IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - Oct 22 & 23, 2016

ANSWER: Port Vila

Explanation:

• Capital of Republic of Vanuatu is Port Vila. Vanuatu is Pacific Ocean in the Oceania region.
• Vanuatu is a tax haven.
• Capital of Fiji is Suva.
• Vanuatu is in favour of expansion of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and supports India’s position for its candidature to permanent membership to the extended UNSC.
• India signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Establishing India-Vanuatu Centre of Excellence in IT (CEIT). Further, Vanuatu expressed its support and desire to join the International Solar Alliance, launched by India and France in November 2015.
• India announced that LED bulbs and other Energy Efficient equipment worth US$ 2,00,000 will be supplied from India to Vanuatu.
• Vanuatu has acknowledged India’s commitment for strengthening bilateral ties through the first ever ministerial visit from India to Republic of Vanuatu. It was undertaken by Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, Shri Piyush Goyal who led a thirteen-member Indian delegation.
• India-Vanuatu bilateral relations are very friendly and mutually cooperative and getting stronger following two Summits of Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) since November 2014.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:

• There is a predicted increase in demand for animal food products in India by 2020. In the wake of climate change challenges, quality breeding of indigenous livestock is essential.
• When breeding is selective, the native livestock can transform the lives of small farmers. Genomic selection will ensure high-yielding, disease-resistant, resilient livestock.
• Better livestock can be genetically, selected which ultimately leads to enhancement of productivity in a sustainable, resilient manner.
• Genetic improvement of livestock through traditional selection for increasing livestock productivity has major limitations. To overcome these, genomic selection has played a crucial role in livestock industry globally.
• Genomic selection will transform local livestock breeding. This uses information on variation in DNA sequences between animals to predict the breeding value of animals more accurately.
• Genome sequencing of indigenous cattle breeds from all registered cattle breeds of India by involving various stakeholders is to start soon.
• Development of high-density DNA chips. This will reduce the cost and time interval of breeding program in future and productivity of indigenous cattle will be enhanced.

ANSWER: Krishi Innovation Science Application Network

Explanation:

• Biotech- KISAN stands for Krishi Innovation Science Application Network.
• Biotech-KISAN is a new programme that empowers farmers, especially women farmers.
• Cash crops and horticulture can be a major source of income but the vagaries of climate, disease and market often prevent this.
• Farmers are eager to use scientific tools that can mitigate these factors.
• The Department of Biotechnology is partnering to stimulate these exciting directions.
• The Scheme is for farmers, developed by and with farmers, it empowers women, impacts locally, connects globally, is Pan-India, has a hub-and spoke model and stimulates entrepreneurship and innovation in farmers.

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:

• The Biotech-KISAN is a Farmer centric scheme launched by of the Department of Biotechnology, where scientists will work in sync with farmers to understand problems and find solutions.
• It is developed in consultation with the farmers. Soil, Water, Seed and Market are some key points that concern small and marginal farmers.
• Biotech-KISAN aims to link farmers, scientists and science institutions across the country in a network that identifies and helps solve their problems in a cooperative manner.
• Biotech KISAN will connect farmers with science in the 15 agro-climatic zones of the country in a manner, which constantly links problems with available solutions.

ANSWER: Both 1 and 2

Explanation:

• The woman farmer is often neglected.
• It is important to empower the women farmer, help her meet her concerns for better seed, storage of seed and protection of the crops from disease and pest.
• The women farmer is also the prime caretaker of livestock and she is eager to combine traditional wisdom in handling the livestock and with current best practices, especially in the context of emerging livestock disease.
• The scheme includes the Mahila Biotech- KISAN fellowships, for training and education in farm practices, for women farmers.
• The Scheme also aims to support the women farmers/ entrepreneur in their small enterprises, making her a grass root innovator.

ANSWER: Only 1

Explanation:

• The scheme is targeted towards the least educated marginalised farmer;
• Scientists will spend time on farms and link communication tools to soil, water seed and market. The aim is to understand individual problems of the smallholding farmers and provide ready solutions.
• Biotech-KISAN will connect farmers to best global practices; training workshops will be held in India and other countries. Farmers and Scientists will partner across the globe.

ANSWER: A farmer organization

Explanation:

• In each of the 15 agro-climatic zones of the country, a Farmer organisation will be the hub connected to different science labs, Krishi Vigyan Kendra and State Agriculture Universities co-located in the region.
• The hub will reach out to the farmers in the region and connect them to scientists and institutions.
• The hub will have tinkering lab, communication cell and will run year-long training, awareness, workshops and which will act as education demonstration units to encourage grass root innovation in the young as well as women farmers.
• Communicating Best Practises There will be a communication set-up to make radio and TV programmes for local stations, as well as daily connectivity through social media.

ANSWER: 1, 3

Explanation:

• Service voter is a voter having service qualification. According to the provisions of Representation of People Act, 1950, service qualification means

a. Being a member of the armed Forces of the Union; or
b. Being a member of a force to which provisions of the Army Act, 1950 (46 of 1950), have been made applicable whether with or     without modification;
c. Being a member of an Armed Police Force of a State, and serving outside that state; or
d. Being a person who is employed under the Government of India, in a post outside India.

ANSWER: Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:

• The Election Commission proposed that the categories of voters mentioned at rule 18 of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 may be made eligible for e-postal ballot system.
• However, on a pilot basis, e-postal ballot system has been introduced by Notification dated 21st October, 2016 for service voters only.
• A blank postal ballot could be electronically transmitted to the voter, namely, e-postal ballot system. Voters entitled to postal ballot such as service voters, can download the postal ballot and print the blank postal ballot.
• After marking his vote in the blank postal ballot, the same would be returned to the concerned Returning Officer by post as in the present system of postal ballot.
• This is one-way transmission of ballot paper by the postal services.
• Current system of postal ballot involves two-way transmission of ballot paper by the postal services. This causes delays.

ANSWER: A person having service qualification can get enrolled at either his/her place of posting or his/her native place

Explanation:

• While an ordinary elector is registered in the electoral roll of the constituency in which his place of ordinary residence is located, person having service qualification can get enrolled as ‘service voter’ at his native place even though he actually may be residing at a different place (of posting).
• He has, however, an option to get himself enrolled as general elector at the place of his posting where he factually, at the point of time, is residing ordinarily with his family for a sufficient span of time.
• Service voter is a voter having service qualifications which are related to employment of armed forces, central government, etc. No ordinary person can be termed as service voter if he is not into service of armed forces, central government, etc.