PRELIMS 2017 REVISION TEST 27

Solution: c

The first cyclone of 2017 season was Cyclone Maarutha which was formed in April, 2017 triggering heavy rainfall in Sri Lanka, Myanmar and India’s Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_cyclone_scales#North_Indian_Ocean

Solution: a

Indian Army has planned to re-introduce cordon and search operations (CASO) as a part of its counter terrorism operations after a gap of 15 years. The major objective behind the reintroduction of combing operations is to bring the situation in the Kashmir Valley under control. Army will carry out CASO in a major way to flush out militants in the militancy-hit areas of Kulgam, Pulwama, Tral, Budgam and Shopian in south Kashmir, indicating a change in strategy.

CASO was a regular feature of Army’s counter-terrorism operations in the 1990s. The security forces made use of “area domination and sweep” operations in the 1990s. During those times, such operations were commonly conducted by the Indian Army. Later, following the complaints of discomfort caused to the local population, the Army switched to specific intelligence-based operations involving small teams and CASO was discontinued.

Solution: a

Fencing, also called Olympic fencing, is a sport in which two competitors fight using ‘rapier-style’ swords, the foil, the Epée, and the sabre, winning points by making contact with their opponent. Fencing was one of the first sports to be played in the Olympics

Solution: c

Wax worm caterpillar eats plastic

Two species of waxworm, Galleria mellonella and Plodia interpunctella have both been observed eating and digesting polyethylene plastic. The waxworms metabolize polyethylene plastic films into ethylene glycol, a compound which biodegrades rapidly

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mealworm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waxworm

Solution: d

All the statements are CORRECT

https://yourstory.com/2017/05/modi-govt-tweaks-startup-definition/

Solution: a)

Indian Polity, Non-Constitutional Bodies

• Candidates for CIC/IC must be persons of eminence in public life with wide knowledge and experience in law, science and technology, social service, management, journalism, mass media or administration and governance.
• CIC/IC shall not be a Member of Parliament or Member of the Legislature of any State or Union Territory. He shall not hold any other office of profit or connected with any political party or carrying on any business or pursuing any profession.

Solution: b)

Indian Polity, Non-Constitutional Bodies

• Appointment Committee includes Prime Minister (Chair), Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and one Union Cabinet Minister to be nominated by the Prime Minister.

http://www.cic.gov.in/who-are-we

Solution: c)

Indian Polity, Non-Constitutional Bodies

• IC shall hold office for a term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office or till he attains the age of sixty-five years, whichever is earlier and shall not be eligible for reappointment as IC.
• Salary will be the same as that of the Election Commissioner. This will not be varied to the disadvantage of the IC during service.
• IC is eligible for appointment as CIC but will not hold office for more than a total of five years including his/her term as IC.

Solution: c)

Indian Polity, Non-Constitutional Bodies

1. When and Why did the Government set up a body like CVC?

The Central Vigilance Commission was set up by the Government in February,1964 on the recommendations of the Committee on Prevention  of Corruption, headed by Shri K. Santhanam, to advise and guide Central Government agencies in the field of vigilance.

2. What is the background of Central Vigilance Commission?

CVC is conceived to be the apex vigilance institution, free of control from any executive authority, monitoring all vigilance activity under the Central Government and advising various authorities in Central Government organizations in planning, executing, reviewing and reforming their vigilance work.

Consequent upon promulgation of an Ordinance by the President, the Central Vigilance Commission has been made a multi member Commission with “statutory status” with effect from 25th August,1998.

3. What is the present status of the Central Vigilance Commission?

The CVC Bill was passed by both the houses of Parliament in 2003 and the President gave its assent on september 11, 2003. Thus the Central Vigilance Commission Act 2003 (No45 0f 2003) came into effect from that date.

The Commission shall consist of:

• A Central Vigilance Commissioner – Chairperson;
• Not more than two Vigilance Commissioners – Members;

Vide GOI Resolution on “Public Interest Disclosure and Protection of Informer” dated April 2004, the Government of India has authorized the Central Vigilance Commission as the “Designated Agency” to receive written complaints for disclosure on any allegation of corruption or misuse of office and recommend appropriate action.

Solution: d)

Indian Polity, Non-Constitutional Bodies

Commission’s Jurisdiction under CVC Act

Members of All India Service serving in connection with the affairs of the Union and Group A officers of the Central Government

Officers of the rank of Scale V and above in the Public Sector Banks

Officers in Grade D and above in Reserve Bank of India, NABARD and SIDBI

Chief Executives and Executives on the Board and other officers of E-8 and above in Schedule ‘A’ and ‘B’ Public Sector Undertakings

Chief Executives and Executives on the Board and other officers of E-7 and above in Schedule ‘C’ and ‘D’ Public Sector Undertakings

Managers and above in General Insurance Companies

Senior Divisional Managers and above in Life Insurance Corporations

Solution: a)

Indian Polity, Non-Constitutional Bodies

• CVC is only an advisory body. Central Government Departments are free to either accept or reject CVC’s advice in corruption cases.
• CVC does not have adequate resources compared with number of complaints that it receives. It is a very small set up with a sanctioned staff strength of 299.^[1] Whereas, it is supposed to check corruption in more than 1500 central government departments and ministries.
• CVC cannot direct CBI to initiate inquiries against any officer of the level of Joint Secretary and above on its own. Such a permission has to be obtained from the concerned department.
• CVC does not have powers to register criminal case. It deals only with vigilance or disciplinary cases
• CVC has supervisory powers over CBI. However, CVC does not have the power to call for any file from CBI or to direct CBI to investigate any case in a particular manner. CBI is under administrative control of Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). Which means that, the powers to appoint, transfer, suspend CBI officers lie with DoPT
• Appointments to CVC are indirectly under the control of Govt of India, though the leader of the Opposition (in Lok Sabha) is a member of the Committee to select CVC and VCs. But the Committee considers candidates put up before it. These candidates are decided by the Government

Solution: c)

Indian Polity, Non-Constitutional Bodies

The Rights Commission (NHRC) of India is an autonomous public body constituted on 12 October 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Ordinance of 28 September 1993. It was given a statutory basis by the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 (TPHRA).

Solution: d)

Indian Polity, Non-Constitutional Bodies

The NHRC (National Human Rights Commission) consists of:

• A Chairperson, should be retired Chief Justice of India
• One Member who is, or has been, a Judge of the Supreme Court of India
• One Member who is, or has been, the Chief Justice of a High Court
• Two Members to be appointed from among persons having knowledge of, or practical experience in, matters relating to human rights
• In addition, the Chairpersons of four National Commissions of ( 1.Minorities 2.SC and ST 3.Women) serve as ex officio

Note : 1.The sitting Judge of the Supreme Court or sitting Chief Justice of any HIgh Court can be appointed only after the consultation with the Chief Justice of Supreme Court.

2. An amendment in 2006 has provided that Chairperson of National Commission for SC and National Commission for ST shall be deemed to be members of NHRC

Solution: d)

Indian Polity, Non-Constitutional Bodies

A State Government may constitute a body known as the Human Rights Commission of that State to exercise the powers conferred upon, and to perform the functions assigned to, a State Commission. At present, 24 states have constituted SHRC.

Solution: c)

Indian Polity, Non-Constitutional Bodies

The National Institution for Transforming India is a Government of India policy think-tank established by the Narendra Modi government to replace the Planning Commission which followed the top-down model. The stated aim for NITI Aayog’s creation is to foster involvement and participation in the economic policy-making process by the State Governments of India.The emphasis is on bottom-up approach and make the country to move towards cooperative federalism

Solution: d)

Indian Polity, Non-Constitutional Bodies

Prime Minister is its Chairperson.

Next comes ex-officio members ( Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Suresh Prabhu and Radha Mohan Singh)

Next important  post is of Vice – Chairperson (Arvind Panagariya)

CEO comes last

http://www.niti.gov.in/content/constitution-5

Solution: c)

Indian Polity, Non-Constitutional Bodies

Both are correct.

At the core of NITI Aayog’s creation are two hubs – Team India Hub and the Knowledge and Innovation Hub. The Team India Hub leads the engagement of states with the Central government, while the Knowledge and Innovation Hub builds NITI’s think-tank capabilities. These hubs reflect the two key tasks of the Aayog.

Solution: d

According to wikipedia,

The evolution of fish began about 530 million years ago during the Cambrian explosion.

The first jawed vertebrates probably developed during the late Ordovician period

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_of_fish

Solution: c)

NCERT Geography Class XI, Fundamentals of Physical Geography, Page 24

Both statements are correct.

Solution: a)

NCERT Geography Class XI, Fundamentals of Physical Geography, Page 23

Travelling only through the crust, surface waves are of a lower frequency than body waves, and are easily distinguished on a seismogram as a result. Though they arrive after body waves, it is surface waves that are almost entirely responsible for the damage and destruction associated with earthquakes. This damage and the strength of the surface waves are reduced in deeper earthquakes.

Seismic surface waves travel along the Earth’s surface. They can be classified as a form of mechanical surface waves. They are called surface waves, as they diminish as they get further from the surface. They travel more slowly than seismic body waves (P and S). In large earthquakes, surface waves can have an amplitude of several centimeters.