03rd February 2023 Current Affairs Quiz for UPSC Prelims
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Question 1 of 10
1. Question
2 points
With reference to the Salt Industry in India, which of the given statements is/are correct?
1. The subject ‘Salt’ is under the State List of the 7th schedule.
2. India is a leading producer of Salt in the world.
3. Gujarat produces more than 80% of the country’s total salt production.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Correct
Correct Answer: D
Explanation
Statement 1 is not correct, 2 and 3 are correct.
Salt Industry in India
• Salt is under the Union List of the 7th schedule. Hence statement 1 is not correct.
• India ranks third in the production of salt in the world next to the USA and China. Hence statement 2 is correct.
• Sea salt constitutes about 70% of the total salt production in the country.
• Salt manufacturing activities are carried out in the coastal states of Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Orissa, West Bengal Goa and hinterland State of Rajasthan.
• Gujarat produces about 28.5 million tonnes of salt per year which is more than 80% of the country’s total production. Hence statement 3 is correct.
• In Himachal and Rajasthan, salt is harvested by mining while in other states including Gujarat, salt is produced through a solar-evaporation process of seawater.
• Salt Commissioner’s Organisation (an attached Office under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry).
Incorrect
Correct Answer: D
Explanation
Statement 1 is not correct, 2 and 3 are correct.
Salt Industry in India
• Salt is under the Union List of the 7th schedule. Hence statement 1 is not correct.
• India ranks third in the production of salt in the world next to the USA and China. Hence statement 2 is correct.
• Sea salt constitutes about 70% of the total salt production in the country.
• Salt manufacturing activities are carried out in the coastal states of Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Orissa, West Bengal Goa and hinterland State of Rajasthan.
• Gujarat produces about 28.5 million tonnes of salt per year which is more than 80% of the country’s total production. Hence statement 3 is correct.
• In Himachal and Rajasthan, salt is harvested by mining while in other states including Gujarat, salt is produced through a solar-evaporation process of seawater.
• Salt Commissioner’s Organisation (an attached Office under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry).
Question 2 of 10
2. Question
2 points
Recently the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways has approved the Draft GSR Notification to introduce Bharat NCAP (New Car Assessment Program). With reference to this, consider the following statements:
It will be applicable on type-approved motor vehicles of category M1 with gross vehicle weight less than 3.5 tonnes, manufactured or imported in the country.
M1 category motor vehicles are used for the carriage of passengers, comprising eight seats, in addition to driver’s seat.
Which of the given statements is/are correct?
Correct
Correct Answer: C
Explanation
Both statements are correct.
What is Bharat NCAP?
Bharat NCAP is a new car safety assessment programme which proposes a mechanism of awarding ‘Star Ratings’ to automobiles based upon their performance in crash tests.
BNCAP standard is aligned with global benchmarks and it is beyond minimum regulatory requirements.
The proposed Bharat NCAP assessment will allocate Star Ratings from 1 to 5 stars.
The testing of vehicles for this programme will be carried out at testing agencies, with the necessary infrastructure.
Its implementation
BNCAP will be rolled out from April 1, 2023.
It will be applicable on type-approved motor vehicles of category M1 with gross vehicle weight less than 3.5 tonnes, manufactured or imported in the country.
M1 category motor vehicles are used for the carriage of passengers, comprising eight seats, in addition to driver’s seat.
Incorrect
Correct Answer: C
Explanation
Both statements are correct.
What is Bharat NCAP?
Bharat NCAP is a new car safety assessment programme which proposes a mechanism of awarding ‘Star Ratings’ to automobiles based upon their performance in crash tests.
BNCAP standard is aligned with global benchmarks and it is beyond minimum regulatory requirements.
The proposed Bharat NCAP assessment will allocate Star Ratings from 1 to 5 stars.
The testing of vehicles for this programme will be carried out at testing agencies, with the necessary infrastructure.
Its implementation
BNCAP will be rolled out from April 1, 2023.
It will be applicable on type-approved motor vehicles of category M1 with gross vehicle weight less than 3.5 tonnes, manufactured or imported in the country.
M1 category motor vehicles are used for the carriage of passengers, comprising eight seats, in addition to driver’s seat.
Question 3 of 10
3. Question
2 points
Investment in the Indian capital markets through Participatory Notes (P-notes) has seen a consistent drop. In this regard, consider the following statements:
P-notes are Onshore Derivative Instruments (ODIs).
They are issued by registered Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) to domestic as well as overseas investors.
P-notes have Indian stocks as their underlying assets.
P-note are not regulated in India.
Which of the given statements is/are correct?
Correct
Correct Answer: B
Explanation
Statements 2 and 3 are correct, 1 and 4 are not correct.
Participatory Notes (P-Notes)
P-notes are Offshore Derivative Instruments (ODIs). Hence statement 1 is not correct.
They are issued by registered Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) to overseas investors who wish to be a part of the Indian stock markets without registering themselves directly. Hence statement 2 is correct.
P-notes have Indian stocks as their underlying assets. Hence statement 3 is correct.
FPIs are non-residents who invest in Indian securities like shares, government bonds, corporate bonds, etc.
Though P-note holders have less stringent registration requirements, they have to go through a proper due diligence process of the Security and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Hence statement 4 is not correct.
Incorrect
Correct Answer: B
Explanation
Statements 2 and 3 are correct, 1 and 4 are not correct.
Participatory Notes (P-Notes)
P-notes are Offshore Derivative Instruments (ODIs). Hence statement 1 is not correct.
They are issued by registered Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) to overseas investors who wish to be a part of the Indian stock markets without registering themselves directly. Hence statement 2 is correct.
P-notes have Indian stocks as their underlying assets. Hence statement 3 is correct.
FPIs are non-residents who invest in Indian securities like shares, government bonds, corporate bonds, etc.
Though P-note holders have less stringent registration requirements, they have to go through a proper due diligence process of the Security and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Hence statement 4 is not correct.
Question 4 of 10
4. Question
2 points
11th installment of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, worth over Rs. 20,000 crores, was recently transferred to more than 10 crore farmers. In this regard, consider the following statements:
It is a central sector scheme with 100 per cent funding from the Government of India.
Under the scheme, income support of ₹6,000 per year is provided to all farmers irrespective of their landholding.
The Centre identifies beneficiaries based on the data from Socio-economic Caste Census 2011.
Which of the given statements is/are correct?
Correct
Correct Answer: C
Explanation
Statement 1 &2 are correct and 3 are not correct.
PM Kisan Samman Nidhi
It is a central sector scheme with 100 per cent funding from the Government of India. The scheme was launched in December 2018. Hence statement 1 is correct.
Implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
Hence statement 2 is not correct. All land holding eligible farmer families (subject to the prevalent exclusion criteria) are to avail of the benefits under this scheme, as per the cabinet decision taken during May 2019. The revised Scheme is expected to cover around 2 crore more farmers, increasing the coverage of PM-KISAN to around 14.5 crore beneficiaries. Earlier, under the scheme, financial benefit has been provided to all Small and Marginal landholder farmer families with total cultivable holding upto 2 hectares with a benefit of Rs.6000 per annum per family payable in three equal installments, every four months.
The state governments and Union Territory administration identify the farmers who are eligible for the scheme and share the list with the Centre. Hence statement 3 is not correct.
The Scheme initially provided income support to all Small and Marginal Farmers’ families across the country, holding cultivable land upto 2 hectares.
Its ambit was later expanded w.e.f. 01.06.2019 to cover all farmer families in the country irrespective of the size of their land holdings.
Affluent farmers have been excluded from the scheme such as Income Tax payers in last assessment year, professionals like Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers, Chartered Accountants etc. and pensioners drawing at least Rs.10,000/- per month (excluding MTS/Class IV/Group D employees).
Incorrect
Correct Answer: C
Explanation
Statement 1 &2 are correct and 3 are not correct.
PM Kisan Samman Nidhi
It is a central sector scheme with 100 per cent funding from the Government of India. The scheme was launched in December 2018. Hence statement 1 is correct.
Implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
Hence statement 2 is not correct. All land holding eligible farmer families (subject to the prevalent exclusion criteria) are to avail of the benefits under this scheme, as per the cabinet decision taken during May 2019. The revised Scheme is expected to cover around 2 crore more farmers, increasing the coverage of PM-KISAN to around 14.5 crore beneficiaries. Earlier, under the scheme, financial benefit has been provided to all Small and Marginal landholder farmer families with total cultivable holding upto 2 hectares with a benefit of Rs.6000 per annum per family payable in three equal installments, every four months.
The state governments and Union Territory administration identify the farmers who are eligible for the scheme and share the list with the Centre. Hence statement 3 is not correct.
The Scheme initially provided income support to all Small and Marginal Farmers’ families across the country, holding cultivable land upto 2 hectares.
Its ambit was later expanded w.e.f. 01.06.2019 to cover all farmer families in the country irrespective of the size of their land holdings.
Affluent farmers have been excluded from the scheme such as Income Tax payers in last assessment year, professionals like Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers, Chartered Accountants etc. and pensioners drawing at least Rs.10,000/- per month (excluding MTS/Class IV/Group D employees).
Question 5 of 10
5. Question
2 points
The Prime Minister has officially inaugurated the country’s first liquid nano urea plant at Kalol, Gujarat. Consider the following statements regarding the Liquid Nano Urea:
It is essentially urea in the form of a nanoparticle.
It is sprayed directly on the leaves and gets absorbed by the plant.
It has a very short overnight shell life.
Which of the given statements is/are correct?
Correct
Correct Answer: C
Explanation
Statements 1 and 2 are correct, 3 is not correct.
Liquid Nano Urea
It is developed by Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative (IFFCO)’s Nano Biotechnology Research Center (NBRC) at Kalol.
It is essentially urea in the form of a nanoparticle. Urea is chemical nitrogen fertilizer, white in colour which artificially provides nitrogen, a major nutrient required by plants. Hence statement 1 is correct.
It has been developed to reduce the burden of urea subsidy, reduce the unbalanced and indiscriminate use of conventional urea, increase crop productivity and reduce soil, water, and air pollution.
Advantages
While conventional urea has an efficiency of about 25%, the efficiency of liquid nano urea can be as high as 85-90%.
Liquid nano urea is sprayed directly on the leaves and gets absorbed by the plant. Hence statement 2 is correct.
Liquid nano urea has a shelf life of a year and farmers need not be worried about “caking” when it comes in contact with moisture. Hence statement 3 is not correct.
Incorrect
Correct Answer: C
Explanation
Statements 1 and 2 are correct, 3 is not correct.
Liquid Nano Urea
It is developed by Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative (IFFCO)’s Nano Biotechnology Research Center (NBRC) at Kalol.
It is essentially urea in the form of a nanoparticle. Urea is chemical nitrogen fertilizer, white in colour which artificially provides nitrogen, a major nutrient required by plants. Hence statement 1 is correct.
It has been developed to reduce the burden of urea subsidy, reduce the unbalanced and indiscriminate use of conventional urea, increase crop productivity and reduce soil, water, and air pollution.
Advantages
While conventional urea has an efficiency of about 25%, the efficiency of liquid nano urea can be as high as 85-90%.
Liquid nano urea is sprayed directly on the leaves and gets absorbed by the plant. Hence statement 2 is correct.
Liquid nano urea has a shelf life of a year and farmers need not be worried about “caking” when it comes in contact with moisture. Hence statement 3 is not correct.
Question 6 of 10
6. Question
2 points
Regarding tax and duties imposed on petrol and diesel, consider the following statements:
The Central government revise the retail prices of petrol and diesel in India on a daily basis.
The State taxes the production of petroleum products while the Centre tax their sale.
While excise duty rates are uniform across the country, states levy sales tax/ Value Added Tax (VAT) which varies across states.
Which of the given statements is/are not correct?
Correct
Correct Answer: C
Explanation
Statements 1 and 2 are not correct, 3 is correct.
Fuel Pricing in India
Public sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) revise the retail prices of petrol and diesel in India on a daily basis, according to the changes in the price of crude oil at global level. Hence statement 1 is not correct.
Price charged to dealers includes the base price set by OMCs and the freight price.
Retail price of petrol and diesel are made up of mainly 3 components1. Base price (reflecting cost of international oil),
Central excise duty
State tax
States apply an ad valorem VAT or sales tax on the base price, freight charges, excise duty and dealer commission on petrol and diesel.
In fact, Central and state taxes form a major chunk of the price of petrol and diesel in India.
Central government taxes the production of petroleum products (Excise Duty) while states tax their sale (Sales Tax/ Value Added Tax (VAT)). Hence statement 2 is not correct.
While excise duty rates are uniform across the country, states levy sales tax/ VAT which varies across states. Hence statement 3 is correct.
Incorrect
Correct Answer: C
Explanation
Statements 1 and 2 are not correct, 3 is correct.
Fuel Pricing in India
Public sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) revise the retail prices of petrol and diesel in India on a daily basis, according to the changes in the price of crude oil at global level. Hence statement 1 is not correct.
Price charged to dealers includes the base price set by OMCs and the freight price.
Retail price of petrol and diesel are made up of mainly 3 components1. Base price (reflecting cost of international oil),
Central excise duty
State tax
States apply an ad valorem VAT or sales tax on the base price, freight charges, excise duty and dealer commission on petrol and diesel.
In fact, Central and state taxes form a major chunk of the price of petrol and diesel in India.
Central government taxes the production of petroleum products (Excise Duty) while states tax their sale (Sales Tax/ Value Added Tax (VAT)). Hence statement 2 is not correct.
While excise duty rates are uniform across the country, states levy sales tax/ VAT which varies across states. Hence statement 3 is correct.
Question 7 of 10
7. Question
2 points
Consider the following statements regarding the Districts as Export Hubs Scheme:
It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
It forms the part of new Foreign Trade Policy (FTP).
It aims to help producers in all districts of India to scale up manufacturing and find foreign buyers for their goods.
Which of the given statements is/are not correct?
Correct
Correct Answer: C
Explanation
Statements 1 and 2 are correct, 3 is not correct.
Districts as Export Hubs Scheme
It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
The Scheme will be part of the new Foreign Trade Policy (FTP).
It aims to help producers across 200 districts scale up manufacturing and find foreign buyers for their goods.
Implementing Body ➔ Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
Under the scheme, District Export Promotion Committees (DEPCs) have been constituted in most of the districts and products and services with export potential have been identified in each district.
Incorrect
Correct Answer: C
Explanation
Statements 1 and 2 are correct, 3 is not correct.
Districts as Export Hubs Scheme
It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
The Scheme will be part of the new Foreign Trade Policy (FTP).
It aims to help producers across 200 districts scale up manufacturing and find foreign buyers for their goods.
Implementing Body ➔ Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
Under the scheme, District Export Promotion Committees (DEPCs) have been constituted in most of the districts and products and services with export potential have been identified in each district.
Question 8 of 10
8. Question
2 points
The National Open Access Registry (NOAR) sometimes seen in news is related:
Correct
Correct Answer: A
Explanation
Option A is correct. National Open Access Registry (NOAR)
It is a centralized online platform through which short-term open access to the interstate transmission system is being managed in India.
Launched by ➔ Ministry of Power
National Load Despatch Centre (NLDC) is operated by Power System Operation Corporation Limited (POSOCO).
Incorrect
Correct Answer: A
Explanation
Option A is correct. National Open Access Registry (NOAR)
It is a centralized online platform through which short-term open access to the interstate transmission system is being managed in India.
Launched by ➔ Ministry of Power
National Load Despatch Centre (NLDC) is operated by Power System Operation Corporation Limited (POSOCO).
Question 9 of 10
9. Question
2 points
Consider the following statements regarding ‘Anchor Investors’:
They are high-profile institutional investors that are allotted shares before the subscription opens.
An anchor investor in an IPO is a qualified institutional buyer (QIB).
They make the IPO complicated and less attractive for investors.
Which of the given statements is/are correct?
Correct
Correct Answer: C
Explanation
Anchor Investors
Anchor investors are high-profile institutional investors that are allotted shares before the subscription opens for retail and other investors and have to commit to holding their shares for a certain period after listing. Hence statement 1 is correct.
An anchor investor in an IPO is a qualified institutional buyer (QIB) like a foreign portfolio investor or mutual fund or insurance company which invests before the IPO is made available to public as per SEBI regulations. Hence statement 2 is correct.
As initial investors, they make the IPO process more attractive for investors, and instil confidence in them. Hence statement 3 is NOT correct.
Anchor investors also aid in price discovery of the IPO.
Anchor investors who get guaranteed allotment a day before the IPO opens to the public are normally allocated 60% of the QIB quota.
Incorrect
Correct Answer: C
Explanation
Anchor Investors
Anchor investors are high-profile institutional investors that are allotted shares before the subscription opens for retail and other investors and have to commit to holding their shares for a certain period after listing. Hence statement 1 is correct.
An anchor investor in an IPO is a qualified institutional buyer (QIB) like a foreign portfolio investor or mutual fund or insurance company which invests before the IPO is made available to public as per SEBI regulations. Hence statement 2 is correct.
As initial investors, they make the IPO process more attractive for investors, and instil confidence in them. Hence statement 3 is NOT correct.
Anchor investors also aid in price discovery of the IPO.
Anchor investors who get guaranteed allotment a day before the IPO opens to the public are normally allocated 60% of the QIB quota.
Question 10 of 10
10. Question
2 points
The PM MITRA Parks Scheme is related to which of the statements sector?
Correct
Correct Answer: B
Explanation
PM MITRA Parks Scheme
The PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel Park (PM MITRA) Parks Scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Textiles.
The PM MITRA Parks are aimed at helping India to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal 9: “Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”.
The PM MITRA scheme is Inspired by the 5F vision of Prime Minister – Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign.
A park will be developed by a Special Purpose Vehicle which will be owned by the Central and State Government and in a Public Private Partnership (PPP) Mode.
Incorrect
Correct Answer: B
Explanation
PM MITRA Parks Scheme
The PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel Park (PM MITRA) Parks Scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Textiles.
The PM MITRA Parks are aimed at helping India to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal 9: “Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”.
The PM MITRA scheme is Inspired by the 5F vision of Prime Minister – Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign.
A park will be developed by a Special Purpose Vehicle which will be owned by the Central and State Government and in a Public Private Partnership (PPP) Mode.
