Insights IAS | InsightsonIndia

1 Insights IAS | InsightsonIndia 1 Insights IAS REVISION TESTS FOR UPSC CIVIL SERVICES PRELIMINARY EXAM 2018 SERIES 1 : SOLUTIONS (Days 1-4) 1. Solution- a Citizens of U K, Ireland and common wealth nations are eligible for voting. The conservative party headed by Theresa may emerged a single party 2. Solution: c Connecting People to Nature , the theme for World Environment Day 2017, implored us to get outdoors and into nature, to appreciate its beauty and its importance, and to take forward the call to protect the Earth that we share. 2017 was hosted by Canada india is the global host of 2018 World Environment Day which will take place on June 5, 2018. Beat Plastic Pollution , the theme for World Environment 2018, urges governments, industry, communities and individuals to come together and explore sustainable alternatives and urgently reduce the production and excessive use of single-use plastic polluting our oceans, damaging marine life and threatening human health.

2 3. Solution: c india and Pakistan were admitted as full members of SCO. SCO is a Eurasian Political, economic and military organization will help the economic integration and the security issue among the member countries. 2017 SCO theme is Future Energy 4. Solution: a AFSPA as per the act provisions, is not subjected to Judicial review. But the actions committed as part of AFSPA came under the scanner of supreme court in multiple instances Punjab was the first state to revoke implementation of AFSPA 5. Solution: c 2nd stage uses vikas engine which is based on licensed version of Viking engine CE 20 is indigenous cryogenic engine developed by LPSE(Liquid propulsion system center) 6. Solution: a Nuclear seed : This is the hundred percent genetically pure seed with physical purity and produced by the original breeder/Institute /State Agriculture University (SAU) from basic nucleus seed stock. A pedigree certificate is issued by the producing breeder.

3 Breeder seed : The progeny of nucleus seed multiplied in large area as per indent of Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DOAC), Ministry of Agriculture, Government of india , under supervision of plant breeder / institute / SAUs and monitored by a committee consisting of the representatives of state seed certification agency, national / state seed corporations, ICAR nominee and concerned breeder. This is also hundred percent physical and genetic pure seed for production of foundation seed. A golden yellow colour certificate is issued for this category of seed by the producing breeder. Foundation seed : The progeny of breeder seed produced by recognized seed producing agencies in public and private sector, under supervision of seed certification agencies in such a way that its quality is maintained according to prescribed field ad seed standards. A white colour certificate is issued for foundation seed by seed certification agencies.

4 Insights IAS | InsightsonIndia 2 Insights IAS REVISION TESTS FOR UPSC CIVIL SERVICES PRELIMINARY EXAM 2018 Registered seed : Registered seed shall be the progeny of foundation seed that is so handled as to maintain its genetic identity and purity according to standard specified for the particular crop being certified. A purple colour certificate is issued for this category of seed. Certified seed : The progeny of foundation seed produced by registered seed growers under supervision of seed certification agencies to maintain the seed quality as per minimum seed certification standards. A blue colour certificate is issued by seed certification agency for this category of seed. The foundation and certified seeds can be multiplied at stage 1 and II, but the reproduction can not exceed three generations after breeder seed. 7. Solution: d 8. Solution: B Amartya Sen talked about entitlements in the context of poor having no access to food during famines.

5 He defines human development as people having choice and dignity. 9. Solution: B By 2020, 90% of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status. By 2020, 90% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy. By 2020, 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression. It was unveiled by UNAIDS 10. Solution : C The Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) is a new and catalytic programme of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, one with potentially far reaching impact. It is intended to enlarge and deepen the interface of india s institutions of higher learning and globally recognised institutions of academic eminence. Over the next year or so, faculty from highly rated institutions abroad will visit india , interact and partner with their counterparts and with students, and deliver specialised courses. 11. Solution: B Insights IAS | InsightsonIndia 3 Insights IAS REVISION TESTS FOR UPSC CIVIL SERVICES PRELIMINARY EXAM 2018 12.

6 Solution: D MNCs or Multi-National corporations bring in new technology, employ workers, bring in foreign capital to bridge savings gap, and also adapt technology to adjust to local conditions. 13. Solution: D Until early 2016, india s growth had been accelerating when growth in other countries was decelerating. But then the converse happened. The world economy embarked on a synchronous recovery, but india s GDP growth and indeed a number of other indicators such as industrial production, credit, and investment decelerated. There are five reasons for this: First, india s monetary conditions decoupled from the rest of the world. Until the middle of 2016, real policy interest rates were following the global trend downwards. Since then, the downward drift has continued in most other countries, with rates falling. But in india , for the same period, average real interest rates increased. This tightening of monetary conditions contributed to the divergence in economic activity in two ways.

7 First, it depressed consumption and investment compared to that in other countries. Second, it attracted capital inflows especially into debt instruments, which caused the increase in demand for rupee and consequently rupee appreciates which causes dampening of exports. The second and third factors were one-off policy actions: Demonetization and GST. Demonetization temporarily reduced demand and hampered production, especially in the informal sector, which transacts mainly in cash. On the other hand, GST was introduced, affecting supply chains. The fourth factor exerting a drag on the Indian economy was the TBS challenge. This has been a drag for some time and its effects have cumulated as the non-performing assets have increased, the financial situation of stressed firms and banks have steadily worsened. This has reduced investment and consequently economic activity and, hence growth. The final factor was oil prices increase since 2017.

8 It is estimated that a $10 per barrel increase in the price of oil reduces growth by percentage points, increases WPI inflation by about percentage points and worsens the CAD by about $9-10 billion dollars. 14. Solution: D The markets cannot sustain much longer high interest rates and formal workforce while taking into account GST filing and new registrations under EPFO and ESIC show greater non-farm employment than earlier estimated. 15. Solution: B The twin balance sheet challenge is the major impediment to private investment and a full-fledged economic recovery. To address the challenges, Economic Survey recommends these four R s. 16. Solution: C Coined by Arvind Subramanium in his speech and Survey. He was referring to the twin balance sheet problem and problem faced due to heightened risk to public sector banks because of stressed assets. Insights IAS | InsightsonIndia 4 Insights IAS REVISION TESTS FOR UPSC CIVIL SERVICES PRELIMINARY EXAM 2018 He also stressed that this gives important Insights into performance of india after LPG and a possible solution for public sector banks might just be more capitalism instead of a pro socialist approach.

9 17. Solution: C Openness is defined as exports + imports as a percentage of GDP. That is the more the state is connected to the outside world or with neighbours the higher is the state GDP. 18. Solution: D That is exports are more egalitarian in india compared to similar placed countries. This says that largest firms in india do not dominate india s exports and MSMEs also contribute more towards exports compared to other countries in similar income circumstances. 19. Solution: B Higher speeds are under mission Raftaar. Operation swarn is for overall improvement in passenger comfort and services. Major trains such as shatabdis and rajdhanis will be covered under the first phase. 20. Solution: A These are in context of NFRA National financial Reporting Agency This was proposed as a result of various scams highlighting role of charted accountants and failure of audit trail to correctly warn of these risks.

10 21. Solution: c It is only for augmentation of infrastructure. There are separate schemes such as RISE for education and PMSS for healthcare. NIIF only covers problems of infrastructure finance where there is shortfall. That is need is estimated at around $ trillion whereas estimated resource is only pegged at $ trillion. 22. Solution: d All the above are benefits even after introduction of long term capital gains in the Budget, SGB remains out of the purview of capital gains. 23. Solution: D Source: Economy Module; IPR are under the administrative control of DIPP under ministry of commerce and recently government tried to augment capacity of patent approvals by fast tracking hiring of patent examiners. 24. Solution: D It has power to regulate production, distribution, supply and price of the commodity. Essential commodities act 1955 aims to make available commodities in adequate number and regulate their availability during shortages.