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Showing posts from May 19, 2017

Current Affairs MCQ for UPSC Exams – 19 May 2017

Q.1- Which of the following is correct regarding GST council? A. It is set up under Article 279A of the Indian Constitution B. Union finance minister is the chairperson of the council 1. Only A 2. Only B 3. Both 4. None Q.2- Consider the following statements: The India-Africa Summit 1. held in 2015 was the third such Summit 2. was actually initiated by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1951 Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3- M777 howitzers are manufactured by which of the following country? A. Russia B. USA C. France D. UK  Answer 1-3,2-A,3-B

Current Affairs MCQ for UPSC Exams – 18 May 2017

Q.1- With reference to Nuclear Power Programme of India, which of the following statements is not correct? 1. India's three-stage nuclear power programme was conceived by Homi Bhabha. 2. First stage of the Programme is Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors. 3. Second stage of the Programme is Thorium Based Reactors. 4. All of the above are correct Q.2- Which of the following railway station has been declared cleanest by railway survey? A. Ahmedabad B. Vishakhapatnam C. Jammu D. Varanasi Click Here For AnswerQ.3- Which of the following is correct regarding National technical research organisation? 1. It is under the National Security Advisor in the Prime Minister's Office, India. 2. It was set up in 2000, after the Kargil war 3. Agency supervises working of technical wings of various intelligence agencies, including those of the Indian Armed Forces A. 1,2 only B. 2 only C. 1,3 only D. 1 only  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Answer 1-3,2-B,3-D

Current Affairs MCQ for UPSC Exams – 17 May 2017

Q-1 Consider the following given statements 1. Bombay stock exchange was established in 1875 2. The BSE is world's largest stock exchange 3. Sensex is stock index of 30 well established companies. A. 1,2 B. 2,3 C. 1,3 D. All Q-2 Which of the following statements is/are correct about Mid day meal scheme? 1. In drought affected areas, midday meals shall be supplied even during summer vacations. 2. In appointment of cooks and helpers, preference shall be given to Dalits, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. 3. The state Government shall make provisions for construction of kitchen sheds. A. 1,2 B. 2,3 C. 1,3 D. All Q-3 Which of the following is correct regarding mars? 1. Mars equatorial radius is almost equal to earth’s radius 2. Mars length of the day is just higher than that of the earth 3. Mars gravity is 2.66 times of earth A. 1,2 B. 2,3 C. All D. 2 only . . . . . . . . . . . , ,. , Answer   1-C,  2- A,  3-D

Alien weed rings alarm bells in the Northeast downtoearth

It is an invader nobody has seen on our borders but it can play havoc with the country’s biodiversity. An alien weed, Ludwigia Peruviana, is posing a threat to biodiversity in parts of Assam, particularly the catchment area of the river Dhansiri and eastern part of river Kopili, scientists have reported while expressing concern that it can spread to other areas in Northeast India. The study, conducted by researchers at Assam Agricultural University and Tinsukia-based action group, Evergreen Earth, covered four distinct landscapes—marshlands, peat-lands, stream beds and bordering uplands spread over an area of 500 square kilometres. It was done in the Karbi Anglong and Nagaon districts of Assam where the catchment area of th Dhansiri and Kopili rivers are located. The weed is spreading rapidly in the region. Popularly called primrose willow, Ludwigia Peruviana, is a native of Central and South America. Its flower is pale yellowish in colour and the plant grows to a height of about

Fetching water is a woman's responsibility in this arid Rajasthan village (downtoearth)

Standing in the middle of the Thar Desert, I wonder which one is more difficult to put up with. Travelling in the scorching sun with barely a few trees to offer shelter, walking on loose, slippery sand, or being mocked for questions that appear silly to the women in one of the country’s driest places—Khadero ki Dhani, a hamlet in Jaisalmer district that receives the lowest rainfall in Rajasthan. “Don’t you get tired by the multiple trips to the beri every day?” I ask Nakata Devi, 75, who is drawing buckets of water one after another from the lone source of water in the vicinity. The beri is essentially a traditional percolation well with a narrow mouth that catches and stores rainwater, and is located a kilometre from the hamlet. “I do. This is my seventh round since morning. But do I have a choice? We need water. Even the animals need to drink,” Nakata says as she pours water into concrete troughs placed next to the beri. But more than helplessness, her voice appears laced with sar

Climate change constitutes double-edged sword for Africa: ECA (downtoearth)

On the eve of the 2017 Africa Regional Forum to be kicked off on May 18, a meeting on Sustainable Development advocated for a green transformation and an industrialisation that doesn’t harm the environment. Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Fatima Denton, Director of Special Initiatives Division at the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) said that investing in effective management of environment assets is critical to reducing poverty and hunger and spur inclusive growth on the continent. Denton explained that climate change constitutes a double-edged sword for the continent. “it could constitute Africa’s greatest potential to adapt to impacts and to usher in a new model of sustainable development, but, on other hand, it could also decimate African fragile economies, thus compromising its ability to realize several of SDGs”, argued Denton. Reducing Africa’s carbon emissions would not, she added, harm our economy. Close to 200 million Africans lead insecure lives due to cli

Explainer: why we should be turning waste into fuel (downtoearth)

The federal government recently announced that it is giving recycling company ResourceCo a loan of A$30 million to build two waste-to-fuel plants producing “solid waste fuel”. The Conversation Waste-to-energy is an important part of the waste industry in Europe. Significant demand for heat means efficient and tightly controlled waste incinerators are common. However, Australia lacks an established market, with low levels of community acceptance and no clear government policy encouraging its uptake. But the federal announcement, coupled with an uptake in state funding, a New South Wales parliamentary inquiry and several new projects in the pipeline, signals a growing interest in waste-to-energy and waste-to-fuels. But what is solid waste fuel, and where does it fit in a sustainable future for Australian waste management? What are solid waste fuels? Australians are becoming more wasteful. The amount of rubbish we produce is growing more rapidly than both our population and our

Secrets behind T. rex’s bone-crushing bites unveiled (hindu)

T. rex's long, conical teeth generated an astounding 431,000 pounds per square inch of bone-failing tooth pressures The giant Tyrannosaurus rex pulverised bones by biting down with forces equalling the weight of three small cars while simultaneously generating world record tooth pressures, according to a new study. Researchers, including those from Florida State University in the U.S., said that T. rex could pulverise bones — a capacity known as extreme osteophagy that is typically seen in living carnivorous mammals such as wolves and hyenas, but not reptiles whose teeth do not allow for chewing up bones. They found that this prehistoric reptile could chow down with nearly 8,000 pounds of force, which is more than two times greater than the bite force of the largest living crocodiles. At the same time, their long, conical teeth generated an astounding 431,000 pounds per square inch of bone-failing tooth pressures. This allowed T. rex to drive open cracks in bone during r