IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - July 15, 2016

ANSWER: Defence System

Explanation:

• Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) is fully indigenous towed artillery gun system project undertaken in mission mode by DRDO as a part of artillery modernisation programme of Indian Army. Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune is the nodal laboratory of DRDO for design & development of ATAGS along with other DRDO laboratories.
• ATAGS is configured with all electric drive to ensure maintenance free and reliable operation over a longer period of time. It will have a firing range of 40 Kms with advanced features in terms of high mobility, quick deployability, auxiliary power mode, advanced communication system, automatic command and control system with night firing capability in direct fire mode.
• The development trajectory of ATAGS aims at establishing indigenous critical defence manufacturing technologies. This is important from the point of view of indigenisation of defence.

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:

• Darjeeling Tea is the country’s first geographical indication under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act 1999.
• Darjeeling Tea is India’s first product recognized by the European Commission as a Protected Geographical Indication.
• India ranks second in the world in tea production next only to China. Third is Kenya. Then is Sri Lanka.

ANSWER: Evacuate Indians from South Sudan

Explanation:

• Operation ‘Sankat mochan’ to evacuate stranded Indians from war torn South Sudan is underway in full force.
• "Sankatmochan" literally meaning protecting from a grave danger or threat is often also associated with the Hindu God, Hanuman.
• Heavy fighting in South Sudan between government forces and rebels has been concentrated in Juba, capital of South Sudan.
• Nation is trying to airlift the stranded Indians before the ceasefire announced by the warring factions comes to a close.

ANSWER: India

Explanation:

• India is the first country to be officially acknowledged as being Yaws-free.
• Yaws is a tropical infection of the skin, bones and joints caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum pertenue.
• Treatment is normally by a single intramuscular injection of penicillin, or by a course of penicillin, erythromycin or tetracycline tablets. A single oral dose of azithromycin was shown to be as effective as intramuscular penicillin.
• Primary and secondary stage lesions may heal completely, but the destructive changes of tertiary yaws are largely irreversible.

ANSWER: Cyber security

Explanation:

• Asia’s foremost Information Security Conference: Ground Zero Summit 2015 was organized to deliberate upon various issues related to cyber security challenges emerging due to the latest technological developments.
• The theme for the Summit was Digital India – ‘Securing Digital India’.
• The Summit gets its name from a piece of ancient Indian history. India is the ground where zero was discovered and zero is integral part of digital systems.
• It is being organized by the Indian Infosec Consortium (IIC), which is an independent not-for-profit organization formed by leading cyber experts.

ANSWER: 2, 3

Explanation:

• Establish a new Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre at cost of Rs 500 crore. This Centre would be linked to NATGRID and CCTNS (Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System) and branches in states to curb the cybercrime. This centre would check attempts of international gangs to penetrate Indian government official communication network.
• Devise an advance application for Social Media Analytics to monitor social media platforms activities related to Ministries of Home, External Affairs, Defence and other government organisations.
• Reduce Government’s dependence on foreign servers and ensure one dedicated secure gateway for all government communication.
• A separate agency for online cyber-crime registration, monitoring and integration of CCTNS data with the same.
• Amend the Evidence act to suit the current requirements and prosecute the cybercrimes.
• Sensitise the states by setting up cyber forensic laboratories in states along with workshops and international cooperation.

ANSWER: 1, 2

Explanation:

• The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act was enacted in 1958 to bring under control what the government of India considered ‘disturbed’ areas.
• Assam, Nagaland, Manipur (except the Imphal municipal area), Arunachal Pradesh (only the Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts plus a 20-km belt bordering Assam), Meghalaya (confined to a 20-km belt bordering Assam) and Jammu and Kashmir are under AFSPA.
• The Armed Forces (Punjab and Chandigarh) Special Powers Act, 1983 passed in 1983 and applicable to Punjab and Chandigarh was withdrawn in 1997, roughly 14 years after it came to force.
• While the Punjab government withdrew its Disturbed Areas Act (DAA) in 2008, it continued in Chandigarh till September 2012 when the Punjab and Haryana high court struck it down.

ANSWER: 2, 3

Explanation:

• Section (3) of the AFSPA Act empowers the governor of the state or Union territory to issue an official notification on The Gazette of India, following which the centre has the authority to send in armed forces for civilian aid. It is still unclear whether the governor has to prompt the centre to send in the army or whether the centre on its own sends in troops.
• Once declared ‘disturbed’, the region has to maintain status quo for a minimum of three months, according to The Disturbed Areas (Special Courts) Act, 1976.
• The state governments, as in Tripura’s case, can suggest whether the Act is required to be enforced or not. But under Section (3) of the Act, their opinion can still be overruled by the governor or the centre.
• Judiciary cannot declare AFSPA