IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - Nov 21, 2015

ANSWER: Both

Explanation:
- Coal reserves in India is one of the largest in the world.
Depending upon its grade from highest to lowest following, The coal found in India can be classified as Anthracite Coal, Bituminous Coal, Lignite (Brown Coal), Peat etc.
- Bituminous Coal: This is the most widely used coal and contains 50 to 85 per cent carbon. It is dense, compact, and brittle and is usually of black color. Most of the bituminous coal is found in Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
- Lignite ( Brown Coal): lignite is a lower grade coal and contains about 35-50 per cent carbon. It is found in Palna of Rajasthan, Neveli to Tamil Nadu, Lakhimpur of Assam and Karewa of Jammu and Kashmir.
- Peat:This is the first stage of transformation of wood into coal and contains less than 35 per cent carbon. It is seldom sufficiently compact to make a good fuel without compressing into bricks. Left to itself, it burns like wood, gives less heat, emits more smoke and leaves a lot of ash after burning.

ANSWER: Ecuador

Explanation:
- Tungurahua is an active stratovolcano located in the Cordillera Oriental of Ecuador.
- The Geophysics Institute says clouds of gas and ash have risen as high as 2,500 meters (8200 feet) above the crater, producing "a strong fall of dark gray ash" over some settlements.
- Tungurahua is part of the Sangay National Park.

ANSWER: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

Explanation:
- Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, partners ICRC for Enable Makeathon
- The Enable Makeathon is a 60-day programme by the end of which participants including technology and design experts, persons with disabilities and mentors would have developed solutions and products for persons with disabilities in the form of prototypes.
- The Enable Makeathon is a project initiated by the ICRC and its partners to help create new assistive devices for persons with disabilities living in rural areas across the world.
- It is motivated by the spirit of broad collaboration with the government, the private sector, the academia as well as other interested individuals.

ANSWER: Raja Ram Mohan Roy

Explanation:
- Raja Ram Mohan Roy was interested not only in reforming the Hindu religion, but also tried to remove the discrepancies among the various religions of the world.
- He undertook a serious study of comparative religions and realized in due course that true Hinduism, true Islam and true Christianity are not fundamentally different from each other.
- He hoped that the universal religion for mankind could be established by combining the best elements of all religions.
- This concept of universal religion meant not merely religious tolerance, but also transcending all the sectarian barriers of separate religion. Roy, thus attempted a spiritual synthesis, stressing the unity of all religious experience.

ANSWER: 1 and 2

Explanation:
- Two major features of Roy's Brahmo Samaj, namely, the opposition t o idol-worship, and the practice of collective prayer were borrowed from Christianity.
- Raja Ram Mohan Roy is called as "the Father of Modern India".
- He attempted to combine the western and eastern philosophy.
- He established the Brahmo Samaj in 1828. The Samaj provided a forum for religious and philosophical contemplation and discussion.

ANSWER: Both

Explanation:
- Roy started his public life in 1815 with the establishment of the Atmiya Sabha. This sabha vehemently protested against the prevalent practice of selling young girls to prospective husbands due to some pecuniary interests, in the name of the Kuleen tradition.
- It also opposed polygamy and worked for the removal of caste disabilities.

ANSWER: Only 1

Explanation:
- Raja Ram Mohan Roy's ambition was to change the educational system completely.
- He was convinced that only a modern, science education could instill new awareness and new capabilities in the Indian people.
- Without this kind of education, social reform in lndia would be very weak and the country would always remain backward.
- Though Roy himself was a great scholar of Sanskrit, he always felt that the Sanskrit learning was irrelevant to modern lndia and hence he strongly opposed it.
- He appealed to the rulers that instead of perpetuating irrelevant Sanskrit learning, they should help equip the new generations of Indians with useful modern scientific knowledge.
- Roy wanted instruction in useful modern sciences like chemistry, mathematics, anatomy, natural philosophy and not load young minds with grammatical complexities, and speculative or imaginary knowledge.

ANSWER: ASEAN+ 10

Explanation:
- Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and the six states with which ASEAN has existing FTAs (Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand).
- RCEP negotiations were formally launched in November 2012 at the ASEAN Summit in Cambodia.
- The 10th round of the RCEP talks took place in Busan, South Korea in October 2015.

ANSWER: 3 and 5

Explanation:
- The union cabinet approved the signing of the tripartite agreement among India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) on the IBSA Fund for the Alleviation of Poverty and Hunger.
- The decision will help in strengthening the IBSA Fund which is a unique vehicle in the context of South-South cooperation
- The IBSA countries contribute $1 million each annually to the fund, which till January 2015 has accumulated to $28.2 million, with total implemented/approved projects commitment of $26.2 million, and remaining $2.09 million available for programming.
- India on its part has contributed $9.1 million so far to the Fund.
- The IBSA Fund undertakes development projects in third countries.
- The first project to be financed by the IBSA Fund was in support of agriculture and livestock development.
- The IBSA Fund was conferred the South-South Partnership Award at the 2006 UN Day event held in New York in December 2006.
- The IBSA Fund for the Alleviation of Poverty and Hunger was set up in 2004 as one of the three pillars of cooperation under the IBSA Dialogue Forum.
- The other two pillars are consultation and coordination on global political issues and trilateral collaboration in concrete areas and projects.

ANSWER: All

Explanation:
- The non-cooperation movement was significant phase of the Indian independence movement from British rule.
- It was led by Mahatma Gandhi and was supported by the Indian National Congress. Gandhi started the non-cooperation movement in January 1921 after the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.
- It aimed to resist British rule in India through nonviolent means.
- Mahatma Gandhi called off the non-cooperation movement.

ANSWER: None

Explanation:
Tropical Savannah : Sahyadri Mountain Range and parts of Maharashtra
Tropical semi-arid steppe : Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and other parts of South India

ANSWER: Only 1

Explanation:
- Udayin laid the foundation of the new capital at Pataliputra situated at the confluence of the two rivers, the Ganges and the Son.
- Bimbisara belonged to the Haryanka dynasty of Magadh kingdom . He married Kosaladevi, sister of Prasenajit.
- He was given the Kasi region as dowry which yielded large revenue. Bimbisara was a contemporary of both Vardhamana Mahavira and Gautama Buddha. However, both religions claim him as their supporter and devotee. He seems to have made numerous gifts to the Buddhist Sangha.

ANSWER: Saisunaga dynasty

Explanation:
- Saisunaga defeated the king of Avanti which was made part of the Magadhan Empire. After Saisunaga, the mighty empire began to collapse.
- His successor was Kakavarman or Kalasoka. During his reign the second Buddhist Council was held at Vaisali.
- Kalasoka was killed by the founder of the Nanda dynasty.

ANSWER: Improving corporate governance practices

Explanation:
- Narayan Murty Committee was set up by SEBI in 2002 to suggest measures for improving corporate governance practices in our country.
- The committee submitted its report on 2003 and its recommendations were:

1. Whistle-blower protection
2. Audit committee
3. Financial disclosure
4. Code of conduct for the board members for ethical conduct

ANSWER: Pune

Explanation:
- In Budget 2014 finance minister announced a National Industrial Corridor Authority, with its headquarter in Pune
- It is being set-up with an amount of Rs. 100 crore, to coordinate the development of industrial corridors with smart cities linked to transport connectivity.
- The Finance Minister has also announced that the Amritsar Kolkata Industrial Master Planning will be completed expeditiously for the establishment of Industrial Smart cities in seven States in this corridor.