1.Which one of the following is the nodal ministry for implementing the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala yojana?
- Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
- Ministry of Panchayati Raj
- Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
- Ministry of Women and Child Development
- Answer: (a) Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
Explanation:
In NEWS:Time limit to avail three free gas cylinders under PM Ujjwala Yojana extended till September 2020.The Government has extended the time limit for availing three free gas cylinders by beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana
About Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana
- Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana is a scheme of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gasfor providing LPG connections to women from Below Poverty Line (BPL) households. Hence option (a) is correct
Objectives:
- Empower women and protect their health
- Reduce the serious health hazards associated with cooking based on fossil fuel
- Reduce the number of deaths in India due to unclean cooking fuel and
- Prevent young children from a significant number of acute respiratory illnesses caused due to indoor air pollution.
Benefits to the citizens
- Under the scheme, an adult woman member of a below poverty line family identified through the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) is given a deposit-free LPG connection with financial assistance of Rs 1,600 per connection by the Centre.
Source: http://newsonair.com/Main-News-Details.aspx?id=393290
‘2.The Mongolian Kanjur’ which was in news recently is associated with
Infectious Diseases
Religious text in Mongolia
Military exercise between India and Mongolia
Mongolian martial art
Answer: (b) Religious text in Mongolia
Explanation:
In NEWS: Ministry of Culture to reprint 108 volumes of Mongolian Kanjur under NMM
- The Ministry of Culture has taken up the project of reprinting of 108 volumes of Mongolian Kanjur under the National Mission for Manus, NMM.
- The first set of five volumes of Mongolian Kanjur published under the NMM was presented to the President Ram Nath Kovind on the occasion of Guru Purnima, also known as Dharma Chakra Day, on 4th July.
About the National Mission for Manus:
- The National Mission for Manus was launched in February 2003 by the Government of India with the mandate of documenting, conserving and disseminating the knowledge preserved in the manus.
Objectives of the mission:
- It is to publish rare and unpublished manus so that the knowledge enshrined in them is spread to researchers, scholars and general public at large.
- Locate manuscripts through national level Survey and Post-Survey
- Conserve manuscriptsincorporating both modern and indigenous methods .
- To promote access to manuscripts by digitizing the rarest and most endangered manuscripts.
- To facilitate public’s engagement with manuscripts through lectures, seminars, publications and other outreach programmes.
About Mongolian Kanjur
- Mongolian Kanjur, is considered to be the most important religious text in Mongoli In the Mongolian language ‘Kanjur’ means ‘Concise Orders’- the words of Lord Buddha.Hence option (b) is correct
- It is held in high esteem by the Mongolian Buddhists and they worship the Kanjur at temples and recite the lines of Kanjur in daily life as a sacred ritual.
- The Kanjur are kept almost in every monasteryin Mongolia.
- Mongolian Kanjur has beentranslated from Tibetan.
- The language of the Kanjur is Classical Mongolian.
- The Mongolian Kanjur is a source of providing a cultural identity to Mongolia.
3.Project Sampark is associated with which of the following?
- National Water Mission
- Swachh Bharat Mission
- Swachh Iconic Place
- Border Roads Organisation
Answer: (d) Border Roads Organisation
Explanation:
In NEWS:Rajnath e-inaugurates 6 bridges near border in J&K
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday e-inaugurated six major bridges built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) close to the International Border and Line of control (LAC)
- The two bridges on the Tarnah Nallah in Kathua District and four bridges located on Akhnoor-Pallanwala road in Akhnoor/Jammu district have spans ranging from 30 to 300 metres and were constructed at a total cost of Rs 43 crores.
About Project Sampark:
- The Project Sampark was raised by Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in 1975 with its Headquarters at Jammu.Hence option (d) is correct
- It has an area of responsibility from PirPanjal Range (in north) to Pathankot (in south) and from Poonch (in west) to Dalhousie (in east), covering about 2200 km of road network.
- The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has been rendering its services via construction and maintenance of roads and bridges in border areas thereby fulfilling strategic needs of Defence Forces.
4.Consider the following statements regarding Project Elephant
It aims to provide financial and technical support for protection of elephants, their habitats and corridors.
It includes only wild elephants and not domestic elephants.
It has been formally implementing Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants program of CITES.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
- 1 and 3 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 2 only
- 1 only
Answer: (a) 1 and 3 only
Explanation:
In NEWS:Elephant found dead in Odisha’s Keonjhar, third within a month
- An analysis of the death cases in Odisha reveals the lack of protection for elephants. Eighty-nine elephants died in the state in 15 months, between April 2019 and July 9, 2020, according to Biswajit Mohanty, a noted environmentalist and secretary of the Wildlife Society of Odisha.
- Out of 89 elephants, 40 died from natural causes, while the reason for 18 deaths could not be ascertained. Seventeen elephants were poached and 10 were electrocuted.
- Project Elephant, the top government-run body for the conservation of elephants, has not announced any measures to curb the number of elephant deaths in Odisha either.
About Project Elephant (PE)
- Project Elephant (PE), a centrally sponsored scheme,was launched in February 1992 to provide financial and technical support to major elephant bearing States in the country for protection of elephants, their habitats and corridors. Hence statement 1 is correct
- It also seeks to address the issues of human-elephant conflict and welfare of domesticated elephants. Hence statement 2 is incorrect
- The Project is being mainly implemented in 16 States / UTs , viz. Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal.
- Project Elephant has been formally implementing MIKE (Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants) programme of CITES in 10 ERs since January 2004. Hence statement 3 is correct
5.Which of the following statements with respect to Malabar Exercise?
- It is an annual exercise between the navies of India, Japan, and the U.S.
- It is a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Exercise between India and USA
- It is a joint military exercise between the ground forces of the UAE, India and the United States
- It is a joint exercise between Coast Guards of India and Malaysia
Answer: (a) It is an annual exercise between the navies of India, Japan, and the U.S
Explanation:
In NEWS: India to take call on Australia’s inclusion in Malabar exercises
- India will take a decision on whether to include Australia in the Malabar exercises with Japan and the U.S. at a Defence Ministry meeting early next week
- The Malabar exercise which has been delayed this year due to the COVID19 pandemic, should take place towards the end of 2020, the source said. The inclusion of Australia in the exercises would mark a major shift for India’s Indo-Pacific plans.
About Malabar exercises
- Malabar began as a bilateral naval exercise between India and the U.S. in 1992, and was expanded into a trilateral format with the inclusion of Japan in 2015.
- It is an annual exercise between the navies of India, Japan, and the U.S. held alternately in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Hence option (a) is correct
6.Consider the following statements regarding Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) 2016
Under this act, the registration certificate granted to the NGO’s with a five year validity.
Under the FCRA Act, registered NGOs can receive foreign contribution for five purposes -social, educational, religious, economic and cultural.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
Explanation:
In NEWS:Three NGOs linked to Congress under Union Home Ministry scanner
- The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has constituted an inter-ministerial committee to probe alleged violation of various legal provisions by three NGOs — the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF), the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT) and the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust (IGMT).
- The violations being probed pertain to the legal provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, the Income Tax Act and the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).
About Foreign Contribution Regulation Act
- FCRA 2010 is a consolidating act passed by the Government of India in the year 2010. It seeks to regulate the foreign contributions or donations and hospitality (air travel, hotel accommodation etc) to Indian organizations and individuals and to stop such contributions which might damage the national interest.
- The registration certificate granted to the NGOs under the 2010 act came with a five year validity. Hence statement 1 is correct
- A separate account needs to be maintainedby the organisations to deposit the Foreign Contributions received and no other funds except for Foreign Contributions shall be deposited in that account.
Any “Person” can receive foreign contribution subject to following conditions
- It must have a definite cultural, economic, educational, religious or social programme. Hence statement 2 is correct.
- It must obtain the FCRA registration / prior permission from the Central Government
Who cannot receive foreign contribution?
- Candidate contesting an election
- Cartoonist, editor, publishers of registered newspaper
- Judge
- Government servants or employee of any corporation
- Member of any legislature
- Political parties
7.Rewa Solar Project is located in which of the following state in India?
Madhya Pradesh
Gujarat
Andhra Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Answer: (a) Madhya Pradesh
Explanation:
In NEWS: PM Modi to dedicate to nation a 750 MW Solar project at MP’s Rewa today
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will today dedicate to the nation a 750 MW Solar project set up at Rewa in Madhya Pradesh. The Rewa project will reduce carbon emission equivalent to about 15 lakh ton of CO2 per year. Hence option (a) is correct.
- The project comprises three solar generating units of 250 megawatt each located on a 500 hectare plot of land situated inside a Solar Park. The Solar Park was developed by the Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Limited (RUMSL).
- The Rewa Solar Project was the first solar project in the country to break the grid parity barrier.
- It has also received the World Bank Group President’s Award for innovation and excellence and was included in the Prime Minister’s “A Book of Innovation: New Beginnings”.
- The Project also exemplifies India’s commitment to attain the target of 175 GW of installed renewable energy capacity by the year 2022, including 100 GW of Solar installed capacity.
8.Consider the following statements regarding Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI)
- It is the only CPSU dedicated to the solar energy sector.
- This company has a power trading license to trading of solar power.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
Explanation:
In NEWS:Sure, pure and secure’: PM Modi inaugurates Asia’s largest solar plant in MP’s Rewa
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Asia’s largest Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Power Project in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa will not only help the state but the entire world as a secure foundation for a clean environment.
- The Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Limited (RUMSL), a joint venture of state-owned Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) and Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (MPUVNL)
- Rewa is identified with the name of mother Narmada and the white tiger.Now, the name of Asia’s largest solar power project has also been added to it.
About Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI)
- It is a Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) under the administrative control of the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
- It was established in 2011to facilitate the implementation of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) and achievement of targets set therein.
- It is the only CPSU dedicated to the solar energy Hence statement 1 is correct.
- It was originally incorporated as a section-25 (not for profit)company under the Companies Act, 1956.
- However the company has recently been converted into a Section-3 company under the Companies Act, 2013.
- The mandate of the company has also been broadened to cover the entire renewable energy domain.
- The company also has a power trading licenseand is active in this domain through trading of solar power from projects set up under the schemes being implemented by it. Hence statement 2 is correct.
9.Consider the following statements
- Rubella is a contagious viral infection that occurs most often in children and young adults.
- There is no specific vaccine and treatment for rubella.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (a) 1 only
Explanation:
In NEWS:Maldives, Sri Lanka eliminate measles and rubella ahead of 2023 deadline
The Maldives and Sri Lanka have become the first two countries in the region to have eliminated both measles and rubella ahead of the 2023 deadline, said the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) South East Asian Region (SEAR) office.
About Rubella (German Measles):
- Rubella is a contagious viralinfection that occurs most often in children and young adults. Hence statement 1 is correct
- Rubella is the leading vaccine-preventable cause of birth defects.Rubella infection in pregnant women may cause fetal death or congenital defects known as Congenital Rubella Syndrome.
- There is no specific treatment for rubella but the disease is preventable by vaccination. Hence statement 2 is incorrect
- Rubella virus is transmitted by the respiratory route and the virus replicates in the nasopharyngeal mucosa and local lymph nodes. Humans are the only known host.
10.With reference to India’s decision to levy an equalization tax of 6% on online advertisement services offered by non resident entities, which of the following statements is/are correct?
- It is introduced as a part of the Income Tax Act.
- Non-resident entities that offer advertisement services in India can claim a tax credit in their home country under the “Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements”.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Explanation:
Statements 1 and 2 are not correct: Equalisation Levy was introduced in India in 2016, with the intention of taxing the digital transactions i.e. the income accruing to foreign e-commerce companies from India. It is aimed at taxing business to business transactions. As the levy was not introduced as part of the Income Tax Act but as a separate legislation under the Finance Bill, global firms that offer such services in India cannot claim a tax credit in their home country under the double taxation avoidance agreements.
