explanation-

Recently India has launched the âiGOT_

(Integrated Government Online Training

Programme) developed by Department of

Personnel and Training Ministry of

Personnel and Public Grievances & Pensions.

It will augment the existing training

mechanism with online module-based training

coupled with certification.

This will make training inputs available

to government servant on site and on

flexitime basis.

statement 1 is incorrect. It has come into force from 01.04.2017 and will remain in force up to 31.03.2022.
North East Industrial Development Scheme (NEIDS) 2017 was launched to catalyse the industrial development in the North Eastern Region.
It has come into force from 01.04.2017 and will remain in force up to 31.03.2022.
It covers eligible industrial units in the manufacturing and service sectors Arunachal Pradesh Assam Manipur Meghalaya Mizoram Nagaland
Tripura and Sikkim.
The scheme provides:

Central Capital Investment Incentive (30% of the investment in plant & machinery with an upper limit of Rs. 5 crore)

Central Interest Incentive (3% interest on working capital for 5 years)

Central Comprehensive Insurance Incentive (Reimbursement
of 100% insurance premium for 5 years)

Income Tax Reimbursement of centre’s share for 5 years

GST reimbursement of Central Govt. share of CGST & IGST for 5 years

Employment Incentive under which additional 3.67% of the employer’s contribution to EPF in addition to Govt. bearing 8.33% Employee Pension Scheme (EPS) contribution of the employer in PMRPY and

Transport incentive on finished goods movement by Railways
(20% cost of the transportation) by Inland Waterways Authority (20% of the cost of transportation) & by air (33% of cost transportation of air freight).

5. The Scheme does not envisage sanction of projects; rather eligible units are registered after following due process.

statement 2 is incorrect. The heliosheath has a few
parts: the termination shock (the innermost part of the boundary) the
heliopause (the outermost part of the boundary).

explanation

The sun sends out a constant flow of charged
particles called the solar wind which ultimately travels past all the planets
to some three times the distance to Pluto before being impeded by the
interstellar medium.

The place where the solar wind slows down

and begins to interact with the interstellar

medium is called the heliosheath.

IT is a broad transitional region between the inner
heliosphere and the external environment. The outermost edge of the heliosphere
is called the heliopause.

The heliosheath has a few parts: the

termination shock (the innermost part of the

boundary) the heliopause (the outermost

part of the boundary).

The heliosphere is the vast bubble-like region of
space which surrounds and is created by the Sun. In plasma physics terms this
is the cavity formed by the Sun in the surrounding interstellar medium.

The bubble of the heliosphere is continuously inflated by
plasma originating from the Sun known as the solar wind.

statement 1 is incorrect. ISA is a U.N. body (not
intergovernmental) that oversees mining on the high seas giving the green light
for commercial exploitation.

explanation-

ISA Licenses and India

India Asia’s third-largest economy is going full steam
ahead in anticipation of the International Seabed Authority (ISA).

ISA is a U.N. body that oversees mining on the high seas
giving the green light for commercial exploitation.

The ISA allows India to explore an area in the Indian
Ocean of 75000 square kilometres (about 29000 square miles) equal to roughly 2%
of the country’s size.

The prospect has excited India which depends heavily on
China the world’s biggest producer of elements.

China provides about 90% of rare earths which are used in
aviation and defence manufacturing.

It has four of the 29 licences awarded by the ISA and
Beijing controls more exploration areas in the high seas than any other country
according to the Jamaica-based agency.

STATEMENT 1 IS INCORRECT. The multilateral construct comprises of 30 countries and is steered by Italy.

EXPLANATION-

Trans Regional Maritime Network (T-RMN)

India has signed the ascension agreement to the Trans Regional Maritime Network (T-RMN) which facilitates information exchange on the movement of commercial traffic on the high seas.

Such multilateral agreements are necessitated due to the large traffic in the Indian Ocean which cannot be entirely monitored by any one nation.

The multilateral construct comprises of 30 countries and is steered by Italy.

MPEDA was set up by an act of Parliament. It
was established through the Marine Products Export Development Authority Act
1972.

It is headquartered in Kochi Kerala.

It functions under the Ministry of Commerce and
Industry.

both statements 1 and 2 are incorrect.

explanation-

According to a first-of-its-kind SDG index released by NITI Aayog.

The SDG India Index was developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) Global Green Growth Institute and United Nations in India.

The index comprises a composite score for each State and Union Territory based on their aggregate performance across 13 of the 17 SDGs. The score ranging between 0 and 100 denotes the average performance of the State/UT towards achieving the 13 SDGs and their respective targets.

Highlights of the report

Kerala and Himachal Pradesh have an SDG India Index score of 69.

Kerala’s top rank is attributed to its superior performance in providing good health reducing hunger achieving gender equality and providing quality education.

Himachal Pradesh ranks high on providing clean water and sanitation in reducing inequalities and preserving the mountain ecosystem.

Tamil Nadu has a score of 66 and is the top scorer on the goals to do with eradicating poverty and also providing clean and affordable energy.

Chandigarh takes the lead because of its exemplary performance in providing clean water and sanitation to its people. It has further made good progress toward providing affordable and clean energy generating decent work and economic growth and providing quality education.

Overall the average score for the States was the worst when it came to gender equality (36) in creating sustainable cities and communities (39) in enabling industry innovation and infrastructure (44) and in eradicating hunger (48).

Originally conceived by the Union Ministry of Women
& Child Development Mahila Police Volunteer

is a joint initiative with the Union Ministry of Home
Affairs.

The Mahila Police Volunteers scheme envisages creation of
a link between the police authorities and

the local communities in villages through police volunteers
who will be women specially trained for

this purpose.

Their primary job will be to keep an eye on situations
where women in the village are harassed or their

rights and entitlements are denied or their development is
prevented.

In order to provide a link between police and community
and facilitate women in distress one Mahila

Police Volunteer (MPV) is envisaged per Gram Panchayat
across the country. MPV must be atleast 21

years old and class 12th These will be selected through a
laid out procedure from among the empowered

responsible socially aware women who will facilitate police
outreach on gender concerns.

statement 1 and 3 is incorrect. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has recently issued safety guidelines for Isotretinoin an oral drug which is used in the

treatment of severe acne.

explanation

The Central Drugs Standard Control

Organisation (CDSCO) has recently issued

safety guidelines for Isotretinoin

an oral drug which is used in the

treatment of severe acne.

Isotretinoin capsules were approved by

CDSCO in 2002 for the treatment of cystic

and conglobate acne and severe nodular acne

unresponsive to antibiotic therapy.

Isotretinoin can cause birth defects in

progeny if not taken without proper

guidance.

A recent study by WHO has shown an

alternative drug _ heat-stable carbetocin _

to be as safe and effective as oxytocin in

preventing postpartum haemorrhage.

STATEMENT 1 IS INCORRECT. aims to transfer

surplus water from Godavari to Krishna Basin.

EXPLANATION-

About the Polavaram project:

Polavaram Project is a multi-purpose irrigation project.
The dam across the Godavari River is underconstruction located in West Godavari
District and East Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh state and its reservoir
spreads in parts of Chhattisgarh and Orissa States also.

The project is multipurpose major terminal reservoir
project on river Godavari for development of Irrigation Hydropower and drinking
water facilities to East Godavari Vishakhapatnam West Godavari and Krishna
districts of Andhra Pradesh.

The project is likely to displace over 1.88 lakh people
across 222 villages and so far 1730 persons in six

villages have been rehabilitated by the government.

STATEMENT 4 IS INCORRECT.The committee’s members are decided by Parliament.

EXPLANATION

A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) is set

up to examine a particular bill presented

before the Parliament or for the purpose of

investigating cases of financial irregularities in

any government activity.

The JPC an ad-hoc body is set up for a

given period of time and is aimed at

addressing a specific issue.

In order to set up a JPC a motion is passed

in one House and supported by the

other House.

The committee’s members are decided

by Parliament.

The number of members can vary. There

are twice as many Lok Sabha members

as the Rajya Sabha.

STATEMENT 1 IS INCORRECT. Mount Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe and one of the world’s most frequently erupting volcanoes. It is also the volcano with the longest record of continuous eruption.

EXPLANATION-

Mt. Etna:

Mount Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe and one of the world’s most frequently erupting volcanoes.

It is also the volcano with the longest record of continuous eruption.

Located near the east coast of the island of Sicily in Italy Mount Etna is 10900 feet tall.

The mountain’s largest feature is the Valle del Bove (Valley of the Ox) a large horseshoe-shaped caldera on the eastern slope.

Etna sits on the active fault between the African plate and the Ionian microplate which are both being subducted together beneath the Eurasian plate.

In June 2013 it was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Due to its history of recent activity and nearby population Mount Etna has been designated a Decade Volcano by the United Nations.

Explanation-

The Government of India has initiated the Capacity Building Programme for Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) of Panchayati Raj Institutions.

Objective of the Capacity Building Programme _ to empower EWRs by developing leadership capacities so that they serve as catalysts for social change and function as peer facilitators in the field become vocal for their rights and participate effectively in the governance processes.

It is a significant endeavour in creating a forum for EWRs to understand their roles and responsibilities in a more prolific manner.

Although it is the first step towards harnessing the full potential of EWRs but this is envisioned as a continuous process in order to instil confidence courage conviction motivation and above all providing hand-holding support to EWRs for mainstreaming them in the governance process.

State Governments’ Contribution:

State Governments have been actively involved in imparting these trainings. Mainly State Institute of Rural Developments (SIRDs) and State Resource Centers (SRCs) are actively collaborating with Ministry of Women and Child Development in conducting training programmes across the States.

This involves collaborating with institutions of the Departments of Panchayati Raj Agriculture Women & Child Development Rural Development etc.

Background:

The project is being implemented by National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD) an autonomous body functioning under the aegis of the Ministry of Women and Child Development Government of India.

Ministry of Women & Child Development has also developed training modules regarding laws for protection of women and children development schemes and programmes (State and Center) Information Communication Technology (ICT) for the EWRs participatory planning and asset creation monitoring of Public Works and leadership qualities.

This approach to build capacities of these grassroots leaders has been envisaged to yield more desired development outcomes.

BOTH STATEMENTS ARE INCORRECT.

EXPLANATION-

Rat hole mining is unique to the state

of Meghalaya due to the thinness of

the coal layer and is a cost-effective option to

large scale mining due to a lot of overburden

(mud and debris waste) being extracted.

The National Green Tribunal banned the

†rat hole mines’ of Meghalaya in 2014.

‘Ideate for India _ creative solutions using
technology’

It is a national challenge by National eGovernance
Division Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology Government of India
and Intel India is one such initiative to spread awareness and make the future
citizens understand how they can participate and contribute in this movement.

The challenge aims to make the young students understand
the importance of technology and give them a platform where they can be
innovation creators.

statement 2 is incorrect. It has recorded improvement in wage equality for similar work and has fully closed its tertiary education gender gap for the first time.

explanation-

Global gender gap report:

It is published annually by the world economic forum since 2006. Global gender gap index is a part of this which measures gender equality across four pillars_ they are economic opportunity political empowerment educational attainment and health and survival.

Performance of India:

India has been ranked at 108.

It has recorded improvement in wage equality for similar work and has fully closed its tertiary education gender gap for the first time.

It ranks 142nd out of 149 countries in the economic opportunity and participation subindex.

India continues to rank third-lowest in the world on health and survival remaining the world’s least-improved country on this subindex over the past decade.

India has slightly improved in WEF’s wage equality for similar work indicator where it stood at 72nd place.

The country has also closed its tertiary education enrolment gap for the first time in 2018 and has managed to keep its primary and secondary gaps closed for the third year running.

Interestingly India has the second-largest artificial intelligence (AI) workforce but one of the largest AI gender gaps with only 22% of roles filled by women.

statement 1 is incorrect. It is a Regional Level Marine Oil

Pollution Response Exercise conducted by

Indian Coast Guard (ICG) recently

explanation-

CLEAN SEA- 2018

What is it? It is a Regional Level Marine Oil

Pollution Response Exercise conducted by

Indian Coast Guard (ICG) recently at sea off Port

Blair Andaman & Nicobar (A&B) Islands.

The objective of exercise was to ascertain

preparedness of IGC resource agencies and

other stakeholders in responding to major oil

spill in line with provisions of National Oil Spill

Disaster Contingency Plan (NOS-DCP).

statement 2 is incorrect.The OPCW with its 193 member
states has its seat in The Hague Netherlands

explanation-

Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

The OPCW is an intergovernmental organisation and the
implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention which entered into force
on 29 April 1997.

The OPCW with its 193 member states has its seat in The
Hague Netherlands and oversees the global endeavour for the permanent and
verifiable elimination of chemical weapons.

The organisation promotes and verifies the adherence to
the Chemical Weapons Convention which prohibits the use of chemical weapons and
requires their destruction.

Verification consists both of evaluation of declarations
by member states and onsite inspections.

The organisation was awarded the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize
‘for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons.

The organisation is not an agency of the United Nations
but cooperates both on policy and practical issues.

India is one of its founding members.

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the World’s largest
humanitarian agency who fights against worldwide hunger.

It is part of the United Nations System and is voluntarily
funded.

It was established in 1961 with a vision of the world in
which every man woman and child has access at all times to the food needed for
an active and healthy life.

The goal of the World Food Programme (WFP) is given below:

Save lives and protect livelihoods in emergencies.

Support food security and nutrition and (re)build
livelihoods in fragile settings and following emergencies.

Reduce risk and enable people communities and countries to
meet their own food and nutrition needs.

Reduce under nutrition and break the intergenerational
cycle of hunger.

statement 2 is incorrect. The landscape stretches along
the southern side of Mount Kanchenjunga covers an area of 25080 sq km spread
across parts of eastern Nepal (21%) Sikkim and West Bengal (56%) and western
and south-western parts of Bhutan (23%).

explanation

Kanchenjunga Landscape

The Kanchenjunga Landscape is a trans-boundary region
spread across Nepal India and Bhutan.

The landscape stretches along the southern side of Mount
Kanchenjunga covers an area of 25080 sq km spread across parts of eastern Nepal
(21%) Sikkim and West Bengal (56%) and western and south-western parts of
Bhutan (23%).

Other than seven million people the Kanchenjunga Landscape
is also home to 169 species of mammals and 713 species of birds.

The trio is setting up a joint task force in the road map
on achieving the objectives of free movement of wildlife and checking smuggling
of wildlife.