IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - Nov 22 & 23, 2015

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:
- Except for the deep sea hydro-thermal ecosystem, sun is the only source of energy for all ecosystems on Earth.
- A hydrothermal vent is a fissure in a planet's surface from which geothermally heated water issues.
- Hydrothermal vents are commonly found near volcanically active places, areas where tectonic plates are moving apart, ocean basins, and hotspots. Hydrothermal vents exist because the earth is both geologically active and has large amounts of water on its surface and within its crust.
- Common land types include hot springs, fumaroles and geysers.
- Active hydrothermal vents are believed to exist on Jupiter's moon Europa, and Saturn's moon Enceladus, and ancient hydrothermal vents have been speculated to exist on Mars.

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:
- The Galilean moons are the four largest moons of Jupiter—Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.
- They were discovered by Galileo Galilei around January 1610 and were the first group of objects found to orbit another planet.
- Ganymede is the largest moon in the Solar System, and is even bigger than the planet Mercury. The three inner moons—Io, Europa, and Ganymede—are in a 4:2:1 orbital resonance with each other.

ANSWER: All

Explanation:
- The state government has a vital role to play in ensuring the proper functioning of local bodies.
- To supervise, direct and control the regular and smooth elections to panchayats, a State Election Commission has The Act has ensured constitution of a State Finance Commission in every State/UT, for every five years, to suggest measures to strengthen finances of panchayati raj institutions.

ANSWER: Both

Explanation:
- The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is the inter-governmental organisation representing hydrography.
- The principal role of the IHO is to ensure that the world’s seas, oceans and navigable waters are properly surveyed and charted.
- It does this through the setting of international standards, the co-ordination of the endeavours of national hydrographic offices, and through its capacity building programme.
- The IHO enjoys observer status at the United Nations where it is the recognised competent authority on hydrographic surveying and nautical charting. When referring to hydrography and nautical charting in Conventions and similar Instruments, it is the IHO standards and specifications that are normally used.

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:
- The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is the prestigious award accorded annually by India to individuals or organizations in recognition of creative efforts toward promoting international peace, development and a new international economic order; ensuring that scientific discoveries are used for the larger good of humanity, and enlarging the scope of freedom.
- The prize carries a cash award of 2.5 million Indian rupees and a citation.
- Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2015 will be awarded to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Previously it was given to ISRO in 2014.

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:
- UNHCR also known as the UN Refugee Agency
- It is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to a third country.
- Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland and is a member of the United Nations Development Group.
- The UNHCR has won two Nobel Peace Prizes, once in 1954 and again in 1981.
- António Guterres has held the post of High Commissioner since June 2005
- Angelina Jolie After 10 years serving as a Goodwill Ambassador, Angelina Jolie was promoted in 2012 to Special Envoy to the High Commissioner.

ANSWER: National Manufacturing Policy

Explanation:
- Technology Acquisition and Development Fund (TADF) is under National Manufacturing Policy being implemented by Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion(DIPP).
- TADF is a new scheme to facilitate acquisition of Clean, Green & Energy Efficient Technologies, in form of Technology / Customised Products / Specialised Services / Patents / Industrial Design available in the market available in India or globally, by Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

ANSWER: A.K Mathur

Explanation:
- Pay Commission is set up intermittently by government of India, and gives its recommendations regarding changes in salary structure of its employees.
- Since India's Independence, seven pay commissions have been set up on a regular basis to review and make recommendations on the work and pay structure of all civil and military divisions of the Government of India.
- Headquartered in Delhi, the Commission is given 18 months from date of its constitution to make its recommendations.

ANSWER: Vaishnava devotional songs

Explanation:
- The history of the Vaishnava movement from the end of the Gupta period till the first decade of the thirteenth century AD is concerned mainly with South India.
- Vaishnava poet-saints known as alvars (a Tamil word denoting those drowned in Vishnu-bhakti) preached single-minded devotion (ekatmika bhakti) for Vishnu and their songs were collectively known as prabandhas.

ANSWER: Ministry of Women and Child Development

Explanation:
- The Union Ministry of Women and Child Developmenthas launched a new initiative to spread awareness about the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP-Save the girl child, Educate the girl child) Scheme of the Ministry.
- There has been a steady decline in the Child Sex Ratio (CSR) across India, with 918 females born per 1000 males as per the Census of 2011.
- The Ministry of Women and Child Development is the nodal ministry for the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme being implemented jointly with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Human Resource Development.
- The Scheme is targeted at improving the Child Sex Ratio through multi sectoral interventions including prevention of gender biased sex selection and promoting girls’ education and her holistic empowerment.