IAS Current Affairs is more tended towards the Current Affairs Analysis and their Backgrounders. The current event is only the tip of the iceberg and the UPSC Civil Services Exam asks about the background of that event. The Political, Economical and the Sociological dimensions of the current affairs are also important for the IAS Exam. These Current Affairs questions are framed keeping in view the pattern of IAS Exam.
1. In which of the following cities the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit 2016 was held?
a. Paris
b. Warsaw
c. Geneva
d. London
Answer: b
Explanation:
The 2-day long NATO Summit concluded on 9 July 2016 in Warsaw, Poland. It was the 27th summit biannual summit of NATO since its inception in 1949.
The summit was attended by Heads of State and Heads of Government of NATO members including the USA President Barack Obama, Polish president Andrzej Duda and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Besides, the summit also saw the presence of Heads of Government of non-member States and organizations of NATO including Afghanistan.
2. Consider the following statements regarding the National Green Highways Mission (NGHM):
I. It was launched under the Green Highways Policy that was unveiled in September 2015 to actualize the vision of developing eco-friendly and green National Highways.
II. The greening project has a huge potential to generate jobs and can prove to be a game-changer for agriculture and rural economy.
III. In future, the mission will be linked with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme.
Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?
a. Only I
b. I and II
c. II and III
d. All of the above
Answer: d
Explanation:
It was launched under the Green Highways Policy that was unveiled in September 2015 to actualize the vision of developing eco-friendly and green National Highways.
The greening project has a huge potential to generate jobs and can prove to be a game-changer for agriculture and rural economy. Greening of one km of highway provides employment to ten people. The initial launch on the 1500 km stretch will employ 15000 people.
The government has made it mandatory to set aside 1 per cent of the total project cost of any NH contract to a Green Fund corpus that will be used for plantation purposes.
The afforestation is expected to help in sequestering approximately 12 lakh metric ton carbon annually. In future, the mission will be linked with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme.
UPSC IAS Prelims Exam 2016: Current Affairs Quiz Set 10
3. Which of the following committee has been appointed to examine the feasibility of a new financial year?
a. Rajiv Kumar committee
b. Shankar Acharya committee
c. KM Chandrasekhar committee
d. PV Rajaraman committee
Answer: b
Explanation:
Union Government on 6 July 2016 constituted a committee to examine the desirability and feasibility of having ‘a new financial year’. The four member committee will be headed by former Chief Economic Advisor Shankar Acharya. It has been asked to submit its reports by 31 December 2016.
Other members of the committee include KM Chandrasekhar, former Cabinet Secretary; PV Rajaraman, former Finance Secretary, Tamil Nadu and Dr. Rajiv Kumar, senior fellow, centre for policy research.
It will examine the merits and demerits of various dates for the commencement of the financial year including the existing date (April to March), taking into account the various relevant factors.
4. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Information Technology Report 2016 India ranked in Networked Readiness Index (NRI) 2016?
a. 134th
b. 110th
c. 91st
d. 50th
Answer: c
Explanation:
India was placed at 91st position in the Networked Readiness Index (NRI) 2016 that was released by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum (WEF) on 6 July 2016. The index was released as the part of the WEF’s Global Information Technology Report 2016.
It measures countries’ success in creating the necessary conditions for a transition to a digitised economy and society. It finds seven countries are excelling when it comes to economically benefiting from investments in information and communications technologies
Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, Israel, Singapore, the Netherlands and the US are leading the world when it comes to generating economic impact from investments in information and technology. Singapore leads the Index followed by Finland, Sweden, Norway and the United States.
India (91st) was ranked the lowest among the BRICS countries- Russia (41st), China (59th), South Africa (65th) and Brazil (72nd).
5. Consider the following statements regarding Namami Gange programme:
I. It is an Integrated Ganga Conservation Mission in the sense that it tries to integrate the efforts to clean and protect the Ganga River in a comprehensive manner.
II. Its focus is on pollution abatement interventions namely Interception, diversion and treatment of wastewater flowing through the open drains through bio-remediation or appropriate in-situ treatment or use of innovative technologies.
III. It has a budget outlay of 20000 crore rupees for 2015-20 which is a significant four-fold increase over the expenditure in the past 30 years as the Union Government incurred an overall expenditure of approximately 4000 crore rupees on this task since 1985.
Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?
a. Only I
b. I and II
c. II and III
d. All of the above
Answer: d
Explanation:
It is an Integrated Ganga Conservation Mission in the sense that it tries to integrate the efforts to clean and protect the Ganga River in a comprehensive manner and will result in socio-economic benefits in terms of job creation, improved livelihoods and health benefits to the vast population that is dependent on the river.
Its focus is on pollution abatement interventions namely Interception, diversion and treatment of wastewater flowing through the open drains through bio-remediation or appropriate in-situ treatment or use of innovative technologies such as sewage treatment plants (STPs) or effluent treatment plant (ETPs).
It has a budget outlay of 20000 crore rupees for 2015-20. This is a significant four-fold increase over the expenditure in the past 30 years as the Union Government incurred an overall expenditure of approximately 4000 crore rupees on this task since 1985.
6. The third edition of BRICS Urban Forum meeting 2016 will be hosted by which of the following BRICS countries?
a. Brazil
b. Russia
c. India
d. China
Answer:
Explanation:
BRICS is a short form of the five emerging economies of the world viz. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The third edition of BRICS Urban Forum meeting, 2016 will be hosted by Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh from September 14 to 16, 2016.
The major focus of the conference will be on the challenges faced by the cities and the emergence of new urban spaces with rapid urbanization. It would also provide a platform for each participant country to learn the best practices of other BRICS countries and accordingly adapt them in making their cities smart at their backyard.
7. Who among the following personalities has received the Bharat Gaurav award 2016?
a. Neeraj Bhanot
b. Chetan Bhagat
c. Arvind Adiga
d. APJ Abudul Kalam
Answer: a
Explanation:
The Bharat Gaurav Awards also known as-The People’s Choice Awards is organized by All India Human Welfare Council. There are sixteen categories for the Awards. This edition of the Award is dedicated towards the entrepreneur and professional category. There are certain essential criteria that must be met for ensuring the apt persons receive the award.
For the Bharat Gaurav Award, the awardee needs to have a proven track record of operating a successful business or Social Work. The award selects a particular charity endeavour and encourages people to donate towards a good cause which would benefit the people in need. The Indian who has been posthumously conferred the Bharat Gaurav Award in London recently is - Neerja Bhanot.
8. Who among the following has been appointed as the head of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP)?
a. Theresa May
b. Per Lodin
c. Ban Ki-moon
d. None of the above
Answer:
Explanation:
Per Lodin, Major General of Sweden, was on 8 June 2016 appointed as the Head of the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP). Lodin's appointment was approved by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
9. Who among the following has been appointed as the Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India?
a. Arvind Panagariya
b. Arvind Subramanian
c. N S Vishwanathan
d. Sudarshan Sen
Answer: c
Explanation:
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on 28 June 2016 announced the appointment of NS Vishwanathan as Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Vishwanathan will succeed Harun R Khan who will retire on 3 July 2016.
Vishwanathan served as the Principal Chief General Manager in the Department of non-banking supervision at Reserve Bank of India. He has been an Executive Director at Reserve Bank of India since April 2014.
10. Who is the author of the book “Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End”?
a. Amitabh Gosh
b. Atul Gawande
c. Arvind Adiga
d. Khushwant Singh
Answer: b
Explanation:
Gawande, a practicing surgeon, addresses his profession's ultimate limitation, arguing that quality of life is the desired goal for patients and families. Gawande offers examples of freer, more socially fulfilling models for assisting the infirm and dependent elderly, and he explores the varieties of hospice care to demonstrate that a person's last weeks or months may be rich and dignified.
Current Affairs considered as a dynamic section of the UPSC IAS Prelims Exam. The relevance of Current Affairs is not only in UPSC IAS Prelims Exam but it also has greater relevance in UPSC IAS Mains as well as in the Interview level. An UPSC aspirant must be aware of the current political, economic, cultural etc scenario of India and simultaneously of the world.
