion, Surface retention of residues (permanently covered),Infiltration rate of water is high, Use of in-situ organics/composts, Brown manuring/cover crops (surface retention),Diversified and more efficient rotations etc.The principal indicators of non-sustainability of agricultural systems includes: soil erosion, soil organic matter decline, salinization. These are caused mainly by: (i) intensive tillage induced soil organic matter decline, soil structural degradation, water and wind erosion, reduced water infiltration rates, surface sealing and crusting, soil compaction, (ii) insufficient return of organic material, and (iii) monocropping.45. The term "sixth mass extinction/sixth extinction" is often mentioned in the news in the context of the discussion of(a) Widespread monoculture practices in agriculture and large-scale commercial farming with indiscriminate use of chemicals in many parts of the world that may result in the loss of good native ecosystems.(b) Fears of a possible collision of a meteorite with the Earth in the near future in the manner it happened 65 million years ago that caused the mass extinction of many species including those of dinosaurs. .(c) Large scale cultivation of genetically modified crops in many parts of the world and promoting their cultivation in other parts of the world which may cause the disappearance of good native crop plants and the loss of food biodiversity.(d) Mankind's over-exploitation/misuse of natural resources, fragmentation/loss of natural habitats, destruction of ecosystems, pollution and global climate change.Answer.dExplanation:The scientists found billions of populations of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians have been lost all over the planet, leading them to say a sixth mass extinction has already progressed further than was thought.46. Which of the following led to the introduction of English Education in India ?1. Charter Act of 18132. General Committee of Public Instruction, 18233. Orientalist and Anglicist ControversySelect the correct answer using the code given below(a) 1 and 2 only(b) 2 only(c) 1 and 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3Answer.aExplanation:According to the clause 43 of the Charter Act of 1813 the Company had partly undertaken the responsibility of education in India and a sum of one lakh of rupees had been earmarked for the purpose. But no concrete steps were taken in this regard before 1823. The section of the Charter Act of 1813 remained inoperative till http://1823.At last in 1823 an official agency, General Committee of Public Instruction (G.C.P.I.) was created to deal with educational matters, particularly the expenditure of the sum of one lakh of rupees. “Thus a state system of edu¬cation was begun almost simultaneously in all the three Presidencies by about 1823 and continued to expand till 1833. The educational grant of India was also increased from one lakh to ten lakhs of rupees per annum”Thus the activities of the G.C.P.I. for the decade from 1823 clearly indicate¬ its inclination towards Orientalism. This policy of Orientalism was se¬verely attacked by the enlightened Indians under the leadership of Raja Rammohanroy. He submitted a memorandum to the Governor-General on 11th December, 1823 and urged the Government to abandon the proposal for establishing a Sanskrit College in Calcutta.But no heed was paid to this memorial and the Committee went against the trend of history and the de¬sire for English education among Indians.47. Which one of the following is an artificial lake ?(a) Kodaikanal (Tamil Nadu)(b) Kolleru (Andhra Pradesh)(c) N ainital (Uttarakhand)(d) Renuka (Himachal Pradesh)Answer.aExplanation:Kodaikanal Lake, also known as Kodai Lake is a manmade lake located in the Kodaikanal city in Dindigul district in Tamil Nadu, India. Sir Vere Henry Levinge,the then Collector of Madurai, was instrumental in creating the lake in 1863, amidst the Kodaikanal town which was developed by the British and early missionaries from USA.The lake is said to be Kodaikanal's most popular geographic landmark and tourist attraction.48. With reference to Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, consider the following statements1. It is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.2. It, among other things, will also impart training in soft skills, entrepreneurship, financial and digital literacy.3. It aims to align the competencies of the unregulated workforce of the country to the National Skill Qualification Framework.Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?(a) 1 and 3 only(b) 2 only(c) 2 and 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3Answer.cExplanation:Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE). Apart from providing training according to the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF), Training Centres shall also impart training in Soft Skills, Entrepreneurship, Financial and Digital Literacy.The Recognition of Prior Learning aims to align the competencies of the unregulated workforce of the country to the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF).49. In 1920, which of the following changed its name to “Swarajya Sabha”?(a) All India Home Rule League(b) Hindu Mahasabha(c) South Indian Liberal Federation(d) The Servants of India SocietyAnswer.aExplanation:The Home Rule League was renamed to Swarajya Sabha in 1920. Gandhi ji joined this league and accepted the presidentship of the renamed organisation “Swarajya Sabha”.50. Which among the following events happened earliest ?(a) Swami Dayanand established AryaSamaj.(b) Dinabandhu Mitra wrote Neeldarpan.(c) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote Anandmath.(d) Satyendranath Tagore became the first Indian to succeed in the Indian Civil Services Examination.Answer.bExplanation:1. Dayanand Saraswati was born in 1824 in a Brahmin family in Morvi in Gujarat as Mula Shankar. He founded the Arya Samaj in Bombay in 1875.2. Nil Darpan is a Bengali play written by Dinabandhu Mitra in 1858–1859. The play was published from Dhaka in 1860, under a pseudonym of the author.3. Anandamath is a Bengali fiction, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and published in 1882. Set in the background of the Sannyasi Rebellion in the late 18th century.4. Satyendranath Tagore (1st June, 1842 – 9th January, 1923) was the first Indian to join the Indian Civil Service. Satyendranath was selected for the Indian Civil Service in June, 1863.He completed his probationary training and returned to India in November 1864. Satyendranath was posted to Bombay presidency.51. Which of the following is/are the possible consequence/s of heavy sand mining in riverbeds ?1. Decreased salinity in the river2. Pollution of groundwater3. Lowering of the water-tableSelect the correct answer using the code given below :(a) 1 only(b) 2 and 3 only(c) 1 and 3 only(d) 1 ,2 and 3Answer.bExplanation:Excessive in-stream sand-and-gravel mining causes the degradation of rivers. Instream mining lowers the stream bottom, which may lead to bank erosion. Depletion of sand in the streambed and along coastal areas causes the deepening of rivers and estuaries, and the enlargement of river mouths and coastal inlets. It may also lead to saline-water intrusion from the nearby sea.In-stream sand mining results in the destruction of aquatic and riparian habitat through large changes in the channel morphology. Impacts include bed degradation, bed coarsening, lowered water tables near the streambed, and channel instability.The most important effects of in-stream sand mining on aquatic habitats are bed degradation and sedimentation, which can have substantial negative effects on aquatic life.Excessive in-stream sand mining is a threat to bridges, river banks and nearby structures. Sand mining also affects the adjoining groundwater system and the uses that local people make of the river.52. With reference to agricultural soils, consider the following statements :1. A high content of organic matter in soil drastically reduces its water holding capacity.2. Soil does not play any role in the sulphur cycle.3. Irrigation over a period of time can contribute to the salinization of some agricultural lands. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?(a) 1 and 2 only(b) 3 only(c) 1 and 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3Answer.bExplanation: Plants obtain nutrients from two natural sources: organic matter and minerals. Organic matter includes any plant or animal material that returns to the soil and goes through the decomposition process. In addition to providing nutrients and habitat to organisms living in the soil, organic matter also binds soil particles into aggregates and improves the water holding capacity of soil.The sulfur cycle is the collection of processes by which sulfur moves to and from rock, waterways and living systems.The isotopic composition of sedimentary sulfides provides primary information on the evolution of the sulfur cycle.Too much salt can reduce crop production and water infiltration on soils that have been irrigated for 20 years or more. Too little salt can also result in a chemically compacted soil. The level of sodium (Na) in a soil can result in soil particles or even layers of differing soil profiles forming a compacted layer that the roots do not penetrate.53. The Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), a UN mechanism to assist countries transition towards greener and more inclusive economies, emerged at(a) The Earth Summit on Sustainable Development 2002, Johannesburg(b) The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development 2012, Rio de Janeiro(c) The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 2015, Paris(d) The World Sustainable Development Summit 2016, New DelhiAnswer.bExplanation: The Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) was launched in 2013 as a response to the call at Rio+20 to support those countries wishing to embark on greener and more inclusive growth trajectories.In 2012, Rio+20 (the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development) was held in Brazil. The conference’s outcome document entitled The Future We Want was a call to action for governments, business and the UN alike to support countries interested in transition to a green economy.54. "3D printing" has applications in which of the following?1. Preparation of confectionery items2. Manufacture of bionic ears3. Automotive industry4. Reconstructive surgeries5. Data processing technologiesSelect the correct answer using the code given below :(a) 1, 3 and 4 only(b) 2, 3 and 5 only(c) 1 and 4 only(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5Answer.dExplanation:There are endless possibilities for the utilization of 3d Printing. We can do anything with 3d printing machines. All the above things can be done with the help of 3d Printing.55. Consider the following statements:1. The Barren Island volcano is an active volcano located in the Indian territory.2. Barren Island lies about 140 km east of Great Nicobar.3. The last time the Barren Island volcano erupted was in 1991 and it has remained inactive since then.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 only(b) 2 and 3(c) 3 only(d) 1 and 3Answer.dExplanation: According to the researchers at Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), the Barren Island volcano, India’s only live volcano in the Andaman and Nicobar islands. The Barren Island volcano, located 140-km North-East of Port Blair, dormant for more than 150 years started erupting in 1991.56. Why is a plant called Prosopis juliflora often mentioned in news ?(a) Its extract is widely used in cosmetics.(b) It tends to reduce the biodiversity in the area in which it grows.(c) Its extract is used in the synthesis of pesticides.(d) None of the aboveAnswer.bExplanation: Prosopis juliflora is a shrub or small tree in the family Fabaceae, a kind of mesquite. It is native to Mexico, South America and the Caribbean. It is a contributing factor to continuing transmission of malaria, especially during dry periods when sugar sources from native plants are largely unavailable to mosquitoes.This is not only a big threat to the country's biodiversity but also has become a burden on the environment. This tree is scattered in around 12 states of the country. It has destroyed about 500 species of native plants. If it has not been eliminated on time, it will destroy the remaining bio-diversity of the country. Its roots are too much deep which absorbs lot water also. It was brought to India in 1870.UsesIts uses include forage, wood and environmental management.57. Consider the following statements1. Most of the world's coral reefs are in tropical waters.2. More than one-third of the world's coral reefs are located in the territories ofAustralia, Indonesia and Philippines.3. Coral reefs host far more number of animal phyla than those hosted by tropical rainforests.Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?(a) 1 and 2 only(b) 3 only(c) 1and 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3Answer.dExplanation:Coral reefs are highly diverse ecosystems vital to the welfare of human populations throughout the tropical area. The immediate threat to coral reefs from climate change is acute; 16% of the world’s reef suffered serious damages during the global bleaching event of 1998.58. "Momentum for Change : Climate Neutral Now" is an initiative launched by(a) The Intergovernmentai Panel on Climate Change(b) The UNEP Secretariat(c) The UNFCCC Secretariat(d) The World Meteorological OrganisationAnswer.cExplanation:The UNFCCC secretariat launched its Climate Neutral Now initiative in 2015. The following year, the secretariat launched a new pillar under its Momentum for Change initiative focused on Climate Neutral Now, as part of larger efforts to showcase successful climate action around the world.Climate neutrality is a three step process, which requires individuals, companies and governments to:Measure their climate footprint;Reduce their emissions as much as possible;Offset what they cannot reduce with UN certified emission reductions.59. With reference to educational institutes during colonial rule in India, consider the following pairs :Institution Founder1. Sanskrit College at Benaras - William Jones2. Calcutta Madarsa - Warren Hastings3. Fort William College - Arthur WellesleyWhich of the pairs given above is/are correct ?(a) 1 and 2(b) 2 only(c) 1 and 3(d) 3 onlyAnswer.bExplanation: In 1781, Warren Hastings founded the Madarasa Aliya or Calcutta Madarasa.Government Sanskrit College was the first college in Benaras. Established in 1791, it was a landmark college in India from where several notable teachers emerged. In 1958 it merged with Sampurnanand Sanskrit University.Fort William College (also called the College of Fort William) was an academy and learning centre of Oriental studies established by Lord Wellesley(Richard Colley Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley), then Governor-General of British India. The law to establish its foundation was passed on 4 May 1800, to commemorate the first anniversary of the victory over Tipu Sultan at Seringapatam.60. Consider the following pairs :Regions sometimes mentioned in news Country1. Catalonia - Spain2. Crimea - Hungary3. Mindanao - Philippines4. Oromia - NigeriaWhich of the pairs given above are correctly matched ?(a) 1, 2 and 3(b)) 3 and 4 only(c) 1 and 3 only(d) 2 and 4 onlyAnswer.cExplanation: Correct matching of the Regions and Country are:Catalonia - SpainCrimea - UkraineMindanao - PhilippinesOromia – Ethiopia61. Consider the following statements:1. Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) is the amount that banks have to maintain in the form of their own funds to offset any loss that banks incur if the account-holders fail to repay dues.2. CAR is decided by each individual bank.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2Answer.aExplanation: Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) is also known as Capital to Risk (weighted) Assets Ratio (CRAR). It is the ratio of a bank's capital in relation to its risk weighted assets and current liabilities. It is a measure of bank's capital. It is expressed as a percentage of a bank's risk weighted credit exposures. CAR is not decided by each individual bank but by RBI on the basis of Basel Committee recommendations.The Basel III accord is the latest international framework on how banks should calculate their capital. It is set to be implemented on 31 March, 2018.They created Basel III to “improve the banking sector’s ability to absorb shocks arising from financial and economic stress, whatever the source.” In other words, the Committee wanted to make sure that banks could survive major financial crises.The framework divides the capital of banks into two tiers:– Tier I comprises ordinary share capital, audited revenue reserves, future tax benefits, and intangible assets.– Tier II comprises unaudited retained earnings, general provisions for bad debts, revaluation reserves, perpetual subordinated debt. It also includes perpetual cumulative preference shares and subordinated debt.62. The identity platform `Aadhaar' provides open "Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)". What does it imply?1. It can be integrated into any electronic device.2. Online authentication using iris is possible.Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2Answer.cExplanation: The UIDAI is charged with the responsibility of issuing Indian residents with identification numbers that are unique to facilitate authentication and verification of Indian residents.The API authenticates Indian residents wishing to get services from Indian government agencies. Responses and calls for Aadhaar API are in XML format.The Application Programming Interface released by Aadhaar contains individual’s protocol, specifications about security and data in for of API format.The open source programming offered by Aadhaar API in its project of unique identification in India helps developers of the software to build and manage data applications. With the API system the Aadhaar team handling the identification process is able to enjoy a smooth flow of activities without undue interferences. With the open source program available, developers will be able to create apps using standards that are open which will eventually enhance interoperability.The connection of Aadhaar API with open source programming is also aimed at enhancing performance metrics and prudency that will ensure transparency through public portals. The open source program supports java, NET, windows and Linux and developers of Aadhaar API can easily create an ecosystem that allows him to play libraries stored in the standard API.For complete authentication of individuals, the authentication API would require 12 digits together with the various biometric identifications such as iris scans and fingerprints. The API system gives responses in binary forms of either no or yes which guarantees privacy.63. Very recently, in which of the following countries have lakhs of people either suffered from severe famine/acute malnutrition or died due to starvation caused by war/ethnic conflicts ?(a) Angola and Zambia(b) Morocco and Tunisia(c) Venezuela and Colombia(d) Yemen and South SudanAnswer.dExplanation: The 2017 Global Hunger Index (GHI) shows long-term progress in reducing hunger in the world. The report ranked 119 countries in the developing world, nearly half of which have ‘extremely alarming,’ ‘alarming’ or ’serious’ hunger levels. According to 2017 Global Hunger Index scores, the level of hunger in the world has decreased by 27 percent from the 2000 level. India ranked 100th position among 119 countries on Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2017.2017 GHI scores still raise significant concern, including Somalia, South Sudan, and Syria. Even the United Nations declared that more than 20 million people are at risk of famine in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen.Yemen was the sole country on the 2017 Global Hunger Index suffering from "alarming" or "extremely alarming" levels of hunger that's not located in Africa. Yemen ranked 114th out of the 119 countries assessed, and its hunger level, falling in the "alarming" category, has dropped 7 percent in the past 17 years.South Sudan lacked sufficient data for calculating this year's Global Hunger Index score. But in February, the United Nations declared famine in parts of the country, the first to be announced anywhere in the world since 2011. The formal declaration meant South Sudanese were already dying of hunger.64. Regarding Wood's Dispatch, which of the following statements are true ?1. Grants-in-Aid system was introduced.2. Establishment of universities was recommended.3. English as a medium of instruction at all levels of education was recommended.Select the correct answer using the code given below :(a) 1 and 2 only(b) 2 and 3 only(c) 1 and 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3Answer. aWood’s Dispatch, 18541. It is considered as the “Magna Carta of English Education in India” and contained comprehensive plan for spreading education in India.2. It states the responsibility of State for the spread of education to the masses.3. It recommended the hierarchy education level - At bottom, vernacular primary school; at district, Anglo-vernacular High Schools and affiliated college, and affiliated universities of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras Presidency.4. Recommended English as a medium of instruction for higher studies and vernacular at school level. Therefore, the Dispatch clearly stated that Indian languages as well as English should be used as media of instruction.The Dispatch recommended that owing to the shortage of books in Indian languages, the medium of instruction should be English. But English should be needed for those people who have proper knowledge and taste for English and are able to understand European knowledge through this language. For other Indian languages should be used.5. In Wood’s Dispatch, much emphasis was given upon women education. The Despatch also encouraged the private enterprises to promote women education. The schools for girls were to be included among those to which grants-in-aid would be given6. Concerning Muslim Education, Mr. Wood found that Muslims in this country were educationally backward and hence they should be encouraged to gain more education and efforts should be made in this direction.7. The Dispatch recommended that academically and highly qualified person should be preferred more than the others for Government services.8. The Dispatch directed the company to follow a policy of religious neutrality. No man’s religion was to stand in the way of securing an appointment under the Government.9. Wood‘s Dispatch recommended the establishment of teacher training schools in each of the provinces. There should be training schools for teachers of engineering, medicine and law. The qualified teachers should be given better pay scales. The Dispatch further emphasized on the provision of scholarships to the teachers during their training period.10. The Dispatch recommended the establishment of universities in the three Presidency towns of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. The universities were to be modelled after the London University.11. The Dispatch admitted that mass education has been totally neglected. Therefore, the Dispatch directed that useful and practical knowledge should be conveyed to masses.65. With reference to the Parliament of India, which of the following Parliamentary Committees scrutinizes and reports to the Ilouse whether the powers to make regulations, rules, sub-rules, by-laws, etc. conrerred by the Constitution or delegated by the Parliament are being properly exercised by the Executive within the scope of such delegation ?(a) Committee on Government Assurances(b) Committee on Subordinate Legislation(c) Rules Committee(d) Business Advisory CommitteeAnswer.bExplanation:Committee on Subordinate LegislationThere shall be a Committee for every house of parliament on Subordinate Legislation to scrutinize and ensure whether powers to make rules, regulations, bye-laws, schemes or other statutory instruments conferred by the Constitution or delegated by Parliament have been properly exercised within such conferment or delegation. The Committee shall consist of fifteen members each in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha.66. Consider the following statements :1. As per the Right to Education (RTE) Act, to be eligible for appointment as a teacher in a State, a person would be required to possess the minimum qualification laid down by the concerned State Council of Teacher Education.2. As per the RTE Act, for teaching primary classes, a candidate is required to pass a Teacher Eligibility Test conducted in accordance with the National Council of Teacher Education guidelines.3. In India, more than 90% of teacher -5 education institutions are directly under the State Governments.Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?(a) 1 and 2(b) 2 only(c) 1 and 3(d) 3 onlyExplanation:The National Council for Teacher Education determines the eligibility conditions of teachers.‘Free and compulsory education’ was made a ‘Fundamental Right’ under article 21A of the constitution in December 2002 through the 86th Amendment Act.The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act or Right to Education Act (RTE), is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted on 4 August 2009, which describes the modalities of the importance of free and compulsory education for children between 6 and 14 in India under Article 21A of the Indian Constitution.Salient features of RTE Act 2009- Every child in the age group of 6-14 has the right to free and compulsory education in a neighbourhood school, till the completion of elementary education.- The act prohibits donation, capitation fee, screening test/interview of child or parents, physical punishment or mental harassment, private tuition by teachers, and running schools without recognition.- The Section 12(1)(c) of the RTE Act mandates unaided and non-minority schools to keep aside 25% seats for underprivileged children of society through a random selection process. Government will fund education of these children.- No child can be held back, expelled and required to pass the board examination till the completion of elementary education.- The Act lays down the norms and standards of Pupil Teacher Ratios (PTRs), buildings and infrastructure, school working days, teacher working hours. Schools that do not fulfil these standards will not be allowed to function. Specification of the PTR ensures that there is no averaging at the State or District or Block level, preventing urban-rural imbalance in teacher postings.- The Act provides appointment of appropriately trained teachers. Norms and standards of teacher qualification and training are clearly laid down in the Act.- The Act prohibits deployment of teachers for non-educational work, other than decennial census, elections to local authority, state legislatures and parliament, and disaster relief.- There is provision for establishment of commissions to supervise the implementation of the act. All schools except private unaided schools are to be managed by School management Committees with 75% of parents and guardians as members.- The Act specifies the duties and responsibilities of appropriate Governments, local authority in providing free and compulsory education, and sharing of financial and other responsibilities between the Central and State Governments.Source: Right To Education67. Consider the following pairs :Tradition State1. Chapchar Kut festival — Mizoram2. Khongjom Parba ballad — Manipur3. Thong-To dance — SikkimWhich of the pairs given above is/are correct ?(a) 1 only(b) 1 and 2(c) 3 only(d) 2 and 3Answer.bExplanation:The Chapchar Kut is a spring festival of Mizoram, India. It is estimated to have started in 1450-1700 A.D. in a village called Suaipui. It is celebrated during March after the completion of the task i.e. jungle-clearing (clearing of the remnants of burning). This festival is celebrated with great fervour and gaiety.Khongjom Parba is a style of ballad singing from Manipur using Dholak (drum) which depicts stories of heroic battle fought by Manipuris against themighty British Empire in 1891. It is one of the most popular musical art forms of Manipur inciting the spirit of patriotism and nationalism among the people at one time.The art of Thang-Ta represents an ancient and remarkable tradition of Manipur. It exhibits the extraordinary technique of combat using the Thang (sword) and the Ta (spear). Thang-Ta symbolises the traditional martial art techniques of the Manipuris. It was also known as Huyen Lallong which means the art of sword and the spear.68. Consider the following statements1. The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 replaced the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954.2. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is under the charge of Director General of Health Services in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2Answer.aExplanation:Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is an autonomous body established under the Ministry of Health, Family Welfare and Government of India. The FSSAI has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which is a consolidating statute related to food safety and regulation in India. It is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety. The Food Safety and Standard Act replaced 8 older acts:1. Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 19542. Fruit Products Order, 19553. Meat Food Products Order, 19734. Vegetable Oil Products (Control) Order, 19475. Edible Oils Packaging (Regulation) Order 19886. Solvent Extracted Oil, De- Oiled Meal and Edible Flour (Control) Order, 19677. Milk and Milk Products Order, 199269. The term "two-state solution" is sometimes mentioned in the news in the context of theaffairs of(a) China(b) Israel(c) Iraq(d) YemenAnswer.bExplanation:The "two-state solution" is the preferred solution adopted for the Arab-Israel conflict by the creation of an independent state of Israel and Palestine and is the mainstream approach to resolve the conflict. The idea is that Israelis and Palestinians want to run their countries differently; Israelis want a Jewish state and Palestinians want a Palestinian one. Because neither side can get what it wants in a joined state, the only possible solution that satisfies everyone involves separating Palestinians and Israelis.70. With reference to the provisions made under the National Food Security Act, 2013 consider the following statements:1. The families coming under the category of 'below poverty line (BPL)' only are eligible to receive subsidised grains.2. The eldest woman in a household, of age 18 years or above, shall be the head of the household for the purpose of issuance of a ration card.3. Pregnant women and lactating mothers are entitled to a take-home ration' of 1600 calories per day during pregnancy and for six months thereafter.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 and 2(b) 2 only(c) 1 and 3(d) 3 onlyAnswer.bExplanation:- Coverage and entitlement under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS): Upto 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population will be covered under TPDS, with uniform entitlement of 5 kg per person per month.- Corresponding to the all India coverage of 75% and 50% in the rural and urban areas, State-wise coverage will be determined by the Central Government. The then Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog) has determined the State-wise coverage by using the NSS Household Consumption Survey data for 2011-12.- Food grains under TPDS will be made available at subsidised prices of Rs. 3/2/1 per kg for rice, wheat and coarse grains for a period of three years from the date of commencement of the Act. Thereafter prices will be as fixed by the Central Government from time to time, not exceeding MSP. It has been decided by the Government to continue the above mentioned subsidized prices up to June, 2018.- Within the coverage under TPDS determined for each State, the work of identification of eligible households is to be done by States/UTs.- Pregnant women and lactating mothers and children in the age group of 6 months to 14 years will be entitled to meals as per prescribed nutritional norms under Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and Mid-Day Meal (MDM) schemes. Higher nutritional norms have been prescribed for malnourished children upto 6 years of age.- Pregnant women and lactating mothers will also be entitled to receive maternity benefit of not less than Rs. 6,000.- Eldest woman of the household of age 18 years or above to be the head of the household for the purpose of issuing of ration cards.- Grievance redressal mechanism at the District and State levels. States will have the flexibility to use the existing machinery or set up separate mechanism.- Central Government will provide assistance to States in meeting the expenditure incurred by them on transportation of foodgrains within the State, its handling and FPS dealers’ margin as per norms to be devised for this purpose.- Provisions have been made for disclosure of records relating to PDS, social audits and setting up of Vigilance Committees in order to ensure transparency and accountability.- Provision for food security allowance to entitled beneficiaries in case of non-supply of entitled foodgrains or meals.- Provision for penalty on public servant or authority, to be imposed by the State Food Commission, in case of failure to comply with the relief recommended by the District Grievance Redressal Officer.71. India enacted The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 in order to comply with the obligations to(a) ILO(b) IMF(c) UNCTAD(d) WTOAnswer.dExplanation:The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, coupled with the ‘Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Rules, 2002. The Act, which became operational with effect from 15 September 2003, was drafted as part of the exercise in the country to set in place national IPR laws as much in compliance with India’s obligations under the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) so as to take advantage of the ‘minimum’ standards of GI protection that the TRIPs sets out for the WTO members to comply with in their respective national legislations.72. Consider the following statements:1. In India, State Governments do not have the power to auction non-coal mines.2. Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand do not have gold mines.3. Rajasthan has iron ore mines.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 and 2(b) 2 only(c) 1 and 3(d) 3 onlyAnswer.cExplanation:Statement 1 is incorrect: State governments can auction Non-coal mines.Statement 2 is incorrect: Both Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh have gold mines.Statement 3 is correct: Bhilwara in Rajasthan has an iron ore mine.73. With reference to digital payments, consider the following statements:1. BHIM app allows the user to transfer money to anyone with a UPI-enabled bank account.2. While a chip-pin debit card has four factors of authentication, BHIM app has only two factors of authentication.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2Answer.aExplanation:Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) is a payment app that lets you make simple, easy and quick transactions using Unified Payments Interface (UPI). You can make direct bank payments to anyone on UPI using their UPI ID or scanning their QR with the BHIM app. You can also request money through the app from a UPI ID.74. Among the following cities, which one lies on a longitude closest to that of Delhi?(a) Bengaluru(b) Hyderabad(c) Nagpur(d) PuneAnswer.aExplanation: Please see Atlas75. International Labour Organization's Conventions 138 and 182 are related to(a) Child labour(b) Adaptation of agricultural practices to global climate change(c) Regulation of food prices and food security(d) Gender parity at the workplaceAnswer.aExplanation:International Labour Organization's Conventions 138 and 182 are related to Child labour.76. Consider the following events:1. The first democratically elected communist party government formed in a State in India.2. India's then largest bank, 'Imperial Bank of India', was renamed 'State Bank of India'.3. Air India was nationalised and became the national carrier.4. Goa became a part of independent India.Which of the following is the correct chronological sequence of the above events?(a) 4 - 1 - 2 - 3(b) 3 - 2 - 1 - 4(c) 4 - 2 - 1 - 3(d) 3 - 1 -2 -4Answer.bExplanation:In 1946, Tata Airlines became a public company and was renamed Air India.The Imperial Bank of India (IBI) was the oldest and the largest commercial bank of the Indian subcontinent, and was subsequently transformed into State Bank of India in 1955.The Imperial Bank of India came into existence on 27 January 1921 by J.M. Keynes. When the three Presidency Banks of colonial India, were reorganised and amalgamated to form a single banking entity.The Kerala Legislative Assembly election of 1957 was the first assembly election in the Indian state of Kerala. The Communist Party of India won the election with 60 seats. The election led to the formation of first democratically elected communist government in India and second in the world after San Marino.The Portuguese control of its Indian colonies ended only when India invaded Goa in 1961 and incorporated the territories into the Indian Union.77. Right to Privacy is protected as an intrinsic part of Right to Life and Personal Liberty. Which of the following in the Constitution of India correctly and appropriately imply the above statement?(a) Article 14 and the provisions under the 42nd Amendment to the Constitution(b) Article 17 and the Directive Principles of State Policy in Part IV(c) Article 21 and the freedoms guaranteed in Part. III(d) Article 24 and the provisions under the 44th Amendment to the ConstitutionAnswer.cExplanation:Article 21 guarantees the Right to life and personal liberty under Part III of the Constitution. The historic fallout of the nine-judge Bench judgment, declaring privacy as intrinsic to life and liberty and an inherent right protected by Part III of the Constitution, is that an ordinary man can now directly approach the Supreme Court and the High Courts for violation of his fundamental right under the КАНСТЫТУЦЫЯ РЭСПУБЛІКІ БЕЛАРУСЬ 1994 ГОДА making privacy an intrinsic part of life and liberty under Article 21, it is not just a citizen, but anyone, whether an Indian national or not, can move the constitutional courts of the land under Articles 32 and 226, respectively, to get justice.78. Consider the following:1. Areca nut2. Barley3. Coffee4. Finger millet5. Groundnut6. Sesamum7. TurmericThe Cabinet Committee on Economic Affair, has announced the Minimum Support Price for which of the above?(a) 1, 2, 3 and 7 only(b) 2, 4, 5 and 6 only(c) 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 only(d) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7Answer.bMSP is a form of agricultural market intervention undertaken by the Union Government in order to insure agricultural producers are protected against a...The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs announces MSP for 26 crops, CCEA does not announceMSP for arecanut and coffee.79. In which one of the following States is Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary located?(a) Arunachal Pradesh(b) Manipur(c) Meghalaya(d) NagalandAnswer.aExplanation:Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary (862 km2, 92°36’ – 93°09'E and 26°54 – 27°16'N) lies in the foothills of the Eastern Himalaya in the East Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh. It was declared a sanctuary in 1977, and was earlier part of the Khellong Forest Division. It has been recently declared a tiger reserve in 2002 based on a proposal in 1999.80. With reference to India’s satellite launch vehicles, consider the following statements:1. PSLVs launch the satellites useful for Earth resources monitoring whereas GSLVs are designed mainly to launch communication satellites.2. Satellites launched by PSLV appear to remain permanently fixed in the same position in the sky, as viewed from a particular location on Earth.3. GSLV Mk III is a four-staged launch l vehicle with the first and third stages l using solid rocket motors; and the second and fourth stages using liquid rocket engines.Which of the statements given above is/are correct.?(a) 1 only(b) 2 and 3(c) 1 and 2(d) 3 onlyAnswer.aExplanation:Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is the third generation launch vehicle of India. It is the first Indian launch vehicle to be equipped with liquid stages. GSLV's primary payloads are INSAT class of communication satellitesGSLV-Mk III is a three-stage vehicle with two solid motor strap-ons (S200), a liquid propellant core stage (L110) and a cryogenic stage (C25).GSLV-Mk III is capable launching 4 ton class of satellites to Geosynchronous Transfer orbit (GTO).81. With reference to the governance of public sector banking in India, consider the following statements1. Capital infusion into public sector banks by the Government of India has steadily increased in the last decade.2. To put the public sector banks in order, the merger of associate banks with the parent State Bank of India has been affected.Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?(a) 1 onlyb) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2Answer.cExplanation:In the FY 2017 the government of India has infused the amount of 35828 cr and government will infuse Rs 88,139 crore into 20 public sector banks through recapitalisation bonds and budgetary support in this financial year 2018, a move aimed at strengthening these banks' lending capacity.82. Consider the following items:1. Cereal grains hulled2. Chicken eggs cooked3. Fish processed and canned4. Newspapers containing advertising materialWhich of the above items is/are exempted under GST (Goods and Services Tax)?(a) 1 only(b) 2 and 3 only(c) 1, 2 and 4 only(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4Answer.dExplanation:List of Tax exempted Goods are;A number of food items have been exempted from any of the tax slabs. Fresh meat, fish, chicken, eggs, milk, butter milk, curd, natural honey, fresh fruits and vegetables, flour, besan, bread, all kinds of salt, jaggery and hulled cereal grains have been kept out of the taxation system.Bindi, sindoor, kajal, palmyra, human hair and bangles also do not attract any tax under GST.Drawing or colouring books alongside stamps, judicial papers, printed books, newspapers also fall under this category.Other items in the exempted list include jute and handloom, Bones and horn cores, hoof meal, horn meal, bone grist, bone meal, etc.83. Consider the following statements:1. The definition of "Critical Wildlife Habitat" is incorporated in the Forest Rights Act, 2006.2. For the first time in India, Baigas have been given Habitat Rights.3. Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change officially decides and declares Habitat Rights for Primitive and Vulnerable Tribal Groups in any part of India.Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?(a) 1 and 2 only(b) 2 and 3 only(c) 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3Answer.aExplanation:The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, is a key piece of forest legislation passed in India on 18 December 2006. It has also been called the Forest Rights Act, the Tribal Rights Act, the Tribal Bill, and the Tribal Land Act.The Baiga are an ethnic group found in central India, primarily in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. The largest number of Baigas is found in Baiga-chuk in Mandla district and Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh.Baiga tribals become India’s first community to get habitat rights. It was in November 2015 that the authorities began handing over legal titles to this community. Authorities have granted over 9,300 hectares (ha) to about 900 families in seven villages in the Madhya Pradesh.84. Consider the following:1. Birds2. Dust blowing3. Rain4. Wind blowingWhich of the above spread plant diseases?(a) 1 and 3 only(b) 3 and 4 only(c) 1, 2 and 4 only(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4Answer.dExplanation:According to the general mode of primary infection plant diseases are recognized as:-1. Soil borne2. Seed borne, including diseases carried with planting material.3. Wind borne4. Insect borne etc.Direct transmission: - Disease transmission where the pathogen is carried externally or internally on the seed or planting material like cuttings, sets, tubers, bulbs etc.Indirect transmission:- The pathogen spreading itself by way of its persistent growth or certain structures of the pathogen carried independently by natural agencies like wind, water, animals, insects, mites, nematodes, birds etc. are the different methods of indirect transmissions.85. With reference to organic farming in India, consider the following statements:1. The National Programme for Organic Production' (NPOP) is operated under the guidelines and directions of the Union Ministry of Rural Development.2. The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority' (APEDA) functions as the Secretariat for the implementation of NPOP.3. Sikkim has become India's first fully organic State.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 and 2 only(b) 2 and 3 only(c) 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3Answer.bExplanation:Ministry of Commerce has implemented the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) since 2001.India Organic is a certification mark for organically farmed food products manufactured in India. The certification is issued by testing centres accredited by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).Sikkim has become India’s first fully organic state by converting around 75,000 hectares of agricultural land into sustainable cultivation. Sikkim produces around 80,000 million tonnes of farm products. The total organic production in the country is estimated to be around 1.24 million tonnes while the total area under organic farming is 0.723 million hectares. A number of other states in India like Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Kerala are now trying to become organic.86. Regarding Money Bill, which of the following statements is not correct?(a ) A bill shall be deemed to be a Money Bill if it contains only provisions relating to imposition, abolition, remission, alteration or regulation of any tax.(b) A Money Bill has provisions for the custody of the Consolidated Fund of India or the Contingency Fund of India.(c) A Money Bill is concerned with the appropriation of moneys out of the Contingency Fund of India.(d) A Money Bill deals with the regulation of borrowing of money or giving of any guarantee by the Government of India.Answer.cExplanation:Money Bill refers to a bill (draft law) introduced in the Lower Chamber of Indian Parliament (Lok Sabha) which generally covers the issue of receipt and spending of money, such as tax laws, laws governing borrowing and expenditure of the Government, prevention of black money etc.110(1)…a Bill is deemed to be a Money Bill if it contains only provisions dealing with all or any of the following matters, namely:(a) The imposition, abolition, remission, alteration or regulation of any tax;(b) The regulation of the borrowing of money or the giving of any guarantee by the Government of India, or the amendment of the law with respect to any financial obligations undertaken or to be undertaken by the Government of India;(c) The custody of the Consolidated Fund or the Contingency Fund of India, the payment of moneys into or the withdrawal of moneys from any such fund;(d) The appropriation of moneys out of the Consolidated Fund of India;(e) The declaring of any expenditure to be expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund of India or the increasing of the amount of any such expenditure;(f) The receipt of money on account of the Consolidated Fund of India or the public account of India or the custody or issue of such money or the audit of the accounts of the Union or of a State.87. With reference to the election of the President of India, consider the following statements:1. The value of the vote of each MLA varies from State to State.2. The value of the vote of MPs of the Lok Sabha is more than the value of the vote of MPs of the Rajya Sabha.Which of following statements given above is/are Correct?(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 Or 2Answer.cExplanation:The presidential electoral college is made up of the following:1. elected members of the Rajya Sabha2. elected members of the Lok Sabha3. elected members of each state Vidhan Sabha4. elected members of union territory Delhi and Puducherry)The value of votes cast by elected members of the state legislative assemblies and both houses of parliament are determined by the provisions of article 55(2) of the Constitution of India.The value of the vote of each MLA of each state is different. It is determined by the average constituency size and 1971 census. The value of an MLA of uttar pradesh is highest i.e.208.The value of the vote of each MP of lok sabha and rajya sabha is equal i.e.708. The total value of current strength of loksabha MPs is 384,444 and Rajya sabha's (233)total value is 164,964.88. In the Indian context, what is the implication of ratifying the 'Additional Protocol' with the `International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)' ?(a) The civilian nuclear reactors come under IAEA safeguards.(b) The military nuclear installations come under the inspection of IAEA.(c) The country will have the privilege to buy uranium from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).(d) The country automatically becomes a member of the NSG.Answer.aExplanation:India's Additional Protocol for nuclear safeguards has been brought into force after the country handed over the instrument of ratification to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).The protocol supports the sharing of more information between India and the IAEA about nuclear power plants and work with nuclear fuel materials. It covers a list of nuclear facilities that was agreed in 2008 under then-prime minister Manmohan Singh, but its implementation stalled in the last few years of his premiership.Having taken power in late May, new prime minister Narendra Modi ratified the protocol on 24 June, and India's ambassador to the IAEA, Rajiva Misra, handed the document to IAEA director general Yukiya Amano on 25 July. From that day the additional protocol was in force.89. Consider the following countries :1. Australia2. Canada3. China4. India5. Japan6. USAWhich of the above are among the 'free-trade partners' of ASEAN ?(a) 1, 2, 4 and 5(b) 3, 4, 5 and 6(c) 1, 3, 4 and 5(d) 2, 3, 4 and 6Answer.cExplanation:About ASEAN:Headquarters: Jakarta, IndonesiaFounded: 8 August 1967Members: Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, Laos, BruneiFTA partners – Australia, New Zealand, India, Korea, Japan, and China.90. With reference to the 'Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture (CACSA)', which of the following statements is/are correct.''1. GACSA is an outcome of the Climate Summit held in Paris in 2015.2. Membership of GACSA does not create any binding obligations.3. India was instrumental in the creation of GACSA.Select the correct answer using the code given(a) 1 and 3 only(b) 2 only(c) 2 and 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3Answer.bExplanation:The concept of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) was originally developed by FAO and officially presented and at the Hague Conference on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change in 2010,GACSA is a voluntary platform open to governments, international and regional organizations, institutions, civil society, farmers’ organizations and businesses who agree with its vision and its Framework Document.Being a member does not create any binding obligations and members determine their particular voluntary actions according to their needs and priorities.India is not the member of this organisation.91. Which of the following is/are the aim/aims of "Digital India" Plan of the Government of India?1. Formation of India's own Internet companies like China did.2. Establish a policy framework to encourage overseas multinational corporations that collect Big Data to build their large data centres within our national geographical boundaries.3 Connect many of our villages to the Internet and bring Wi-Fi to many of our school, public places and major touristSelect the correct answer using the code given below(a ) 1 and 2 only( b) 3 only(c) 2 and 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3Answer.bExplanation: Digital India is a campaign launched by the Government of India to ensure the Government services are made available to citizens electronically by improved online infrastructure and by increasing Internet connectivity or by making the country digitally empowered in the field of technology. It consists of three core components, (a) development of secure and stable digital infrastructure, (b) delivering government services digitally, and (c) universal digital literacy.Objectives of the Digital India1. Digital infrastructure: high speed internet facility, mobile phone and bank account, access to common service centre, internet identity, sharable private space on a public cloud and safe and secure cyberspace.2. Governance and services on demand will be available in real time for online and mobile platforms, seamlessly integrated across departments and jurisdictions. All citizen documents to be made available on the cloud platform so that physical document presentation can be minimized. Cashless electronic transactions and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) will be integrated with the scheme.3. Empower citizens, especially rural citizens, by providing digital literacy.92. Consider the following pairs:Town sometime mentioned in news Country1.Aleppo –Syria2.Kirkuk -Yemen3.Mosul - Palestine4.Mazar-i-Sharif - AfghanistanWhich of the pairs given above are correctly matched?(a) 1 and 2(b) 1 and 4(c) 2 and 3(d) 3 and 4Answer.bExplanation: Aleppo is a city in Syria, serving as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. Kirkuk is a city in Iraq, serving as the capital of the Kirkuk Governorate, located 238 kilometres north of Baghdad. Mosul is a major city in northern Iraq situated on the west bank of the Tigris, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank. Mazar-e Sharif, city is in Afghanistan, 35 miles south of the border with Uzbekistan. Hence, b is the correct option.93. In the federation established by The Government on India Act of 1935. Residuary Power were given to the(a) Federal Legislature(b) Governor General(c) Provincial Legislature(d) Provincial GovernorsAnswer.bExplanation: Under 1935 Act, the Governor General was authorized to act in his discretion and under certain other provisions; he could exercise his individual judgment. He was vested with the final political authority in the country; and was given widest discretionary powers and special responsibilities. These functions and powers were defined by the Act as his special responsibilities. In Government of India Act 1935 the discretionary powers and responsibilities of Governor General are as follows:1. Under Govt. Act of India 1935, he was in charge of the Reserve Departments of Defence, Foreign Affairs, Ecclesiastical Affairs and Tribal Areas and he appoint three councillors to assist him in his work.2. He could appoint and dismiss the Council of Ministers and also could preside over their meetings. They would hold office during his pleasure. Their consultation and advice was not binding upon him.3. He could issue two kinds of ordinances. One type of ordinance he could issue at any time and that lasted for 6 months. The other kind of ordinance would be issued when the legislature was not in session.4. The Governor General was also given the power to issue what were known as Governor General Act. But these had to be forwarded to the Secretary of State.5. The previous of Governor General was required for the introduction of certain bills in the Federal Legislature and the Provincial Legislatures: He was authorized to stop discussion on any bill at any time by the legislature. He could withhold his assent to a bill passed by the Legislature or send the same back for the consideration of His Majesty.6. He was given control over 80% of the Federal budget; the non-vote able items of the budget formed a major part of the budget.7. The Governor General could in his discretion send any instructions to the Governors and it was the special responsibility of the later to carry them out.8. Governor General could suspend the Constitution.9. In Government of India Act 1935 Governor General was given the authority to summon, prorogue and dissolve the Federal Assembly lie could summon both the houses for joint sitting. He could address the Legislatures and could send messages regarding certain bills.94. Consider the following statements:1. The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Shall vacate his/her office if he/she ceases to be a member of the Assembly.2. Whenever the Legislative Assembly is dissolved, the Speaker shall vacate his/her immediately.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 only(b) 2only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2Answer.aExplanation: The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly shall vacate his/her office if:1. He/she ceases to be member of the assembly.2. He/she resigns by writing to be deputy speaker.3. He/she is removed by a resolution passed by a majority of all the present members of the assembly.Such resolution can be brought only after giving 14 days advance notice.The Speaker does not vacate his office on the dissolution of the Assembly. He continues holding office, until immediately before the first meeting of the Assembly after dissolution. The Speaker and the Deputy Speaker are paid such salaries and allowances as may be fixed by the State Legislature by law. Their salaries are not votable as they are charged on the Consolidated Fund of the State.95. Which one of the following reflects the nicest, appropriate relationship between law and liberty?(a) if there are more laws, there is less liberty.(b) If there are no laws, there is no liberty.(c) If there is liberty, laws have to be made by the people.(d) If laws are changed too often, liberty is in danger.Answer. bExplanation: The term ‘Liberty’ or ‘freedom’ denotes a very important principle of political philosophy. It is formally be describe as ‘absence of restrain’-Means in order to maintain liberty of the individual, the state should not impose any restraints on his activities in various sphere of life.Liberty entails the responsible use of freedom under the rule of law without depriving anyone else of their freedom. Freedom is broader in that it represents a total lack of restraint or the unrestrained ability to fulfil one's desires.96. Consider the following statements:1. No criminal proceedings shall be instituted against the Governor of a State in any court during his term of office.2. The emoluments and allowances of the Governor of a State shall not be diminished during his term of office.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2Answer.cExplanation: The Governor is the head of a state just like the President is the head of the republic. The Governor is the nominal head of a state, while the Chief Minister is the executive head. All executive actions of the state are taken in the name of the Governor. He/she is also entitled to certain benefits and allowances, which shall not be diminished during his office term of five years. Article 361 in The Constitution of India states that:(2) No criminal proceedings whatsoever shall be instituted or continued against the President, or the Governor of a State, in any court during his term of office(3) No process for the arrest or imprisonment of the President, or the Governor of a State, shall issue from any court during his term of office.Hence, c is the correct option.97. The well-known painting "Bani Thani" belongs to the(a) Bundi school(b) Jaipur school(c) Kangra school(d) Kishangarh schoolAnswer.dExplanation: Bani Thani is an Indian miniature painting painted by Nihâl Chand from the Marwar school of Kishangarh. It portrays a woman who is elegant and graceful. The painting's subject, Bani Thani, was a singer and poet in Kishangarh in the time of King Sawant Singh (1748–1764). She has been compared to the Mona Lisa.98. What is "Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)", sometimes seen in the news?(a) An Israeli radar system(b) India's indigenous anti-missile programme(c) An American anti missile system(d) A defence collaboration between Japan and South KoreaAnswer.cExplanation: Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), formerly Theater High Altitude Area Defense, is an American anti-ballistic missile defense system designed to shoot down short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles.99. With reference to cultural history of India, consider the following statements :1. Most of the Tyagaraja Kritis are devotional songs in praise of Lord Krishna.2. Tyagaraja created several new ragas.3. Annamacharya and Tyagaraja are contemporaries.4. Annamacharya kirtanas are devotional songs in praise of Lord Venkateshwara.Which of the statements given above are correct?(a) 1 and 3 only(b) 2 and 4 only(c) 1, 2 and 3(d) 2, 3 and 4Answer.bExplanation: Saint Tyagaraja, also known as Tyagayya in Telugu, was one of the greatest composers of Carnatic music, a form of Indian classical music. He was a prolific composer and highly influential in the development of the classical music tradition. Tyagaraja and his contemporaries Syama Sastri and Muthuswami Dikshitar were regarded as the Trinity of modern Carnatic music.His songs feature himself usually either in an appeal to his deity of worship (primarily the Avatar Rama), in musings, in narratives, or giving a message to the public. He has also composed krithis in praise of Krishna, Shiva, Shakti, Ganesha, Muruga, Saraswati and Hanuman.Annamacharya was a 15th-century Hindu saint and is the earliest known Indian musician to compose songs called sankirtanas in praise of the god Venkateswara, a form of Vishnu.100. Which of the following are regarded as the main features of the "Rule of Law" ?1. Limitation of powers2. Equality before law3. People's responsibility to the Government4. Liberty and civil rightsSelect the correct answer using the code given below :(a) 1 and 3 only(b) 2 and 4 only(c) 1, 2 and 4 only(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4Answer.cExplanation: The concept of rule of law is a very dynamic concept, capable of interpretations to enable the successful working of a democracy. It is the restriction on the arbitrary exercise of power by subordinating it to well-defined and established laws.Features of the Modern Meaning of Rule of Law1. Certainty of the law2. Supremacy of the law3. Equality before the law4. Right to personal freedom5. Laws must not take retrospective effect6. Independent judiciary7. Protection of human rightsAnswer Key Set http://DQuestionAnswer1.-A2.-A3.-B4.-C5.-A6.-B7.-B8.-A9.-C10.-D11.-B12.-C13.-B14.-C15.-B16.-B17.-D18.-C19.-B20.-A21.C22.A23.A24.C25.A26.C27.D28.D29.D30.D31.B32.C33.C34.B35.D36.C37.C38.B39.A40.D41.C42.A43.C44.D45.B46.A47.A48.B49.A50.B51.B52.B53.B54.55.D56.B57.58.C59.B60.C61.A62.C63.D64.D65.B66.67.A68.A69.B70.B71.D72.C73.A74.C75.A76.B77.C78.D79.A80.A81.C82.D83.A84.D85.B86.C87.C88.A89.C90.91.B92.B93.B94.A95.B96.C97.D98.C99.B100.Chttps://testchampion.jagranjosh.com/free-pdf-page?file=ias-prelims-2018-english-question-papers.pdf