IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - July 23, 2016

ANSWER: Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf

Explanation:

• The Strait of Hormuz is a strait between the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf.
• It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world's most strategically important choke points.
• On the north coast lies Iran, and on the south coast the United Arab Emirates and Musandam, an exclave of Oman.
• About 20% of the world's petroleum (about 35% of the petroleum traded by sea) passes through the strait, making it a highly important strategic location for international trade.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:

• A strait is a naturally formed, narrow, typically navigable waterway that connects two larger bodies of water.
• Most commonly it is a channel of water that lies between two land masses.
• Some straits are not navigable, for example because they are too shallow, or because of an unnavigable reef or archipelago.
• An isthmus lies between two bodies of water and connects two larger land masses.

ANSWER: Indo-Bangladesh

Explanation:

• Petrapole-Benapole is an important land border crossing for India-Bangladesh trade.
• More than 50 per cent of the India-Bangladesh trade passes through Petrapole.
• Trade worth more than Rs. 15000 Crore takes place through the Petrapole ICP, which is more than all the other Indian Land Ports and Land Customs Stations put together.
• Petrapole is the Indian side of Petrapole-Benapole border checkpoint between India and Benapole of Bangladesh near Bongaon in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.
• It is also the largest land customs station in Asia. Petrapole ICP will be the second ICP on the India-Bangladesh border after the Agartala ICP at the Agartala (India)-Akhaura (Bangladesh) land border. It will also be the biggest land port in South Asia.

ANSWER: 1, 2

Explanation:

• The Heritage circuit of Gujarat focuses on Gandhi theme, covering sites of Ahmedabad (Kochrab Ashram,Sabarmati Ashram,Dandi bridge, ) Rajkot (Alfred High School, Kaba Gandhi no Delo, Rashtriya Shala ), Porbandar (Kirti Mandir), Bardoli (Sardar Patel Museum) and Dandi (Gandhi Smriti railway station,Karadi village,Dandi Memorial).

ANSWER: Street Lighting National Programme

Explanation:

• The Street Lighting National Programme(SLNP), being implemented by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture company of four Power Sector PSUs, envisages replacement of conventional street lights with LED lights by March, 2019.
• EESL is playing an important role as a catalyst in replacing these streetlights.
• The target for 2015-16 was to launch the programme in 100 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) whereas EESL has already launched the programme in 112 ULBs.

ANSWER: Jains

Explanation:

• Highest literacy rate among minorities is among the Jains. It is 94.9%.
• Muslims it is 68.5 %
• Buddhists it is 81.3%.
• Christians it is 84.5%.
• Sikhs it is 75.4%
• Other religions and persuasions it is 59.9%.
• In religion not stated it is 74.7%.

ANSWER: Both 1 and 2

Explanation:
India joining MTCR would benefit its space development programme in.

• Strengthening our international cooperation activities in high technology areas with other space faring nations.
• Easing the procurements & supplies of export controlled high/ advanced technology items, components, materials, and equipment from other countries, especially MTCR partner states.
Enhancing our commercial ventures in terms of export of sub-systems, satellites and commercial launch services etc.

India as a major space faring nation and as a partner state in MTCR could play critical roles in various international fora such as UNCOPUOS, UN Conference on Disarmament (CD) and other space related international fora in major policy decisions relating to space applications, space security topics.

India, as a Partner State of MTCR, can take part in the decision making process in ensuring non-proliferation of sensitive space technology related items, which are controlled through a list (called Technical Annex) and reviewed & revised annually through Technical Experts Meetings.

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:

• According to the 2011 Census, India has 6 lakh people belonging to the transgender community.
• After the new law comes into force, forcing a transgender to leave a village or residence, forcibly removing their clothes and parading them naked, or inciting them to beg or do similar forms of bonded labour, will be treated as atrocities and violence against them. These acts will be punishable with imprisonment up to two years, along with a fine.
• It proposed imprisonment of at least six months - and not more than two years - along with a penalty for people found guilty of harming or injuring their physical or mental well-being.
• The draft Bill included a chapter detailing a series of offences that will be treated as atrocity and violence against transgenders.
• The draft Bill also said that transgenders who by birth do not belong to Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes may be declared members of the Backward Classes, and would be entitled to reservation under the existing ceiling for OBCs.