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Q- Consider the following statements about ICJ 1. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN). 2. Seat of the court is in Hague 3. Only UN members are entitled to be the party to the court A. All B. 1, 3 C. 1, 2 D. 2, 3 Q- Amichai settlements are recently seen in news. Which among the following is correct about Amichai settlements? A. It is a settlement between North Korea and South Korea B. It is settlement for Tamil speaking population in Sri Lanka C. It is a settlement by Israel on West Bank D. None of the above Q- Which of the following is correct regarding Kepler mission of NASA? A. It is to discover Earth-size planets orbiting other stars B. It is discover earth-size planets orbiting sun C. It is to studythe impact of solar flare on earth’s communication D. It is to study space phenomena between mars and Jupiter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...

Q- The officer designated by the public authorities to provide information to the citizens requesting for information under the Act is know as (a) Appellate Authority (b) Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) (c) Public Information Officer (PIO) (d) Assistant Public Information Officer Q- Which of the following is correct regarding SAARC? 1. It was established in 1995 2. India has highest HDI among SAARC nations A. 1 only B. 2 only C. Both D. None Q- consider the following statements Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) 1. Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) is an intergovernmental organization of low-lying coastal and small island countries 2. Sri Lanka is the member of AOSIS Which of the above statements is/are true A. only 1 B. only 2 C. both 1 & 2 D. neither 1 nor 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Answer 1-C,  2-D,  3-A

Q- Which of the following is correct regarding cleaning of Ganga? 1. National Green Tribunal is a central agency for National Mission for Clean Ganga 2. NGT plans to clean Ganga in one phase only A. 1 only B. 2 only C. Both D. None Q- Which of the following is correct regarding the Insolvency and Bankruptcy code,2015? 1. The Code creates time-bound processes for insolvency resolution of companies and individuals. These processes will be completed within 180 days. 2. The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) will adjudicate insolvency resolution for companies. 3. The Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) will adjudicate insolvency resolution for individuals. A. 1,2 only B. 2,3 only C. 1,3 only D. All of the above Q- Which of the following is correct regarding inflation measurement in India? 1. All the states have equal weightage in inflation measurement 2. Lower base effect increases the inflation next year A. 1 only B. 2 only C. Both D. None. . . . . . . . . ...

Some revolutions are as important for the way their seeds took root as for the transformation they usher in. Protests and campaigns against genetically modified (GM) crops are routine across the globe but none has resulted in the dramatic denouement witnessed in Burkina Faso, a small impoverished country in West Africa. In this top cotton exporting country, GM or Bt cotton, peddled by agri biotech giant Monsanto under the Bollgard II trademark, has been rolled back completely. And Monsanto itself is, reportedly, exiting Burkina Faso after paying compensation to the cotton companies for the decline in revenues and more significantly for damage to the reputation of Burkina cotton. Those familiar with Monsanto operations worldwide, especially in India where farmers have suffered debilitating losses and destruction of livelihoods, would find this is unprecedented. Monsanto has never acknowledged that its insect-resistant Bt cotton has ever failed although damage to their crop has compel...

Potato peel and fruit pomace (solid remains), generally thrown away as waste, can be turned into packaging material for food products like bread, Indian scientists have demonstrated. Scientists at the Tezpur University in Assam have made thin biopolymer films from potato peels and fruit waste to store food items. The films are 0.3 millimeters thin and can withstand temperatures as high as 200 degree Celsius. They have good breakage strength and elongation capacity. Moreover, they are biodegradable and can be used to store perishable foods such as bread. Potato peel and sweet lime pulp, collected locally, were used for the study. The peel was washed, dried and then grounded to make a fine powder. After chemical treatment, it was poured into glass petri plates and cast into thin biopolymer films. It was cross-linked using calcium chloride to increase strength. During the process, it was also treated with ultrasound waves for 60 minutes that helped in breaking down the polymer partic...

One of the most historical water bodies, Hauz-e-Shamsi, is shrinking. Residents around this water body fear its extinction. Once spread over 100 hectares, this water body (locally known as the Shamsi talaab) has shrunk into a patch of filthy water over the years. Rainwater from nearby catchments is the only source of water to the lake. Due to concretisation, there has been a massive loss in water restored to the lake. “Loss of catchments, dumping of waste, sewage discharge and lack of political will are some of the cited reasons behind the present state of Shamshi talab,” says Lalit Gupta, secretary of the Shamsi Talaab Resident Welfare association (Mehrauli). The water reservoir comes under the purview of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). “Seeing the dismal state of water body, we went to the ASI for support for cleaning and maintaining sufficient water by redirecting surplus water from nearby sewage treatment plants. We only got assurance of regular cleaning, which was als...

Many countries have become more efficient in using natural resources and the services provided by the environment, generating more economic output per unit of carbon emitted and of energy or raw materials consumed. Yet progress is too slow, and if emissions embodied in international trade are included, advances in environmental productivity are more modest, a new OECD report shows. Green Growth Indicators 2017 uses a range of indicators covering everything from land use to CO2 productivity and innovation to show where 46 countries rank on balancing economic growth with environmental pressures over 1990 to 2015. It finds that Denmark, Estonia, the United Kingdom, Italy and the Slovak Republic have made the most progress on green growth since 2000. The report shows that no country is performing well on all green growth dimensions and most of the countries studied are yet to fully disconnect economic growth from fossil fuel use and pollutant emissions. Progress has often been insuffi...

Promoters of GM food need to reach out to consumers in a transparent, engaging manner On May 11, 2017, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) — the scientific committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change — that regulates genetically modified (GM) crops in India — had cleared GM mustard for commercial production. Anti-GM groups immediately opposed the decision and appealed to the Minister for Environment, who gives the final clearance, not to accept the GEAC’s recommendation. Issues at core of opposition The question of whether India should allow commercial production of GM crops has been one of the more enduring public policy debates over the last decade-and-a-half. After the approval of Bt cotton in 2002, the attempt to bring Bt Brinjal into commercial production faced serious resistance in 2010. After the GEAC approved Bt brinjal for commercial production, the then Environment Minister, Jairam Ramesh, placed a moratorium after undertaking ext...

The PM’s meeting with Trump gives India a chance to study its options in a changed world Three years after his first visit to meet U.S. President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Washington for his first meeting with the new President, Donald Trump, on June 26. His visit in 2014 was made easier by a strong Indo-U.S. relationship built steadily over the previous two decades, and grounded in Mr. Obama’s personal commitment to enhancing strategic ties. It also benefited from Mr. Modi’s willingness to let bygones be bygones, over the earlier denial to him of a visa to the U.S., in order to build a new relationship, and his show of diaspora strength in the U.S. Mr. Modi now goes to Washington as a seasoned interlocutor, not the ‘new kid on the world leadership block’ he was in previous visits. But the situation in 2017 is different. In the five months since his inauguration, Mr. Trump has made it clear that no international relationship can be taken for granted, ...