11 Mar 2018: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS1 Related
B. GS2 Related
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. India, France join hands for Indian Ocean security
2. International Solar Alliance drops limits on membership
HEALTH AND EDUCATION
1. 4.5 lakh anganwadi centres have no toilets, drinking water facilities: Report
GOVERNANCE AND ECONOMY
1. NITI Aayog to work on mechanism for MSP implementation
C. GS3 Related
ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
1. The clandestine gold diggers of the Nilgiris
D. GS4 Related
E. Editorials
F. Prelims Fact
G. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
H. UPSC Mains Practice Questions 

A. GS1 Related

Nothing here for today!!!

B. GS2 Related

Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. India, France join hands for Indian Ocean security

Context:

  • Fresh logistical agreement to allow closer defence cooperation

Keypoints:

  • India and France joined hands in ensuring freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region along with a new phase of cooperation in space security focussed on the maritime domain and a fresh logistics agreement.
  • This move allows their defence forces to closely cooperate on mutually agreed operations.

Common concerns

  • India and France share common concerns on freedom of navigation in the region and will tackle challenges to over-flight and threat of weapons of mass destruction. The agreement has a vast scope stretching from countering maritime terrorism and piracy to building maritime domain awareness.
  • This is the second major maritime agreement India has signed in the last six months following the Quadrilateral agreement with Australia, Japan and the U.S. in October 2017.

2. International Solar Alliance drops limits on membership

Keypoints:

  • India, a founding member of the International Solar Alliance said that membership of the body will be thrown open to all countries that want to join the grouping
  • There will be no restrictions on duration of sunlight or geographical location
  • PM Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron will be formally launching the International Solar Alliance on 11th March
  • When the International Solar Alliance was announced in 2015, 121 nations situated between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn and receiving 300 days of sunlight were deemed eligible for membership

Category: HEALTH AND EDUCATION

1. 4.5 lakh anganwadi centres have no toilets, drinking water facilities: Report

Keypoints:

  • According to the report, about a third of total 13.6 lakh anganwadi centres have neither toilets nor drinking water facilities
  • It adds that nearly 25 per cent of anganwadi centres don’t have drinking water facilities and 36 per cent of these don’t have toilets
  • The report mentions that the under the revised Anganwadi services, the ministry plans to build 70,000 toilets and provide drinking water facilities in 2,000 AWCs
  • Funds to the tune of Rs 54.14 crore and Rs 13.24 crore, respectively, have been released to various states

Anganwadi centres

  • Anganwadi centres are part of the Centre’s Integrated Child Development Scheme
  • And provide a package of six services–supplementary nutrition, referral services, immunisation, health check-up, pre-school non-formal education and health and nutrition education– to women and children

Category: GOVERNANCE AND ECONOMY

1. NITI Aayog to work on mechanism for MSP implementation

Context

  • A mechanism for implementation of the Minimum Support Price

Keypoints:

  • Government think-tank NITI Aayog said it will work out a mechanism for implementation of the Minimum Support Price for different crops in the country
  • The Aayog noted that the procurement by central and state agencies is limited to rice and wheat and some amount of coarse cereals

Three important ingredients to be discussed

  • The first option related to market assurance scheme, which proposes procurement by states and compensation of losses up to a certain extent of MSP after the procurement and price realization out of the sale of the procured produce
  • Second option related to price deficiency procurement scheme
  • Under this scheme, if the sale price is below a modal price then the farmers may be compensated to the difference between MSP and actual price subject to a ceiling which may not exceed 25 percent of the MSP
  • No compensation would be due if the modal price in neighboring states is above the MSP
  • Third option related to private procurement and stockist scheme
  • It relates to procurement by private entrepreneurs at MSP and government providing some policy and tax incentives and a commission to such private entities

Private procurement

  • The option of private procurement and stockist scheme offered great promise as it reduces the fiscal implications for the government, involves private entities as partners in agriculture marketing and improves the competition in the market
  • The government’s liabilities for storage and post-procurement management and disposal are also avoided

C. GS3 Related

Category: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. The clandestine gold diggers of the Nilgiris

Context:

  • In Devala, illegal miners work overtime to strike it rich

Keypoints:

  • It’s an illegal gold mine, deep in the heart of one of the hills surrounding the small town of Devala in the Nilgiris, around 70 km from Udhagamandalam.
  • A group of eight local miners venture down an 80-foot-deep shaft, lit only by battery-powered torches tied to the miners’ heads with bits of cloth and rope.
  • At the bottom of the vertical shaft are more tunnels that eventually lead to the “seam” layers of rock, hewn with pickaxes and rudimentary metal tools by the miners.
  • The men work in two shifts, sometimes up to 10 to 12 hours at a stretch.
  • Tasks are divided between the groups one for excavating the mine, while the other cooks a quick meal for the team before catching up on some sleep.
  • Of the numerous mines that have been excavated, around 50-60 in the Devala-Pandalur region are still used regularly, the miners say, though older ones are also routinely prospected by neophytes.

D. GS4 Related

Nothing here for today!!!

E. Editorials

Nothing here for today!!!

F. Prelims Fact

Nothing here for today!!!

G. Practice Questions for UPSC Prelims Exam

Question 1. Among the following, which is the oldest living animal in the world?
  1. Chameleon
  2. Gastrotrichs
  3. Corals
  4. Mayflies

See

Answer


(c
)

Type: General Science
Level: Moderate
Explanation:

  • Chameleon, Corals and Mayflies have some of the shortest lifespans ranging from 24 hours to a few days.
  • On the other hand, studies show that some corals can live for up to 5,000 years, making them the longest living animals on Earth.
Question 2. Consider the following statements with reference to the concept of a ‘Seed Village’:
  1. It revolves around Cutting down the seed replacement rate.
  2. Replacing artificial exotic HYV seeds with existing local seed varieties.
  3. Engaging trained group of farmers in production of seeds.

Select the correct answer using the codes below:

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 3 only
  3. 2 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3

See

Answer


(b
)

Type: Agriculture
Level: Moderate
Explanation:

A seed village is one wherein trained group of fanners are involved in production ‘of seeds of various crops and cater to the needs of themselves, fellow fanners of the village and fanners of neighbouring villages in appropriate time and at affordable cost is called “a seed village”.

Major focus areas are:

  • Organizing seed production in cluster (or) compact area
  • Replacing existing local varieties with new high yielding varieties.
  • Increasing the seed production
  • To meet the local demand, timely supply and reasonable cost
  • Self-sufficiency and self-reliance of the village
  • Increasing the seed replacement rate
  • This allows seed to be available at the door steps of farms at an appropriate time and at an affordable cost. It also facilitates fast spread of new cultivars of different kinds.
Question 3. Consider the following statements:
  1. World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites.
  2. WMF publishes the World Monuments Watch two year once.

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Neither 1 nor 2
  4. Both 1 and 2

See

Answer


(d
)

Type: Current Affairs
Level: Moderate
Explanation:

  • World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grant making, education, and training.
  • Every two years WMF publishes the World Monuments Watch (formerly the World Monuments Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites).
Question 4. “JIGYASA”, recently seen in news is a 
  1. Interstellar exploration programme of ISRO
  2. Student- scientist connect programme
  3. Earth core drilling programme ot Ministry of Earth Sciences
  4. Biodiversity documentation programme in the western Ghats

See

Answer


(b
)

Type: Current Affairs
Level: Moderate
Explanation:

  • Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), has joined hands with Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) to implement this programme.
    The program will also enable the students and teachers to practically live the theoretical concepts taught in science by visiting CSIR laboratories and by participating in mini-science projects.
  • The focus is on connecting school students and scientists so as to extend student’s classroom learning with that of a very well-planned research laboratory based learning.
Question 5. An economy heats up due to
  1. Demand deficit
  2. Excess supply
  3. High liquidity infusion

Select the correct answer using the codes below

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 2 only
  3. 3 only
  4. 2 and 3 only

See

Answer


(c
)

Type: Economy
Level: Moderate
Explanation:

  • Overheating of an economy occurs when its productive capacity is unable to keep pace with growing aggregate demand leading to inflation.
  • When there is excess demand and low supply, high consumption and low savings can lead to a situation where there is a shortage of investible capital.
  • The economy is unable to supply demanded goods and prices start increases.
Question 6. The constitution of India is republican because it 
  1. provides for an elected Parliament
  2. provides for adult franchise
  3. contains a bill of rights
  4. has no hereditary elements

See

Answer


(d
)

Type: Polity
Level: Moderate
Explanation:

Republic: a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch

Question 7. Consider the following statements:
  1. Hodaigiri is the harvest dance associated with Reang tribes.
  2. Jhum cultivation is one of the primary occupations of Reang tribes.
  3. Majority of Reang population are literates.

Choose the correct statements:

  1. 1 and 3
  2. 1 and 2
  3. 2 and 3
  4. All are correct

See

Answer


(b
)

Type: Current Affairs
Level: Moderate
Explanation:

  • One of the unique dances of the Reang is the Hodaigiri/Hojagiri, in which a group of women balance themselves on earthen pitchers and manage other props.The performance is associated with the harvest.
  • Jhum (shifting) cultivation has been one of the primary agricultural activities of the Reang tribe.
  • As per the 2001 census, 66.93% of the Reang population is illiterate.
  • The Reang dialect is of Tibetan-Burmese origin and is locally referred to as Kau Bru. Though there is no script for the language, some publications follow the Bengali or Roman script to keep the language alive.
Question 8. From which of the countries, Constitution of India has adopted fundamental duties?
  1. USA
  2. Canada
  3. Erstwhile USSR
  4. UK

See

Answer


(c
)

Type: Polity
Level: Moderate
Explanation:

The Fundamental Duties in the Indian Constitution are inspired by the Constitution of erstwhile USSR.

Question 9. Ever greening of patents is done by 
  1. Citing another use of the same product
  2. Citing another process of forming the same product
  3. Applying for extension of patent term
  4. Citing another product with same use

See

Answer


(c
)

Type: Economy
Level: Moderate
Explanation:

Evergreening is any of various legal, business and technological strategies by which producers extend their patents over products that are about to expire, in order to retain royalties from them, by either taking out new patents (for example over associated delivery systems, or new pharmaceutical mixtures), or by buying out, or frustrating competitors, for longer periods of time than would normally be permissible under the law.

Question 10. Chauth and Sardeshmukhi were paid by
  1. Mughlai
  2. Pilgrims
  3. Foreign visitors
  4. Mansabdars

See

Answer


(a
)

Type: History
Level: Moderate
Explanation:

Chauth and Sardeshmukhi was levied on the lands which were under nominal Mughal rule(Mughlai )

Also, check previous Daily News Analysis

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