IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - May 15 & 16, 2016

ANSWER: Cabs

Explanation:

• The Uber fare rates automatically increase, when the taxi demand is higher than drivers around customers.
• The Uber prices are surging to ensure reliability and availability for those who agree to pay a bit more. You can be notified by the app when the Uber surge pricing goes down again.
• Uber price surging happens often at peak times in the morning and again in the evening rush hours when everyone is heading back from work.
• When the Uber prices are surging, it also encourages more drivers to get back on the road and be able to earn more money. Usually, the Uber surging only last for a few minutes depends on the demand and the amount of available drivers in the customer’s area.
• Many places in India have banned surge pricing like Delhi and Karnataka. The cabs charge even six to seven times the fare under the name of surge pricing.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
The Policy lays down the following seven objectives:

• IPR Awareness: Outreach and Promotion - To create public awareness about the economic, social and cultural benefits of IPRs among all sections of society.
• Generation of IPRs - To stimulate the generation of IPRs.
• Legal and Legislative Framework - To have strong and effective IPR laws, which balance the interests of rights owners with larger public interest.
• Administration and Management - To modernize and strengthen service-oriented IPR administration.
• Commercialization of IPRs - Get value for IPRs through commercialization.
• Enforcement and Adjudication - To strengthen the enforcement and adjudicatory mechanisms for combating IPR infringements.
• Human Capital Development - To strengthen and expand human resources, institutions and capacities for teaching, training, research and skill building in IPRs.

ANSWER: 1, 2

Explanation:
Since 2005, India Meteorological Department (IMD) has been issuing operational forecasts for the date of monsoon onset over Kerala using an indigenously developed statistical model with a model error of ± 4 days. The model uses the following six predictors:

• Minimum Temperatures over North-west India,
• Pre-monsoon rainfall peak over south Peninsula,
• Outgoing Long wave Radiation (OLR) over south China Sea,
• Lower tropospheric zonal wind over southeast Indian ocean,
• upper tropospheric zonal wind over the east equatorial Indian Ocean, and
Outgoing Long wave Radiation (OLR) over the south-west Pacific region.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
Of the total number of members of a legislative council:

• 1/3 are elected by the members of local bodies in the state like municipalities, district boards, etc.
• 1/12 are elected by graduates of three years standing and residing within the state,
• 1/12 are elected by teachers of three years standing in the state, not lower in standard than secondary school,
• 1/3 are elected by the members of the legislative assembly of the state from amongst persons who are not members of the assembly, and
• The remainder are nominated by the governor from amongst persons who have a special knowledge or practical experience of literature, science, art, cooperative movement and social service.

ANSWER: Can be revoked by the President anytime without Parliament’s Approval

Explanation:

• A proclamation of President’s Rule may be revoked by the President at any time by a subsequent proclamation. Such a proclamation does not require the parliamentary approval.
• Since the President is supposed to act as per aid and advice of the Union Council of ministers, it is they who suggest for imposing or removal of the President’s rule to the President.

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:

• The Code separates commercial aspects of the insolvency proceedings from judicial aspects. While Insolvency Professionals (IPs) will deal with commercial aspects such as management of the affairs of the corporate debtor, facilitating formation of committee of creditors, organising their meetings, examination of the resolution plan, etc.,
• Judicial issues will be handled by proposed Adjudicating Authorities (National Company Law Tribunal / Debt Recovery Tribunal).
• One more important institution created under the Code is the ‘Information Utility’ which would store financial information and data and terms of lending in electronic databases. This would eliminate delays and disputes about facts when default does take place.
• The Code also provides a fast track insolvency resolution process for corporates and LLPs. This will be an enabler for start-ups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to complete the resolution process in 90 days (extendable to 45 days in deserving cases).

ANSWER: Jammu and Kashmir

Explanation:

• The maximum strength of the council is fixed at one-third of the total strength of the assembly and the minimum strength is fixed at 40.
• However Jammu and Kashmir is an exception to this as this rule does not apply to it. It has 36 members in its Council
• It means that the size of the council depends on the size of the assembly of the concerned state. This is done to ensure the predominance of the directly elected House (assembly) in the legislative affairs of the state.

ANSWER: The Parliament

Explanation:

• Though the Constitution has fixed the maximum and the minimum limits, the actual strength of a Council is fixed by Parliament.

ANSWER: 7

Explanation:

• Seven Indian States, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Jammu-Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, have bicameral Legislatures.
• The newly formed Telangana has 40 members.