Bamboo

1) Which of the following statements is incorrect with respect to 'Bamboo'?

a) It is taxanomically a herb (grass).
b) Forests Rights Act (FRA), 2006 classified bamboo as a Minor Forest Produce (MFP).
c) The recent amendment to  Section 2(7) of the Indian Forest Act, 1927 has removed bamboo from the category of “timber”.
d) It has a long regeneration period.

Answer

1) d, The Forests Rights Act (FRA), 2006 classified bamboo as a “non-timber forest produce (NTFP)" or a Minor Forest Produce. It has a short regeneration period as Bamboo can fully regenerate in three to five months.

CBI Court

1) Which of the following comes under the category of 'Special Courts'?

a) CBI Court
b) Juvenile Justice Board
c) Both a) and b)
d) Neither a) nor b) 

2) Which of the following statements is/are incorrect with respect to the 'CBI Court'?

a) It is a court of general administration.
b) It decides both civil and criminal cases.
c) The officers of regular cadre of State Cadre judiciary are appointed as CBI Judges by the High Court for tenure of 3 years.
d) It is established under the provisions of DSPE Act.
e) They have a Public Prosecutor/Asst. Public Prosecutor from CBI instead of state prosecution branch.

i) a only
ii) a and d only
iii) a and b only
iv) None of the above

Answers

1) c
2) iii,  These are specialized courts for handling CBI cases at priority and for summary trial. They do not decide on civil cases. It investigates special crimes, economic crimes, anti corruption matter and any other matter notified under Sec. 3 of the DSPE Act by Central Government.

Environment and Ecology

1) Which of the following statements is incorrect with respect to River Dolphins in India?

a) Indus River Dolphin is India's National Aquatic Animal.
b) It is a critically endangered species in India.
c) It has been included in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
d) The Dolphin Conservation Programme has been started by WWF in India.

2) Doha Amendment to United Nations Climate  Change conference is related to which of the following options?

a) Paris Agreement
b) Kyoto Protocol
c) Montreal Protocol
d) Trade in Living Modified Organisms.

3) Which of the following statements is/are correct with respect to efforts to promote solar energy in India?

a) Solar panels convert the sun's energy into Direct Current (A.C.) electricity.
b) The National Solar Mission has set the target to install 175GW of solar power by 2022.
c) The International Solar Alliance includes tropical countries only.
d) All of the above.

Answers

1) a, Gangetic River Dolphins
2) b
3) b, 100GW

International Relations- For UPSC

1) Which of the following statements is/are correct with respect to Minilateralism?

a) It refers to the diplomacy among a limited number of members, dealing with defined subject matters.
b) Indo-Pacific quadrilateral security dialogue is an example of rising minilaterlaism.
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b

2) With which of the following countries has India held her first bilateral tri-service exercise earlier in the year?

a) United States
b) Russia
c) France
d) Japan

3) The Cariappa Principles for Kashmir stands for -

a) Mutual solidarity, community involvement and fairness.
b) Military Solution to Kashmir problem.
c) Political Solution to Kashmir problem.
d) All of the above

4) The United Nation's led Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is related to which of the following global issues?

a) Climate change
b) Iran nuclear deal
c) Global terrorism
d) Refugee crisis

5) India is the member of which of the following Multilateral Export Control Regimes?

a) Nuclear Supplier Group and Australian Group only.
b) Wassenar Arrangement and Australian Group only.
c) Nuclear Supplier Group and Missile Technology Control Regime.
d) Missile Technology Control Regime and Wassenar Arrangement only.

6) China is not the member of which of the following Multilateral Export Control Regimes?

a) Nuclear Supplier Group and Australian Group only.
b) Wassenar Arrangement and Australian Group only.
c) Australian Group Missile Technology Control Regime and Wassenar Arrangement.
d) Missile Technology Control Regime and Wassenar Arrangement only.

Answers

1) c
2) b
3) a
4) b
5) d
6) c

Wetlands in India

1) Which of the following is/are not considered a wetland?

a) River Channels
b) Paddy Fields
c) Aquaculture
d) All of the above

2) Which of the following statements is incorrect with respect to wetlands in India?

a) There are 115 wetlands officially identified by Central Government.
b) 32 wetlands are identified as wetlands of international importance under Ramsar Convention.
c) Salt pans as wetlands have been omitted under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017.
d) Deepor Beel is a Ramsar site and a part of it is also wildlife sanctuary in Guwahati, Assam.

Answers

1) d
2) b, 26

Ecology and Cyberspace

1) Which of the following wild animals is/are found in India?

a) Red Panda
b) Sloth Bear
c) Chinkara
d) Striped Hyena
e) Beddome's Toad
f) Lion tailed Macaque
g) Golden Jackal

i) a, c and f only
ii) a and f only
iii) All except c and e
iv) All of the above

2) What are Waanacry, Petya and SamSam?

a) Malwares
b) Operating Platforms
c) Ransomwares
d) Cryptocurrencies

3) Which of the following statements is incorrect with respect to Bitcoin?

a) It is based on blockchain technology.
b) This cryptocurrency can be bought and sold in India.
c) It is not regulated by the RBI.
d) It is the fiat form of currency.

4) The conservation of Tigers in India, under Project Tiger, has been envisioned according to which of the following conservation strategies?

a) Core-Buffer
b) Core-Buffer-Corridor
c) Core-Buffer-Transition
d) Corridor-Buffer-Transition

5) Who was the first chairperson of National Green Tribunal?

a) Justice Swantanter Kumar
b) Justice K.G. Balakrishnan
c) Justice Lokeshwar Singh Panta
d) Justice U.D. Salvi

Answers

1) iv
2) c
3) d
4) b
5) c

Ozone Hole - Multiple Choice Questions

1) Ozone hole usually do not occur in Arctic. The factor/factors responsible for the same is/are :

a) Presence of warm meteorological conditions.
b) Presence of weak circumpolar winds.
c) Both a) and b)
d) None of the above.

2) Which of the following free radicles contribute to the formation of ozone hole?

a) Chlorine ion
b) Bromine ion
c) Hydroxyl ion
d) All of the above

3) Ozone layer is present in which of the following atmospheric layers?

a) Troposphere
b) Stratosphere
c) Ionosphere
d) Mesosphere

4) Which of the following atmospheric phenomenon is not conducive to ozone hole formation?

a) Presence of free radicles.
b) Presence of warm meteorological conditions.
c) Formation of Polar Stratospheric Cloud.
d) Presence of strong circumpolar winds.

5) The Kigali Amendment to Montreal Protocol was related to which of the following Ozone Depleting Compounds?

a) Hydrofluorocarbons
b) Chlorofluorocarbons
c) Hydrochlorofluorocarbons
d) All of the above

Answers

1) c
2) d
3) b
4) b, Presence of cold meteorological conditions.
5) a

Climate Change

1) Which of the following is/are the consequence of Global Warming?

a) Glacial retreating
b) Extension of desertification
c) Stimulation of photosynthesis
d) All of the above

2) Which of the following is not a green house gas?

a) Water vapour
b) Ozone
c) Nitrogen
d) Oxygen
d) Both c) and d)
e) All of the above are green house gases

3) The 'Alliance 8.7' is related to which of the following?

a) Climate Change
b) Women Empowerement
c) Child Labour
d) Global Terrorism

4) Which of the following is not the consequence of a climate change?

a) Upward displacement of the plant community in alpine peaks.
b) More occurrence mosquito-borne diseases at higher elevations.
c) Rise in crop productivity.
d) Increased flood and drought occurrence.

5) Which of the following acids does not forms the essential component of the acid rain?
a) Sulphuric Acid
b) Hydrochloric Acid
c) Nitric Acid
d) Carbonic Acid

Answers

1) d
2) d
3) c
4) c
5) d

Current Affairs Questions

1) which of the following statements is incorrect with respect to anti-defection law?
(Difficulty Level : High)

a) It is contained in the 10th schedule of the constitution.
b) It is applicable to both parliament and state legislature.
c) Decision of presiding officer is subject to judicial review.
d) Court can interfere in the decision of presiding officer only after when an order is made in this respect.
e) Decision with respect to defection must be made within 3 months by the presiding officer.

2) Which of the following has been excluded from the definition of tree in a recent amendment to Indian Forest Act,1927 ?

a) Banana
b) Bamboo
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b

3) Which of the following statements is incorrect with respect to 'Crime in India' Report 2016, released recently by NCRB?

a) A new chapter on 'city-wise data' has been added in the report.
b) Mumbai has the largest incidence of recorded IPC crimes among all the cities in India.
c) A new chapter on 'Missing persons and children' has been included in the report.
d) For the first time the statistics on seizure of arms,ammunition and drugs by CAPF has been included in the report.

4) Which of the following is a foreign policy instrument related to Japan?

a) Jieitai
b) Asia-Africa Growth Corridor
c) Pivot Policy
d) Nine Dotted Line
e) Asian Security Diamond
f) Belt and Road Initiative
g) Quadrilatetal Dialogue

Answers:

1) e
2) b
3) b, Delhi
4) a, b, e, g

Question of the day...

1) Which of the following statements is/are correct with respect to Minimum Support Price (MSP) in India?

a) It is decided by the CACP.
b) MSP is set for both food crops and most of Minor Forest Produces (MFPs).
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b

Answer

1) c

National Anti Profiteering Authority

1) Which of the following statements is/are correct with respect to National Anti Profiteering Authority (NAA) of India?

a) It has been setup under NITI Aayog.
b) It aims to ensure that benefits of reduction in indirect tax rates are passed on to consumers.
c) It is a permanent body.

i) All of the above
ii) Statement c only
iii) Statement b only
iv) Statement b and c only 

Answers

1) b. National Anti Profiteering Authority (NAA) in India has been setup under GST.

Neem Coated Urea

Question 1 The central government has decided to make 100% neem-coating mandatory for both domestically manufactured and imported urea material. What is/are the benefits of the neem coated urea?

a) Neem oil slows down the hydrolysis of Urea.
b) Neem oil acts as a 'nitirification inhibitor'.
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b

Reference : The Indian Express - Neem works its magic on urea

Question 2: The decision to coat urea with the Neem oil has been taken to prevent its illegal diversion for the non-farm purposes. What is/are the main non farm uses of Urea?

a) Adulterant in milk.
b) Binder in plywood.
c) smoothener in textiles.
d) All of the above

Question 3: Which of the following is an active ingredient present in the Neem oil?

a) Azadirachtin
b) Quinine
c) Casein
d) None of the above

Answers

1) c
2) d
3) a

Rivers as "Living Persons"

Question 1 Which of the following rivers has/have been declared as "living persons" by the Uttarakhand High Court recently?

a) Ganga
b) Yamuna
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b

Question 2 Whanganui is the first river in the world to be granted a legal human status. This river belongs to which of the following countries?

a) China
b) Indonesia
c) South Korea
d) Nigeria

Question 3 Which of the following statements correctly signifies the advantage of declaring a river as a "living person"?

a) It helps in protecting the recognition and the faith of society.
b) It aims at preservation and conservation of the river.
c) If someone pollutes the said river, the law will prescribe a punishment equal to harming a human being.
d) All of the above.

Answers

1) c
2) b
3) d

Swachh Survekshan Survey 2016

Question 1 According to the 'Swachh Survekshan' survey 2016, which city/urban local body was ranked '1' in terms of cleanliness and other aspects of urban sanitation?

a) Mysuru
b) Chandigarh
c) New Delhi Municipal Corporation
d) Kolkata

Question 2 : In Swachh Survekshan' survey, which of the following evaluation criteria carries the maximum weightage (40%)?

a) Processing and Disposal of Solid Waste.
b) Door to door Collection, Sweeping, Collection & Transportation.
c) Strategy for Open Defecation Free town (ODF) and Integrated Solid Waste Management (SWM)
d) Public & Community Toilet Provision

Reference : Swachh Survekshan

Answers

1) a
2) b

AREA OF EVALUATION WEIGHTAGE

# Strategy for Open Defecation Free town (ODF) and Integrated Solid Waste Management (SWM) 5%

# Information, Education and Behavior Change Communication (IEBC) activity 5%

#Door to door Collection, Sweeping,Collection & Transportation 40%

#Processing and Disposalof Solid Waste 20%

#Public & Community Toilet Provision 15%

#Individual Toilet 15%

Format of an Informal Letter

Dear Reader, I have complied the format of this form of letter from credible sources like CBSE class 12th books and Wren & Martin, but still, if I have missed out something then help me improving by commenting below this post.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Form 1 : Relatives or near friends.

1. Sender's Address (with pincode)

2. Date (March 18, 2017)

3. Salutation :  Dear Father/ Dear Uncle/ Dear Hari(comma)

4. Body of the letter

5. The Subscription : Your loving son/ Yours faithfully (comma)

6. Sender's Name

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Form 2 : Teacher, professor or a senior friend.

1. Sender's Address (with pincode)

2. Date (March 18, 2017)

3. Salutation : Dear Mr. Hari, Dear Sir (comma)

4. Body of the letter

5. The Subscription :
       With Kind regards
        Yours sincerely (comma)

6. Sender's Name

------------------------------------------------------------------

Format of a 'RTI Application'

                                                               Date :

To,

The Public Information Officer
(Name of the Organisation)
(Address)
Pincode

Sir/Mam

Subject: Request for Information under Right to Information Act 2005.

I Sri / Smt/ Ms.(Your Name) Son/Daughter/wife of Shri/Smt/Ms _________ resident of (Your Full Address), wish to seek information as under

Particulars of information

(a) Concerned Office/Department :
(b) Particulars of information required:
      (i) Details of information required :
      (ii) Period for which information asked for:
      (iii) Other details:

I hereby inform that following formalities have been completed by me:

1. That I have deposited the requisite fee by way of Cash / banker /cheque / Draft / Postal Order/ others.

2. That I belong to Category of below Poverty Line (BPL): Yes / No. If yes, I am attaching the valid photocopy of the certificate. Yes / No

                            Declaration

a. I am ‘Citizen’ of India and I am asking the information as ‘Citizen’.

b. I state that the information sought does not fall within the restriction contained in Section 8 & 9 of the RTI Act and to the best of my knowledge it pertains to your office.

c. Further, I assure that I shall not allow/ cause to use/ pass/share/display/ or circulate the information received in any case and under any circumstances, with any person or in any manner which would be detrimental to the Unity and Sovereignty or against the Interest of India.

Place____________
Date_____________

(Name & Signature)

Postal Address:
E-mail address:
Contact Number:

Format of a letter to 'The Editor' of the Newspaper

Dear Reader, I have complied the format of this form of letter from credible sources like CBSE class 12th books and Wren & Martin, but still, if I have missed out something then help me improving by commenting below this post.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Sender's Address (with pincode)

2. Date (March 18, 2017)

3. Inside Address (with pincode)
    The Editor
    ABC Newspaper 
    XYZ City

4. Salutation : Sir/Mam (comma)

5. Subject

6. Body of the letter
     a. Introductory Paragraph
     b. Main body
     c. Concluding Paragraph

7. The Subscription : 'Yours faithfully'/ 'Yours truly' (comma)

8. Sender's Name

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Hints:

1. Sender's Address: Mostly given in the question. Alternatively, following can be used:
      Examination Hall
      Delhi - 1100XX (Pincode)

2. Introductory Paragraph:

a. Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I wish to bring into your notice as well as the concerned authorities of municipal corporation/ transport department towards...
b.  Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I wish to express my views on the....

3. Concluding Paragraph:

a. Suggestions can be put here.
     It is therefore suggested...
     It is proposed that...
b. Third person form/indirect speech should be used.
c. Last line of the body:
- It is hoped that an early action will be taken by the concerned authorities..
- It is earnestly hoped that the authorities competent to redress our grievances will pay attention to this matter...
- I urge the government to take stringent action against...

Comment. Share. Like

National Health Policy - 2017

Reference : National Health Policy-2017 (PIB Link)

Question 1 : Which of the following measures has not been proposed in the recently cleared National Health Policy-  2017?

a) To make 'health' a fundamental right.
b) To raise public health expenditure to 2.5% of the GDP.
c) To increase life expectancy to 70 years from the current 67.5 years by 2025.
d) To set up tribunals for redressal of grievances.

Question 2: Under Schedule-VII of the constitution of India, the 'health' falls under which of the following lists?

a) Union List
b) State List
c) Concurrent List
d) None of the above

Question 3: As per the action plan proposed under the policy, which of the following statements (mentioning targets) is incorrect?

a) To reduce Under Five Mortality to 23 by 2025.
b) To reduce Infant Mortality Rate to 28 by 2019.
c) To reduce Maternal Mortality Rate to 100 by 2020.
d) To increase the Total Fertility Rate to 2.1 by 2025.

Answers

1) a
2) b
3) d, To reduce the Total Fertility Rate to 2.1 by 2025.

Media

Question 1 Fill in the blanks. The media is also called the ________ estate in a democracy.

a) Third
b) Fourth
c) Fifth
d) Ninth

Question 2 Which of the following statements is incorrect with respect to the Press Council of India (PCI)?

a) It is a statutory and a quasi judicial body.
b) It aims to preserve the freedom of the press.
c) It imposes punishments in case of ethical violations in the conduct of a media organisation.
d) It aims to improves the standards of press in India.

Answers

1) b
2) c

Current Affair Questions

Question 1) The Fame-India scheme is related to which of the following options?

a) Making India a global manufacturing hub.
b) Promotion of eco-friendly vehicles.
c) Promotion of Indian handicraft products.
d) Making India a global skill training hub.

Reference : Click Here

Answers

1) b

Note It: Kolleru Lake

1) It is one of the largest freshwater lakes in India.
2) It lies between the deltas of river Krishna and Godavari.
3) Atapaka Bird Sanctuary is located in Kolleru lake.
4) The lake is home to thousands of birds during the wintering season like - spot billed pelicans and painted storks.

Questions Compiled From Indian Forest Service (IFS) interview 2017 : 27th February - 16th March

Dear friends, below is the compiled set of questions asked during the IFS interview 2017. This list is based on the personal experience, as I was also one of the interviewee for the prestigious IFS job, and the interview experience of the other candidates I have got a chance to interact with. I hope these questions would help you in your preparation.

All the best !!!

Favourite Questions of the Boards

1) Why have you choosen the Indian Forest Service as your career option?

    Keywords : Diverse responsibilities, social prestige, social acceptance, best what government of India has to offer.

2) If you get selected for IAS and IFS both, which service would you prefer and why?

3) Why do you want to leave your current job for the 'Indian Forest Service' profile?

4) What made you shift from private sector to the government sector job?

5) What makes you a good candidate for the Indian Forest Service?

6) How the experience of your previous or the current job is relevant for the job of IFS officer?

7) Tell us something about yourself? OR what do you think what kind of person you are?

8) What is the first thing you will do after you become an IFS officer?

Questions checking your administrative abilities or administrative acumen

1) Which is better : a quick decision or a planned decision?

2) Is administrator different from manager? What are the challenges involved in the public administration?

3) Is India overgoverned?

General Questions

1) What is the difference between Marketing and Sales? How marketing plays a significant role in forest management?

2) What is ecotourism? What measures need to be taken to strike a balance between huge influx of tourists in the religious places and adverse environmental consequences resulting from it?

Subject Specific Questions

1) What measures will you take to increase the forest cover in your state?

2) What are the five major problems related to forests in India?

3) Where is hope island? What is its environmental significance?

4) Define carrying capacity in terms of protected areas?

5) What is biodiversity index?

6) State the difference between Tigers and Lions? State the difference between Turtles and Tortoises?

7) What are the internal factors responsible for forest degradation?

8) Who is authorized to the issue shoot at sight order in a tiger reserve or a national park?

Questions Demanding Out-of-Box Thinking

1) Why have humans evolved from monkeys?

Questions were also asked from the following areas:

1) Environmental legislations like WPA,1971; EPA, 1986 ; Forest Rights Act,1927

2) Hunting of vermins

3) Effects of climate change on forests.

4) Recently visited National Parks or Wildlife sanctuaries.

5) Greenhouse effect.

6) Monkey menace in Himachal Pradesh.

7) Wildlife-animal conflict - ways to minimise it.

8) Project Tiger, Project Elephant

9) Genetically modified foods.

Kindly share the post with your friends and help me in building the repository of such questions for the benefit of all.

Why Science is Needed?

Science is beyond physics, chemistry or biology. It transcends the boundaries of engineering or medical field, rather it touches upon the life of each of the individual living on this planet. It often happens that when we or our dear ones gets affected by diseases like jaundice (treatment of which is more dependent on relevant diet and adequate rest) or chicken pox, we turn up to self made godmen or babas for instant relief. Do you remember your mother taking you to temple priest when you got affected by some viral diseases termed in Hindu religion as Mata (referring to Indian goddess)? As if God wanted you to get ill.

Medical science has often remained at loggerheads with superstitious ideas prevalent in our society. And there are some positive arguments in what medical sciences says. The baba culture or tantric culture prevalent in rural regions of our country has often derived benefits from ignorance and backwardness in the rural society. Having said that, ignorance is not limited to rural or poor people alone, I remember how the famous Indian sportsperson used to bow down in front of a baba who would wave his hands in air and magically shell out a gold chain or a watch - this is nothing but what is better known as haath ki safai.

Ask these babas to produce stock of grains so that no child in our country die of starvation. I know they would never do it because they don't have means to do it. In some other instances, when one visits the holy places like Haridwar, one just can not miss these babas with pierced tongue in which the trishul (trident) is well placed to create an aura of godly powers. Sometimes I wonder how many 'Supermans' do we have.

This is a serious issue though. Our country is progressing by leaps and bounds but these superstitious ideas keep pulling us back into the culture of oblivion. The western perception of India as a 'country of snake-charmers' has still not left us completely. These ideas are like 'mental slavery' to which most Indians are subjected to - the most visible manifestation of which is witch-hunt often reported in some states in central India.

Some progressive steps have been taken by the state governments and some rational individuals in our country but unless this turns into a national movement wherein each citizen has its own contribution, superstitions can not die. The priority now should be to educate students to build scientific temperament among them. The idea is to propagate scientific inquiry among the minds of younger generation so that they can insulate themselves from this form of slavery.

Celebrating Girl Child By Planting Trees

There is a very interesting tradition in Dharhara village near Bhagalpur, Bihar that has become a model for women empowerment across India. According to the tradition whenever a girl child is born in a family, the community celebrate her birth by singing folk songs and the concerned family plant 10 fruit trees. This tradition has been going on for generations but recently came into limelight when the chief minister of Bihar acknowledged this practice and decided to make this the theme for the Republic Day tableau.

According to one estimate the approximate number of fruit bearing trees in this village is two lakh. The concept is simple yet encouraging, as the girl child is born the parents according to their financial capacity plant trees of their choice. The trees are mainly of some economic value like Seesam for its timber or fruit trees like Litchi or Mango. It would be amazing to know that the village boasts of 25 varieties of mangoes growing in their region.

As the age of the girl child progresses, the economic value of the tree also grows. The products from the tree are sold in the market to finance the educational and other needs of the girl. This way the orthodox mindset of the families to perceive girls as a 'burden' nullifies. And when the girl child reaches the marriageable age, the family often accumulates enough wealth to meet the marriage expenses. It has also been observed that every year the community celebrates the birthday of the girl child along with the trees planted on that day.

This practice has a multifold benefits. Primarily it financially empowers the family to meet the needs of the girl child and of themselves. Secondly, as the natural wealth of the village improves, the ecosystem services like fresh air, clean water, microclimate and soil productivity also improves which further consolidates the well being of the community as a whole.

In India, where the problem of illegal sex determination and female foeticide are giving nightmares to the government, the example set by this village has given a new direction to women empowerment  (WE). This is also an effective lesson for the bureaucracy to think environment and development in inclusive terms.

The forest officers in the state must take the onus to emulate such practices in their area of operations by creating awareness and providing technical know-how to the community to plant only those trees which best suits the geographic condition of that region.

The precedent set by this village in Bihar and the States like Haryana, which has recently crossed the sex ratio of 900 are very motivating and must be emulated by rest of the States in India for their model of women empowerment.

Environment and Ecology

Question 1 Which of the following is/are the quantitative thresholds for recognising a region as 'biodiversity Hot Spot' ?

a) Plants endemism.
b) Habitat loss.
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b

Question 2 Which of the following is not a 'biodiversity Hot Spot' in India?

a) Western Himalayas
b) Eastern Himalayas or Indo-Burma region.
c) Western Ghats
d) Eastern Ghats

Question 3 'Hope Spots' are meant to conserve which of the following kinds of ecosystems?

a) Marine ecosystems.
b) Terrestrial ecosystems.
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b

Question 4 Which of the following is not assessed for the 'IUCN Red List' of globally threatened species?

a) Algae
b) Fungi
c) Plants
d) Animals

Answers

1) c
2) d
3) a
4) a

Union Budget 2017 : Economic Reforms

Question 1: Which of the following statements is/are correct with respect to 'Direct Taxes' for the year 2015-16?

a) Direct Tax to GDP Ratio has been falling since financial year 2013-14.
b) Net collection of Direct Taxes has been increasing since financial year 2010-11.
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b

Question 2 Which of the following statements is incorrect with respect to targets fixed for 'Fiscal and Revenue Deficit' in the economy?

a) Fiscal deficit target for the year 2017-18 has been fixed at 3.2% of GDP.
b) Revenue deficit target for the year 2017-18 has been fixed at 1.9% of GDP.
c) Fiscal deficit target for the year 2018-19 has been set at 3% of GDP.
d) None of the above.

Question 3 Which of the following measures has/have been taken to boost the rural demand and consumption in the economy?

a) Higher allocation of Rs 40,000 crore for rural housing and roads.
b) Cut in corporate tax to 25% for SMEs with turnover less than Rs 50 crore a year.
c) Both a and b.
d) Neither a nor b.

Question 4 With respect to tax imposed on income of the individuals, which of the following announcements has not been made under the Union Budget 2017?

a) Reduction in income tax rate to 5% for the tax slab of 2.5 lakh to 10 lakh.
b) A surcharge of 10% on the net taxable income between Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore.
c) A levy of 10% tax on dividend income exceeding Rs 10 lakh with few exceptions.
d) All of the above statements are correct.

Question 5 To allow the banks to focus on 'value based banking', what limit has been set for cash-led transactions in the economy?

a) Rs 2 lakh.
b) Rs 3 lakh.
c) Rs 10 lakh.
d) Rs 5 lakh

Answers

1) c
2) d
3) c
4) a, Reduction in income tax rate to 5% for the tax slab of 2.5 lakh to 5 lakh.
5) b

For More Questions Click Here : Union Budget Part-1

Union Budget 2017 : Part-1

Question 1 For which of the following recommendations of the 'Economic Survey', specific provisions has/have been taken under the Union Budget 2017?

a) Establishing a 'bad bank'.
b) Implementing 'Universal Basic Income' scheme.
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b

Question 2 With respect to instituting reforms in 'poll financing' or 'political funding', which of the following measures has not been proposed under the Union Budget 2017?

a) Limiting the anonymous or unnamed cash donations from a single person to Rs 2000/-.
b) An 'electoral bond scheme' to make donations to political parties.
c) Creation of a 'national electoral fund'.
d) Entitling political parties to receive donations by cheque or digital mode.

Question 3 Which of the following organisations has been proposed to abolish under the Union Budget 2017?

a) FIPB
b) BCCI
c) CERT-In
d) None of the above

Question 4 With respect to the health sector, which of the following announcements has/have been made under the Union Budget 2017?

a) Two new AIIMS to be established in Jharkhand and Gujarat.
b) Hiking taxes on tobacco products excluding beedis.
c) An action plan to eliminate Kala-azar, Filariasis, Leprosy, Measles and Tuberclosis.
d) All of the above.

Question 5 To strengthen the e-payment systems in the country, the centre has proposed a new regulatory board - the Payment Regulatory Board. Which of the following statements is/are correct in this respect?

a) The board will be set up under the control of SEBI.
b) The board is based on the recommendations of Dr. Ratan Watal Committee on Digital Payments.
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b  

Answers

1) d
2) c
3) a
4) d
5) b , The six-member board will be set up within the RBI. It would be headed by the RBI's Governor.

Natural Wonders of the Earth

Question 1 : Which of the following plants produces the world's largest flower ?

a) Rafflesia arnoldi
b) Wolffia globosa or watermeal
c) Titan arum
d) Pitcher plant

Question 2 : Which of the following plants produces the world's smallest flower ?

a) Rafflesia arnoldi
b) Wolffia globosa or watermeal
c) Titan arum
d) Pitcher plant

Question 3 Which of the following plant produces the world's smelliest flower as recorded in Guinness book of world records?

a) Rafflesia arnoldi
b) Wolffia globosa or watermeal
c) Titan arum
d) Pitcher plant

Question 4 : Which of the following is the world's largest tree?

a) Sequoiadendron giganteum or Redwood
b) Ficus bengalensis or Pipal
c) Tectona grandis or Teak 
d) Cedrus deodara

Answers

1) a
2) b
3) c
4) a

Reference

1) World's Largest Flower
2) World's Largest Flower (YouTube)
3) World's Smallest Flower
4) Guinness book of world records
5) National Geographic Channel

'Kaali Zubaan' : Making Verbal Abuse a Punishable Offence

Today, after coming from an early morning jog I witnessed a group of 4 kids abusing to an extent which is beyond the ethos of a moral society. For them abusing or using some offensive words seems to be some sort of social activity. I am sure that these kids have learnt this from their social surroundings or worst from elders in their family. However, this is something which is more of a social issue which I don't want to focus now.

I was thinking that if we can make spitting a punishable offence in our country why can't we make abusing a punishable offence too. We talk about the citizen's Right to 'Dignity' or the Right to their 'Reputation' and then we talk about our constitutional rights liberally interpreted under Article 21 i.e. the Right to Life.

Isn't abusing sabotaging the dignity or reputation of our citizens. Isn't a lady subjected to verbal abuse by her husband is subdued of her dignity, isn't an abuse by employer of some Insurance or BPO enterprise to its employee is sabotaging the reputation and dignity of that employee too. Indeed it does.

As a solution I believe there are two fundamental requirements. First, the easiest one would be to impose moral sanctions by the civil society to the regular abusers. The society should abandon the individual who is found to be a regular abusers. And second, imposition of fine by our higher courts. A fine of meagure Rs 50/- for first offence would act as a formidable deterrence towards the errants.

These punitive measures are also needed because the vulnerable section of our population like poor children, housewives or working women and elderly are often subjected to some of verbal abuse in their life. We need to preserve their dignity and the time to deliberate on this issue has come.

Learning Through Questions (LTQs) : India-UAE Relations

Question 1 Which of the following agreements has been recently signed between India and the UAE?

a) Strategic Defence Agreement.
b) Strategic Partnership Agreement.
c) Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DITI)
d) None of the above

Question 2: Which of the following factors have contributed in evolving the bilateral ties between India and the UAE ?

a) Geopolitical circumstances in the gulf region.
b) India's economic interest for its infrastructure development.
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b

Question 3 Which of the following statements is/are correct with respect to India-UAE bilateral ties?

a) Both are the members of Gulf Cooperation Council  (GCC).
b) India and UAE have trade ties of about  $50 billion.
c)  UAE is the largest source of imports of crude oil for India.
d) All of the above

Question 4 Which of the following statements is incorrect with respect to Indian diaspora in the GCC States?

a) There are approximately 7 million Indians in the GCC States.
b) There are approximately 2.6 million Indians in the UAE.
c) India receives around 52% of its remittances from its gulf expatriates.
d) None of the above

Answers

1) b, DITI between India and United States.
2) c 
3) b
4) d

Learning Through Questions (LTQs) : Set: 1 - Demonitisation

Question 1 : Which of the following causes signifies/signify the need for demonitisation in India?

a) High volume of currency transactions in the economy.
b) High Cash-GDP ratio (12-13%).
c) Black money to the tune of 1/5th of GDP.
d) All of the above.

Question 2: Which of the following is/are the possible impacts of demonitisation on the economy of India?

a) Deflationary shocks.
b) Dent in job market.
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b

Question 3 : Which of the following is not one of the objectives to initiate the demonitisation drive in India?

a) To curb black money and corruption.
b) To boost consumption demand.
c) To discourage cash-led system in the economy.
d) To combat inflation.

For Further Reading : Click Here

Answers

1) a
2) c
3) b

Nilli Batti : Why Economic Ceiling Is Imperative For Reservations

Anyone who aspires to become a public official in India dreams of owning that white ambassador car crowned with 'blue beacon' at its roof (nilli batti wali gadi)  The Blue beacon government vehicle is a symbol of authority, achievement and to the top of it, the pride. However I want to take this topic to another dimension which is the inaccessibility that a poor aspirant faces while pursuing such coveted profiles.

The exorbitant fee of the coaching centres that goes up to lakhs is one that most of us are aware of. Let's go deeper and analyse another perspective which is 'Reservation'. I can understand why frowns appear on the foreheads of the unreserved candidate belonging to a 'General Category' when the word 'reservation' encounters him. Reservations have disturbed the mental peace of a general category candidate and it has divided the youth of the country into those who have reservation and those that have-not, which obviously covers the rest of them.

I have a deep sympathy for the aspirants of backward community who due to their historical injustice and series of deprivation could not rise up to the ladder. Thus it warrants the responsibility of the state to give adequate reservations so to make jobs and quality education accessible for them. Also it is the responsibility of the so called 'have nots' to respect that mandate.

Having said that I fail to understand the rational behind exclusion of economic ceiling while allocating reservations to the beneficiaries. Our constitution recognises backwardness on the basis of social and educational criteria but it is silent with respect to an economic perspective. Probably the situation at the time of framing the constitution didn't warrant the inclusion of this very ceiling.

But the tables have turned now or they are seems to be turning. Now the economically sound reserved category aspirants are making up to the mark but the poor dalits or other backward communities including schedule tribes are still struggling for their dream of nilli batti. The situation has not much improved for these deprived section since independence.

In addition to this there are economically backward aspirants among the unreserved categories who also deserve some sort of hand holding to fulfill their dreams. Adequate reservations could be one such mesure.

I strongly feel that reservation policy in our country needs some recaliberation so as to enhance the upwards mobility of a poor aspirant in the mad race for government jobs. 

Going Sarkari : How To Make A Move From Corporate To Government Sector

I am sure most of you who have clicked on the link to this post must have some inclination towards the Government sector but the only problem is "we do not know how to go about it". We share the common fascination for Lal aur nilli batti wali gadi, we want to have a life where in we have people working for us and we want to have a single workplace where we are recognised nationally or globally for our work. The daily politics of corporate sector have rusted us and there are some days when we just hate going to office. Friends, here in this article I have tried to clear most of your doubts through whatever understanding I have for the efforts that need to be required to enter the public sector.

First of all let me summarise your doubts. While interacting most of the like minded people, I have realised that there are some common set of fears, doubts and queries. The most common being is that of dreaded 'maths' which has consistently haunted us in school like anything and we wanted to end that torture on minds as soon as possible. The next being the rumours or grapevine that we have heard from the one who have appeared in few of such exams and could not clear it. "IAS bada mushkil exam hai", "Sirf IIT or IIM ke students hi IAS clear karte hain" , "Usne 4 attempt diye par usse interview mein nikal diya"...such things we often come across. I am not saying that this is not true but this is not absolutely true.

Usually the students with not so high-profile academic background but having a clear thought process get through such exams. For the last 4 years, I am seeing the students of 3 year graduation programmes from Delhi or any central university dominating IAS, IPS, Bank P.O., Custom Inspector and other such services.

So let's start with some basic understanding. The central services which belong to central government are divided into 3 broad categories like Group A, Group B and Group C. The most lucrative and obviously on top of the hierarchy are Group A jobs.

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conduct exams for Group A jobs and whenever movies like Airlift and Gangajal fascinates you towards becoming an Indian Foreign Service or an Indian Police Service officer you know whom to approach. For your information UPSC inducts aspirants for Group A profile till the age of 32 years (General category), it gives you 6 attempts and guess what- they do not grill you for that haunted maths. Rather they ask you questions which are related to 'General Mental Ability' which just require a little bit of practice. But 'General Studies' is indispensable for this exam and you need to be the Aryabhatta or Chanakya of this. There is no need to worry, it is still not that grilling.

Further you need to take a subject which could be your graduation subject like political science, geography or you can take some interesting subjects like psychology, sociology and public administration. The list is endless. So complete General studies (be prepared for a journey wherein you would get an opportunity to get acquainted with anything which is under the sun), a little bit of General mental ability and a thorough study of one subject of your choice is all you need to become an IAS or IPS.

You would be surprised to know that the similar exam at the state level have provision to induct aspirants uptil the age of 40 years (General category) however pattern may differ with respect to a particular state.  States such as Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh are most favoured by aspirants of Northern India.

I would like to end this section by a few lines from a poem written by late Dr.. Abdul Kalam Azad, which goes like this:

"Dream, Dream ,Dream.Dreams transform into thoughts and thoughts result in action"

# Group B Jobs shall be covered in Part -B of this section.

You can post your queries on the comment section, they will be replied to as soon as possible

Eligibility test for politicians..

While I listen to prime time news in 24x7 news channels I wonder what would happen if an eligibility test is conducted for them before taking their seat.
Politicians in our country mould the constitutional provisions as per their whims and fancies. As election in one of the largest states in India-Uttar Pradesh is on cards, the political vendetta related to reservations,castes and demonitisation is underway. Any rational individual with a basic knowledge of constitution would tell how that these public leaders distort facts to fool the ignorant voters in our country.
If not eligibility test, a theoretical training on political philosophies and ethical conduct in daily life is I believe something which should not be ignored at any cost.

Current Affairs Quiz

Question 1 : Which of the following states in India have two capitals?

i) Jammu and Kashmir
ii) Gujarat
iii) Maharashtra
iv) Himachal Pradesh
v) Punjab

a) All of the above
b) i and v only
c) i, iii and iv only
d) i only

Question 2: Recently, the Government of India has decided to ratify the International Labour Organization (ILO) convention 182 and convention 138. These conventions are related to which of the following options?

a) Child Labour
b) Human Trafficking
c) Drug Trafficking
d) Women Slavery

Answers:

1) c
2) a, ILO convention 182 on the worst form of child labour and convention 138 on minimum age of employment.

Activism by Uniformed Personnel in India

Recently, the constable Tej Bahadur of Border Security Force and Lance Naik Yagya Pratap Singh of 42 Infantry have took over the social networking sites like Facebook to air their grievances against the neglect of welfare issues and poor service conditions in Paramilitary Forces and Army respectively. This has subsequently been followed by the series of copy cat videos from other soldiers airing the similar grievances.

Napoleon Bonaparte once said that an "army marches on its stomach". And this adage best suits to the issue of bad good highlighted by the constable Tej Bahadur  in his video. He highlighted the fact that the soldiers posted on disturbed and sensitive areas are made to eat burnt chapatis and watery dal. Though the higher officials of the BSF seems to be in state of denial, this issue should not be neglected.

A soldier protects the border and key infrastructure of the country and keeps an active vigil on any suspicious activities in these areas. So it is utmost essential that his health, welfare and service conditions be given superior priority. In addition to this the uniformed personnel of paramilitary forces also faces another set of problems which are very specific to them.

The paramilitary forces since its inception has been facing stepmotherly treatment with respect to Army. The wage disparities, poor service conditions, deployment to forward areas and other are some form of discriminations that are been faced by the forces. However, the most important issue that need to be highlighted out here is concerns related to system of military justice.

Paramilitary forces, and also Assam Rifles, falls outside the purview of the 'Armed Forces Tribunal' and the 'Security Force Court' which operates a court martial like system lack adequate legal safeguards. Thus the only recourse left for the personnel of these forces to communicate their grievances is an expensive and time consuming process of writ petitions. Perhaps this is the reason why constable Tej Bahadur used Facebook to disseminate his grievance to wider public.

However, on the other side the Army in the country is facing a different set of problems which include lop-sided promotion policies, neglect of welfare issues, denial of leaves for months, controversial appointment of 'Chief of Army Staff' and the like. These issues have national security implications as these tend to lower down the morale of the armed personnel and weakens the social cohesion among soldiers. No wonder from 2003-2013, 1666 cases of suicides and 109 cases of fratricides have been reported within the armed forces.

But here, there is one issue that is need to be focussed further. Lance Naik Yagya Pratap Singh has specifically highlighted the contentious Sahayak or buddy system in the army. Under this system a professional soldier is deputed to be with an officer and made to do his personal chores like washing clothes, polishing  boots and walking dogs. The series of videos should act as wake up call now, and such systems should be revoked on priority basis.

Having said that there are arguments against the use of social networking websites by the uniformed personnel to air their grievances. The armed forces in India are governed by a set of norms, organisational values, and warrior ethics that involve virtues like courage, discipline, honesty, loyalty and hierarchy. In no way there should be any breach in these values. In armed forces duties and warrior ethics of a personnel holds primacy and is a part of uncompromising creed of a soldier.

There is thus a need to strike a balance between values and virtues in the armed forces and the proper mechanism of addressing grievances of the soldiers. There is a further need to have serious deliberations and discussions on the welfare measures of the armed personnel by the senior leadership of executive and security establishments.

Rationalizing policies, operational control of paramilitary forces by Army, reform in military justice system and comprehensive measures to address the stress related issues among the forces is a need of the hour. Here the words of Kautilya, also known as Chanakya, to his king suits most appropriately:

 “The day the soldier has to demand his dues will be a sad day for Magadha for then, on that day, you will have lost all moral sanction to be King!”

The 'Totaliser Technology'

Question 1 : The 'totaliser technology' was recently in news. This technology is related to which of the following options?

a) Counting of votes through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
b) Counting the number of school drop-outs in a district.
c) Ascertaining the amount of black money in an economy.
d) None of the above.

Question 2: Which of the following statements is/are correct with respect to the 'totaliser technology'?

a) It restores the secrecy of a ballot.
b) The technology received the backing of Law Commission in 2015 and the Supreme Court.
c) The government rejected the implementation of this technology as they claim that this might hamper the polling booth management.
d) All of the above.

Answers

1) a
2) d

For further reference : Click Here

Reserve Bank of India

Question 1 : Which of the following is not an essential role of the RBI in the country?

a) Supervision of banks and the payment system.
b) Public debt management.
c) Currency management.
d) Inflation fighting.

Question 2: Which of the following institutions act as an issuer and custodian of currency in India?

a) Ministry of Finance.
b) Reserve Bank of India.
c) State Bank of India.
d) None of the above.

Question 3: Which of the following statements is correct with respect to the Reserve Bank of India?

a) The constitution of India renders an autonomous status to the RBI.
b) RBI act as a Merchant banker for both the state and the central government.
c) RBI has entered into an agreement with the government of India on targeting inflation.
d) Both b and c

Further Reading : RBI Governor

Answers:

1) b. The government of India has taken the  debt management function of the RBI on the recommendation of Financial Sector Reforms Legislative Commission  (FSRLC).
2) b
3) d. The RBI has no constitutional backing.

Quote Decode

“For I am of the opinion that the most vital need of the day is to create among the mass of the people the sense of a common nationality, the feeling not that they are Indians first and Hindus, Mohammedans or Sindhis and Kanarese afterwards, but that they are Indians first and Indians last. If that be the ideal then it follows that nothing should be done which will harden local patriotism and group - Dr. B.R.Ambedkar (13th October 1956 during the meeting of the workers of the scheduled caste federation in Nagpur)

Dr. Ambedkar has laid down the foundation of a strong framework for social justice in India. He has been instrumental for constitutional empowerment of minorities especially dalit community.Through this quote, Dr.Ambedkar has emphasised the importance of core doctrine of unity in diversity in India.

Today the country is divided into fragments, the fragments which are deepened by religious fanaticism, intolerance towards liberal views, extreme form of regionalism, ignorance  and narrow mindedness. The need has arrived to revive the values of unity, integrity, common brotherhood, respect for woman, and other ideals enshrined in the preamble of the country.

Without the sense of common nationality among the masses in India, the dream of an inclusive society and being a global superpower will be the far fetched one.

Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB): Radio Technology

Question 1 Which of the following advantages is not rendered by DAB as compared to the FM frequencies in radio technology?

a) Steady signal transmission in any topography.
b) Better coverage and ease of tuning.
c) Better sound quality irrespective of number of channels.
d) Better sharing of digital information related to broadcasted content.

Question 2 Which of the following countries has become the first country in the world to begin shutting down its entire FM radio network and replacing it with digital radio?

a) Denmark
b) Norway
c) China
d) Switzerland

Answers

1) c, Large number of channels may divide the bit-rate or rate of data transfer among the broadcasts. As a result of which, DAB bandwidth can be choked and it may further suffer a drop in quality.
2) b

Gene-edited Foods

Question 1 Which of the following statements is incorrect with respect to the gene-edited foods?

a) These are created through tools that snip and tweak DNA at precise locations.
b) They come under the same set of regulations to which genetically modified foods belong.
c) Gene editing techniques like Crispr and Talen are used to create such foods.
d) Few companies like Calyxt and DuPont Pioneer are using gene editing techniques to produce such foods.

Answer

1) b. These foods largely fall outside the purview of current regulations.

Merchant Discount Rate (MDR)

Question 1 Which of the following statements is/are correct with respect to a Merchant Discount Rate (MDR)?

a) It is a charge that merchants pay every time a debit or credit card is swiped at their end for a transaction by a customer.
b) High MDR reduces the profit margin of a merchant.
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b

Question 2 : MDR is charged at some percentage (typically 1%) of the transaction done through a debit or a credit card. This charge is used to fund which of the following components?

a) Cost incurred in running the Point of Sale (PoS) machine.
b) Network fee to network providers like MasterCard, Visa or Rupay.
c) Interchange - the charge paid by the company that has installed the PoS machines to the issuing bank.
d) All of the above.

Answers

1) c
2) d

Indian Polity : Current Affairs Based Questions

Question 1 : Who appoints the state Director General of Police?

a) President of India.
b) Governor of the respective state.
c) Prime Minister of India.
d) Chief Minister of the respective state.

Question 2: When the model code of conduct comes into force?

a) Immediately with the announcement of poll dates.
b) 48 hours before the voting date.
c) 7 days prior to voting date.
d) As the president deems fit.

Question 3: Who heads the 'Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS)'?

a) Defence Minister
b) Prime Minister
c) Home Minister
d) Cabinet Secretary

Answers

1) d
2) a
3) b

Innovative Bond Market : India and the World

Question 1: Which of the following statements is/are correct with respect to 'Green Bonds'?

a) These bonds finance environmentally friendly businesses and assets.
b) The first green bond in 2007 was issued by the World Bank and the European Investment Bank.
c) India is the seventh largest green bond market globally.
d) All of the above.

Further Reference : Understanding Green Bonds (The Hindu)

Question 2: Which of the following organisations/Ministry regulates the Green Bond Market in India?

a) SEBI
b) RBI
c) NABARD
d) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Question 3: The main purpose of 'Blue Bonds' is to finance which of the following?

a) Poverty alleviation programmes.
b) Solar power projects.
c) Water infrastructure projects.
d) Solid waste management projects.

Question 4 Recently, the Prime Minister of India has resuscitated the municipal bond market for water supply projects in which of the following cities?

a) Pune
b) Hyderabad
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b

Question 5: Which of the following projects/sectors in India is allocated the maximum proceeds from Green Bonds?

a) Low carbon transport sector.
b) Renewable energy projects.
c) Low carbon buildings.
d) Water and waste management.

Answers

1) d
2) a
3) c
4) c
5) b

BHIM : Indian Government's Massive Digital Transaction Push

Question 1 : Recently, the government of India has launched a digital payment application - BHIM to encourage cashless transactions in the country. Which of the following statements is incorrect in the context of BHIM?

Reference : BHIM

a) The BHIM or Bharat Interface for Money is named after a mythological character in an epic - Mahabharata.
b) BHIM is an Unified Payment Interface (UPI)-based digital payment application.
c) Transactions can be fulfilled via IFSC code, MMID (Mobile Money Identifier) code and UPI account.
d) Currently the app is only available for Android users.

Answer

1) a, The BHIM or Bharat Interface for Money is named after Babasaheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar.

Further Reading

Unified Payment Interface

Babasaheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar.