Inspired by: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/karnataka-crisis-whats-a-whip-and-what-does-it-do-5835533/

Answer: (c)

Party Whip in India

• A whip is the instruction issued (not always) by political parties to vote according to the party line in a legislature.

3 types

1. A one-line whip is non-binding, and merely serves to inform the members of the vote.
2. A two-line whip seeks attendance in the legislature during the vote.
3. A three-line whip is a clear-cut directive, to be present in the legislature during the vote and cast vote according to the party line. Violation of the whip could lead to the member’s expulsion from the House.

• Violation of the party whip could lead to expulsion under the Anti-Defection Law.
• In India, under the anti-defection law, a three-line whip can be violated only by more than one-third of a party’s strength in the legislature.

Inspired by: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Extinction-of-Great-Indian-Bustard%2C-Lesser-Florican%3A-SC-forms-panel-to-frame-emergency-plan&id=368581

Answer: (d)

• Taking a serious note of the alarming extinction of two Indian birds, Great Indian Bustard and the Lesser Florican, the Supreme Court has constituted a high powered committee to urgently frame and implement an emergency response plan for the protection of these species.

Lesser Florican

• The lesser florican also known as the likh or kharmore, is the smallest in bustard family.
• It is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent where it is found in tall grasslands and is best known for the leaping breeding displays made by the males during the Monsoon season.
• However, Its IUCN conservation status is Endangered.

Inspired by: Ramanujan Machine

https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/ramanujan-machine/

Answer: (b)

Ramanujan Machine

• It is not really a machine but an algorithm, and performs a very unconventional function.
• With most computer programs, humans input a problem and expect the algorithm to work out a solution.
• With the Ramanujan Machine, it works the other way round.
• Feed in a constant, say the well-know pi, and the algorithm will come up with a equation involving an infinite series whose value, it will propose, is exactly pi.

Inspired by: Kihoto Hollohan Order (1992)

https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/kihoto-hollohan-order-1992/

Answer: (a)

Kihoto Hollohan case

• The Tenth Schedule, which was inserted in the Constitution by the Constitution (52^nd Amendment) Act, 1985, popularly known as the “anti-defection law”, provides for the disqualification of MPs and MLAs who defect.
• The law covering the disqualification of legislators and the powers of the Speaker in deciding such matters became part of the statute book in 1985 when the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution was adopted.
• A constitutional challenge to the Tenth Schedule was settled by the apex court in Kihoto Hollohan Case.
• The principal question before the Supreme Court in the case was whether the powerful role given to the Speaker violated the doctrine of Basic Structure.

Inspired by: CSP 2018, https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/navigation-with-indian-constellation-navic/

Answer: (a)

Tikdam: 2 is highly exaggerated overstatement.

NavIC

• NavIC is an independent Indian satellite-based positioning system for critical national applications.
• India got its system with the launch of the IRNSS 1-G satellite, is the seventh member of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), in November 2017.
• It consists of a constellation of seven satellites, three of which are in a geostationary orbit and four in a geosynchronous orbit.
• The IRNSS can provide Standard Positioning Service (SPS) to all users, and an encrypted Restricted Service (RS) to authorised users.
• The regional navigation satellite system can provide accurate position information service to users in India and the region, extending up to 1,500 km from its boundary, which is its Primary Service Area.