IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - July 20, 2016

1)   Which is the world's only island city-state?

a. Singapore
b. Brunei
c. Malta
d. Bahrain
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: Singapore

Explanation:

  • A city-state is a sovereign state that consists of a city and its dependent territories.
  • Historically, this included famous cities like Rome, Athens, Carthage, etc.
  • However, a great deal of consensus exists that the term properly applies to Singapore, Monaco, and Vatican City. In particular, Singapore has been referred to by The Economist as the "world's only fully-functioning city-state".


2)   Which of the following are advisory bodies of the World Heritage Convention?

1) UNESCO
2) IUCN
3) ICCROM


a. 1, 2
b. 2, 3
c. 1, 3
d. All of the above
Answer  Explanation  Related Ques

ANSWER: 2, 3

Explanation:
Three international non-governmental or intergovernmental organizations are named in the Convention to advise the Committee in its deliberations. They are –

  • International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) - is an international, non-governmental organization that provides the World Heritage Committee with technical evaluations of natural heritage properties.
  • International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) - provides the World Heritage Committee with evaluations of cultural and mixed properties.
  • International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) - is an intergovernmental body which provides expert advice on how to conserve listed properties, as well as training in restoration techniques.


3)   Out of 10 criteria’s for selecting a site for World Heritage List, the number of criteria for natural sites are

a. 5
b. 6
c. 4
d. 8
Answer  Explanation  Related Ques

ANSWER: 4

Explanation:

  • Until the end of 2004, World Heritage sites were selected on the basis of six cultural and four natural criteria. With the adoption of the revised Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, only one set of ten criteria exists.
  • Cultural criteria are – 1 to 7 and natural site criteria are – 7 to 10.


4)   ‘SWAYAM Prabha’ project is related to

a. Education
b. Women empowerment
c. Self-help groups
d. None of the above
Answer  Explanation  Related Ques

ANSWER: Education

Explanation:

  • Government has approved a project to launch the ‘SWAYAM Prabha’ - a project for operationalizing 32 Direct to Home (DTH) Television Channels for providing high quality educational content to all teachers, students and citizens across the country interested in lifelong learning. There will be new content of four hours every day, which would be telecast six times a day allowing the student to choose the time of his/her convenience.
  • The main features are - Curriculum based course contents covering diverse disciplines; and it covers all level of education.


5)   Atal Pension Yojana Service Providers comprise of

1) Private Sector Banks
2) Department of Posts
3) Regional Rural Banks


a. 1, 3
b. 2, 3
c. 1, 2
d. All of the above
Answer  Explanation  Related Ques

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:

  • Atal Pension Yojana is being implemented through the APY Service Providers comprising of Public Sector Banks, Private Sector Banks, Regional Rural Banks, Cooperative Banks and Department of Post both in urban and rural areas across the country.
  • If the actual returns on the pension contributions during the accumulation phase is higher than the assumed returns for the minimum guaranteed pension, such excess returns are passed on to the subscriber, resulting in enhanced scheme benefits.


6)   Which of the following is/are true?

1) Share of natural gas in India’s fuel basket is around 15.5%.
2) It is very close to the world average of 17.5%.


a. Only 1
b. Only 2
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:
India’s present natural gas share in the country’s fuel basket is a mere 6.5% vis-a-vis the world average of 23.8%. Various measures have been initiated to increase the present level of gas share in the county’s fuel basket to meet the demand of natural gas in the country like -

  • New Hydrocarbon and Exploration Licensing Policy (HELP).
  • Marketing and Pricing freedom for new gas production from Deepwater, Ultra Deepwater and High Pressure-High Temperature areas subject to certain conditions.
  • Gas price has been linked to the market/ important hub prices.
  • Policy for exploration and exploitation of Shale Gas/Shale Oil resources by NOCs under the Nomination Regime.
  • Re-assessment of Hydrocarbon Resources Etc.


7)   Which of the following is/are true regarding recommendations of the Punchhi commission?

1) The scope of devolution of powers to local bodies to act as institutions of self-government should be constitutionally defined through appropriate amendments.
2) Equality of seats to states in the Rajya Sabha.


a. Only 1
b. Only 2
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer  Explanation  Related Ques

ANSWER: Both 1 and 2

Explanation:
Some important recommendations are -

  • A balance of power between states inter se is desirable and this is possible by equality of representation in the Rajya Sabha. This requires amendment of the relevant provisions to give equality of seats to states in the Rajya Sabha, irrespective of their population size.
  • The scope of devolution of powers to local bodies to act as institutions of self-government should be constitutionally defined through appropriate amendments.
  • Factors inhibiting the composition and functioning of the Second Chamber as a representative forum of states should be removed or modified even if it requires amendment of the Constitutional provisions. In fact, Rajya Sabha offers immense potential to negotiate acceptable solutions to the friction points which emerge between Centre and states in fiscal, legislative and administrative relations.


8)   Which of the following is/are true regarding recommendations of the Punchhi commission?

1) Setting up of an Inter-State Trade and Commerce Commission under Article 307.
2) It rejects the idea of localised emergency.


a. Only 1
b. Only 2
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer  Explanation  Related Ques

ANSWER: Only 1

Explanation:

  • Steps should be taken for the setting up of an Inter-State Trade and Commerce Commission under Article 307 read with Entry 42 of List-I. This Commission should be vested with both advisory and executive roles with decision making powers.
  • As a Constitutional body, the decisions of the Commission should be final and binding on all states as well as the Union of India.
  • Any party aggrieved with the decision of the Commission may prefer an appeal to the Supreme Court.
  • It provides the framework for “localised emergency” that would ensure that the state government can continue to function and the Assembly would not have to be dissolved while providing a mechanism to let the Central Government respond to the issue specifically and locally.
  • The imposition of local emergency is fully justified under the mandate of Article 355 read with Entry 2A of List I and Entry 1 of List II of the Seventh Schedule.