IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - June 25, 2016

ANSWER: EU

Explanation:

• The Maastricht Treaty (formally, the Treaty on European Union or TEU) undertaken to integrate Europe was signed on 7 February 1992 by the members of the European Community in Maastricht, Netherlands
• Upon its entry into force on 1 November 1993 during the Delors Commission, it created the European Union and led to the creation of the single European currency, the euro.
• The Maastricht Treaty has been amended by the treaties of Amsterdam, Nice and Lisbon.
• EU now has 27 members (UK has left).

ANSWER: Treaty of Rome

Explanation:

• The Treaty of Rome (1958) is known in updated form as the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (2007) or TFEU.
• The Treaty of Rome, officially the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community (TEEC), is an international agreement that led to the founding of the European Economic Community (EEC) on 1 January 1958. The word Economic was deleted from the treaty's name by the Maastricht Treaty in 1992, and the treaty was repackaged as the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union on the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon in 2009.
• The TEEC proposed the progressive reduction of customs duties and the establishment of a customs union.
• It proposed to create a common market of goods, workers, services and capital within the EEC's member states.
• It also proposed the creation of common transport and agriculture policies and a European social fund.
• It also established the European Commission.

ANSWER: 50

Explanation:

• Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty sets out how an EU country might voluntarily leave the union.
• Article 50 says: “Any member state may decide to withdraw from the union in accordance with its own constitutional requirements.”
• It specifies that a leaver should notify the European council of its intention, negotiate a deal on its withdrawal and establish legal grounds for a future relationship with the EU. On the European side, the agreement needs a qualified majority of member states and consent of the European parliament.
• The only real quantifiable detail in the article is a provision that gives negotiators two years from the date of article 50 notification to conclude new arrangements.
• The Treaty of Lisbon (initially known as the Reform Treaty) is an international agreement which amends the two treaties (Maastricht Treaty and Treaty of Rome) which form the constitutional basis of the European Union (EU).

ANSWER: Brahmos and Sukhoi-30

Explanation:

• BrahMos Aerospace successfully demonstrated the integration of the world's most formidable supersonic cruise missile system BRAHMOS on the frontline strike fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force Sukhoi-30.
• It is the first time in the world that such a heavyweight (2,500 kg) supersonic cruise missile has been integrated on a fighter aircraft.
• This technological feat will go down in the history as first in the world combination of supersonic cruise missile with a long range fighter aircraft.
• The powerful missile will enable the IAF to penetrate deep inside the enemy territory to deliver a deadly blow to their vital installations from stand-off ranges.
• The Sukhoi-BRAHMOS combination will carry out air combat operations within and beyond visibility range and will provide the IAF with the capability of attacking targets protected by powerful air defence assets.

ANSWER: Guru Gobind Singh

Explanation:

• Banda Singh Bahadur (born Lachman Dev, also known as Banda Bahudar, Lachman Das and Madho Das).
• At age 15 he left home to become an ascetic, and was given the name ‘’Madho Das’’. He established a monastery at Nanded, on the bank of the river Godavari, where in September 1708 he was visited by, and became a disciple of, Guru Gobind Singh, who gave him the new name of Banda Singh Bahadur.
• Armed with the blessing and authority of Guru Gobind Singh, he assembled a fighting force and led the struggle against the Mughal Empire.
• After establishing his authority in Punjab, Banda Singh Bahadur abolished the zamindari system, and granted property rights to the tillers of the land. He was captured by the Mughals and tortured to death in 1716.
• He played historically significant role as Founder of First Sovereign Khalsa Raj and was first to give proprietary rights to the tillers.

ANSWER: Sol

Explanation:

• The term sol is used by planetary astronomers to refer to the duration of a solar day on Mars. A mean Martian solar day, or "sol", is 24 hours, 39 minutes, and 35.244 seconds.
• Mars has an axial tilt and a rotation period similar to those of Earth. Thus it experiences seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter much like Earth, and its day is about the same length. Its year is almost twice as long as Earth's.

ANSWER: Leh

Explanation:

• Sindhu Darshan Festival is a festival of India held every year on full moon day (on Guru Purnima) in month of June.
• It is held at Leh, in Ladakh District of Jammu & Kashmir. It stretches for three days. It was first started in the October, 1997 and continues to be held every year since then, attracting large number of foreign as well domestic tourists.
• The Sindhu Darshan Festival, as the name suggests, is a celebration of River Sindhu, also known as the Indus.
• The main reason behind the celebration of Sindhu Darshan Festival is to endorse the Indus River (Sindhu River) as an icon of the communal harmony and unity of India.
• The festival is also a symbolic salutation to the courageous soldiers of the country, who endanger their life to save ours.
• This festival was introduced by L. K. Advani, who was the then Home Minister in 1996.

ANSWER: Geo-tagging assets created under MGNREGA

Explanation:

• A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Rural Development Ministry and ISRO, Department of Space for geo-tagging the assets created under MGNREGA in each gram panchayat.
• The move comes after the Prime Minister during a review meeting recently had underlined for online recording and monitoring of assets to check leakages and for effective mapping of terrain for future developmental works.
• Around 30 lakh assets are created annually across the country under the rural job scheme and the Ministry has decided that through convergence with other schemes, the geo-tagging of such assets will be done on a mission mode.
• Through Bhuvan Mobile Platform, completed asset will be Geo-tagged along with photograph by Gram Rozgar Sahayak or Junior Engineer.