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Q- Arrange these countries from west to east: 1. Kuwait 2. Bahrain 3. Qatar 4. UAE A. 1-3-4-2 B. 1-2-3-4 C. 3-1-2-4 D. 3-2-1-4 Q- Consider the following statements about Nepal. 1. Nepal is a land locked country. 2. Nepal is the member of commonwealth of Nations. Which of the above statements is/are true A.      only 1 B.      only 2 C.      Both 1 & 2 D.     Neither 1 nor 2 Q- The most important strategy for the conservation of biodiversity together with traditional human life is the establishment of. A. biosphere reserves B. botanical gardens C. national parks D. wildlife sanctuaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Answer  1-B , 2-A , 3-A

Q- Consider the following statements: (1) WPI measure price rise at the wholesale level where wholesale means sale in large quantities and meant for resale. (2) Producer Price Index means the prices of goods as they are sold to the whole sales by the producers. (3) The price of electricity in the CPI is the Industrial tariff & not the consumer tariff. which among the above is/are correct? (a) only 1 & 2 are correct (b) all the above are correct. (c) none of the above is correct. (d) only 1 is correct Q- Which of the following is correct regarding 2007 OR10? A. It is fastest missile system developed by Russia B. It is the fastest stealth plane developed by Israel C. It is a third largest dwarf planet D. None Q- What does venture capital mean? A. A short-term capital provided to industries B. A long-term start-up capital provided to new entrepreneurs C. Funds provided to industries at times of incurring losses D. Funds provided for replacement and renovat

Q- Which of the following is correct regarding Mindanao Trench? 1. The world’s second deepest spot underwater 2. It is in the floor of the Philippine Sea 3. The Philippine Sea Plate is subducting under the Philippine Mobile Belt A. 1 and 2 only B. 2 and 3 only C. 1 and 3 only D. All Q- With reference to National Rural Health Mission, which of the following are the jobs of ‘ASHA’, a trained community health worker? 1. Accompanying women to the health facility for antenatal care checkup 2 . Using pregnancy test kits for early detection of pregnancy 3. Providing information on nutrition and immunization 4. Conducting the delivery of baby Select the correct answer using the codes given below : A. 1, 2 and 3 only B. 2 and 4 Only C. 1 and 3 only D. 1, 2, 3 & 4 Q- The area known as ‘Golan Heights’ sometimes appears in the news in the context of the events related to a) Central Asia b) Middle East c) South-East Asia d) Central Africa. . . . . . . . . .

Q- Which of the following correctly defines maitri? A. Maitri is India's second permanent research station in Antarctica B. Maitri is India's second permanent research station in Arctic C. Maitri is India's first permanent research station in Antarctica D. Maitri is India's first permanent research station in Arctic Q- Which of the following is correct regarding Indian Internet users? 1. India has close to 35 crore internet users 2. Out of all internet users, 50% is through mobile. A. 1 only B. 2 only C. Both D. None Q- Which of the following is necessary for Paris climate deal to be implemented? 1. Atleast 80% countries should sign it. 2. Atleast 55% of emmissions contributing countries should sign the deal. A. 1 only B. 2 Only C. Both D. None. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Answer 1-A, 2- A,  3-B

Tedros Ghebreyesus, the newly elected Director-General of the World Health Organisation. Reuters/Denis Balibouse Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus is the first African to be elected as the Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in its 70 year history. The WHO is the United Nations body that directs its member states on international health issues. David Sanders explains to The Conversation Africa some of the main challenges Ghebreyesus will face in his five-year term. The Conversation What is the significance of this appointment? This is the first time the entire 194-strong WHO assembly voted for the position. Votes were cast by secret ballot. Previously the organisation’s Executive Board selected the DG. The massive margin for Tedros – 133 votes vs 50 for the UK candidate David Nabarro – suggests that the entire Global South voted for him. The size of the landslide had not been expected. The vote almost certainly represents a vote against big power domination and machinat

Overabundance of a protein called alpha-synuclein has a key role in Parkinson’s disease, which affects more than 10 million people worldwide, says a study. The study done by researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate School (OIST) and is supposed to be published in Journal of Neuroscience says that overabundance of the protein in neuron play crucial role in development of the disease—the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer’s disease. Parkinson’s disease results in declining physical functions, most noticeable of them being uncontrollable tremors. It involves malfunction and eventual death of the nerve cells in our brain. People with Parkinson’s disease also experience stiffness and cannot carry out movement as rapidly as before. There is no cure for this disease and researchers have struggled for years to fully understand its cause. Since 1990s, there has been an understanding that this particular protein causes the diseas

Three years after Narendra Modi-led NDA government came to power, India witnesses unprecedented level of low food inflation. States like Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh have been witnessing farmers’ unrest for quite some time now. Six farmers were killed in police firing in a protest rally held in Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh to demand fair price of their produce and farm loan waiver. On the one hand, middle-class celebrates one of the lowest food inflation rates, and on the other hand farmers get nothing in return of their toil and get killed for demanding fair price of their produce. Food inflation rate in April was 0.31 per cent, which was lower than the inflation rate in January (0.53 per cent). Just one year back, the inflation was hovering around 8.35 per cent. (See table 1) Analysis shows that low food inflation is directly proportional to fair price of produces in the market. As food inflation witnesses a sharp decline, so is the price of produces in agriculture ma

Ocean sciences are led by a small number of industrialised countries although collecting data and taking the measure of the ocean’s health is a global priority considering the economic and environmental stakes involved, according to the Global Ocean Science Report, compiled by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. The Report advocates increased investment into research and calls for greater international scientific cooperation. The Global Ocean Science Report: The Current Status of Ocean Science around the World, will be presented at the United Nations in New York on 8 June, World Ocean Day, as part of the United Nations’ Ocean Conference taking place until 9 June. “The publication marks a turning point in that it is the first such tool developed to help inform countries’ and stakeholders’ decisions and investments in favour of the ocean. It will also play a major role in assessing progress towards meeting Sustainable Development Goal 14, adopted by the United Natio

State of India’s agriculture is back in news. The recent shooting of farmers during a protest in Madhya Pradesh that led to six deaths, and the ongoing protests in Maharashtra for agricultural debt waiver, are two big developments within a week’s time. But these are symptoms of a bigger crisis afflicting agriculture in India. Increasing desertification of India’s soil, is a fundamental threat to agriculture, according to the recently released State of India’s Environment 2017: In Figures book published by the Centre for Science and Environment and Down To Earth magazine. According to this report, nearly 30 per cent of India is degraded or facing desertification. Of India's total geographical area of 328.72 million hectares (MHA), 96.4 MHA is under desertification. In eight states—Rajasthan, Delhi, Goa, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Nagaland, Tripura and Himachal Pradesh—around 40 to 70 per cent of land has undergone desertification. More to it, 26 of 29 Indian states have reported

I was unable to fathom his agony when he consumed pesticide last year; this year I might follow in his footsteps,"says Rahul Athole of Talavada village in Maharashtra’s Beed district as he recounts the events that forced his elder brother, Sahibrao, to take his life. At 33, Sahibrao was full of beans. Within two years of managing his one-hectare (ha) family land, he proved wrong all those who said agriculture was not remunerative: he converted his mud house into a brick-and-plaster one and paid back the housing loan of Rs 1.5 lakh. In 2012, he borrowed Rs 2.1 lakh to grow cash crops. He planted sweet lime and watermelon on a small patch and cotton on the rest. Unfortunately, that year the rains failed. All the eight districts, including Beed, that make up the Marathwada region, faced one of the worst droughts in recent history. Sahibrao tried to recover the losses the next year, but 2013 did not prove to be a good year either. Freak hailstorm and unseasonal rains in March 2014

Social boycotts and no-triple-talaq conditions in prenuptial contracts will not bring gender justice Ever since the Attorney General told the Supreme Court that the government will bring in a comprehensive divorce law for Muslims if the court outlaws triple talaq, some commentators have been arguing that the wider and more liberal right of divorce of Muslim women should not be taken away for the sake of judicial oversight of divorces. Some of the options Before we go into the necessity for judicial oversight of divorces, the question that needs to be answered is: Do Muslim women really have equal right to divorce in India? Let’s examine some of the options that are spoken of as liberal rights of Muslim women. Faskh: This is not the equivalent of talaq-e-bid’a (instant triple divorce) where women can unilaterally divorce their husbands in one go without judicial intervention. In faskh, the woman approaches the Qazi and it is he who annuls the marriage on her behalf provided he f

Setbacks to the Neutrino Observatory show the need to garner public support for scientific research India’s wait to join the elite club of countries undertaking neutrino research suffered a procedural delay in March this year when the National Green Tribunal (NGT) suspended the environmental clearance (EC) granted to the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO), and ordered it to file a fresh application for clearance. The proposed INO project primarily aims to study atmospheric neutrinos in a 1,300-m deep cavern in the Bodi West Hills in Theni district, Tamil Nadu. If completed, the INO would house the largest magnet in the world, four times more massive than the European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN’s Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector’s magnet. Neutrinos are tiny particles, almost massless, that travel at near light speeds. Born from violent astrophysical events such as exploding stars and gamma ray bursts, they are abundant in the universe, and can move as easily th

Given India’s recent foreign policy fluidity, the sustainability of its SCO membership is in doubt The phrase “Where you stand depends on where you sit”, also called ‘Miles’s Law’, was coined by Rufus Miles, an American bureaucrat who served as Assistant Secretary to three U.S. Presidents (Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson), essentially to describe how one’s policy changes according to one’s location and the company one keeps. As India takes its place as a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Astana, many are wondering just ‘where’ Indian foreign policy stands on the basis of where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is sitting, along with Russia, China, Central Asian states and Pakistan (which is also being admitted this year). An SCO membership has many obvious advantages: being a part of a major security coalition in Asia, with easy access to the energy-rich ‘stans’, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. It is an important forum on counter-terror

A big push on private investment is needed. But social harmony is also a prerequisite for faster growth The National Income numbers for 2016-17 have been released. What do they convey? What do they hold for the immediate future? Briefly, this is the picture. Recent revisions in the Index of Industrial Production and Wholesale Price Index do not alter the annual growth rates for the recent years. The differences are in one or two decimal points. The growth rate for 2015-16 is estimated at 8%. The growth rate for 2016-17 is 7.1%, which is the same as forecast a few months ago. Impact of demonetisation It is the numbers for the fourth quarter of 2016-17, that is, for the quarter January-March 2017, which has attracted much attention. The numbers are being scanned with a critical eye to know what impact demonetisation had on the economy. The overall growth rate of GDP is 6.1%, which is nearly 1% below the growth rate for the previous quarter at 7%. The year-on-year decline is, how

Heightened Iran-Saudi Arabia tensions put regional security in West Asia at further risk Wednesday’s attacks in Tehran targeted the two most significant symbols of the 1979 Revolution — the Parliament and the tomb of Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic. The terrorists clearly wanted to send a message to the Iranian state, and they retained the element of surprise. Though it is involved in the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, Iran has so far largely remained insulated from the regional crises. The attack, the first major terror incident in Iran in many years, suggests that even the formidable security cover put in place by the elite Revolutionary Guards can be breached by terrorists. The IS immediately claimed responsibility for the attack that killed 12 people. For the IS, Iran is the main adversary in West Asia, for both ideological and strategic reasons. The IS has thrived on anti-Shia sectarianism and persistently attacked Shia Muslims, mainl