Solution: C

About PM CARES Fund

About Us :

Keeping in mind the need for having a dedicated fund with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide relief to the affected, a public charitable trust under the name of ‘Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund)’ has been set up. PM CARES Fund has been registered as a Public Charitable Trust. The trust deed of PM CARES Fund has been registered under the Registration Act, 1908 at New Delhi on 27th March, 2020.

Constitution of the Trust :

• Prime Minister is the ex-officio Chairman of the PM CARES Fund and Minister of Defence, Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Finance, Government of India are ex-officio Trustees of the Fund.
• The Prime Minister, as the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the PM CARES Fund, has nominated following three trustees to the Board:
  • Shri Justice K.T.Thomas (Retd.)
  • Shri Kariya Munda
  • Shri Ratan N. Tata
• Any person appointed a Trustee shall act in a pro bono capacity.

Other details :

• The fund consists entirely of voluntary contributions from individuals/organizations and does not get any budgetary support. The fund will be utilised in meeting the objectives as stated above.
• Donations to PM CARES Fund would qualify for 80G benefits for 100% exemption under the Income Tax Act, 1961. Donations to PM CARES Fund will also qualify to be counted as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) expenditure under the Companies Act, 2013

PM CARES Fund has also got exemption under the FCRA and a separate account for receiving foreign donations has been opened. This enables PM CARES Fund to accept donations and contributions from individuals and organizations based in foreign countries. This is consistent with respect to Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF). PMNRF has also received foreign contributions as a public trust since 2011.

Solution: C

Chettinad, Village Clusters of the Tamil Merchants

Chettinad comprises of a network of 73 villages and 2 towns forming clusters spread over a territory of 1,550 km² in the Districts of Sivagangai and Pudukottai in the State of Tamil Nadu.

The Natukottai Chettiars belong to a lineage of wealthy traders and financiers who made their fortunes by extending their business to the whole of Southeast Asia, particularly during the second half of 19^th and early 20^th century when they were at the peak of their economic power. Vital component in the south Indian economy, the Natukottai Chettiars represented the major banking Hindu community of South India. Their vast influence and richness allowed the community to build a dense network of 96 villages among which 73 remain, according to the Maniyadi Sastram texts, the traditional planning and lifecycle precincts.

Solution: D

Angkor Wat is a temple complex in Cambodia, located on a site measuring 162.6 hectares (1,626,000 m2; 402 acres). The Guinness World Records considers it as the largest religious structure in the world. Originally constructed as a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Vishnu for the Khmer Empire by King Suryavarman II during the 12th century, it was gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the century; as such, it is also described as a “Hindu-Buddhist” temple.

Solution: B

Santiniketan

Santiniketan, popularly known today as a university town, a hundred miles to the north of Kolkata, was originally an ashram built by Debendranath Tagore, where anyone, irrespective of caste and creed, could come and spend time meditating on the one Supreme God. Debendranath, who was father of the Poet, Rabindranath, was also known as Maharshi (which means one who is both saint and sage) was a leading figure of the Indian Renaissance. In a trust deed prepared in 1888, he declared: ‘Apart from worshipping the Formless, no community may worship any idol depicting god, man, or animals; neither may anyone arrange sacrificial fires or rituals in Santiniketan…. No insult to any religion or religious deity will be allowed here. The sermons given here will be such that will be appropriate to the worship of the Creator and Father and will help in ethics, benevolence and brotherhood…’ It was in this area that the Maharshi had a spiritual realization while meditating under a glade of Chhatim trees (Alstonia scholaris), which were the only vegetation in this arid land of Birbhum. These trees still stand with a plaque that says, He is the repose of my life, the joy of my heart, the peace of my soul. Chhatimtala as it is called is the spot that symbolizes the starting point of Santiniketan, which was to become his son Rabindranath’s home and base for activity. It is considered to be a hallowed spot and prayer services are held here on very special days. Rabindranath, too, like his father before him would sit in meditation here, under the chhatim trees during sunset.

Solution: B

Sittanavasal Cave (Arivar Koil) Paintings

Located 16 km northwest of Pudukkottai town in Tamil Nadu, these famous rock-cut caves are known for the paintings in the Jain temples. These murals have close resemblance to Bagh and Ajanta paintings. The paintings are not only on the walls but also on the ceiling and pillars. The paintings are with the theme of Jain Samavasarana (Preaching hall).

Some scholars believe that these caves belong to the Pallava period, when king Mahendravarman I excavated the temple, while the others attribute them to when Pandya ruler renovated the shrine in the 7th century. The medium used for painting is vegetable and mineral dyes, and is done by putting colours on surface of thin wet lime plaster. The common colours include yellow, green, orange, blue, black and white.

The central element of the paintings in Sittanavasal is a pond with lotuses. Flowers in this pond are collected by monks, there are shown ducks, swans, fishes and animals. This scene shows Samavasarana – important scene in Jain religion. Samava-sarana is special, beautiful audience hall where Tirthankaras delivered sermons after they reached realisation (kevala-gnana). Bulls, elephants, apsaras and gods gathered in this audience hall to witness this grand scene.

Solution: A

Asian Giant Tortoise (Manouria emys)

Asian giant tortoise (Manouria emys) is listed as critically endangered in IUCN Redlist.

Manouria emys is included in CITES Appendix II with all Testudinae spp., allowing international commercial trade in the species provided such trade is not detrimental to the species, and subject to national trade legislation. It is also included in Schedule IV of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 (amended); it warrants revision to Schedule I.

Asian Giant Tortoises are the largest tortoises in mainland Asia and are found in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia among other places.

Geographic Range

Extant

Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand

In India, the Nengpui Wildlife Sanctuary, North Cachar Hills and Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary are known to support wild populations in less disturbed habitats.

Solution: D

The United Nations has recognized ten ground-breaking efforts from around the globe for their role in restoring the natural world. It unveiled the winning initiatives at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal, Canada, on the 13^th December 2022.

The initiatives were declared World Restoration Flagships and are eligible to receive UN-backed promotion, advice or funding. They were selected under the banner of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a global movement coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It is designed to prevent and reverse the degradation of natural spaces across the planet.

Namami Gange initiative, to rejuvenate India’s sacred River Ganga, is one of the top 10 World Restoration Flagships to revive the natural world.

Ganges River Rejuvenation
The Namami Gange initiative is rejuvenating, protecting and conserving India’s Ganges River and its tributaries, reforesting parts of the Ganges basin and promoting sustainable farming. It also aims to revive key wildlife species.

Solution: D

New India Literacy Programme launched to cover a target of 5.00 crore non-literates in the age group of 15 years and above

Government has launched a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely, “New India Literacy Programme” (NILP) for implementation during five years from the FYs 2022-23 to 2026-27 with financial outlay of Rs.1037.90 crore out of which Rs.700.00 crore is Central share and Rs.337.90 crore is State share. The scheme aims to cover a target of 5.00 crore non-literates in the age group of 15 years and above. The Scheme has five components: (i) Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, (ii) Critical Life Skills, (iii) Vocational Skills Development, (iv) Basic Education and (v) Continuing Education.

The beneficiaries under the scheme are identified through door to door survey on Mobile App by the surveyors in the States/UTs. The non-literate can also avail the benefit of the scheme through direct registration from any place through mobile app. The scheme is mainly based on volunteerism for teaching and learning. Volunteers can also register through mobile app for this purpose.

The scheme is based on technology and implemented predominantly through online mode. The teaching learning material and resources have been made available on DIKSHA platform of NCERT and can be accessed through the mobile-apps.  Further, other modes like TV, Radio, Samajik Chetna Kendra etc. are also to be used for dissemination of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy.  All the non-literate above 15 years of age can avail the benefits of the scheme.

Solution: D

Rooibos tea

Context: COP15- Indigenous group to benefit from Rooibos tea

• It is endemic to South Africa.
• It is a natural herb unique to the South African Cedarberg Mountains.
• The natural herb is then processed into a naturally soothing drink, sweet in taste, naturally caffeine free, additive free, preservative free, colourant free and very low in tannin.
• The San and Khoi communities were the first to learn about the health benefits.

Solution: C

India is the fifth largest life insurance market in the world’s emerging insurance markets, growing at a rate of 32-34% each year. In recent years the industry has been experiencing fierce competition among its peers which has led to new and innovative products within the industry. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the industry under the automatic method is allowed up to 49% and licensing of the industry is monitored by the insurance regulator the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).

Insurance & Pension Sectors: FDI Policy on Insurance sector was reviewed in view of amendment to the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Act 2015 to increase the sectoral cap of foreign investment from 26% to 49%. Further it has been provided that FDI in the sector would be permitted under automatic route. Similar changes have also been brought in the FDI Policy on Pension Sector.

The insurance industry of India has 57 insurance companies – 24 are in the life insurance business, while 34 are non-life insurers. Among the life insurers, Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) is the sole public sector company. There are six public sector insurers in the non-life insurance segment. In addition to these, there is a sole national re-insurer, namely General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re).

India’s insurance penetration was pegged at 4.2% in FY21, with life insurance penetration at 3.2% and non-life insurance penetration at 1.0%. In terms of insurance density, India’s overall density stood at US$ 78 in FY21.

Solution: C

What is antimicrobial resistance?

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the ability of microorganisms to persist or grow in the presence of drugs designed to inhibit or kill them. These drugs, called antimicrobials, are used to treat infectious diseases caused by microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses and protozoan parasites.

When microorganisms become resistant to antimicrobials, standard treatments are often ineffective, and in some cases, no drugs provide effective therapy. Consequently, treatments fail. This increases illness and mortality in humans, animals and plants.  For agriculture, this causes production losses, damages livelihoods and jeopardizes food security. Moreover, AMR can spread among different hosts and the environment, and antimicrobial resistant microorganisms can contaminate the food chain.

Every time we use antimicrobials in people, animals and plants, germs have a chance to acquire the ability to tolerate the treatments by becoming resistant, making the drugs less effective over time.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global threat of increasing concern to human and animal health. It also has implications for food safety, food security and the economic wellbeing of millions of farming households.

AMR – risks to human and animal health and welfare, agriculture and food security

The findings of the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance study show that drug-resistant bacterial infections contributed to almost five millions human deaths in 2019, making AMR a leading cause of death globally. If action is not taken, the rise of AMR cumulatively may result in over 3.4 trillion USD loss in the world’s annual gross domestic product (GDP) in ten short years.

Solution: D

The Government of Korea (South Korea) established the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) on June 1, 1987 with the purpose of promoting economic cooperation between Korea and developing countries.

Drawing on Korea’s own development experience over the years, the EDCF assists partner countries by providing funding for their industrial development and economic stability.
The highest policy-making authority of the EDCF is the Fund Management Council, which is composed of 12 members, most of whom are ministerial-level government officials. The direction of EDCF operations and the assumption of principal policy-making responsibilities rest with the Ministry of Strategy and Finance(MOSF), which also coordinates policy matters with other relevant ministries.

Entrusted by the MOSF, the Export-Import Bank of Korea(Korea Eximbank) is responsible for the administrative operation of the EDCF, including appraisal of project, execution of the loan agreements, and loan disbursements. Other duties include principal/interest payments collection, project supervision, and ex-post evaluation of project operations.

In recent years, the accumulated external debt and budget deficits of partner countries have spurred the need for various types of financing. Thus, the EDCF provides several types of lending programs to meet developing countries’ diverse needs. Of these lending programs, the Development Project Loans and Equipment Loans for infrastructure building, detailed below, account for the largest portion to date.atural resources.

Solution: D

Tiangong, officially the Tiangong space station, is a permanently crewed space station constructed by China and operated by China Manned Space Agency in low Earth orbit between 340 and 450 km (210 and 280 mi) above the surface. It is China’s first long-term space station, part of the Tiangong program and the core of the “Third Step” of the China Manned Space Program; it has a pressurised volume of 340 m³ (12,000 cu ft), slightly over one third the size of the International Space Station.

China is only the third country in history to have put both astronauts into space and to build a space station, after the Soviet Union (now Russia) and the US.

China hopes Tiangong will replace the International Space Station (ISS), which is due to be decommissioned in 2031. Chinese astronauts are currently excluded from the ISS because US law bans its space agency, Nasa, from sharing its data with China.

Solution: B

What is Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB)?

It’s a government body set up under the Department of Financial Services. The board will be entrusted with making recommendations for the appointment of full-time directors and non-executive chairman of state-run financial services institutions.

It would also issue guidelines for selecting general managers and directors of public sector general insurance companies. While its main task is to play the role of head-hunter for the state-owned financial services entities, the board will also be involved in formulating and developing business strategies for state-run banks and help them in their fund-raising plans.

Why has it replaced Banks Board Bureau (BBB)?

The BBB was declared an incompetent authority last year by the Delhi High Court, when a general manager at state-owned National Insurance Company challenged the appointment of a person junior to him for Director’s position by the BBB. Consequent to the order, 10–11 directors appointed by the BBB had to vacate office.

To end this logjam, the BBB had to be struck down and a new body, namely, FSIB had to be put in place vide approval from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by the prime minister. 

What is FSIB’s mandate?

The primary role of FSIB is to identify manpower capabilities and ensure proper selection of talent for senior positions at financial institutions owned by the government. However, when BBB was brought into force in April 2016, it was envisaged as a body that would efficiently corporatise and make government entities function like private players, but it didn’t make much headway on that front.

Solution: C

Paris Club is a group of officials from major creditor countries whose role is to find coordinated and sustainable solutions to the payment difficulties experienced by debtor countries.

Members of the Paris Club. India is not a member.

There are currently 22 Permanent Members of the Paris Club:

• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Brazil
• Canada
• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Ireland
• Israel
• Italy
• Japan
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Russia
• South Korea
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom
• United States

Solution: C

Ghazal

• Ghazals are commonly described as the “pride of Urdu poetry”.
• A ghazal is more a poetic form than a musical form.
• The poem in ghazals, known in Persian as qasida, used to be written in praise of a king, a benefactor or a nobleman in Iran in the 10th Century AD.
• Ghazals are never more than 12 shers (couplets) in their composition and on an average usually have about seven sher Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
• In northern India ghazals began with Amir Khusrau, whereas Deccan was its home in the early stages.
• The patronage of Shia rulers of Golconda and Bijapur helped ghazals develop and evolve in their courts.
• The 18th and 19th centuries are regarded as the period of excellence of ghazal with Delhi and Lucknow being the main centres of excellence.

Solution: A

The Mahamastakabhisheka refers to anointment of Jain images held on a large  scale.  The Mahamastakabhisheka of Bahubali at Shravanabelagola was held in February  2018 after 12 years.

Mahamastakabhisheka is the grand festival of the anointment of Jain images held on  a large scale in Karnataka.

The festival which begins today will end on February 26 is held once every 12 years.  The famous Bahubali Gommateshwara Statue located at Shravanabelagola in  Karnataka is anointed with turmeric, milk, and other offerings on this day.

Solution: B

Tabo Monastery is located in the Tabo village of Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh, northern India. It was founded in 996 CE in the Tibetan year of the Fire Ape by the Tibetan Buddhist lotsawa Rinchen

Solution: C

Therukoothu

• Therukoothu, the most popular form of folk drama of Tamil Nadu, literally means “street play”. Hence, option (c) is correct.
• It is mostly performed at the time of annual temple festivals of Mariamman (Rain goddess) to achieve rich harvest.
• At the core of the extensive repertoire of Therukoothu there is a cycle of eight plays based on the life of Draupadi. Kattiakaran, the Sutradhara of the Therukoothu performance, gives the gist of the play to the audience and Komali entertains the audience with his buffoonery.

Solution: C

Shankara’s philosophy

• It was Sankaracharya (788–820) who renewed and systematised Vedanta philosophy by stressing its main principle of monism (Kevala Advaita or Absolute Non-dualism).
• Besides, he is credited with establishing four maths in the four centres of India.
  • Badrinath (in the Himalayas), Dwaraka (Gujarat), Puri (Orissa) and Sringeri (Karnataka). He passed away at Kedarnath in the Himalayas at the age of 32 only.
• He held that the individual soul as embodied in a living being (jiva) is tied to the cycle of rebirths (samsara) because it believes that this world is real although it is only an illusion (maya).
• This belief is due to ignorance (ajnana or avidya) which prevents the soul from realising its identity with the divine spirit. Only right knowledge (jnana) leads to the realisation of this identity and to salvation (moksha) from the cycle of rebirths.
• At the same time he also provided some scope for popular Hinduism by allowing for a ‘lower truth’ which embodies the manifold appearance of the world and implies the existence of a divine creator (lsvara).

Solution: D

Bhimbetka caves

• Located about 45 km northeast of Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, these caves were accidentally discovered in 1957-58 by Dr. Vishnu Wakankar of Vikram University, Ujjain. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
• The caves have rock paintings, going back to 15,000 years ago in vivid and panoramic detail.
• The most ancient scenes are believed to be commonly belonging to the Mesolithic Age.
• Executed mainly in red and white, with the occasional use of green and yellow and themes taken from the everyday events, the scenes usually depict hunting, dancing, horse and elephant riders, animal fights, honey collection, decoration of bodies, disguises, masks, different types of animals, etc.
• Popular religious and ritual symbols also occur frequently.
• The colours used by the cave dwellers were prepared by combining manganese, hematite, soft red stone and wooden charcoal.
  • Perhaps, animal fat and extracts of leaves were also used in the mixture.
• The superimposition of paintings shows that the same canvas was used by different people at different times.

Solution: B

Nyaya

• This is a system of logical realism founded by the sage Gotama, also known as Gautama and by his nickname Aksapada. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
• It is based on the Nyaya Sutra, probably composed about the 2nd century AD.

There are five clauses in the Nyaya philosophy:

(1) the proposition.

(2) the cause,

(3) the exemplification,

(4) the recapitulation of the cause, and

(5) the conclusion.

• Nyaya teaching states that the existence of ideas. beliefs, visions, and emotions are all dependent on a mind, since without a mind to ‘think them’ they would not exist.
• However, such things as animals, plants, rivers. mountains, houses, monuments, etc., not being dependent on our minds, exist whether or not we know or ‘think them’.
• However, later when the Vaisesika merged with the Nyaya about the 9^th century or earlier (and perhaps with some Saivite influence), the Nyaya became theistic.

Nyaya

• This is a system of logical realism founded by the sage Gotama, also known as Gautama and by his nickname Aksapada. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
• It is based on the Nyaya Sutra, probably composed about the 2nd century AD.

Solution: B

• Varahamihara’s Brihat Samhita (sixth century AD) is an encyclopaedia of astronomy, physical geography, botany and natural history.
  • His other works are Panella Siddhantika, and Brihat Jataka.
• Hence, option (b) is correct.
• Brahmagupta (late sixth and early seventh century AD), anticipated Newton by declaring that ‘all things fall to the earth by law of nature, for it is the nature of the earth to attract and keep things.’
  • His works are Brahmasphuta Siddhanta and Khanda Khadyaka.

Solution: B

The Message of Mahavira

• The basic philosophy of the Jainas was already in existence in north India before the birth of Vardhamana, who came to be known as Mahavira, in the sixth century BCE.
• According to Jaina tradition, Mahavira was preceded by 23 other teachers or tirthankaras – literally, those who guide men and women across the river of existence.

• The most important idea in Jainism is that the entire world is animated: even stones, rocks and water have life.
• According to Jaina teachings, the cycle of birth and rebirth is shaped through karma.
  • Asceticism and penance are required to free oneself from the cycle of karma.
  • This can be achieved only by renouncing the world; therefore, monastic existence is a necessary condition of salvation.
  • Jaina monks and nuns took five vows: to abstain from killing, stealing and lying; to observe celibacy; and to abstain from possessing property.

Uttaradhyayana or Uttaradhyayana Sutra is one of the most important sacred books of the Svetambara Jains. It consists of 36 chapters, each of which deals with aspects of Jain doctrine and discipline. It is believed by some to contain the actual words of Bhagwan Mahavira (599/540 – 527/468 BCE).

Solution: D

Colonel Colin Mackenzie

• The ruins at Hampi were brought to light in 1800 by an engineer and antiquarian named Colonel Colin Mackenzie.
• An employee of the English East India Company, he prepared the first survey map of the site.
• Much of the initial information he received was based on the memories of priests of the Virupaksha temple and the shrine of Pampadevi.
• Born in 1754, Colin Mackenzie became famous as an engineer, surveyor and cartographer.
• In 1815 he was appointed the first Surveyor General of India, a post he held till his death in 1821.

Ans. B.

3 is wrong as there are other issues of historical injustice and social justice involved. 2 is wrong as the government is not chasing a number in fertilizer subsidy. In fact efforts are on to reduce our spending in fertilizer subsidy. Hence B

Solution: d

Justification:

[Note: First letters of the names are used.]

Inference from statement 1: C _ _ D or        D _ _ C

Inference from statement 2: A _ C _ _ D   or D A _ C   or        D _ _ C _ A

Inference from statement 3 and 4: A E C F _ D   or      D _ E C F A

Inference from statement 5: D B E C F A

Final arrangement: D B E C F A

Hence, B and C are not immediate neighbours.

Solution: c

Justification:

Refer the explanation of previous question.

Hence, D and A are sitting at the extremes.

Q’s sex is not known. Hence, option (d) cannot be definitely true.

Solution: B

Explanation:

Solution: D

Explanation: