GK Quiz | 21 October 2020

Q1. Which of the following state(s) was/were a part of Assam during British rule?

1. Nagaland
2. Arunachal Pradesh
3. Mizoram
4. Sikkim

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

1. 2 and 4 only
2. 1 and 3 only
3. 1,2 and 3 only
4. 2,3 and 4 only

Solution: C)

Explanation:

During British rule, Assam included following present-day states:

• Nagaland: It was granted statehood in December 1963.
• Arunachal Pradesh: It was granted statehood in 1987 by the State of Arunachal Pradesh Act, 1986.
• Meghalaya: It got statehood in 1972.
• Mizoram:  It got statehood in 1987 through the State of Mizoram Act, 1986.

Hence, option C is correct.

 

Q2. Consider the following pairs:

1. National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management	Gujarat
2. Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History	Tamil Nadu
3. Centre for Environment Education	Karnataka

Which of the pair(s) given above is/are correctly matched?

1. 1 and 3 only
2. 2 only
3. 1,2 and 3
4. 1 and 2 only

Solution: B)

Explanation:

The National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management is a research institute under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), located in Chennai (Tamil Nadu).

The Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) is a national centre for education, information and research in ornithology and natural history in India. It is headquartered at Anaikatti, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.

The Centre for Environment Education (CEE) was established in August 1984. Its head office is located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

Hence, option B is correct.

 

Q3. Which of the following bodies is/are not a Statutory body?

1. Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC)
2. National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)
3. National Biodiversity Authority (NBA)

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

1. 1 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 2 only
4. 1,2 and 3

Solution: A)

Explanation:

Statutory bodies are the non-constitutional bodies established by acts that Parliament and State Legislatures can pass.

Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) was created in 2010. It is an industry body jointly owned by advertisers, ad agencies, and broadcasting companies, represented by the Indian Society of Advertisers, the Indian Broadcasting Foundation and the Advertising Agencies Association of India.

National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, established in 2005.

National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) is a statutory body headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. In 2003, it was established by the Central Government to implement India’s Biological Diversity Act (2002).

Hence, option A is correct.

 

Q4. Which of the following statement(s) is/are incorrect about Autonomous Body (AB)?

1. It is set up by the government for a specific purpose.
2. Grants to these bodies are regulated by the Ministry of Finance.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

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

Solution: D)

Explanation:

Statements 1 and 2: About Autonomous body:

• It is set up by the government for a specific purpose.
• They are mostly registered as societies under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and in certain cases they have been set up as statutory institutions.
• These bodies are funded through grants-in-aid, either fully or partially, depending on the extent which such institutes generate internal resources of their own. These grants are regulated by the Ministry of Finance.

So, both statements are correct and hence, option D is correct.

 

Q5.With reference to the Ayushman Sahakar Scheme, consider the following statements:

1. It is a scheme to assist cooperatives in the creation of healthcare infrastructure in India.
2. It does not cover the establishment and renovation of hospitals and healthcare and education infrastructure.
3. It provides interest subvention of 1% to women majority cooperatives.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 3 only
2. 2 only
3. 1, 2 and 3
4. 1 and 2 only

Solution: A)

Explanation:

Statements 1,2 and 3: The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has recently launched the Ayushman Sahakar scheme.

About Ayushman Sahakar Scheme:

• It has been formulated by National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) to assist cooperatives in creation of healthcare infrastructure in India.
• It would extend term loans to prospective cooperatives to the tune of Rs.10,000 crore in the coming years.
• It covers establishment, modernization, repairs, expansion, renovation of hospital and healthcare and education infrastructure.
• It provides working capital and margin money to meet operational requirements and further provides interest subvention of 1% to women majority cooperatives.
• Eligibility to access the NCDC fund: Any Cooperative Society with suitable provision in its byelaws to undertake healthcare related activities
• NCDC assistance will flow either through the State Governments/ UT Administrations or directly to the eligible cooperatives.

Statements 1 and 3 are correct and statement 2 is incorrect. Hence, option A is correct.

 

Q6. Consider the following statements about Heeng:

1. It is endemic to India.
2. It thrives in dry and cold desert conditions.
3. It is used to help with painful or excessive bleeding during menstruation.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

1. 3 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 2 only
4. 1,2 and 3

Solution: B)

Explanation:

Statements 1,2 and 3: Scientists at CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT), Palampur are trying to grow heeng (asafoetida) in the Indian Himalayas.

India imports about 1,200 tonnes of raw heeng worth Rs. 600 crore from Iran, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.

About Heeng:

• It is a perennial plant whose oleo gum resin is extracted from its thick roots and rhizome.
• It is endemic to Iran and Afghanistan.
• It thrives in dry and cold desert conditions and can withstand a maximum temperature between 35 and 40°, whereas, during winters, it can survive in temperatures up to minus 4°.
• Uses:
• It is used to help with painful or excessive bleeding during menstruation and premature labour.
• It has several medicinal properties including relief for asthma, bronchitis, digestive, spasmodic and stomach disorders.
• Annual rainfall of not more than 200mm and regions with sandy soil, very little moisture are considered suitable for heeng cultivation.
• It is not cultivated in India.

So, statement 1 is incorrect and statements 2 and 3 are correct. Hence, option B is correct.

 

Q7. Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct about the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA)?

1. It is a constitutional body.
2. The members of IFSCA cannot be reappointed.
3. IFSC cannot be set up in a special economic zone (SEZ).

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

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

Solution: D)

Explanation:

Statements 1,2 and 3: About International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA):

• It is a statutory body established in 2020, headquartered in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• Main function:  To develop and regulate the financial products, financial services and financial institutions located/performed in the International Financial Services Centres in India.
• It works under the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance.
• It is composed of
• A chairperson and one Member each to be nominated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA),
• Two members to be dominated by the Central Government and two other whole-time or full-time or part-time members.

• Its members have a three-year term and can be reappointment.
• As per the special economic zone (SEZ) Act 2005, IFSC can be set up in an SEZ or as an SEZ after approval from the central government.
• It is empowered to exercise the powers of RBI, SEBI, IRDAI and PFRDA in respect of financial services, financial products and financial institutions performed/located in the international financial services centres in the country.

So, all statements are incorrect and hence, option D is correct.

 

Q8. With reference to the Ghar Tak Fibre Scheme, consider the following statements:

1. It will be implemented by the Ministry of Science and Technology.
2. It aims to connect all 45,945 villages of Rajasthan with high-speed optical fibre internet by 31^st March 2030.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

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

Solution: D)

Explanation:

Statements 1 and 2: About Ghar Tak Fibre Scheme:

• It was launched in September 2020.
• Under the scheme, Bihar aims to connect all its 45,945 villages by 31^st March, 2021.
• It will be implemented by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology.
• Under the scheme, Bihar has to provide at least five fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) connections per village, while there should also be at least one WiFi hotspot per village.

So, both statements are incorrect. Hence, option D is correct.

 

Q9. India’s first-ever multi-modal logistic park will be built in which of the following state?

1. Gujarat
2. Maharashtra
3. Assam
4. Tamil Nadu

Solution: C)

Explanation:

India’s first-ever multi-modal logistic park will be built in Assam. It will be developed under the ambitious Bharatmala Pariyojana. It will provide direct connectivity to air, road, rail and waterways to the people.

Hence, option C is correct.

 

Q10. With reference to the OSIRIS-REx mission, consider the following statements:

1. It was launched by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 2016 to study the outermost region of the sun.
2. It is the third mission in NASA’s New Frontiers program.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

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

Solution: B)

Explanation:

Statements 1 and 2:  About OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer) mission:

• It was launched in 2016 to study asteroid Bennu.
• It will spend 2.5 years, mapping its surface and studying its composition.
• It will collect a sample and return it to Earth in 2023.
• It is the third mission in NASA’s New Frontiers program.

So, statement 1 is incorrect and statement 2 is correct. Hence, option B is correct.

 

Q11. Consider the following statements about surety bonds:

1. It is a two-party agreement.
2. These bonds provide a financial guarantee that contracts will be completed according to pre-defined and mutual terms.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are incorrect?

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

Solution: A)

Explanation:

Statements 1 and 2: About Surety bonds:

• It is a three-party agreement that legally binds together
• a principal who purchase the bond to guarantee the quality of work to be done in the future,
• an obligee who requires the bond and
• a surety company that issues the bond.
• These bonds provide financial guarantee that contracts will be completed according to pre-defined and mutual terms.

So, statement 1 is incorrect and statement 2 is correct. Hence, option A is correct.

 

Q12. Consider the following statements:

1. India has not accepted the “One China” policy till now.
2. India and Taiwan maintain for­mal diplomatic relations.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

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

Solution: D)

Explanation:

Statements 1 and 2:  About the One-China policy:

• It refers to the policy or view that there is only one state called “China”, despite the existence of two governments that claim to be “China”.
• Since 1949, India has accepted the “One China” policy.
• The policy accepts Taiwan and Tibet as part of China. Under the policy, China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province to be reunified with the mainland.
• As a policy, it means that countries seeking diplomatic relations with People’s Republic of China (PRC, Mainland China) must break official relations with the Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan) and vice-versa.

Taiwanese firms are prominent investors in India, although India and Taiwan do not maintain for­mal diplomatic relations.

So, both statements 1 and 2 are incorrect. Hence, option D is correct.