Insights Exam-3

1. Arrange the following military units in order of increasing number of military men among them:
1. Company
2. Division
3. Battalion
4. Brigade
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

2. Which of the following schemes are administered by the Ministry of Textiles?
1) North East Region Textile Promotional Scheme
2) West Himalayan Wool Development Scheme
3) Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

3. Consider the following statements about pensions in India:
1) The Government of India treats it as salary, and hence is taxed
2) Dearness allowance on basic pension is given to mitigate the impact of inflation, and is thus not taxed
Which of the above statements is/are correct?

4. Consider the following statements:
Assertion (A): Wild fluctuations and alleged irregularities have remained untamed in the commodities markets
Reasons (R): The Forward Markets Commission was the regulator of commodities markets until recently
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

5. Which among the following statements best describe the ‘New World Order’?

6. Consider the following statements about the Green Highways Policy which was recently launched:
1) 1% of the total project cost of all highways projects will be kept aside for the highway plantation and its maintenance
2) Its implementation can help bridge the gap between notified forest cover and National Forest Policy-envisaged forest cover
3) This policy will generate employment opportunities for people from rural areas
Which of the above statements is/are incorrect?

7. Consider the following statements:
Assertion (A): India has been relatively resilient in coping with the sluggish global demand (which owes a great extent to the weakness in the Eurozone)
Reason (R): There has been significant market diversification in India’s trade in recent years
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

8. Which of the following reasons is/are incorrect and/or cannot be considered as valid with respect to having a trade bloc in South Asia, similar to the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)?
1) Levels of development among countries in the two regions are different
2) The USA, a democratic nation, is the anchor economy for NAFTA, but China, the anchor economy for South Asia, is a single-party state
3) Unlike NAFTA, which is a partnership only between Bermuda, Canada, Mexico, USA and Greenland, a similar trade partnership in South Asia would include a larger number of members
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

9. Which among the following best describes ‘Accommodative Monetary Policy’?

10. Consider the following statements about the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA):
1. It is an autonomous body, a think-tank on strategic affairs
2. It is funded by the Indian Ministry of Defense
3. It was established in 1965
Which of the above statements are correct?

11. Which of the following statements about the Astrosat are correct?
1) Indian researchers will no longer have to rely on other space agencies for X-ray data
2) As in the case of Chandrayaan-1 and Mangalyaan, the Astrosat telescope will have no commercial or societal implications
3) Only one among five of its payloads has been made by ISRO, the rest comes from scientific institutions based in India
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

12. With reference to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, which of the following statements is/are incorrect?
 Its reports are submitted to the head of the executive who then lays them before both Houses of the Parliament
 Its reports must be tabled by the executive in the legislature in a time-bound manner
 The CAG is responsible only to the Parliament
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

13. Consider the following statements:
Assertion (A): The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) consists of members only from the Lok Sabha
Reason (R): The function of the PAC is to examine annual audit reports of the CAG which seek to ensure financial accountability of the executive to the Lok Sabha
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

14. Consider the following statements:
Assertion (A): The immediate past, present and next G20 Chair constitute a ‘troika’
Reason (R): The G20 does not have any permanent secretariat or management and administrative structure
Which of the above statements is/are true?

15. With reference to the ‘G20 Sherpa’, consider the following statements:
 He is the personal representative of a head of state or government at an international summit
 They are generally quite influential
 They generally lack the authority to independently make final decisions
 The name is derived from the Sherpa people, a Nepalese ethnic group, who serve as guides and porters in the Himalayas
Which of the above statements is/are incorrect?

16. Which of the following statements about ‘PRAGATI’ is/are correct?
1. It stands for ‘Pro-Active-Governance aimed at Transformation of India’
2. It brings on one stage the Secretaries of Government of India and the Chief Secretaries of the States
Select the correct answer using codes given below:

17. ‘Global Competitiveness Report’ is released by the

18. ‘Operation Muskaan’ and ‘Operation Smile’ were campaigns recently launched by the

19. Consider the following statements:
1) As of 2013, insurance penetration (both, life and non-life) stood at 3.9% in India
2) The Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana provided a life insurance cover, to those who met the criteria, during the initial period following its launch
Which of the above statements are incorrect?

20. The Caracal has been classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as

21. The Mid-day Meal Scheme is administered by the

22. The ‘Manual of Departmental Security Instructions, 1994’ was issued by

23. Consider the followings statements about the ‘Official Secrets Act’:
1) Classification of files is done under its provisions
2) Any breach of the ‘Manual of Departmental Security Instructions’ could attract its provisions
Which of the above statements are correct?

24. Which of the following sections of the Right to Information Act, 2005 provides the means to government departments to decline information sought by an individual?

25. Consider the following statements about ASCI (Advertising Standards Council of India):
1) It comes under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
2) Any consumer can lodge complaints (with ASCI) on what they may consider to be misleading advertisements
Which of the above statements are incorrect?

26. With reference to Dengue, which of the following statements are incorrect?
1. A drop in platelet count is proof that the person has dengue fever
2. Recovery from infection by one serotype provides lifelong immunity against other serotypes
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

27. Consider the following statements associated with India’s INDC (Intended Nationally Determined Contribution):
1) It contains sector-specific targets
2) Currently, the installed power capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy sources is around 30%
Which of the above statements are incorrect?

28. Consider the following statements about Rabies infection:
 It is caused only by dogs (usually due to dog bites)
 In rare cases, rabies can be spread when infected saliva gets into an open wound or the mucous membranes, such as the mouth or eyes
Which of the above statements are correct?

29. Which among the following list are security features, which facilitate the detection of genuine notes vis-à-vis forgeries, present on Indian bank-notes?
 Virtual Image
 Intaglio Printing
 Check Mark
 Micro-lettering
 See through Register
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

30. With reference to the ‘Iron Curtain’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
 The Berlin wall formed a part of it
 The curtain fell around the time of disintegration of the Soviet Union
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

31. Consider the following list of countries:
 India
 Germany
 Russia
 Afghanistan
 Nepal
 United Kingdom
 Myanmar
The proposed INSPA (International Agency for Solar Policy & Application) will comprise which of the above list of countries?

32. Consider the following statements about ‘Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)’:
1. It is an independent French medical humanitarian organisation
2. It delivers emergency aid to people only in areas affected by armed conflict
Which of the above statements is/are correct?

33. Which of the following Government initiatives (act/schemes/campaigns) are associated with pest management?
1) ‘Grow Safe Food’ campaign
2) “Monitoring of Pesticide Residues at National Level” scheme
3) “Strengthening and Modernization of Pest Management Approach in India” scheme
4) Insecticide Act, 1968
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

34. Curcumin is

35. Consider the following statements:
Assertion (A): There are numerous thin copper strands inside an electric wire instead of a single thick copper strand
Reason (R): Alternating current (AC) has a tendency to flow along the surface of any conductor rather than uniformly across the cross-section of a conductor
Which of the above statements is/are true?

36. Consider the following statements about the ‘Swiss challenge method’:
 The Supreme Court of India has approved it as a way of awarding contracts
 This method can be applied also for sectors that are not covered under the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) framework
 The original proposer has the right of first refusal
Which of the above statements is/are incorrect?

37. Which of the following statements about India’s new gas pricing policy is/are correct?
 The domestic gas price is the weighted average price of four global benchmarks, one of which is the US-based Henry hub
 The gas pricing formula does not apply to those of us who use LPG cylinders
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

38. Which of the following statements associated with ‘Minorities’ (or ‘Minority’) in India are incorrect?
1. Their rights have been spelt out in the Constitution
2. The Constitution does not define the term
3. Directive Principles of State Policy includes provisions that have significant implications for them
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

39. Which of the following statements about the National Commission for Minorities is/are correct?
1) It is a statutory body
2) Only 5 communities, viz. Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians (Parsis) have been notified as minority communities
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

40. Which of the following are components of the National Crop Insurance Programme?
 Modified National Agricultural Insurance Scheme
 Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme
 Coconut Palm Insurance Scheme
 National Agricultural Insurance Scheme
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

41. Consider the following statements about ‘Crop Cutting Experiments’ associated with Crop Insurance:
 It is a sample survey approach, which provides an estimate of crop yield in an area (it can be the area of a state or the entire country)
 Adoption of this method has resulted in delayed payment of claims to farmers
Which of the above statements are incorrect?

42. ‘GIAN’ or ‘Global Initiative for Academics Network’ is an initiative to

43. Which of the following statements associated with subsidies in India are true?
 There are subsidized services as well
 Minimum Support Prices (for crops) can hurt poor households
 Cross-subsidisation in the railways has contributed to increased traffic congestion and emissions
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

44. Consider the following statements about ‘vertical farming’:
1. Only climbers and creepers can be grown in this type of farming
2. Crop yield is greater when compared to yield through conventional farming over the same area
Which of the above statements are incorrect?

45. Which of the following statements about neutrinos is/are incorrect?
1) Trillions of neutrinos pass through our body every second
2) They are created in nuclear reactions
3) They never interact with particles of other matter
Select the correct answer using codes given below:

46. ‘Neutrino Oscillations’ is

47. The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is under the

48. Which of the following statements about ‘barefoot’ technicians, associated with the Ministry of Rural Development, is/are correct?
 To become one, any person above the age of 21 is eligible for training
 He/She can selected from the local SC/ST MGNREGA worker households only
Select the correct answer using codes given below:

49. The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated every year on January 9th to mark

50. Which of the following is/are not some of the recommendations made by the Bibek Debroy Committee in its report on Indian Railways?
1. Accounting reforms
2. Streamlining recruitment processes
3. It must distance itself from non-core activities such as running schools and hospitals
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

51. Which of the following can be classified as ‘Occupational Diseases’?
1) Sleep disorder due to noise pollution
2) Silicosis
3) Asbestosis
4) Pneumoconiosis
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

52. Which article in the Indian Constitution prohibits trafficking in human beings?

53. Which of the following laws do not have provisions associated with human trafficking?
 The Minimum Wages Act
 The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act
 The Juvenile Traffic (Prevention) Act
 The Sexual harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention , Prohibition and Redressal) Act
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

54. “The balance sheet syndrome with Indian characteristics” creates a web of difficult challenges that could hold back private investment. In this context, consider the following statements:
 Unlike many other countries with high debt to equity ratios currently, India’s debt is almost exclusively financed by public sector banks
 Public sector in India is exposed to corporate risk
Which of the above statements are incorrect?

55. Which among the following are some of the flaws in the existing design of Public-Private-Partnerships?
 Unmanageable risks, e.g., traffic risk in highways, are transferred to concessionaires
 Compulsory allocation of both, construction and maintenance responsibilities to the concessionaire
 The Government has no leverage in case of non-performance by concessionaire
 There are no ex-post structures for re-negotiation of contracts
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

56. Consider the following statements about the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the status of refugees:
 It is the key legal document in defining who is a refugee, their rights and the legal obligations of states
 India is not a signatory to the convention
Which of the above statements are correct?

57. Which of the following statements about the ‘Micro Solar Dome’ is/are correct?
 It is a zero-fuel device requiring maintenance, the frequency of which depends upon its usage
 It captures sunlight which can be transmitted through Polyvinyl Chloride pipes
Choose the correct answer using the codes given below:

58. The Central Government has recently given tax sops to sugar mills in order to boost ethanol production. With reference to ethanol, which of the following statements are incorrect?
1. Ethanol can be derived not only from sugarcane, but also corn and sorghum
2. In India, 10 per cent blending of ethanol with petrol is mandatory
3. Bootleggers mix it with country-made liquor to increase its potency
Select the correct answer using codes given below:

59. Consider the following statements:
1) India, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh have recently signed a Motor Vehicles Agreement
2) The Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950 between India and Nepal is still in force
Which of the above statements are correct?

60. It is known that agroforestry can not only alleviate poverty and reduce malnutrition, but also help develop resilience to climate change. With reference to agroforestry in India, consider the following statements:
 India is the first nation in the world to have adopted an agroforestry policy
 Various elements of agroforestry lie scattered across various existing missions, programme and schemes under different ministries
 All policies on agroforestry will be subsumed under the National Agroforestry Policy
Which of the above statements is/are incorrect?

61. It is said that India has the most progressive agroforestry policy in the world. Which of the following statements about India’s ‘National Agroforestry Policy’ is/are correct?
 Its ‘National Agroforestry Board’ will be under the Ministry of Agriculture
 Apart from promoting agroforestry research, it also seeks to usher in land reforms
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

62. The Supreme Court recently decided to set up another Constitution Bench to have a relook at the question whether right to privacy is a fundamental right or not. Consider the following statements about the Constitution Bench:
 The minimum number of Judges who are to sit in it shall be five
 Article 32 of the Constitution contains a provision dealing with setting up of the Constitution Bench
Which of the above statements are incorrect?

63. Consider the following statements associated with the plant ‘Opium Poppy’:
1. India is sandwiched between two producing regions of it – the Golden Triangle and the Golden Crescent
2. Its seeds are used in Indian cuisine
Which of the above statements are incorrect?

64. Which of the following statements about the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) are correct?
1) India is a not a founder member
2) The ASEM dialogue addresses not only economic, but also political and cultural issues
3) The ASEM summit is a biennial meeting
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

65. Gazette of India notifications are published by

66. With reference to the ‘High Risk Area’ (HRA) in the Indian Ocean, consider the following statements:
Assertion (A): Additional War Risk Premiums imposed by Insurance providers on vessels carrying Indian EXIM (export-import) along the west coast are set to reduce, resulting in lower costs to consumers
Reason (R): International Chamber of Shipping and other international bodies have agreed to push back the HRA from 78° W longitude to the to the 65° W longitude
Select the correct answer using codes given below:

67. Why are there fewer cyclones over the Arabian Sea (AS) as compared to the Bay of Bengal (BB)?
 AS is relatively colder than BB
 Majority of the cyclones over BB weaken over land after landfall
 In addition to cyclones which develop in-situ, BB gets an increased quota of them due to high frequency of cyclones over the Northwest Pacific
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

68. Consider the following statements about the ‘Territorial Army’ of India:
 It is a part of the regular army
 They also known as the ‘Green Army’ due to their pioneering role in preservation of the nation’s biodiversity
Which of the above statements is/are correct?

69. Consider the following pairs:
Directions  Neighbouring State/Country
1. East   Bangladesh
2. West  Bangladesh
3. South    Myanmar
4. North   Meghalaya
With reference to borders shared by the Indian state of Tripura, which of the above pairs are correctly matched?

70. Consider the following statements:
1) The Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act controls only the first sale of the agricultural produce
2) The Essential Commodities (EC) Act empowers the central and state governments concurrently to control the production of certain commodities
3) EC Act also covers commodities such as coal and textiles
Which of the above statements are incorrect?

71. The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1953

72. India was recently asked by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to arrest one of the guests expected to attend the India-Africa Summit. With reference to the ICC, which of the following statements is/are incorrect?
 It is independent of the United Nations
 India is not a signatory to it
 It can request non-signatories (to the ICC) to cooperate with it, which among others, includes acts of arrest
Select the correct answer using codes given below:

73. The transfer of which of the following non-tangible goods/services can be classified as ‘invisible trade’?
 Customer services
 Intellectual property
 Consulting
 Tourism
 Shipping services
Select the correct answer using codes given below:

74. Consider the following statements about female labour force participation in India
1. It has been declining sharply in India
2. Changes in measurement methodology across survey rounds may have contributed to its decline
3. India’s inability to compete with cheaper labour provided by countries like Bangladesh too has contributed to the decline
Which of the above statements are correct?

75. With reference to the Qutb Minar and its monuments, consider the following statements:
1) Although Qutbu’d-Din Aibak laid the Qutb Minar’s foundation, he did not construct all 5 storeys
2) Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque is the earliest extant mosque built by the Delhi Sultans
3) Qutbu’d-Din Aibak’s tomb is not present in the complex
Which of the above statements are incorrect?

76. The ‘Quartet Roadmap’ is

77. Consider the following statements:
Assertion (A): The farmers of the Bundelkhand region have largely depended on just the rabi season; the area of crops sown during kharif is much smaller
Reason (R): The region suffers due to ‘Anna Pratha’
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

78. Consider the following statements:
 Cattle do not eat this crop
 It is a crop meant for the rain fed areas
 Very few countries cultivate it
Which of the above statements about the ‘Sesame’ or ‘Til’ crop is/are true?

79. Consider the following list of cow breeds:
 Tharparkar
 Rahiwal
 Jersey
 Rathi
Which of the above are native to India?

80. It is said that sensitivity of the agriculture sector to the monsoon has been moderating. What may be the reasons for the same?
1. Rising share of irrigation
2. Sharp increase in the share of small-sized loans in agricultural credit
3. Improvement in yield
4. Sharp increase in the share of credit being used for capital formation in agriculture
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

81. Despite a deficient monsoon for the second year in a row, food inflation has been on the decline this year. What may be the reasons for the same?
1) Restricted hikes in Minimum Support Prices
2) A global supply glut of agri-commodities
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

82. Consider the following statements associated with the plant ‘Opium Poppy’:
 India is sandwiched between two producing regions of it – the Golden Triangle and the Golden Crescent
 Its seeds are used in Indian cuisine
Which of the above statements are incorrect?

83. Violations concerned with which of the following issues can the National Human Rights Commission sometimes address?
 Bonded and child labour
 Right to clean environment
 Right to health
 Rights of prisoners
 Rights of women
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

84. Consider the following statements with regard to ‘Exercise Malabar’, a naval military exercise involving India and the USA:
 It is an annual exercise
 2015 marks the first year in which it transformed into a multilateral exercise
 It is always held off India’s western coast
Which of the above statements is/are incorrect?

85. Participating in naval exercises is one way to manage a new geopolitical reality – China’s growing naval profile in the Indian Ocean. Which of the following naval exercises has the Indian Navy conducted or participated in?
 Milan
 Varuna
 Konkan
 Simbex
 IBSAMBAR
 Malabar
Select the correct answers using the codes given below:

86. Consider the following statements:
Assertion (A): India’s Blood Safety Programme is the primary responsibility of Department of pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers
Reason (R): As per the Indian laws, human blood is treated as a ‘drug’ under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act
Which of the above statements is/are true?

87. A well organised Blood Transfusion Service is a vital component of any health care delivery system. In this context, which of the following statements is/are incorrect?
1) India’s lack of a central blood collection agency
2) A Supreme Court rulinghas banned paid donors and unlicensed blood banks
Select the correct answer using codes given below:

88. “The State shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India” – which article in the Indian Constitution places this duty upon the State?

89. Consider the following statements about ASCI (Advertising Standards Council of India):
 It comes under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
 Any consumer can lodge complaints (with ASCI) on what they may consider to be misleading advertisements
Which of the above statements are incorrect?

90. Consider the following statements:
 Meloxicam affects cattle as well as vultures the same way as diclofenac
 Ketoprofen affects cattle the same way as diclofenac, but is harmless for vultures
Which of the above statements is/are correct?

91. Sankalp’, launched by the Department of Pension & Pensioners Welfare is an initiative

92. Which of the following statements about the ‘India Development Foundation of Overseas Indians’ (IDF-OI) is/are incorrect?
1. It is a not-for-profit trust set up by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs
2. It engages with the concerned authorities of other nations in enhancing the skills of blue-collared Overseas Indians
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

93. H1N1 virus is sometimes mentioned in the news with reference to which one of the following diseases?

94. With the presence of more than 4,200 startups, India has become the third largest startup base worldwide. What may be the reasons for the growth of the entrepreneur ecosystem in India?
1) Investment in start-ups by business tycoons
2) The “Start-Up India” initiative has seen rapid success
3) A sharp increase in the availability of risk capital
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

95. Which of the following statements about writs mentioned in the Indian Constitution is/are incorrect?
 ‘Mandamus’, unlike ‘Prohibition’, directs inactivity
 ‘Certiorari’ is both preventive as well as curative, unlike prohibition, which is only curative
 ‘Mandamus’ can also be issued against the Government asking it to perform duties which it has failed or refused to perform
Select the correct answer using codes given below:

96. With reference to the ‘Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana’ (PMKKKY), which of the following statements is/are correct?
 It is being administered by the Ministry of Labour and Employment
 This scheme will be binding on state governments
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

97. Consider the following statements:
Assertion (A): The ‘Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana’ (PMKKKY) earmarks 50% of expenditure of the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds for ‘high priority areas’, 30% towards ‘other priority areas’ and 20% towards ‘low priority areas’
Reason (R): PMKKKY provides guidelines for utilization of funds accruing to DMF
Select the correct answer using codes given below:

98. Consider the following statements about ‘Strategic Partnerships’ in the context of international relations:
 Its appearance can be traced to the end of the cold war
 These partnerships entail only the following areas of co-operation: political-diplomatic ties, defence ties, and economic relations
Which of the above statements is/are incorrect?

99. Consider the following statements about the India-Africa Forum Summit:
 The first such summit will be held in New Delhi in 2015
 This biennial summit is to be held on a rotational basis between India and Africa
Which of the above statements is/are correct?

100. The Government recently announced that the Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF) of the Centre will be used to cool prices of an agri-commodity. Which of the following statements about the PSF is/are incorrect?
 It will support market interventions for price control of onions and potatoes initially; other commodities may be added later
 States have to set up a revolving fund to receive grants under this scheme
Select the correct answer using the codes given below: