Karnataka (KAS) Prelims Paper-I Mock Test- 5 - KPSC KAS (Karnataka) MCQ

• Statement 2 is incorrect.
• Context: The forthcoming judgment in the State of Punjab vs Davinder Singh case by a seven-judge Bench of the Supreme Court of India holds significant implications for affirmative action and reservations under the Constitution.
• As per the Procedure for Addition prescribed in the NCBC Act, 1993, the Commission is mandated to constitute a Bench to examine such proposals and then forward their decision to the Union government (with dissent, where applicable). The Cabinet then needs to approve the additions and bring legislation to this effect, following which the President is empowered to notify the change.
• Unlike the procedure to add communities to the SC or ST List, additions to the Central OBC list do not have to rely on the concurrence of the Office of the Registrar General of India or any other authority other than the Commission.
• The Commission, as per its guidelines, considers additions to the Central OBC list based on social, educational and economic indicators suggested by the Mandal Commission established in 1979.

Context: INS Jatayu, India’s new naval base on Minicoy Island in Lakshadweep, signifies a crucial step in bolstering security infrastructure in the strategic archipelago. It is the second naval base in Lakshadweep. Situated in a strategically important location, the base strengthens India’s operational capability in the region, aiding anti-piracy and anti-narcotics operations in the western Arabian Sea.

• Context: The World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) have jointly launched a USD 50 million global fund called the Women Exporters in the Digital Economy (WEIDE) Fund.
• The aim of this fund is to assist women-led businesses and women entrepreneurs in developing economies and least-developed countries in adopting digital technologies and expanding their online presence.
• The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has allocated USD 5 million as the first donor to the fund.
• Additionally, the ITC hosted the SheTrades Summit, bringing together women entrepreneurs, global business leaders, and development partners to discuss solutions to challenges faced by women in accessing new markets in the digital trading system.

The Committee on Capital Account Convertibility (CAC) or Tarapore Committee was constituted by the Reserve Bank of India for suggesting a roadmap on full convertibility of Rupee on Capital Account. 

Only statement 1 is correct.

Under the Indian Constitution, public libraries are a state subject. Nineteen states have passed the Library Legislation Act. In 2013, the National Mission on Libraries came into being under the Ministry of Culture, to revive and modernise public libraries.

• Guillain-Barré Syndrome is a rare neurological disorder where the body’s immune system — which normally protects it from infections and other foreign bodies — mistakenly attacks its own peripheral nerve cells.
• A person with this syndrome will have difficulty speaking, walking, swallowing, excreting or performing other normal functions of the body. The condition can get progressively worse. Thus, the peripheral nerves — the nerves that branch out from the brain and the spinal cord — get damaged as a result, and the muscles can become weak or paralyzed.
• The exact reasons for Guillain-Barré Syndrome are not yet understood. However, it often develops shortly after a person gets an infectious disease. Rarely, vaccinations can cause it. Guillain-Barré Syndrome, or GBS, also was linked to the cytomegalovirus, Epstein Barr virus, Zika virus and even the COVID-19 pandemic.

Scientists have made progress in understanding Huntington’s disease by studying fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster).

About the study:

• Huntington’s disease patients carry a mutated version of the HTT gene, which codes for a protein called huntingtin (Htt).
• The mutated gene encodes an abnormal Htt protein, leading to the destruction of neurons regulating movement, thinking, and memory.

Huntington’s disease (HD) is an inherited disorder that causes nerve cells (neurons) in parts of the brain to gradually break down and die. The disease attacks areas of the brain that help to control voluntary (intentional) movement, as well as other areas.

Statement 3 is incorrect.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has launched Project PRAYAS (Promoting Regular & Assisted Migration for Youth and Skilled Professionals) in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs.

About Project Prayas:

• The project aims to facilitate safe, orderly, and regular migrationfor Indian workers and students.
• It consolidates state-level initiativesand focuses on improving coordination between state and central governments.
• The project involves studying migration trends, understanding migrants’ needs, and launching initiatives to raise awareness about safe migration processes, with the goal of strengthening international migration governance.

• A startling increase in the speed and intensity of global deforestation has derailed efforts to protect and restore forests by 2030, according to two new reports analyzing progress toward global forest conservation goals.
• WWF’s Forest Pathways 2023 report and the Forest Declaration Assessment detail the immense scale of forest loss just two years after more than 130 countries representing 85% of the planet’s forests pledged to halt and reverse deforestation by the end of the decade. The lack of progress on commitments leaves the world in clear danger of missing vital targets.

Statement 1 is incorrect.

• Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB) program, a collaborative effort between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), was recently launched in Saint Lucia.
• India has been selected as the Partner Administrationand will contribute Tax Experts to the 12-18-month initiative. This marks the seventh TIWB program supported by India through the provision of Tax Experts.
• Aim: The program’s focus is on the effective use of automatic exchange of information under the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) framework. TIWB will facilitate the transfer of tax audit knowledge and skills to developing country tax administrations using a practical, “learning by doing” approach.

Statement 2 is incorrect.

• West Bengal boasts of the highest number of ponds and reservoirs; Andhra Pradesh the highest number of tanks; and Tamil Nadu the highest number of lakes.
• The majority of water bodies serve as resources for fish farming, with their subsequent uses including irrigation, replenishing groundwater, and providing water for household and drinking needs. Among the total 20,30,040 utilised water bodies, 55.5% (11,26,830) are dedicated to fish farming, 16.5% (3,35,768) to irrigation, 12.1% (2,44,918) to groundwater replenishment, and 10.1% (2,05,197) to domestic and drinking water needs. The remaining are employed for recreational, industrial, religious and other purposes.
• A substantial 97.1% of water bodies can be found in rural regions; only 2.9% are situated in urban areas. Of these, 83.7% are in use, while the rest are non-functional or unused due to factors such as construction, siltation, irreparable damage, and industrial effluents, among others.

• Scientists have recently rediscovered the “Pontus plate,” a long-lost tectonic plate that disappeared about 20 million years ago.
• This plate was approximately a quarter the size of the Pacific Ocean and once existed beneath an ancient ocean known as the Pontus Ocean.
• The rediscovery of the Pontus plate was accidental, occurring during a study of rocks in Borneo. Researchers had originally been studying the Pacific plate when they came across rock fragments that didn’t fit with known plates’ magnetic properties.
• This plate formed at least 160 million years ago, possibly even earlier, and eventually disappeared as it was subducted beneath the Australian and Chinese plates.

Remote Sensing: It is the science of obtaining information about objects or areas from a distance, typically from aircraft or satellites. It collects data by detecting the reflected energy from the Earth. Hyperspectral imaging, sonar, and seismograms are common application of the remote sensing.

• A democracy cannot exist without giving some fundamental rights of citizens and to safeguard them via institutional mechanisms. It is essential to have laws/rules that protect citizen’s rights. Political equality is one such right.
• Political equality of citizens refers to equal voting rights, equal eligibility for public offices etc.
• Without the freedom to opine, express, organize and protest a government can turn tyrannical and authoritarian. This is also essential to political equality. It acts as a check and balance.

Statement 3 is incorrect.

 Emissions from livestock mainly include carbon dioxide (from urea), nitrous oxide (from livestock dung and urine), and methane (from belching) among others. They contribute towards the greenhouse effect as due to these gases, heat gets trapped around the surface of the earth and causes global warming.

 According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of gases is a metric that helps measure “the radiative effect (determined by the ability to absorb energy) of each unit of gas” over a specific period of time such as 100 years, “as expressed relative to the radiative effect of carbon dioxide.”

 Through GWP, we know gases such as nitrous oxide and methane produce more heat around the earth’s surface than carbon dioxide or CO2, which is taken as a reference. It absorbs more energy than CO2 but stays in the atmosphere for a shorter duration. Over a 20-year-period, it has 80 times more GWP than that carbon dioxide, according to the UNEP website.

Statement 2 is incorrect.

Facilitation under Export Promotion of Capital Goods (EPCG) Scheme

• The EPCG Scheme, which allows import of capital goods at zero Customs duty for export production, is being further rationalized. Some key changes being added are:
• Prime Minister Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel Parks (PM MITRA) scheme has been added as an additional scheme eligible to claim benefits under CSP (Common Service Provider) Scheme of Export Promotion capital Goods Scheme (EPCG).
• Dairy sector to be exempted from maintaining Average Export Obligation – to support dairy sector to upgrade the technology.
• Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) of all types, Vertical Farming equipment, Wastewater Treatment and Recycling, Rainwater harvesting system and Rainwater Filters, and Green Hydrogen are added to Green Technology products – will now be eligible for reduced Export Obligation requirement under EPCG Scheme.

India’s foreign exchange (Forex) reserves stand at around $578 billion. It is acquired by the RBI for the following reasons:

• To defend the rupee when needed
• To gain external account security
• To enable country to globalise further
• To import essentials for economic and social security
• To deter speculations
• To enjoy favourable rating by sovereign credit rating agencies.

Statement 3 is incorrect.

• The 5th World Coffee Conference (WCC) was held in Bengaluru, and organized by the International Coffee Organization (ICO), a UN body focused on highlighting the economic importance of coffee.
• It is being held for the first time in an Asian coffee-producing country.
• ICO (established in 1963, under the UN; HQ: London) serves as the only intergovernmental organization for coffee. It administers the International Coffee Agreement (ICA), an important instrument for development cooperation. Aims to strengthen the coffee sector and promote sustainable growth for the Global Coffee Value Chain (G-CVC). It is the sole intergovernmental coffee organization, uniting exporting and importing governments. It has 43 exporting members (including India) and 6 importing members.

Statement 2 is incorrect.

• The Special Window for Affordable and Mid-Income Housing (SWAMIH) Investment Fund I is a social impact fund specifically formed for completing stressed and stalled residential projects.
• The Fund is sponsored by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India, and is managed by SBICAP Ventures Ltd., a State Bank Group company.
• Since the Fund considers first-time developers, established developers with troubled projects, developers with a poor track record of stalled projects, customer complaints and NPA accounts, and even projects where there are litigation issues, it is considered as the lender of last resort for distressed projects. The Fund’s presence in a project often acts as a catalyst for better collections and sales primarily in projects that were delayed for years.

• Context: The Darien Gap, a dense jungle spanning northern Colombia and southern Panama, has become a perilous route for migrants seeking asylum in the US.
• What is Darien Gap?
  • The Darién Gap is a rugged region in the Isthmus of Darién, connecting Central and South America.
  • It comprises dense forests and mountains in Panama’s Darién Province and Colombia’s Chocó Department. Home to indigenous communities, the terrain varies from flat marshlands to mountainous rainforests. With no roads crossing it, travel is challenging and often conducted by boat or on foot. Despite the dangers, increasing violence and limited legal immigration options in their home countries have driven a surge in crossings, primarily by Venezuelans but also by Haitians, Chinese, Afghans, and others.

Statement 1 is incorrect.

• Context: The Great Barrier Reef is experiencing its fifth mass coral bleaching event in eight years, driven by global heating and an El Niño climate pattern.
• Coral reefs are essentially just big limestone structures built by thousands of tiny coral creatures called polyps.
• Increased ocean temperature caused by climate change is the main cause of coral bleaching events. That’s when reefs expel the symbiotic algae responsible for their colour. If that happens over longer periods, the corals can eventually die.
• Coral reefs act like low-crested breakwaters and absorb 97% of wave energy. This substantially reduces coastal flooding and erosion.
• Coral reefs cover less than 0.5% of the earth’s surface, but they are home to about 25% of all marine species.

• Context: Recently, the National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) system processed a record 4.10 crore transactions, marking the highest number of transactions processed in a single day.
• The NEFT system, along with the Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system, is managed by the Reserve Bank of India for settling retail and wholesale payments, respectively.
• Both NEFT and RTGS have been operating on a 24x7x365 basis.

What was the Ulgulan movement?

The Ulgulan movement of 1899 also involved the use of weapons and guerrilla warfare to drive out foreigners. Munda encouraged the tribals to refuse following colonial laws and paying rent. He encouraged changes in the social sphere too, challenging religious practices to fight against superstition, and became known as ‘Bhagwan’ (God) and ‘Dharati Aba’ (Father of the earth) by his followers.

But the British were soon able to halt the movement. On March 3, 1900, Munda was arrested by the British police while he was sleeping with his tribal guerilla army at Jamkopai forest in Chakradharpur.

In all, the conventional transplanting route requires some 28 irrigations. It can go up if high temperatures force more frequent watering, and go down if there is enough rain.

Direct seeding versus transplanting

That’s where direct seeding of rice (DSR) comes in. Paddy here is sown directly in the field without any nursery preparation, puddling or flooding. In transplanting, the flooded fields basically deny oxygen to the weed seeds in the soil, preventing their germination. Water, thus, acts as a natural herbicide. In DSR, water is replaced with chemical herbicides.

DSR is effective against weeds and saves water compared to transplanting.

Statement 3 is incorrect.

• Ambergris, which means grey amber in French, is a waxy substance that originates from the digestive system of protected sperm whales. 
• Ambergris is a rare substance, which contributes to its high demand and high price in the international market. Traditionally, it is used to produce perfumes which have notes of musk. While there are records of it being used to flavour food, alcoholic beverages and tobacco in some cultures in the past, it is rarely used for these purposes presently.
• While there is a ban on the possession and trade of ambergris in countries like the USA, Australia and India, in several other countries it is a tradable commodity, though with limitations in some of them. In the Indian context, sperm whales are a protected species under Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Protection Act and possession or trade of any of its by-products, including Ambergris and its byproducts, is illegal under provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. 

Statement 3 is incorrect.

Glaciers are the largest source of freshwater outside of the polar regions. Glaciers and snow melt in the Himalayan ecosystem are the source of water for several rivers across the subcontinent, and are responsible for maintaining the perennial supply of water in the river systems like the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra to over a billion people.

Some models predict that an increase in global temperatures by 2°C from 1850 by 2070 would result in 45% of the medium and large glaciers (10 sq km or more) disappearing completely. Nearly 70% smaller glaciers are likely to melt away. Shrinking glaciers have led to the formation of a large number of glacial lakes all across the Himalayas. Many of these high-altitude lakes are potentially dangerous, because of their potential to cause flash floods in the event of a breach.

A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) is a type of outburst flood caused by the failure of a dam containing a glacial lake.

Only Statement 3 is correct.

Yemen is a country in West Asia located at the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It shares borders with Saudi Arabia and Oman and maritime borders with Eritrea, Djibouti, and Somalia. Yemen is a member of the Arab League, the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

Ecotone is a zone of junction between two or more diverse ecosystems. For e.g. the mangrove forests represent an ecotone between marine and terrestrial ecosystem. Other examples are – grassland, estuary and river bank.
Characteristics of Ecotone

• It may be very narrow or quite wide.
• It has the conditions intermediate to the adjacent ecosystems. Hence it is a zone of tension.
• It is linear as it shows progressive increase in species composition of one in coming community and a simultaneous decrease in species of the other outgoing adjoining community.
• A well-developed ecotone contains some organisms which are entirely different from that of the adjoining communities.

Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), as mandated by law under the 2013 Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act.

The ICC was designed to be the first port of call for any grievance under the PoSH Act, a key element needed to create a safe workplace environment for women.

As per the law, it needs to have a minimum of four members – at least half of them women – of whom one shall be an external member, preferably from an NGO or an association that works for women’s empowerment or a person familiar with issues related to sexual harassment, like a lawyer. In fact, a functional ICC is one of the key conditions set up by the Ministry of Sports to grant annual recognition to the federations.