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Q- Which of the following is correct regarding ease of doing business index? 1. This report is released by IMF 2. India ranked 130 in the index given in 2016 A. 1 only B. 2 only C. Both D. None Q- The Bosporus Strait connects which of the following? (a) Black Sea with Sea of Marmara (b) Sea of Azov with Black Sea (c) Sea of Marmara with Aegean Sea (d) None of the above Q- Which of the following is correct regarding interest subvention scheme for farmers to 2017-18? 1. It is given to all the farmers in India 2. Under this scheme interest free loans are given A. 1 only B. 2 only C. Both D. None. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Answer  1-B,  2-A,  3-D

Q- Arrange the following countries east to west. Germany, France, Turkey, Spain A) Spain, France, Germany, Turkey B) France, Spain, Turkey, Germany C) Turkey, Germany, France, Spain D) Germany, Turkey, France, Spain Q- Kalariyapattu martial art exercise originate in which state? a) Kerala b) Punjab c) Haryana d) Karnataka Q- 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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Answer  1-C,  2-A,  3-3

Q- With reference to the ‘Trans-Pacific Partnership’, consider the following statements 1. It is an agreement among all the Pacific Rim countries except China and Russia. 2. It is a strategic alliance for the purpose of maritime security only. 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- Who among the following is/are members of cabinet committee on security? 1. Prime Minister 2. Home Minister 3. External Affairs minister A. 1,2 only B. 2,3 only C. 1,3 only D. All Q- The Arabian Sea branch of the monsoon is much more powerful than the Bay of Bengal branch because a) Arabian sea is larger than the Bay of Bengal. b) entire Arabian sea current advances towards India, whereas only a part of the Bay of Bengal current enters India. c) both (a) and (b) d) none is correct because Bay of Bengal branch is more powerful.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Answer 1-...

Q- What is the meaning of coral bleaching? a. Paling of coral color or decline in zooxanthellae due to climate change b. Impacts of excessive sea trade on fishing industry c. Both a and b d. None of the above Q- Which of the following is correct regarding Shangri-La Dialogue? 1. It has been held in Singapore since 2002 2. It is a Track One international governmental security forum A. 1 only B. 2 only C. Both D. None Q- Which one of the following is used in the treatment of blood cancer? a) Iodine – 131. b) Sodium – 24. c) Phosphorus – 32. d) Cobalt – 60.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Answer 1-A,  2-C,  3-D

Q- Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding Nuclear suppliers Group? 1. It was established after India’s first nuclear test. 2. Imp Decision in NSG are taken on the basis of two-third majority. 3. Presently there are 48 members in NSG A. 1,2 B. 2,3 C. 1,3 D. All Q- Which of the following statements are correct regarding Public Accounts of India? 1. It includes Provident fund, National small savings fund etc. 2. Government needs parliaments approval to spend money from public accounts of India A. 1 only B. 2 only C. Both D. None. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Answer  1-C,  2-A

Q- With reference to the use of nano-technology in health sector, which of the following stments 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- Which of the following is part of Indradhanush plan to revamp banks? 1. It is applicable to both public and private sector to make them compatible to Basel III norms 2. An Independent authority Bank Board Bureau would be made under this plan A. 1 only B. 2 only C. Both D. None Q- 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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...

In the north lies Lake Victoria—Africa's largest lake. To the west is Lake Tanganyika—the continent's deepest lake known for its unique species of fish. Situated parallel to Lake Tanganyika is Lake Rukwa, a water body in southwestern Tanzania that has the largest population of crocodiles in the country. In the words of January Makamba, Minister of State in the Vice President's Office for Union Affairs and Environment, the ecologically-sensitive region has experienced "colossal environmental degradation". This observation was made in October 2016. Six months later, in April 2017, the Shared Resources Joint Solutions (SRJS) Initiative was launched in collaboration with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Netherland (IUCN NL) and World Wildlife Fund, Netherlands (WWF NL) with an objective saving the lake and the entire Rukwa-Katavi landscape from further degradation. First, the concern The alkaline Lake ...

The global demand for coal fell for the second year in a row, according to a study by BP, a multinational oil and gas company. In 2016, global consumption declined by 53 million tonnes or 1.7 per cent, reflecting a shift in the fuel mix away from coal towards lower carbon fuels. The largest dip in coal use was recorded in two of its largest consumers—China and USA. Consumption in the UK more than halved, falling by 52.5 per cent. The country closed down its last three underground coal mines and its consumption has reduced to levels seen during the industrial revolution, some 200 years ago. US’s power sector its first-ever coal free day in April 2017, going a whole day without producing electricity from coal. World coal production fell by 6.2 per cent, the largest decline on record, largely dictated by decline in China (where production fell by 7.9 per cent) and USA (where production fell by 19 per cent). The trend, which up until four years ago was the largest source of energy dem...

Cracking the whip on 10 State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) for ad-hoc appointments, the National Green Tribunal has ordered the termination of Chairpersons of these regulatory authorities. The concerned states are Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Rajasthan, Telangana, Haryana, Maharashtra and Manipur. The order was given last week by the principal bench of the NGT, chaired by Justice Swatanter Kumar. The recent order of June 8, 2017, comes as a follow-up to an NGT judgment given in August 2016. In that judgment, the NGT had issued directions on appointments of Chairmen and Member Secretaries of the SPCBs, emphasising on crucial roles they have in pollution control and abatement. It then specified required qualifications as well as tenure of the authorities. States were required to act on the orders within three months and frame Rules for appointment [See Box: Highlights of the NGT judgment of 2016 on criteria for SPCB chairperson appointment]. Having ...

Engineering students at Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee have developed a mobile app that can help farmers practice precision agriculture, particularly in application of precise amount of fertilisers. By determining health of the crops using hyperspectral imaging of crop leaves, the app could help in rational use of fertilisers. The app has won IIT Roorkee students the Ericsson Innovation Award 2017. Over 900 teams from 75 countries participated in the global contest for developing innovative ICT ideas on the theme of ‘Future of Food’. Farmers apply fertilisers based on their experience rather than any rational input. Therefore, if they chose not to apply, perhaps they may be taking a risk and suffer economic losses. On the other hand, excessive application spoils the soil and damages the environment. “If only the farmers can know the health status of the plant, then they can make a more rational choice. The app developed by our students would be handy to the farmers. They w...

Nostalgia may be useful, but it cannot make up for a lack of substantive drivers in India-Russia ties There has been a certain depressing pattern in India-Russia relations over the past decade. Annual summit-level meetings have been marked by expressions of nostalgia for the glory days of Indo-Soviet friendship , declarations of solemn intent to take contemporary relations to new heights and highlighting common perspectives even as the two countries mostly go their respective ways. The St. Petersburg Declaration issued at the end of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Russia appears not much different in this respect. Convergences, divergences This is not to say that the two countries do not continue to have important convergent interests. Certainly there are specific areas such defence hardware and technology, nuclear energy and oil and gas where their cooperation is of mutual benefit. There may even exist longer-term convergence in helping shape a multipolar internat...

Without government support, farmers pay the price for a bumper crop they labour so hard to produce The ongoing farmers’ agitation has taken on a shockingly violent form. Discussion has revolved around an apparent paradox: why are farmers rioting after a bumper crop? But any student of economics knows that prices fall after bumper harvests, which is good for consumers but terrible for farmers. This is why the government needs to step in to buy from farmers at a minimum support price, while subsidising consumers so that they get affordable food. This is what we have done over the last fifty years after setting up the Food Corporation of India (FCI) in 1965. If this system has been in place for so long, why are we still lurching from crisis to crisis? For long, we have said that the solution is to get people off farming. While there is no doubt we need to create more jobs in manufacturing, we must not forget that even in the year 2050, according to the latest projections, there will ...

An improved land acquisition Act heralds speedier expansion of irrigation projects Procuring land is an important precondition for implementing large infrastructure projects. Most irrigation projects require substantial tracts of land that could be justified on the basis of a proper cost-benefit analysis. By and large, one unit of land required for an irrigation project can serve around 20-25 times the area of the fields of farmers. The overall land required for irrigation projects in Telangana is estimated to be about four lakh acres, to serve 100 lakh acres of farmland. Out of the total land required, Telangana had about 2.5 lakh acres, mostly done through consent award for irrigation projects in place at the time of enactment of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act 2013. Subsequently, several factors slowed down land acquisition in the State as well as the country. Facets of the 2013 Act Efforts...

India needs to negotiate the world of big data technology with adequate safeguards With the Supreme Court turning its gaze on privacy issues associated with Aadhaar, can we take a moment to look to the myriad ways in which our privacy is being assaulted in the digital world? When my neighbour across the street got too curious about my life, I installed curtains to block his gaze. But what about when the invisible drones at Facebook send him a message that one of my colleagues has tagged me enjoying a music festival in Goa and he might want to “like” this picture? How do we draw a curtain around our digital lives? Think beyond the nosy neighbour to the corporations that want to utilise minutia of your life to sell products that you may or may not need. Corporations have always been interested in understanding consumer behaviour and been collecting data about users using their products or service. What is unique about Big Data Technology (BDT) is the scale at which this data collect...