1) Consider the following statements with respect to Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan
It envisages school education as a continuum from pre-school to senior secondary level and aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels.
It subsumes three erstwhile Schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE).
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : c
Department of School Education and Literacy has launched an Integrated Scheme for School Education called Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan.
It subsumes three erstwhile Centrally Sponsored Schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE).
The new integrated scheme envisages school education as a continuum from pre-school to senior secondary level.
2) Consider the following statements with respect to Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY)
It will provide physical aids and assisted-living devices for senior citizens belonging to BPL category.
It is being implemented through the Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation (ALIMCO).
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : c
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has introduced a scheme for providing physical aids and Assisted Living Devices for Senior Citizens belonging to BPL category named “Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY)” on 1st April, 2017.
It provides Senior Citizens, belonging to BPL category and suffering from age related disabilities/ infirmities, with such physical aids and assisted living devices which can restore near normalcy in their bodily functions.
The Scheme is being implemented through the “Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation (ALIMCO)”, a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of SJ&E, as the sole Implementing Agency.
3) Consider the following statements with respect to Pre-Departure Orientation Training (PDOT) Programme
It provides requisite Pre-Departure Orientation and aims to enhance the soft skills of potential emigrants.
The Ministry of External Affairs in collaboration with Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship is conducting the programme.
National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is the implementing agency for this programme.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are incorrect?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : d
PDOT Programme provides requisite Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO) with regard to language, culture, do’s and don’ts in the destination country and aims to enhance the soft skills of potential emigrants.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in collaboration with Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) is conducting the PDOT programme under the Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojna (PKVY).
The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is the implementing agency for this programme.
4) Consider the following statements with respect to employment of women in Indian mines
The Mines Act, 1952 prohibited the employment of women in any part of a mine.
Recently, the Ministry of Mines has issued a notification, easing the restrictions and allowed women to work in mines.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : d
Recently, the Ministry of Labour has lifted the time bar on the employment of women in mines across the country.
Previously Section 46 of the Mines Act, 1952 prohibited the employment of any women in any part of a mine which is below-ground and on ground, except between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.
5) Consider the following statements with respect to GSAT-31
It is an imaging satellite meant exclusively for military purposes.
It was launched using Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C-45.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : d
India’s telecommunication satellite, GSAT-31 was successfully launched on February 06, 2019 from Kourou launch base, French Guiana by Ariane-5 VA-247.
The satellite provides Indian mainland and island coverage.
With a mission life of around 15 years, GSAT-31 will be used for supporting VSAT networks, Television uplinks, Digital Satellite News Gathering, DTH-television services, cellular backhaul connectivity and many such applications.
6) Consider the following statements with respect to Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana
It aims to enable a large number of youths to take up industry-relevant skill training that will help them in securing a better livelihood in India.
The scheme has been implemented by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : b
Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PKVY) is aimed at providing suitable skill sets for those seeking employment abroad by training them in different trades and also imparting soft skills.
PKVY is a skill development initiative by the Ministry of External Affairs.
The MEA and the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for its implementation.
The scheme will be implemented by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) through its training partners in consultation with Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
7) Consider the following statements with respect to Earthquake swarm
It is a series of low magnitude earthquakes without a discernible main shock.
It occurs over a period of time ranging from days, weeks to even months.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : c
Earthquake swarm is a series of many (sometimes thousands) low magnitude earthquakes without a discernible main shock.
They occur in a localised region and over a period of time ranging from days, weeks to even months, without a clear sequence of foreshocks, main quakes and aftershocks.
When seismic energy piles up inside the Earth and is released in small amounts from certain points, such a series of earthquakes can occur.
Sometimes, these are also accompanied by acoustic or sound emissions.
Dahanu town in Maharashtra’s Palghar district has been hit by some 30 low-intensity earthquakes since November 2018.
Palghar was rocked by a series of minor earthquakes (6 tremors) on a single day recently.
The magnitudes of the quakes ranged between 3 and 4.1 on the Richter scale.
Many aftershocks of lesser magnitude have also been observed in the area.
Data collected so far point to an “earthquake swarm”.
8) Global Crisis of Nuclear Waste Report sometimes seen in the news recently, was published by which of the following agencies?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : d
The Global Crisis of Nuclear Waste is a report published by Greenpeace France in January 2019.
An analysis of waste storage facilities in seven countries with nuclear power revealed that several were near saturation.
9) Consider the following statements with respect to President’s address to the Parliament
Originally, the Constitution required the President to address both Houses of Parliament at the commencement of every session.
The speech will be drafted by the President’s Secretariat Office.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : a
Article 87(1) originally required the President to address both Houses of Parliament at the commencement of every session.
The Constitution (First Amendment) Act, 1951, amended this provision.
Article 87(1) says: “At the commencement of the first session after each general election to the House of the People and at the commencement of the first session of each year the President shall address both Houses of Parliament assembled together and inform Parliament of the causes of its summons.
The President’s Address is the statement of policy of the Government and as such is drafted by the Government.
It is not the President but the Government which is responsible for the contents of the Address.
10) Consider the following pairs
Arabithittu WLS – Karnataka
Tungareshwar WLS – Telangana
Thane Creek Flamingo WLS – Maharashtra
Which of the pair(s) given above is/are correctly matched?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : c
The Mumbai-Ahmadabad high speed (Bullet) train corridor project was accorded wildlife clearance recently.
The project will consume lands from the Thane Creek Flamingo (TCF) Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra.
Apart from the creek, the project also involves diverting forestland and non-forestland from the Sanjay Gandhi National Park which houses leopards and the Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra.
Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens in Mysuru has successfully translocated 52 spotted deer that were in surplus in its collection to Arabithittu wildlife sanctuary in Karnataka.
