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Q1 - Which of the following are not the functions of the election commission 1) Conduct of election for the post of the speaker and the deputy speaker, Lok sabha and the deputy chairman, Rajya sabha 2) Conduct of elections to the state legislative assemblies 3) Deciding on all doubts and disputes arising out of elections a) 1 and 2 b) 1 and 3 c) 2 and 3 d) Only 2 Q2 - Which of the following is correct regarding the Parliamentary standing committees? 1. Committee consists of 22 members with 15 from Lok Sabha and 7 from Rajya Sabha 2. Committee consider demand for grants 3. They also examine the bills referred by chairman Rajya Sabha and speaker Lok Sabha. A. 1,2 only B. 1,3 only C. 2,3 only D. All Q3 - 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.1- With reference to the use of nano-technology in health sector, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Targeted drug delivery is made possible by nanotechnology. 2. Nanotechnology can largely contribute to gene therapy. Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2- Which of the following is correct regarding Electoral bonds? 1. Electoral bonds can be purchased at any bank via any mode of payment 2. Bonds can be given only to parties registered with EC A. 1 only B. 2 only C. Both D. None Q.3- The total number of members states in United Nations are? A. 192 B. 193 C. 194 D. 197. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Answer1-C,2-B,3-B

Q.1- In India, other than ensuring that public funds are used efficiently and for intended purpose, what is the importance of the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)? 1.CAG exercises exchequer control on behalf of the Parliament when the President of India declares national emergency/financial emergency. 2.CAG reports on the execution of projects or programmes by the ministries are discussed by the Public Accounts Committee. 3.Information from CAG reports can be used by investigating agencies to press charges against those who have violated the law while managing public finances. 4.While dealing with the audit and accounting of government companies, CAG has certain judicial powers for prosecuting those who violate the law. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a)1, 3 and 4 only (b)2 only (c)2 and 3 only (d)1, 2, 3 and 4 Q.2- Consider the following statements and mark the correct option. 1. EPF and PPF both are instruments offered by governm...

Q.1- Which of the following is/are correct regarding foreign investment promotion board? 1. It does the promotional activities for foreign investment 2. FIPB was initially created after 2008 A. 1 only B. 2 only C. Both D. none Q.2- Crimea has been in news recently, this is a disputed area between which of the following? A. Russia and Ukraine B. Russia and Turkey C. Syria and Iraq D. Syria and Israel Q.3- Which of the following is correct regarding National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF)? 1. NIIF has been registered with SEBI as Category II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF). 2. The Fund aims to attract investment from both domestic and international sources. A. Only 1 B. Only 2 C. Both D. None. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Answer 1-D,2-A,3-C

Q1 - In which state does the central government of India first launched survey on Gangetic Dolphins? Uttar Pradesh Bihar West bengal Odisha Q2 - According to FEMA regulations the maximum amount an NRI can carry abroad is? Rs. 30,000 Rs. 50,000 Rs.25,000 Rs.1,00,000 Q3 - Which state in India is in consultation with Union Government in consultation with Union government regarding conversion of old INS Viraat into a luxury hotel? Tamil Nadu Karnataka Andhra Pradesh West Bengal Q4 -Which of the following committees are related to the conservation of ecology of Western Ghats? A. P.J. Nayak Committee B. Y.V. Reddy Committee C. Kasturi Rangan Committee D. Madhav Gadgil Committee 1. A& B 2. C&D 3. A&C 4. A&D Q5 - Which of the following is the first aircraft carrier of India? INS Vikramaditya INS Viraat INS Vikrant INS Bharat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Answer1-A,2-C,3-C,4-2,5-C

Q.1- Which of the following statements are correct regarding western ghats? 1. It runs across four states 2. Due to steep slope, western ghats are useful site for Hydroelectricity 3. Lion-tailed Macaque is endemic to western ghats only A. 1, 2 B. 1, 3 C. 2, 3 D. All Q.2- Which among the following countries is largest producer of cotton? A. Australia B. China C. USA D. India Q.3- Which of the following statements are correct regarding Pradhan MantrifasalBimayojana? 1. Uniform premium of 2% has to be paid by the farmers for all types of crop. 2. There is no upper limit on Government subsidy. A. 1 only B. 2 only C. Both D. None. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Answer 1-C,2-D,3-B

Q.1- According to figures of 2015-16, which among the following indirect taxes were highest? A. Service tax B. Excise duty C. Custom duty D. Other sources Q.2- Scientists have found the best evidence yet for water just beneath the* surface of Europa. Europa is the icy moon of which of the following planets? A. Mars B. Saturn C. Jupiter D. Venus Q.3- Arrange these water bodies from west to east- 1. South China Sea 2. Gulf of Thailand 3. Philippines sea A. 1-2-3 B. 1-3-2 C. 2-1-3 D. 3-2-1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Answer  1-B,2-C,3-C

Transforming agricultural systems and rural economies is the need of the hour if we want to ensure a food-secure future. With the global population expected to touch 9.7 billion by 2050, there will be increasing pressure on our limited natural resources to produce more food. A new Food and Agriculture Organization report warns that the projected growth in world population is likely to be concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. This will pose immense problems, as expanding agriculture in these regions will be difficult because of scarcity of land and water resources. According to the report, agriculture in 2050 will need to produce almost 50 per cent more food, feed and bio-fuel than it did in 2012. In sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, agricultural output would need to more than double by the middle of the century. Besides more output, dietary transition towards higher consumption of meat, fruits and vegetables will put additional pressure on natural resources. In suc...

Speaking at its side event in Marrakech, Chandra Bhushan, deputy director general of the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, presented the case of a farmer from Agra who suffered huge potato crop losses due to unseasonal rain and hailstorm. He spoke about the importance of agricultural insurance mechanism in supporting such farmers and helping to increase their resilience. In fact, data also shows that at present less than two per cent people in developing countries have some kind of climate risk insurance. Referring to the alarming increase in extreme weather events, Bhushan said that “freak events have become a norm” with number of extreme weather events rising to average 350 in the decade of 2000-2010 as against the average of 2.5 in the decade of 1900-1910. Further, citing an FAO report, he pointed out that the number of poor can increase by between 35-122 million by 2030. In his presentation, he harped on the need to address vulnerability and highlighted that “the...

Though corruption is a major concern in Goa, the assembly elections were fought on several other issues, including illegal mining, land grabbing and irresponsible tourism that are taking the sheen away from the state. Discontentment is showing in the face of the people who had to bear the brunt of job loss due to a two-year ban imposed on mining activities. The emotive issue of culture protectionism also needs a sensible handling from the next government. Illegal mining This Assembly election, the constituencies located in the mining, tourism belts and rural areas of Goa recorded a very high voter turnout. We can hazard a guess why people are turning up in huge numbers to elect their next Chief Minister. In the first decade of 2000, unprecedented mining activities, often with political collusion, led to several environmental and legal violations. Mining activities were shut down by the government in September 2012 following public protests and setting up of a judicial commission...

As the liberal order yields to an age of uncertainty, a new initiative is needed if the nuclear taboo has to hold. In recent weeks, there has been a flood of commentary lamenting the demise of ‘the liberal rule-based international order’; the system that came into being after World War II and has since been led and shaped by the West under U.S. leadership for the last seven decades. While cracks in this ‘order’ have been showing up in recent years, it is after the election of Donald Trump as U.S. President that a conviction has grown that the seven-decade-old ‘order’ is dead and change is now upon us. Yet the lengthening shadows of this change have been visible in other parts of the world for nearly a decade; at least from 2008 with the global financial crisis which presaged the unravelling of the Washington Consensus. History tells us that the wheels of change never stop. Sometimes, when they move slowly, it is only possible to judge the distance travelled by looking in the rear-...

As the IS suffers serious reverses, Baghdad must wage a political fight as well The loss of Mosul is perhaps the biggest military setback for the Islamic State. Iraq’s second largest city, Mosul was the jewel of the IS’s military gains, a place where its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared his ‘Caliphate’ in June 2014. In less than three years, the IS’s territory has shrunk. It once controlled huge swathes in central and eastern Syria and north-western Iraq, but its influence is now limited to some pockets, through sustained military operations in which several actors such as Kurdish and Shia militias, Iraqi and Syrian armies and the U.S. and Russian air forces were involved. A few weeks ago, the IS lost the ancient city of Palmyra to the Syrian army. And now, it’s been practically defeated in Mosul. Iraqi troops have already captured the Mosul airport and major administrative buildings, and liberated population centres. What remains is isolated resistance by small groups of jihadi...

As the IS suffers serious reverses, Baghdad must wage a political fight as well The loss of Mosul is perhaps the biggest military setback for the Islamic State. Iraq’s second largest city, Mosul was the jewel of the IS’s military gains, a place where its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared his ‘Caliphate’ in June 2014. In less than three years, the IS’s territory has shrunk. It once controlled huge swathes in central and eastern Syria and north-western Iraq, but its influence is now limited to some pockets, through sustained military operations in which several actors such as Kurdish and Shia militias, Iraqi and Syrian armies and the U.S. and Russian air forces were involved. A few weeks ago, the IS lost the ancient city of Palmyra to the Syrian army. And now, it’s been practically defeated in Mosul. Iraqi troops have already captured the Mosul airport and major administrative buildings, and liberated population centres. What remains is isolated resistance by small groups of jihadi...