IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - Sep 03, 2016

ANSWER: 10 crore

Explanation:

• The scheme will be applicable only to foreign investors fulfilling the prescribed eligibility conditions, his/her spouse and dependents.
• In order to avail this scheme, the foreign investor will have to invest a minimum of Rs. 10 crores to be brought within 18 months or Rs.25 crores to be brought within 36 months.
• Further, the foreign investment should result in generating employment to at least 20 resident Indians every financial year.
• Those who meet the criteria would be eligible to stay for 10 years. The residency permit can be extended by a decade.
• Up to now, such investors have been eligible for business visas lasting up to five years.

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:

• Permanent Residency Status will be granted for a period of 10 years initially with multiple entry facility, which can be renewed for another 10 years.
• PRS will serve as a multiple entry visa without any stay stipulation and PRS holders will be exempted from the registration requirements.
• PRS holders will be allowed to purchase one residential property for dwelling purpose.
• The spouse/ dependents of the PRS holder will be allowed to take up employment in private sector (in relaxation to salary stipulations for Employment Visa) and undertake studies in India.

ANSWER: Rescuing children from trafficking

Explanation:

• After successful implementation of ‘Operation Smile’, the railway police started implementing ‘Operation Muskaan’ to trace missing and destitute children and reunite them with their parents.
• This campaign would be a continuation of the Operation Smile.
• The main aim of the programme was to prevent child trafficking and rescue children from persons who tried to engage them in begging, sexual trade and other antisocial activities.
• Under this programme, specially trained police teams would screen all children residing in shelter homes, railway platforms, bus stands, roads and religious places.
• They would also extract required information from these children tactfully.

ANSWER: 2, 3

Explanation:

• A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Central Reserve Police Force and the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
• CRPF has its presence even in the remotest areas of the country and it can play a pivotal role in extending the benefits of Skill Development Schemes like Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna to the tribals of Naxal affected areas, where few trainers dare to venture due to security reason.
• CRPF can also play a crucial role for Skill Training of J&K youth and even in the disturbed areas of North-Eastern region of country.
• The Minister said that the MoU will also help the retired CRPF personnel, widows of martyrs, disabled personnel, unemployed CRPF wards and family members of CRPF personnel by providing them Welfare and gainful employment.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:

• The beneficiaries of the Skill Development Programme would be spouses of CRPF personnel, disabled personnel, widows of martyrs, wards of CRPF personnel or interested civilians.
• They would be trained in apparel making, automobile, beauty and wellness, food processing, IT, etc. in various CRPF Group Centres/ establishments across the country.
• The Force would also extend the requisite security and support to skill development trainers who would be visiting the hitherto inaccessible interior areas in remote villages to impart the skills to the tribal population.

ANSWER: New Delhi

Explanation:

• The Ministry of Defence, Government of India has sanctioned the construction of a National War Museum in New Delhi.
• The National War Museum will be an institution to collect, preserve, interpret and display military artefacts, portray significant events of our nation’s wars and conflicts and related objects of historical importance for education and promoting patriotism.
• The selected site for this museum is Princess Park near India Gate.
• Global Architectural Competition for the Museum has been launched on 15 August 2016 on MyGov.in portal.

ANSWER: Disaster Management Exercise

Explanation:

• The maiden Joint Disaster Management Exercise named Prakampana (‘Cyclone’ in Sanskrit) aimed at synchronising resources and efforts of all agencies involved in disaster management has been inaugurated at Visakhapatnam.
• It is headed by the Indian Navy.

ANSWER: Plight of island nations due to rising seas

Explanation:

• The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s World Conservation Congress is held every four years in a different location around the globe.
• This year, the conference theme of "Planet at the Crossroads" is aimed at exposing the plight of island nations that are at risk of disappearing in the coming decades due to rising seas.
• Arguments are expected on hotly debated issues such as what to do about domestic ivory markets which lead to the killing of elephants for their tusks, and how to feed the world's growing population without exhausting its natural resources.

ANSWER: Anti-cancer compound

Explanation:

• IISc Bangalore concluded study on quercetin recently and found it to be extremely useful for cancer patients.
• Quercetin, known to cause anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activity, reportedly induces ‘apoptosis,’ a process by which cells commit suicide in a controlled manner.
• The compound may also prevent multiplication of cancerous cells by blocking the process of cell division.
• It can even kill the highly aggressive leukaemia cell line K562, which is resistant to most anti-cancer drugs.
• It is an originally purified compound, which is now also commercially purified and sold.
• It was found to have no adverse effects on the non-cancerous cells even while killing the cancerous ones, including in the experimental animals.