IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - Oct 30 & 31, 2016

ANSWER: 2, 3

Explanation:

• Karate has been included for the first time in Olympics and promises to throw light on the rich history of the discipline.
• It joins surfing, skateboarding, climbing and baseball-softball as new sports included for the 2020 edition.
• A blend of indigenous fighting styles, karate was born in Okinawa in the 15th century when the area was ruled by the independent Ryukyu Kingdom. Strong trading links meant that the sport was also influenced by Chinese martial arts.
• It has at least 10 million registered practitioners worldwide, and yet it has struggled to make the case for inclusion in the Games.
• Judo and Taekwondo are already permanent fixtures. While judo made its Olympic debut when Tokyo hosted the 1964 Games, taekwondo made its first appearance at the event in 1988.

ANSWER: Antigen and antibody

Explanation:

• An epitope, also known as antigenic determinant, is the part of an antigen that is recognized by the immune system, specifically by antibodies, B cells, or T cells. For example, the epitope is the specific piece of the antigen to which an antibody binds.
• Scientists have designed a new generation of universal flu vaccines that protects against majority of the known viral strains and help prevent future global pandemics that could kill millions.
• The components of this vaccine would be short flu virus fragments called epitopes - that are already known to be recognised by the immune system.
• Epitope-based vaccines aren't new, but most reports have no experimental validation. The researchers have turned the problem on its head and only use previously-tested epitopes.

ANSWER: Delhi NCR

Explanation:

• US tech giant Microsoft has set up a cybersecurity engagement centre (CSEC) in the Delhi-NCR region that will help it work with partners to identify and respond to cyber threats in the country.
• The India centre, which is the seventh such facility for the company globally, will function as a satellite to Microsoft's Redmond Digital Crimes Unit (DCU).
• The other cyber security centres operated by Microsoft are located in Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, China, Berlin and Washington DC.
• The centre is also expected to help the company collaborate with government organisations to quickly and reactively address cyber threat and cyber-attacks.
• Three common IT environment issues (which are also the highest cyber security risks) plaguing organisations in India are - unmanaged/unregulated IT assets usage, poor knowledge of cyber hygiene and inability to timely monitor, detect and remove cyber threats.

ANSWER: Both 1 and 2

Explanation:

• A draft Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill 2016 has mooted the "creative destruction of inefficient firms" as part of the legislation that seeks to address insolvency issues in financial services companies.
• The bill will establish a Resolution Corporation.
• The head office of the Corporation shall be at Mumbai. The Corporation may establish offices at other places in India.
• The general direction and management of the affairs and business of the Corporation shall vest in the Board, subject to the terms and conditions of this Act.

ANSWER: 25

Explanation:

• The Development Committee (DC) is a ministerial-level forum of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund for intergovernmental consensus-building on development issues.
• Known formally as the Joint Ministerial Committee of the Boards of Governors of the Bank and the Fund on the Transfer of Real Resources to Developing Countries, the Committee was established in 1974.
• The Committee has 25 members, usually Ministers of Finance or Development, and who represent the full membership of the Bank and Fund.
• They are appointed by each of the countries, or groups of countries, represented on the Boards of Executive Directors of the Bank and Fund. The Chairman is selected from among the Committee's members and is assisted by an Executive Secretary who is elected by the Committee.
• Mr. Arun Jaitley, Minister of Finance represents - Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Sri Lanka.

ANSWER: Only 1

Explanation:

• The Committee's mandate is to advise the Boards of Governors of the Bank and the Fund on critical development issues and on the financial resources required to promote economic development in developing countries.
• Over the years, the Committee has interpreted this mandate to include trade and global environmental issues in addition to traditional development matters.
• The Development Committee meets twice a year; in the spring and in the fall at the time of the joint Bank-Fund Annual Meetings.
• Its meetings are held in tandem with the meetings of the International Monetary and Finance Committee (IMFC) of the Fund.
• The agenda for the meetings is based on issues recommended by the Chairman, the President of the Bank, the Managing Director of the Fund, and the Executive Boards of the Bank and Fund.
• Given the Committee's focus, the President of the Bank has a special responsibility to propose topics that he believes require the attention of the Governors.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
The Board shall consist of the following members who shall be appointed by the Central Government, namely:-

• a Chairperson;
• one member nominated by the Central Government representing the Ministry of Finance ex officio;
• one member nominated by the Reserve Bank of India representing the Reserve Bank of India ex officio;
• one member nominated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India ex officio;
• one member nominated by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India representing the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India ex officio;
• one member nominated by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority representing the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority ex officio;
• up to three whole-time members to be appointed by the Central Government; and Two independent members to be appointed by the Central Government.

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:

• The term of office of the Chairperson and members (other than ex officio members) shall be five years or till they attain the age of sixty-five years, whichever is earlier,
• They shall be eligible for reappointment subject to certain conditions, provided that the age-limit to determine the term of office of independent members shall be seventy years.

ANSWER: Both 1 and 2

Explanation:
The ex-officio members are different from a Chairperson. The Chairperson need not be of the institute which nominate the ex-officio members. A person is disqualified from being appointed as the Chairperson or whole-time member of the Board, other than as an ex officio member, if at the time of appointment such person.

• Has been appointed twice as a member of the Board;
• Will not be able to serve a term of at least three years before reaching the age of retirement; and
• Holds or has held, in three years preceding such appointment, any position which is likely to conflict with his or her duties as a member of the Board.

ANSWER: 1, 3

Explanation:
Every appointment made, other than the appointment of an ex-officio member, shall be made after obtaining the recommendation of a search and selection committee consisting of-

• Cabinet Secretary-Chairperson;
• Secretary to the Government of India to be nominated by the Central Government-Member;
• Three experts of repute from the field of finance, law, management, insolvency and related subjects, to be nominated by the Central Government-Members.