Q1. Consider the following statements regarding India’s GDP growth and Unemployment rate:

• India’s quarterly GDP growth slumped to five-year low of 3.83% in the last quarter of financial Year 2019.
• The unemployment rate in the country rose to a 45 -year high of1% in 2017–18.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct:

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Solution:

(B)

• India’s quarterly GDP growth slumped to five-year low of 5.83% in the last quarter of Financial Year 2019.
• India’s GDP grew at 5.8% in the January-­March 2019 quarter, dragging down the full year growth to a five-year low of 6.8%.
• The unemployment rate in the country rose to a 45-year high of 6.1% in 2017-18, as per official data released on the first day of the second term of the Modi government.

 

Q2. Reciprocal trade agreements (RTAs) include:

• Preferential arrangements
• Free trade agreements
• Customs unions
• Common markets

Which of the above statements is/are correct:

1. 1, 2, 3
2. 1, 2, 4
3. 2, 3, 4
4. 1, 2, 3, 4

Solution:

(D)

• Commerce Minister emphasizes on reciprocal market access for Indian goods.
• Countries use bilateral/regional trade agreements to increase market access and expand trade in foreign markets.
• These agreements are called reciprocal trade agreements (RTAs) because members grant special advantages to each other.
• RTAs include many types of agreements, such as preferential arrangements, free trade agreements, customs unions, and common markets, in which members agree to open their markets to each other’s exports by lowering trade barriers.

 

Q3. ‘Project Sashakt’, has been launched is:

1. Personality development programme through social (or community) service
2. Comprehensive medical care facilities to Central Government employees and their family members.
3. One-time cash incentive to pregnant women for institutional/home births through skilled assistance.
4. A scheme that aims to strengthen the credit capacity, credit culture and credit portfolio of public sector banks.

 

Solution:

(D)

• Project Sashakt aims to strengthen the credit capacity, credit culture and credit portfolio of public sector banks.

 

Q4. Consider the following statements regarding National Green Tribunal (NGT):

• It can impose fine up to 5 lakhs on individuals, institutions and state agencies.
• NGT is established under Environment Protection Act, 1986.
• It is a specialized body equipped with the necessary expertise to handle environmental disputes involving multi-disciplinary issues.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct:

1. 1 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 3 only
4. None

Solution:

(C)

• The National Green Tribunal has been established on 18.10.2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources including enforcement of any legal right relating to environment and giving relief and compensation for damages to persons and property and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
• It is a specialized body equipped with the necessary expertise to handle environmental disputes involving multi-disciplinary issues.
• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a penalty of ₹25 lakh each on the States of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal for not taking adequate steps to curb pollution in the river Ganga.

 

Q5. White Stem Borer, sometime seen in the news, normally attack which crop:

1. Sugarcane
2. Wheat
3. Coffee
4. Paddy

Solution:

(C)

• Coffee white stem borer, Xylotrechusquadripes, is a serious pest of arabica coffee causing a yield loss up to 40 per cent in all coffee growing areas of India.
• It is a blackish brown coloured beetle measuring about 2 cm in size with three pairs of white stripes running obliquely across the wings.

Alternate host plants of this beetle include rose sandal wood, teak etc.

 

Q6. One Health Concept, recently seen in news means:

1. Strategies to prevent Non-communicable diseases
2. Providing health insurance to all the individuals
3. Inter-connectivity among human health, animal health, and the environment
4. Prioritising human health over animal health

Solution:

(C)

• The World Organization of Animal Health, commonly known as OIE (an abbreviation of its French title), summarises the One Health concept as “human health and animal health are interdependent and bound to the health of the ecosystems in which they exist”.
• The philosophy of One Health recognises inter-connectivity among human health, the health of animals, and the environment. 

 

Q7. Which of the following are the factors in the determination of Minimum Support Prices (MSP):

• Cost of production (CoP)
• Price trend in the domestic and international markets
• Inter-crop price parity

Select the correct code:

1. 1, 2
2. 1, 3
3. 2, 3
4. 1, 2, 3

Solution:

(D)

• Cost of production (CoP) is one of the important factors in the determination of MSP of mandated crops.
• Besides cost, the Commission for ‘Agricultural Costs and Prices’ (CACP), considers other important factors such as demand and supply, price trend in the domestic and international markets, inter-crop price parity, terms of trade between agricultural and non-agricultural sectors and the likely impact of MSPs on consumers, in addition to ensuring rational utilization of natural resources like land and water.
• Thus, pricing policy is rooted not in ‘cost plus’ approach, though cost is an important determinant of MSP.

 

Q8. Government announces minimum support prices (MSPs) based on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) for which of the following crops:

• Raw cotton
• Ragi
• Copra
• Groundnut
• Paddy
• Soyabean

Select the correct code:

1. All except 1
2. All except 3
3. All except 6
4. All of the above

Solution:

(D)

• Government announces minimum support prices (MSPs) for 22 mandated crops and fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane on the basis of recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), after considering the views of State Governments and Central Ministries/Departments concerned and other relevant factors.

• 14 crops of the kharif season viz. paddy, jowar, bajra, maize, ragi, arhar, moong, urad, groundnut-inshell, soyabean, sunflower, sesamum, niger-seed and cotton;

• 6 rabi crops viz. wheat, barley, gram, masur(lentil), rapeseed/mustard and safflower

• Two other commercial crops viz. jute and copra. In addition, the MSPs of toria and de-husked coconut are fixed on the basis of the MSPs of rapeseed/mustard and copra, respectively.

 

Q9. The criteria followed for determination of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) are:

• A pre-agriculture level of technology
• Declining population
• Extremely low literacy
• Subsistence level of economy

Select the correct code:

1. 1, 2, 3
2. 1, 3, 4
3. 2, 3, 4
4. 1, 2, 3, 4

Solution:

(D)

• The criteria followed for determination of PVTGs are as under:
• A pre-agriculture level of technology.
• A stagnant or declining population.
• Extremely low literacy.
• A subsistence level of economy

 

Q10. The schemes covered under Gram Swaraj Abhiyaan are:

• Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana
• Ayushman Bharat Yojana
• Saubhagya
• Mission Indradhanush

Select the correct code:

1. 1, 2, 3
2. 1, 3, 4
3. 1, 2, 4
4. 1, 2, 3, 4

Solution:

(B)

• Gram Swaraj Abhiyaan is a campaign that was organised on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti during the period 14th April to 05th May, 2018.
• The objective of the campaign is to promote social harmony, spread awareness about pro-poor initiatives of government, reach out to poor households to enroll them as also to obtain their feedback on various welfare programmes.

• The identified schemes are as follows:
• Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana
• Saubhagya
• Ujala scheme
• Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana
• Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana
• Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and
• Mission Indradhanush.