UPSC Prelim -2017

1.Which state government has recently inked MoU with Union Ministry of Civil Aviation for Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-UDAN?
[A]Assam
[B]Odisha
[C]Haryana
[D]Madhya Pradesh

Answer:
Assam
The Assam government has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) under Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – UDAN to boost State air connectivity. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) shall be the Implementing Agency for the scheme on behalf of Ministry of Civil Aviation. As per the MoU, the State Government shall reduce VAT to 1% or less on ATF at RCS Airports and for RCS flights from other airports located within the state. The Government of Assam shall also provide minimum land for development and expansion of RCS Airports and also provide multi-modal hinterland connectivity (road, rail, metro, waterways, etc.) as required.

2.
Where is the headquarters of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)?
[A]Pune
[B]New Delhi
[C]Bhopal
[D]Raipur

Answer:
New Delhi
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is an association of Indian businesses which works to create an environment conducive to the growth of industry in India. The headquarters of CII is located at New Delhi. It is in news because CCI has launched a unique platform “Startup Mentorship Circle” in Mumbai to help in connecting start-ups with the global marketplace. The platform is truly a strong eco-system for nurturing innovation and startups to drive sustainable economic growth and generate large scale employment opportunities.

3.
Pandit Amaradeva, who died recently, was the music legend of which country?
[A]India
[B]Nepal
[C]Sri Lanka
[D]Bhutan

Answer:
Sri Lanka
Pandit Amaradeva (88), the legendary Sri Lankan singer and composer, has recently passed away in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Sri Lanka. He was the recipient of many international honours, including Ramon Magsaysay Award, Padma Shri, for his contribution to music.

4.
What is the theme of the first-ever World Tsunami Awareness Day (WTAD)?
[A]Reduce Mortality, Raise awareness
[B]Knowledge for Life
[C]Live To Tell: Raising Awareness
[D]Effective Education and Evacuation Drills

Answer:
Effective Education and Evacuation Drills
The first-ever World Tsunami Awareness Day (WTAD) has been observed on November 5, 2016 to spread awareness among people across the world in matters related to the dangers of tsunami and shall stress on the importance of early warning systems in order to mitigate damage from the often devastating natural hazard. It also aims at reviving traditional knowledge about tsunamis. The 2016 theme of WTAD is “Effective Education and Evacuation Drills”.

5.
Which Indian lawyer has been elected to United Nation’s International Law Commission?
[A]Geeta Madhavan
[B]Zia Mody
[C]Nirmala Joshi
[D]Aniruddha Rajput

Answer:
Aniruddha Rajput
Aniruddha Rajput, a practicising lawyer of India’s Supreme Court, has been elected to UN’s International Law Commission. He is India’s first time candidate to the Commission and a permanent representative to the UN Ambassador. Rajput is among the 34 individuals elected by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) as members of the International Law Commission. The newly elected members will serve 5-year terms of office with the Geneva-based body, which will begin from January 2017. The members have been elected from five geographical groupings of African, Asia-Pacific, Eastern European, Latin American and Caribbean and Western European states.

6.
The book “An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India” has been authored by whom?
[A]Amrish Tripathi
[B]Hamid Ansari
[C]Shashi Tharoor
[D]Romesh Dutt

Answer:
Shashi Tharoor
The book “An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India” has been authored by Dr. Shashi Tharoor, the Lok Sabha MP. The book recalls in some detail the misdeeds of the British in looting India and making it suffer an agonizing and violent death. In it, author has rightly points out that British rule in India was effectively and regularly supplemented by famine, forced migration and brutality – the three examples of why British rule over India was despotic and anything but enlightened. The book has recently released by the Vice President of India M. Hamid Ansari.

7.
“Petrotech-2016” the International Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition will be held in which city?
[A]New Delhi
[B]Tokyo
[C]Tehran
[D]Kabul

Answer:
New Delhi
The 12th edition of International Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition “Petrotech-2016” will be held at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi on December 5. The 2016 theme is “Hydrocarbons to fuel the future – Choices and Challenges”. The purpose of the global event is to bring Energy Ministers, industry leaders, professionals, academicians and domain experts from the energy sector on a common platform. It is a biennial platform for national and international experts in the oil & gas industry to exchange views and share knowledge, expertise and experiences.

8.
Which country will host the 2016 International Energy Forum – International Gas Union (IEF-IGU) Ministerial Forum?
[A]India
[B]Qatar
[C]Iran
[D]Israel

Answer:
India
The Government of India (GoI) will host the 2016 International Energy Forum – International Gas Union (IEF-IGU) Ministerial Forum in New Delhi on December 6, 2016, which is also supported by GAIL (India) Limited and the Natural Gas Society of India. The main theme of the forum will be “Gas for Growth: Improving economic prosperity and living standards”. The purpose of this forum is to increase the dialogue between Governments, Organisations and Companies in the global gas industry.

9.
The first-ever International Agro-biodiversity Congress (IAC) has started in which of the following cities?
[A]New York
[B]Berlin
[C]Kathmandu
[D]New Delhi

Answer:
New Delhi
The first ever International Agro-biodiversity Congress (IAC) has started in New Delhi on November 6, 2016. The 4-day Congress has been inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which will be attended by 900 delegates from 60 countries. The event will initiate and encourage a dialogue among stakeholders, including farmers, to better understand everyones role in agro-biodiversity management and the conservation of genetic resources. It will address the threats imposed by climate change and ways to achieve sustainable agriculture production. India is one of the mega-diversity centres possessing unique crop and animal diversity.

10.
Which country’s hockey team has won the 2016 Women’s Asian Champions Trophy?
[A]China
[B]India
[C]Japan
[D]Malaysia

Answer:
India
Indian women’s hockey team has won the 4th edition of the 2016 Asian Women’s Hockey Champions trophy- 2016 by defeating China in the final by 2-1 in Singapore . This is first time that Indian women’s hockey team has won the Asian Champions Trophy competition.

11.
The world’s first baby was recently born using a new “three person” fertility technique. The new technology associated with this fertility
technique is called
(a) Leigh Technology
(b) Zhang Method
(c) Mitochondrial Donation
(d) Nucleus Replacement Method

Answer :(c) Mitochondrial Donation

12.The idea of Satyagraha meant which of the following?
1. Emphasis on the power of truth.
2. The need to search for truth.
3. If the cause was true, and the fight was against injustice, then physical force was not necessary to fight the oppressor.
Select the correct answer using the code given
below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer : d.

“The idea of satyagraha emphasised the power of truth and the need to search for truth. It suggested that if the cause was true, if the struggle was against injustice, then physical force was not necessary to fight the oppressor. Without seeking vengeance or being aggressive, a satyagrahi could win the battle through non- violence. This could be done by appealing to the conscience of the oppressor. People – including the oppressors – had to be persuaded to see the truth, instead of being forced to accept truth through the use of violence. By this struggle, truth was bound to ultimately triumph. Mahatma Gandhi believed that this
dharma of non-violence could unite all Indians.”Primary Source: Page 55, India and the Contemporary
World – II, Class 10, NCERT

13. Consider the following statements:
1. The ‘Kurinji’ flowers which blooms once in 12 years is found here.
2. The ‘Toda’ tribe resides here.
3. It is a notified Biosphere Reserve.
The above statements refer to which of the following sites?
(a) Nanda Devi National Park
(b) Nilgiris
(c) Namdapha
(d) Agasthyamalai

Ans: b.

The Toda tribe (Tamil Nadu) was depicted in the Republic day Tableau this year.
“The Karvi/Kurinji plant and the flowering phenomena
is intertwined with the lives of indigenous communities.
The Muthuvas of Munnar and the Todas of Nilgiris
consider the flowering of Kurinji auspicious. In the
Nilgiris, since the time of the British, Nilakurinji has been
replaced by tea, pine, wattle and eucalyptus plantations, dams, construction and other markers of
“development”. The restricted distribution of the Karvi/Kurinji makes them more vulnerable.”

14.‘Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan’, led by Muslim women, is
(a) A movement striving to secure pan-India
gender equality in practice and in laws,
regardless of religious affiliations.
(b) An Amnesty International-affiliate working
towards understanding and ameliorating
marginalisation of Muslim women in India.
(c) An organisation which fights for the citizenship rights of the Muslims,
especially Muslim women, in India.
(d) An autonomous organisation creating awareness and clearing misconceptions
about the Uniform Civil Code as enshrined in the Directive Principles of State Policy.

Answer : c.

From the given statements, the most appropriate is ‘c’.
Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Aandolan (BMMA) is an autonomous, secular, rights-based mass organization led by Muslim women which fights for
the citizenship rights of the Muslims in India. BMMA was formed in January, 2007

15.The Haj Committee of India is
(a) A statutory body under the Ministry of Minority Affairs
(b) A body under the All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, working in tandem with the Ministry of Minority Affairs
(c) A statutory body under the Ministry of External Affairs
(d) An independent body which organises the All India Annual Conference for Haj
Chairmen & Secretaries of the
Independent State Haj Committees.

Answer : a.

 Following President Pranab Mukherjee’s assent to amendments to the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961, the Centre on Saturday made public the gazette notification on the transfer of management of Haj Pilgrimage, including administration of the Haj Committee Act, 1959, to the Minorities Affairs Ministry.
 The Ministry of External Affairs has dealt with the Haj pilgrimage and other aspects of the Act so far.
 Under the amended business rules in the Second Schedule, the Ministry would however, continue to
oversee other pilgrimages to places outside India under the Indian Pilgrimships Rules, 1933, and pilgrim parties from India to shrines in Pakistan and vice versa.
MEA continues to be in charge of coordinating pilgrimages to shrines in Pakistan, Nepal and China
and vice versa, travel for traders and pilgrims from India to the Tibet region of China.