Which of the following state assembly are recently passed a resolution seeking the inclusion of Sarna as a separate religion?
1.Jharkhand
2.Odisha
3.Assam
4.Chhattisgarh
Answer: (a) Jharkhand
Explanation:
In NEWS: Jharkhand Assembly passes resolution on Sarna Code
The Jharkhand Assembly has unanimously passed a resolution seeking the inclusion of Sarna as a separate religion in Census, 2021. Hence option (a) is correct
- A separate column for tribes as a religious identity was included in the census from 1871 to 1951, but was subsequently dropped.
- Currently, citizens can choose from only six religions: Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism.
- If the Centre approves the new Sarna code, Census 2021 would have to make space for a new religion.
- The population of Sarna tribals in the state has declined from the 38.3 per cent in 1931 to 26.02 per cent in 2011. One of the reasons for this was tribals who go for work in different states not being recorded in the Census.In other states, they are not counted as Tribals.
About The Sarna Religion
- The followers of Sarna faith believe pray to nature.
- The holy grail of the faith is “Jal (water), Jungle (forest), Zameen (land)” and its followers pray to the trees and hills while believing in protecting the forest areas.
- Jharkhand has 32 tribal groups of which eight are from Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups.
- While many follow Hindu religion, some have converted to Christianity — this has become one of the planks of demanding a separate code “to save religious identity”— as various tribal organisations put it.
Consider the following statements regardingCrew-1 mission
1.It is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
2.It aims to make access to space easier in terms of its cost, so that cargo and crew can be easily transported to and from the ISS, enabling greater scientific research.
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: Explained: What is SpaceX-NASA’s upcoming Crew-1 mission launch?
- SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft will lift off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida carrying a crew of four people to the International Space Station (ISS) on a six-month-long mission.
What is the Crew-1 mission?
- The mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, whose objective is to make access to space easier in terms of its cost, so that cargo and crew can be easily transported to and from the ISS, enabling greater scientific research. Hence statements 1 and 2 are correct
- The Crew-1 mission will launch the agency’s astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) mission specialist Soichi Noguchi from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. At the ISS, the crew will join the members of Expedition 64, the space station crew currently in residence at the ISS.
What will members of Crew-1 do at the ISS?
- The goals of the mission are the same as that of Expedition 1 that lifted off 20 years ago. NASA has called both of these ISS missions “historic”. At the ISS, the Crew-1 team will join members of Expedition 64 and conduct microgravity studies and deliver new science hardware and experiments that they will carry with them to space aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft.
- Some of the research that the crew is carrying with themselves includes materials to investigate food physiology, which will study the effects of dietary improvements on immune function and the gut microbiome and how those improvements can help crews adapt to spaceflight. Once in orbit, NASA astronaut Glover will collect samples to provide data to scientists back on Earth so that they can continue to study how dietary changes affect his body.
Qilian Mountains are associated with which of the following region?
1.Uganda
2.Canada
3.Myanmar
4.China
Answer: (d) China
Explanation:
In NEWS: Glaciers in China’s Qilian mountains melting at ‘shocking’ pace
Glaciers in China’s bleak Qilian mountains are disappearing at a shocking rate as global warming brings unpredictable change and raises the prospect of crippling, long-term water shortages, scientists say. Hence option (d) is correct
- The largest glacier in the 800-km mountain chain on the arid northeastern edge of the Tibetan plateau has retreated about 450 metres since the 1950s, when researchers set up China’s first monitoring station to study it.
- The 20-square kilometre glacier, known as Laohugou No. 12, is criss-crossed by rivulets of water down its craggy, grit-blown surface. It has shrunk by about 7% since measurements began, with melting accelerating in recent years, scientists say.
- Equally alarming is the loss of thickness, with about 13 metres of ice disappearing as temperatures have risen
Dangerous change
- Global warming is also blamed for changes in the weather that have brought other unpredictable conditions. Snowfall and rain has at times been much less than normal, so even though the melting glaciers have brought more runoff, farmers downstream can still face water shortages for their crops of onions and corn and for their animals.
- The new fluctuations also bring danger.
About Qilian Mountains
- It is a rugged mountain range on the border of Qinghai and Gansu provinces i.e. west-central China.
- The vast ice reservoir is the most important water source for agricultural, industrial, and public use in the Hexi (Gansu) corridor to the north and the Qaidam Basin to the south.
- It is also known as Chinese (Pinyin) Qilian Shan or Wade-Giles romanization and also called Nan Shan.
- The range stretches from the south of Dunhuang to the southeast, forming the northeastern escarpment of the Tibetan Plateau and the southwestern border of the Hexi Corridor.
- Its only mountain pass is known as Biandukou, which connects Minle County in Gansu to Qilian County in Qinghai.
Consider the following statements regardingOperation Thunder 2020
1.It is coordinated by the INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization
2.It was organized against the environmental crime
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: Operation Thunder 2020: India Customs intercepts 18 tonnes red sandalwood
- The India Customs intercepted an 18-tonne shipment of red sandalwood destined for the United Arab Emirates, during a month-long “Operation Thunder 2020”, coordinated by the Interpol and the World Customs Organization, which involved law enforcement agencies in 103 countries. Hence statements 1 and 2 are correct
- The operation against environmental crime was held from September 14 to October 11. It resulted in large seizures of protected wildlife and forestry specimens and products, triggering arrests and investigations worldwide
- Operation Thunder 2020’ resulted in more than 2,000 seizures of wildlife and forestry products
- The participating countries in Operation Thunder 2020 focused mainly on the species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
- “Operation Thunder 2020” is the fourth in a series of “Thunder” operations carried out annually since 2017.
Which of the following statement is not correct regarding ‘Recession’
1.A significant decline in economic activity spreads across the economy and can last from a few months to more than a year.
2.It is a prolonged period of economic recession marked by a significant decline in income and employment.
3.When the GDP contracts for a long enough period, the economy is said to be in a recession.
4.Both (a) and (b) is not correct
Answer: b) It is a prolonged period of economic recession marked by a significant decline in income and employment.
Explanation:
In NEWS: Explained: What is technical recession?
- A significant decline in economic activity spreads across the economy and can last from a few months to more than a year.
- Depression is a prolonged period of economic recession marked by a significant decline in income and employment. Hence option (b) is not correct.
- When the GDP contracts for a long enough period, the economy is said to be in a recession.
- During a recession, a significant decline in economic activity spreads across the economy and can last from a few months to more than a year.
- Technical recession: To get around these empirical technicalities, commentators often consider a recession to be in progress when real GDP has declined for at least two consecutive quarters.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/what-is-a-technical-recession-indian-economy-coronavirus-7049758/
Which of the following sectors have been notified under the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme
1.Pharmaceutical drugs
2.Advanced Chemistry cell Battery
3.Telecom and Networking products
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
- 1 and 3 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 2 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Explanation:
In NEWS: Centre unveils PLI to encourage domestic manufacturing in 10 more sectors
The Union Cabinet has given its approval to introduce the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme in the following 10 key sectors for Enhancing India’s Manufacturing Capabilities and Enhancing Exports.
Sectors (and Implementing Ministry/Department):
- Advance Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery: NITI Aayog and Department of Heavy Industries.
- Electronic/Technology Products: Department of Heavy Industries
- Automobiles & Auto Components: Department of Heavy Industries.
- Pharmaceuticals drugs: Department of Pharmaceuticals
- Telecom & Networking Products: Department of Telecom
- Textile Products (MMF segment and technical textiles): Ministry of Textiles
- Food Products: Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
- High Efficiency Solar PV Modules: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
- White Goods (ACs & LED): Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.
- Specialty Steel: Ministry of Steel. Hence all the statements are correct.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-unveils-pli-to-encourage-domestic-manufacturing-in-10-more-sectors/article33077118.ece
With reference to INS vagir, consider the following statements
1.Indian Naval Ship (INS) Vagir is the fifth among the Kalvari-class submarines.
2.It is a kalvari class diesel electric submarine.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
Explanation:
In NEWS: A look at Kalvari class of submarines and its strategic significance
- Indian Naval Ship (INS) Vagir is the fifth among the six Kalvari-class submarines being constructed by the public sector shipbuilder Mazagon Dock Ltd (MDL) in Mumbai. Hence statement 1 is correct.
- The other vessels in the class are INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj, INS Vela and INS Vagsheer.
- Of these Kalvari and Khanderi have been commissioned in 2017 and 2019, Vela and Karanj and undergoing sea trials, Vagir has now been launched and Vagsheer is under construction.
Consider the following statements
1.Civil contempt means willful disobedience of any judgment, decree, direction, order, writ or other process of a court, or willful breach of an undertaking given to a court.
2.Criminal contempt is attracted by the publication whether by words, spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representations of any matter.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
Explanation:
In News: What is ‘contempt of court’, and why does the A-G have to consent to these proceedings?
- According to the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, contempt of court can either be civil contempt or criminal contempt.
- Civil contempt means willful disobedience of any judgment, decree, direction, order, writ or other process of a court, or willful breach of an undertaking given to a court. Hence statement 1 is correct.
- Criminal contempt, on the other hand, is attracted by the publication (whether by words, spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representations, or otherwise) of any matter or the doing of any other act whatsoever which: hence statement 2 is correct.
- scandalizes or tends to scandalize, or lowers or tends to lower the authority of, any court; or
- prejudices, or interferes or tends to interfere with, the due course of any judicial proceeding; or
- Interferes or tends to interfere with, or obstructs or tends to obstruct, the administration of justice in any other manner.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-contempt-of-court-attorney-general-7049560/
Consider the following statements regardingIndia Post Payment Bank
1.It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Deparment of Post, with 100 percent Government of India equity.
2.It can accept deposits of up to 1 lakh per customer
3.Like traditional banks, this bank can issue loans and credit cards.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
- 1 and 3 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 2 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (c) 1 and 2 only
Explanation:
In NEWS: India Post Payment Bank launches doorstep service to submit digital life certificate
- India Post Payments Bank, IPPB have successfully launched the initiative of doorstep service for submission of Digital Life Certificate through Postman. The facility to submit life certificate online through Jeevan Pramaan Portal was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November, 2014 with the objective to provide a convenient and transparent facility to pensioners for submission of Life Certificate
- In order to make this facility available across the country, Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare roped in the India Post Payments Bank to utilise its huge network of Postmen and Gramin Dak Sevaks in providing doorstep facility to pensioners for submission of life certificate digitally.
About India Post Payments Bank
- IPPB aims to provide every household in India an access to efficient banking services and enable them to become financially secure and empowered.
- India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) was setup under the Department of Post, Ministry of Communication with 100% equity owned by Government of India. IPPB was launched as a pilot project on 30 January 2017 in Ranchi (Jharkhand) and Raipur (Chhattisgarh), with the objective of being present across India by the FY 2018-2019. Hence statements 1 is correct
- It will be governed by Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
- The IPPB presents banking with a difference which aims to provide simple, inclusive, convenient and efficient banking system to the nation.
- The IPPB’s economic and premium technology setup for payment and settlements provides the masses with affordable solutions delivered to the last mile.
- The IPPB will offer a range of products such as savings and current accounts, money transfer, direct benefit transfer, bill and utility payments, enterprise and merchant payments.
- The customers will be able to access all products and services across various channels including over-the-counter services, micro ATM, mobile banking app, text messages, phone calls.
- The maximum limit on deposits for current and savings account is Rs 1 lakh. Hence statements 2 is correct
- The bank offers a 4 per cent interest rate on savings account.
- They can issue debit cards and ATM cards, but they cannot issue credit cards and cannot loan money. Hence statements 3 is incorrect
Which part of the Constitution of India declares the ideal of Welfare State?
1.Directive Principles of State Policy
2.Fundamental Rights
3.Preamble
4.Seventh Schedule
Answer: (a) Directive Principles of State Policy
Explanation:
A welfare state is a concept of government where the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well -being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those unable to avail themselves of the minimal provisions for a good life. The Directive Principles of State Policy embody the concept of a ‘welfare state’. Hence option (a) is correct
