IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - Aug 19, 2016

ANSWER: Breast Feeding

Explanation:

• MAA (Mothers Absolute Affection) is a flagship programme to ensure adequate awareness is generated among masses, especially mothers, on the benefits of breastfeeding.
• Breastfeeding is a child’s first inoculation against death, disease and poverty and according to the latest scientific evidence; breastfeeding is most enduring investment in physical, cognitive and social capacity development.
• “MAA-Mother’s Absolute Affection'’ is a nationwide programme launched in an attempt to bring undiluted focus on promotion of breastfeeding and provision of counselling services for supporting breastfeeding through health systems.
• The programme has been named ‘MAA’ to signify the support a lactating mother requires from family members and at health facilities to breastfeed successfully.
• The chief components of the MAA Programme are Community awareness generation, Strengthening inter personal communication through ASHA, Skilled support for breastfeeding at Delivery points in Public health facilities, and Monitoring and Award/recognition.

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:

• For the institutional framework, the Act sees the setting up of a groundwater sub-committee under the village water and sanitation committee by the Gram Panchayat. This will be supervised by a Block Panchayat, which will consolidate the groundwater security plans of all Gram Panchayats in its ambit.
• In urban areas, the Model Bill envisages the setting up of ward groundwater committees which will plan, approve and facilitate the implementation of Ward Groundwater Security Plan. This will be overseen by a Municipal Water Management Committee.
• On top of these layers will be a District Groundwater Council and State Groundwater Advisory Council to appropriately integrate and take decisions at their scale.
• For industrial users there are several checks and includes the recommendation to charge for groundwater use, the money so collected being invested for the sustainability of the resource.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
It has variety of uses

• Stainless steel, the main corrosion-proof metal alloy, is formed when chromium is added to iron in sufficient concentrations, usually above 11%.
• Because of their toxicity, chromium (VI) salts are used for the preservation of wood. As they kill bacteria, fungi, etc.
• Tanning of leather
• Used in dyes and pigments; Chrome yellow colour
• Used to give glass an emerald green colour. It is responsible for the green colour of emeralds and the red colour of rubies.
• Compounds are used in the textile industry as mordants.
• Used by the aircraft and other industries for anodising aluminium.

ANSWER: Jammu

Explanation:

• Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Government of India inaugurated the Indian Institute of Technology at Jammu.
• The institution is the first IIT for the state set up to create a learning environment and will be built over 500 Acres of land near Jammu city.
• Jammu is among the six cities across the country which were set to get IITs.

ANSWER: Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:

• Minister of Urban Development launched ‘Swachh Survekshan-2017’ to assess and rank 500 cities and towns based on levels of sanitation and efforts made by respective urban local bodies and also to capture progress towards achieving ‘Open Defecation Free’ status.
• The minister also launched a web portal ‘Swachhata App’ and ‘Swachhta Helpline 1969’ to enable citizens’ associate more and more with Swachh Bharat Mission in urban areas.
• Citizens can post photos of unhygienic places in urban areas on Swachh Aap and they will be informed of action taken by respective urban local bodies in specific time period.
• Using toll free Helpline Number 1969, citizens can seek information about the ways of participating in cleanliness mission and can also enquire the status of their applications for construction of toilets.

ANSWER: Wrestler

Explanation:

• Sakshi Malik won the Olympic Bronze in 58 kg Category of Women’s Freestyle Wrestling
• She also created history by becoming the first ‘women wrestler’ from India to bag an Olympic medal.
• She is Indian Railways employee.
• It was Indian Railways which took lead in raising the entire women wrestlers’ team of India for the first time and in a way provided a new career option and a sport to Indian women in the field of wrestling.

ANSWER: It is a PSU under Ministry of Communications

Explanation:

• The India Post Payments Bank Limited has received the Certificate of Incorporation from the Registrar of Companies, Ministry of Corporate Affairs under the Companies Act 2013.
• This would be the first PSU under the Department of Posts.
• Department of Posts comes under Ministry of Communications.
• The incorporation of the IPPB Ltd is a significant step forward as this also paves the way for the bank to begin hiring of banking professionals to set up the bank and begin its operations in 2017.
• The Department of Posts is expected to complete the roll out of its branches all over the country by September 2017. This could be the fastest roll out for a bank anywhere in the world.
• The aspiration for the India Post Payments Bank is to become the most accessible bank in the world riding on state of the art banking and payments technology.

ANSWER: 293

Explanation:

• Article 293 (3) - A State may not without the consent of the Government of India raise any loan.
• In the spirit of Co-operative federalism and in order to bring-in the transparency and predictability in the Open Market Borrowings (OMBs) by the States, the Central Government has decided to simplify the consent mechanism for OMBs under Article 293 (3) of the Constitution.
• Till now, the States were required to obtain quarterly consent from the Central Government for raising OMBs within the Net Borrowing Ceiling (NBC) fixed for each of the States as per the formula prescribed by the Fourteenth Finance Commission (FFC).
• The simplified procedure will ensure that consent under Article 293(3) is issued only on three occasions during the year, one in the month of April for first nine months after fixation of borrowing ceilings, second in the month of December for the first two months of the fourth quarter and last in the month of March after the assessment of actual borrowings by the States.

ANSWER: Both 1 and 2

Explanation:

• Dolphins are animals of aquatic ecosystems. They are found in the sea, brackish water and fresh water. A total of 15 species of marine and harbour dolphins have been reported from Indian waters and coasts.
• Besides, the Irrawady Dolphins are found in brackish waters of Odisha. Irrawady is a major river in Myanmar.
• Amongst the fresh water dolphins, the Gangetic Dolphin is found in the Ganges River and its tributaries.
• Apart from this, Indus River Dolphins have also been reported in Indus River in Punjab.
• All fresh water, brackish water and marine Dolphins (Cetaceans) are listed in Schedule-I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, thereby according them the highest degree of protection against hunting.
• National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has initiated dolphin conservation programme in 2016 to ensure long term survival of dolphin and other river fauna.

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:

• The Ministry of Mines, Govt. of India is focusing on Sustainable Development Framework (SDF) for Indian Mining Sector as a guiding principle for Indian mining industry encompassing inclusive growth, without adversely affecting the social, economic and environmental well-being, at present and also in future generation.
• The Ministry of Mines through Indian Bureau of Mines has developed a template for Scheme of Star Rating of Mines.
• The main objective of this system is to bring all mines to a minimum standard of Star Rating in the shortest possible time frame to adopt sustainable practices.
• A two layered system providing self-evaluation templates to be filled in by the mine operator followed by validation through Indian Bureau of Mines.
• Based on the performance of the mining leases, a one to five star rating would be given to the mines. The Star Rating will be done initially for mines of major minerals.
• The positive impact of getting higher Star Rating will drive miners to quickly adopt sustainable mining practices.
• The Star Rating is being considered to be included as statutory provision in the MCDR for time-bound achieving of minimum 4star.