IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - June 01, 2016

ANSWER: Sow seeds using helicopter

Explanation:

• Aerial seeding is a technique of sowing seeds using helicopters and aeroplanes to scatter them.
• Aerial reforestation was usually done to repopulate forest land after some type of disaster since the 1930s.
• A bigger quantity of seed had to be used in this technique because the success rate was comparatively less.
• Large wildfires can destroy large areas of plant life resulting in erosion hazards. Arial seeding may quickly and effectively reduce erosion hazards and suppress growth of invasive plant species.
• It can be used where terrain is extremely rocky or at high elevations or otherwise inaccessible.
• Efficient coverage of a large area in the least amount of time is achieved.
• The palletised seed’s (coated with clayey substance) coating would provide the seed protection and the substratum for germination initially.

ANSWER: Fodder

Explanation:

• Silage, a green fodder compacted in air tight conditions to be used as substitute for green fodder during the lean period for livestock.
• It is potential fodder for livestock living in the rain shadow areas and has potential to increase the milk yield.
• As per the latest method, cut green grass mass is stored in large sacks made from polythene. Once the bag is filled, the material is pressed to remove the air and thereby preventing decomposition. It is then fermented by adding diluted molasses and preserved for 60 days at appropriate moisture levels.

ANSWER: In a lake

Explanation:

• The observatory is situated on an island in the middle of Fatehsagar Lake.
• Large water body surrounding the telescopes decreases the amount of heating of the surface layers. This decreases the turbulence in the air mass and thereby improves the image quality and seeing.
• It will help in detailed study of the solar activity including its magnetic field. This study of solar activities would facilitate space weather predictions in the future.
• It is capable of capturing three-dimensional aspects of the solar magnetic fields further enabling the scientists to get a better understanding of the solar flares and eruptions taking place in such twisted magnetic fields.
• USO is a part of Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), which is an autonomous unit of the Department of Space.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
The recommendations include -

• Invoke “lighter” sections of the law against them.
• Potential young terror recruits should be identified and “bind-down” orders issued against them.
• A local constable can be of immense help in such cases where any youth is showing signs of radicalisation.
• Strengthening Beat Constabulary
• Community Policing

These would not deter parents and other family members from coming forward to report such cases. Booking them under lighter sections can act as a deterrent and will create the fear of the law in their minds.

ANSWER: IIMs function under an Act of Parliament.

Explanation:

• The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has set into motion the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bill.
• This new education legislation aims to give the power to the IIMs to grant Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree to the students who has completed their two year management courses. At this point the premier business schools provide postgraduate diplomas in management to its students.
• The Bill also proposes to Grant statutory status to the existing IIMs and declare these IIMs 'institutions of national importance'.
• The bill seeks to give the ministry authority over the institutes on a range of issues. Unlike the Indian Institutes of Technology, IIMs don’t function under an Act of Parliament.
• There are concerns raised in both the favour and opposition of the bill.

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:

• Article 110 defines what constitutes money bill and the Constitution has vested power to certify money bill in Lok Sabha Speaker, whose decision is final.
• If any question arises whether a bill is a money bill or not, the decision of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha is final. His decision in this regard cannot be questioned in any court of law or in the either House of Parliament or even the president.
• Only those financial bills are money bills which contain exclusively those matters which are mentioned in Article 110 of the Constitution.

ANSWER: 3

Explanation:

• Financial bills are those bills that deal with fiscal matters, that is, revenue or expenditure. However, the Constitution uses the term ‘financial bill’ in a technical sense.
• Financial bills are of three kinds:

1. Money bills—Article 110
2. Financial bills (I)—Article 117 (1)
3. Financial bills (II)—Article 117 (3)

• This classification implies that money bills are simply a species of financial bills. Hence, all money bills are financial bills but all financial bills are not money bills.
• Only those financial bills are money bills which contain exclusively those matters which are mentioned in Article 110 of the Constitution.
• These are also certified by the Speaker of Lok Sabha as money bills. The financial bills (I) and (II), on the other hand, have been dealt with in Article 117 of the Constitution.

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:

• A financial bill (I) is a bill that contains not only any or all the matters mentioned in Article 110, but also other matters of general legislation. For instance, a bill that contains a borrowing clause, but does not exclusively deal with borrowing.
• In two respects, a financial bill (I) is similar to a money bill—(a) both of them can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha and not in the Rajya Sabha, and (b) both of them can be introduced only on the recommendation of the president.
• In all other respects, a financial bill (I) is governed by the same legislative procedure applicable to an ordinary bill. Hence, it can be either rejected or amended by the Rajya Sabha (except that an amendment other than for reduction or abolition of a tax cannot be moved in either House without the recommendation of the president).
• A financial bill (II) contains provisions involving expenditure from the Consolidated Fund of India, but does not include any of the matters mentioned in Article 110.

ANSWER: Identifying individuals using DNA testing

Explanation:

• DNA profiling (also called DNA fingerprinting, DNA testing, or DNA typing) is a forensic technique used to identify individuals by characteristics of their DNA.
• A DNA profile is a small set of DNA variations that is very likely to be different in all unrelated individuals, thereby being as unique to individuals as are fingerprints (hence the alternate name for the technique).
• DNA profiling should not be confused with full genome sequencing. First developed and used in 1985, DNA profiling is used in, for example, parentage testing and criminal investigation, to identify a person or to place a person at a crime scene, techniques which are now employed globally in forensic science to facilitate police detective work and help clarify paternity and immigration disputes.
• It is a very sensitive technique which only needs a few skin cells, a hair root or a tiny amount of blood or saliva.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:

• There are many concerns and limitations in the bill. The concerns voiced are –
• The DNA information bank is in violation of right to privacy;
• there are chances of racial and communal profiling;
• this will spur unnecessary testing;
• there are chances of misuse of this data as there is no guarantee regarding safety of data and who all can access the data;
• The DNA may not be reliable as there are DNA chimeras that have multiple genomes within them. Other times, DNA data recovered from a crime scene may not be enough to produce a correct match for the algorithms.
• The bill introduces an intrusive mode of collecting samples from living persons called "intimate forensic procedure".

ANSWER: ICICI

Explanation:

• ICICI Bank launched the first of its kind fully automated digital locker, which would be available to customers even on weekends and post banking hours.
• Named ‘Smart Vault’, the locker is equipped with multi-layer security system, including biometric and PIN authentication and debit cards, among others. Customers can access it without any intervention by the branch staff.
• The ‘Smart Vault’ is an example of ‘Make In India’ programme as it has been designed and manufactured by Indian partners.
• The vault uses robotic technology to access the lockers from the safe vault and enables customers to access their lockers at any time of their preference.
• The lockers are of two-three different sizes and charges would depend on that. Also, the locker charges in a city would vary depending on the real estate cost.