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Q.1- Military exercise Hand-in-Hand is exercise between India and which of the following country? A. Nepal B. China C. Russia D. Afghanistan Q.2- Which of the below statements correct regarding BS Norms? A) Bharat stage emission standards are emission standards instituted by the Government of India to regulate the output of air pollutants from internal combustion engine equipment, including motor vehicles. B) The standards and the timeline for implementation are set by the Central Pollution Control Board under the Ministry of Environment & Forests and climate change a) A only b) B only c) Both A and B d) Neither A nor B. . . . . . . . . . . Answer 1-B,2-C

Q.1- Which of the following statements are correct regarding judicial appointment? 1. Present collegium system was created in Supreme Court Advocates-on Record Association vs Union of India case 2. Collegium system is only for the appointment of judges in Supreme court. A. 1 only B. 2 only C. Both D. None Q.2- Which of the following is/are correct regarding H1B visa of USA? 1. H1B visa is to recruit and employ foreign professionals. 2. Present minimum required salary to get H1B visa is 30000 dollars A. 1 only B. 2 only C. Both D. None Q.3- Famous Navy SEALs is from which of the following country? A. Japan B. China C. U.S.A D. U.K Q.4- With reference to bio-toilets used by the Indian Railways, consider the following statements: 1. The decomposition of human waste in the bio-toilets is initiated by a fungal inoculum. 2. Ammonia and water vapour are the only end products in this decomposition which are released into the atmosphere. Which of the state...

CSO data suggest that the demonetisation effect on GDP is less than feared The resilience of India’s economy has been reaffirmed by the latest data, with both the third-quarter and full-year growth estimates belying widespread concerns that the November 8 decision to withdraw high-value currency notes would significantly dampen momentum. While the Central Statistics Office stuck with its January advance estimate for gross domestic product in the 12 months ending March 2017 to post a healthy 7.1% growth, it projected GDP to have expanded 7% in the fiscal third quarter, reflecting only a marginal slowdown from the 7.3% registered in the preceding three-month period. Notably, this expansion occurred in the October-December quarter, when about 86% of the currency in circulation in the form of ₹500 and ₹1,000 notes was abruptly sucked out of the system, potentially resulting in what the Economic Survey termed an “aggregate demand shock” and the Reserve Bank of India referred to as “deman...

The forecast of a hotter summer must nudge us into preparing to mitigate public distress The forecast from the India Meteorological Department of above-normal temperatures over much of India in the summer months is bound to bring back memories of last year’s withering weeks. Global weather in recent times has come under pressure from the El Nino warming that began in 2015 and exerted its influence into the first quarter of 2016. What is significant is that the Australian international weather bureau says there is a 50% prospect of a similar phenomenon this year as well, making it a significant alert on hotter temperatures, and possibly a debilitated monsoon and weaker agricultural prospects. The early IMD forecast should help the official machinery to adequately prepare for public distress. A carefully planned school examination schedule could spare students the worst of the torrid season, and this should be among the top priorities. As the temperature edged past 40ºC last year, sch...

The forecast from the India Meteorological Department of above-normal temperatures over much of India in the summer months is bound to bring back memories of last year’s withering weeks. Global weather in recent times has come under pressure from the El Nino warming that began in 2015 and exerted its influence into the first quarter of 2016. What is significant is that the Australian international weather bureau says there is a 50% prospect of a similar phenomenon this year as well, making it a significant alert on hotter temperatures, and possibly a debilitated monsoon and weaker agricultural prospects. The early IMD forecast should help the official machinery to adequately prepare for public distress. A carefully planned school examination schedule could spare students the worst of the torrid season, and this should be among the top priorities. As the temperature edged past 40ºC last year, schools in some States decided to extend their summer vacations by a week or two, something th...

Kerala needs a new politics if its economy is to adjust to rising food prices and a shrinking Gulf economy A picture, they say, is worth a hundred words. Two pictures related to Kerala, though separated by decades and differing in content, speak to us strongly of how we may secure its future. Thus, a photo in a leading Malayalam newspaper shows the Chief Minister of the State meeting the Prime Minister of India. An amiable Pinarayi Vijayan is seen extending flowers to Narendra Modi, who accepts it betraying no emotion. The power equation is astutely conveyed by the caption “Ariyetra…” meaning “How much rice…” in Malayalam. The Chief Minister was in the national capital in January seeking a greater allocation of rice to the State. Then there is a painting by Anjolie Ela Menon. Titled ‘Malabar’, it is a canvas smeared with green paint bearing no detail. Presumably it was the artist’s impression of the paddy-filled landscape of Kerala when she first encountered it decades ago. How is i...

A picture, they say, is worth a hundred words. Two pictures related to Kerala, though separated by decades and differing in content, speak to us strongly of how we may secure its future. Thus, a photo in a leading Malayalam newspaper shows the Chief Minister of the State meeting the Prime Minister of India. An amiable Pinarayi Vijayan is seen extending flowers to Narendra Modi, who accepts it betraying no emotion. The power equation is astutely conveyed by the caption “Ariyetra…” meaning “How much rice…” in Malayalam. The Chief Minister was in the national capital in January seeking a greater allocation of rice to the State. Then there is a painting by Anjolie Ela Menon. Titled ‘Malabar’, it is a canvas smeared with green paint bearing no detail. Presumably it was the artist’s impression of the paddy-filled landscape of Kerala when she first encountered it decades ago. How is it possible that a State once identified by the wealth of its agriculture has been brought to the sorry state ...

Archana Sharma, a Senior Scientist at the CERN Laboratory in Geneva, Switzerland, is the only Indian scientist who was involved in the path-breaking discovery of Higgs Boson particle in 2012. Her journey from Jhansi to CERN, the Mecca of Particle Physics, has been remarkable and a story of inspiration for many aspiring Indian scientists. Ms. Sharma finished her post-graduation from the Banaras Hindu University and received her doctorate from Delhi University after which she moved to Geneva for her post doctoral research. Author and co-author of over 600 publications, Ms. Sharma is invited regularly for talks in international conferences and public addresses in various science and technology events. Recently nominated a Distinguished Lecturer at the US-based IEEE, she has collaborated with events at the ILO Geneva and World Communication Forum Davos as spokesperson for diversity, excellence in scientific communication. In an exclusive chat with The Hindu, she spoke about her journey ...

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday published its first-ever list of antibiotic-resistant "priority pathogens"–12 types of bacteria  that pose the greatest threat to human health. The list is divided into three categories- priority, high and medium (see box below), according to the urgency of need for new antibiotics. It highlights the threat posed by gram-negative bacteria. Gram negative bacteria do not retain the crystal violet stain used in the Gram staining method of bacterial differentiation. Priority 1: critical Acinetobacter baumannii, carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, carbapenem-resistant, ESBL-producing Priority 2: high Enterococcus faecium, vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant, vancomycin-intermediate and resistant Helicobacter pylori, clarithromycin-resistant Campylobacter spp., fluoroquinolone-resistant Salmonellae, fluoroquinolone-resistant Neisseria gonorrho...

Food is not just about taste, it is also about nutrition, safety and biodiversity. Speaking at the ‘Tasting India Symposium’—a brainchild of Sanjoo Malhotra and Sourish Bhattacharyya—at the India International Centre on February 28, Sunita Narain, director, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), raised concern over growing obesity and the inclination to choose convenience food over healthy food. While releasing ‘FIRST FOOD: Culture of Taste’— a CSE publication that has a collection of close to 50 recipes that use local produce— Sunita referred to some of the findings that emerged during the research for the book. Explaining the need to connect the food we eat to the ecosystem where it grows and people who depend on it for livelihood, she cited the example of Makhana (fox nuts), which is grown in wetlands, tanks, ponds and lakes. “If we are not serious about saving our wetlands, which are the kidneys of our cities, we will soon lose something as delicious and nutritious as mak...

Uniquely vulnerable to the impacts of a warming world, Pacific island countries have long been considered the front-line of climate change, so it’s not surprising that they are also leading the fight to tackle the problem. The Conversation These tiny nations have vowed to challenge major polluters to cut emissions and, this year, they have coal exports from their biggest neighbour firmly in their sights. For the first time, a Pacific island country is head of global negotiations aiming to limit “dangerous interference” with the Earth’s climate system. Fiji, which last week marked the first anniversary of the devastation caused by the strongest cyclone ever recorded in the southern hemisphere, has vowed to use its presidency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to make the world sit up and take notice. This must be a matter of concern in Australia’s capital, Canberra; Fiji’s Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama is an outspoken critic of his neighbour...

After declaring 2016 as the warmest year since 1901, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast this year’s summer to be “above normal”. There is about 47 per cent probability of ober normal heat wave conditions in states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa and Telangana, as per the IMD. The maximum temperatures in the months of March to May are likely to be warmer by more than 1°C in north, northwest and parts of central India. In other parts, maximum temperature will be between 0.5-1°C more than the normal. Minimum temperature in the season will also be higher by over a degree celcius in northwest India and along the northern plains. Peninsular, west central and northeastern parts of the country will experience minimum temperatures higher by 0.5°C to 1°C than normal, as per IMD’s forecast. El Nino Southern Oscillation is expected to be in a n...

A study conducted in rural Tamil Nadu points out the appalling condition of women farmers, especially after the death of their husbands. Conducted in January by the Tamilnadu Federation for Women Farmers’ Rights in 13 villages across six state districts, the study reveals that a famine-like situation due to poor monsoon is driving farmers to suicide, leaving behind their widows trapped in the clutches of money lenders. The federation is a state unit of the Mahila Kisan Adhikar Manch, a rights group spread across 24 states, and espousing the cause of women farmers. Poor rains, farmer suicides A 60 per cent northeast monsoon deficit and a 19 per cent southwest monsoon deficit have created an emergency situation in Tiruvannamalai, Viluppuram, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur and Pudukkottai. Tamil Nadu is facing such a situation after 140 years, the study says. The seven-member team made the field visit between January 7 and 17, 2017. It also observed that the maximum number...