Q.1 With respect to the Combined Maritime Task Force (CMF), consider the following statements:
- It is based in Bahrain
- It was formed in 2001 to help counter international terrorism.
- India became an associate partner of CMF in 2022
- CMF’s main focus areas are counter-narcotics, counter-smuggling, suppressing piracy, encouraging regional cooperation
- Pakistan is also a member of the grouping
How many of the above statements are true?
- (a) 1, 3 and 4
- (b) 1, 2, 3 and 4
- (c) 1, 2 and 3
- (d) All of the above
Ans: (d)
Source: India-US 2+2 Dialogue Cements Focus on Israel, Indo-Pacific, Defence, and Tech (The Quint, 11 November 2023)
Explanation:
- CMF has 34 member nations: Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, the Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, United Kingdom, United States, and Yemen.
- At the India-US 2+2 dialogue held in April (2022), India announced that it would join the CMF as an Associate Partner.
Q.2. Consider the following statements:
- Janjatiya Gaurav Divas is celebrated every year on November 15th
- November 15 is the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda
- Janjatiya Gaurav Divas is celebrated since 2021
How many of the above statements are true?
- (a) 1 and 3
- (b) Only 2
- (c) 2 and 3
- (d) All of the above
Ans: (d)
Source: PM Modi to launch Rs 24,000-crore scheme for vulnerable tribal groups tomorrow (The Indian Express, November 14, 2023)
Explanation:
- Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, will launch a Rs 24,000-crore project on 15 November in Jharkhand. The event will coincide with ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas’.
- This scheme was revealed in the 2023-24 budget. It targets the holistic advancement of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), reaching out to 75 such distinct groups.
- PVTGs are particularly unique due to their distinct cultures, geographic isolation, and minimal interaction with other communities, making them extremely vulnerable among tribal groups.
- The project aims to bring necessary services to PVTGs’ remote and scattered habitats. These services include roads, telecom connectivity, electricity, housing, clean drinking water, sanitation, education, health, nutritional provisions, and sustainable livelihood opportunities.
- An estimated 28 lakh individuals from 75 PVTGs, living across 22,544 villages in 18 states and Union Territories, stand to gain from this initiative.
- To include these isolated settlements, some scheme norms will be relaxed.
- Beyond the 11 specified interventions, the project will also extend other government initiatives. These include PMJAY health insurance, Sickle Cell Disease Elimination, TB Elimination, childhood immunisation, PM Surakshit Matrutva, PM Matru Vandana Yojana, PM Poshan, and PM Jan Dhan Yojana.
Q.3. With reference to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), consider the following statements:
- Statement 1: The PVTG group was last updated by the Central government in 1993
- Statement 2: Earlier, they were referred to as Primitive Tribal Groups
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
- (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
- (b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
- (c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
- (d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
Ans: (b)
Explanation:
- In 1973, the Dhebar Commission established the Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs). They are the least developed among tribal groups.
- In 1975, the government identified 52 groups as PTGs.
- By 1993, another 23 groups were added to this category.
- So, there are a total of 75 PVTGs from 705 Scheduled Tribes. They are located across 17 states and one Union Territory (UT) in India, according to the 2011 census.
- The government renamed PTGs as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in 2006.
- PVTGs have some common characteristics:
- They are largely homogenous.
- They have a small population.
- They are relatively physically isolated.
- Their social institutes are simple.
- They don’t have a written language.
- Their rate of change is slower.
- Government of India follows the following criteria for identifiaction of PVTGs.
- Pre-agricultural level of technology
- Low level of literacy
- Economic backwardness
- A declining or stagnant population.
Q.4. Consider the following statements regarding Magellanic Clouds?
- Statement I: Large Magellanic Cloud and Small Magellanic Cloud are named after a Portuguese explorer.
- Statement II: A Portuguese explorer was the first to identify these dwarf satellite galaxies in 1519
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
- (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
- (b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
- (c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
- (d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
Ans: (c)
Source: Past and Prejudice (The Indian Express Editorial, November 14, 2023)
Explanation:
- The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are facing a potential name change, according to a report by The Guardian.
- Some astronomers have appealed to the International Astronomical Union, proposing a renaming of these dwarf satellite galaxies visible in the Southern Hemisphere.
- For many years, these galaxies have been named after the explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, a tradition that has recognized him in astronomical terms.
- However, some astronomers are now urging the removal of Magellan’s name from these galaxies.
- They argue that Magellan, a 16th-century Portuguese sailor, was responsible for horrific acts of violence and enslavement of Indigenous people during his global expedition.
- The astronomer Mia de los Reyes, from Amherst College in Massachusetts, notes that Magellan and his men engaged in burning villages and killing their inhabitants in places such as present-day Guam and the Philippines.
- Although Magellan was the leader of the 1519 Spanish expedition that marked the first European navigation to Asia via the Pacific, his life ended in 1521, during a battle with Indigenous people in what is now the Philippines.
- Professor Reyes suggests that the International Astronomical Union should rename the Magellanic Clouds.
- The argument is not merely about Magellan’s deeds, but also about the fact that he didn’t discover the clouds, according to Professor David Hogg of New York University.
- Indigenous peoples in the southern hemisphere could see these celestial bodies and had their own names for them.
- The clouds weren’t named after Magellan until the late 19th century.
- The renaming request is part of a larger movement in the scientific community to change names deemed offensive.
- This includes species named after Hitler and Mussolini.
- Scientists are urging taxonomic organisations to allow changes to offensive names.
Q.5. Consider the following statements
- Statement 1: Concerns have been raised over rising subsidies for non-merit goods in several states.
- Statement 2: Electricity subsidy forms about half of total subsidy expenditure by states.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
- (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
- (b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
- (c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
- (d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
Ans: (a)
Source: Languishing share of GST revenue in GSDP (Indian Express, November 14, 2023); PRS Report, State of State Finance, October 2023
Explanation:
In recent years, states have allocated approximately 8-9% of their revenue receipts towards subsidies. A substantial portion of these subsidies is devoted to providing affordable or free electricity. However, there are growing concerns about the increasing subsidies allocated to non-essential goods in several states. Such non-essential subsidies may limit the fiscal capacity available for capital expenditure.