IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - Apr 10 & 11, 2016

ANSWER: SVEEP

Explanation:

• To achieve the objectives of increasing voter awareness and voter turnout the election commission has taken a major step in the form of Systematic Voter’s Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme to inform, educate, motivate and facilitate voters and in turn make Indian democracy more participative and meaningful.
• This has changed the attitude of young India towards elections.
• The Systematic Voter Education and Electoral Participation Wing formulates policies, lays down the framework, plans interventions and monitors implementation besides carrying out continuous discourse with voting publics, civil society groups and media.
• SVEEP comprise of a plethora of systematic interventions for Information, Motivation and Facilitation (IMF) measures to involve the people in the electoral process.
• They broadly include situation analysis, systematic planning and implementation of targeted interventions (on IMF model) based on the situation analysis, mid programme review and monitoring and end term review.
• The communication interventions include multi-media and inter-personal communication, physical events and innovative activities for mobilization of people/community and voter Facilitation.
• Realizing the intricacies in bringing out a behavioural change among people, ECI emphasized on social orientation and collaborative approach in the whole process of SVEEP.

ANSWER: Microbiological Quality

Explanation:

• The National Research Development Corporation (NRDC), under Ministry of Science & Technology, has entered into a license agreement with M/s Ramashree Chemicals Pvt. Ltd, Bhopal for commercialisation of “Test kit for Microbiological Quality of Drinking Water” developed by Defence Research and Development Establishment (DRDE), Gwalior, DRDO, Ministry of Defence, Govt. of India.
• The kit is used for detection of H2S producing organism in drinking water, which are present along with coliforms. Waterborne diseases like typhoid, cholera, diarrhoea and jaundice are caused by polluted water supply. It is an inexpensive, reliable and convenient method of testing in field conditions and is approved by World Health Organization (WHO). The initiative of NRDC aids the “Make in India” Mission of the Government of India.

ANSWER: CEZs

Explanation:

• As per the project, for promoting port-led industrial development, 14 Coastal Economic Zones covering all the Maritime States and Union Territories have been proposed. These include 13 port-based discrete manufacturing clusters, in the labour intensive sectors of electronics, apparel, leather products, furniture and food-processing, and 14 large coastal clusters for basic input industries such as power, refineries & petrochemicals, steel and downstream industries (Shipbuilding, Automotive), and cement.
• More than 150 projects have been identified as part of the National Perspective Plan (NPP) under the ambitious Sagarmala Programme.
• These projects have been identified across the areas of Port Modernization & New Port Development, Port Connectivity Enhancement, Port-led Industrial Development and Coastal Community Development.
• The Sagarmala Programme of the Government of India aims to promote port-led development in the country by harnessing India’s 7,500 km long coastline, 14,500 km of potentially navigable waterways and strategic location on key international maritime trade routes. A National Perspective Plan has been developed under this programme for the comprehensive development of India’s coastline and maritime sector.

ANSWER: Shani

Explanation:

• In a big victory to the campaign for gender equality, the Shani Shingnapur temple in Maharashtra lifted the 400-year-old ban on the entry of women at the sanctum sanctorum.
• The Trimbakeshwar temple of Shiv in Nashik has now barred both men and women into the sanctum sanctorum.

ANSWER: 15

Explanation:

• On April 1, the High Court held that it was the women’s fundamental right to go to places of worship and the government was duty-bound to protect it.
• Article 15 provides that the State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.

ANSWER: Non - Immigrant Visa

Explanation:

• The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa. It is designed to allow U.S. employers to recruit & employ foreign professionals in specialty occupations within the USA for a specified period of time.
• F1 Visa is for students.
• The B-1/B-2 visitor visa is for people traveling to the United States temporarily for business (B-1) or for pleasure or medical treatment (B-2). Generally, the B-1 visa is for travelers consulting with business associates, attending scientific, educational, professional or business conventions/conferences, settling an estate or negotiating contracts.
• The B-2 visa is for travel that is recreational in nature, including tourism, visits with friends or relatives, medical treatment and activities of a fraternal, social or service nature. Often, the B-1 and B-2 visas are combined and issued as one visa: the B-1/B-2.
• Work Visas - H-1B (specialty occupation); H-2A (seasonal agricultural workers); H-2B visa (skilled and unskilled workers); H-3 (trainee); H-4 (dependents); L-1 (intra-company transferees), P (artists, entertainers), etc.

ANSWER: Only 1

Explanation:

• Due to low calorific value of waste in India, most of the waste-to-heat technologies are uneconomical.
• The most common technologies to treat waste are converting waste to biogas (or biomethanation) or converting it to other fuels and harnessing the heat energy for productive purposes.

ANSWER: CCTV Cameras

Explanation:

• Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu flagged off the country’s first train with CCTV cameras in all coaches, to ensure improved safety for passengers.
• The Shan-E-Punjab Express, between Amritsar and Delhi, has four to six cameras on all its 21 coaches and video footage can be recorded and stored for a month.
• Live video stream of ladies coach will also be available on the LCD screens in rail guard’s compartment.
• The Railway Ministry said that surveillance cameras on coaches would significantly reduce crime against women and other crimes such as theft.

ANSWER: UN

Explanation:

• The birth anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar, father of the Indian Constitution, will be observed on April 13 at the United Nations for the first time with focus on combating inequalities to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.
• The landmark 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognises that combating inequality within and among countries, creating sustained, inclusive and sustainable growth and fostering inclusion are interdependent.
• The vision of Dr. Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, to achieve social justice and equality also finds resonance in the core message of the 2030 Agenda

ANSWER: UPI

Explanation:

• Now, you can have only one wallet, which is essentially your bank account, from where all payments could be made for any transactions.
• You do not have to key in your bank account number and the 11-character Indian Financial System (IFSC) code every time you transact with a new identity.
• All you need is an e-mail like Unified Payments Interface (UPI) address.
• National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has developed this new platform.
• Also, one does not need to add any beneficiary account, unlike while transferring money through Internet banking.