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ADVANCE LEVEL

Economic Survey, Budget & Indian Year Book

INSIGHT GEN.STUDIES & CSAT

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1. D

Budget 2018-19 has announced a major step to help small and marginal farmers in the fisheries and animal

husbandry sector to meet their working capital needs by extending the facility of Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) to the

sector. This would give the benefit of crop loans and interest subvention, so far available to agriculture sector

only under KCC, for rearing of cattle, buffalo, goat, sheep poultry and fisheries.

The Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme was introduced in 1998 for the issue of Kisan Credit Cards to farmers on the

basis of their holdings for uniform adoption by the banks so that farmers may use them to readily purchase

agriculture inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides etc. and draw cash for their production needs. The scheme

was further extended for the investment credit requirement of farmers viz. allied and non-farm activities in the

year 2004.

The Kisan Credit Card Scheme is to be implemented by Commercial Banks, RRBs, Small Finance Banks and

Cooperatives.

Thus, Option D is correct.

2. D

Demand elasticity refers to how sensitive the demand for a good is to changes in other economic variables, such

as the prices and consumer income. Demand elasticity is calculated by taking the percent change in quantity of a

good demanded and dividing it by a percent change in another economic variable.

Engel's law is an observation in economics stating that as income rises, the proportion of income spent on food

falls, even if absolute expenditure on food rises. In other words, the income elasticity of demand of food is

between 0 and 1. The law was named after the statistician Ernst Engel (1821–1896).

Engel's law does not imply that food spending remains unchanged as income increases: It suggests that

consumers increase their expenditures for food products in percentage terms less than their increases in

income.


3. C

DIKSHA will serve as National Digital Infrastructure for teachers. All teachers across the nations will be equipped

with advanced digital technology.

Diksha portal will enable, accelerate and amplify solutions in the realm of teacher education. It will aid teachers

to learn and train themselves for which assessment resources will be available. It will help teachers to create

training content, profile, in-class resources, assessment aids, news and announcement and connect with teacher

community.

ECONOMIC SURVEY, BUDGET & INDIAN YEAR BOOK

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The platform will cater to the teachers from all stages of school education including pre-primary, primary, upper

primary, secondary and senior secondary. All institutions, groups and individuals catering to the above can be

enrolled as members of the platform and can contribute to the creation, curation and use of resources on the

platform.

States, government bodies and even private organisations, can integrate DIKSHA into their respective teacher

initiatives based on their goals, needs and capabilities.

Thus, Option C is correct.

4. C

Labour Force Participation Rate is defined as the section of working population in the age group of 16-64 in the

economy currently employed or seeking employment. People who are still undergoing studies, housewives and

persons above the age of 64 are not reckoned in the labour force.

Only 27% of Indian women are in the labour force–the lowest among BRICS countries; among G-20 countries.

As per Economic Survey 2017-18, the steps taken by the government to improve the labour force participation

rate are:

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is one of the important

schemes which ensures participation by women in the economic activity by stipulating minimum 33

per cent participation by women. About 4.6 crore households were provided employment totaling

177.8 crore person days during 2017-18 as on 14th January, 2018. Out of this, 54 per cent were

generated by women, 22 per cent by Schedule Castes and 17 per cent by Schedule Tribes. Trends from

2013-14 to 2017-18 show that participation by women in the total person days generated has been

more than 50 per cent.

Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) - For economic empowerment of women

through promoting the spirit of creating self-employment ventures, Mahila E-Haat, an initiative for

meeting aspirations and needs of women entrepreneurs has been launched with the objective to

provide an e-marketing platform by leveraging technology for showcasing product

made/manufactured/sold by women entrepreneurs/SHGs/NGOs. This is impacting directly and

indirectly over 26000 SHGs and 3.75 lakh beneficiaries.

As per the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017, the women are entitled to enhanced maternity

leave for a period of 26 weeks (6 months) working in registered establishment under any Central or

State law. It has been made mandatory for the establishments employing 50 or more employees to

provide crèche facility, either separately or along with common facilities within a prescribed distance.

Economic Survey observed that for leadership development and to address women’s issues at village levels,

Mahila Shakti Kendra scheme has been launched at the village level. This will improve the access of rural women

to services of health, education, addressing violence, employment, savings etc. Also, this will empower rural

women through community participation to create an environment in which they realize their full potential.

Thus, this scheme is not aimed directly to improve the female lbour force participation in an economy.





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5. C

Salient Features of the National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS)

The scheme has the benefit cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family per year.

The target beneficiaries of the proposed scheme will be more than 10 crore families belonging to poor

and vulnerable population based on SECC database.

This cover will take care of almost all secondary care and most of tertiary care procedures. To ensure

that nobody is left out (especially women, children and elderly) there will be no cap on family size and

age in the scheme.

AB-NHPM will subsume the on-going centrally sponsored schemes – Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana

(RSBY) and the Senior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme (SCHIS).

The benefits of the scheme are portable across the country and a beneficiary covered under the scheme

will be allowed to take cashless benefits from any public/private empanelled hospitals across the

country.

State Governments will be allowed to expand AB-NHPM both horizontally and vertically. States will be

free to choose the modalities for implementation. They can implement through insurance company or

directly through Trust/ Society or a mixed model.

For giving policy directions and fostering coordination between Centre and States, it is proposed to set

up Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission Council (AB-NHPMC) at apex level Chaired by

Union Health and Family Welfare Minister.


6. B

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) provides for the establishment of three new institutional structures

whose functioning will be critical for the smooth implementation of the IBC -

A regulator, to be called the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India. The regulator's mandate is to

regulate insolvency professionals, insolvency professional agencies and information utilities as well as to

frame regulations under the IBC.

A new profession of insolvency professionals and insolvency professional agencies, and

Information utilities to collect and store information on debts and defaults.

The regulator's mandate is to regulate insolvency professionals, insolvency professional agencies and

information utilities as well as to frame regulations under the IBC. Insolvency resolution cases will be heard by

the National Company Law Tribunals ("NCLTs") in the case of corporate debtors and the Debt Recovery Tribunals

("DRTs") in the case of individuals, partnerships and unincorporated entities.

NCLT was set up under Companies Act, 2013

Debt Recovery Tribunals was set up under Recovery of Debt Due to Banks and Financial Institutions Act,

1993.

Thus, Option B is correct.




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7. A

Statement I is correct: Market Stabilization scheme (MSS) is a monetary policy intervention by the RBI to

withdraw excess liquidity (or money supply) by selling government securities in the economy. The MSS was

introduced in April 2004.

Initially, the MSS was launched to withdraw the excess liquidity in the system that was generated as a result of

the RBI’s purchase of foreign currencies in the foreign exchange market. From 2002 onwards, there was huge

inflow of foreign capital into India. This led to the appreciation of rupee. Since appreciation is not good for

exports, the RBI intervened in the foreign exchange market by buying dollars. To buy dollars, the RBI has to give

rupees. In this way, high selling of rupees led to the excess liquidity (rupee) in the market, thereby creating a

potential for inflation. To overcome this situation, the RBI has sold government bonds on a general basis

depending upon the volume of excess liquidity in the system. Here bonds go to financial institutions and money

goes back to the RBI. This withdrawal of excess liquidity is called sterilisation.

Statement II is correct: The money obtained under MSS should be kept with the RBI. It should not be

transferred to the government. This is because, if it is transferred, government will spend the money in the

economy thereby adding to liquidity.

Statement III is correct: The issued securities are government bonds and they are called as Market Stabilisation

Bonds (MSBs). Thus, the bonds issued under MSS are called MSBs. These securities are owned by the

government though they are issued by the RBI. The securities or bonds/T-bills issued under MSS are purchased

by financial institutions. They will get an interest for purchasing the securities. Thus, they are not zero-coupon

bonds.

Thus, Option A is correct.

8. B

CRR is the percentage of a bank’s time and demand liabilities that needs to be kept as cash with RBI. It is one of

the tools that the central bank uses to control the total liquidity in the banking system.

Reverse Repo Auctions usually helps in managing daily excess liquidity. It’s a facility where banks can earn on

their excess funds through the RBI in exchange for government securities.

Open Market Operations (OMOs) is another format used to buy or sell government securities to manage

liquidity.

In the case of Market Stabilisation Scheme (MSS), fresh issuance of bonds is made to soak up liquidity.

Operationally and financially, this is a costlier option to have. The bonds transacted in the market stabilisation

scheme are also g-secs but issued specifically for a particular situation with approved from the government.

Compared to the CRR change—which is a quick, temporary, less costly and a more flexible option for the

RBI—the others have a cost attached and require higher operational involvement.

Unlike the reverse repo window, OMO is a more durable, long-term action. Reverse repo transactions can be

undone with banks giving the securities back to the RBI, which is not possible with OMO.





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9. C

Gender Parity Index (GPI) in education is a valuable indicator which reflects the discrimination against girls in

access to educational opportunities. It is released by the UNESCO.

In higher education, gender disparities still prevail in enrolment for which continuous efforts are being made by

the Government to improve net intake rate for women in higher education. With consistent efforts by the

Government through programmes like Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao, the GPI has improved substantially at the

primary and secondary levels of enrolment.


10. C

ICDS scheme aims at the holistic development of children upto 6 years of age and to meet the nutritional

needs of pregnant women and lactating mothers. Recently, rationalization, restructuring and continuation of

four child centric schemes such as (a) Anganwadi Services (in place of ICDS); (b) Scheme for Adolescent Girls

(SAG) (in place of SABLA); (c) Child Protection Services (in place of Integrated Child Protection Scheme) and (d)

National Crèche Scheme (in place of Rajiv Gandhi National Crèche Scheme) of the Ministry under ‘Umbrella

Integrated Child Development Services’ Scheme has been approved by the Government.

These sub-schemes need to be continued for delivering the child related services to the intended beneficiaries.

The aims of these schemes are as under:

Anganwadi Services (ICDS) aims at holistic development of children under the age of six years and its

beneficiaries are children of this age group and Pregnant Women & Lactating Mothers.

The objective of the Scheme for Adolescent Girls is to facilitate, educate and empower Adolescent Girls

so as to enable them to become self-reliant and aware citizens through improved nutrition and health

status, promoting awareness about health, hygiene, nutrition, mainstreaming out of school AGs into

formal/non formal education and providing information/guidance about existing public services.

The objectives of Child Protection Services are to provide safe and secure environment for children in

conflict with law and children in need of care and protection, reduce vulnerabilities through a wide

range of social protection measures, prevent actions that lead to abuse, neglect, exploitation,

abandonment and separation of children from families etc., bring focus on non-institutional care,

develop a platform for partnership between Government & Civil Society and establish convergence of

child related social protection services.

National Creche Scheme aims at providing a safe place for mothers to leave their children while they are

at work, and thus, is a measure for empowering women as it enables them to take up employment. At

the same time, it is also an intervention towards protection and development of children in the age

group of 6 months to 6 years.





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11. D

Budget 2017-18 has proposed 100% deduction in respect of profits to Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs),

having turnover up to Rs. 100 crore for a period of 5 years from FY 2018-19, in order to encourage

professionalism in post harvest value addition in agriculture.

FPOs are corporate entities which are registered under Section 465 (1) of The Companies Act of 1956. While

they work under the principles of a cooperative society, their registration under The Companies Act provides

more accountability and professionalism. Like corporates, FPOs, which are also referred to as Farmer Producer

Companies (FPCs), are required to file returns.

Operation Greens aims to promote Farmer Producers Organisations, agri-logistics, processing facilities and

professional management. The operation aims to aid farmers and help control and limit the erratic fluctuations

in the prices of onions, potatoes and tomatoes.


12. A


13. D

Budget 2018-19 announced the development and upgradation of existing 22,000 rural haats into Gramin

Agricultural Markets (GrAMs). More than 86% of farmers in India are small and marginal who are not always in

a position to directly transact at APMCs and other wholesale markets. In these GrAMs, physical infrastructure




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will be strengthened using MGNREGA and other Government Schemes and would be electronically linked to e-

NAM and exempted from regulations of APMCs. This would provide farmers facility to make direct sale to

consumers and bulk purchasers, the Minister added.


14. D

The Finance Minister announced in Budget 2018-19 that the Department of Commerce will be developing a

National Logistics Portal as a single window online market place to link all stakeholders. The portal aims to

create an IT backbone to bring together the various stakeholders viz logistics service providers, buyers as well as

central and state government agencies such as customs, DGFT, railways, ports, airports, inland waterways,

coastal shipping etc., on a single platform.

Government e-Marketplace (GeM) is an online market platform to facilitate procurement of goods and services

by various Ministries and agencies of the Government. It has been envisaged as National Procurement Portal of

India It aims to enhance transparency, efficiency and speed in public procurement of goods and services and

eliminate corruption. It functions under Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D), Ministry of

Commerce and Industries. It is completely paperless, cashless and system driven e-market place that enables

procurement of common use goods and services with minimal human interface.


15. A

Option A is correct.

16. D

The Interest Subvention Scheme (ISS) has been operational since 2006-07. Under this scheme, the farmers can

avail concessional crop loans of upto Rs.3 lakh at 7 per cent rate of interest. It also provides for an additional

subvention of 3 per cent for prompt repayment within a period of one year from the date of advance. The

scheme for 2017-18 will help farmers to avail of short term crop loans up to Rs. 3 lakh payable within one year at

only 4 per cent per annum.

As a measure to check distress sale, post-harvest loans for storage in accredited warehouses against Negotiable

Warehouse Receipts (NWRs) are available for upto 6 months for KCC holding small & marginal farmers. The

Interest Subvention Scheme will continue for one year and it will be implemented by NABARD and RBI.

The interest subvention will be given to Public Sector Banks (PSBs), Private Sector Banks, Cooperative Banks and

Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) on use of own funds and to NABARD for refinance to RRBs and Cooperative Banks.


17. A

Turning to rationalization of Long Term Capital Gains (LTCG), the Finance Minister noted buoyancy in the equity

market, as a result of reforms and incentives given so far. The total amount of exempted capital gains from

listed shares and units is around Rs. 3,67,000 crore (as per returns filed for A.Y. 2017-18). Shri Jaitley said that a

major part of this gain has accrued to corporates and LLPs. This has also created a bias against manufacturing,

leading to more business surpluses being invested in financial assets. Due to attractiveness on return on




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investment on equity, even without tax exemption, there is a strong case for bringing Long Term Capital Gains

from listed equities in the tax net, the Finance Minister said. Therefore, Budget 2018-19 has proposed to tax

such Long Term Capital Gains exceeding Rs. 1 lakh at the rate of 10 percent, without allowing any indexation

benefit. However, all gains up to 31st January, 2018 will be grandfathered.


18. C

Economic Survey 2017 – 18 noted that in the recent years, the wedge between the real and nominal GDP

growth has narrowed significantly. While real GDP growth averaged 6.4 per cent between 2012-13 and 2014-15,

the nominal growth was 12.5 per cent in this period. In comparison, during the three-year period from 2015-16

to 2017-18, the real and nominal GDP average growth is estimated to be 7.2 per cent and 10.1 per cent

respectively, pointing to higher differences in the former period than latter. This is not surprising given that the

fact that inflation in the earlier period (particularly in 2012-13 and 2013-14) was significantly higher than the

latter.

The growth in nominal GDP in 2016-17 is estimated to be 11 per cent and it is expected at 9.5 per cent in 2017-

18 on account of both lower real growth as well as lower value of deflator in 2017-18. The growth of nominal

GVA in these two years is estimated to the 9.7 per cent and 9.0 per cent respectively. The differences in the

nominal growth between GVA and GDP have also increased in the last few years. This is indicative of an increase

in the share of net indirect taxes in GDP.


19. B

As part of its follow-up and review mechanisms, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development encourages

member states to "conduct regular and inclusive reviews of progress at the national and sub-national levels,

which are country-led and country-driven".

The voluntary national reviews (VNRs) aim to facilitate the sharing of experiences, including successes,

challenges and lessons learned, with a view to accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The VNRs

also seek to strengthen policies and institutions of governments and to mobilize multi-stakeholder support and

partnerships for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

India is one of the countries that have volunteered to take part in the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) at the

High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) 2017. India presented its 1st VNR on the implementation of SDGs on 19th July,

2017 in the HLPF at United Nations, New York. The VNR report is based on an analysis of progress under various

programmes and initiatives in the country prepared by NITI Aayog. The VNR report focused on 7 SDGs: 1 (No

Poverty); 2 (Zero Hunger); 3 (Good Health and Well-Being); 5 (Gender Equality); 9 (Industry, Innovation and

Infrastructure), 14 (Life below Water) and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).


20. D

The Producer Price Index (PPI) measures the average change in the prices of goods and services either as they

leave the place of production called Output PPI or as they enter the production process called Input PPI. Thus,




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the output indices measure the average change in prices that producers receive for their outputs while the input

indices measure the average change in prices that producers pay for their inputs.

The Government had set up a Working Group under the Chairmanship of Professor B. N. Goldar on 21st August,

2014 to suggest the methodology for introducing Producer Price Index (PPI) in India.


21. B

CPI (AL) released by Labour Bureau.

CPI (RL) released by Labour Bureau.


22. B

The earlier Maternity Benefit Programme, for the eligible pregnant women and lactating mothers (PW&LM) has

now been named as Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, in

January, 2017 for providing partial compensation for the wage loss in terms of cash incentive so that the woman

can take adequate rest before and after delivery of the first child.

The maternity benefits under Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) are available to all Pregnant

Women & Lactating Mothers (PW&LM) except those in regular employment with the Central Government or

State Government or Public Sector Undertaking.


23. D

The RTE Act, 2009 lays down the guidelines for maintaining the norms and standards relating inter alia to Pupil

Teacher Ratios (PTRs), buildings and infrastructure, school-working days, teacher-working hours in both primary

and upper primary schools.


24. A

The Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) was set up in 2014-15 under the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation &

Famers Welfare (DAC&FW) to help regulate the price volatility of important agri-horticultural commodities like

onion, potatoes and pulses were also added subsequently. The PSF scheme was transferred from DAC&FW to

the Department of Consumer Affairs (DOCA) w.e.f. 1st April, 2016.

Accordingly, the Government of India, on 27 March 2015, approved the creation of a Price Stabilization Fund

(PSF) with a corpus of Rs.500 crores as a Central Sector Scheme, to support market interventions for price

control of perishable agri-horticultural commodities during 2014-15 to 2016-17. Initially the fund was proposed

to be used for market interventions for onion and potato only and pulses were added subsequently.


25. D

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme has been introduced for promoting survival, protection and education

of girl child. It aims to address the issue of declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) through a mass campaign targeted at




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changing social mind set and creating awareness about the criticality of the issue. The scheme launched in 2015

is a tri-ministerial, convergent effort of Ministries of Women and Child Development, Health & Family Welfare

and Human Resource Development with focus on awareness and advocacy campaign, multi-sectoral action in

select 161 districts (100 districts in Phase-1 & 61 districts in Phase-II), enabling girls’ education and effective

enforcement of Pre-Conception & Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC&PNDT) Act.

PM Narendra Modi has announced Pan India Expansion of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme on International

Women’s day. Accordingly, this scheme will focus on girl’s education and also improves Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB).

Subsequently, BBBP Scheme will now cover all 640 districts across the entire country.


26. D

So far, six revisions have taken place introducing the new base year, viz. 1952-53, 1961-62, 1970-71, 1981-82,

1993-94 and 2004-05.The current revision is the seventh since its regular introduction. The current revision of

WPI is based on the recommendations of Working Group constituted under the chairmanship of Late Dr.

Saumitra Chaudhuri, Ex Member, erstwhile Planning Commission which submitted its report in March 2014.

New definition of Wholesale Price Index (WPI) does not include taxes in order to remove impact of fiscal policy.

This also brings new WPI series closer to Producer Price Index and is in consonance with the global practices.

The new series also present separate ‘WPI Food Index’ which along with CPI Food Price Index published by CSO

would help monitor the food inflation effectively.

The revised weights in the new WPI basket reflect the structure of the economy in the base year i.e. 2011-12.


27. C

Under this newly launched ToT model, the right to collect user-fee or toll on selected national highway stretches

built through public funding is proposed to be auctioned and assigned to a concessionaire for a period of 30

years against an upfront payment of a lump-sum amount to the government. The concessionaire is also

responsible for the operation and maintenance of the roads during the tenure.

Thus, the construction risk lies with the public sector and all other risks lies with the private sector.


28. D

Social services include, education, sports, art and culture; medical and public health, family welfare water supply

and sanitation; housing; urban development; welfare of SCs, STs and OBCs, labour and labour welfare; social

security and welfare, nutrition, relief on account of natural Calamities etc.

Expenditure on ‘Education’ pertains to expenditure on ‘Education, Sports, Arts and Culture’.

Expenditure on ‘Health’ includes expenditure on ‘Medical and Public Health’, ‘Family Welfare’ and

‘Water Supply and Sanitation’.





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29. C

Consumption expenditure has been the major driver, accounting for nearly sixty per cent of the total GDP

growth between 2012-13 and 2015-16. This contribution increased to over 95 per cent in 2016-17, which is

attributed to higher growth of both Private Final Consumption Expenditure (PFCE) and Government Final

Consumption Expenditure (GFCE), particularly the latter.

In the 6 years between 2011-12 and 2016-17, the share of PFCE averaged 57.5 per cent in total GDP and its

growth averaged 6.8 per cent. PFCE has been the single most important driver of GDP growth and particularly

so in 2016-17, when it contributed nearly two-thirds to GDP growth. As per the 1st AE of 2017-18, the

contribution of PFCE and GFCE to GDP growth is estimated to be 54.3 per cent and 14.4 per cent respectively.

The share of investment in particular that of fixed investment in the GDP continuously declined between 2011-

12 and 2016-17. While fixed investment was 34.3 per cent of GDP in 2011-12, it declined to 27.1 per cent in

2016-17.

The share of net exports of goods and services (as reflected in National Accounts Statistics) in GDP is expected

to decline from (-) 0.7 per cent in 2016-17 to (-) 1.8 per cent in 2017-18.


30. C

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana is a scheme of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas for providing LPG

connections to women from Below Poverty Line (BPL) households. Under the scheme, five crore LPG

connections are to be provided to BPL households. The identification of eligible BPL families will be made in

consultation with the State Governments and the Union Territories. BPL is a person/ household who suffer from

at least one deprivation under the Socio-Economic Caste census (SECC) - 2011 Database. It has been recently

upgraded to provide 80 million LPG connections by 2020 to BPL households.

Complementing the above scheme, Government has come out with other initiatives namely “Ujjwala Plus”

which will address the cooking needs of deprived people who are not covered under the Socio-Economic

Caste Census (SECC) 2011.

The new scheme called ‘Ujjwala Plus’ will allow individuals to donate cooking gas connections to poor

households. Pradhan was quoted by TOI saying that individuals who engage themselves in the good act can

benefit the tax benefits under Section 80 G. Individuals who wish to donate will be able to do by paying the cost

of the number of Ujjwala LPG (cooking gas supplied in cylinders) connections they want to sponsor to a non-

profit company floated by the oil ministry.


31. A

RISE scheme aims to lend low cost funds to government higher educational institutions. All financing for

infrastructure development at centrally funded institutions in higher education will be done through HEFA,

which was set up government as a Section 8 company company (a company with charitable objectives) in 2017

to mobilize funds from the market and offer 10 year loans to centrally –run institutes.




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To make our villages open defecation free and to improve the life of our villagers, government will launch a

Scheme called Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBAR-DHAN) for management and conversion of

cattle dung and solid waste in farms to compost, fertilizer, bio-gas and bio-CNG.

Airport Authority of India (AAI) has 124 airports. Government proposes to expand airport capacity more than

five times under a new initiative – NABH Nirman.


32. C

The investment rate (Gross Capital Formation (GCF) as a share of GDP) in the economy declined by nearly 5.6

percentage points between 2011-12 and 2015-16. Savings rate (Gross saving as a share of GDP) also declined by

two and half percentage points between 2011-12 and 2013-14 and has remained range bound thereafter. The

faster decline in investment rate vis-à-vis the savings rate has led to lower level of current account deficit

(Savings Investment gap) from 2013-14 to 2015-16.

Savings in an economy originate from households, private corporate sector and public sector (including general

government). Household sector accounts for the bulk of the savings. However, the share of household savings in

total savings declined from around 68 per cent in 2011-12 to 59 per cent in 2015-16. Within the households’

savings, there has been a substitution away from physical to financial assets, with the share of former declining

by over 10 percentage points. Financial savings by the households are held mainly in currency, bank deposits,

life insurance funds, provident and pension funds and of late in the form of shares and debentures.


33. B

Budget 2018-19 pointed to the need for best quality education to the tribal children in their own environment.

To realise this mission, it has been decided that by the year 2022, every block with more than 50% ST population

and at least 20,000 tribal persons, will have an Ekalavya Model Residential School. He emphasised that Ekalavya

schools will be treated at par with Navodaya Vidyalayas and will have special facilities for preserving local art

and culture, besides providing training in sports and skill development.


34. C

Option C is correct.

35. D

Central Government monitors the price situation on a regular basis as controlling inflation is a priority area. It

has taken a number of measures to control inflation especially food inflation which, inter alia, include the

following:




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Advisories are being issued, as and when required, to State Governments to take strict action against

hoarding & black marketing and effectively enforce the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 & the

Prevention of Black-marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980 for

commodities in short supply.

Higher MSP has been announced so as to incentivize production and thereby enhance availability of

food items which may help moderate prices.

A scheme titled Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) is being implemented to control price volatility of

agricultural commodities like pulses, onions, etc.

Government approved enhancement in buffer stock of pulses from 1.5 lakh MT to 20 Lakh MT to enable

effective market intervention for moderation of retail prices. Accordingly, a dynamic buffer stock of

pulses of upto 20 lakh tonnes has been built under the Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) Scheme through

both domestic procurement as well as imports. Of this, 3.26 lakh MT has been released for market

intervention and buffer management.

Export of edible oils was allowed only in branded consumer packs of up to 5 kg. with a minimum export

price of USD 900 per MT. With a view to incentivizing domestic production this restriction has been

removed on oil except for palm oil, mustard oil and sunflower oil.

Government has imposed stock holding limits on stockist/dealers of sugar till April, 2018.

Government imposed 20% duty on export of sugar for promoting availability and moderating price rise.

Permitted import of 5 lakh tonnes of raw sugar at zero duty; subsequently, import of additional 3 lakh

tonnes was allowed at 25% duty.

Export of all varieties of onion will be allowed only on letter of credit subject to a minimum export price

(MEP) of $ 850 per MT till 31st December, 2017.

States/UTs have been advised to impose stock limit on onions. States were requested to indicate their

requirement of onions so that import of requisite quantity may be undertaken to improve availability

and help moderate the prevailing high prices.


36. C

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is an approach that helps to guide actions needed to transform and reorient

agricultural systems to effectively support development and ensure food security in a changing climate. CSA

aims to tackle three main objectives: sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and incomes; adapting and

building resilience to climate change; and reducing and/or removing greenhouse gas emissions wherever

possible.

CSA is an approach for developing agricultural strategies to secure sustainable food security under climate

change. CSA provides the means to help stakeholders identify agricultural strategies suitable to their local

conditions.





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37. C


38. B

Government’s Capital Expenditure is less than Revenue Expenditure

UDAY bonds had an impact of 0.5 and 0.6 percentage points of GDP on the deficits of the 26 States under

consideration in 2015-16 and 2016-17 respectively.





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39. D

Anti-microbial resistance (AMR) occurs when micro-organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites

change in ways that render the medications used to cure the infections they cause ineffective. It occurs

naturally but is facilitated by the inappropriate use of medicines, for example using antibiotics for viral

infections such as cold or flu, or sharing antibiotics. Low-quality medicines, wrong prescriptions and poor

infection prevention and control also encourage development and spread of drug resistance.

World Health Organization’s first global report on AMR in 2014 reported that it is not a country specific issue but

a global concern that is jeopardizing global health security. AMR is of particular concern in developing nations,

including India, where the burden of infectious diseases is high and healthcare spending is low. The country has

among the highest bacterial disease burden in the world. Antibiotics, therefore, have a critical role in limiting

morbidity and mortality in the country.


40. A





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41. A


42. C


43. C

Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) is the financial turnaround and revival package for electricity

distribution companies of India (DISCOMs) initiated by the Government of India with the intent to find a

permanent solution to the financial mess that the power distribution is in. It allows state governments, which

own the DISCOMs, to take over 75 percent of their debt as of September 30, 2015, and pay back lenders by

selling bonds. DISCOMs are expected to issue bonds for the remaining 25 percent of their debt.





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44. D


45. D

Department of Posts is operating Small Savings Schemes on behalf of Ministry of Finance, which frames and

modifies rules relating to these schemes and pays remuneration to the Department of Posts. Post Office Savings

Bank (POSB) has a customer base of more than 35.62 cr. account holders as on March 31, 2017. Savings bank

facility is provided through a network of 1.54 lakh post offices across the country. The post office savings bank

operates savings accounts, recurring deposit (RD), time deposit (TD), monthly income scheme (MIS), public

provident fund (PPF), national savings certificate (NSC), Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP), senior citizens savings scheme

(SCSS) and Sukanya Samriddhi account.





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46. B

“Operation Greens” was launched to address price fluctuations in potato, tomato and onion for benefit of

farmers and consumers.


47. A

The world economy embarked on a synchronous recovery, but India’s GDP growth - and indeed a number of

other indicators such as industrial production, credit, and investment - decelerated. Any explanation would need

to explain this change in fortunes, this “decoupling” of Indian growth from global growth, identifying the factors

that caused India to forge its unique path. The five reasons for this temporary “decoupling” are:

First, India’s monetary conditions decoupled from the rest of the world. This tightening of monetary

conditions contributed to the divergence in economic activity in two ways.

The second and third factors were one-off policy actions: Demonetization and GST.

The fourth factor exerting a drag on the Indian economy was the Twin Balance Sheet (TBS) challenge.

The final factor was oil prices.


48. A

P2P lending is a crowd-funding model (largely online) where people looking to invest their money with people

who want to borrow can do so. The concept is centered on savers getting higher interest by lending their money

instead of saving and borrowers get comparatively lower interest rates. P2P lending platforms are largely tech

companies registered under the Companies Act.

Peer-to-peer lending (P2P) platforms would be treated as Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) and

regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Eligibility and Registration for P2P

Only entities registered as a company can get P2P registration from the RBI.

Every NBFC-P2P shall obtain a certificate of registration to start P2P lending activities before starting

operations.

Every company seeking registration with the RBI as an NBFC-P2P shall have a net owned fund of not less

than rupees twenty million (Rs 2 crores) or such higher amount as the RBI may specify.

After receiving applications, RBI may check and grant NBFC status for providing P2P lending.

Activities of P2P

The RBI has defined P2P as an online platform that matches lenders with borrowers in order to provide

unsecured loans. The P2P:

should act as an intermediary providing an online marketplace or platform to the participants involved

in Peer to Peer lending;

should not mobilise deposits or give loan on its own.




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should not provide or arrange any credit enhancement or credit guarantee;

should not facilitate or permit any secured lending linked to its platform; i.e. only clean loans will be

permitted;

should not hold, on its own balance sheet, funds received from lenders for lending, or funds received

from borrowers for servicing loans and the specified funds.

should not permit international flow of funds;

should store and process all data relating to its activities and participants on hardware located within

India.


49. A

India has improved its ranking in the “Logistics Performance Index” (LPI) released by World Bank from 54 in 2014

to 35 in 2016. However, compared to countries like Singapore (rank 5), South Africa (20), Taiwan (25) and China

(27), India has some way to go.


50. D

Option D is correct.

51. D

Economic Convergence is the process of poorer countries “catching-up” with richer countries and closing gaps in

standards of living, has been a big driver of some of these developments.

Early and Late Convergence happens before and after GCC respectively and not before or post LPG.

1980-1997: Era of divergence in which low-income countries fell further behind.

1998-2007: An early period of convergence running from the East Asian Financial Crisis until the Global

Financial Crisis.

2008-2017: The most recent period of “late convergence.”


52. D

Even whole of the incomes which are actually received by the people are not available to them for consumption.

This is because governments levy some personal taxes such as income tax, personal property taxes. Therefore,

after a part of personal income is paid to government in the form of personal taxes like income tax, personal

property taxes, etc. and in the form of NonTax payments (such as fines), what remains of personal income is

called disposable income. Therefore,

Disposable Income = Personal Income – Personal Taxes – Non Tax Payments

Advanced countries collect a substantially higher proportion of their taxes as direct taxes in comparison to

emerging markets. India has the lowest share of direct taxes in total taxes.




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53. D

There is a fear that there can be a slowdown in this process of convergence for countries like India. There could

be four reasons for this, backlash against globalization, difficulties of transferring resources from low

productivity to higher productivity sectors, challenge of upgrading human capital to the demands of a

technology-intensive workplace, and coping with climate change-induced agricultural stress.


54. A

Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) is a net investment concept within national account which measures the

net increase in fixed capital. It measures private and public sector investment spent on formation of fixed capital

which includes land improvement, construction of roads, railways, dwelling units, commercial buildings, new

machinery etc. It must be noted that land purchases and depreciation are not part of GCF.


55. B

Urban Local Bodies generate about 44 per cent of their total revenue from own sources. Rural Local Bodies, in

contrast, rely overwhelmingly (about 95 percent) on devolution.





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56. D

Visiting Advanced Joint Research Faculty Scheme (VAJRA): It enables NRIs and overseas scientific community to

participate and contribute to research and development in India. The Science and Engineering Research Board

(SERB), a statutory body of the Department of Science will implement the Scheme. The VAJRA Faculty is

provided a lump-sum amount of US$ 15000 in the first month of residency in a year and US$ 10000 p.m. in the

other two months to cover their travel and honorarium. While no separate support is provided for e.g.

accommodation, medical / personal insurance etc. the host institute may consider providing additional support.

The Indian collaborator and the overseas faculty will jointly frame a research plan and the application duly

endorsed by the Head of the Institution will be submitted online by the Indian collaborator.


57. A

India fell 21 places on the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap index to 108 – far below the global

average and much behind its neighbours China and Bangladesh.


58. A

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the leading international body for the assessment of

climate change. It was established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World

Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1988 to provide the world with a clear scientific view on the current

state of knowledge in climate change and its potential environmental and socio-economic impacts. It does not

conduct any research nor does it monitor climate related data or parameters.

The IPCC reviews and assesses the most recent scientific, technical and socio-economic information produced

worldwide relevant to the understanding of climate change. It does not conduct any research nor does it

monitor climate related data or parameters.


59. C


60. C

India’s own move up the development ranks is instructive to track. In 1960, India was a low-income country with

a per capita income (in 2011 purchasing power parity (PPP) terms) of $1,033. This was equivalent to about 6

percent of U.S. per capita income at the time. However, India attained lower middle-income status in 2008 and

would reach upper-middle income status by the mid -to-late 2020s.


61. D

Key initiatives and progress taken by the Government to address climate change in various areas include:




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As part of the mission on strategic knowledge on climate change, India has established 8 Global

Technology Watch Groups in the areas of Renewable Energy Technology, Advance Coal Technology,

Enhanced Energy Efficiency, Green Forest, Sustainable Habitat, Water, Sustainable Agriculture and

Manufacturing.

National Adaptation Fund on Climate Change established in 2015 to support concrete adaptation

activities which are not covered under on-going activities through the schemes of State and Central

Government, continues till 31st March 2020 with financial implication of 364 crore.

India is one of the few countries where, despite ongoing development, forest and tree cover has

increased transforming country’s forests into a net sink owing to national policies aimed at

conservation and sustainable management of forests.

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana has been formulated with the vision of extending the coverage

of irrigation and improving water use efficiency.

Second Phase of Science Express Climate Action Special train with the aim to create awareness among

various sections of society, especially students on the science of climate change.

Zero Effect, Zero Defect is a policy initiative to enhance energy efficiency and resources efficiency in

Medium & Small Industries.

The National Mission for Clean Ganga seeks to rejuvenate the river along its length of more than 2,500

km.

Indian financial market also moved in the direction of greener actions. SEBI issued the circular on the

disclosure requirements for Issuance and Listing of Green Debt Securities on 30th May, 2017. The

utilisation of the proceeds shall be verified by the report of an external auditor, to verify the internal

tracking method and the allocation of funds towards the project(s) and/or asset(s), from the proceeds of

Green Debt Securities.

In the Union Budget 2017, government indicated to increase the coverage under the Pradhan Mantri

Fasal Bima Yojana(PMFBY) from 30 per cent to 40 per cent in 2017-18 and 50 per cent in 2018-19.

In February, 2017, India launched the world’s first interoperable Quick Response (QR) code acceptance

solution. It is a sticker pasted on the teller counter wall of the merchant and can be generated

dynamically on merchant itself, removing the need to even print. By providing the Bharat QR option,

India is taking the right step in the direction of greener and sustainable future.


62. D

Dark matter is a hypothetical type of matter distinct from ordinary matter such as protons, neutrons, electrons,

and neutrinos. It does not emit or interact with observable electromagnetic radiation, such as light, and is thus

invisible to the entire electromagnetic spectrum. It influences the universe’s large-scale structure, the formation

of galaxies, and affects the cosmic microwave background.





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63. C

The Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program is responsible for collecting and disseminating accurate,

nationally representative data on health and population in developing countries. The project is implemented by

ICF International and is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with

contributions from other donors such as UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO, and UNAIDS.


64. A


65. B

WTO is the implementing agency of Agreement on Trade Related aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs).


66. D


67. D

The National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) is a part of the on-going e- Courts Integrated Mission Mode Project. NJDG

will work as a monitoring tool to identify, manage & reduce pendency of cases. It will also help to provide timely

inputs for making policy decisions to reduce delay and arrears in the system, facilitate better monitoring of court

performance and systemic bottlenecks, and, thus, facilitate better resource management. The NJDG will cover

all categories of cases, including those relating to juvenile justice system.





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68. A

The Housing Price Indices (HPIs) are a broad measure of movement of residential property prices observed

within a geographic boundary.

The first official housing price index for the country named ‘NHB RESIDEX’ was launched in 2007 by the National

Housing Bank (NHB). Overtime, the base year has been revised to FY 2012-13 to ensure capturing the latest

information and accurately reflect the current economic situation in the country. Currently, National Housing

Bank is publishing NHB RESIDEX for 50 cities on quarterly basis with FY 2012-13 as base year. NHB is not

computing the composite all India housing price index as of now.


69. D

India is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change impacts, according to a risk index released at

COP23. The South Asian nation is the 6th most vulnerable nation in a list topped by Haiti – the poorest country in

the western hemisphere. The ranks were released by Berlin-based NGO Germanwatch at the global climate

summit in Bonn.

The Global Climate Risk Index 2018 examines the extent to which countries have been affected by the impacts

of weather-related loss events such as storms, floods and heat waves. The index looked at the most recent data

available – from 2016 – as well as long-term trends — from 1997 to 2016.


70. C

Science and Engineering Research Board is an autonomous statutory body chaired by the Secretary to the

Government of India in the Department of Science and Technology. The Board was set up for promoting basic

research in science and engineering and to provide financial assistance to scientists, academic institutions, R&D

laboratories, industrial concerns and other agencies for such research.


71. A

The Chumbi Valley is a valley in Tibet at the intersection of India (Sikkim), Bhutan and China (Tibet). Two main

passes between India and China open up here: the Nathu La Pass and Jelep La Pass.

The Satluj valley is a valley in the Kinaur district of Himachal Pradesh. Shipki La pass is in this valley.

The Spiti Valley is a cold desert mountain valley located in the Himalaya Mountains in the north-eastern part of

Himachal Pradesh. It can be reached through Rohtang Pass or Kunzum Pass


72. C

Municipal bonds are bonds issued by urban local bodies- municipal bodies and municipal corporates (entities

owned by municipal bodies) to raise money for financing specific projects specifically infrastructure projects.




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These bonds are attracting attention as the ULBs urgently need money to finance infrastructural expenditure.

Especially, smart cities and other urban development projects necessitate them to create finance.

SEBI allowed urban local bodies to raise money through the issue of revenue bonds as well. Municipal bonds

where the funds raised are kept for one project are termed revenue bonds. Servicing of these bonds can be

made from revenue accrued from the project.

The new regulations allowed for municipal bodies or a corporate municipal entity to issue municipal bonds

through private placement or public issue. Municipal bonds can be one among the options for the massive

investment requirement in the urban infrastructure.

SEBI Guidelines on municipal bonds: Which ULB can issue muni bonds?

As per the SEBI Regulations, 2015, a municipality or a Corporate Municipal Entity (CME) should meet certain

conditions:

The ULB should not have negative net worth in any of three immediately preceding financial years.

Non-default: The municipality should not have defaulted in repayment of debt securities or loans

obtained from banks or financial institutions during the last 365 days.

Now wilful defaulter: The corporate municipal entity, its promoter, group company or director(s), should

not have been named in the list of the wilful defaulters published by the RBI or should not have

defaulted of payment of interest or repayment of principal amount in respect of debt instruments

issued by it to the public, if any.

SEBI instructs that municipal bonds should have mandatory ratings above investment grade for pubic

issue. The bonds should have a three-year maturity period and financial institutions including banks

should be appointed as monetary agencies.


73. D

FSB was established in 2009 under the aegis of G 20 by bringing together the national authorities, standard

setting bodies and international financial institutions for addressing vulnerabilities and developing and

implementing strong regulatory, supervisory and other policies in the interest of financial stability.

India is an active member of the FSB.

It has three seats in its Plenary represented by Secretary (EA), Deputy Governor- RBI and Chairman, SEBI.

Regular interaction with FSB takes place through meetings and periodic conference call.


74. A

The Tibetan Medicine system is known as Sowa Rigpa (Amchi). The system of Sowa Rigpa is practiced in many

parts of India viz. Ladakh, Sikkim, Darjeeling, Mon Tawang and West Kameng regions of Arunachal Pradesh, etc.

The medicine has been recognized by Government of India (GoI) by amending the Indian Medicine Central

Council (IMCC) Act, 2010. The National Institute of Sowa Rigpa has been established at Leh in Jammu & Kashmir.





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75. A

All revenues received by government, loans raised by it, and also its receipts from recoveries of loans granted by

it, form the 'Consolidated Fund'. All expenditure of Government is incurred from the Consolidated Fund and no

amount can be withdrawn from the fund without authorisation from Parliament.

Besides the normal receipts and expenditure of government which relate to the Consolidated Fund, certain

other transactions enter government accounts, in respect of which, Government acts more as a banker, for

example, transactions relating to provident funds, small savings collections and other deposits, etc. The moneys

thus received are kept in the Public Account and the connected disbursements are also made from there.

Parliamentary authorisation for such payments from the Public Account is, therefore, not required.

Occasions may arise when Government may have to meet urgent unforeseen expenditure pending authorisation

from Parliament. The Contingency Fund is an imprest placed at the disposal of the President to incur such

expenditure. Parliamentary approval for such expenditure and for withdrawal of an equivalent amount from the

Consolidated Fund is subsequently obtained and the amount spent from Contingency Fund is subsequently

recouped to the Fund.


76. C

Public Debt of India is classified into three categories of Union Government liabilities into internal debt, external

debt and other liabilities.

Internal debt for Government of India largely consists of fixed tenure and fixed rate government papers (dated

securities and treasury bills) which are issued through auctions. These include market loans (dated securities),

treasury bills (91, 182 and 364 days) and 14 day treasury bills (issued to state governments only), cash

management bills, special securities issued to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Compensation and other bonds,

non-negotiable and non-interest bearing rupee securities issued to international financial institutions and

securities issued under market stabilization scheme with a view to reduce dependency on physical gold and

reduce imports.

“Other” liabilities category includes other interest bearing obligations of the government, such as Post Office

saving deposits, deposits under small savings schemes, loans raised through post office cash certificates,

provident funds and certain other deposits.


77. D

The National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC) is a Central Sector Scheme which was set up in the

year 2015-16. The overall aim of NAFCC is to support concrete adaptation activities which mitigate the adverse

effects of climate change. The activities under this scheme are implemented in a project mode. The projects

related to adaptation in sectors such as agriculture, animal husbandry, water, forestry, tourism etc. are eligible

for funding under NAFCC. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is the National

Implementing Entity (NIE).





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78. C

Skills Assessment Matrix for Vocational Advancement of Youth (SAMVAY) is a credit framework which allows

vertical and lateral mobility within vocational education system and between the current education systems.

The strength of this framework is the seamless integration of pursuit of academic knowledge and practical

vocational skills. Efforts like these will improve the employability of our educated youth.


79. A


80. A

Buildings Energy Efficiency Programme was launched in May, 2017 which is being implemented by Energy

Efficiency Services Limited (EESL). Under this scheme, EESL is likely to retrofit about one crore LED lights, 15 lakh

energy efficient ceiling fans, and 1.5 lakh energy efficient ACs in more than 10,000 government and private

buildings by the year 2020.


81. B

Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) is an innovative programme sponsored

and managed by the Department of Science & Technology for attraction of talent to Science.

To improve passenger experience, Ministry of Railways decided to upgrade Premium Rajdhani and

Shatabdi trains under Project ‘Swarna’. With improved passenger amenities, aesthetics and hygiene

standards, Country’s first Swarna Rajdhani (Train no 12313 New Delhi – Sealdah Rajdhani Express) was

launched.

Joint Declaration of Intent between the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and the U.S.

Department of State for cooperation in the field of higher education for Study Webs of Active-Learning

for Young Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM), a programme for online education.

PAHAL scheme was formally launched as Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme for LPG subsidy in 2013 in 291

districts under the aegis of Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.


82. B

Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) has not been constituted by the Parliament i.e. not a

statutory fund. The fund is recognized as a Trust under the Income Tax Act and the same is managed by

the Prime Minister or multiple delegates for national causes.

The fund consists entirely of public contributions and does not get any budgetary support. The corpus of

the fund is invested with scheduled commercial banks in various forms.

Disbursements are made with the approval of the Prime Minister.





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83. A

The innovation degrades and converts the human waste into usable water and gasses in an eco-friendly manner.

The generated gas can be utilized for energy/ cooking and water for irrigation purposes.

Bio-digester technology has been developed by Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) for

resolving the problems of un-decomposed human waste.


84. B

Akash missile is being inducted into Army as Short Range Surface to Air Missile (SRSAM). This is the first Surface

to Air Missile with indigenous seeker that has been test fired. With this success, India has achieved the capability

of making any type of Surface to Air Missile.

It is a supersonic missile and not a nuclear capable missile.

It has been indigenously developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under

Integrated Guided-Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).


85. A

Voyager 1 is a space probe launched by NASA in 1977 alongside its identical sister probe Voyager 2.

Voyager 1 is a space probe launched by NASA in 1977 alongside its identical sister probe Voyager 2 to study the

two major gas giants – Jupiter and Saturn - and the interstellar medium – the physical space within a galaxy not

occupied by stars or their planetary systems.


86. B

As a specialized agency of the United Nations, IMO is the global standard-setting authority for the safety,

security and environmental performance of international shipping. Its main role is to create a regulatory

framework for the shipping industry that is fair and effective, universally adopted and universally implemented.

India has been one of the earliest members of the IMO, having ratified its convention and joined it as a member-

state in the year 1959. In 2017 India has been re-elected to the Council of the International Maritime

Organisation under a category that represents nations with the largest interests in international seaborne trade.


87.

● Shekatkar Committee:- The Union Ministry of Defence had constituted a Committee of Experts under

Chairmanship of Lt Gen (Retd) DB Shekatkar for recommending measures to combat capability &

rebalancing defence expenditure of Armed Forces (Army, Navy , Air force) not exclusively for Army.

● Surinder Nath Committee:- Talks about Lateral entry in civil services.

● Justice Malimath Committee:- In 2000, the then NDA government formed a panel headed by the former

Chief Justice of Kerala and Karnataka, Justice V.S. Malimath, to suggest an overhaul of the century-old

criminal justice system.




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● Baswan Committee:- Union Government has constituted an expert committee to examine various

issues related to UPSC civil services examination to select IAS and IPS office.

None of the Option is correct. Only Statements II, III and IV are correct.

88. A

Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers and Parliamentary Affairs announced the launch of ‘Suvidha’, the

100% Oxo-biodegradable Sanitary Napkin under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP).

Union Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers was launched ‘Suvidha’, the 100% Oxo-biodegradable Sanitary Napkin.


89. A

The ultimate objective of TRIFED is socio-economic development of tribal people in the country by way of

marketing development of the tribal products on which the lives of tribals depends heavily as they spend most

of their time and derive major portion of their income.

The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) came into existence in 1987. It is a

national-level apex organization functioning under the administrative control of Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Govt.

of India.


90. B

Cyber-security agencies have detected a new malware called Saposhi that can take over electronic devices and

use them for Distributed Denial of Service attacks. Saposhi Malware is capable of taking over electronic devices

and turning them into bots (device taken over by malware) which can then be used for any purpose, including

DDoS attacks which, with enough firepower, can cripple entire industries.


91. A

The roadmaps for the Sustainable Action for Transforming Human Capital in Education (SATH-E) Project of NITI

Aayog being undertaken in partnership with three participating States of Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and

Odisha.

The aim is to make the entire governmental school education system responsive, aspirational and

transformational for every child.


92. C

KUSUM (Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahaabhiyan) aims to incentivise farmers to run solar farm water

pumps and use barren land for generating solar power to have extra income. Under this scheme, 60% subsidy on

the solar pumps provided to farmers will be shared between the Centre and the States while 30% would be




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provided through bank loans. The balance cost has to be borne by the farmers. So, it is not a central sector

scheme.

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is responsible for the implementation of this programme.

The objectives of this scheme are:

Promote decentralized solar power production.

Reduce transmission losses.

To support the financial health of DISCOMs by reducing the burden of subsidy to the agriculture sector.

To support States to meet the RPOs targets.

To promote energy efficiency and water conservation.


93. C


94. C

Tantalum carbide (TaC) and hafnium carbide (HfC) are refractory ceramics, meaning they are extraordinarily

resistant to heat.


95. D

Option D is correct.

96. A

A Russian carrier rocket blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, sending three astronauts

aboard the Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS).


97. C

Supersonic cruise missile BrahMos was successfully flight-tested for the first time with an indigenous

seeker.

So far, the seeker, a critical technology in missiles, had come from Russia.

The seeker was developed by Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad, in collaboration with other

DRDO labs.

Seeker determines the accuracy of a missile.

Mastering it is a significant milestone in missile technology and would reduce import dependence.


98. C

Sariska Tiger Reserve

It is a national park and tiger reserve located in the Alwar district of Rajasthan.




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It is a part of the Aravalli Range and the Kathiawar-Gir dry deciduous forests’ eco-region.

It is rich in mineral resources, such as copper. In spite of the Supreme Court’s 1991 ban on mining in the

area, marble mining continues to threaten the environment.


99. C

Smart India Hackathon

It is the World’s largest Nation-Building Digital Initiative of the HRD ministry and was conceptualized to

harness the creativity and energy of bright young students for the development of our nation

Through this it is keen on reaching out to all technology institutions in India and challenge students to

offer innovative solutions to some of the daunting problems faced by our nation.

It will aim to find digital solutions to problems in the areas of power, education, health, water, finance,

agriculture, energy, urban & rural development, aviation & shipping, transport, sanitation, sports, law &

justice, skill development & entrepreneurship, defence, textiles, tourism, etc.


100. B

Lokayukta is an anti-corruption authority or ombudsman – an official appointed by the government or by

parliament to represent the interests of the public. Most importantly, it investigates allegations of corruption

and mal-administration against public servants and is tasked with speedy redressal of public grievances.

The Lokayukta is usually a former High Court Chief Justice or former Supreme Court judge and has a fixed

tenure.

The Chief Minister selects a person as the Lokayukta after consultation with the High Court Chief Justice, the

Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, the Chairman of the Legislative Council, Leader of Opposition in the

Legislative Assembly and the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council. The appointment is then made by

the Governor.

Once appointed, Lokayukta cannot be dismissed nor transferred by the government, and can only be removed

by passing an impeachment motion by the state assembly.


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