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1., , Consider the following statements about, Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food, processing Enterprises (PM-FME):, 1. It has been launched under the, Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan., 2. It primarily focuses on the unorganized, segment of the food processing industry., 3. It envisages enhancing minor forest, produce in the tribal districts., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 only, (b) 1 and 2 only, (c) 2 and 3 only, (d) 1, 2 and 3, , 4., , With reference to the outcomes observed in, the decade following the LPG reforms, initiated in India in 1991, consider the, following statements., 1. It led to rapid increase in FDI and forex, reserves., 2. It led to increase in the GDP growth of, the Indian economy., 3. It, , led, , to, , lower, , growth, , rate, , in, , manufacturing industries., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 only, (b) 1 and 3 only, (c) 2 and 3 only, , 2., , 3., , 2, , Consider the following statements with, reference to 'Soil Health Card' (SHC):, 1. SHCs are provided to all farmers in the, country at an interval of 2 years., 2. Soil samples are tested with respect to, macro and micro nutrients only., 3. SHCs could lead to savings on fertilisers, and increase in production., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 and 2 only, (b) 2 and 3 only, (c) 1 and 3 only, (d) 1 only, Which of the following trends were seen in, the Indian economy after the 1991 economic, reforms?, 1. The growth rate steadily increased., 2. Agriculture, and, allied, sector, continuously show a positive growth, rate., 3. Share of the public sector in total, investment increased., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 only, (b) 1 and 2 only, (c) 2 only, (d) 2 and 3 only, , (d) 1, 2 and 3, 5., , With reference to the Earth Observation, Satellite (EOS-01), recently launched by the, ISRO, consider the following statements:, 1. It, , was, , launched, , Geosynchronous, , onboard, , Satellite, , the, , Launch, , Vehicle (GSLV), 2. It operates in the Sun-synchronous orbit., 3. It was launched from Abdul Kalam, Island, Odisha., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 and 2 only, (b) 2 only, (c) 2 and 3 only, (d) 1 and 3 only, 6., , Export Subsidy for sugar industry is, desirable in a year with:, (a) Low expected production for present, season., (b) High carry forward stock from previous, season., (c) High domestic consumption., (d) Higher diversion towards producing, ethanol., ©Vision IAS

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7., , 8., , Which of the following is/are the objectives, of the Debt Management Strategy of, Government of India?, 1. To mobilise borrowings at low cost, while keeping the risks at prudent levels., 2. To maintain a stable and sustainable, debt structure so as to ensure financial, stability., 3. Development of a well-functioning, domestic bond market., Select the correct answer using the code, given below., (a) 1 only, (b) 1 and 2 only, (c) 2 and 3 only, (d) 1, 2 and 3, With reference to Investor Education and, Protection Fund (IEPF), consider the, following statements:, 1. It is set up under the Companies Act,, 2013 to increase awareness of investors, and protect their interests., 2. It consists of only unclaimed amount, from shares and bonds and no grant from, the government is provided., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 only, (b) 2 only, (c) Both 1 and 2, (d) Neither 1 nor 2, , 9., , In the context of Balance of Payment, which, of the following items comes under the, Capital Account?, 1. External assistance by India, 2. Short-term trade credits, 3. Non-Resident Indian (NRI) deposits,, 4. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), 5. Portfolio Investment., Select the correct answer using the code, given below., (a) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, (b) 1, 3 and 5 only, (c) 2, 3 and 4 only, (d) 1, 2 and 4 only, , 3, , www.visionias.in, , 10., , Consider the following statements:, 1. It has a C4 plant mechanism., 2. The yield of this plant is higher per, hectare of output in a shorter period, compared to other food grains with, quality protein., 3. Its a day-neutral crop can be grown in, any season with multiple uses., The above statements best describes which, of the following crops?, (a) Barley, (b) Maize, (c) Ragi, (d) Soyabean, , 11., , The 'Atal Jyoti Yojana' recently seen in the, news is related to:, (a) Installation of solar street lights in, electricity deficient area., (b) Achieving, universal, household, electrification., (c) Providing energy efficient LED tube, lights and fans to people at subsidized, rates., (d) Providing incentives to local bodies for, setting up waste to energy generation, plants., , 12., , Consider the following pairs with reference, to various initiatives by Ministry of, Agriculture & Farmer's Welfare:, Mobile, Use, Apps/Portal, 1. Kisan Rath : Facilitates transportation, of food grains and, perishables during, COVID lockdown, 2. Meghdoot : Provides crop and, livestock-specific, weather-based agro, advisories to farmers, 3. Krishi, : A Data recovery centre, Megh, of Indian Council of, Agricultural Research, Which of the pairs given above is/are, correctly matched?, (a) 1 only, (b) 1 and 3 only, (c) 2 and 3 only, (d) 1, 2 and 3, ©Vision IAS

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13., , 14., , 15., , 4, , Consider the following pairs:, Index, Organization, 1. Global Talent, : International, Competitiveness, Monetary Fund, Index, 2. Global, : World Economic, Competitiveness, Forum, Index, 3. World, : World Bank, Competitiveness, Ranking, Which of the pairs given above is/are, correctly matched?, (a) 1, 2 and 3, (b) 1 and 2 only, (c) 2 only, (d) 1 and 3 only, Consider the following statements with, reference to food fortification in India:, 1. Fortified rice is distributed through the, Public Distribution System in some, states., 2. Milk and edible oil require mandatory, food fortification., 3. Andhra Pradesh leads in Food, Fortification Index., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 only, (b) 1 and 3 only, (c) 2 and 3 only, (d) 1, 2 and, With reference to 'Equalisation Levy 2.0',, which of the following statements is/are, correct?, 1. It covers online sales of all goods and, services., 2. It is applied to only non-resident, companies., 3. India is the only G20 nation to have, implemented such a tax., Select the correct answer using the code, given below., (a) 1 and 2 only, (b) 2 only, (c) 3 only, (d) 1, 2 and 3, www.visionias.in, , 16., , Consider the following:, 1. SAARC, 2. ASEAN, 3. G 20, 4. BRICS, India entered into a complete open sky, agreement with which of the given above, regional groups?, (a) 1 and 2 only, (b) 3 and 4 only, (c) 1, 2 and 4 only, (d) None, , 17., , With, , reference, , Corridor, , to, , National, , Development, , Industrial, Corporation, , (NICDC) Limited, consider the following, statements., 1. It has been formed by renaming Delhi, Mumbai, , Industrial, , Development, , Corporation Limited after the expansion, of its mandate., 2. Government of India and Japan Bank for, International, , Cooperation, , are, , its, , shareholders., 3. Its mandate is to develop and implement, all industrial corridor projects in the, country., Which of the statements given above are, correct?, (a) 1, 2 and 3, (b) 1 and 3 only, (c) 1 and 2 only, (d) 2 and 3 only, ©Vision IAS

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18., , With reference to Fixed Term Employment,, , 21., , With reference to ‘Livestock and Fisheries, , consider the following statements:, , Development in India’, which of the, , 1. In this system, payment is not fixed and, , statements is/are correct?, 1. Poultry possessed by households are, , can be altered during the term of the, , covered under the Livestock Census of, , contract., , India., , 2. In this system, the employee is not on, , 2. Dairy exports are not covered under the, , the payroll of the company., Which of the statements given above is/are, , Merchandise, , correct?, , Scheme., , Exports, , from, , India, , (a) 1 only, , 3. A separate Ministry for Fisheries was, , (b) 2 only, , created during the 7th Five-Year Plan, , (c) Both 1 and 2, , (1985–1990) as part of the Neel Kranti, , (d) Neither 1 nor 2, , Mission., Select the correct answer using the code, , 19., , With reference to Liquefied Natural Gas, , given below., , (LNG), which of the following statements, , (a) 1 and 2 only, , is/are correct?, , (b) 1 only, , 1. It is an odourless, non-toxic and non-, , (c) 2 only, (d) 1, 2 and 3, , corrosive fuel., 2. It is more economical to produce than, 22., , diesel., , correct about the 'Foreign Institutional, , 3. Saudi Arabia is the largest supplier of, , Investment'?, , LNG to India., , 1. They can invest in both the listed and, , Select the correct answer using the code, , unlisted entities., , given below., , 2. They can invest at the time of initial, , (a) 1 only, , allotment., , (b) 1 and 2 only, , 3. They, , (c) 2 and 3 only, , involve, , in, , the, , direct, , Select the correct answer using the code, given below., , Which of the following are the factors lead, , (a) 1 and 2 only, , to the skewed cropping pattern?, , (b) 2 only, , 1. Minimum Support Price, , (c) 3 only, , 2. Input subsidies, , (d) 2 and 3 only, , 3. Availability of groundwater, 4. Demand driven production, Select the correct answer using the code, given below., , 23., , Which of the following industries is/are, reserved for the public sector?, (a) Defence aircraft, , (a) 3 and 4 only, , (b) Atomic energy, , (b) 1 and 2 only, , (c) Railway transport, , (c) 1 and 4 only, , (d) Both (a) and (b), , (d) 1, 2 and 3 only, 5, , can, , management of the enterprise., , (d) 1, 2 and 3, 20., , Which of the following statements is/are, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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24., , Consider the following pairs:, Applications, , 26., , Aim, , India, consider the following statements:, , and Platform, 1. mHariyali, , 1. Inland fish production accounts for the, :, , To encourage Public, engagement, , majority of fish production in India., , in, , 2. Andhra Pradesh is the leading fish, , planting trees and, other, , such, , producer in the country., , Green, , 3. The fisheries sector is classified as a, , drives., 2. L2Pro, , :, , India, , To, , priority sector for bank loans., , enable, , youth,, , Which of the statements given above are, , innovators,, , correct?, , entrepreneurs,, , 3. UMANG, , With reference to the Fisheries sector in, , :, , and, , (a) 1 and 2 only, , small and medium, , (b) 2 and 3 only, , industries (SMEs) in, , (c) 1 and 3 only, , understanding IPRs., , (d) 1, 2 and 3, , To provide a single, platform, , for, , all, , 27., , The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is, , Indian Citizens to, , used to determine:, , access pan India e-, , (a) the competitiveness in a market, , Gov services, , (b) the unemployment rate in an economy, , 4. ROSHNI, , To, , promote, , App, , usage of LED bulbs, among, , (c) a measure of the income inequality, , the, , within a nation, (d) growth rate of an economy over a long, , mobile, , period of time, , application users., Which of the pairs given above are correctly, 28., , matched?, , The Commando Battalions for Resolute, , (a) 1 and 2 only, , Action, (CoBRA) formed in 2008, often seen, , (b) 3 and 4 only, , in the news is deployed in which of the, , (c) 1, 3 and 4 only, , following regions of India?, , (d) 1, 2 and 3 only, , 1. Left Wing Extremism affected states, 2. Coast Guard Patrolling, , 25., , When a country faces the Balance of, , 3. Indo-Tibet border, , Payment crisis it takes the mechanism of,', , Select the correct answer using the code, , The Extended fund Facility (EFF)' to recover, the crisis. This service is provided by, (a) World Bank, (b) International Monetary Fund, (c) The UN Economic and Social council, (d) European Union, 6, , www.visionias.in, , given below., (a) 1 only, (b) 1 and 2 only, (c) 2 and 3 only, (d) 1, 2 and 3, ©Vision IAS

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29., , The term 'E20 Fuel', recently seen in the, , 32., , Consider the following statements with, , news is related to, , reference to Open Market Sale Scheme, , (a) The strategy of the G20 nations to fuel, , (OMSS):, , back, , the, , economic, , growth, , 1. The Food Corporation of India conducts, , post, , a monthly auction under this scheme, , CoVID19, , using, , (b) A fuel used in the artificial sun, , National, , 2. This mechanism is only for the private, , gasoline, , traders to buy the foodgrains, the state, governments are not allowed to avail, , (d) A term to mark the negative crude oil, , this scheme., , futures, that occurred in the year 2020., , 3. At, of, , of, , Limited (NCDEX)., , (c) A fuel blend of 20% ethanol and, , Which, , platform, , Commodity and Derivatives Exchange, , experiment, , 30., , the, , the, , following, , present,, , almost, , all, , the, , major, , foodgrains are auctioned under this, , organizations, , scheme for the open market sales., , releases the report “International Debt, , Which of the statements given above is/are, , Statistics”?, , correct?, , (a) The World Bank, , (a) 1 only, , (b) International Monetary Fund, , (b) 1 and 2 only, , (c) European Central Bank, , (c) 2 and 3 only, , (d) United Nations Conference on Trade and, , (d) None, , Development, 33., 31., , Which of the following statement regarding, 'import substitution' is not correct?, (a) This policy aims at putting emphasis on, domestic production., , 1. Mustard, 2. Coconut, 3. Groundnut, 4. Oil Palm, 5. Soyabean, , (b) It indicates a protectionist economic, , Which among the above is/are the primary, sources of vegetable oil?, , policy., (c) High tariffs and quotas are common in, the countries where import substitution, , (a) 1, 3 and 5 only, (b) 1, 2 and 4 only, (c) 2, 4 and 5 only, , is practised., (d) It is used by the most developed nations., 7, , Consider the following:, , www.visionias.in, , (d) 1, 3, 4 and 5 only, ©Vision IAS

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34., , Consider the following statements regarding, Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs):, 1. An enterprise is defined as a microenterprise where the investment in plant, and machinery does not exceed ten, crore., 2. It is mandatory for every Central, Ministry and PSUs to make at least 50%, procurement from the MSE Sector, 3. Certain products in India are reserved, for exclusive production by the MSE, sector., Which of the statements given above is/are, not correct?, (a) 1 only, (b) 2 only, (c) 2 and 3 only, (d) 1, 2 and 3, , 35., , Consider the following statements:, 1. The development of Indian ports is, reserved for the public sector., 2. Indian Ports handle almost 95 per cent of, trade volume., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 only, (b) 2 only, (c) Both 1 and 2, (d) Neither 1 nor 2, , 36., , 8, , Which of the following regarding Sovereign, Patent Fund, created under the National, Policy on Electronics 2019 is correct?, (a) It is a fund where license fees for the, patent applications in the Electronics, System Design and Manufacturing, (ESDM) sector are accrued., (b) It is a fund to promote the development, and acquisition of intellectual properties, for the benefits of startups in the, Electronics, System, Design, and, Manufacturing (ESDM) sector., (c) It is a fund created to settle legal, disputes related to patents., (d) It is a fund where penalties related to, patent rights violations are accrued., www.visionias.in, , 37., , Which of the following statements is/are, correct regarding the recently notified, National Startup Advisory Council?, 1. The National Startup Advisory Council, will be chaired by Minister for, Commerce & Industry., 2. It will suggest measures to facilitate, public organizations to assimilate, innovation with a view to improving, public service delivery., 3. The Council would also include, founders of successful startups to be, nominated by the central government for, a term of 2 years., Select the correct answer using the code, given below., (a) 1 and 2 only, (b) 2 and 3 only, (c) 1 and 3 only, (d) 1, 2 and 3, , 38., , Estimates indicate that up to 80% of rice, residues are burnt by farmers in Punjab., Which of the following can be the possible, usages of rice residue?, 1. Mushroom cultivation, 2. Paper and pulp board manufacturing, 3. Biogas (anaerobic digestion), 4. Bio-diesel, Select the correct answer using the code, given below., (a) 1 and 2 only, (b) 3 and 4 only, (c) 1, 2 and 4 only, (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4, , 39., , Arrange the following entities in increasing, order of their electric power generation, capacity?, 1. Private Sector, 2. Central Sector, 3. State Sector, Select the correct answer using the code, given below., (a) 2-3-1, (b) 1-2-3, (c) 1-3-2, (d) 3-1-2, ©Vision IAS

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52., , Consider the following statements regarding, , 55., , Millets being resilient to climate change can, respond to malnutrition, hunger and food, security. In this context consider the, following statements:, 1. Millet is a collective term referring to a, number of small seeded annual grasses, in tropical and subtropical regions only., 2. Food And Agriculture Organisation, (FAO) has declared International year, of Millets in 2023., 3. Millets are nutritionally inferior to wheat, and rice., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 and 2 only, (b) 3 only, (c) 2 only, (d) 1, 2 and 3, , 56., , Consider the following statements with, reference to the World Trade Organisation, (WTO):, 1. The WTO has not defined the criteria for, defining countries as “developed” and, “developing” countries., 2. It recognizes those countries as the leastdeveloped countries which have been, designated as such by the World Bank., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 only, (b) 2 only, (c) Both 1 and 2, (d) Neither 1 nor 2, , 57., , Consider the following statements in the, context of process patents:, 1. Process patents provide for absolute, protection of the patented product., 2. The process patents regime prevents the, use of reverse engineering to, manufacture patented products., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 only, (b) 2 only, (c) Both 1 and 2, (d) Neither 1 nor 2, , Patent Rights in India:, 1. Patent protection given in India is, applicable in other WTO member, countries., 2. The term of patent protection is for 10, years., 3. Only products can be patented and not, processes., Which of the statements given above is/are, not correct?, (a) 1, 2 and 3, (b) 2 only, (c) 2 and 3 only, (d) 1 and 3 only, 53., , The India Innovation Index is released by:, (a) NITI Aayog, (b) Department of Science and Technology, (c) Indian Institute of Science Education, and Research, IISER, (d) Indian Space Research Organisation,, ISRO, , 54., , With reference to the Food Processing, Sector in India, consider the following, statements:, 1. The sector constituted more than a, quarter of the Gross Value Addition in, the manufacturing sector., 2. India’s share in the export of processed, food in global trade is less than 5 per, cent., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 only, (b) 2 only, (c) Both 1 and 2, (d) Neither 1 nor 2, , 11, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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58., , With, , reference, , to, , 'Mission, , e-Kranti',, , 61., , the following statements:, 1. They are absent in the arid deserts and, above the timber-line in the Himalayas, 2. Rajasthan was the first state to launch, Project Leopard, 3. Among the States in India, the highest, leopard population is in Madhya Pradesh, Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 and 2 only, (b) 2 only, (c) 3 only, (d) 1, 2 and 3, , consider the following statements:, 1. Its mission is to deliver all government, services electronically., 2. Cabinet Committee on economic affairs, make programme level policy decisions., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 only, (b) 2 only, (c) Both 1 and 2, (d) Neither 1 nor 2, 59., , Which among the following is an effect of, , 62., , Which of the following are the functional, crude oil basins in India?, 1. Bengal Basin, 2. Assam-Arakan Fold Belt, 3. Mumbai Offshore, 4. Andaman & Nicobar Basin, Select the correct answer using the code, given below., (a) 1 and 2 only, (b) 2, 3 and 4 only, (c) 1, 3 and 4 only, (d) 1, 2 and 3 only, , 63., , Consider the following statements with, , the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 on, agricultural markets?, (a) It weakens development of agricultural, value chain., (b) It enhances producers' profit., (c) It, , incentivizes, , investment, , in, , food, , storage infrastructure., (d) It promotes development of vibrant, commodity derivative markets., 60., , Which of the following statements is/are, correct regarding the Green Revolution'?, 1. It was introduced during the fifth fiveyear plan., 2. It has increased productivity of maize, and bajra., 3. It has widened the variety of crops with, unique genotypes., Select the correct answer using the code, below., (a) 1 and 3 only, , reference to, Conservation, (LaCONES):, , the Laboratory for the, of Endangered Species, , 1. It is a dedicated laboratory of the, Wildlife Institute of India for the, conservation of endangered wildlife, 2. It has successfully produced off-springs, of blue rock pigeon, spotted deer and, blackbuck,, through, artificial, insemination., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 only, (b) 2 only, (c) Both 1 and 2, (d) Neither 1 nor 2, , (b) 2 only, (c) 3 only, (d) None, 12, , With reference to Indian Leopards, consider, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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64., , 65., , 66., , 13, , In context to Foreign Direct Investment in, India, which of the following statement is, not correct?, (a) FDI can come from an individual as well, as institutions., (b) FDI is permissible in unlisted and listed, entities., (c) As per present rules, FDI cannot be, made in coal mining activities., (d) FDI inflows in India has constantly, increased for the last five years., With respect to tourism sector in India,, consider the following statements:, 1. The Government of India's contribution, is steadily increasing since last 5 years., 2. Promotion of tourist places is primarily, the responsibility of concerned State, Government., 3. Apni Dharohar and Apni Pehchaan, scheme envisages to develop tourist sites, and making them tourist-friendly., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 only, (b) 1 and 2 only, (c) 3 only, (d) 1, 2 and 3, Recently Yogasana has been declared as a, competitive sport in India. In this context,, consider the following statements regarding, Yoga:, 1. It is a school of Indian philosophy which, does not believe in the existence of God., 2. It is inscribed in the UNESCO's, representative list of Intangible Cultural, Heritage of Humanity., 3. The International day of Yoga usually, coincides with the summer solstice of, the northern hemisphere., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 and 2 only, (b) 1 only, (c) 2 and 3 only, (d) 1, 2 and 3, www.visionias.in, , 67., , Which of the following measures can help, reduce the current account deficit?, 1. Appreciation of exchange rate, 2. Tight monetary policy, 3. Removing bottlenecks in the supply, chain, Select the correct answer using the code, given below., (a) 1 and 2 only, (b) 3 only, (c) 1, 2 and 3, (d) 2 and 3 only, , 68., , Consider the following statements with, reference to electronic National Agriculture, Market (e-NAM):, 1. It provides one license for a trader valid, across all markets in the country., 2. All warehouses are eligible to provide, the trading services., 3. National, Agricultural, , Cooperative, , Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), is the implementing agency for the eNAM platform., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 and 2 only, (b) 2 and 3 only, (c) 1 and 3 only, (d) None, 69., , In the context of intellectual property rights,, which of the following items are usually, copyrighted?, 1. Books, 2. Films, 3. Symbols and logos of different brands, 4. Paintings, Select the correct answer using the code, given below., (a) 1, 2, 3 and 4, (b) 1, 2 and 4 only, (c) 1 and 4 only, (d) 2 and 3 only, ©Vision IAS

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70., , Consider the following statement related to, Trade-Related Aspects, Property Rights (TRIPS):, , of, , 73., , Which of the following correctly describes, ‘The Flying Geese model’ in economics?, (a) A model wherein a group of countries, develop economically by following a, country with capital, technology and, managerial knowhow., (b) A model wherein a group of countries, develop economically by specializing in, avionics sector., (c) A model which provides solution to, rapidly rising inflation., (d) A model which provides solution to, deflation through non repayable money, transfer, from, central, bank, to, government., , 74., , Headquartered in Geneva, the body was, established in 1964. Its objectives are to, maximize the trade, investment and, development opportunities of developing, countries and assist them in their efforts to, integrate into the world economy on an, equitable basis. Which of the following, organisations is being referred to in the, given passage?, (a) United, Nations, Comission, on, International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), (b) United Nations Conference on Trade and, Development (UNCTAD), (c) United Nations Economic and Social, Council (ECOSOC), (d) World Trade Organisation (WTO), , 75., , Consider the following statements regarding, Pradhan Mantri-Annadata Aay Sanrakshan, Abhiyan (PM-AASHA):, 1. It aims to ensure that the farmers get, remunerative prices for those crops, where procurement is done at minimum, support price (MSP)., 2. It allows private players to procure, certain crops at the state-mandated MSP., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 only, (b) 2 only, (c) Both 1 and 2, (d) Neither 1 nor 2, , Intellectual, , 1. It completely prohibits compulsory, licensing and government use of a patent, without the authorization of its owner., 2. It allows members to exclude some, types of plant and animal inventions, from patenting in their countries., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 only, (b) 2 only, (c) Both 1 and 2, (d) Neither 1 nor 2, 71., , Consider the following statements with, respect to the trends in items under, 'Invisibles' head of the Balance of Payment:, 1. Transfers have constantly decreased in, the last five years., 2. Services have constantly increased in the, last five years., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 only, (b) 2 only, (c) Both 1 and 2, (d) Neither 1 nor 2, , 72., , Consider the following statements with, reference to the Army Aviation Corps, (AAC):, 1. It was established in 1948 in the wake of, the India-Pakistan war., 2. It operates only non-weaponized, helicopters whereas attack helicopters, are operated by the Air Force., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 only, (b) 2 only, (c) Both 1 and 2, (d) Neither 1 nor 2, , 14, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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76., , Consider the following statements regarding, , 79., , In which one of the following groups are all, , Border Surveillance System (BOSS):, , the four countries members of the Asian, , 1. It, , electronic, , Infrastructure Investment Bank?, , detecting, , (a) Mexico, Japan, United States America,, , is, , an, , surveillance, , all-weather, system, , for, , intrusions in harsh high altitude areas., , India, , 2. Recently it has been deployed in all hilly, , (b) Canada, Mexico, Netherlands, Pakistan, , areas adjacent to neighbouring countries., , (c) Netherlands,, , Which of the statements given above is/are, , Japan,, , United, , States, , America, India, , correct?, , (d) New, , (a) 1 only, , Zealand,, , India,, , Afghanistan,, , Netherlands, , (b) 2 only, (c) Both 1 and 2, 80., , (d) Neither 1 nor 2, , The, , National, , Crime, , Records, , Bureau,, , provides which of the following citizen77., , Consider the following statements with, , centric services in India?, , reference to 'crop residue':, , 1. Cyber Crime Reporting, , 1. India does not have a dedicated policy, , 2. Motor Vehicle Enquiry Service, , for the management of crop residue., , 3. Talash - Missing Person Search system, , 2. Incorporation of crop residues can, , Select the correct answer using the code, , increase soil’s organic carbon and total, , given below., , Nitrogen content., , (a) 1 only, , Which of the statements given above is / are, , (b) 1 and 2 only, , correct?, , (c) 3 only, , (a) 1 only, , (d) 1, 2 and 3, , (b) 2 only, (c) Both 1 and 2, 81., , (d) Neither 1 nor 2, , With reference to the term indicative, planning, consider the following statements:, , 78., , Consider the following statements with, reference to Farmer Producer Organisation, , assumes, , (FPOs):, , economic development of the nation., , 1. It can be formed for either farm, activities or non farm activities., 2. It is a legal entitly formed under, Companies Act, 1956., , a, , dominant, , role, , in, , the, , 2. In such type of planning, the market is, manipulated through incentives and, inducements., Which of the statements given above is/are, , Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, , correct?, (a) 1 only, , (a) 1 only, , (b) 2 only, , (b) 2 only, , (c) Both 1 and 2, , (c) Both 1 and 2, , (d) Neither 1 nor 2, , (d) Neither 1 and 2, 15, , 1. It is a type of planning in which the state, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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82., , Consider the following statements regarding, , 85., , the Special Economic Zone (SEZ):, , Nutrient based subsidy is associated with:, (a) Urea and Potash only, , 1. It is set up under the provisions of, , (b) Sulphur only, , Foreign Trade Policy., 2. Both central and state governments have, , (c) Nitrogen, Phosphate and Potassium only, (d) Nitrogen, Phosphate, Potash and Sulphur, , the power to establish SEZ., , only, , 3. It is deemed to be foreign territory for, the purpose of trade operations, duties, and tariffs., Which of the statements given above is/are, , 86., , export promotion?, , correct?, (a) 1 and 2 only, , 1. Advance Authorization Scheme, , (b) 2 only, , 2. Interest Equalization Scheme, , (c) 3 only, , 3. Transport and Marketing Assistance, , (d) 2 and 3 only, 83., , (TMA), , Specified, , Agriculture, , Rights, consider the following statements:, , 4. Duty-free import, , 1. Evergreening is any of various legal,, , Select the correct answer using the code, given below., (a) 1, 2 and 3 only, , their patents that are about to expire., , (b) 1, 2, 3 and 4, , 2. Compulsory licensing is when a, government allows someone else to, , (c) 1 and 4 only, (d) 2 and 3 only, , produce a patented product or process, without the consent of the patent owner, or plans to use the patent-protected, invention itself., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 only, , 87., , With reference to the Stand Up India, scheme, consider the following statements:, 1. It, , is, , intended, , to, , promote, , entrepreneurship among SC, ST and, , (b) 2 only, , women., , (c) Both 1 and 2, (d) Neither 1 nor 2, , 2. It provides collateral-free loan through, , Recently, the Mansar Lake Development, , 3. Majority of the account holders under, , credit guarantee scheme., , Plan was fulfilled after a long wait of 70, years. In which of the following, States/Union Territory is the Mansar Lake, located?, , the scheme are women., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1, 2 and 3, , (a) Punjab, , (b) 1 only, , (b) Ladakh, , 16, , for, , Products Scheme, , In the context of Intellectual Property, , business, and technological strategies by, which producers extend the lifetime of, , 84., , Which of the following schemes aim at, , (c) Jammu & Kashmir, , (c) 1 and 3 only, , (d) Tripura, , (d) 2 and 3 only, www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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88., , 89., , 90., , 17, , With, reference, to, the, National, Manufacturing Policy, 2011, consider the, following statements:, 1. It aims to raise the share of the, manufacturing sector in India’s GDP to, 30%., 2. It aims to create 10 million additional, jobs by 2022., 3. National Investment and Manufacturing, Zones are created under this policy., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 and 3 only, (b) 1 only, (c) 3 only, (d) 2 and 3 only, Consider the following:, 1. Automobile, 2. Food processing, 3. Solar PV manufacturing, 4. Pharma Products, 5. Electronic manufacturing, Which of the sectors given above are, covered under the 'Production linked, incentive scheme' of the Government of, India?, (a) 1, 2, 3, 4 only, (b) 2, 4 and 5 only, (c) 1 and 5 only, (d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, Consider the following statements regarding, Make in India:, 1. It was launched to facilitate investment, and make India hub for manufacturing,, design and innovation., 2. It, focuses, exclusively, on, 27, manufacturing sectors., 3. The nodal agency for this initiative is the, Ministry of Commerce and Industry., Which of the statements given above are, correct?, (a) 1, 2 and 3, (b) 1 and 2 only, (c) 1 and 3 only, (d) 2 and 3 only, www.visionias.in, , 91., , Consider the following statements with, reference to Fair Price Shops (FPSs):, 1. They are licensed to distribute essential, commodities to the ration card holders, under the Targeted Public Distribution, System., 2. Every local authority authorised by, panchayat has to conduct periodic social, audits on the functioning of fair price, shops., Which of the statements given above is /are, correct?, (a) 1 only, (b) 2 only, (c) Both 1 and 2, (d) Neither 1 nor 2, , 92., , Project UNNATI has been started by the, Government of India to:, (a) To provide all weather roads in the hilly, North-eastern region., (b) To build schools for the left wing, extreme hit regions., (c) To provide holistic development of rural, India under DRDA schemes., (d) To identify the opportunity areas for, improvement in the operations of major, ports, , 93., , With reference to the recently launched, Global Housing Technology ChallengeIndia (GHTC-India), consider the following, statements:, 1. It aims to mainstream sustainable and, disaster-resilient, construction, technologies for the housing sector in, India., 2. It seeks to establish Light House, Projects (LHPs) in all the four, metropolitan cities of India., 3. Under Affordable Sustainable Housing, Accelerators - India (ASHA-India) it, aims to promote conventional brick and, mortar construction in rural areas., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 only, (b) 1 and 3 only, (c) 2 and 3 only, (d) 1, 2 and 3, ©Vision IAS

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94., , Which of the following correctly gives the, , 96., , Special Drawing Rights (SDR) is an, artificial currency instrument used by the, International Monetary Fund and is built, from a basket of important national, currencies. Which of the following, currencies form the SDR basket?, 1. U.S. Dollar, 2. Euro, 3. Chinese Renminbi, 4. Japanese Yen, 5. Pound Sterling, Select the correct answer using the code, given below., (a) 2 and 3 only, (b) 1, 3 and 5 only, (c) 2, 3 and 4 only, (d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, , 97., , Which of the following statements regarding, ‘Ease of Doing Business Ranking’ is/are, correct?, 1. It is prepared by the World Bank., 2. Trading across borders is a sub-index, used in the ranking., 3. All the metropolitan cities of India are, assessed to calculate the ranking., Select the correct answer using the code, below., (a) 1, 2 and 3, (b) 1 and 2 only, (c) 1 and 3 only, (d) 1 only, , 98., , As per the Economic Survey 2019-20, India, has a Trade Surplus with which of the, following countries?, 1. The United State of America, 2. Indonesia, 3. Switzerland, 4. Singapore, Select the correct answer using the code, given below., (a) 1 and 2 only, (b) 1 only, (c) 2, 3 and 4 only, (d) 1 and 4 only, , definition of “hot money”?, (a) It refers to funds that are controlled by, investors who actively seek short-term, returns., (b) It refers to the domestic currency which, is, , under, , enough, , pressure, , of, , depreciation., (c) It is the international currency in which, the highest faith is shown and is needed, by every economy., (d) It refers to the most volatile shares in the, stock market., , 95., , With, , reference, , to, , Industrial, , Policy, , Resolution, 1956, consider the following, statements:, 1. It, , was, , the, , first, , Industrial, , policy, , resolution implemented since India's, independence., 2. It kept the private sector under control, through the system of licenses., 3. It was shaped by the Mahalanobis Model, of growth., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 only, (b) 1 and 3 only, (c) 2 and 3 only, (d) 1, 2 and 3, 18, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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99., , Consider the following statements with, reference to the Commission for Air Quality, Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas:, 1. It is an executive body., 2. Its appeals lie to the National Green, Tribunal., 3. It, , can, , suo-moto, , issue, , orders, , for, , pollution mitigation measures., Which of the statements given above is/are, correct?, (a) 1 only, (b) 2 only, (c) 2 and 3 only, (d) 1, 2 and 3, 100., , Bewar, Mashan and Beera are types of, (a) shifting cultivation practices, (b) conservation Agriculture, (c) water management techniques, (d) soil conservation techniques, , 19, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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VISIONIAS, www.visionias.in, ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS, GENERAL STUDIES (P) TEST – 3199 (2021), , Q 1.D, • Launched under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food, processing Enterprises (PM-FME) Scheme is a centrally sponsored scheme that aims to enhance the, competitiveness of existing individual micro-enterprises in the unorganized segment of the food, processing industry and promote formalization of the sector and provide support to Farmer Producer, Organizations. Hence statements 1 and 2 are correct., • Its objectives are:, o Increase in access to finance by micro food processing units,, o Increase in revenues of target enterprises,, o Enhanced compliance with food quality and safety standards,, o Strengthening capacities of support systems,, o Transition from the unorganized sector to the formal sector,, o Special focus on women entrepreneurs and Aspirational districts,, o Encourage Waste to Wealth activities and focus on minor forest produce in Tribal Districts. Hence, statement 3 is correct., Q 2.C, •, , •, , •, , •, , Soil Health Card is a printed report that a farmer will be handed over for each of his holdings. It is, provided to all farmers in the country at an interval of 2 years to enable to apply recommended doses of, nutrients based on soil test values to realise improved and sustainable soil health and fertility, low costs, and high profits. Hence statement 1 is correct., Soil samples are tested with respect to 12 parameters:, o Macro Nutrients - Nitrogen(N), Phosphorus(P), Potassium(K)., o Secondary Nutrients- Sulphur(S)., o Micro Nutrients- Zinc (Zn), Iron(Fe), Copper(Cu), Mangnese(Mn), Boron(B)., o Physical parameters- pH (potential of hydrogen), EC (electrical conductivity),OC (organic, Carbon). Hence statement 2 is not correct., The recent study conducted by the National Productivity Council concluded that use of soil health card, has helped farmers substantially reduce the cost of production and achieve higher production,, thereby increasing farm income., Application of fertilisers as per the recommendation of soil health cards led to savings in nitrogen, fertilisers such as urea, which resulted in reduction in the cost of cultivation. Hence statement 3 is, correct., , Q 3.C, •, , •, •, , 1, , In the eighth 5 year plan (1992 - 97) Target Growth was 5.6 % while the Actual Growth 6.8%. In the, Ninth Plan (1997- 2002) Target Growth was 6.5% while the Actual Growth: 5.4% In the Tenth Plan (2002, - 2007) the Target Growth was 8 % while the Actual Growth 7.6 % In the Eleventh Plan (2007 - 2012) the, Target Growth was 9 % while the Actual Growth is 8%. Hence it is seen that the growth rate fluctuated, many times, and it was not steadily increased. Hence statement 1 is not correct., After the economic reforms, during the eighth plan period, high growth of agriculture and allied sector,, and the manufacturing sector was seen. Hence statement 2 is correct., The share of the public sector in total investment had declined considerably to about 34 %. So it, decreased. Hence statement 3 is not correct., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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Q 4.B, •, , •, , •, , •, •, , •, , •, , In 1991, India met with an economic crisis relating to its external debt — the government was not able to, make repayments on its borrowings from abroad; foreign exchange reserves, which we generally maintain, to import petrol and other important items, dropped to levels that were not sufficient for even a fortnight., The crisis was further compounded by rising prices of essential goods. India approached the International, Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), popularly known as World Bank and the International, Monetary Fund (IMF), and received $7 billion as a loan to manage the crisis. For availing the loan, these, international agencies expected India to liberalise and open up the economy by removing restrictions on, the private sector, reduce the role of the government in many areas and remove trade restrictions. This led, to Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization, popularly known as LPG reforms., Outcomes of reforms: The growth of GDP increased from 5.6 per cent during 1980-91 to 6.4 per cent, during 1992-2001. This shows that there has been an increase in the overall GDP growth in the reform, period. Hence statement 2 is correct., The opening up of the economy has led to rapid increase in foreign direct investment and foreign, exchange reserves. The foreign investment, which includes foreign direct investment and foreign, institutional investment, increased from about US $ 100 million in 1990-91 to US $ 150 billion in, 2003-04. There has been an increase in the foreign exchange reserves from about US $ 6 billion in 199091 to US $ 125 billion in 2004-05. Hence statement 1 is correct., Though the GDP growth rate has increased in the reform period, scholars point out that the reform-led, growth has not generated sufficient employment., Reforms have not been able to benefit agriculture, where the growth rate has been decelerating., Public investment in agriculture sector especially in infrastructure has been reduced in the reform, period., Industrial growth has also recorded a slowdown. This is because of the decreasing demand for, industrial products due to various reasons such as cheaper imports, inadequate investment in, infrastructure etc., Economic reforms have placed limits on the growth of public expenditure especially in social sectors. The, tax reductions in the reform period, aimed at yielding larger revenue and to curb tax evasion, have not, resulted in increase in tax revenue for the government. Also, the reform policies involving tariff reduction, have curtailed the scope for raising revenue through customs duties., , Q 5.B, •, , •, , •, , •, , •, , 2, , India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, in its fifty-first flight (PSLV-C49), successfully launched, EOS-01 along with nine international customer satellites from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), SHAR, Sriharikota on November 07, 2020. Hence statements 1 and 3 are not correct., It will operate in Low-earth orbit. A low Earth orbit (LEO) is relatively close to Earth's surface. It is, normally at an altitude of less than 1000 km but could be as low as 160 km above Earth – which is low, compared to other orbits, but still very far above Earth's surface. Hence statement 2 is correct., EOS-01 is another Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT) an earth observation satellite that will work, together with RISAT-2B and RISAT-2BR1 launched last year, intended for several applications, covering agriculture, water resources, urban planning, rural development, mineral prospecting,, environment, forestry, ocean resources and disaster management., EOS-01 (like RISAT-2B and RISAT-2BR1) uses synthetic aperture radars to produce high-resolution, images of the land. One big advantage that radar imaging has over optical instruments is that it is, unaffected by weather, cloud or fog, or the lack of sunlight. It can produce high-quality images in all, conditions and at all times., o Depending on the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation used by the radar, different properties, on land can be captured in the image. For example, a low wavelength signal can capture tree cover or, vegetation, while a higher wavelength signal can penetrate even dense tree cover to look at the, contours of land beneath., o EOS-01, and its sister RISATs, use X-band radars that operate at low wavelengths and are, considered best for monitoring of urban landscape, and imaging of agricultural or forest land., For the launch of EOS-01, ISRO used a new variant of its PSLV rocket that has been flown only once, before, in January last year, when it had placed the Microsat-R satellite in orbit. This variant of PSLV, does not become waste after depositing its satellite in the orbit. Instead, the last stage of the rocket, the, one that remains after the satellite is separated, can acquire its own orbit and be used as an orbital platform, for other onboard instruments to perform experiments in space. In effect, the fourth stage acts like another, satellite, with a life span of about six months., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, •, , Of the nine foreign satellites being carried in the mission, four each are from the United States and, Luxembourg, while another is a technology demonstrator from Lithuani, Varieties of instruments have been flown onboard these satellites to provide necessary data in diversified, spatial, spectral and temporal resolutions to cater to different user requirements in the country and for, global usage., , Q 6.B, •, , •, , •, •, •, , •, , Sugar Industry is an important agro-based industry that impacts livelihood of 50 million farmers and 5, lakh mill workers. Besides, India is the second largest producer (15% of global production) and the, industry has strong linkages with other industries like bio-electricity, chemicals etc., Currently, the central government announces Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) at the, recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). Besides this, some states, declare state specific sugarcane prices called State Advised Prices (SAP), usually higher than the FRP., Before answering the question, one must understand the concept of sugar balance sheet. At the starting, of each sugar season (usually Oct-Nov), sugar industry prepares its balance sheet which reads as:, Expected production for current year + carry forward stock from previous year – domestic, consumption (including ethanol production) – Exports. Hence option (b) is the correct answer., This is to determine the availability of sugar for next season. When the production and previous stocks are, way more than consumption, the sugar available for next season will be high and the prices will crash. In, such a scenario, it is desirable to opt for exports., But due to various factors like government regulation of prices, use of obsolete technology, the cost of, production of sugar in India is way higher than the prices at international markets. To bridge this, gap, government usually comes up with initiatives like export subsidy, transport subsidy, interest, subvention schemes etc., , Q 7.D, •, , •, , •, , •, , Public debt management plays an important role in the macro-economic policy of a country. Productive, use of public debt contributes to the economic growth and welfare of society at large. At the same time,, public debt because of its size, if not managed well, could become a source of financial instability., Thus, establishing and executing a strategy for managing the Government's debt in order to raise the, required amount of funds at low cost over the medium to long-run, consistent with a prudent degree of, risk is essential., Objectives of the Debt Management Strategy (DMS):, o To mobilize borrowings at low cost over the medium to long-term subject to prudent levels of risk in, debt portfolio. Hence, statement 1 is correct., o To maintain a stable and sustainable debt structure so as to ensure financial stability across time, periods. Hence, statement 2 is correct., o To support the development of a well-functioning, vibrant, deep and liquid domestic bond market, which helps in pricing the Government debt efficiently. Hence, statement 3 is correct., o To promote deep and liquid financial markets while providing benchmarks for pricing financial assets, and maintain consistency with other macro-economic policies including monetary policy., About 93 percent of the outstanding public debt of the Government of India is domestic and within this, a, very large part consists of marketable debt. Accordingly, the major focus of DMS is on the active element, of domestic debt of the Central Government, i.e., marketable debt. Government Small Savings Schemes,, which have started playing a major role in financing a significant portion of borrowing requirements of, Government, are also now covered under DMS., , Q 8.A, •, , •, , 3, , Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF) has been set up under the Companies Act, 2013., Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority created under the act aims to administer the Investor, Education and Protection Fund with the objective of promoting Investor’s Education, Awareness and, Protection. The Authority takes various initiatives to fulfil its objectives through Investor Awareness, Programs and various other mediums like Print, Electronic, Social Media, and Community Radio, etc. Hence statement 1 is correct., The IEPF consists of not only the amounts such as dividends, applications money, matured deposits, etc., which have remained unpaid or unclaimed for a period of 7 years but also amounts given by Central, Government by way of grants, donations by Central Government, State Governments or companies, etc. Hence statement 2 is not correct., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , •, , According to the Act, the fund can be utilized for refund in respect of unclaimed dividends, matured, deposits, matured debentures, the application money due for refund and interest thereon; promotion of, investors education, awareness and protection; distribution of any disgorged amount among eligible and, identifiable applicants for shares or debentures, shareholders, debenture-holders or depositors who have, suffered losses due to wrong actions by any person, in accordance with the orders made by the Court, which had ordered disgorgement; reimbursement of legal expenses incurred in pursuing class action suits, etc., Secretary of Ministry of Corporate Affairs is the ex-officio chairman of the Investor Education and, Protection Fund Authority., , Q 9.A, •, , •, •, , •, , •, , The capital account, on a national level, represents the balance of payments for a country. The capital, account keeps track of the net change in a nation's assets and liabilities during a year. The capital, account's balance will inform economists whether the country is a net importer or net exporter of capital., Under the Capital Account of India, both equity and debt flows are covered., Debt flows comprise:, o commercial borrowings,, o external assistance,, o short-term trade credits, o Non-Resident Indian (NRI) deposits,, Equity flows comprise:, o Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), o Portfolio Investment., Hence all the options are correct., , Q 10.B, •, •, , •, •, , 4, , Maize ranks third in terms of cereal output next to paddy and wheat in India. Maize is an appropriate, crop that can meet these new agriculture sector environments., It has multiple advantages such aso Fitting as a climate resilient crop, o Feasibility in poultry, dairy and industrial sector, o It helps in increasing the income of farmers help in generating on farm and off farm employment, opportunities, o Maize has C4 plant mechanism and appropriate for dryland farming as well as highly suited for, conditions of drought , high temperature and CO2 limitation, o Yield of the plant is higher per hectare compared to other crops. With climate change implications, and anticipated temperature rise maize can replace wheat and paddy where assured and sufficient, irrigation facilities are not available., o Being a day neutral crop it can be grown in any season. Maize in India can be taken under less, endowned environment of rainfed system., Hence option (b) is the correct answer., About C3 and C4 plants:, o A "normal" plant—one that doesn't have photosynthetic adaptations to reduce, photorespiration—is called C3 plant., ü The first step of the Calvin cycle is the fixation of carbon dioxide by rubisco, and plants that use, only this "standard" mechanism of carbon fixation are called C3 plants, for the three-carbon, compound (3-PGA) the reaction produces., ü About 85 percent of the plant species on the planet are C3 plants, including rice, wheat, soybeans, and all trees., , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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o, , o, , •, , o, o, , In C4 plants, the light-dependent reactions and the Calvin cycle are physically separated, with, the light-dependent reactions occurring in the mesophyll cells (spongy tissue in the middle of the, leaf) and the Calvin cycle occurring in special cells around the leaf veins., The C4 pathway is used in 3 percent of all vascular plants; some examples are crabgrass,, sugarcane and corn., C4 plants are common in habitats that are hot, but are less abundant in areas that are cooler., These cells are called bundle-sheath cells., , •, o, , To see how this division helps, let's look at an example of C4 photosynthesis in action., ü First, atmospheric CO2 is fixed in the mesophyll cells to form a simple, 444-carbon organic acid, (oxaloacetate)., ü This step is carried out by a non-rubisco enzyme, PEP carboxylase, that has no tendency to bind, O2., ü Oxaloacetate is then converted to a similar molecule, malate, that can be transported in to the, bundle-sheath cells., ü Inside the bundle sheath, malate breaks down, releasing a molecule of CO2., ü The CO2 is then fixed by rubisco and made into sugars via the Calvin cycle, exactly as in, C3 photosynthesis., , Q 11.A, • The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) launched the Atal Jyoti Yojana (AJAY) to, illuminate dark regions across five states through solar power., o It is a sub scheme under off –grid and decentralized solar application scheme of Ministry of New and, Renewable Energy (MNRE), Govt. of India., o The scheme covers 5 states only namely - Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha., o The objective of the Atal Jyoti Scheme in India is to install solar energy-based street lights in, those areas where there is a shortage of electricity. Hence option (a) is the correct answer., o The Phase I was implemented during September 2016- March 2018. The Phase II is being, implemented during 2018-19 and 2019-20., ü Phase I: The rural, semi-urban and urban areas that face less than 50% grid connectivity in Uttar, Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha will be illuminated with 7 W solar LED street, lights. These solar lights were installed on major roads, markets and public conveniences in, remote areas to sustainably enhance the citizens’ quality of life., ü Phase II:, § States covered during Phase I - Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha, 5, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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Hilly states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand., North-eastern states including Sikkim,, Islands of Andaman Nicobar and Lakshadweep,, Parliamentary constituencies covering 48 Aspirational districts of states other than those, covered above., The rural, semi-urban and urban areas that face less than 50% grid connectivity in Uttar Pradesh,, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha will be illuminated with solar LED street lights., MNRE will provide 75% of the cost of street lights and remaining 25% will come from Member of, Parliament Local Area Development funds (MPLADS), Panchayat funds or Municipalities and other, Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) Funds., Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) has been entrusted to implement this path-breaking, initiative in a mission mode by March 31, 2018., §, §, §, §, , o, o, , o, , Q 12.D, • Knowledge Based Resources Information Systems in agriculture are being strengthened by Ministry of, Agriculture to streamline research data management in through organizations such as Indian Council of, Agricultural Research (ICAR). Some of the significant initiatives include:, o Kisan Rath: App which facilitates transportation of food grains and perishables during COVID, lockdown. The app intends to facilitate farmers, FPOs and Cooperatives in the country to have the, choice to find a suitable transport facility to transfer their agriculture produce from farm gate to, markets., o Meghdoot: It is a joint initiative by Ministries of Earth Sciences and Agriculture. The app provides, forecast to farmers relating to temperature, rainfall, humidity, and wind speed and, direction, which play critical roles in agricultural operations and how to take care of the crops and, livestock, o Krishi Megh has been set up under the National Agricultural Higher Education Project, (NAHEP), funded by both the government and World Bank., • Hence all the pairs are correctly matched., Q 13.C, •, , •, , •, , Global Talent Competitiveness Index is an annual benchmarking report prepared by the INSEAD, Business school that measures and ranks countries based on their ability to grow, attract and retain, talent. Launched for the first time in 2014. Hence pair 1 is not correctly matched., World Competitiveness Ranking is prepared by IMD (Institute for Management and Development). The, World Competitiveness Yearbook is an annual report published by the Swiss-based International Institute, for Management Development (IMD) on the competitiveness of nations and has been published since, 1989. Hence pair 3 is not correctly matched., Global Competitiveness Index is prepared by the World Economic Forum. The index is an annual, yardstick for policy-makers to look beyond short-term and reactionary measures and to instead assess, their progress against the full set of factors that determine productivity. Hence pair 2 is correctly, matched., , Q 14.B, •, , •, , •, , •, , 6, , Recently, to initiate the process of taking the country towards nutritional security, the Department of, Food & Public Distribution (DFPD) has been running a “Centrally Sponsored Pilot Scheme on, Fortification of Rice & its distribution through Public Distribution System”. Hence statement 1 is, correct., The Pilot Scheme has been approved for a period of three years beginning 2019-2020 with a total budget, outlay of Rs.174.6 Crore. Fifteen State Governments have identified their respective districts (1 district, per state) for implementing the Pilot Scheme., Already 5 states of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh have, started the distribution of fortified rice in their respective identified districts. Special focus would be, placed on supplying fortified rice to the 112 specially identified Aspirational Districts of the country., The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has revealed plans to make fortification, mandatory for edible oil and milk but has not made it mandatory yet. The Food Safety and Standards, Authority (FSSAI) is mulling over making fortification in edible oil with Vitamin A and D mandatory, in, a bid to combat the malnutrition challenges including micronutrient deficiencies in India. In 2018, the, regulator had set standards for fortification for five category of staples which includes wheat flour and rice, www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , (with iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid), milk and edible oil (with Vitamins A and D) and double fortified, salt (with iodine and iron). The fortification norms are currently voluntary. In addition, it is intensifying, its focus on local staples such as rice, wheat and salt. Hence statement 2 is not correct., The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) releases the STATE FOOD, FORTIFICATION INDEX for different states and union territories of India. As per the recently, released report Andhra Pradesh ranks first. Hence statement 3 is correct., , Q 15.A, •, •, •, , •, , •, , •, , Recently, several European nations like France and Italy have asked tech giants like Google, Apple,, Facebook, and Amazon (GAFA) to pay Digital service tax., Digital service tax covers online sales of goods and services. It includes policies that specifically target, businesses that provide products or services through digital means. Hence statement 1 is correct., India was the first country to introduce a digital tax called ‘Equalisation Levy’ in 2016 at the rate of, 6%. EL 1.0 was payable by Indian residents on online advertisement services purchased from nonresident companies., From 1 April 2020, the scope of equalization levy has been expanded to include a 2% levy on all, online sales of goods or services into India by non-resident e-commerce operators (‘EL 2.0’). Hence, statement 2 is correct., Recognizing the need to reform international tax rules for taxing digital companies such that countries get, their fair share of taxes, the OECD has been working on proposals for new rules but so far has not arrived, at a consensus on the final scope and manner of taxation., Meanwhile, many countries such as France (3% levy), Italy, Turkey, Austria, UK, Malaysia, Spain, etc. have either proposed or implemented a unilateral digital tax applicable to digital companies,, called as the ‘Digital Services Tax’ (‘DST’). Hence statement 3 is not correct., , Q 16.D, •, , •, , •, , An open sky air service agreement allows for airlines from the two countries to have an unlimited, number of flights as well as seats to each other’s jurisdictions., The National Civil Aviation Policy, 2016, allows the government to enter into an ‘open sky’ air services, agreement on a reciprocal basis with SAARC nations as well as countries beyond a 5,000-kilometer radius, from New Delhi., India entered into a complete open sky service agreement with the USA, Greece, Jamaica, Guyana,, Finland, Spain and Sri Lanka., o A nearly open sky service agreement has also been signed with the UK., o A partial open sky was adopted for SAARC and ASEAN countries under which the designated, airlines of these countries have been permitted to operate the unlimited number of services with, third/fourth freedom traffic rights to 18 destinations in India. Hence options 1 and 2 are not correct., India has not entered any open sky agreement with G20 and BRICS group. Hence options 3 and 4 are, not correct., , Q 17.A, •, , •, , •, , •, •, , 7, , National Industrial Corridor Development Programme is India's most ambitious infrastructure, programme aiming to develop new industrial cities as "Smart Cities" and converging next generation, technologies across infrastructure sectors., Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (DMICDC) Limited, a special purpose, company, was incorporated to establish, promote and facilitate development of Delhi Mumbai Industrial, Corridor Project., Further, after announcement of other Industrial Corridor Projects, the mandate of DMICDC Ltd. has, been expanded to develop and implement all Industrial Corridor Projects in the country and, accordingly, the name has been changed to National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation, (NICDC) Limited. Hence statement 1 and statement 3 are correct., NICDC is mandated to undertake project development activities for Investment Regions/Industrial Areas/, Economic Regions / Industrial Nodes and Township etc., The shareholding of NICDC is as follows :, o Govt of India – 49%, o Japan Bank for International Cooperation – 26%, o Housing and Urban Development Corporation Ltd – 19.9%, o India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd – 4.1%, o LIC – 1% Hence statement 2 is correct., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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Q 18.B, •, , •, •, •, •, , •, , •, , Fixed-term employment is a contract in which a company or an enterprise hires an employee for a, specific period of time. In most cases, it is for a year but can be renewed after the term expires depending, on the requirement. In fixed-term employment, the employee is not on the payroll of the company., Hence statement 2 is correct., Under the fixed-term employment contract, the payout or the payment is fixed in advance and is, not altered till the term expires. Hence statement 1 is not correct., However, such contracts cannot be given for routine jobs. It is usually given out for jobs which are, temporary., It cannot be used to replace existing employees, if he or she is on a long leave., The contract is duly signed by both the parties and is for a specified period of time. In IT companies,, sometimes professionals are hired on a contractual basis to complete a specific project. They could be, absorbed in the company later when the project is completed., There are a lot of companies in India as well who hire a person on contract for a year and make them, permanent after the term expires. The company sees the potential of the person before taking him or her, on the payrolls of the company. This is one decision which is taken by the management of the company., Like every other agreement, even a fixed-term employment contract has a provision in which the, employers can terminate the contract on certain grounds before the due date. One of the prominent, reasons could be the non-performance or the individual has committed a fraud which was proved when, investigated. It is generally seen that workers who are under the fixed-term agreement do not get, provident fund and some other benefits as compared to employees who are on the payroll of the company., , Q 19.B, •, , •, •, •, , •, , •, , Recently, the Union minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel has called upon the various, stakeholders in the LNG sector to mount a campaign to make people aware about the benefits of, LNG fuel., Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) which is largely composed of (85 to 99%) is odourless, colourless,, non-toxic and non-corrosive. Hence statement 1 is correct., LNG is formed when natural gas is cooled down to transform the gas into liquid form., Advantages:, o LNG is far simpler and more economical to produce than any other fossil fuel. It is a more, economical source of energy when compared to black products (fuel oil and diesel) and LPG. Its, price is more stable compared to other fuels, enabling businesses to forecast energy costs more, accurately. Hence statement 2 is correct., o As LNG burns cleaner than regular gasoline, it produces lower carbon emissions and cuts greenhouse, gas emissions by up to 40%., o It makes it possible to use natural gas in areas where natural gas is not available via the national, delivery network or municipal distribution system., o It is suitable for consumer purposes such as process, steam recovery, heating and cooking in sectors, like tourism, steel, paper and ceramic., o Because of it high energy content, the total amount of energy needed is reduced., o It expands 600 times to reach its gaseous state (1 unit of LNG = 600 units of natural gas)., o A large amount of natural gas can be stored and transported at low pressure., o It can be used in all burning devices by making minor changes., o Because it is a clean fuel, it contributes to improved product quality and reduces maintenance costs., India has been the world’s fourth-largest importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) since, 2011, gradually increasing LNG imports as the country’s domestic natural gas production declined and, domestic consumption increased., Although India has expanded the number of countries it imports LNG from since 2016, Qatar remains, the main LNG supplier to India because of a relatively short transportation distance: an LNG, tanker can leave Qatar and reach India in three days. Hence statement 3 is not correct., , Q 20.B, • Cropping pattern means the proportion of area under different crops at a point of time. Factors that, affect cropping pattern are:, o Physical characteristics of a region like soil, climate, rainfall etc., o Availability of irrigation facilities determine not only which crops can be grown but also whether, double or triple cropping will be possible of not., o Price incentives (like MSP) and other income maximization schemes., 8, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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Size of the farms for instance large farm holders tend to cultivate cash crops while small land holders, generally grow food grains., o Other factors such as insurance against risk, availability of inputs like seeds, fertilizers etc., Indian experience:, o A shift in crops from food grains to non-foodgrains reflects a change from subsistence cropping to, commercial cropping. In India, area under foodgrains came down from 75%in 1950 to almost 66% in, 2010. This trend clearly shows that the shift was not substantial., o Shifting little area from staple to high value in the suitable region lead to a sizable increase in the, returns for farmers. High value crops offer comparatively better growth in terms of value of output, contribution as compared to the staple crops. Yet some key challenges exists like:, o Water intensive crops like sugarcane and paddy are mostly grown in the naturally water starved, areas of the country for example paddy in Punjab and sugarcane in Maharashtra because of policy, measures like Input subsidies (power, water, fertilizer) and MSP. Hence statements 1 and 2 are, correct., o Over extraction of water than recharge led to decline in groundwater table, availability of groundwater, cannot be the stimulating factor for a skewed cropping pattern. Hence statement 3 is not correct., o The demand of commodity plays an important role but without appropriate infrastructure and, logistic support, without favorable government policies, it does not act as a stimulating factor. Hence, statement 4 is not correct., o, , •, , Q 21.B, •, •, , •, , •, , 9, , Livestock and fisheries play an important role in Indian economy. About 15 million people depend upon, both livestock and fisheries each for their livelihood., Livestock:, o Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and, Dairying has released the 20th Livestock Census report., o It has been conducted periodically since 1919-20 which covers all domesticated animals and its, headcounts both in rural and urban areas., o The last livestock census was conducted in 2012., o India has a total Livestock population is 535.78 million as per the 20th Livestock Census., o Various species of animals (Cattle, Buffalo, Yak, Sheep, Goat, Pig, Donkey Camel, Dog, Rabbit,, Elephant etc.), poultry birds possessed by the households, household enterprises/non-household, enterprises and institutions are counted at their site. Hence statement 1 is correct., o State-wise Uttar Pradesh (UP) has recorded highest livestock population in 2019 followed by, Rajasthan, MP, West Bengal, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka and, Gujarat., Fisheries:, o To promote fisheries sector was envisaged under the Neel Kranti Mission/ Blue Revolution during, 7th five year plan (1985-90)., o However a separate ministry for fisheries came into existence recently and the announcement for, the same was made in interim budget of FY 2020. Hence statement 3 is not correct., , Dairy Sector:, o Dairy sector is considered as one of the most important agricultural sector in India., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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o, o, , In 2018-19: milk production in India- 187.7 million tonnes and Per Capita Availability (gms/day) of, milk - 394., About Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS):, ü It is one of the two schemes introduced in Foreign Trade Policy of India 2015-20, as a part of, Exports from India Scheme. (The other scheme is Service Exports from India Scheme)., ü It seeks to promote export of notified goods manufactured/ produced in India. MEIS is a major, export promotion scheme implemented by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry., ü The scheme provides incentive in the form of duty credit scrip to the exporter to compensate for, his loss on payment of duties. The scrip can be transferred or used for payment of a number of, duties/taxes like customs, excise etc., ü Later in 2018, government extended the benefits under the scheme to dairy sector including, skimmed milk, dairy spreads, fresh cheese etc. Hence statement 2 is not correct., , Q 22.B, •, , •, , •, , As per Section 15 (1) (a) of the SEBI FII Regulations, 1995, a Foreign Institutional Investor (FII) could, invest in the securities in the primary and secondary markets including shares, debentures and warrants of, companies unlisted, listed or to be listed on a recognized stock exchange in India. However, subsequent to, SEBI (FPI) regulations, FIIs are allowed to invest only in listed or to-be listed entities and only, through stock exchanges. Hence statement 1 is not correct., Foreign investors investing in initial allotment of shares (say IPOs or when a group of entities come, together to float a company) are categorized as FDIs, this is a myth. In fact FIIs are very active in the over, the counter (OTC) markets and in the Initial Public Offering market in India. Hence statement 2 is, correct., Consolidated FDI Policy of Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) states that “foreign, Direct Investment, as distinguished from portfolio investment (FII), has the connotation of establishing a, ‘lasting interest’ in an enterprise that is resident in an economy other than that of the investor”. FII cannot, involve in the direct management of the enterprise. Hence statement 3 is not correct., , Q 23.B, •, , •, , •, •, •, , To cash the profit of the liberalisation and globalisation; the numbers of industries reserved for public, sector have also been reduced. During the 2014; private investment in rail infrastructure has also been, permitted. Consequently at present just 2 industrial sectors are reserved for the public sector and rest are, opened for the private players., LIST OF INDUSTRIES RESERVED FOR THE PUBLIC SECTOR:, o Atomic energy. Hence option (b) is correct answer., o Railway operations, other than construction, operation and maintenance of the following;, ü High speed train project, ü Dedicated freight lines, ü Suburban corridor projects through Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, ü Railway electrification, ü Signalling system, ü Mass Rapid transport Systems, ü Freight terminals, ü Passenger terminals, ü Rolling stock including train sets and locomotive/coaches manufacturing and maintenance, facilities, ü infrastructure in industrial park pertaining to railway line/sidings including electrified railway, lines and connectivity to main railway line, The reform policies introduced in and after 1991 removed many of these restrictions., Industrial licensing was abolished for almost all but product categories — alcohol, cigarettes, hazardous, chemicals, industrial explosives, electronics, aerospace and drugs and pharmaceuticals., Private players have been introduced in the railway transport as well. ex: Tejas express., , Q 24.D, •, , 10, , Secretary Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), launched the website and, mobile application [Learn to Protect, Secure and Maximize Your Innovation] on Intellectual, Property Rights (IPRs) today in New Delhi. The website and app have been developed by Cell for IPR, www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , •, , •, , •, , •, , Promotion and Management (CIPAM)-DPIIT in collaboration with Qualcomm and National Law, University (NLU), Delhi., The L2Pro India IP e-learning platform will have 11 modules for three different levels: Basic,, Intermediate, and Advanced. Each module comprises of e-text for understanding concepts, short animated, videos of the concepts, links to additional resources on the subject, and quizzes for assessment and, grading the learner’s knowledge and understanding of the subject. Learners will access the L2Pro IP elearning platform through their desktop, laptop, mobile browser, and mobile application (available on, Android & iOS), and will be provided e-certificates by CIPAM-DPIIT and NLU Delhi, and Qualcomm on, successful completion of the e-learning modules. Hence pair 2 is correctly matched., Minister of State(I/c) for Housing & Urban Affairs launching the mobile app, “mHariyali,”. The app, is aimed to encourage Public engagement in planting trees and other such Green drives. People can, now upload information/photos of any plantation done by them, which is linked to the app and will be, displayed on the website www.epgc.gov.in. The App provides for automatic geotagging of plants. This, app will also enable nodal officers to periodically monitor the plantation. The App is user friendly and, works on any android mobile phone. Hence pair 1 is correctly matched., UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) is developed by the Ministry of, Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) to, drive Mobile Governance in India. It provides a single platform for all Indian Citizens to access pan India, e-Gov services ranging from Central to Local Government bodies and other citizen-centric, services. Hence pair 3 is correctly matched., In a bid to assist visually impaired people to easily determine the denomination of currency notes,, the Indian Institute of Technology at Ropar in Punjab has developed an Android App “Roshni”,, using image processing and analytics. Hence pair 4 is not correctly matched., "UJALA"(Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All): Under the scheme, 20W LED tube lights and BEE 5star rated energy efficient fans are also distributed to the consumers. The 20W LED tube lights are 50%, more energy-efficient than conventional 40W tube lights and are available for Rs. 220/- per tube, as, against the market price of Rs. 400-600. The energy-efficient fans under the UJALA scheme come with a, BEE 5 Star rating. These ceiling fans are rated 30% more energy-efficient than conventional fans and are, priced at Rs. 1200/- per fan., , Q 25.B, •, , •, , The Extended Fund Facility (EFF) is a service provided by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to its, member countries which authorizes them to raise any amount of foreign exchange from it to fulfill their, BoP crisis but on the conditions of structural reforms in the economy put by the body., It is the first agreement of its kind. India had signed this agreement with the IMF in the financial year, 1981–82., , Q 26.D, •, , •, , •, , •, •, , •, , 11, , Indian fisheries and aquaculture is an important sector of food production providing nutritional security,, besides livelihood support and gainful employment to more than 14 million people, and contributing to, agricultural exports., With diverse resources ranging from deep seas to lakes in the mountains and more than 10% of the global, biodiversity in terms of fish and shellfish species, the country has shown continuous and sustained, increments in fish production since independence., The total fish production during 2017-18 is estimated to be 12.60 million metric tonnes, of which, nearly 65% is from the inland sector and about 50% of the total production is from culture, fisheries, and constitutes about 6.3% of the global fish production. Hence, statement 1 is correct., Fish and fish products have presently emerged as the largest group in agricultural exports from India, accounting for around 10% of the total exports and nearly 20% of the agricultural exports., Agricultural loans to corporate farmers, farmers' producer organizations/companies of individual farmers,, partnership firms and co-operatives of farmers directly engaged in agriculture and allied activities, viz.,, dairy, fishery, animal husbandry, poultry, bee-keeping and sericulture up to an aggregate limit of ₹ 2, crores per borrower etc. are classified as priority sector loans. Hence, statement 3 is correct., Andhra Pradesh is the leading fish producer followed by West Bengal, Gujarat, etc. Hence,, statement 2 is correct., , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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Q 27.A, •, •, •, , •, , •, , The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is a common measure of market concentration and is used, to determine market competitiveness. Hence option (a) is the correct answer., It is calculated by squaring the market share of each firm competing in a market and then summing the, resulting numbers. It can range from close to zero to 10,000., A market with an HHI of less than 1,500 is considered to be a competitive marketplace, an HHI of 1,500, to 2,500 to be a moderately concentrated marketplace, and an HHI of 2,500 or greater to be a highly, concentrated marketplace., The closer a market is to a monopoly, the higher the market's concentration (and the lower its, competition). If, for example, there were only one firm in an industry, that firm would have 100% market, share, and the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) would equal 10,000, indicating a monopoly. If there, were thousands of firms competing, each would have nearly 0% market share, and the HHI would be, close to zero, indicating nearly perfect competition. Thus, higher value of HHI implies less competitive, economy and vice versa., The primary disadvantage of the HHI stems from the fact that it is such a simple measure that it fails to, take into account the complexities of various markets., , Q 28.A, •, •, •, , •, , •, , Recently, a CoBRA commando lost his life and 9 injured in IED blast in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, a, Left-Wing Extremism affected district., Commando Battalions for Resolute Action, (CoBRA) are a specialized force which has been raised, for guerilla/jungle warfare type operations for dealing with extremists and insurgents, etc., Also known as 'Jungle Warriors', these personnel are selected from amongst CRPF personnel. Their, hallmarks are Courage, Zeal and patriotism. They undergo rigorous Commando & Jungle warfare, training., 10 CoBRA units raised between 2008-2011 have been trained, equipped and deployed in all LWE/, Insurgent affected areas of the states of Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh,, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya. CoBRA is one of the best Central, Armed Police in the country trained to survive, fight and win in the jungle and unquestionably/, undoubtedly the best CAP in the country., Hence option (a) is the correct answer., , Q 29.C, •, , •, •, , •, •, •, •, , Recently, the government proposed the adoption of E20 fuel — a blend of 20% of ethanol and, gasoline — as an automobile fuel in order to reduce vehicular emissions as well as the country’s oil, import bill., The current permissible level of blending is 10% of ethanol though India reached only 5.6% of, blending in 2019., The notification facilitates the development of E20-compliant vehicles. It will also help in reducing, emissions of carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, etc. It will help reduce the oil import bill, thereby saving, foreign exchange and boosting energy security., the compatibility of vehicles with the percentage of ethanol in the blend would be defined by the vehicle, manufacturer, which would have to be displayed on the vehicle with a sticker., Ethanol is a biofuel and a common by-product of biomass left by agricultural feedstock such as, corn, sugarcane, hemp, potato, etc., The National Policy on Biofuel aims of reaching 20% ethanol-blending and 5% biodiesel-blending by the, year 2030., Hence option (c) is the correct answer., , Q 30.A, •, , •, •, , 12, , International Debt Statistics (IDS) is the World Bank's database on the external debt and financial, flows (debt and equity) of 128 countries in the World Bank's debtor reporting system. More than 200, indicators are available. Data is from 1970 to 2020. The database combines observations from, 'Quarterly External Debt Statistics' and 'Quarterly Public Sector Debt' published by the World, Bank. (IDS was formerly known as 'Global Development Finance.'), The IDS database is updated annually, with a narrative overview of trends, and tables summarising, capital flows and debt statistics for reporting countries., The World Bank Data Portal provides major economic development series including;, www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , World Development Indicators;, Millennium Development Indicators;, the Doing Business database;, Education Statistics;, Gender Statistics and other series., Hence option (a) is the correct answer., o, o, o, o, o, , Q 31.D, •, , •, , •, , •, , In India, in the first seven plans, trade was characterized by what is commonly called an inward-looking, trade strategy. Technically, this strategy is called import substitution. This policy aimed at replacing or, substituting imports with domestic production. Hence option (a) is correct., In the 1940s, As the economies were dominated by foreign colonisers, the colonies (after independence), worried that opening the economy to foreign investment would lead to a new form of domination, the, domination by large multinationals. That is why most of these countries went for a ‘protectionist’, economic policy with import substitution as one method, side by side. Hence option (b) is correct., This policy was intended to promote industrialization by protecting domestic producers from the, competition of imports. Protection, in the form of high tariffs or the restriction of imports through quotas,, was applied indiscriminately, often to inherently high-cost industries that had no hope of ever becoming, internationally competitive. Hence option (c) is correct., In the 1950s most developing countries were primary commodity exporters, relying on crops and, minerals for the bulk of their foreign-exchange earnings through exports, and importing a large number of, manufactured goods. The experience of colonialism, and the distrust of the international economy that it, engendered, led policymakers in developing countries to adopt a policy of import substitution. Hence, option (d) is not correct., , Q 32.D, •, , •, , •, , •, , •, , Recent Context: During the lockdown, NGOs and social institutions running relief camps were allowed, to purchase wheat and rice directly from Food Corporation of India (FCI) Depots at Open Market Sales, Scheme (OMSS) rate., Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) refers to selling of foodgrains by Government / Government, agencies at predetermined prices in the open market from time to time to enhance the supply of grains, especially during the lean season and thereby to moderate the general open market prices especially in the, deficit regions., In addition to maintaining buffer stocks and making a provision for meeting the requirement of the, Targeted Public Distribution Scheme and Other Welfare Schemes (OWS), Food Corporation of India, (FCI) on the instructions from the Government, sells wheat and rice in the open market from time, to time to enhance the supply of wheat and rice especially during the lean season and to moderate, the open market prices especially in the deficit regions., For transparency in operations, the Corporation has switched over to e- auction for sale under Open, Market Sale Scheme (Domestic)., o The FCI conducts a weekly auction to conduct this scheme in the open market using the, platform of commodity exchange NCDEX (National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange, Limited). Hence statement 1 is not correct., o The State Governments/ Union Territory Administrations are also allowed to participate in the, e-auction, if they require wheat and rice outside TPDS & OWS. Hence statement 2 is not, correct., The present form of OMSS comprises 3 schemes (only for wheat and rice) as under:, o Sale of wheat to bulk consumers/private traders through e-auction., o Sale of wheat to bulk consumers/private traders through e-auction by dedicated movement., o Sale of Raw Rice Grade ‘A’ to bulk consumers/private traders through e-auction. Hence statement 3, is not correct., , Q 33.A, • India is heavily dependent on imports to meet its edible oil requirements and largest importer of, vegetable oils in the world (15% share) followed by China & USA., o The share of palm oil is more than 60 per cent of the country's total vegetable oil imports., o India imports palm oil mainly from Indonesia and Malaysia, and a small quantity of crude soft oil,, including soybean oil from Argentina. Sunflower oil is imported from Ukraine and Russia., 13, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , Sources of Vegetable Oils:, o Primary sources of vegetable oil: Nine oilseeds are the primary source of vegetable oils in the, country, which are largely grown under rainfed condition over an area of about 26 million ha., ü Among these, soybean (34%), groundnut (27%), rapeseed & mustard (27%) contribute to, more than 88 per cent of the total oilseeds production and >80 per cent of vegetable oil, output. Hence options 1, 3 and 5 are correct., ü The major contribution to domestic vegetable oil production comes from mustard (35%), soybean, (23%) and groundnut (25%)., ü The major oilseed producing states are Andhra Pradesh (groundnut) & Gujarat (groundnut),, Haryana (mustard), Karnataka (groundnut), M.P. (soybean), Maharashtra (soybean), Rajasthan, (mustard & soybean), Tamil Nadu (groundnut), U.P. (mustard) and West Bengal (mustard), accounting for more than 95 per cent of the total oilseed production in the country., ü India is producing about 7-8 million tonnes of vegetable oils from primary sources., o Secondary sources of vegetable oil:, ü 3 million tonnes of vegetable oil is being harnessed from secondary sources like cottonseed,, rice bran, coconut, Tree Borne Oilseeds (TBOs) and oil palm. Hence options 2 and 4 are not, correct., ü Oil palm which is categorized as a secondary source of oils should in fact be included as primary, source as it gives the highest per ha oil yield (4-5 tons per ha)., , Q 34.D, • Composite Criteria: Investment in Plant & Machinery/equipment and Annual Turnover Manufacturing, Enterprises and Enterprises rendering Services, o Micro - Investment in Plant and Machinery or Equipment: Not more than Rs.1 crore and Annual, Turnover not more than Rs. 5 crore, o Small - Investment in Plant and Machinery or Equipment: Not more than Rs.10 crore and Annual, Turnover not more than Rs. 50 crore, o Medium - Investment in Plant and Machinery or Equipment: Not more than Rs.50 crore and Annual, Turnover not more than Rs. 250 crore Hence, statement 1 is not correct., • Public Procurement Policy for Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) Order, 2018: The objective of, Policy is the promotion and development of Micro and Small Enterprises by supporting them in marketing, of products produced and services rendered by them., • Salient features of the Policy:, o Every Central Ministry /Department / PSUs shall set an annual target for 25% procurement from, MSE Sector., o A sub-target of 4% out of 25% target of annual procurement earmarked for procurement from MSEs, owned by SC/ST entrepreneurs. Hence, statement 2 is not correct., • Since the LPG reforms of 1991, there had been a gradual reduction in the list of items which were, reserved for exclusive production by the MSE sector. Finally, in 2015 the government removed the last 20, items reserved for the MSE sector. Thus, there are no items now which are reserved exclusively for the, production by the MSE sector. Hence, statement 3 is not correct., Q 35.B, •, , •, , At present, both the Public and Private sector can invest in the development of Indian ports. Infact In, addition to the development of ports and terminals, the private sector has extensively participated in port, logistics services. Hence statement 1 is not correct., Indian Ports handle almost 95 per cent of trade volumes; thus rising trade has contributed significantly to, cargo traffic. India’s total external trade grew to US$ 763 billion in FY18, implying a CAGR of 5 per cent, since FY09. Merchandise exports during the year were US$ 303 billion while imports reached US$ 460, billion. Increasing trade is translating into higher demand for containerisation due to their, efficiency. Hence statement 2 is correct., , Q 36.B, •, , •, , 14, , The National Policy on Electronics 2019 envisions positioning India as a global hub for Electronics, System Design and Manufacturing - (ESDM) by encouraging and driving capabilities in the country for, developing core components, including chipsets, and creating an enabling environment for the industry to, compete globally., Salient Features of National Policy on Electronics 2019:, www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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Create eco-system for globally competitive ESDM sector: Promoting domestic manufacturing and, export in the entire value-chain of ESDM., o Provide incentives and support for manufacturing of core electronic components., o Provide a special package of incentives for mega projects which are extremely high-tech and entail, huge investments, such as semiconductor facilities display fabrication, etc., o Formulate suitable schemes and incentive mechanisms to encourage new units and expansion of, existing units., o Promote Industry-led R&D and innovation in all sub-sectors of electronics, including grass root level, innovations and early-stage Start-ups in emerging technology areas such as 5G, Internet of Things/, Sensors, Artificial Intelligence (Al), Machine Learning., o Provide incentives and support for significantly enhancing the availability of skilled manpower,, including re-skilling., o Special thrust on Fabless Chip Design Industry, Medical Electronic Devices Industry, Automotive, Electronics Industry and Power Electronics for Mobility and Strategic Electronics Industry., o Create Sovereign Patent Fund (SPF) to promote the development and acquisition of Intellectual, Properties in ESDM sector., o Promote trusted electronics value chain initiatives to improve national cybersecurity profile., Sovereign Patent Fund has been created under the policy to promote the development and, acquisition of intellectual properties for the benefits of startups in the ESDM sector., Hence option (b) is the correct answer., o, , •, •, , Q 37.D, •, , •, , •, , •, , •, , Recently, the Central Government has notified the structure of the National Startup Advisory Council to, advise the Government on measures needed to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation and, startups in the country to drive sustainable economic growth and generate large scale employment, opportunities., The Council will be chaired by Minister for Commerce & Industry. The Council will consist of both, official and non-official members. The nominees of the concerned Ministries/Departments/Organisations,, not below the rank of Joint Secretary will be ex-officio members of the Council. Joint Secretary,, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade will be the Convener of the Council. Hence,, statement 1 is correct., Non-official members to be nominated by Central Government, from various categories like founders of, successful startups, veterans who have grown and scaled companies in India, persons capable of, representing interests of investors into startups, persons capable of representing interests of incubators and, accelerators and representatives of associations of stakeholders of startups and representatives of industry, associations. The term of the non-official members of the Startup Advisory Council will be for a, period of two years. Hence, statement 3 is correct., The Council will suggest measures to foster a culture of innovation amongst citizens and students, in, particular, promote innovation in all sectors of economy across the country, including semi-urban and, rural areas, support creative and innovative ideas through incubation and research and development to, transform them into valuable products, processes or solutions to improve productivity and efficiency and, create an environment of absorption of innovation in industry., It will also suggest measures to facilitate public organizations to assimilate innovation with a view to, improving public service delivery, promote creation, protection, and commercialization of intellectual, property rights, make it easier to start, operate, grow and exit businesses by reducing regulatory, compliances and costs, promote ease of access to capital for startups, incentivize domestic capital for, investments into startups, mobilize global capital for investments in Indian startups, keep control of, startups with original promoters and provide access to global markets for Indian startups. Hence,, statement 2 is correct., , Q 38.D, •, •, , •, , 15, , Estimates indicate that up to 80% of rice residues are burnt by farmers in Punjab. Collection and, storage of such a huge quantity of residue is neither practically feasible nor economical., Therefore need for providing a cost effective and farmer friendly option for the management of rice, residue is both an urgent need as well as an opportunity for the sustainability of the intensive rice -wheat, cropping system in north-west India., Alternative measures have long been suggested by scientists and agriculturalists over the past decade to, counter crop residue burning, but due to a lack of awareness and social consciousness among the farmers, these measures have not been fully implemented, www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , •, , The options open for utilizing rice residue include livestock fodder, livestock bedding, insitu, incorporation, composting, generating electricity, mushroom cultivation, paper and pulp board, manufacturing ,roof thatching, biogas( anaerobic digestion). Hence options 1, 2 and 3 are correct., Black soldier fly degrade lignocelluloses in rice straw for biodiesel production. Hence option 4 is, correct., , Q 39.A, •, , •, •, •, , •, , India is the world's third-largest producer and third-largest consumer of electricity. The national, electric grid in India has an installed capacity of 373.436 GW as of 31 October 2020, of which the, Central Sector contribution was 25.2%, State Sector 27.8% and Private Sector 47.1%. Hence the, correct option is (a), The Non-renewable thermal power plants, constitute 61.9% of India's total installed capacity, nuclear, power capacity 1.8% and renewable 36.2%., India has a surplus power generation capacity but lacks adequate distribution infrastructure. To address, this, the Government of India launched a program called "Power for All" in 2016., Ministry of Power is responsible for the administration of India's Electricity Act (2003), the Energy, Conservation Act (2001) and has the responsibility of undertaking amendments to these Acts when, necessary to meet the Indian government's policy objectives., Electricity is a concurrent list subject at Entry 38 in List III of the seventh Schedule of the Constitution, of India. In India's federal governance structure, this means that both the central government and India's, state governments are involved in establishing policy and laws for the electricity sector., , Q 40.D, •, •, , •, , •, , Five-Year Plans were a formal model of planning adopted by the Indian government after Independence,, for an effective and balanced utilisation of resources., They were formulated by the Planning Commission of India, which was established on 15 March 1950., Since it was not a constitutional body, the Commission reported directly to the Prime Minister and its first, Chairman was Nehru himself. The First Plan took place in the year 1951-1956., With the Partition as backdrop, the country reeling with the influx of refugees, severe food shortage and, mounting inflation, the First Five-Year Plan was introduced in 1951. It focused primarily on the, development of the primary sector, specifically agriculture and irrigation., Drafted by economist K.N. Raj, the plan was based on the Harrod–Domar model, which suggested that, growth was dependent on two things. First, high level of savings since higher savings enabled greater, investment and second, a low capital-output ratio that ensured efficient investment and a higher growth, rate, The Plan Focussed on agriculture, price stability, power, and transport. It was a successful plan, primarily because of good harvests in the last two years of the plan. Objectives of rehabilitation of, refugees, food self sufficiency & control of prices were more or less achieved., , Q 41.A, •, , •, , •, , •, , •, •, , 16, , Amur falcons, known as the world’s longest-traveling migratory birds, have already arrived in, Nagaland, Assam, and Manipur, after traversing almost 29000 km from their summer breeding grounds in, northeast China and southeast Russia. Hence statement 1 is correct., An international team of ornithologists declared Nagaland ‘the Falcon capital of the, world’ sometime back after they recorded that around one million Amur Falcons roost in the region. This, means that such massive gathering of these migratory birds can be seen nowhere else in the world, which, also puts Nagaland on the global map, owing to its rich diversity., In fact, Nagaland has earned this title with its successful conservation efforts for these migratory, birds. The sheer number of their population in Nagaland has now made it the ‘Falcon Capital’ of the, world. It has been observed that the birds, in order to escape the harsh cold of Siberia, roost in Nagaland, for over a month. These migratory birds also play a crucial role in maintaining the balance in the, ecosystem and by keeping a check-in insect population. Hence statement 2 is not correct., Reportedly, these birds were slaughtered and eaten by the local people a few years back. However, with, the support of Nagaland Forest Department and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), awareness among the local, people regarding these birds has spread., It's IUCN status is least concerned. Hence statement 3 is not correct., Reportedly, these birds were slaughtered and eaten by the local people a few years back. However, with, the support of Nagaland Forest Department and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), awareness among the local, people regarding these birds has spread., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , The birds are the least concern under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red, List, but the species is protected under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and the Convention on, Migratory Species, to which India is a signatory (which means it is mandatory to protect the birds). Hence, statement 3 is not correct., , Q 42.B, •, , •, , •, , •, , Recently, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi,, has approved the Revised Cost Estimate (RCE) of the North Eastern Region Power System Improvement, Project (NERPSIP) at an estimated cost of Rs. 6,700 crore. This is a major step towards economic, development of North Eastern Region through strengthening of Intra - State Transmission and, Distribution systems., The scheme is being implemented through POWERGRID, a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under, Ministry of Power in association with six beneficiary North Eastern States namely, Assam, Manipur,, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura and is targeted to be commissioned by December 2021., After commissioning, the project will be owned and maintained by the respective North Eastern State, Utilities., The main objective of the project is Government commitment for the total economic development of, North Eastern Region and to strengthen the Intra-State Transmission & Distribution Infrastructure in the, North East Region., o Implementation of this scheme will create a reliable power grid and improve NER States' connectivity, to the upcoming load centers, and thus extend the benefits of the grid connected power to all, categories of consumers of beneficiaries in North Eastern Region., o The scheme shall also increase the per capita power consumption of these States, and shall contribute, to the total economic development of the North-Eastern Region., o Implementing agencies are hiring a considerable number of local manpower during their construction, works, generating a lot of employment for skilled and unskilled manpower of North-Eastern Region., o Further after completion, additional manpower will be required for Operation & Maintenance of these, newly created assets as per standard norms, generating considerable additional employment, opportunities for North Eastern Region States., Background:, o The Scheme was initially approved in December 2014 as a Central Sector Plan Scheme of Ministry of, Power and is being funded with the assistance of World Bank fund and by the Government of, India through the Budget support of Ministry of Power on 50:50 basis (World Bank: Gol) except, for the capacity building component for Rs 89 crore, which will be entirely funded by the Government, of India (Gol). Hence the correct answer is option (b)., o The Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, is an Indian state-owned Maharatna company, headquartered in Gurugram, India and engaged mainly in Transmission of Power. POWERGRID, transmits about 50% of the total power generated in India on its transmission network., , Q 43.D, •, •, , •, •, , •, , 17, , Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) has been introduced by the Government to revive PPP (Public Private, Partnership) in highway construction in India., At present, three different models –PPP Annuity, PPP Toll and EPC (Engineering, Procurement and, Construction) were followed by the government while adopting private sector participation. Launch of the, new model is due to many problems encountered as associated with the existing ones. Large number of, stalled projects are blocking infrastructure projects and at the same time adding to Non-Performing Assets, (NPAs) of the banking system. In this context, the government has introduced the Hybrid Annuity Model, (HAM) to rejuvenate PPP., Features of HAM: HAM is a mix between the existing two models – BOT Annuity and EPC., The Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) Annuity Model: Under BOT annuity, a developer builds a, highway, operates it for a specified duration and transfers it back to the government. The government, starts payment to the developer after the launch of the commercial operation of the project. Payment will, be made on a six-monthly basis., The Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) Toll Model: In this toll-based BOT model, a road developer, constructs the road and he is allowed to recover his investment through toll collection. This toll collection, will be over a long period which is nearly 30 years in most cases. There is no government payment to the, developer as he earns his money invested from tolls., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , •, , •, , •, , Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Model: Under this model, the cost is completely, borne by the government. Government invites bids for engineering knowledge from the private players., Procurement of raw material and construction costs are met by the government. The private sector’s, participation is minimum and is limited to the provision of engineering expertise. A difficulty of the, model is the high financial burden for the government., The Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM): In India, the new HAM is a mix of BOT Annuity and EPC models., As per the design, the government will contribute to 40% of the project cost in the first five years, through annual payments (annuity). The remaining payment will be made on the basis of the assets, created and the performance of the developer. Hence statement 1 is not correct., Here, a hybrid annuity means the first 40% payment is made as a fixed amount in five equal instalments, whereas the remaining 60% is paid as variable annuity amount after the completion of the project, depending upon the value of assets created. As the government pays only 40%, during the construction, stage, the developer should find the money for the remaining amount. Here, he has to raise the remaining, 60% in the form of equity or loans., There is no toll right for the developer. Under HAM, Revenue collection would be the responsibility of, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Hence statement 2 is not correct. Advantage of, HAM is that it gives enough liquidity to the developer and the financial risk is shared by the, government. While the private partner continues to bear the construction and maintenance risks as in the, case of BOT (toll) model, he is required only to partly bear the financing risk. Government’s policy is that, the HAM will be used in stalled projects where other models are not applicable., , Q 44.A, •, , •, •, , Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) is a scheme for providing collateral free loans up to 10 lakh to, the non-corporate, non-farm small/micro enterprises. Hence statement 1 is correct and statement 2 is, not correct., These loans are classified as MUDRA loans under PMMY. These loans are given by Commercial Banks,, RRBs, Small Finance Banks, MFIs and NBFCs. Hence statement 3 is not correct., Under the aegis of PMMY, MUDRA has created three products namely 'Shishu', 'Kishore' and 'Tarun' to, signify the stage of growth / development and funding needs of the beneficiary micro unit / entrepreneur, and also provide a reference point for the next phase of graduation / growth., o Shishu: covering loans upto Rs. 50,000, o Kishor: covering loans above Rs.50,000/- and upto Rs. 5 lakh, o Tarun: covering loans above Rs. 5 lakh to Rs. 10 lakh, , Q 45.A, • Energy can be classified into several types based on the following criteria as:, o Primary and Secondary energy, o Renewable and Non-Renewable energy, o Commercial and Non-commercial energy, ü The energy sources that are available in the market for a definite price are known as commercial, energy. By far the most important forms of commercial energy are electricity, coal and refined, petroleum products., ü The energy sources that are not available in the commercial market for a price are classified as, non-commercial energy. Non-commercial energy sources include fuels such as firewood, cattle, dung and agricultural wastes, which are traditionally gathered, and not bought at a price and used, especially in rural households. These are also called traditional fuels., • In India, commercial energy consumption makes up about 74 per cent of the total energy consumed in, India., • This includes:, o Coal with the largest share of 54 per cent, o Oil at 32 per cent, o Natural gas at 10 per cent, o Hydro energy at 2 per cent., Q 46.B, • Balance of trade (BOT) is the difference between the value of a country's exports and the value of a, country's imports for a given period. Balance of trade is the largest component of a country's balance of, payments (BOP). Sometimes the balance of trade between a country's goods and the balance of trade, between its services are distinguished as two separate figures. Thus the situation in the first state statement, 18, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, •, •, •, •, •, •, •, , •, , •, , •, , •, , may imply a balance of trade, but not a balance of payment equilibrium. Hence statement 1 is not, correct., The balance of payments (BOP) is a statement of all transactions made between entities in one, country and the rest of the world over a defined period of time, such as a quarter or a year., The balance of payments includes both the current account and capital account., The current account includes a nation's net trade in goods and services, its net earnings on cross-border, investments, and its net transfer payments., The capital account consists of a nation's transactions in financial instruments and central bank reserves., The sum of all transactions recorded in the balance of payments should be zero; however, exchange rate, fluctuations and differences in accounting practices may hinder this in practice., Sometimes the capital account is called the financial account, with a separate, usually very small,, capital account listed separately., The current account includes transactions in goods, services, investment income, and current transfers., The capital account, broadly defined, includes transactions in financial instruments and central bank, reserves. Narrowly defined, it includes only transactions in financial instruments. The current account is, included in calculations of national output, while the capital account is not. Hence statement 1 is not, correct., The sum of all transactions recorded in the balance of payments must be zero, as long as the capital, account is defined broadly. The reason is that every credit appearing in the current account has a, corresponding debit in the capital account, and vice-versa. If a country exports an item (a current, account transaction), it effectively imports foreign capital when that item is paid for (a capital, account transaction)., Balance of payments equilibrium occurs when induced balance of payments transactions---those, engineered by the government to influence the nominal exchange rate---are zero. This implies that, autonomous receipts from exports and the sale of securities abroad equal autonomous payments for, imports and the purchase of securities from foreign residents. Since changes in the stock of official, reserves of foreign exchange are the method used by the authorities to fix or otherwise manipulate the, exchange rate, balance of payments equilibrium requires that the stock of foreign exchange reserves, be constant., Autonomous transactions: International economic transactions are called autonomous when, transactions are made due to some reason other than to bridge the gap in the balance of payments, that is, when they are independent of the state of BoP. One reason could be to earn a profit. These items are, called ‘above the line’ items in the BoP. The balance of payments is said to be in surplus (deficit) if, autonomous receipts are greater (less) than autonomous payments. Hence statement 2 is correct., Accommodating transactions (termed ‘below the line’ items), on the other hand, are determined by the, gap in the balance of payments, that is, whether there is a deficit or surplus in the balance of payments., In other words, they are determined by the net consequences of autonomous transactions. Since the, official reserve transactions are made to bridge the gap in the BoP, they are seen as the accommodating, item in the BoP (all others being autonomous)., , Q 47.C, •, , •, , •, , •, , 19, , Recently, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have achieved their elimination target of the deadly Kalaazar a neglected tropical disease while only four blocks in Bihar and 12 in Jharkhand have reported, more than one case per 10,000 population., Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), such as dengue, rabies, leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, trachoma,, and leishmaniasis, are called "neglected," because they generally afflict the world's poor and, historically have not received as much attention as other diseases. NTDs tend to thrive in developing, regions of the world, where water quality, sanitation, and access to health care are, substandard. However, some of these diseases also are found in areas of the United States with high rates, of poverty., Neglected tropical diseases, take a tremendous toll on global health. The World Health Organization, estimates that more than one billion people — approximately one-sixth of the world's population — suffer, from at least one NTD. While NTDs rarely lead to death, they can cause significant disability that persists, for a lifetime, including fatigue, blindness, and disfigurement., Swine influenza is an infection caused by any one of several types of swine influenza viruses. Swine, influenza virus (SIV) or swine-origin influenza virus (S-OIV) is any strain of the influenza family of, viruses that is endemic in pigs. Due to its worldwide spread in 2009, it was declared as a pandemic., Hence the correct option is (c), www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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Q 48.C, • A currency swap is a transaction in which two parties exchange an equivalent amount of money with, each other but in different currencies. The parties are essentially loaning each other money and will, repay the amounts at a specified date and exchange rate. The purpose could be:, o to hedge exposure to exchange-rate risk,, o to speculate on the direction of a currency, or, o to reduce the cost of borrowing in a foreign currency., • The parties involved in currency swaps are usually financial institutions, trading on their own or on behalf, of a non-financial corporation., • Hence option (c) is the correct answer., Q 49.B, •, •, , •, , •, , •, , Recently, the Government has reopened the window for online submission of documentation for subsidy, claims under the previous versions of the Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS)., Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) was introduced in 1999 for providing credit linked, capital investment subsidy for making the Indian textile industry globally competitive and reduce the, capital cost for the textile industry., In 2015, Amended Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (ATUFS) was launched with an aim of, 'Make in India' and 'Zero Defect and Zero Effect' in manufacturing, the government provides credit linked, capital investment subsidy. This scheme would facilitate the augmenting of investment, productivity,, quality, employment, exports and import substitution in the textile industry. It will also indirectly promote, investment in textile machinery manufacturing., Eligibility: Only those entities that fall under the following sectors are eligible to applyo Weaving, Weaving Preparatory and Knitting, o Processing of fibres, yarns, fabrics, garments and made up, o Handloom Sector, o Silk Sector, o Jute Sector, o Garmet/Made up manufacturing, o Technical textiles., Hence option (b) is the correct answer., , Q 50.D, •, •, , •, , Deemed Exports refers to those transactions in which goods supplied do not leave country, and, payment for such supplies is received either in Indian rupees or in foreign exchange., Few of Its categories are:, o Supply of goods to Software Technology Parks, o Supply of capital goods to holders of licences under the Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG), scheme, o Supply of capital goods, including in unassembled/ disassembled condition as well as plants,, machinery, accessories, tools, dies, o Supply to projects funded by UN agencies., o Supply of goods to nuclear power projects through competitive bidding as opposed to International, Competitive Bidding., Hence option (d) is correct answer., , Q 51.D, •, , •, , •, , 20, , The market share of private sector companies in the non–life insurance market rose from 15% in FY04 to, 56% in FY21 (till April 2020). In the life insurance segment, private players had a market share of 31.3%, in new business in FY20. Hence statement 1 is not correct., Currently, the insurance penetration in India is 3.7 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) as against, the world average which is 6.31 percent. The life insurance sector in India is growing at 11 percent to 12, percent. General insurance is growing at 18 percent per annum. Hence statement 2 is not correct, Insurance penetration is the ratio of premium underwritten in a given year to the Gross Domestic, Product (GDP) and insurance density is the ratio of premium underwritten in a given year to the total, population., , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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Q 52.A, •, , •, •, , •, , •, , A patent is a statutory right for an invention granted for a limited period of time to the patentee by the, Government, in exchange of full disclosure of his invention for excluding others, from making, using,, selling, importing the patented product or process for producing that product for those purposes without, his consent., The term of every patent granted is 20 years from the date of filing of the application. Hence, statement 2 is not correct., Patent protection is a territorial right and therefore it is effective only within the territory of India. There, is no concept of a global patent. However, filing an application in India enables the applicant to file a, corresponding application for the same invention in convention countries or under PCT(Patent, Cooperation Treaty), within or before the expiry of twelve months from the filing date in India. Patents, should be obtained in each country where the applicant requires protection of his invention .Hence, statement 1 is not correct., An invention relating either to a product or process that is new, involving an inventive step and, capable of industrial application can be patented. However, it must not fall into the categories of, inventions that are non-patentable under sections 3 and 4 of the Act. Hence statement 3 is not, correct., An invention is patentable subject matter if it meets the following criteria –, o It should be novel., o It should have an inventive step or it must be non-obvious, o It should be capable of Industrial application., , Q 53.A, • India Innovation Index is released by NITI Aayog. The study is an outcome of extensive research and, analysis, which looks holistically at the innovation landscape of India by examining the innovation, capabilities and performance of Indian states and union territories. The aim is to create a holistic tool, which can be used by policymakers across the country to identify the challenges to be addressed and, strengths to build on when designing the economic growth policies for their regions. Hence option (a) is, correct answer., Q 54.B, •, •, •, •, , •, , •, , Food Processing refers to various techniques and operations by which raw foodstuffs are transformed into, food that is suitable for consumption, cooking, or storage., It consists of processes like the basic preparation of foods, the alteration of a food product into another, form (as in making preserves from fruit), and preservation and packaging techniques., Processing of food has a lot of advantages over raw food like longer shelf life, increased availability to, farm produce, and improved availability of the product throughout the year., On one hand, the India food processing sector has a strong base because of the abundant production of, raw food articles, aromatic and medicinal plants. On the other hand, the level of food processing is not up, to the mark as a lot of wastage in post-production handling and management takes place., The sector constituted as much as 8.83 per cent and 10.66 per cent of GVA (Gross Value Addition), in the Manufacturing and Agriculture sector respectively in 2017-18 at 2011-12 prices. Hence, statement 1 is not correct., India’s share in the export of processed food in global trade is only 2.31% in 2018. Hence statement, 2 is correct., , Q 55.C, •, •, , •, , 21, , As the government sets to achieve its agenda of a malnutrition free India and doubling farmers Income, it, has shifted its policy to promotion of nutria rich cereals one of which is millets., Before Green Revolution, millets made up around 40 percent of all cultivated grains (contributing, more than wheat and rice). However, since the revolution, the production of rice has increased doubly and, wheat production has tripled., Some important points regarding millets:, o Due to its high resistance against harsh conditions, millets are sustainable to the environment, to, the farmer growing it, and provide cheap and high nutrient options for all., o Nearly 40 percent of the food produced in India is wasted every year. Millets do not get destroyed, easily, and some of the millets are good for consumption even after 10-12 years of growing, thus, providing food security, and playing an important role in keeping a check on food wastage., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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Millet is fibrous in content, has magnesium, Niacin (Vitamin B3), is gluten-free and has a high protein, content., o Millets are less expensive and nutritionally superior to wheat and rice owing their high protein,, fibre, vitamins and minerals like iron content and can provide nutritional security. Hence statement 3, is not correct., o It is a collective term referring to a number of small seeded annual grasses that are cultivated as frain, crops in dry areas in temperate , subtropical and tropical regions. Hence statement 1 is not correct., India's proposal to observe an International year of Millets in 2023 has been approved by the Food, And Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Hence statement 2 is correct. India celebrated 2018 as the, national year of millets., o, , •, , Q 56.A, •, , •, •, , •, •, , •, , •, , The WTO recognizes as least-developed countries (LDCs) those countries which have been designated, as such by the United Nations. There are currently 47 least-developed countries on the UN list, 36 of, which to date have become WTO members., Developing countries comprise a majority of the WTO membership. They are grouped as “developing, countries” and “least developed countries”, in accordance with the criteria set out below., There are no WTO definitions of “developed” and “developing” countries. Members announce for, themselves whether they are “developed” or “developing” countries. However, other members can, challenge the decision of a member to make use of provisions available to developing countries., What are the advantages of a “developing country” status?, Developing country status in the WTO brings certain rights. There are for example provisions in some, WTO Agreements which provide developing countries with longer transition periods before they are, required to fully implement the agreement and developing countries can receive technical assistance., That a WTO member announces itself as a developing country does not automatically mean that it will, benefit from the unilateral preference schemes of some of the developed country members such as, the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). In practice, it is the preference giving country which, decides the list of developing countries that will benefit from the preferences., Hence option (a) is the correct answer., , Q 57.D, •, •, •, •, , •, •, , In the early 1970s, the Indian Patents Act was passed, with its main focus as to permit greater access of, medicines at lower rates to the poor in the country., According to the 1970 Act, process patents but not product patents would be recognized., Process patents provide protection in respect of the technology and the process or method of, manufacture and not the absolute protection to the product. Hence statement 1 is not correct., Expressed otherwise, India would award patents not to individual drugs but to the process whereby, the drug was manufactured. This allowed Indian drug companies to manufacture the same drugusing other processes (this is otherwise known as reverse engineering). Hence statement 2 is not, correct., On the other hand, product patents provide for absolute protection of the product., As India sought to improve its presence in the global market and is a member of the World Trade, Organization, India was required to comply with TRIPS ( trade-related aspects of intellectual property, rights ) obligations and hence Indian Patents act was amended to provide the protection for the Process, and Product provided it satisfies the patentability criteria., , Q 58.C, •, , •, , 22, , The Mission of e-Kranti is to ensure a Government-wide transformation by delivering all Government, services electronically to citizens through integrated and interoperable systems via multiple modes while, ensuring efficiency, transparency and reliability of such services at affordable costs. The implementation, of e-Kranti is vital for Digital India and for the delivery of e-governance, easy governance and good, governance in the country. Hence statement 1 is correct., Key components of the Programme Management structure:, o Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) for programme level policy decisions. Hence, statement 2 is correct., o A Monitoring Committee on Digital India under the Chairpersonship of Prime Minister which will be, constituted with representation drawn from relevant Ministries/ Departments, o A Digital India Advisory Group headed by the Minister of Communications and IT to solicit views of, external stakeholders and to provide inputs to the Monitoring Committee on Digital India including eKranti, www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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Q 59.A, • Recent Context: The Union Cabinet has approved an ordinance to amend The Essential Commodities, Act, 1955, to deregulate commodities such as cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onion and potatoes., o The ordinance has introduced a new subsection (1A) in Section 3 of The Essential Commodities Act,, 1955., o The amended law provides a mechanism for the “regulation” of agricultural foodstuffs, namely, cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, potato, and supplies under extraordinary circumstances, which, include extraordinary price rise, war, famine, and natural calamity of a severe nature., o It also says that any action on imposing stock limit will be based on price rise. “An order for, regulating stock limit of any agricultural produce may be issued under this Act only if there is (i) 100, per cent in the retail price of horticultural produce, or (ii) 50 per cent increase in the retail price of, non-perishable agricultural foodstuffs., • About the Essential Commodities Act, 1955: By declaring a commodity as essential, the government, can control the production, supply, and distribution of that commodity, and impose a stock limit., Since the Act aims at controlling the production it doesnot enhance producer's profits. Hence option, (b) is not correct., o There is no specific definition of essential commodities in The Essential Commodities Act., o Section 2(A) of the act states that an “essential commodity” means a commodity specified in the, “Schedule” of this Act., The Act gives powers to the central government to add or remove a commodity in the “Schedule.”, o The Centre, if it is satisfied that it is necessary to do so in public interest, can notify an item as, essential, in consultation with state governments., o At present, the “Schedule” contains 9 commodities — drugs; fertilisers, whether inorganic, organic, or mixed; foodstuffs, including edible oils; hank yarn made wholly from cotton; petroleum and, petroleum products; raw jute and jute textiles; seeds of food-crops and seeds of fruits and vegetables,, seeds of cattle fodder, jute seed, cotton seed; face masks; and hand sanitisers., o The latest items added to this schedule are face masks and hand sanitisers, which were declared, essential commodities with effect from March 13, 2020 in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak., • However, a 2015 NITI Aayog paper titled 'Raising Agricultural Productivity and Making Farming, Remunerative for Farmers' noted that the Act failed to see is that the era of shortages is now well behind, us and the provisions that discourage large scale private investments in agricultural markets must be, reexamined., • The drawbacks of the act as mentioned by Economic Survey 2019-20:, o ECA distorts the incentives for the creation of storage infrastructure by the private sector as the, act does not distinguish between firms that genuinely need to hold stocks owing to the nature of their, operations and did blanket imposition of stockholding limits to the entire agriculture supply, chain. Hence option (c) is not correct., o ECA also affects the commodity derivative markets as traders may not be able to deliver on the, exchange platform the promised quantity, owing to stock limits. Further, the empirical evidence, proves that these stock limits proved ineffective in controlling price volatility. Hence option (d) is, not correct., o All of these lead to rampant corruption, weakening the development of agricultural value chain, and distortion of prices affecting farmers and consumers. Hence option (a) is the correct answer., Q 60.D, • Green revolution in India began in mid 1960s marking a transition from traditional agriculture in India, and the introduction of high yield varieties of seeds and associated agricultural techniques. The production, and the productivity of wheat , rice etc. has substantially increased., • The three years of the ‘Plan Holiday’ viz. 1966-67 to 1968-69 witnessed the adoption of the new, agricultural strategy, which has come to be commonly known as the Green Revolution. It composed, of a package namely-: improved varieties increased use of fertilizers, improved water supplies and better, agricultural practices, increasing mechanisation of agricultural operations and measures of plant, protection from pests and diseases. Hence statement 1 is not correct., • As per Ministry of Agriculture data, yearly rice production increased from 35 (in million tones) to 105 and, that of wheat increased from 11 to 89 between 1960 and 2014., • Farmers have traditionally planted a wide variety of crops with unique genotypes. The planting of, fewer crop varieties for producing high yields reduced genetic diversity among crop species in the, country. This has also led to the loss of distinct indigenous crops from cultivation and also caused, extinction. Hence statement 2 and 3 are not correct., 23, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , Even though the green revolution had initial success in terms of rising output of food grains, the years, following 1972-73 witnessed slump in production due to adverse whether conditions. This is because:, o Rainfed agriculture occupies about 51 percent of country's net sown area., o As per data from Drought Early Warning System , about 42% of India’s land area is prone to, drought, o Summer monsoon ( June and September) contributes approximately 80% of annual total, rainfall of the country., , Q 61.D, •, •, , •, •, •, •, , •, , •, , Recently, the government released a report, Status of Leopards in India, 2018., Leopard (Panthera pardus) is the most widely distributed and adaptable member of the family Felidae., Leopard’s historic range spanned across nearly 35,000,000 km2 covering all of the sub-Saharan and North, Africa, the Middle East and Asia Minor, South and Southeast Asia and extended to the Amur Valley in, the Russian Far East. Island ranges included Sri Lanka, Java, Zanzibar, and Kangean., It occurs in almost every kind of habitat, from the rainforests of the tropics to desert and temperate, regions., The Indian subspecies, Panthera pardus fusca, is found in all forested habitats in the country,, absent only in the arid deserts and above the timber-line in the Himalayas., In the Himalayas, they are sympatric with snow leopards (Panthera uncia) up to 5,200 m, It's IUCN Status is 'Vulnerable'. It is also listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International, Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and in Schedule I of the Wildlife, (Protection) Act 1972 in India providing it with the highest level of protection., The overall leopard population in the tiger range landscape of India was estimated at 12,852, a 60%, increase compared to the previous estimate in 2014. Statewise: Madhya Pradesh (3,421), Karnataka, (1,783), Maharashtra (1690)., The state of Rajasthan has launched Project Leopard to aid conservation efforts and mitigate these, issues. Its impact is already being seen at Jhalana Forest Reserve in Jaipur, where the pilot project was, launched in 2018. Hence the correct option is (d), , Q 62.D, •, •, , •, •, •, , Recently, the Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel, dedicated the 8th producing Basin of, India -the Asokenagar, Bengal Basin, to the nation., ONGC took a major step by commencing oil production from the well Asokenagar-1, Bengal Basin in 24, Paragana district. The well Asoknagar-1 was completed as an oil producer under the Early-Monetization, Plan issued by Government of India. This makes ONGC having discovered and put to production seven, out of the eight producing basins of India covering 83 percent of established oil & gas reserves. ONGC is, India’s largest oil and gas producer contributing 72 percent of the country’s hydrocarbon production., The other Category I - functional oil and natural gas basins of India are - Krishna-Godavari (KG),, Mumbai Offshore, Assam Shelf, Rajasthan, Cauvery, Assam-Arakan Fold Belt and Cambay., Category II ( 3 Basins): Known accumulation of hydrocarbons but no commercial production as, yet, Kutch, Mahanadi-NEC & Andaman-Nicobar., Hence option (d) is the correct answer., , Q 63.B, •, , •, , •, , •, , 24, , The Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES), a dedicated facility of, CSIR’s Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad uses modern, biotechnologies for the conservation of endangered wildlife., CCMB-LaCONES is the only laboratory in India that has developed methods for collection and, cryopreservation of semen and oocytes from wildlife and successfully reproducing endangered, blackbuck, spotted deer, and Nicobar pigeons., It has successfully produced off-springs of blue rock pigeon, spotted deer, and blackbuck, which were, on the verge of extinction, through artificial insemination of cryopreserved sperm. CCMB scientists, in collaboration with Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad have now rescued Indian Mouse Deer from, extinction through a successful conservation breeding programme., Through this work, it has established the Genetic Resource Bank for Indian wildlife. So far, genetic, resources from 23 species of Indian wild animals have been collected and preserved. This facility would, increase the collection of genetic resources from wildlife through collaboration with zoos in India. It, would also facilitate the exchange of genetic material between the Indian zoos for maintaining genetic, diversity and conservation management made accessible to scientists and wildlife managers for, implementing conservation programs., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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Q 64.C, •, •, , •, , •, •, , One of the differences between FDI and FII is that the latter necessarily has to be an institution while FDI, can come from an individual also. Hence option (a) is correct., Subsequent to changes in the law in 2014, since FDI is defined to be an investment beyond 10%, to some, extent it can be said that there is "lasting interest". However, FDI is also permissible in lower dozes in, unlisted entities. Hence option (b) is correct., In August 2020, the Indian government amended Foreign Direct Investment Policy, 2017 on commercial, coal mining policy making it approved only under the Government route. In 2019, the Central, Government, amended FDI Policy 2017, to permit 100% FDI under automatic route in coal mining, activities. Hence option (c) is not correct., Measures taken by the Government on the fronts of FDI policy reforms, investment facilitation and ease, of doing business have resulted in increased FDI inflows into the country., FDI inflows in India stood at $45.15 bn in 2014-15 and have consistently increased since then. Moreover,, total FDI inflow grew by 55%, i.e. from US$ 231.37 bn in 2008-14 to $358.29 bn in 2014-20 and FDI, equity inflow also increased by 57% from $160.46 billion during 2008-14 to $252.42 bn (2014-20).FDI, inflows in India increased to $55.56 bn in 2015-16, $60.22 billion in 2016-17, $60.97 bn in 2017-18 and, the country registered its highest ever FDI inflow of $62.00 bn (provisional figure) during the last, Financial Year 2018-19. Moreover, India has attracted more than $74 bn investments across sectors, during 2019-20. Hence option (d) is correct., , Q 65.D, •, , •, , •, , Ministry of Tourism, Government of India spent Rs. 1687.06 crore and Rs. 1986.04 crore during the, years 2017-18 and 2018-19 respectively under its plan scheme on tourism sector. The Budget Estimate, under the plan scheme for the sector during the financial year 2019-20 is Rs. 2075.12 crore. Hence, statement 1 is correct., Development and promotion of tourist places is primarily the responsibility of concerned State, Government/ UT Administration. However, the Ministry of Tourism promotes India as a holistic, destination covering its various tourism destinations and products across different States/Union Territories, in the country. Hence statement 2 is correct., the "Adopt a Heritage: Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan" project is a collaborative effort by both, tourism and culture ministry and Archaeological Survey of India, state or UT governments for developing, tourist amenities at heritage or the tourist sites and making them tourist-friendly, in a planned and phased, manner. Hence statement 3 is correct., , Q 66.C, •, , •, , •, , •, •, , •, , 25, , Recently, the Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the formal, recognition of Yogasana as a competitive sport at a joint press conference held by the Union Minister, of State (IC) for AYUSH and the Union Minister of State (IC) for Youth Affairs & Sports in New Delhi., The origins of Yogasana competitions to the Indian Yoga tradition, such competitions have been held for, centuries. They are still being conducted today at multiple levels, but a strong and sustainable structure to, impart national visibility to the competitions is yet to emerge., Yoga, one of the six systems (darshans) of Indian philosophy. Its basic text is the Yoga-sutras by Patanjali, (c. 2nd century BCE or 5th century CE). The practical aspects of Yoga play a more important part than, does its intellectual content, which is largely based on the philosophy of Samkhya, with the exception, that Yoga assumes the existence of God, who is the model for the aspirant who seeks spiritual, release. Hence statement 1 is not correct., The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has formally inscribed, Yoga in its representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Hence statement 2 is correct., The International Day of Yoga has been celebrated annually on 21 June since 2015, following its, inception in the United Nations General Assembly in 2014. The summer solstice, also known as an estival, solstice or midsummer, occurs when one of the Earth's poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun. It, happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere. Hence statement 3 is correct., The sports discipline of Yogasana is likely to have 51 medals in 4 events & 7 categories. The proposed, events for both men and women include Traditional Yogasana, Artistic Yogasana (Single), Artistic, Yogasana (Pair), Rhythmic Yogasana (Pair), Free Flow/Group Yogasana, Individual All Round –, Championship and Team Championship. Hence the correct option is (a), , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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Q 67.D, •, •, , •, , •, , •, , A current account deficit occurs when the value of imports (of goods/services/inv. incomes) is greater, than the value of exports., Policies to reduce a current account deficit involve:, o Devaluation of the exchange rate (make exports cheaper – imports more expensive), o Reduce domestic consumption and spending on imports (e.g. tight fiscal policy/higher taxes), o Supply-side policies to improve the competitiveness of the domestic industry and exports., Devaluation of exchange rate: This involves reducing the value of the currency against others. (e.g., selling pounds would cause the value of the Pound to fall). If there is a devaluation of the currency, the, price of imported goods increases, and therefore the quantity demanded of imports falls. Exports will, become cheaper, and there will be an increase in the number of exports. Hence only option 1 is not, correct., Tight monetary policy involves increasing interest rates. Higher interest rates will increase the cost of, debt and mortgage repayments and leave people with less money to spend. Therefore, this will reduce, their consumption of imports, improving the current account., Supply-side policies can improve the competitiveness of the economy and help make exports more, attractive. This can improve the current account position, but it may take considerable time to have an, effect. For example, if the government pursued a policy of privatization and deregulation it may help to, increase the efficiency of the economy because of the profit motive in the private sector. This increased, efficiency would translate into lower costs of production and more exports., , Q 68.D, •, , •, •, , •, , •, , Recent Context: After the enactment of three new farm laws that allow barrier-free trading of agriculture, commodities across the country, the Centre asked the states to reduce the market fees on the, electronic National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) platform., About e-NAM: It is a pan India electronic leading portal which networks the existing APMC mandis, to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities., NAM will be implemented as a Central Sector Scheme through Agri-Tech Infrastructure, Fund (ATIF). The Department of Agriculture & Cooperation (DAC), Ministry of Agriculture will set it, up through the Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) which will act as lead agency for, implementation. Hence statement 3 is not correct., For integration with the e-platform the States/UTs will need to undertake prior reforms in respect of:, o A single license to be valid across the State. Hence statement 1 is not correct., o Single point levy of market fee and, o Provision for electronic auction as a mode for price discovery., o It will also enable small and marginal farmers to directly trade their produce from, selected warehousing Development & Regulatory Authority (WDRA) registered warehouses, which are declared deemed market by the state. Hence statement 2 is not correct., About National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd.(NAFED):, o It was established on 2nd October 1958., o Nafed is registered under the Multi State Co-operative Societies Act., o Nafed was setup with the object to promote Co-operative marketing of agricultural produce to benefit, the farmers., o Agricultural farmers are the main members of Nafed, who have the authority to say in the form of, members of the General Body in the working of Nafed., , Q 69.B, •, , •, , •, , 26, , Copyright (or author's right) is a legal term used to describe the rights that creators have over their, literary and artistic works. Works covered by copyright range from books, music, paintings, sculpture,, and films, to computer programs, databases, advertisements, maps, and technical drawings. Hence, options 1, 2 and 4 are correct., A trademark is a sign capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one enterprise from those of, other enterprises. It can include the names, logos, designs and catchphrases of different brands. Hence, option 3 is not correct., A patent is an exclusive right granted for an invention. Thus, it is an exclusive right to a product or a, process that generally provides a new way of doing something, or offers a new technical solution to a, problem. To get a patent, technical information about the invention must be disclosed to the public in a, patent application. The patent owner may give permission to, or license, other parties to use the invention, www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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on mutually agreed terms. The owner may also sell the right to the invention to someone else, who will, then become the new owner of the patent. Once a patent expires, the protection ends, and an invention, enters the public domain, that is, anyone can commercially exploit the invention without infringing the, patent., Q 70.B, • Trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights under WTO:, o Article 31 of Agreement On Trade-Related Aspects Of Intellectual Property Rights, allows compulsory licensing and government use of a patent without the authorization of its, owner. Hence statement 1 is not correct., o But this can only be done under a number of conditions aimed at protecting the legitimate interests of, the right holder. For example: (unless there is an emergency) the person or company applying for a, license must have first attempted, unsuccessfully, to obtain a voluntary license from the right holder, on reasonable commercial terms, and adequate remuneration must be paid to the right holder., o The authorization granted under compulsory licensing must also meet certain requirements. In, particular, it cannot be exclusive, and it must as a general rule be granted predominantly to, supply the domestic market., o Article 27.3(b) allows members to exclude some types of plant and animal inventions from, patenting in their countries., o More specifically, it allows them to exclude from patentability “plants and animals other than, micro-organisms, and essentially biological processes for the production of plants or animals, other than non-biological and microbiological processes”. Hence statement 2 is correct., o However, the agreement says members must provide for the protection of plant varieties, either, by patents or by an effective sui generis system (i.e. a system created especially for this purpose) or, by any combination of the two., o This agreement calls for a review of the provisions of Article 27.3(b) four years after the agreement, entered into force (i.e. in 1999). This review is underway in the TRIPS Council., Q 71.D, •, , 27, , •, •, , The invisible balance or balance of trade on services is that part of the balance of trade that refers to, services and other products that do not result in the transfer of physical objects. Examples include, consulting services, shipping services, tourism, and patent license revenues.,, Both transfers and service payment comes under the current account (invisible)., Both have shown fluctuation in the last 5 years., , •, , Hence option (d) is the correct answer., , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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Q 72.D, •, •, , •, , •, , •, , •, , •, •, , Recently, the Army Aviation Corps (AAC), the youngest Corps of the Indian Army, celebrated its 35th, Corps Day on November 1., The Army Aviation Corps came into being on November 1, 1986, and Immediately after raising, the, units of the Corps were pressed into action in Operation Pawan by the Indian Peacekeeping Forces, in, the mostly jungle areas of Sri Lanka against the Tamil Tigers. Ever since, AAC helicopters have been an, inseparable part of fighting formations in all major conflict scenarios, and a life-saving asset in peace, times. Hence statement 1 is not correct., The Siachen Glacier has been the final frontier for the Army Aviation Corps. Routinely operating at, 20,000 feet and above on the extreme fringes of its flight envelope, the Cheetah helicopter has been, carrying out yeoman service as the workhorse of the glacier., The main roles played by the AAC choppers are that of reconnaissance, observation, casualty, evacuation, essential load drops, combat search and rescue, thus adding an invaluable air dimension to, the Army’s capabilities. The AAC helicopters also participate in Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief, (HADR) operations in peace times., The Indian Army has further sharpened the AAC edge by adding dedicated aviation units along with the, various operational Corps and Command formations. The AAC currently operates Chetak, Cheetah,, Lancer, Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv, and ALH Weapon System Integrated (WSI),, also known as Rudra., While initially, AAC operated non-weaponized helicopters and attack helicopters were only with the, Air Force, post 2012, the government has allowed induction of weaponised choppers in the AAC. Hence, statement 2 is not correct., In October last year, President Ram Nath Kovind presented the President’s Colours to the Army, Aviation Corps in a ceremonial parade held at Army Aviation Base at Nashik Road., The President’s Colours, which is a ceremonial flag, is awarded to military units or institutions as symbol, of their excellence, and as recognition of their contributions both during war and peace., , Q 73.A, •, , •, •, , “Wildgeese flying model” was formulated by Japanese economist Kaname Akamatsu during the, 1960s. The first Asian country to enter the export market for Network Products was Japan followed by a, number of East and Southeast Asian countries. Japan, the lead goose, provided capital, technology and, managerial knowhow to “follower geese” countries in East and Southeast Asia., Wild geese fly in orderly ranks forming an inverse V, just as airplanes fly in a formation. The export, market participation of several of the Asian countries, over the years, depicts an “inverted V” pattern., Hence option (a) is the correct answer., , Q 74.B, •, , •, , •, , •, , 28, , The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) (established in 1966) is, a subsidiary body of the General Assembly of the United Nations with the general mandate to further the, progressive harmonization and unification of the law of international trade. UNCITRAL has since, prepared a wide range of conventions, model laws, and other instruments dealing with the substantive law, that governs trade transactions or other aspects of business law that have an impact on international trade., UNCITRAL meets once a year, typically in summer, alternatively in New York and in Vienna (the, headquarter of UNCITRAL)., UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) is the part of the United Nations, Secretariat dealing with trade, investment, and development issues. The organization's goals are to:, "maximize the trade, investment and development opportunities of developing countries and assist them, in their efforts to integrate into the world economy on an equitable basis". UNCTAD was established by, the United Nations General Assembly in 1964 and it reports to the UN General Assembly and United, Nations Economic and Social Council. Its headquarter is in Geneva, Switzerland. Hence option (b) is the, correct answer., The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that is concerned with the, regulation of international trade between nations. The WTO officially commenced on 1 January 1995, under the Marrakesh Agreement, signed by 123 nations on 15 April 1994, replacing the General, Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which commenced in 1948. It is the largest international, economic organization in the world. Its headquarter is in Geneva., The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is one of the six principal organs of the, United Nations, responsible for coordinating the economic and social fields of the organization,, www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , •, , •, , •, , History of NCRB: Accepting the recommendations of the National Police Commission - 1977, the, Ministry of Home Affairs had constituted a Task Force in 1985 to work out the modalities for, setting up the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The Government accepted the, recommendations of the Task Force and constituted the NCRB with headquarters at New Delhi in, January 1986., Its important objective is to function as a clearinghouse of information on crime and criminals including, those operating at National and International levels so as to assists the investigators, and others in linking, crimes to their perpetrators., The NCRB, at present, functions through:, o CCTNS, o Central Finger Print Bureau, o Statistical Branch, o Training Branch, o Data Centre and Technical Branch, Crime Records Branch mainly deals with coordination of crimes, Motor Vehicle Stolen vs. recovered and, vice versa, Missing Children/ Person vs. UIDB and Found Children Person; FICN (Fake Indian Currency, Notes), etc. through the following software:o VAHAN SAMANVAY: Online Motor Vehicle Coordination system Vahan Samanvay is designed, for the coordination of stolen and recovered motor vehicles., o COLOUR PORTRAIT BUILDING SYSTEM (CPBS): This software helps to prepare a, portrait/sketch of suspect/accused with the help of details of face components like Head, Eyes, Nose,, Mouth, Chin, etc., described by witness similar to suspect., o FAKE INDIAN CURRENCY NOTES (FICN): NCRB has created a National level database of, FICN seized by police and detected/recovered by banks., o TALASH: Talash software developed by NCRB is operational since 1990. The main objective of the, software was to coordinate missing children/missing persons with unidentified dead and found, persons., o The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) compiles the cybercrime data and presents it to the, public for general awareness. Hence the correct answer is option (d)., , Q 81.B, •, , •, , •, , Indicative planning is a form of economic planning implemented by a state in an effort to solve the, problem of imperfect information in market and mixed economies in order to increase economic, performance. When utilizing indicative planning, the state employs influence, subsidies, grants, and, taxes [to affect the economy], but does not compel., Indicative planning is contrasted with directive or mandatory planning, where a state (or other economic, unit) sets quotas and mandatory output requirements. Planning by inducement is often referred to as, indicative planning., Indicative planning is coordinated information that guides the choices of separate state and private entities, in a market economy or mixed economy. Hence statement 1 is not correct and statement 2 is correct., , Q 82.C, •, , •, , •, , 31, , India was one of the first in Asia to recognize the effectiveness of the Export Processing Zone (EPZ), model in promoting exports, with Asia's first EPZ set up in Kandla in 1965. With a view to overcome the, shortcomings experienced on account of the multiplicity of controls and clearances; absence of worldclass infrastructure, and an unstable fiscal regime and with a view to attract larger foreign investments in, India, the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) Policy was announced in April 2000., This policy intended to make SEZs an engine for economic growth supported by quality infrastructure, complemented by an attractive fiscal package, both at the Centre and the State level, with the minimum, possible regulations. SEZs in India functioned from 1.11.2000 to 09.02.2006 under the provisions of the, Foreign Trade Policy and fiscal incentives were made effective through the provisions of relevant statutes., After the enactment of SEZ Act in 2005, Special Economic Zones operate under the provisions of, the act. Hence statement 1 is not correct. The main objectives of the SEZ Act are:, o generation of additional economic activity, o promotion of exports of goods and services, o promotion of investment from domestic and foreign sources, o creation of employment opportunities, o development of infrastructure facilities, www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , •, , •, , Approval mechanism: The developer submits the proposal for the establishment of SEZ to the concerned, State Government. The State Government has to forward the proposal with its recommendation within 45, days from the date of receipt of such proposal to the Board of Approval. The applicant also has the option, to submit the proposal directly to the Board of Approval., The Board of Approval has been constituted by the Central Government in exercise of the powers, conferred under the SEZ Act. Once an SEZ has been approved by the Board of Approval and Central, Government has notified the area of the SEZ, units are allowed to be set up in the SEZ. Thus, it is clear, that power to establish SEZ lies with the Central government and not with the state government., Hence statement 2 is not correct., SEZ is a specifically delineated duty free enclave and deemed to be a foreign territory for the, purpose of trade operations, duties and tariffs. Hence statement 3 is correct., , Q 83.C, •, , •, , •, , •, , Compulsory licensing is when a government allows someone else to produce a patented product or, process without the consent of the patent owner or plans to use the patent-protected invention itself. It is, one of the flexibilities in the field of patent protection included in the WTO’s agreement on intellectual, property — the TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) Agreement., Evergreening is any of various legal, business, and technological strategies by which producers extend, the lifetime of their patents that are about to expire, in order to retain royalties from them, by either, taking out new patents (for example over associated delivery systems, or new pharmaceutical mixtures),, or by buying out, or frustrating competitors, for longer periods of time than would normally be, permissible under the law., Compulsory licensing is when a government allows someone else to produce a patented product or, process without the consent of the patent owner or plans to use the patent-protected invention itself. It is, one of the flexibilities in the field of patent protection included in the WTO’s agreement on intellectual, property — the TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) Agreement. Under, PATENTS ACT, 1970: At any time after the expiration of three years from the date of the grant of a, patent, any person interested may make an application to the Controller for grant of a compulsory license, on patent on any of the following grounds, namely:— that the reasonable requirements of the public with, respect to the patented invention have not been satisfied, or that the patented invention is not available to, the public at a reasonably affordable price, or that the patented invention is not worked in the territory of, India., Hence option (c) is the correct answer., , Q 84.C, •, , •, , •, , •, , •, , Recently, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North Eastern Region, (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space attended, the e-Foundation stone laying ceremony of the Comprehensive Mansar Lake Rejuvenation/, Development Plan, Jammu., Mansar Lake is situated 62 km (39 mi) from Jammu, Mansar is a lake fringed by forest-covered, hills, over a mile in length by half-a-mile in width. Surinsar-Mansar Lakes is designated as a, Ramsar site in November 2005. Hence the correct option is (c), The Minister said that after its implementation, the number of Tourists/pilgrims will increase from the, current 10 lakhs to 20 lakhs per year in the Mansar region. Mansar Rejuvenation Plan will lead to, employment generation of about 1.15 crore man-days and will generate more than Rs 800 crore of income, per year., Udhampur possibly the only District in the country which has on the lines of Namami Ganga and Ganga, cleaning project, received two similar rejuvenation and renovation projects for River Devika and, Mansar Lake respectively. River Devika said to be the sister of mother Ganga, the Mansar lake, finds reference in the ancient writings of Mahabharata., In his address, Lieutenant Governor of UT of Jammu and Kashmir said that Mansar is of immense, importance from Pilgrimage as well Heritage point of view beyond being the most scenic attraction due to, vast Mansar Lake and its flora and fauna. He said that tourism contributes to 7 percent of the GDP of, Jammu and Kashmir., , Q 85.D, • Nutrient Based Subsidy scheme: Under this, government announces a fixed rate of subsidy (in Rs. per, Kg basis), on each nutrient of subsidized P&K fertilizers, namely Nitrogen (N), Phosphate (P), Potash, (K) and Sulphur (S)., 32, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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o, , o, o, , o, , It is applicable to 22 fertilizers (other than Urea) for which MRP will be decided taking into account, the international and domestic prices of P&K fertilizers, exchange rate, and inventory level in the, country., Urea Subsidy is a part of Central Sector Scheme of Department of Fertilizers and is wholly financed, by the Government of India through Budgetary Support., The New Urea Policy-2015 (NUP-2015) has been notified by Department of Fertilizers in 2015,, extended till 2019-2020, with the objective of maximizing indigenous urea production, promoting, energy efficiency in urea production and rationalizing subsidy burden on the government. It is, applicable to the existing 25 gas based units., ü The continuation of Urea Subsidy Scheme till 2020 will ensure the timely payment of subsidy to, the urea manufacturers resulting in timely availability of urea to farmers., ü Subsidy on production costs is provided when their production is beyond a certain production, capacity as notified., From March 2018, a new direct benefit transfer (DBT) system was introduced., ü In this, the subsidy is given directly to farmers. Here the manufacturer sells Urea at the marketbased price, the farmer will have to pay entire market price at the time of purchase and she/he will, get back this amount from the Government as DBT., ü Each retailer has a point-of-sale (PoS) machine linked to the Department of Fertilisers’ eUrvarak DBT portal. Anybody buying subsidised fertilisers is required to furnish their Aadhaar, or Kisan Credit Card (KCC) number., ü Only upon the sale getting registered on the e-Urvarak platform can a company claim subsidy,, with these being processed on a weekly basis and payments remitted electronically to its bank, account., , Q 86.B, •, , •, , •, , •, , •, , Advance Authorization Scheme: Advance Authorization (AA) is issued to allow duty-free import of, inputs, which are physically incorporated in export products (making normal allowance for wastage). In, addition, fuel, oil, the catalyst which are consumed/ utilized in the process of production of export, products are also be allowed., Interest Equalization Scheme: This scheme is being implemented by the Directorate General of Foreign, Trade through the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for pre and Post Shipment Rupee Export Credit. Under the, Scheme, interest equalization @ 3 per cent per annum has been made available to eligible exporters. w.e.f., 02.11.2018, the interest equalization rate has been increased from 3 per cent to 5 per cent for exports, made by the MSME sector under the ongoing Interest Equalization Scheme (IES) on Pre and Post, Shipment Rupee Export Credit. The merchant exporters have also been included at the interest, equalization rate of 3 per cent under this scheme w.e.f. 02.01.2019., Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) for Specified Agriculture Products Scheme: To mitigate, the disadvantage of the higher cost of transportation of export of specified agriculture products due to, trans-shipment and to promote brand recognition for Indian agricultural products in specified overseas, markets, the “Transport and Marketing Assistance” (TMA) scheme for specified agriculture products was, launched in February 2019 and is available for exports occurring from 01.03.2019 to 31.03.2020., Duty-Free Import Authorization (DFIA): Duty-Free Import Authorization (DFIA) is issued on post, export basis for products for which Standard Input Output Norms (SION) have been notified. One of the, objectives of the scheme is to facilitate the transfer of the authorization or the inputs imported as per, SION, once the export is completed. Provisions of the DFIA Scheme are similar to Advance, Authorization Scheme, Hence option (b) is the correct answer., , Q 87.A, •, , •, , •, , 33, , Stand Up India Scheme was launched on 5 April 2016 to promote entrepreneurship at the grass root level, for economic empowerment and job creation. This scheme seeks to leverage the institutional credit, structure to reach out to the underserved sector of people such as Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and, Women Entrepreneurs so as to enable them to participate in the economic growth of a nation. Hence, statement 1 is correct., The objective of this scheme is to facilitate bank loans between Rs.10 lakh and Rs.1 crore to at least one, Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) borrower and at least one woman borrower per bank, branch of SCBs for setting up a Greenfield enterprise., Stand up India Scheme includes collateral-free loans through credit guarantee scheme, convergence, with state and central government schemes wherever feasible, simplified application form, online, application through the portal, handholding support among others. Hence statement 2 is correct., www.visionias.in, ©Vision IAS

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•, , As on 17.02.2020, more than 81% account holders under Stand Up India Scheme are women. Hence, statement 3 is correct., , Q 88.C, •, , •, , •, , In order to bring about a quantitative and qualitative change and to give the necessary impetus to the, manufacturing sector, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry had notified the National Manufacturing, Policy (NMP) with the objective of enhancing the share of manufacturing in GDP to 25% and, creating 100 million jobs over a decade or so. Hence statements 1 and 2 are not correct., The policy is based on the principle of industrial growth in partnership with the States. National, Investment & Manufacturing Zones (NIMZs) are one of the important instruments of the policy. These, zones have been conceived as large integrated industrial townships. Hence statement 3 is correct., o Important instruments under the National Manufacturing Policy are;, ü Incentives for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)., ü Industrial training and skill up-gradation measures for the young workforce., ü Rationalization and simplification of business regulations., ü Simple and expeditious procedure for closure of units., ü Financial and institutional mechanism for technology development including green technology., The Central Government will create the enabling policy framework, provide incentives for infrastructure, development on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis through appropriate financing instruments, and, State Governments will be encouraged to adopt the instrumentalities provided in the policy., , Q 89.D, •, , •, , •, , The Production linked incentive scheme (PLI) focuses on incentivising firms to grow fast. Some of these, incentives are meant to help industries where India already has a comparative advantage, like auto, components; others for industries where India has the potential to become a world leader, like food; and, most importantly, the PLI scheme is for sectors where India has an uncomfortable dependence on Chinese, imports., Production-Linked Incentives (PLI) worth up to Rs 1.46 lakh crore have been announced for 10, manufacturing sectors. The sectors include automobiles and auto components, pharmaceutical, drugs, advanced chemistry cells (ACC), capital goods, technology products, textile products, white, goods, food products, telecom and speciality steel., Hence option (d) is the correct answer., , Q 90.C, •, , •, , •, •, •, •, •, , •, , 34, , Make in India initiative was launched along with action plans prepared for various sectors with, the objective of facilitating investment, fostering innovation, building best in class manufacturing, infrastructure, making it easy to do business and enhancing skill development. Hence statement 1 is, correct., The initiative is further aimed at creating a conducive environment for investment, modern and efficient, infrastructure, opening up new sectors for foreign investment and forging a partnership between, government and industry through positive mindset., Make in India initiative has been reviewed and is now focusing on 27 sectors under Make in India 2.0., List of 27 sectors under Make in India 2.0 is annexed as annexure-I., Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade is coordinating action plans for 15, manufacturing sectors while the Department of Commerce is coordinating 12 service sectors., The nodal agency for Make in India initiative is The Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Hence, statement 3 is correct., List of 27 Sectors under Make in India initiative 2.0, Manufacturing Sectors include Aerospace and Defence, Automotive and Auto Components,, Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices, Bio-Technology, Capital Goods, Textile and Apparels, Chemicals, and Petro chemicals, Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM), Leather & Footwear, Food, Processing, Gems and Jewellery, Shipping, Railways, Construction, New and Renewable Energy,, Service Sectors include Information Technology & Information Technology enabled Services (IT &, ITeS), Tourism and Hospitality Services, Medical Value Travel, o Transport and Logistics Services, Accounting and Finance Services, Audio Visual Services, Legal, Services, Communication Services, Construction and Related Engineering Services, Environmental, Services, Financial Services and Education Services. Hence statement 2 is not correct., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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Q 91.A, • Fair Price Shop means a shop which has been licensed to distribute essential commodities by an, order issued under section 3 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, to the ration card holders, under the Targeted Public Distribution System. Hence statement 1 is correct., o The term is defined in Section 2(4) of National Food Security Act, 2013., o It is the responsibility of every State Government to establish institutionalised licensing arrangements, for fair price shops in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Public Distribution System, (Control) Order, 2001 made under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, as amended from time to, time for efficient operations of the Targeted Public Distribution System., • Under the Targeted Public Distribution System, it is the duty of the State Government too take delivery of foodgrains from the designated depots of the Central Government in the State, at the, prices specified,, o organise intra-State allocations for delivery of the allocated foodgrains through their authorised, agencies at the door-step of each fair price shop; and, o ensure actual delivery or supply of the foodgrains to the entitled persons at the prices specified, • Every local authority, or any other authority or body, as may be authorised by the State Government,, can conduct or cause to conduct, periodic social audits on the functioning of fair price shops, Targeted, Public Distribution System and other welfare schemes, and may publicise its findings and take necessary, action, in such manner as may be prescribed by the State Government. Hence statement 2 is not correct., • A preference is given to public institutions or public bodies such as panchayats, self help groups,, cooperative societies etc. in the licensing of fair price shops and for women or their collectives in the, management of fair price shops., • The State Government can fix an amount as the fair price shop owner's margin, which may be, periodically reviewed for ensuring sustained viability of the fair price shop operations., • The State Governments may allow sale of commodities other than the foodgrains distributed under the, Targeted Public Distribution System at the fair price shop to improve the viability of the fair price shop, operations., • FPS are mandated to make a lot of disclosures such as opening and closing stock, sample quality of, grains sold, retail price details etc. Accounts of the actual distribution of foodgrains and the balance, stock at the end of the month, at the fair price shop, have to be sent to the designated authority of the State, Government with a copy to the local authority., Q 92.D, • Project UNNATI has been started by the Government of India to identify the opportunity areas for, improvement in the operations of major ports. Under the project, 116 initiatives were identified out of, which 91 initiatives have been implemented as of November 2018. Hence option (d) is correct answer., Q 93.A, • Statement 1 is correct: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has initiated the Global Housing, Technology Challenge- India (GHTC-India) which aims to identify and mainstream a basket of, innovative construction technologies from across the globe for housing construction sector that are, sustainable, eco-friendly and disaster-resilient. They are to be cost effective and speedier while, enabling the quality construction of houses, meeting diverse geoclimatic conditions and desired functional, needs., • Statement 2 is not correct: Light House Projects (LHPs) are model housing projects with houses built, with shortlisted alternate technology suitable to the geo-climatic and hazard conditions of the region., LHP, shall mean a model housing project with approximate 1,000 houses built with shortlisted alternate, technology suitable to the geo-climatic and hazard conditions of the region. This will demonstrate and, deliver ready to live houses with speed, economy and with better quality of construction in a sustainable, manner. Houses under LHP will be designed keeping in view the dimensional requirements laid down in, National Building Code (NBC) 2016. The LHPs are being constructed at Indore (Madhya Pradesh),, Rajkot (Gujarat), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Agartala (Tripura) and Lucknow, (Uttar Pradesh)., • Statement 3 is not correct: Affordable Sustainable Housing Accelerators - India (ASHA-India) aims to, promote domestic research and entrepreneurship by providing incubation and acceleration support to, potential future technologies. Under ASHA-India initiative, five ASHA-India Centers have been set up, for providing incubation and acceleration support. The potential technology winners under acceleration, support will be announced by the Prime Minister. The technologies, processes and materials identified, through this initiative will provide a major fillip to young creative minds, start-ups, innovators and, entrepreneurs., 35, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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Q 94.A, •, , •, , •, , •, , •, , "Hot money" refers to funds that are controlled by investors who actively seek short-term returns., These investors scan the market for short-term, high-interest rate investment opportunities. A typical, short-term investment opportunity that often attracts "hot money" is the certificate of deposit. Hence, option (a) is the correct answer., Heated currency: It refers to the domestic currency which is under enough pressure of depreciation. It, is due to the hard currency’s tendency to exiting the economy. It is also known as currency under heat or, under hammering., Hard currency refers to money that is issued by a nation that is seen as politically and economically, stable. Hard currencies are widely accepted around the world as a form of payment for goods and services, and may be preferred over the domestic currency., A hard currency is expected to remain relatively stable through a short period of time, and to be highly, liquid in the forex or foreign exchange (FX) market. The most tradable currencies in the world are, the U.S. dollar (USD), European euro (EUR), Japanese yen (JPY), British pound (GBP), Swiss franc, (CHF), Canadian dollar (CAD) and the Australian dollar (AUD). All of these currencies have the, confidence of international investors and businesses because they are not generally prone to dramatic, depreciation or appreciation., A soft currency denotes the currency that is easily available in any economy in its forex market., , Q 95.C, •, , •, , •, , •, , •, , The first Industrial Policy Resolution was announced in 1948 which laid down broad contours of, the strategy of industrial development. It was based on the Bombay plan designed in the pre, independence era. The Resolution was somewhat broad in its scope and direction as the Constitution had, not taken its full shape and the necessary legal framework was also not put in place. An important, distinction was made among industries to be kept under the exclusive ownership of Government, i.e., the, public sector, those reserved for private sector and the joint sector. Hence statement 1 is not correct., Subsequently, the Indian Constitution was adopted in January 1950, the Planning Commission was, constituted in March 1950 and the Industrial (Department and Regulation) Act (IDR Act) was enacted in, 1951 with the objective of empowering the Government to take necessary steps to regulate the pattern of, industrial development through licensing. This paved the way for the Industrial Policy Resolution of 1956,, which was the first comprehensive statement on the strategy for industrial development in India., The Industrial Policy Resolution - 1956 was shaped by the Mahalanobis Model of growth, which, suggested that emphasis on heavy industries would lead the economy towards a long term higher, growth path. Hence statement 3 is correct., This resolution formed the basis of the Second Five Year Plan, the plan which tried to build the basis for a, socialist pattern of society. This resolution classified industries into three categories. The first category, comprised industries which would be exclusively owned by the state; the second category consisted of, industries in which the private sector could supplement the efforts of the state sector, with the state taking, the sole responsibility for starting new units; the third category consisted of the remaining industries, which were to be in the private sector., Although there was a category of industries left to the private sector, the sector was kept under state, control through a system of licenses. No new industry was allowed unless a license was obtained from, the government. This policy was used for promoting industry in backward regions; it was easier to obtain, a license if the industrial unit was established in an economically backward area. Even an existing, industry had to obtain a license for expanding output or for diversifying production (producing a new, variety of goods). This was meant to ensure that the quantity of goods produced was not more than what, the economy required. Hence statement 2 is correct., , Q 96.D, •, , •, •, , 36, , The SDR was created as a supplementary international reserve asset in the context of the Bretton, Woods fixed exchange rate system. The collapse of the Bretton Woods system in 1973 and the shift of, major currencies to floating exchange rate regimes lessened the reliance on the SDR as a global reserve, asset. Nonetheless, SDR allocations can play a role in providing liquidity and supplementing member, countries’ official reserves, as was the case amid the global financial crisis., The SDR serves as the unit of account of the IMF and some other international organizations., The SDR is neither a currency nor a claim on the IMF. Rather, it is a potential claim on the freely, usable currencies of IMF members. SDRs can be exchanged for these currencies., , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , •, , •, , The SDR was initially defined as equivalent to 0.888671 grams of fine gold—which, at the time, was also, equivalent to one U.S. dollar. After the collapse of the Bretton Woods system, the SDR was redefined as a, basket of currencies., Currencies included in the SDR basket have to meet two criteria: the export criterion and the freely usable, criterion. A currency meets the export criterion if its issuer is an IMF member or a monetary union that, includes IMF members, and is also one of the top five world exporters., Hence all the options are correct., , Q 97.B, •, , •, , •, , Ease of Doing Business is the World Bank Group’s flagship publication. Doing Business presents, quantitative indicators on business regulations and the protection of property rights that can be compared, across 190 economies, Doing Business covers 12 areas of business regulation. Ten of these areas—starting a business, dealing, with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting minority, investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts, and resolving insolvency—are, included in the ease of doing business score and ease of doing business ranking. Doing Business also, measures regulation on employing workers and contracting with the government, which are not included, in the ease of doing business score and ranking. Hence both statement 1 and statement 2 are correct., In its 2020 report, India has moved 14 places to 63rd position among 190 nations. India was ranked 100th, in 2018 ranking. The report assesses improvement in ease of doing business environment in Delhi, and Mumbai. Hence statement 3 is not correct. However, Kolkata and Bengaluru are proposed to be, included in 2021 ranking assessment of India., , Q 98.B, •, , •, •, , 37, , Balance of trade (BOT) is the difference between the value of a country's exports and the value of a, country's imports for a given period. Balance of trade is the largest component of a country's balance of, payments (BOP)., A country that imports more goods and services than it exports in terms of value has a trade deficit while a, country that exports more goods and services than it imports has a trade surplus., As per the Economic Survey 2019-20, India exports more to (and imports less from) the United States of, America. Thus India has a trade surplus with the US. With Indonesia, Singapore and Switzerland, India, has a trade deficit. Hence only option 1 is correct., , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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Q 99.C, •, , •, •, , •, , •, , •, , In view of this alarming environmental crisis, the Ministry of Law and Justice on October 28, 2020 has, issued an Ordinance namely the Commission for the Air Quality Management in National Capital, Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance, 2020., Thus, it is a statutory legislative body. Hence statement 1 is not correct., The Ordinance has been promulgated by the President of India and provides for the establishment of, Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas for better, co-ordination, research, identification and resolution of problems surrounding the air quality index., The Ordinance shall apply to Delhi NCR and adjoining states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar, Pradesh where the sources of air pollution are located and are directly or indirectly causing adverse impact, on air quality in the NCR., Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining AreasThe powers, and functions of the Commission inter alia include the following:, o The Commission has been conferred with the power to lay down air quality parameters, discharge of, environmental pollutants parameters, to inspect premises violating the law, order closure of nonabiding industries or plants, etc., o The Commission can also restrict any industry, operations or processes or class of industries that can, have implications on air quality in the said region., o The Commission shall have the power to take mitigation measures, issue directions/orders suo, moto and entertain complaints under any other existing laws such as the Air (Prevention and, Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Hence statement 3, is correct., o The Ordinance states that the Orders of the Commission shall prevail in case there is a conflict, between the Central Pollution Control Board and the State Pollution Control Boards., Penalties and Offences, o Non-compliance of the provisions of the Ordinance- The Ordinance provides penalty of imprisonment, for term that may extend to 5 years or fine extending upto INR 1 Crore or with both for noncompliance of the provisions of the Ordinance., o Offence committed by Company- For offence committed by any Company, the Ordinance provides, that every person who at the time of offence was directly in charge for or responsible for the conduct, of the business of the company, will be held guilty for offence under the Ordinance., o Any appeal from the Order of the Commission would lie before the National Green Tribunal, (NGT). Hence statement 2 is correct., o Delhi NCR every year witnesses alarmingly poor quality of air from October onwards. The, promulgation of Ordinance to mitigate the issue of air pollution and quality is a welcome step., However, its implementation in true letter and spirit is yet awaited., , Q 100.A, • Shifting cultivation is practised in the thickly forested areas of Amazon basin, tropical Africa, parts of, southeast Asia and Northeast India. These are the areas of heavy rainfall and quick regeneration of, vegetation., o A plot of land is cleared by felling the trees and burning them. The ashes are then mixed with, the soil and crops like maize, yam, potatoes and cassava are grown. After the soil loses its, fertility, the land is abandoned and the cultivator moves to a new plot. Shifting cultivation is also, known as ‘slash and burn’ agriculture., o Shifting cultivation fields and their surrounding forests provide two alternative sources of subsistence, for the dependent community. In case of crop failure, the forest resources augment their food, supplies and also provide house building material, fuel wood and timber., • It is known as Jhum in Assam, Punamkrishi in Kerala, Podu in Andhra Pradesh, • In different regions of Madhya Pradesh it is known as Bewar, Mashan, Penda and Beera., • Hence option (a) is the correct answer., , 38, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS