1) Consider the following statements with respect to Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)
Under this scheme, farmers having cultivable land up to 5 hectares will be provided income support at the onset of every harvest year.
Funded by the Government of India, this income support will be transferred directly into the bank accounts of beneficiaries.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : b
Under this programme, vulnerable landholding farmer families, having cultivable land up to 2 hectares, will be provided direct income support at the rate of Rs. 6,000 per year.
This income support will be transferred directly into the bank accounts of beneficiary farmers, in three equal instalments of Rs. 2,000 each.
This programme will be funded by Government of India.
Around 12 crore small and marginal farmer families are expected to benefit from this.
2) INSTEX Channel sometimes seen in the news recently, is a
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : a
Germany, France and the UK has set up a payment channel with Iran called INSTEX, to help continue trade and circumvent US sanctions.
3) “CAR – T Therapy”, sometimes seen in the news recently, treats which of the following diseases?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : b
An 11-year-old has become the first patient to receive CAR-T therapy (immunotherapy) that uses the body's own cells to fight cancer.
CAR-T is a personalized form of cancer treatment.
CAR-T involves removing immune cells and modifying them in a laboratory so they can recognize cancer cells.
Immunotherapy is treatment that uses your body's own immune system to help fight cancer.
First, the patient has blood removed and the white blood cells are separated out, with the rest of the blood being returned to the patient.
A harmless virus is used to insert genes into T-cells, a special type of immune cell.
These genes cause the T-cells to add a hook on to their surface, known as a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR).
These engineered CAR-T cells - programmed to recognize and destroy the patient's cancer cells - are multiplied in huge numbers and then infused back into the patient.
4) Consider the following statements with respect to Railguns sometimes seen in the news
It uses electricity instead of gunpowder to launch projectiles.
It eliminates the need to store explosives aboard warships.
United States has recently developed the world’s first ship-mounted electromagnetic Rail gun.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : b
The world’s first ship-mounted electromagnetic railgun which is developed by the Chinese Navy and can strike targets more than 200 km away at seven times the speed of sound was tested in January 2018 and will be ready for deployment by 2025.
It use electricity instead of gunpowder to launch projectiles, and therefore, eliminates the need to store explosives aboard warships.
Railguns have long been touted as one of the future technologies of warfare, with the ability to launch projectiles at Mach 6 - or, more than 4,500 miles per hour.
The Chinese railgun is believed to be capable of launching projectiles at nearly 5,600 miles per hour.
Because the missile is fired using kinetic energy, this eliminates the risks associated with keeping explosives on a ship.
U.S had a similar project until last year but scrapped its programme citing concerns about the colossal amount of power required to fire them.
5) Consider the following statements with respect to Pradhan Mantri Shram-Yogi Maandhan
It is a mega pension scheme for the unorganised sector workers with yearly income up to Rs. 50,000.
It will provide beneficiaries, an assured monthly pension from the age of 60 years.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are incorrect?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : a
Government of India in its recent interim budget proposes to launch a mega pension yojana namely 'Pradhan Mantri Shram-Yogi Maandhan' for the unorganised sector workers with monthly income upto Rs. 15,000.
This pension yojana shall provide them an assured monthly pension of Rs. 3,000 from the age of 60 years on a monthly contribution of a small affordable amount during their working age.
The Government will deposit equal matching share in the pension account of the worker every month.
6) Consider the following statements with respect to Fiscal Deficit (FD)
It is the difference between the Revenue Receipts plus Non-debt Capital Receipts (NDCR) and the total expenditure.
It is reflective of the total borrowing requirements of Government.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : c
Fiscal deficit for 2019-20 has been pegged at 3.4% of GDP.
Target of 3% of fiscal deficit to be achieved by 2020-21.
Fiscal deficit brought down to 3.4% in 2018-19 RE from almost 6% seven years ago.
7) The GoI has recently announced that a committee will be constituted to complete the task of identifying De-Notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities which are not yet formally classified, under which of the following organisations?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : d
The GoI will setup a Committee under NITI Aayog to complete the task of identifying De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic communities not yet formally classified.
The Government will also set-up a Welfare Development Board under the Ministrsy of Social Justice and Empowerment specifically for the purpose of implementing welfare and development programmes for De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic communities.
The Board shall ensure that special strategies are designed and implemented to serve these hard to-reach communities.
8) The Renke Commission and the Idate Commission sometimes seen in the news recently is associated with which of the following?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : a
The GoI will setup a Committee under NITI Aayog to complete the task of identifying De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic communities not yet formally classified.
The Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic communities move from place to place in search of a livelihood.
These communities are hard to reach, less visible, and therefore, frequently left-out.
The Renke Commission and the Idate Commission has done commendable work to identify and list these communities.
9) Consider the following statements with respect to Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog
It aims to upscale sustainable genetic up-gradation of cow resources and to enhance production and productivity of cows.
It will look after effective implementation of laws and welfare schemes for cows.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : c
Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog aims to upscale sustainable genetic upgradation of cow resources and to enhance production and productivity of cows.
The Aayog will also look after effective implementation of laws and welfare schemes for cows.
10) Consider the following statements with respect to Rashtriya Gokul Mission
It aims to conserve and develop indigenous breeds of cattle.
It is run by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : c
The Budget for the year 2019-20 has increased the allocation for Rashtriya Gokul Mission to Rs. 750 crore.
It is a scheme, run by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare aims to conserve and develop indigenous breeds of cattle.
