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Q.1- Which of the following is/are purpose for which Shanghai cooperation organisation was formed? 1. For the enhancement of trade between the member countries. 2. To counter the Islamic terrorism. A. 1 only B. 2 only C. Both D. None Q.2- Which of the following is/ are correct regarding payment banks? 1. No deposition is allowed in payment banks 2. Only individuals are allowed to operate in payment banks A. 1 only B. 2 only C. Both D. None Q.3- Which of the following is/are correct regarding One belt one road initiative? 1. It focuses on connectivity and cooperation among countries primarily between China and Eurasia 2. It consists of two main components, the land-based "Silk Road Economic Belt" (SREB) and oceangoing "Maritime Silk Road" (MSR). A. 1 only B. 2 only C. Both D. None. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Answer  1-B,2-D,3-C

Q1 - Contempt power of Supreme Court are for which of the following? 1. Contempt of Supreme Court 2. Contempt of High Court 3. Contempt of itself by Supreme Court Judge A. 1, 2 only B. 2, 3 only C. 1, 3 only D. All Q2 - Assistive reproductive technology act excludes which category from surrogacy in India? a) Commercial surrogacy b) Altruistic surrogacy c) LGBTs, Single Women A) a, b B) b, c C) a,c D) None of These Q3 - Mosul town was recently in news, it is present in which of the following countries? A. Iran B. Iraq C. Syria D. Saudi Arabia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Answer 1-D,2-C,3-B

Why have so many zoonotic diseases appeared in recent years? There are many reasons. Many viruses and pathogens are crossing into human habitat. Human-animal interaction has increased. Deforestation is a major reason for this, as animals and vectors in deep forests have now come into contact with human beings. Also, with globalisation, people are travelling more and meeting those who are not immune to new viruses. Climate change is also allowing vectors to expand to areas where they were not previously found and could not survive. Is India prepared to deal with new challenges? Definitely. We are in a much better position than in the past. There is a network of laboratories under Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) which is working on animals and another set under ICMR working on human zoonotic diseases. There is a joint committee which meets every few months. We fund joint efforts and share pathogens for further study. A good instance of this collaborative effort was ...

A recent World Bank report on climate change has warned India of serious consequences on agriculture and crop patterns if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise in a business-as-usual scenario. The report analyses the impact of climate change on agriculture production, water resources, coastal ecosystems and cities across three regions – South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia. Global temperature will rise to 2°C above that of the pre-industrial era within 20-30 years and by 4°C by the end of the century unless countries make joint efforts to curb emissions, says the report, Turn down the heat: Climate extremes, regional impacts and the case for resilience. The impact of this global warming will be severe for India. The north-west of the country will face frequent droughts. Aggravating heat stress would affect dry season crops, such as wheat, barley, mustard and other Rabi crops, in states of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. We...

Which are the top five cities in the world that face water stress? In terms of water quantity risk, five of 15 major Asia Pacific cities—Shenzhen, Taipei, Singapore, Tokyo and Jakarta—are under stress and at risk of water shortage. One in three cities faces water stress on a global scale. In terms of quality, a majority of Asia Pacific cities suffer from high water source pollution, especially sedimentation. Lower income cities face a greater challenge since their water infrastructure is generally less developed when compared to that of higher income cities. This means they are more likely to be water-stressed. Lower income cities in many parts of the world also have high population densities in their source watersheds, which makes the task of protecting their water sources harder. What are the solutions to the problems faced by these cities? One in four cities globally would see a positive return on investment from investing in watershed conservation. The five conservation st...

The state is staring at a severe drought for second consecutive year with coastal Karnataka experiencing a shortfall in southwest and northeast monsoon                     Bengaluru and neighbouring towns, which rely on Cauvery water, have started facing water shortage. Credit: Ramakrishna Math / Flicker  Bengaluru and neighbouring towns, which rely on Cauvery water, have started facing water shortage. Credit: Ramakrishna Math / Flicker Malnad region in Karnataka is surrounded by the Western Ghats. Malnad is derived from the Kannada word ‘Malenadu’, meaning the 'Land of rain'. The Uttara Kannada, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts in the region generally receive heavy rainfall (4,000mm) every year. However, for the first time, these districts are listed under drought-hit districts in Karnataka The state is staring at a severe drought for second consecutive year with coastal Karnataka experiencing a shortfall in southwest a...

National interest is not served by avoiding problems left over by a previous order The strategic choices before us today are similar to the ones U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are facing: in a fast-changing world, national interest is not served by avoiding problems left over by a previous order. Prime Minister Narendra Modi needs to challenge long-established convictions on whether the elements of power in the next world order will revolve around diplomacy, force, or trade as the primary tool. Moving to a multipolar world In the last 20 years, incomes of 80% of the population in the West stagnated while per capita income in China quadrupled, and India’s more than doubled. Society is ageing; technology is disrupting labour markets and business models. The digital economy is expected to provide one-quarter of global productivity by 2025 and will have the U.S., China and India reinforcing the multipolar order. The functioning of the global economy h...

The President’s removal from office deepens South Korea’s democratic evolution The removal of a sitting President in South Korea brings to a close one phase in the months-long popular mobilisation to enforce accountability among the high and mighty. This verdict by South Korea’s highest court, upholding Parliament’s vote to impeach Park Geun-hye, could well herald a new era in a land where it has for long been unthinkable to get the powerful to face justice even for serious crimes. Significantly, Parliament’s move in December to unseat Ms. Park by an overwhelming vote had been backed even by legislators from her conservative Saenuri party. Stripped of presidential immunity, Ms. Park could now face criminal proceedings on allegations that she was complicit in nefarious activities involving her close confidante. The chief accusation is that they solicited contributions to promote dodgy non-profit organisations in return for clearing questionable corporate deals. The protests last year...