Buddhism

1) Which of the following is not related to the Buddhism?

a) Hemis Tsechu or Hemis Festival
b) Maitreya Temple
c) Thangka Paintings
d) Nishkramana

2) Which of the following is not matched correctly?

a) Dhamekh Stupa - Sarnath
b) Shanti Stupa - Ladakh
c) Tabo monastery - Spiti Valley
d) Rumtek Monastery - Tawang

3) Which of the following is/are correct with respect to the 'Great Stupa' located at Sanchi?

a) Toranas are the railings to the stupa.
b) Vedica is the gateway to the stupa.
c) None of the above
d) Both a) and b)

Reference : http://www.msn.com/en-in/travel/tripideas/check-out-these-8-beautiful-indian-monasteries-you-need-to-visit-at-least-once/ar-BBMxPaq?li=AAvxqQB&ocid=SYSDHP#image=BBmIrr4%7C7

India Gate

Which of the following statements is/are correct in context of India Gate?

1. The Amar Jawan Jyoti was built underneath India Gate in 1972, to commemorate the Indo-Pak conflict of 1971.
2. It was built during the British Raj as the All India War Memorial Arch to honour the soldiers who died in the First World War (1914-1918) and the Third Anglo-Afghan War (1919).
3. Both the statements are incorrect.
4. Both the statements are correct.

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.