DAY – 29 (InstaTest-29): Insta 75 Days Revision Plan-2020: Topic – Art & Culture, Insights Full length Mock test, February 2020 CA

Solution: C

The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) is an intergovernmental body with over 180 members, within the framework of the Joint Food Standards Programme established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), with the purpose of protecting the health of consumers and ensuring fair practices in the food trade.

It was established in 1960’s.

The CODEX  ALIMENTARIUS international food standards, guidelines and codes of practice contribute to the safety, quality and fairness of this international food trade. Consumers can trust the safety and quality of the food products they buy and importers can trust that the food they ordered will be in accordance with their specifications.

http://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/about-codex/en/

Solution: C

Nuakhai: Harvesting festival of Odisha

• The festival of nuakhai is a festival to celebrate newly harvested food by the farmers.
• Background: The festival traces it origin to the Vedic period where the sages or Rishis used to talk about Panchyajna. One among them was Pralambana yajna which means the cutting of new crops and offering them to mother goddess as followed in Nuakhai festival.
• It is also called Nuakhai Parab or Nuakahi Bhetghat.

Solution: C

Rashtriya Ekta Diwas

Rashtriya Ekta Diwas was observed on 31st October across the nation. It marks the occasion of the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Background:

The government, in 2014, decided to observe Sardar Patel Jayanti Day as Ekta Diwas. This occasion provides an opportunity to re-affirm the inherent strength and resilience of the nation to withstand the threats to its unity, integrity and security.

About Sardar Vallabhai Patel:

Sardar Patel is credited with uniting all 562 princely states in pre-independent India to build the Republic of India.

Role in the Indian National Movement:

• 1917– Elected as the Secretary of the Gujarat Sabha, the Gujarat wing of the Indian National Congress.
• 1918– Led a massive “No Tax Campaign” that urged the farmers not to pay taxes after the British insisted on tax after the floods in Kaira. His effort to bring together the farmers of his area brought him the title of ‘Sardar’.
• Supported the non-cooperation Movement launched by Gandhi and Patel toured the nation with him.
• 1928– When the lands of farmers were seized after they refused to pay the extra tax to the government, Patel helped the farmers by striking a deal between the government and farmers’ representatives.
• 1930– Imprisoned for participating in the famous Salt Satyagraha movement initiated by Mahatma Gandhi.
• 1931- Elected as the President of Indian National Congress in its Karachi session where the party deliberated its future path.
• Patel was also compelled to use coercion by launching ‘Operation Polo’ to liberate and integrate Hyderabad after the Nizam of Hyderabad entertained false hopes of either joining Pakistan or remaining independent.

Solution: D

Nameri National Park, Manas National Park, Kaziranga National Park, Orang National Park and Deepor Beel Bird Sanctuary are located in Assam. 

Gorumara National Park is located in West Bengal.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/assam-floods-why-we-need-to-act-fast-to-save-kaziranga-and-its-wildlife/article28720848.ece

Solution: D

Guru Gobind Singh

• Guru Gobind Singh was the 10th Sikh guru.
• He was born at Patna, Bihar, India, on December 22, 1666. His birthday sometimes falls either in December or January or even both months in the Gregorian calendar. The annual celebration of the Guru’s birthday is based on the Nanakshahi calendar.
• He became the Sikh guru at the age of nine, following the demise of father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru.
• He is known for his significant contributions to the Sikh religion, including the introduction of the turban to cover hair.
• He also founded the principles of Khalsa or the Five ‘K’s. They are: Kesh (uncut hair), Kangha (a wooden comb for the hair), Kara (an iron bracelet), Kachera (100% cotton tieable undergarment) (not an elastic one) and Kirpan (an iron dagger large enough to defend oneself).
• He is also responsible to establish the highest order in the Sikh community.
• Followers of the Sikh faith religiously follow the morals and codes of discipline set up by Guru Gobind Singh.
• He fought against the Mughals later in battle of Muktsar in 1705.
• He was assassinated in 1708.
• He named Guru Granth Sahib, the religious text of the Khalsas and the Sikhs, as the next Guru of the two communities.

Solution: B

About Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi:

This tomb, built in 1570, is of particular cultural significance as it was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent. Commissioned by Humayun’s first wife and chief consort, Empress Bega Begum (also known as Haji Begum). Humayun’s garden-tomb is an example of the charbagh (a four-quadrant garden with the four rivers of Quranic paradise represented), with pools joined by channels. It is also called the ‘dormitory of the Mughals’ as in the cells are buried over 150 Mughal family members. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Solution: A

GLONASS is an acronym, which stands for Globalnaya Navigazionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema, or Global Navigation Satellite System. GLONASS is Russia’s version of GPS (Global Positioning System).

List of Global Navigation Satellite Systems:

· GPS of the United States of America.
· Galileo of the European Union.
· IRNSS or NAVIC of India.
· Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) of Japan

Solution: A

Solution: A

Kala Kumbh:

• With an objective to promote Geographical Indication (GI) crafts and heritage of India, the Ministry of Textiles is organising Kala Kumbh – Handicrafts Thematic Exhibition in various parts of the country through the Office of Development Commissioner (Handicrafts).
• The exhibitions are sponsored by the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH). EPCH was established under Companies Act in the year 1986-87 and is a non-profit organisation, with an object to promote, support, protect, maintain and increase the export of handicrafts.

Solution: B

The Haqqani network is an Afghan guerrilla insurgent group using asymmetric warfare to fight against US-led NATO forces and the government of Afghanistan.

The Islamic State in West Africa or Islamic State’s West Africa Province, formerly known as Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād and commonly known as Boko Haram until March 2015, is a jihadist terrorist organization based in northeastern Nigeria, also active in Chad, Niger and northern Cameroon

Solution: C

Jain Councils

• According to a Jain tradition, an oral sacred literature had been passed down from the days of Mahavira, but Bhadrabahu was the last person to know it perfectly. On Bhadrabahu’s death, Sthulabhadra called a Great Council at Pataliputra which was the First Jain Council held in the beginning of third century B.C. It resulted in the compilation of 12 Angas to replace the former 14 Purvas. The Digambaras rejected this canon and declared that the original one was lost. Thus, there was a great urgency to devise new scriptures.
• The Second Council was held at Vallabhi (Gujarat) in the 5th century A.D. under the leadership of Devridhigani. It resulted in final compilation of 12 Angas and 12 Upangas.

Solution: C

Zoroastrianism

This religion has its origin in Persia by the prophet Zarathustra around 6-7 BCE. They are a monotheistic religion who believe in one eternal god whose name is Ahura Mazda who is the epitome of just behaviour and goodness. There is a spirit of malice and bad behaviour called Angra Mainyu. These two keep fighting with each other and this is an eternal struggle and one day good will win over evil and that will be the last day.

The first contact of the Zoroastrians with India was in 936 A.D. when they fled from Iran because of the Islamic invasions. They are commonly known as Parsis and are presently amongst the smallest (and rapidly shrinking) communities in India. They live mostly in Mumbai, Goa and Ahmedabad. Their fire temples called Atash Bahram are rare and only eight known temples exist in the entire country.

Their sacred text called Zend Avesta is written in Old Avestan and consists of 17 sacred songs (gathas) and the Athuna Vairyo (sacred chant), which was supposedly written by Zarathustra himself. The translations of these texts and compiled glossaries are called Zend.

This collection is divided into five parts:

• Yasna: Worship with ceremony and offerings
• Videvdat: Laws against the demons
• Yashts: to worship through praise
• Khordeh Avesta: Book on Daily prayers
• Gathas: These are further divided into five parts called the Ahunavaiti, Ushtavaiti, Spenta-Mainyu, Vohu-Khshathra and Vashishta-Ishti.

They worship fire but also consider air, water and earth to be sacred elements. They believe that dead matter is a corrupting element to everything and hence, they place the dead bodies in the open to be eaten by the vultures. These open spaces are called ‘Dakhma’ and the vultures that eat them are called ‘Dakhma Nashini’. The only space known in India where they are left are the ‘Towers of Silence’ in Mumbai. Now-a-days, people have even started cremating or burying their dead.

Solution: D

https://www.lehladakhindia.com/passes/

Solution: D

The Gentoo Code (also known as A Code of Gentoo Laws or Ordinations of the Pundits) is a legal code translated from Sanskrit (in which it was known as vivādārṇavasetu) into Persian by Brahmin scholars; and then from Persian into English by Nathaniel Brassey Halhed, a British grammarian working for the East India Company. Vivādārṇavasetu is a digest of Hindu law in 21 sections (taraṅga) compiled for Warren Hastings by the pandits.  The translation was funded and encouraged by Warren Hastings as a method of increasing colonial hold over the Indies. It was translated into English with a view to know about the culture and local laws of various parts of Indian subcontinent. It was printed privately by the East India Company in London in 1776 under the title A Code of Gentoo Laws, or, Ordinations of the Pundits. It is basically about the Hindu law of inheritance (Manusmriti). The Pandits and the Maulvis were associated with judges to understand the civil law of Hindus and Muslims.

Solution: A

Kalidasa

Malavikagnimitra (The love story of Malavika a maiden of Queen and Agnimitra the son of Pushyamitra Shunga)

Vikramorvasiya (Love story of Vikram and Urvasi)

Abhigyana Shakuntala (the recognition of Shakuntala)

Sudraka

Mricchakatika (The Little Clay Cart) Love affair of young brahmin Charudatta with a wealthy courtesan.

Vishakhdutta

Mudra Rakshasa (is a political drama and narrates ascent of king Chandragupta Maurya to power in India)

Devi Chandraguptam

Bhavabhuti

Uttara Ramacharitam (the later life of Rama). It was written in 700 AD.

Bhasa

Swapnavasavadatta (Vasavadatta in dream), Pancharatra, Urubhanga (story of Duryodhana during and after his fight with Bhima.

Harshavardhana

Ratnavali (about the love story of princess Ratnavali, daughter of the king of Ceylon and king Udayana. We find here, the mention of celebration of Holi for the first time).

Solution: D

The Canary Islands are a Spanish archipelago and the southernmost autonomous community of Spain located in the Atlantic Ocean, west of Morocco at the closest point.

The Canary Islands have been considered a bridge between four continents: Africa, North America, South America and Europe.

Solution: C

The Ministry of Culture has set up seven ‘Zonal Cultural Centres’ (ZCCs) across the country, having headquarters at Patiala, Udaipur, Allahabad, Kolkata, Dimapur, Nagpur and Thanjavur. The main objective of these Centres is the development, preservation, promotion and dissemination of the traditional arts of the country.

To protect, promote & preserve various forms of folk art and culture throughout the country including Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand & Odisha, the Government of India has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) with headquarters at Patiala, Nagpur, Udaipur, Prayagraj, Kolkata, Dimapur and Thanjavur. These ZCCs organize various cultural activities & programmes on regular basis all over the country.

Solution: C

The Yoga school literally means the union of two major entities. They argue that human being can achieve salvation by combining meditation and physical application of yogic techniques. It is argued that these techniques lead to the release of the Purusha from the Prakriti and would eventually lead to salvation. This origin of Yoga and the school have been expounded in the Yogasutra of Patanjali that is attributed tentatively to the 2^nd century BCE.

The physical aspect of this school deals primarily with exercises in various postures that are also called asanas. There are several types of breathing exercises that are called pranayams.

The Yoga school favours these techniques as they help humans to control their mind, body and sensory organs. They propound that these exercises can help if one believes in the existence of god as a guide, mentor and teacher. They would help the individual to move away from worldly matter and achieve the concentration required to get salvation.

Solution: B

Context: The International IP Index 2020 has been released by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC).

What is IIP index?

Released by GIPC, the Index evaluates the IP infrastructure in each economy based on 45 unique indicators, which are critical to the growth of effective IP systems.

The indicators encompass 8 categories of IP protection: patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, commercialization of IP assets, enforcement, systemic efficiency, and membership and ratification of international treaties.

Performance of India:

• Ranked 40 out of 53 global economies.
• Last year India was ranked at 36th position out of 50 countries.
• India also continues to score well in the Systemic Efficiency indicator, scoring ahead of 28 other economies in these indicators.

Solution: B

The Vaisheshika school believes in the physicality of the Universe and is considered to be the realistic and objective philosophy that governs the universe. The Kanada who also wrote the basic text governing the Vaisheshika philosophy is often considered the founder of this school. They argue that everything in the universe was created by the five main elements: fire, air, water, earth and ether (sky). These material elements are also called Dravya. They also argue that reality has many categories, for example, action, attribute, genus, inherence, substance and distinct quality.

As this school has a very scientific approach, they also developed the atomic theory, i.e. all material objects are made of atoms. They explain the phenomenon of this universe by arguing that the atoms and molecules combined to make matter, which is the basis for everything that can be physically touched or seen. This school was also responsible for the beginning of physics in Indian subcontinent.

They are considered to be the propounders of the mechanical process of formation of this Universe.

Solution: D

The Department of Science and Technology launches SATHI Initiative for building shared, professionally managed strong S&T infrastructure. It will address the problems of accessibility, maintenance, redundancy and duplication of expensive equipment in the Institutions. The aim is to provide professionally managed services with efficiency, accessibility and transparency of highest order under one roof to service the demands of industry, start-ups and academia. In the first phase SATHI facilities are being located at IIT-Delhi, IIT-Kharagpur and BHU- Varanasi.

The facilities provided by the SATHI may be utilized by any user/organization on payment of nominal charge.

Solution: C

Charvaka School or Lokayata Philosophy

Brihaspati laid the foundation stone of this school and it was supposed to be one of the earliest schools that developed a philosophical theory. The philosophy is old enough to find mention in the Vedas and Brihadarankya Upanishad. The Charvaka School was the main propounder of the materialistic view to achieve salvation. As it was geared towards the common people, the philosophy was soon dubbed as Lokayata or something derived from the common people.

• They argued against Gods and their representatives on the earth – the priestly class. They argued that a Brahman manufactures false rituals so as to acquire gifts (dakshina) from the followers.
• Man is the centre of all activities and he should enjoy himself as long as he lives. He should consume all earthly goods and indulge in sensual pleasure.
• The Charvakas do not consider ‘ether’ as one of the five essential elements as it cannot be experienced through the perception. Hence, they say the universe consists of only four elements: fire, earth, water and air.

Solution: D

Farmers’ Innovation Fund is the system introduced by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to scientifically validate, scale-up and propagate the innovations of progressive farmers. The intention was to link farmers and farming with science and to ensure that their farm practices were science-based. Innovations of farmers were already being documented by the Krishi Vigyan Kendras; however, the additional system would encourage farmers to continue their work. As part of this system, an innovation Centre will be established in New Delhi where the innovations will be scientifically validated. As part of efforts to encourage use of technology in farm sector, a linkage had been created between 105 start ups with farmers.

Solution: B

Sangeet Natak Akademi, India’s national academy of music, dance and drama, is a pioneer in the creation of modern India. The ephemeral quality of the arts, and the need for their preservation led to the adapting of a democratic system in which the common man had the opportunity to learn, practice and propagate the arts. In 1945, the Asiatic Society of Bengal submitted a proposal for the creation of a National Cultural Trust consisting of three academies-an academy of dance, drama and music; an academy of letters and an academy of art and architecture. It led to the creation of three national academies after Independence. The national Academy named Sangeet Natak Akademi, was the first of these entities to be established by a resolution of the Ministry of Education. In 1961, the Sangeet Natak Akademi was reconstituted by the Government as a society and registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 (as amended in 1957).

Solution: D

The Bhitarkanika National Park is located in Kendrapada district of Odisha in the delta of rivers Brahmani, Baitarani and Dhamara. It is the second largest mangrove ecosystem in India and is a Ramsar site. Gahirmatha Beach and Marine Sanctuary which is known as the world’s largest rookery of Olive Ridley sea turtles, lies to its east.

The national park is home to saltwater crocodile, White Crocodile, Indian python,King cobra, black ibis etc. It has one of the largest populations of endangered saltwater crocodile in India and is globally unique. Bagagahan, a breeding colony of herons is one of the largest in the country.

Solution: A

When question is about arrangement it is permutation.

Total number of letters in the word ELEPHANT = 8

The vowels in the word ELEPHANT are two Es and one A.

Let’s group all the vowels into a group i.e (EEA) and consider it as single letter.

Now total number of letters will be 5 consonants (L, P, H, N, T) + (EEA) = 6.

Therefore, total arrangement possible = 6! .

However, EEA can be further arranged into (3!)/(2!) (as there are two Es).

Thus, total possible ways that the word ELEPHANT be arranged so that vowels always occur together = 6! * 3!/2!= 6! * 3

720 * 3 = 2160 ways.

Solution: B

When question is about arrangement it is permutation.

‘n’ people can be seated in circular arrangement in (n-1)! ways.

Now 5 men can be seated in circular arrangement in (5-1)! Ways = 4! Ways.

Since, men already seated, to be seated in alternate position we will have 5 places available. Thus, 5 women can be seated in 5! Ways.

Therefore, total number ways such that 5 men and 5 women seated in circular seat in alternate position will be 4! * 5! = 24 * 120 = 2880 ways.

Solution: D

When question is about arrangement it is combination.

Different possibilities of selecting 5 balls with at least 2 black balls are included in it are:  (2 black balls AND 3 white balls) OR

(3 black balls AND 2 white balls) OR

(4 black balls AND 1 white ball) OR

(all 5 black balls).

Thus, it can be written through formula as (6c2*5c3) + (6c3*5c2) + (6c4*5c1) + 6c5. [For AND we should use multiplication and for OR we should use addition

Standard formula for nCr = n!/( r! * (n-r)!).

Therefore, solving the above equation we get the answer as 1526.

Solution: D

Probability of getting club = 13/52.

Probability of getting queen = 4/52

Probability of getting a club card which is queen = 1/52.

Therefore, the probability that it is neither club nor queen

= 1- (13/52 + 4/52 – 1/52)

= 1- 16/52 = 36/52 = 9/13.

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

A is wrong because there are other reasons too for rural to urban migration.

D is wrong because it is the extreme statement.