IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - Nov 17 & 18, 2016

ANSWER: Affecting animals and humans

Explanation:

• Brucellosis is a dreadful disease caused by the genus of the bacteria known as Brucella infecting various species of Brucella cows, buffalos, sheep, goats, deer, pigs, dogs and other animals as well as humans.
• Brucellosis is a highly contagious disease caused by ingestion of unpasteurized milk or undercooked meat from infected animals, or close contact with their secretions. The disease can naturally be transmitted from animals to humans.
• Symptoms include profuse sweating and joint and muscle pain.

ANSWER: SONAR systems

Explanation:

• ABHAY – Compact Hull Mounted SONAR for Shallow Water Crafts, HUMSA UG – Upgrade for the HUMSA SONAR System, NACS – Near-field Acoustic Characterisation System, and AIDSS – Advanced Indigenous Distress SONAR System for submarines.
• All of these have been developed by DRDO for the Indian Navy. The systems have been designed and developed by NPOL, a Kochi based premier laboratory of DRDO which has outstanding contributions and achievements in the design of SONAR systems for the Indian Navy to its credit.

ANSWER: AIDSS

Explanation:

• NPOL has also developed AIDSS, a distress SONAR that is an Emergency Sound Signaling Device which is used to indicate that a submarine is in distress and enable quick rescue and salvage.
• It is a life-saving alarm system designed to transmit SONAR signals of a pre-designated frequency and pulse shape in an emergency situation from a submarine for long period, so as to attract the attention of Passive SONARS of Ships or Submarines in the vicinity and all types of standard rescue vessels in operation. It is also provided with a transponder capability.

ANSWER: Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:
Ministry of Steel is facilitating an Industry driven institutional mechanism namely Steel Research & Technology Mission of India (SRTMI), to facilitate joint collaborative research projects in the iron & steel sector in India. The salient features of SRTMI are as under:

• SRTMI is an industry driven initiative which has been setup as a Registered Society wherein Ministry of Steel is a facilitator.
• SRTMI will be governed and administered by a Governing Body comprising the steel CEOs, Domain Experts and a representative of Ministry of Steel.
• The executive functioning of SRTMI will be carried out by the Director, SRTMI, who will be assisted by a suitable/appropriate supporting structure.
• Initial corpus for setting up of SRTMI is Rs. 200 crore of which 50% is to be provided by Ministry of Steel and the balance by the participating steel companies.
• Thereafter, the centre will run on yearly contributions from the steel companies based on their turnover of the previous year.

ANSWER: Joint Venture involving NTPC

Explanation:

• Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has incorporated Joint Venture (JV) companies - Anushakti Vidhyut Nigam Limited, between NPCIL and National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Ltd for setting up nuclear power plants.
• There is also JV of NPCIL - Indian Oil Nuclear Energy Corporation Limited for setting up nuclear power plants.
• Exploratory Discussions for setting up a Joint Venture with the Indian Railways to set up nuclear power plants has been held.

ANSWER: Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:

• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is examining the prospects of including all hydro power projects under Renewable Energy Sector. With the reasoning that Hydro power can be called renewable energy because it uses water for generation of electricity without any consumption and leaves this vital resource available for other uses.
• The norms of Small Hydro Power Projects (SHP) differ from country to country.
• The implementation of Hydro Power up to 25 MW station capacity was brought under the ambit of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy from Ministry of Power during 1999.
• Government has set the target to reach 175 GW of Renewable Energy capacity by the year 2022 which includes 5 GW from Small Hydro (up to 25 MW station capacity).
• So far larger hydro plants are not considered as Renewable Energy.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:

• In order to provide social security benefits to the workers in the unorganised sector, the Government has enacted the Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008.
• The 2008 Act stipulates formulation of suitable welfare schemes for unorganised workers on matters relating to:

(i) life and disability cover,
(ii) health and maternity benefits,
(iii) old age protection and
(iv) any other benefit as may be determined by the Central Government through the National Social Security Board.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
Various Schemes, formulated by the Government to provide social security cover to the unorganized worker, listed in the Schedule I of the above Act are as under:

• Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (Ministry of Rural Development)
• National Family Benefit Scheme. (Ministry of Rural Development)
• Janani Suraksha Yojana (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare)
• ’Handloom Weavers’ Comprehensive Welfare Scheme. (Ministry of Textiles)
• ’Handicraft Artisans’ Comprehensive Welfare Scheme. (Ministry of Textiles)
• Pension to Master Craft Persons. (Ministry of Textiles)
• National Scheme for Welfare of Fishermen and Training and Extension. (Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries)
• Aam Admi Bima Yojana. (Department of Financial Services)
• Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare)
• Central Government has also launched following three schemes for all citizen targeting unorganised workers to provide them comprehensive social security.
• Atal Pension Yojna (APY)
• Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY)
• Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY)

ANSWER: 1, 2

Explanation:
Duties of Anganwadi Helper are:

• To cook and serve the food to children and mothers.
• To clean the Anganwadi premises and fetch water.
• Cleanliness of small children.
• To bring small children from the village to the Anganwadis

Anganwadi workers are responsible for

• assist PHC staff in health components
• provide health and nutrition education to mothers, etc.

ANSWER: Only 1

Explanation:

• The International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) is a non-governmental co-operative federation or, more precisely, a co-operative union representing co-operatives and the co-operative movement worldwide.
• It was founded in 1895 to unite, represent and serve co-operatives worldwide. The Alliance maintains the internationally recognised definition of a co-operative in the Statement on the Co-operative Identity.
• The Alliance provides a global voice and forum for knowledge, expertise and co-ordinated action for and about co-operatives.
• Its headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland.
• The members of the Alliance are international and national co-operative organisations from all sectors of the economy, including agriculture, banking, consumer, fisheries, health, housing, insurance, and workers.