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  • Diplomacy policy of Modi

    Modi’s diplomacy has both hard and soft demerits. Comment.

    Rashmi
    Prof B R A Rao’s institute for competitive exams.
    Bangalore

  • MCQ Maze 6

    Q1. With reference to Nilgiri Tahr, which of the following statements is/are correct?

    1. It is found along the entire length of Western Ghats from Maharashtra to Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
    2. It is given legal protection under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

    Choose the correct alternative using the codes given below.

    (a) 1 only
    (b) 2 only
    (c) Both 1 and 2
    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

    Q2. Nagoya Protocol for the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources shall be implemented at the national level through

    (a) The Biodiversity Act, 2002
    (b) The Environment Protection Act, 1986
    (c) The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
    (d) The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

    Q3. The ‘Paris Agreement’, which has recently been in news, is related to the affairs of

    (a) WIPO
    (b) FAO
    (c) UNEP
    (d) UNFCCC

    Q4. Plastics used for packaging of fast foods contains a class of chemicals known as ‘phthalates’ which pose a considerable health risk. Which of the statements given below about them is/are correct?

    1. They are used to add colours to the plastic used in packaging.
    2. They can contaminate the food items contained therein.
    3. They can cause learning and behavioural problems in children.

    Choose the correct alternative using the codes given below.

    (a) 2 and 3 only
    (b) 3 only
    (c) 1 and 2 only
    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    Q5. Consider the following statements about The Energy and Research Institute (TERI):

    1. It is research institute head-quartered in Mumbai.
    2. It works under the administrative control of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
    3. GRIHA, the national rating system for green buildings, was conceived by TERI.

    Which of the above statements is/are correct?

    (a) 2 and 3 only
    (b) 3 only
    (c) 1 and 2 only
    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    _______

  • Ordinance route and Money billls

    Can ordinance route be used to pass Money Bill, since both money bill and ordinance bills are passed by a simple majority by the parliament?

  • MCQ Maze 5

    Q1. Which of the following add sulphur to the sulphur cycle on earth?

    1. Volcanic Eruptions
    2. Combustion of fossil fuels
    3. Decay of organic matter
    4. Metallurgical processes

    Choose the correct alternative using the codes given below.

    (a) 1 and 4 only
    (b) 2 and 3 only
    (c) 1, 2 and 3 only
    (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

    Q2. You home loan may become dearer if

    1. RBI raises the cash reserve ratio
    2. RBI slashes the repo rate
    3. RBI follows tight money policy

    Choose the correct alternative using the codes given below.

    (a) 1 and 2 only
    (b) 2 only
    (c) 1 and 3 only
    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    Q3. Western Ghats in Karnataka receive more monsoon rainfall then Western Ghats in Kerala. What could be the possible reasons for this?

    1. Western Ghats in Karnataka have gentler slopes compared to Western Ghats in Kerala.
    2. The mountain topography is broader in Karnataka compared to that in Kerala.
    3. Western Ghats are more continuous in Karnataka compared to Kerala.

    Choose the correct alternative using the codes given below.

    (a) 1 and 2 only
    (b) 2 only
    (c) 1 and 3 only
    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    Q4. Which of the following provisions of Indian Constitution cannot be amended?

    (a) Preamble
    (b) Fundamental Duties
    (c) Fundamental Rights
    (d) All the provisions listed in (a), (b) and (c) can be amended

    Q5. Foreign Investment Promotion Board works under the aegis of

    (a) Prime Minister’s Office
    (b) Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion
    (c) Department of Commerce
    (d) Department of Economic Affairs

    _________

  • MCQ solutions for the last 4 maze sessions

    Download the pdf from this link – https://www.civilsdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Solutions-1.pdf

  • Interesting case study to read – micro finance + zero defecation

    http://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/flush-with-finance-53593

    Over 73 per cent of rural Tamil Nadu defecates in the open. The construction cost is a major deterrent for poor people. “It equals our monthly income,” says Trirathimala of Chettikulam village in Tiruchirappalli district. Realising this critical gap in providing sanitation, Gramalaya started a microfinance programme, the Gramalaya Urban and Rural Development Initia-tive Network (GUARDIAN) in 2007 and targeted women’s self-help groups (SHGs) . “Women play a very crucial role in decision-making in any household. The mobilisation of SHGs helped reduce physical and emotional barriers to avail commercial credit and increase investment in sanitation facilities,” says M Elangovan, executive director of Gramalaya.

  • Would you take 3 minutes to drop us a feedback?

     

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    Over the last day, since the launch of the hindi version (NEWS) on the app, we have received  amazing love from you all! A big thank you on that!

  • 9 Indian Arts in the UNESCO’s List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

    What’s an intangible heritage?

    As defined by UNESCO, cultural heritage does not end at monuments and collections of objects. It also includes traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants.

    Per UNESCO, Intangible cultural heritage is:

    1. Traditional, contemporary and living at the same time
    2. Inclusive – contributes to social cohesion, encouraging a sense of identity
    3. Representative – skills and customs passed on to the rest of the community, from generation to generation
    4. Community-based

    9 Indian Arts forms which found their way into the UNESCO’s List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

    #1. Koodiyattam, Sanskrit Theatre, Kerala

    1. Koodiyattam is the oldest existing classical theatre form in the entire world, having originated much before Kathakali and most other theatrical forms
    2. Koodiyattam was traditionally a part of the temple rituals
    3. Traditionally, Koodiyattam is presented by Chakyars, a temple caste of Kerala, and Nangiars, the women of Nambiar caste

    #2. Mudiyett: a ritual theatre of Kerala

    Kerala again!

    1. A traditional ritual theatre and folk dance drama from Kerala that enacts the mythological tale of a battle between the goddess Kali and the demon Darika
    2. Mudiyettu is a communal undertaking in which each caste of the village plays a specific role
    3. Being a community based art form it is the community that has traditionally encouraged and trained the next generation to preserve the art form

    #3. The Tradition of Vedic Chanting

    source

    The traditional way of reciting the Vedas is called Vedic chanting. Vedas are the primary source of knowledge on Hindu traditions. They comprise of the Hindu philosophy, myth, poetry and dialogue. The Vedas go back to about 3,500 years to the time of the Aryans, though they were written down much later. There are four chief Vedas – Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva.

    #4. Ramlila – the Traditional Performance of the Ramayana

    source

    #5. Ramman: religious festival and ritual theatre of the Garhwal Himalayas

    source

    The Ramman is a religious festival manifested in the form of ritual theatre annually held at Saloor Dungra village, in the Painkhanda Valley of Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, India.

    The Ramman is not replicated or performed at any other site in the Himalayas, being specific to both location and time.

    #6. Kalbelia: folk songs and dances of Rajasthan

    source
    1. Kalbelia is actually an untouchable community from Rajasthan who has always lived on the outskirts of villages and relied on entertaining people for their livelihood
    2. They are also the community who are traditionally snake charmers
    3. Most famous for their sensuous form of dancing, also called Kalbelia, which mimics the movements of snakes in some sense

    #7. Buddhist chanting of Ladakh

    source

    #8. Sankirtana, ritual singing, drumming and dancing of Manipur

    source

    Performed to mark religious occasions and various stages in the life of the Vaishnava people of the Manipur plains

    #9. Traditional brass and copper craft – Thatheras

    source

    The craft of the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru constitutes the traditional technique of manufacturing brass and copper utensils in Punjab.

    Did we miss out on something important? Do let us know in comments here or add to the existing knowledge base!

  • NITI Aayog panel on Innovation

    • A NITI Aayog panel on Innovation headed by Prof. Tarun Khanna submitted its report recommending that the private sector should help fund research and development, including in research labs at universities and startups
    • It was constituted following the 2015 budget speech of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, where he allocated 150 crore rupees for Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)
    • The committee was asked to suggest ways to promote innovation and build an entrepreneur-friendly ecosystem to drive job growth

    Recommendations:

    • It recommended improved tax benefits for investments equivalent to a percentage of corporate profits in research labs in universities and startups
    • It recommended that all contracts with foreign defence companies above 5 billion dollars should include a clause for five percent of contract value to be directed to establish research-centric universities with strong emphasis on its core product areas
    • It suggested a Make in universities program which would involve setting up 500 tinkering labs, where aspiring entrepreneurs can experiment to create products that address local problems, with one 3D printer per institute
    • For these labs, the panel recommends utilisation of half of the 1000 crore rupees fund that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had set aside for the Self Employed and Talent Utilization (SETU) scheme
    • It also recommends Grand Prizes approach to find ultra-low-cost solutions to India’s most intractable problems, on the lines of what is followed in some developed countries
    • It recommends that the AIM budget of 150 crore rupees be used entirely to award up to 12 grand prizes annually. Each challenge should carry a prize of between 10 crore and 30 crore rupees
    • The panel also pitched for an increase in investment in business incubators with up to 200 crore rupees public spending per year and roping in the private sector for the purpose
    • Establishing a fund-of-funds (FOF) by the Union Government to seed other early stage venture funds with a corpus of 5000 crore rupees

     

  • Recommendatins of Deepak Mohanty Committee on Financial Inclusion

    • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released the Report on Medium-term Path on Financial Inclusion submitted by 14-member committee headed by RBI Executive Director Deepak Mohanty
    • RBI had constituted the committee in July 2015 to examine the existing policy regarding financial inclusion and a five-year (medium term) action plan
    • It was tasked to suggest plan on several components with regard to payments, deposits, credit, social security transfers, pension and insurance

    Key recommendations:

    • Augment the government social cash transfer in order to increase the personal disposable income of the poor- It would put the economy on a medium-term sustainable inclusion path
    • Sukanya Shiksha Scheme: Banks should make special efforts to step up account opening for females belonging to lower income group under this scheme for social cash transfer as a welfare measure
    • Aadhaar linked credit account: Aadhaar should be linked to each individual credit account as a unique biometric identifier which can be shared with Credit information bureau to enhance the stability of the credit system and improve access
    • Mobile Technology: Bank’s traditional business model should be changed with greater reliance on mobile technology to improve ‘last mile’ service delivery
    • Digitisation of land records: It should be implemented in order to increase formal credit supply to all agrarian segments through Aadhaar-linked mechanism for Credit Eligibility Certificates (CEC)
    • Nurturing self-help groups (SHGs): Corporates should be encouraged to nurture SHGs as part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative
    • Subsidies: Government should replace current agricultural input subsidies on fertilizers, irrigation and power by a direct income transfer scheme as a part of second generation reforms
    • Agricultural interest subvention Scheme: It should be phased out
    • Crop Insurance: Government should introduce universal crop insurance scheme covering all crops starting with small and marginal farmers with monetary ceiling of Rs. 2 lakhs
    • Multiple Guarantee Agencies: Should be encouraged to provide credit guarantees in niche areas for micro and small enterprises (MSEs). It would also explore possibilities for counter guarantee and re-insurance
    • Unique identification of MSME: It should be introduced for all MSME borrowers and information from it should be shared with credit bureaus

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