IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - Nov 03 & 04, 2016

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:

• The Green Urban Transport Scheme seeks to encourage growth of urban transport along low Carbon path for substantial and measurable reduction in pollution, provide a permanent and sustainable framework for funding urban mobility projects at National, State and City level with minimum recourse to budgetary support by encouraging innovative financing of projects.
• Under this Scheme, provision of Non-motorised Transport infrastructure, increasing access to public transport, use of clean technologies, adoption of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) and private sector participation in urban transport projects will be increased.
• This scheme is being considered for implementation in cities each with a population of five lakhs and above and all capital cities, Central assistance of about Rs.25,000 cr is estimated to be required which would in turn trigger private investments to meet the resource needs, over the next five years.

ANSWER: Kerala

Explanation:

• For the 1st time in the Country, an LNG fuelled bus has been launched in Kerala, at Thiruvananthapuram.
• It has been a joint effort of Petronet LNG Limited (PLL), Indian Oil Corporation Ltd and Tata Motors Ltd to introduce LNG as a fuel in commercial vehicles.
• The LNG fuelled bus is being launched as part of a plan of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas to use LNG directly for mass transportation and to reduce carbon emissions in the Country simultaneously generating savings.
• LNG is greener as well as more economical as compared to Diesel.
• LNG is more suitable for heavy duty segment like Trucks and Buses.
• LNG is an environmentally friendly fuel with less number of Nox, Sox and particulate matters, as compared to any other automotive fuel. CO2 emission is also lesser than Diesel.
• Introduction of LNG in transport segment will also help India to meet its COP21 commitment.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:

• The Health Ministry approved introduction of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) under Universal Immunisation Programme.
• Himachal Pradesh will be among four other states where Pneumonia Vaccines will be introduced along with Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh in a planned manner from 2017.
• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had earlier this year, 2016, introduced Rotavirus Vaccine to combat diarrhoea in the four states of the country - Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Odisha.

ANSWER: Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:

• The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) is an intergovernmental organization with regional offices in Latin America (Costa Rica), Asia and the Pacific (Australia) and Africa (Ethiopia).
• The organization's headquarters is in Stockholm, Sweden.
• International IDEA works to support and strengthen democratic institutions and processes around the world to develop sustainable, effective and legitimate democracies.
• International IDEA is a permanent representative to the United Nations. IDEA has been granted UN observer status.

ANSWER: Both 1 and 2

Explanation:

• International IDEA's 14 founding member states were Australia, Barbados, Belgium, Chile, Costa Rica, Denmark, Finland, India, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, and Sweden.
• Today, it has 29 members. Japan has observer status.
• The Founding Conference of International IDEA took place on 27–28 February 1995.

The institute’s four initial fields of activity were defined as:
(1) the creation of a databank and provision of information services;
(2) research;
(3) establishing and promotion of guidelines;
(4) offering advisory and capacity-building services.

ANSWER: SAMPRITI – India and Bangladesh

Explanation:

• India-Bangladesh Joint Military Exercise 'SAMPRITI'.
• India-Sri Lanka Joint Military Exercise 'MITRA SHAKTI'.
• India-Nepal Joint Military Exercise 'SURYA KIRAN'.
• India- Kazakhstan Joint Military Exercise 'PRABAL DOSTYK'.
• India-Russia Joint Military Exercise 'INDRA'.

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:

• India-USA Joint Military Exercise 'YUDH ABHYAS'.
• India-China Joint Military Exercise 'HAND-IN-HAND'.
• India-Mongolia Joint Military Exercise 'NOMADIC ELEPHANT'.
• India-France Joint Military Exercise 'SHAKTI'.
• India- Seychelles Joint Military Exercise 'LAMITYE'.

ANSWER: National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research

Explanation:

• As per the decisions taken during the Sixth Session of Conference of Parties (COP6), Government of India has set up a Global Knowledge Hub on Smokeless Tobacco (SLT) at National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR).
• This hub serves as a repository of knowledge related to smokeless tobacco.
• The primary objective of this hub is to collect/create evidence for harmful effects of tobacco and develop a knowledgebase for different stakeholders. The hub will also work with other agencies to increase awareness about the harmful effects of SLT and evaluate the effects of various programs.

ANSWER: Recover some or all of the value that public infrastructure generates for private landowners

Explanation:

• Value capture is a type of public financing that recovers some or all of the value that public infrastructure generates for private landowners.
• The Ministry of Urban Development will soon come out with a policy framework for an innovative resource mobilization through Value Capture Financing (VCF).
• This seeks to enable States and city governments raise resources by tapping a share of increase in value of land and other properties like buildings resulting from public investments and policy initiatives, in the identified area of influence.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:

• The different instruments of VCF are ; Land Value Tax, Fee for changing land use, Betterment levy, Development charges, Transfer of Development Rights, Premium on relaxation of Floor Space Index and Floor Area Ratio, Vacant Land Tax, Tax Increment Financing, Zoning relaxation for land acquisition and Land Pooling System.
• While Betterment levy and Development charges are being currently used to some extent in States, the other instruments also have substantial scope for resource mobilization.
• Traditional resource mobilization through direct sale of land, the most fundamental asset owned and managed by States and Urban Local Bodies is an inefficient form of resource mobilization and the Ministry is keen about land monetization more effectively though value capture.
• This innovative mechanism could also be used by central Ministries investing heavily in building national highways, railway projects, power generation and port infrastructure development.