Karnataka (KAS) Prelims Paper-I Mock Test- 8 - KPSC KAS (Karnataka) MCQ

• Context: The Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme 2024 (EMPS 2024) is introduced by the Ministry of Heavy Industries to boost the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in India, specifically targeting the electric two-wheeler and three-wheeler segments.
• EMPS 2024 offers subsidies or demand incentives for electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers, including registered electric rickshaws and carts, as well as L5 models.
• The L5 category includes electric three-wheelers with a maximum speed of over 25kmph and motor power exceeding 0.25kW.

• Context: US envoy Amos Hochstein emphasized the importance of pursuing a diplomatic solution to end the escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah (in Lebanon), along the Blue Line, demarcated by the United Nations.
• What is Blue Line?
  • The Blue Line is a border demarcation established by the United Nations in 2000 after Israeli troops withdrew from southern Lebanon. It serves as the boundary between Lebanon and Israel, aiming to prevent conflicts and provide a basis for security arrangements in the region.
    

• Napier grass, also known as elephant grass, is a productive and versatile forage grass native to Africa and southeast Asia. Due to its high yield, it is widely used as feed for livestock and in bioenergy applications.
• Elephant grass is a multipurpose plant. The young leaves and shoots are edible by humans and can be cooked to make soups and stews (Burkill, 1985). The culms can be used to make fences, and the whole plant is used for thatch. It is considered a potential second generation energy source crop in the USA (EPA, 2013). Leaf and culm infusions are reported to have diuretic properties (Duke, 1983). Elephant grass has several environmental applications. It can be used to make mulch and to provide soil erosion control. It is a weed controller and, in Africa, it has been reported to be used as a trap plant in push-pull management strategies to fight against stem borers in maize crops (see Environmental impact below) (Khan et al., 2007).

Statement 3 is incorrect.

• Changes in a river’s course in the northern part of the country is not unusual. One of the reasons is believed to be the movement of the Indian Tectonic Plate.
• The Plate has been moving northward. That is the reason the Himalayas are rising. One reason for the course of the Yamuna moving eastwards too is believed to be this.
• Also, it is more likely for a river to change course in the alluvial plains of North India.
• “Alluvial terrain is soft and more amenable to changing river courses. If we look at the course of the Ganga between 1786 and now, there are places where it has changed its course by 34 km. In Badaun (UP) the river has moved 10 km from where it used to be.

Option 4 is incorrect.

Jordan is a country in West Asia, located at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe in the Levant region. Bordered by Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, and the Palestinian West Bank and Israel, Jordan has a coastline on the Gulf of Aqaba’s Red Sea.

Only statement 1 is correct.

What is the Global Slavery Index?

The index presents a global picture of modern slavery. It is constructed by Walk Free, a human rights organisation and is based on data provided by the Global Estimates of Modern Slavery, which, in turn, is produced by International Labour Organization (ILO), Walk Free, and International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations also resolve to end modern slavery. Target 8.7 of the SDGs states: “Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms.”

Statement 2 is incorrect.

• The CH3+ molecule, which is also known as methyl cation, has been detected in space for the first time by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
• Organic molecules are carbon based. They contain carbon atoms bonded to hydrogen atoms but can also bond to other elements, such as oxygen, nitrogen or phosphorus.
• Everything that makes us and all life on Earth is carbon based.
• CH3+ is a very simple organic molecule, just one carbon atom and 3 hydrogen atoms. But it reacts with other molecules to form more complex ones. Its presence in space tells us that basic building blocks for life are out there.

Simlipal Tiger Reserve, situated in the Eastern Ghats, is a UNESCO-listed Biosphere Reserve, National Park, and Tiger Reserve. Positioned within the Mahanadian coastal region and the Chhotanagpur biotic province, it spans diverse biogeographical realms. Comprising the Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve, which includes Similipal Tiger Reserve, Hadgarh, and Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary, Simlipal boasts varied vegetation, encompassing moist and dry deciduous forests and grasslands.
 

Statement 1 is incorrect.

 People with blood disorders like thalassemia, haemophilia, and sickle cell disease are not eligible for job reservations in government roles under the Persons with Disabilities category.

The three diseases were included in the list of disabilities under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act of 2016, but they are excluded from job reservation benefits.

 Rules regarding Reservations for disabled people:

• 4% reservation in government jobs is available for people with disabilities
• Every government establishment must reserve 1% of the total number of vacancies for people with benchmark disabilities.

 The RPwD Act defines benchmark disabilities as:

• Autism
• Intellectual disability
• Specific learning disability
• Mental illnesses

 The RPwD Act also defines disabilities as:

• Blindness and low vision
• Deaf and hard of hearing
• Locomotor disability, including cerebral palsy, leprosy, dwarfism, acid attack victims, and muscular dystrophy

Statement 3 and 4 is correct.

Statement 3 is incorrect.

• ADHD is one the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood, usually diagnosed at an early age and lasting into adulthood. According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), children with ADHD might have trouble paying attention or controlling impulsive behaviours, and can be overly active.
• Many adults remain undiagnosed, and symptoms can cause difficulty at work, home or relationships. The CDC states that symptoms can appear different at older ages, for example, hyperactivity can appear as extreme restlessness.
• For people diagnosed with ADHD, Adderall can help improve focus, concentration, impulse control and hyperactivity, because of its effects on the central nervous system.

Statement 3 is incorrect.

About White phosphorus:

• It is a highly toxic, wax-like substance known for its ability to burn at extremely high temperatures, exceeding 800 degrees Celsius (1,500 degrees Fahrenheit).
• It can melt metal and is often used by militaries to create smokescreensdue to its fast-spreading fires and thick smoke production that can last for about seven minutes.
• White phosphorus is harmful to humans and can cause severe burns, penetrating down to the bone.The chemicals can be absorbed by the body, leading to dysfunction in multiple organs, including the liver, kidneys, and heart
• White phosphorus munitions can be delivered through artillery shells, bombs, rockets, or grenades. This substance is colourless, white, or yellow and emits a garlic-like odour.

While white phosphorus is not banned by international conventions, it is not categorized as an “incendiary weapon” intended to cause fires or burns.

Instead, it is considered a multipurpose munition. Protocol III of the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons prohibits incendiaries or the use of other substances to attack civilian populations, but it allows militaries to argue that white phosphorus is used only as a smokescreen, signal, or to illuminate a target.

Option 2 is incorrect.

• The Po is the longest river in Italy. 
• Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy.
• Danube River does not flow through Italy.

The phrase Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is made up of three Sanskrit words, Vasudhaa (earth/world), iva (like) and kutumbakam (large/extended family). The verse finds mention in Maha Upanishad (VI.72); and is further referred to in the Hitopadesha and other literary works of India.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth casts its shadow completely over a full moon, blocking reflection of all direct sunlight from the lunar orb and dimming the color of the moon to a reddish hue, hence the term “blood moon.”

This is only possible when the orbits of the Earth, moon and sun align so that the moon is directly behind Earth relative to the sun. Otherwise, the moon passes above or below Earth’s shadow because its orbit around Earth is usually tilted relative to Earth’s orbit about the sun.

 The reddish appearance of the lunar surface — the moon does not entirely disappear from view — is caused by rays of sunlight around the outer edge of the eclipse shadow, or umbra, being filtered and refracted as it passes through Earth’s atmosphere, bathing the moon indirectly in a dim copper glow.

The degree of redness depends on atmospheric conditions that vary with levels of air pollution, dust storms, wildfire smoke and even volcanic ash.

 Total lunar eclipses occur, on average, about once every year and a half, according to NASA. But the interval varies.

• Overheating of an economy occurs when its productive capacity is unable to keep pace with growing aggregate demand leading to inflation. 
• When there is excess demand and low supply, high consumption and low savings can lead to a situation where there is a shortage of investible capital. The economy is unable to supply demanded goods and prices start increases.
• This can be caused due to additional liquidity pumped in the system by the central bank or government. When people have more money in the short-term, they can demand more goods and services causing the economy to heat up in the short-term, until the demand is satisfied.

Statement 3 is incorrect.

Panthera:

• This is the genus of large wild cats that can roar. Among them, the lion, the leopard, and the jaguar are more closely related, while the other strand has the tiger and the snow leopard. The snow leopard is an exception to the rest of the group in that it can’t roar.
• Tiger is the largest of all wild cats and also the earliest Panthera member to exist. Primarily a forest animal, they range from the Siberian taiga to the Sunderban delta. The national animal of India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and South Korea, the tiger was voted the world’s favourite animal ahead of the dog in a 2004 Animal Planet global online poll.

The Kole wetlands in Kerala, an internationally important Ramsar site known for its high biodiversity, are facing a new threat from an invasive alien plant species called Cabomba furcuta, also known as Pink Bloom.

This species, originating from Central and South America, has been introduced to Kerala as an aquarium plant and has now become a menace to the Kole fields, alongside existing threats like water hyacinth and Salvinia molesta.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has introduced new norms based on the Basel III capital framework for All India Financial Institutions (AIFIs), which will take effect from April 2024.

India has five AIFIs under RBI regulation: Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM Bank), National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard), National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID), National Housing Bank (NHB), and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI).

The key provisions of the new norms are as follows:

• Capital Adequacy: AIFIs will be required to maintain a minimum total capital of 9 per cent by April 2024. This includes a minimum tier-I capital of 7 percent and common equity tier-I (CET-1) capital of 5.5 percent.
• Consolidation of Financial Subsidiaries: All financial subsidiaries, except those involved in insurance and non-financial activities (both regulated and unregulated), must be fully consolidated for the purpose of capital adequacy.
• Investment Caps: The RBI has imposed limits on AIFIs’ investments in capital instruments of banking, financial, and insurance entities, capping them at 10 percent of their capital funds.
• Equity Investment Limits: AIFIs’ equity investment in a single entity cannot exceed 49 percent of the equity of the investee.
• Capital Planning and Risk Management: AIFIs are advised to focus on effective and efficient capital planning and long-term capital maintenance.

• The Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme was announced in the Budget speech of 1998-99 to fulfil the financial requirements of the farmers at various stages of farming through institutional credit.
• The model scheme was prepared by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) on the recommendation of V Gupta committee.
• The KCC scheme is being implemented by the all Co-operative banks, Regional Rural Banks and Public Sector Banks throughout the country.
• Scheme covers risk of KCC holders against death or permanent disability resulting from accidents.
• Crop loans disbursed under KCC Scheme for notified crops are covered under Crop Insurance Scheme, to protect the interest of the farmer against loss of crop yield caused by natural calamities, pest attacks etc.

Statements 1, 2 and 4 are correct.

• 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.
• Using a remote-controlled submarine, researchers at Smithsonian Institution, Washington, discovered five new species of black corals living as deep as 2,500 feet (760 metres) below the surface in the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea off the coast of Australia.
• Black corals can be found growing both in shallow waters and down to depths of over 26,000 feet (8,000 metres), and some individual corals can live for over 4,000 years.
• Unlike their colourful, shallow-water cousins that rely on the sun and photosynthesis for energy, black corals are filter feeders and eat tiny zooplankton that are abundant in deep waters.
• Similarly to shallow-water corals that build colourful reefs full of fish, black corals act as important habitats where fish and invertebrates feed and hide from predators in what is otherwise a mostly barren sea floor.

• Context: A recent study introduces a waste management technology called ‘BioTRIG,’ utilizing pyrolysis at the community level in rural India.
• This process converts organic waste into useful products like bio-oil, syngas, and biochar fertilize
• The BioTRIG system aims to address various rural challenges, including indoor air pollution, soil degradation, and lack of reliable electricity.

The Healthy Indian Project (THIP), a health information platform in India, has joined the World Health Organization’s Vaccine Safety Net (VSN), a global network of websites providing trustworthy vaccine safety information.

The Vaccine Safety Net (VSN) is a global network of websites that provide reliable information on vaccine safety. The VSN is an initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO). 

The VSN is a diverse group of websites that provide vaccine safety information in various languages.

Only statement 1 is correct.

Forest Conservation Act, 1980.

• This is the legislation enacted to protect India’s forests and empowers the Central government to regulate the extraction of forest resources — from timber and bamboo to coal and minerals — by industries as well as forest-dwelling communities.
• A separate Act, the Forest Rights Act, protects the rights of tribals and forest-dwellers dependent on forests for their livelihood. From 1951-1975, about four million hectares of forest land has been diverted for various non-forestry purposes.
• From 1980 to 2023, under the purview of the Act, only a million hectares have been diverted — a sign of its impact in reducing the pace of forest appropriation.
• However, such protection was only available for areas already marked out as ‘forest’ in Central or State government records.
• A Supreme Court judgment in 1996, in the Godavarman Thirumulpad case, expanded the scope of such protection. Under it, even areas not formally notified as ‘forests’ but conforming to the ‘dictionary’ meaning of forests were protected.

Statement 2 is incorrect.

• In India, the Constitution gives the government the right to levy taxes on individuals and organisations, but makes it clear that no one has the right to levy or charge taxes except by the authority of law. Any tax being charged has to be backed by a law passed by the legislature or Parliament.
• Taxes in India come under a three-tier system based on the Central, State and local governments, and the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution puts separate heads of taxation under the Union and State list. There is no separate head under the Concurrent list, meaning Union and the States have no concurrent power of taxation.

Statement 1 is incorrect.

What are semiconductors?

Also known as microchips or integrated circuits, semiconductors are usually made from silicon, and consist of millions or billions of transistors that act like miniature electrical switches that flip on and off to process data such as images, radio waves, and sounds. They are practically inside every essential product of the modern world — from household appliances to sophisticated defence systems, mobile phones to cars, toys to high-end luxury products.

Only statement 1 and 2 is correct.

• Scientists from the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG) have conducted decade-long ionospheric observations at Bharati station in Antarctica, revealing significant seasonal variations in ionospheric density.
• The researchers found the peak ionospheric density near local noon during the winter months, attributing it to particle precipitation and the transportation of convectional plasma from high latitudes.
• These long-term studies aim to enhance understanding of ionospheric effects on satellite-based navigation and communication systems.
• The ionosphere is a layer of the Earth’s atmosphere that is made up of charged atoms, molecules, and electrons. It stretches from 50 kilometres (30 miles) to over 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) above the Earth.
  

Statement 1 is incorrect.

• India and the United States unveiled a roadmap for enhanced collaboration in high-technology areas, with a focus on addressing regulatory barriers and aligning export controls for smoother trade and “deeper cooperation” in critical areas. This was part of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) announced by President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year.
• The Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies is a framework agreed upon by India and the U.S. for cooperation on critical and emerging technologies in areas including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors and wireless telecommunication.

Statement 1 is incorrect
Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR)

• The RBI decides a certain percentage of deposits which every bank must keep as reserves. This is done to ensure that no bank is ‘over lending’. This is a legal requirement and is binding on the banks. This is called the ‘Required Reserve Ratio’ or the ‘Reserve Ratio’ or ‘Cash Reserve Ratio’ (CRR).
• Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) = Percentage of deposits which a bank must keep as cash reserves.
• In CRR, the cash reserve is maintained by the banks with the Reserve Bank of India.
• In the case of SLR, the securities are kept with the banks themselves, which they need to maintain in the form of liquid assets.
• Banks don’t earn returns on money parked as CRR.
• The Central Bank controls the liquidity in the Banking system through CRR.

Statement 3 is incorrect.

• The “debt ceiling” or “debt limit” is the maximum amount of debt the federal government is allowed to accumulate in order to fulfil its financial obligations.
• The government typically spends more than it earns. This means that it needs to borrow in order to pay for things like social security, Medicare, military and other salaries, interest on the national debt, tax refunds, etc.
• The debt limit was introduced in 1917 – when the US entered World War I – and according to the US Treasury Department, the Congress has increased or suspended the debt limit 78 times since 1960. As of 2023, the debt ceiling stands at $ 31.4 trillion.
• Constitutionally, the Congress controls the government’s purse strings. The debt ceiling was introduced in order to make it easier for the executive to operate without having to turn to the Congress every time it wants to spend – it allowed the government to borrow as required as long as it kept under the debt limit, which has to be approved by the Congress.
• If the debt ceiling is breached, the Treasury Department would be unable to make payments when they are due – meaning that the US would enter into a default.