IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - May 24, 2016

ANSWER: UVA

Explanation:

• UV-A radiation (315 nm to 400 nm) oxidises existing melanin from the melanocytes and reorganises it, causing the actual tan in the skin.
• Tan due to UV-A is immediate and it cannot give long-term protection unlike UV-B.
• UV-A is not blocked properly by sunscreens but blocked to some degree by clothing. Excessive exposure to UV-A can cause DNA damage and also cancer.
• UV-B ranges from 280 nm to 315 nm. It can cause direct DNA damage and actual melanogenesis which results in delayed tanning.

ANSWER: Gulf of Oman

Explanation:

• The trilateral Transport and Transit Agreement with participation of Iran, India and Afghanistan. will open new routes for India, Iran and Afghanistan to connect among themselves.
• Inflow of capital and technology could lead to new industrial infrastructure in Chahbahar. This would include gas based fertilizer plants, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and IT.
• The key arteries of the corridor would pass through the Chahbahar port of Iran. It's very location, on the mouth of Gulf of Oman, is of great strategic significance.
• Afghanistan will get an assured, effective, and a friendlier route to trade with the rest of the world.
• The arc of economic benefit from this agreement would extend beyond our three nations. Its reach could extend to the depths of the Central Asian countries.
• When linked with the International North South Transport Corridor, it would touch South Asia at one end and Europe at another. And, studies show that as compared to the traditional sea routes, it could bring down the cost and time of the cargo trade to Europe by about 50%.

ANSWER: Around 100km

Explanation:

• For Earth, atmospheric entry occurs above the Kármán line at an altitude of more than 100 km (62 mi.) above the surface, while at Venus atmospheric entry occurs at 250 km (155 mi.) and at Mars atmospheric entry at about 80 km (50 mi.)
• The Kármán line, or Karman line, lies at an altitude of 100 kilometres (62 mi) above the Earth's sea level, and commonly represents the boundary between the Earth's atmosphere and outer space.
• Uncontrolled, objects accelerate through the atmosphere at extreme velocities under the influence of Earth's gravity. Most controlled objects enter at hypersonic speeds due to their suborbital (e.g., intercontinental ballistic missile reentry vehicles), orbital (e.g., the Space Shuttle), or unbounded (e.g., meteors) trajectories. Various advanced technologies have been developed to enable atmospheric reentry and flight at extreme velocities. Technologies and procedures allowing the controlled atmospheric entry, descent and landing of spacecraft are collectively abbreviated as EDL.

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:

• The scheme will be implemented across all train types except Suvidha / Rajdhani / Shatabdi / Duronto /Jan Shatabdi.
• Under this scheme, Waiting list passengers are given give choice to opt for ATAS scheme.
• ATAS opted passengers who remain fully Waitlisted after charting are considered for allotment in the alternate train.
• No extra charges are taken from passenger nor is any refund provided for difference of fare.
• Either all passengers of a PNR or none are transferred to alternate train in same class.
• The passenger allotted alternate accommodation can travel in the alternate train on authority of original ticket and in case of ticket on ERS/SMS of original booking.
• When an ATAS opted passenger opts to cancel, after he has been given an alternate accommodation, he is treated as a CONFIRMED passenger and the cancellation rules are applied accordingly.

ANSWER: Tree species

Explanation:

• In Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) study report facing extinction are two trees with ‘Travancore’ tag: Gluta travancorica and Sizygium travancoricum .
• The former is a hardwood (local name: chengkurinji or red tree) found only at a particular elevation of the Western Ghats in Kollam district and the latter a mangrove associate found only in some pockets of Kerala, mostly the southern parts.
• The chengkurinji grows only in the Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary in Kollam. The tree, used to be indiscriminately logged, is now a protected species. Though there is a United Nations programme to propagate the tree in the area, it has not met with the desired success. Among the remaining trees some are getting uprooted owing to natural causes.
• Sizygium travancoricum faces extinction because the trees were ruthlessly felled for medical applications connected with rheumatics. But the felled trees were not replaced.

ANSWER: Aizawl

Explanation:

• The latest cancer data shows that Aizawl in Mizoram has the highest incidence of cancer in men, while Papumpare in Arunachal Pradesh accounted for maximum cases in women.
• In the case of stomach cancer, Chennai had the highest incidence before setting up a registry in Aizawl. Now, there is data showing Aizawl to have 10 times the incidence of Chennai.

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:

• North-eastern States have traditionally reported high incidence of cancer compared to the rest of the country, the latest data reveals that the cancer burden in the north-east is among the highest in the world.
• The enormity of the tobacco problem in the north-east is reflected in the cancer registry.
• The data was released by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), collected by its Population-Based Cancer Registry (PBCR) programme.
• This data is important to help plan and prioritise health care services for patients. The north-eastern States have a peculiar burden of cancer and there is need to address it with a State-specific intervention.

ANSWER: Both 1 and 2

Explanation:

• The amendment to the Double Taxation Avoidance Treaty with Mauritius will push offshore fund management companies to set up shop in India.
• Under the new safe harbour rules, offshore funds’ gains will be taxed as capital gains than as business income. This will require them to reconfigure their plans.
• Under the amended treaty signed with the island nation, India gets the right to tax capital gains on investments routed through Mauritius. The amendment to the 1983 treaty will come into force from April 1, 2017.
• Although the actual language of the protocol has not been made available, the statement indicates its applicability only to shares. Therefore, the extent of its applicability to hybrid instruments is still open, and they could technically walk away with residence-based taxation protections.

ANSWER: 1, 2

Explanation:

• The Protocol will tackle the long pending issues of treaty abuse and round tripping of funds attributed to the India-Mauritius treaty, curb revenue loss, prevent double non-taxation, streamline the flow of investment and stimulate the flow of exchange of information between India and Mauritius.
• It will improve transparency in tax matters and will help curb tax evasion and tax avoidance. At the same time, existing investments, i.e. investments made before 1.4.2017 have been grand-fathered and will not be subject to capital gains taxation in India.
• The amendment to the Double Taxation Avoidance Treaty with Mauritius will push offshore fund management companies to set up shop in India.
• Under the new safe harbour rules, offshore funds’ gains will be taxed as capital gains than as business income.
• The protocol is only applicable to shares currently and is unclear about hybrid instruments.