IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - Oct 04 & 05, 2015

ANSWER: 1,3,4

Explanation:
- Land leasing is important in building a clear and non-controversial source of income for the rural population
- Changes in rules that governed the Right To Education Act would allow private players greater flexibility.
- On land leasing, the Aayog has constituted a 10-member committee, headed by T Haque, former chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices, to review tenancy laws of states.
- The panel will have representation from Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Maharashtra, Assam, Rajasthan and Meghalaya.

ANSWER: All

Explanation:
Before United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meet for their 21st annual meet, called Conference of Parties, in Paris, 196 countries had to submit their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions to help draft a new pact on climate change.

ANSWER: Ladakh

Explanation:
- Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) established the world's highest terrestrial centre at 17,600 feet above sea level at Changla near Pengong lake in Ladakh.
- The centre will serve as a natural cold storage for preserving rare and endangered medical plants for generations to come.
- It will act as an important utility for research work in frontal areas of food and agriculture and bio-medical sciences for well being of the soldiers deployed in high altitude cold desert.

ANSWER: All

Explanation:
- Canadian social activist Sheila Watt-Cloutier has received the Right Livelihood Awards this year for her work to protect the Inuit of the Arctic and defend their right to maintain their livelihoods and culture.
- Sheila shared the honor with Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera of Uganda for her fight for gay rights, Marshall Islands foreign minister Tony de Brum for his works towards getting a secure and sustainable Marshall Islands and Italian surgeon Gino Strada for his medical assistance to the war victims.
- The Right Livelihood Award is often called 'alternative Nobel'
- Philanthropist Jakob von Uexkull established the award in 1980 and it is given away in December every year.

ANSWER: Incheon

Explanation:
- The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a fund within the framework of the UNFCCC founded as a mechanism to assist developing countries in adaptation and mitigation practices to counter climate change. The GCF is based in the new Songdo district of Incheon, South Korea.
- It is intended to be the centrepiece of efforts to raise Climate Finance of $100 billion a year by 2020.

ANSWER: Only 1

Explanation:
- National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) is the apex National Centre of research and development in Solar Energy under administrative control of the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy
- It coordinates research & technology related work under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM).
- World Renewable Museum will be established in the NISE campus.

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:
Solar resource rich countries between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn which lie at 23.5 degrees latitude on either side of the equator are proposed to be members of this agency.
The Tropic of Cancer runs mostly cutting across Mexico, the Bahamas, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, India, etc.
The Tropic of Capricorn runs through Australia, Chile, southern Brazil, and South Africa.
Around 110 countries are bound by the Tropic of Cancer on the north and Tropic of Capricorn on the south.

ANSWER: Indonesia

Explanation:
- India and Indonesia will expand strategic and defense ties by jointly conducting an inaugural maritime exercise in the Andaman Sea.
- This bilateral exercise will be embedded in the expanded version of the coordinated patrol (CORPAT)
- The two navies have been carrying out Coordinated Patrolling (CORPAT) along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) twice a year since 2002, with the aim of keeping this vital part of the Indian Ocean Region safe and secure for commercial shipping and international trade.

ANSWER: Gangtok

Explanation:
Garbage Guru Award: Colonel (Retired) Suresh Rege
Toilet Titan Award: Dr. Siddeek Ahmed, Chairman, Eram Scientific Solutions
Safaigiri Tech Icon Award: Dr. R Vasudevan, Dean, Thiagarajar Engineering College
Safaigiri Water Warrior Award: Anoop Ratnaker Rao, CEO, Naandi Community Water
Safaigiri Community Mobiliser Award: PB Salim
Safaigiri Cleanest Park Award: Rock Garden, Chandigarh
Safaigiri Cleanest Marketplace Award: Connaught Place
Safaigiri Cleanest Hill Station: Gangtok
Safaigiri Award for Cleanest Ghat: Assi Ghat, Varanasi
Safaigiri Award for Cleanest Monument: Victoria Memorial, Kolkata
Safaigiri Award for Corporate Trailblazer: Piramal Group
Safaigiri Award for Cleanest Beach Town: Havelock Island, Andaman
Safaigiri Award for Cleanest Temple Town: Tirupati

ANSWER: India

Explanation:
India became the world leader and produced 6.51 million tonnes (mt) of the fibre against 6.48 mt registered by China in the cotton year 2014-15, according to the data released by the International Cotton Advisory Committee.

ANSWER: Only 1

Explanation:
The Nilgiri tahr is endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western Ghats in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in Southern India. It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.

In the first-ever comprehensive study of the Nilgiri tahr population in Western Ghats, the WWF-India has put the population at 3,122 and added that with diligent conservation and planning, the population could reach the 5,000 mark.

ANSWER: All

Explanation:
Bhuvan is a software application which allows users to explore a 2D/3D representation of the surface of the Earth. The browser is specifically tailored to view India, offering the highest resolution in this region and providing content in four local languages.

The tool “Bhuvan Ganga” now available on public domain for people to participate in providing vital information for Clean Ganga project.

ANSWER: Only 3

Explanation:
-The Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) operated by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
- The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), operated by the ESSP.
- The Multi-functional Satellite Augmentation System (MSAS) system, operated by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB).
- The GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) system being operated by India.
- These are examples of satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS)

ANSWER: Mahatma Gandhi

Explanation:
No explanation is available for this question!

ANSWER: Shivalik Class warship

Explanation:
As part of India’s Look East and Act East Policy, Indian Navy’s indigenously built multi-role stealth frigate INS Sahyadri entered Da Nang in Vietnam.

ANSWER: Mollem National Park

Explanation:
The falls is located in the Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park amongst the Western ghats. The waterfall forms the border between Karnataka and Goa states.