IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - Aug 01, 2016

ANSWER: 1, 2

Explanation:

• In the case of Spice Route, it is being developed with the help of UNESCO and UNWTO. The two millennia-old route from Kerala to the West is being revived with the help of others.
• Kerala Tourism will soon roll out five new tourism products in a bid to increase footfall and “refresh” the Kerala Tourism brand.
• Eco-adventure tourism, Kochi Muziris Biennale, Muziris Heritage — the ongoing largest conservation project in the country, Spice Route and showcasing Malabar and its untapped tourism, heritage and culture aspects are the new tourism products on the anvil.
• Malabar, hitherto untapped for tourism, is being focussed in view of the likely footfall once the greenfield international airport in Kannur is commissioned. The North Malabar Historical Route and the Intangible Cultural Heritage Route centered around Nila has already been identified.

ANSWER: Manual Scavenging

Explanation:

• Bezwada Wilson is a renowned campaigner against manual scavenging.
• Mr. Wilson is the national convener of the Safai Karmachari Andolan (SKA).
• The award committee was impressed with his work which focussed on asserting the inalienable right to a life of human dignity.
• Under the category ‘Emergent Leadership,’ Carnatic Singer Mr. T. M. Krishna received the Magsaysay award for bringing “social inclusiveness in culture.”

ANSWER: Indo-China Border

Explanation:

• Bara Hoti is an area of Chamoli district, Uttarakhand.
• It lies on the India-China Border.
• The 80 sq.km area of Bara Hoti has been declared by both nations as disputed area since 1957.
• Chinese army calls the territory ‘Wu-Je’.

ANSWER: Ensemble

Explanation:

• The IMD relies on an ensemble model, a statistical technique that uses an average of six meteorological values correlated to the monsoon such as sea surface temperatures in the Pacific, and North Atlantic sea level pressure. These values are derived from century-old meteorological data linked to the historical performance of the monsoon.
• This traditional approach in recent decades has failed to predict monsoon failures — in 2002 and 2004 for instance — leading to calls by meteorologists for a new, modern forecasting system.
• A dynamical monsoon model works by simulating the weather on powerful computers and extrapolating it over particular timeframes.
• Though this method is normally effective in forecasting weather over a few days, using it to forecast the annual monsoon over 3 or 4 months has proved difficult.
• The dynamical model, being tested at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, (IITM) Pune for a decade is ready for operational purposes next year.

ANSWER: It can kill the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, including drug-resistant forms

Explanation:

• A novel antibiotic — lugdunin — produced by a bacterium found inside the human nose has been found to kill the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus , including drug-resistant forms such as the methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA).
• The study found S. aureus does not develop resistance against the novel antibiotic.
• The findings could aid the development of new therapies for hard-to-treat bacterial infections.
• The novel compound represents the first known example of a new class of peptide antibiotics.

ANSWER: Tigress Maya

Explanation:

• Tigress Maya and her cub will feature on postage stamp to be released on World Tiger Day.
• The tigress is from Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra.
• World Tiger Day is on July 29.

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:

• All NGOs receiving more than Rs.1 crore (Rs. 10 million) funds from the Government and all foreign funded NGOs receiving foreign contribution of Rs. 10 lakhs (Rs. 100,000) or more, annually, are now covered by Lok Pal and Lokayukta Act, 2013.
• A director, manager, secretary or officer of any association or trust whether registered or not, receiving government funding or foreign funding will be a "public servant".

ANSWER: Approval by Union Cabinet

Explanation:
Amendments to Bills can be moved under three conditions -

• one, when cleared by the Union Cabinet;
• second, the Prime Minister invokes Rule 12 of the transaction of business and takes a suo motu decision, and a post facto approval is then sought from the Union Cabinet;
• Third, an empowered group of ministers meet and clear it, again with post facto approval of the Cabinet.
In all these cases, approval by union cabinet is needed be it before or after.

ANSWER: Sea Slugs

Explanation:

• Four species of sea slugs never before sighted in India was found at Vizhinjam, India.
• The four new species of sea slugs, including Glossodoris rufomaculatus , Goniobranchus annulatus, Hypselodoris nigrostriata , and Hoplodoris flammea, were reported from the near-shore rocky reef areas between Kovalam and Mulloor in the Vizhinjam bay.
• Known scientifically as opisthobranchs, sea slugs are the most colourful marine animals mostly found in reef-associated areas.
• Unlike other organisms of their phylum Mollusca which possess a hard external skeleton, sea slugs have a rudimentary shell inside or none at all.
• Several novel medicines, including anticancer drugs have been developed from sea slugs.

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:

• Moving the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Bill 2015 for the consideration and passage, the Minister said the legislation was predominately an anti-black money measure and its purpose is to seize benami property and prosecute those indulging in such activities.
• The government has power to exempt charitable or religious organisation properties.
• The Minister warned that exemption to such entities cannot be a pretext for tax evasion.
• Creating false sects and creating benami property under it will not be exempt from the purview of the Act.