QUIZ – 2017: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 12 NOVEMBER 2017

Solution: a.

Verses  ascribed  to  Kabir  have  been  compiled  in three  distinct  but  overlapping  traditions.  The  Kabir Bijak  is  preserved  by  the  Kabirpanth  (the  path  or sect  of  Kabir)  in  Varanasi  and  elsewhere  in  Uttar Pradesh;  the  Kabir  Granthavali  is  associated  with the  Dadupanth  in  Rajasthan,  and  many  of  his compositions  are  found  in  the  Adi  Granth  Sahib. All  these  manuscript  compilations were  made  long  after  the  death  of  Kabir.

Some hagiographies suggest that he was initiated  into  bhakti  by  a  guru, perhaps Ramananda. However,  the  verses  attributed  to  Kabir  use  the words guru and satguru, but do not mention the name of  any  specific  preceptor. Historians  have pointed out  that  it  is very difficult to establish that Ramananda and Kabir were contemporaries, without assigning  improbably long lives to either or both.

Bhakti-Sufi traditions, Themes in Indian History Part 2 – NCERT Class 12;

Improvisation: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=173376;

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Solution: b.

Deemed the first war of independence,  Rani Laxmibai was among the leaders who took on the British forces in the revolt of 1857.

It was in 1858, when Field Marshal Hugh Henry Rose attacked Jhansi to put an end to the mutiny once and for all. As it has been well documented in history books since, the brave queen took on the British forces from her fort with just an army of 4,000. She could have held on to the fort for long but she was betrayed by one of her own commanders, thus making defeat imminent. Counselled by her generals to escape immediately, Laxmibai quietly slipped away from Jhansi on horseback.

Having borne an uncanny resemblance to Rani Laxmibai, Jhalkari Bai disguised herself as the queen and took command of the Jhansi army and walked right up to General Rose’s camp. Upon reaching, she loudly yelled that she wanted a meeting with the General himself. This plan was both to keep the enemy forces at bay and also give the queen more time to evade capture and get out of harm’s way.

Improvisation: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=173376;

https://www.thebetterindia.com/97013/jhalkari-bai-laxmibai-jhansi-india-freedom/;

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Solution: a.

“Burning of crop residue in the states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan also contributes in increasing environmental pollution levels…  The Agriculture Ministry issued an advisory to the state governments to create awareness among the farmers about the harmful effect of straw burning… State Governments have.. been directed funds available for demonstration of machines under Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization shall be used for demonstration of straw management machinery at farmers’ fields…”

Introduction to SMAM:

• Among the states, farm power availability in Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh and western part of Rajasthan is higher than the national average of 1.73kW/ha. In rest of the country, especially in Eastern and North-East Regions, it is significantly lower which necessities promotion of farm mechanization as a special Mission.
• The scheme will be implemented in all the states, to promote the usage of farm mechanization and increase the ratio of farm power to cultivable unit area up to 2 kW/ha.

[Farm Power: Humans, animals and machines are all used as sources of power in agriculture production. When undertaking different operations on a farm, a certain amount of work is required to complete the task. When this work is undertaken over time, it is then called power. Power or the rate of doing work can be expressed as horsepower or Kilowatt. One horsepower is equivalent to 0.75 Kilowatt.]

The Mission objectives are as follows:

• Increasing the reach of farm mechanization to small and marginal farmers and to the regions where availability of farm power is low;
• Promoting ‘Custom Hiring Centres’ to offset the adverse economies of scale arising due to small landholding and high cost of individual ownership;
• Creating hubs for hi-tech& high value farm equipments;
• Creating awareness among stakeholders through demonstration and
• capacity building activities;
• Ensuring performance testing and certification at designated testing
• centers located all over the country.

Improvisation: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=173377;

http://agricoop.nic.in/sites/default/files/Guidelines%20of%20SMAM1.pdf;

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Solution: a.

Joint Interpretative Statements in general play an important supplementary role in strengthening the investment treaty regime. With increasing Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) disputes, issuance of such statements is likely to have strong persuasive value before tribunals. Such pro-active approach by States can foster a more predictable and coherent reading of treaty terms by arbitration tribunals.

The Union Cabinet recently gave its nod for signing the Joint Interpretative Declaration (JID) between India and Colombia. Earlier, the Cabinet had given its approval for signing the Joint Interpretative Notes between India and Bangladesh.

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=167345;

Source/Improvisation: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=173390;

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Solution: a.

It is considered that the global MICE (non-leisure Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) market is a significant economic driver for a large number of nations. Conferences and Exhibitions are vital links to connect local manufacturers with global buyers and to serve as a platform for exchange of business ideas. The Asian MICE market has demonstrated a growth of 38% since 2006. In the absence of world class exhibition and conference facilities, India has not benefited from the potential benefits of this development. In order to capitalize on this vast market and to drive India’s industry, commerce, trade and tourism, the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion has taken the initiative to develop a State-of-The-Art Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre (ECC) at Delhi.

The Union Cabinet recently approved the DIPP’s proposal to develop an ECC and allied infrastructure at Dwarka, Delhi. It is estimated that the proposed ECC facility, once fully operational, will infuse a demand for more than 100 major international and local exhibition events annually. The project is estimated to generate over five lakh direct and indirect employment opportunities. These jobs will be generated in core ECC facilities as well as in supporting ECC land uses like retail, office and hospitality.

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=173386;

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=138299;

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Solution: d.

Different kinds of handwriting could make the reading of Persian and Arabic difficult. The nastaliq style is cursive and easy to read, the shikaste is denser and more difficult.

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=173362;

Solution: c.

The Union Cabinet recently approved the creation of National Testing Agency (NTA) as a Society registered under the Indian Societies Registration Act, 1860, and as an autonomous and self-sustained premier testing organization to conduct entrance examinations for higher educational institutions.

Features:

• The NTA would initially conduct those entrance examinations which are currently being conducted by the CBSE.
• Other examinations will be taken up gradually after NTA is fully geared up (statement 1 thus is correct; notice, the word ‘only’ has not been used in statement 1).
• The entrance examinations will be conducted in online mode at least twice a year, thereby giving adequate opportunity to candidates to bring out their best.
• In order to serve the requirements of the rural students, it would locate the centres at sub-district/district level and as far as possible would undertake hands-on training to the students.

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=173381;

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