SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY MOCK TEST 2

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MOCK TEST 2 - ANSWER KEY
1.
Ans (a)
Explanation: Ujjwala Yojana is aimed at providing 5 Crore LPG
connections in the name of women in BPL (Below Poverty Line)
households across the country. The government has set a target of
5 Crore LPG connections to be distributed to the BPL households
across the country under the scheme. Some of the objectives of
the scheme are empowering women and protecting their health.
Reducing the serious health hazards associated with cooking
based on fossil fuel. Reducing the number of deaths in India due
to unclean cooking fuel. Preventing young children from
significant number of acute respiratory illnesses caused due to
indoor air pollution by burning the fossil fuel.
2.
Ans (a)
Explanation: A product of the Earth Summit (UN Conference on
Environment and Development) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in
1992.
3.
Ans (c)
4.
Ans (d)
Explanation:
• It is a refinancing agency but not direct lending institution. It
refinances to banks, NBFC, MFI which are in business of
lending to micro/small business entities.
• It has been set up as subsidiary of SIDBI.
5.
Ans (d)
Explanation:
6.
Ans (b)
Explanation: Gahirmatha Beach is a beach in the Indian state of
Odisha. The beach separates the Bhitarkanika mangroves from
the Bay of Bengal and is the world's most important nesting beach
for Olive Ridley Sea Turtles.
7.
Ans (d)
Explanation: Fundamental Rights available only to citizens
and not to foreigners
1. Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste,
sex or place of birth (Article 15).
2. Equality of opportunity in matters of public employment (Article
16).
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3. Protection of six rights regarding freedom of: (1) speech and
expression, (ii) assembly (iii) association, (iv) movement, (v)
residence, and (vi) profession (Article 19).
4. Protection of language, script and culture of minorities (Article
29).
5. Right of minorities to established and administer educational
institutions (Article 30).
8.
Ans (c)
Explanation: The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
officially known as transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development, are an intergovernmental set of
aspiration Goals with 169 targets. It contained 17 goals with 169
targets covering a broad range of sustainable development issues.
9.
Ans (b)
Explanation: WIPO is a specialized agency of the United Nations
but not WTO.
10. Ans (a)
Explanation: Iron fertilization increase the carbon sequestration
by encouraging the phytoplankton growth which removes carbon
from the atmosphere at least for a period of time.
11. Ans (d)
Explanation: They are excessively leached and very acidic. The
above factors are responsible for the low quality of soil.
12. Ans (b)
Explanation: Bass strait is between Australia and Tasmania
13. Ans (a)
Explanation: Quit India Movement was launched on 8th August
1942 and Gandhi gave Do or Die in his Quit India Speech.
14. Ans (a)
Explanation: It kidnapped 250 school children and became threat
in Nigeria.
15. Ans (a)
Explanation: Plant is biotic component of ecosystem. Abiotic
means non living chemical and physical parts of the environment
that affect living organisms and functioning of the ecosystems.
16. Ans (b)
Explanation: Apart from the eastern coast of India, the saltwater
crocodile is extremely rare on the Indian subcontinent. A large
population is present within the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary
of Odisha and they are known to be present in smaller numbers
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throughout the Indian and Bangladeshi portions of the
Sundarbans. The mugger crocodile is a freshwater species found
in lakes, rivers and marshes. Mugger crocodile is the most
common and widespread of the three species of crocodiles in
India, far out numbering the much larger saltwater crocodile
within the country.
17. Ans (b)
Explanation: It was rejected by Muslim league because Cripps’
Mission did not accepted the proposal of Pakistan.
It only
recommended the protection of minorities.
18. Ans (b)
Explanation: World Bank issues it annually and it provides in
depth analysis of a specific aspect of economic development. For
example, aspects like agriculture, youth, equity, labour,
infrastructure etc.
19. Ans (d)
Explanation: Currency war or competitive devaluations is a
condition in international affairs in which their exports becomes
competitive by devaluating their currency over other economy’s
currency exchange rate.
20. Ans (c)
Explanation: Teak is a deciduous forest tree.
21. Ans (a)
22. Ans (b)
Explanation: It is aimed in Higher Education to tap the talent
pool of scientists and entrepreneurs, internationally to encourage
their engagement with the institutes of Higher Education in India
so as to augment the country’s existing academic resources,
accelerate the pace of quality reform, and elevate India’s scientific
and technological capacity to global excellence.
23. Ans (a)
Explanation: NABARD has been accredited by GCF as national
implementing entity for undertaking climate change adaptation
and mitigation projects from India. The fund assistance will be in
the form of concessional loan, grant and other modalities.
24. Ans (c)
Explanation:
• Peacocks are omnivorous – feed on berries, snakes, lizards etc.,
• Male peacocks have train of feathers but are longer than female
peacocks.
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• Though peacocks do not fly in often, they fly into tall trees to
roost
25. Ans (b)
Explanation: Kuka Movement aims to purify the Sikh religion by
removing all abuses and superstitions. Later after the British
annexation of Punjab, sovereignty became the objective of Kukas.
26. Ans (d)
Explanation: It was aimed at enabling Indian Magistrates to try
Europeans. It was successfully thwarted by the Europeans. This
measure severely deepened the antagonism between British and
Indians and was a prelude for the formation of the INC.
27. Ans (a)
Explanation: Water should be saltish and free from sediment.
28. Ans (b)
Explanation: Kala Azar is commonly referred to as visceral
leishmaniasis which is caused by the protozoan Leishmania which
in being transmitted by the bite of infected female phlebotomine
sandflies. Malaria is caused by the protozoan parasite
plasmodium. Human malaria is caused by four different species of
Plasmodium such as P.falciparum, P.malariae, P.ovale and
P.vivax. Hepatitis B is caused by viral infection.
29. Ans (d)
Explanation:
• Surface Temperature of ocean waters increase from pole to
equator. Due to more land percentage in north, sea surface
temperatures are more in Northern hemisphere. Winds blowing
from land towards sea drive warm surface water away from the
coast resulting in the upwelling of coldwater from below.
• Warm ocean currents raise the temperature in cold areas
(Ex:Gulf Stream)
30. Ans (b)
Explanation: Black box (or) Flight recorder is usually orange in
colour. It’s an electronic recording device placed inside an aircraft
for the purpose of facilitating the investigation of aviation
accidents and incidents. Its recordings were mainly based upon
two units such as Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice
Recorder (CVR). These two recorders give an accurate testimony,
narrating the aircraft’s flight history, to assist in any later
investigation. Apart from these units the modern day FDR’s
receive inputs via Flight Data Acquisition Units (FDAU). They
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record significant flight parameters, including the control and
actuator positions, engine information and the time of day.
31. Ans (b)
Explanation: Cartagena Protocol makes clear that products from
new technologies must be based on precautionary principle and
allow developing nations to balance public health against
economic benefits.
32. Ans (c)
Explanation: Article 268-A
33. Ans (a)
Explanation: Self Explanatory. Mahanadi and Tungabhadra are
east flowing rivers.
34. Ans (a)
Explanation: Article 3 mentions about creation of new states.
Supreme Court in 1969 ruled that constitutional amendment is
not necessary for settling boundary disputes with another
country. Constitutional amendment with special majority and
consent of the states is necessary for amending the procedure for
election of President.
35. Ans (c)
Explanation: Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial
Assets and Enforcement of Security Assets(SARFAESI), Act, 2002
gives far reaching powers to the banks/ Finance Institutions
concerning Nonperforming Assets.
36. Ans (a)
Explanation: The International Development Association (IDA), a
member of the World Bank Group, offers concessional loans and
grants to the world's poorest developing countries.
37. Ans (b)
Explanation: It is located in Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh and
Annuppur and Dindori districts of Madhya Pradesh.
38. Ans (b)
39. Ans (c)
40. Ans (c)
Explanation:
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1. The Report is submitted to the Minister of Law and Justice
2. Its recommendation are not binding on the Government.
41. Ans (b)
Explanation: It is one of the four regimes-other being MTCR,
NSG, Wassenaar Arrangement.
42. Ans (c)
Explanation: Currency depreciation is the loss of value of a
country's currency with respect to one or more foreign reference
currencies, typically in a floating exchange rate system. It means
that the value of the currency is determined by the demand and
supply and the central bank doesn't intervene in it.
43. Ans (a)
Explanation: Present is the production based taxation. GST aims
to shift towards consumption based taxation.
44. Ans (d)
Explanation: At present (2013), a party is recognized as a
national party if any of the following conditions is fulfilled.
1. If it secures six percent of valid votes polled in any four or more
states at a general election to the Lok Sabha or to the legislative
assembly; and, in addition, it wins four seats in the Lok Sabha
from any state or states; or
2. If it wins two percent of seats in the Lok Sabha at a general
election; and these candidates are elected from three states; or
3. If it is recognised as a state party in four states.
45. Ans (a)
Explanation:
The Kessler syndrome which is also known as the Kessler effect or
collision cascading or ablation cascade is a concept proposed by
the NASA scientist Donald
J. Kessler in 1978, is a scenario in
which the density of objects in low Earth orbit (LEO) is high
enough that collisions between objects could cause a cascadeeach collision generating space debris that increases the likelihood
of further collisions.
46. Ans (c)
Explanation: Cartaze (pass) system was a system in which every
Indian ship sailing to a destination not reserved by Portuguese for
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their own trade had to buy a pass from them to avoid seizure of
ships.
47. Ans (d)
Explanation:
1. Debendranath Tagore founded it to promote the ideas of
Rammohunroy
2. PrarthanaSamaj aimed to reform the Hindu religious thought
and practice.
48. Ans (c)
Explanation: Learned form Donatory inscriptions of the Barabar
hills to Ajivika Sect.
49. Ans (c)
Explanation: Ocean acidification is the ongoing decrease in the
pH of the Earth's oceans, caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide
(CO2) from the atmosphere.
50. Ans (d)
Explanation: India ratified it on 2014 and the first country to do so. It
focuses on copyright exceptions to facilitate access to copyright
published works.
51. Ans (a)
Explanation: In point 2- it is vice versa; Point 3 pertains to
Government of India Act, 1935.
52. Ans (a)
53. Ans (b)
Explanation: Pattadakal consists of group of monuments which
have Badami Chalukya Architecture (Vesara). Papanatha,
Virupaksha temples are a few among many. Lingaraja Temple is
classic Nagara style. Kandariya Mahadeva is also Nagara style.
Both 4 and 5 are Dravidian styles.
54. Ans (b)
Explanation: In saline soils the exchangeable sodium is so great
as to make the soil almost impervious to water. Large quantities of
gypsum are applied to replace sodium and leached downward and
out of reach of plant roots. Gypsum is applied on the soil surface
and mixed by harrowing tows to four weeks before sowing in
alkaline soil field to enhance its fertility.
55. Ans (d)
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56. Ans (a)
Explanation: Point 2 is vice versa, be-shara means those who
does not follow Islamic law.
57. Ans (c)
58. Ans (b)
Explanation: New Development Bank consists five member states
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. All have equal
shareholding of 20% and voting rights of 20% unlike World Bank
and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
59. Ans (b)
Explanation:
1. CoM does not cease to hold office with immediate effect after the
dissolution of Loksabha. In 1971, the Supreme Court held that
‘even after the dissolution of the Lok Sabha, the council of
ministers does not cease to hold office. Article 74 is mandatory
and, therefore, the president cannot exercise the executive
power without the aid and advise of the council of ministers.
Any exercise of executive power without the aid and advice will
be unconstitutional as being violative of Article 74’.
2. In Cooper case, (1970), the Supreme Court held that the
President’s satisfaction can be questioned in a court on the
ground of malafide. This means that the decision of the
President to issue an ordinance can be questioned in a court on
the ground that the President has prorogued one House or both
Houses of Parliament deliberately with a view to promulgate an
ordinance on a controversial subject, so as to bypass the
parliamentary decision and thereby circumventing the authority
of the Parliament.
3. A person can be appointed as PM without being a member of
either House but must become member of any house within 6
months.
60. Ans (d)
Explanation: A biofuel is a fuel that is produced through
contemporary
biological
processes,
such
as
agriculture
and anaerobic digestion, rather than a fuel produced by geological
processes such as those involved in the formation of fossil fuels,
such as coal and petroleum. Biofuels can be derived directly from
plants, or indirectly from agricultural, commercial, domestic and
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industrial wastes. Sugarcane, Maize, Jatropha, Algae etc... are few
among the sources of biofuels.
61. Ans (c)
62. Ans (a)
Explanation: It is being implemented by the Ministry of Chemicals
and Fertilizers.
63. Ans (b)
Explanation: Polar Remotely Operated Vehicle (PROVe) was
indigenously built by National Institute of Ocean Technology
(NIOT), organisation under ministry of earth science. NIOT had
employed PROVe for the trail in “Priyadarshini Lake” on the
Schirmacher oasis, which is a source of water for “Maitri”, India’s
second base in the icy continent – Antarctica. Monsoon prediction
and reading pattern will become easier by using PROVe in future,
since it measures the parameters like ocean currents, temperature
and salinity in the Arctic."
64. Ans (c)
Explanation: List of 7 members are India, Nepal, Bhutan,
Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
65. Ans (c)
Explanation:
• Government recently banned the use of potassium bromate as a
food additive following a Centre for Science and Environment
(CSE) study that found its presence in bread which causes
cancer. Potassium iodate is also used as a food additive and it
too is said to be carcinogenic.
• A CSE study had found that 84 per cent of 38 commonly
available brands of pre-packaged breads, including pav and
buns, tested positive for potassium bromate and potassium
iodate. The two food additives are banned in many countries
and are listed as “hazardous” to public health. According to the
CSE, potassium bromate typically increases dough strength,
leads to higher rising and gives uniform finish to baked
products. Potassium iodate is a flour treatment agent.
66. Ans (c)
Explanation: The Tiger Range Countries (TRC) – countries where
tigers still roam free – are: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China,
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India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia,
Thailand, Vietnam and North-Korea.
67. Ans (a)
Explanation: 2nd is fiber rolls technique,
ploughing and 4th is sand fencing technique.
3rd
is
contour
68. Ans (a)
Explanation:
1. A traveller going eastwards gains time from Greenwich until he
reaches 180 degrees east, when he will be 12 hours ahead of
Greenwich Meridian Time.
2. India is located near Equator compared to Russia. Time taken
for sunlight to pass through twilight zone is more in temperate
latitudes than in tropical latitudes.
69. Ans (b)
Explanation: It is an initiative of India announced during India
Africa Summit and later during Paris Summit of UNFCCC.
70. Ans (a)
71. Ans (b)
Explanation:
Legislative: During a national emergency, the Parliament
becomes empowered to make laws on any subject mentioned in
the State List. Although the legislative power of state legislature is
not suspended, it becomes subject to the overriding power of the
Parliament. Thus, the normal distribution of the legislative powers
between the Centre and States is suspended, though the state
legislatures are not suspended. In brief the Constitution becomes
unitary rather than federal.
72. Ans (d)
Explanation: Coriolis force is absent at the equator and cyclonic
rainfall is independent of the relief or convection. Cyclonic or
frontal rainfall is formed due to the convergence of two different
air masses with different temperatures and other physical
properties.
73. Ans (c)
Explanation: Udaan is special industry initiative for J&K in the
partnership between the corporates of India and Home Ministry
and implemented by NSDC. It aims to provide skills training and
enhance the employability of unemployed youth of J&K.
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Himayat which means support, is a placement linked skill
development initiative for training and placement of 1 lakh J&K
youth in next 5 years. It is a part of the Skill empowerment and
employment scheme of the Prime Minister’s Office.
74. Ans (d)
Explanation: Coriolis Effect cause water to form circular patterns.
Planetary winds influence the movement of ocean currents.
Difference in temperature of ocean water also causes ocean
currents. Salinity also influences the movement of ocean currents.
75. Ans (a)
76. Ans (a)
77. Ans (c)
Explanation: Polar orbit is one that passes above both poles of
the planet on each revolution. Therefore, it has an inclination of
90 degrees. Geo synchronous orbit is an orbit around the Earth
with a period equal to one sidereal day, which is Earth's average
rotational period of 23 hours, 56 minutes, 4.091 seconds.
78. Ans (b)
Explanation: Sedimentary rocks occur in layers and contain
fossils. They form at temperature and pressures that do not
destroy fossil remains. Coal and sandstone are sedimentary rocks.
Igneous rocks occur in both extrusive and intrusive forms.
79. Ans (a)
Explanation: Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) functions
under Ministry of Science and Technology had recently launched a
System of Aerosol Monitoring and Research (SAMAR) which will
help the country in studying concentration of black carbon in
atmosphere due to air pollution and its impact on climate.
Aerosols are a subset of air pollution that contains gases, fumes
and dust in harmful proportion. Aerosols particles can be both
solid and liquid which also affects environmental visibility. The
SAMAR, equipped with many sophisticated equipments including
12 sky radiometers, will study aerosols different properties and
determine how it impact the climate over a longer period of time.
At present, country has to depend on other countries research for
this purpose.
80. Ans (d)
81. Ans (d)
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Explanation: Employment statistics are produced by three
bodies:
• The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) releases its surveybased employment results every five years. The data covers both
organised and unorganised sector employment and is quite
comprehensive.
• The Central Statistics Office (CSO) releases the ‘Economic Census’
every five years, which also provides survey-based data on
employment but only with respect to establishments in the
organised and unorganised sectors.
• The Labour Bureau, ministry of labour and employment, releases
the ‘Annual Survey of Industries (ASI)’, covering employment in
the organised sector as well as the ‘Quarterly Report on Changes
in Employment in Select Sectors’.
82. Ans (b)
Explanation: Points 1 and 2 are self explanatory. In point 3, it is
disinflation not deflation. Deflation occurs when the rate of
inflation actually falls below zero percent.
83. Ans (b)
Explanation: Question is related to natural source. Wetlands and
Termites are the biggest natural sources of the methane emitters.
84. Ans (a)
Explanation:
1. Parliament can amend any part of the Constitution under
article 368 however the power is not absolute, it is subjected to
BASIS STRUCTURE OF CONSTITUTION.
85. Ans (b)
86. Ans (b)
Explanation: Microcephaly is one among the major symptoms of
Zika virus attack that is reported in children.
87. Ans (b)
Explanation:
Biogas typically
refers
to
a
mixture
of
different gases produced by the breakdown of organic matter in
the absence of oxygen. Hydrogen sulphide present in the biogas is
corrosive in nature and hence biogas is not suitable to be used as
fuel gas for machinery. So the Hydrogen sulphide content in
removed by concentrating the methane content in biogas.
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88. Ans (c)
Explanation: Other reserve currencies are Swiss franc and
Canadian dollar.
89. Ans (b)
Explanation: Cryonics is the science of using ultra-cold
temperature to preserve human life with the intent of restoring
good health when technology becomes available to do
so. Cryogenic fuels are used in space operations because of the
absence of oxygen in space for combustion. So cryonics deals with
the preservation of human body parts at very low temperature,
whereas cryogenics deals with the study of low level temperatures
and how materials behave at low temperatures.
90. Ans (c)
Explanation: On suomotoalso, NHRC inquires into violation of
human rights.
91. Ans (b)
Explanation: Hindu-Muslim unity was at the low during Civil
Disobedience Movement. Khilafat movement has combined both
the communities during Non cooperation movement.
92. Ans (b)
93. Ans (d)
Explanation: Tighter monetary policy aims to influence the cost
push inflation or demand pull inflation by siphoning off the extra
money in the economy. This is only short term measure. It usually
does not influence the prices of everyday household items because
nobody borrows money from the banks for purchasing these
goods.
94. Ans (d)
Explanation: Secretary is the ex officio chairman for department
of atomic energy commission. It comes under the charge of Prime
minister. It aims to train atomic scientists in the country and also
undertake prospecting of atomic minerals in India and to extract
such minerals for use in industrial scale.
95. Ans (a)
Explanation:
1. Article 164 says Chief Minister shall be appointed by the
Governor. In accordance with the convections of the
parliamentary form of government, the governor has to appoint
the leader of the majority party in the state legislative assemble
to form government. Similarly, there is no elaborated
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procedures detailed in the constitution for the appointment of
Governor
2. Governor can reserve even money bill for the consideration of
the President but not return the bill for the reconsideration of
the state legislature.
96. Ans (a)
97. Ans (d)
98. Ans (c)
99. Ans (d)
Explanation:
Unitary Government
Federal Government
1. Dual Government (that
1. Single government, that is, the
is, national government
national government which may
and regional government)
create regional governments.
2. Written Constitution
2. Constitution may be written (France)
or unwritten (Britain)
3. No division of powers. All powers are
3. Division of powers
vested in the national government.
between the national and
regional government
4. Supremacy of the
4. Constitution may be Supreme (Japan)
Constitution
or may not be Supreme (Britain)
5. Rigid Constitution
5. Constitution may be rigid (France) or
flexible (Britain)
6. Independent judiciary
6. Judiciary may be independent or may
not be independent
7. Bicameral legislature
7. Legislature may be bicameral
(Britain) or uni-cameral (China)
100. Ans (a)
Explanation: The Directive Principles resemble the ‘Instrument of
instructions’ enumerated in the Government of India Act of 1935.
In the words of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, ‘The Directive Principles are
like the instrument of instructions, which were issued to the
Governor-General and to the Governors of the colonies of India by
the British Government under the Government of India Act merely
another name for the instrument of instructions. The only
difference is that they are instructions to the legislature and the
executive.