1.

Mand-Pishin Border Sustenance Marketplace is between

(a) India and Srilanka

(b) Pakistan and Iran

(c) India and Bangladesh

(d) Pakistan and Afghanistan

  2.

Under the Indian Constitution, an ethnic minority has right to

(1) Have proportional representation in government.

(2) Get their language recognized as an official language of the state.

(3) Protection of their language and culture.

(4) Special grants for development.

(a) 1, 3 and 4

(b) 3 and 4

(c) Only 3

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

  3.

“Red Herring Prospectus” that is seen in news some times refer to the context of

(a) Extinct Trees

(b) Coral bleaching

(c) Stock Trading

(d) Patent Protection

  4.

It is known as World Trade Organization’s crown jewel.

(a) The Council for Trade in Goods

(b) The Council for Trade in Services

(c) The Ministerial Conference

(d) Dispute Settlement System

  5.

Consider the following statements:

1. The WIPO Copyright Treaty is a special agreement under the Berne Convention.

2.  Intellectual Property Appellate Board is a statutory body under Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

  6.

Consider the following statement with reference to   LNG.

1. It is is half the weight of water.

2. It is constituted of 50% methane.

Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

  7.

India in recent times handed over a Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) and a Landing Craft Assault ship to

(a) Fiji

(b) Maldives

(c) Sri Lanka

(d) Bangladesh

  8.

1. It is a three-stage missile with a solid propellant booster engine.

2. It has a speed of 2.8 Mach.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct w.r.t. Brahmos?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

  9.

Consider the following statements

1.  The Constitution of India mentions about a no-confidence motion but confidence motion is an innovative practice added later.

2.   Before the vote on the confidence motion, if the prime minister recommends to the president thatthe House be dissolved, such a recommendation has to be followed.

Which of the given statements are correct?.

(a) 1 Only

(b) 2 Only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

  10.

Consider the following statements w.r.t. India’s new Parliament building.

1. It includes a larger Lok Sabha Hall with a capacity of up to 888 seats and a larger Rajya Sabha hall with up to 384 seats.

2. The Rajya Sabha chamber has a Peacock theme.

3. The Lok Sabha chamber has a Lotus theme.

(a) Only one statement is correct.

(b) Only two statements are correct.

(c) All three statements are correct.

(d) None of the the statement is correct.

  11.

Which of the following is/are condition(s) on which a member is disqualified?

1. If he holds the office of profit.

2. If he is of unsound mind.

3. If he has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a foreign State.

4. If he is discharged solvent.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1, 2 and 4 only

(b) 1, 3 and 4 only

(c) 1, 2, 3 and 4

(d) 1, 2 and 3

  12.

With reference to the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), consider the following statements:

1. It is a non-profit initiative by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

2. It is based on an open-sourced methodology independent of any specific platform.

3. With ONDC, consumers can discover any seller, product or service by using any compatible application or platform.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

  13.

Recently launched “75/25 initiative” is related to

(a) Hypertension

(b) Ozone protection

(c) Obesity

(d) GHG Emission

14.

Consider the followings statements

1. The subject of prison falls on the state subject.

2. Prisons Act 1894 made provisions for reform and rehabilitation of prisoners.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

15.

The Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India makes special administrative provisions in regard to the tribal areas in

(a) Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram

(b) Meghalaya, Assam, Nagaland and Manipur

(c) Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram and Meghalaya

(d) Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Assam and Tripura

16.

Which of the following is incorrect w.r.t. Exchange Traded Funds?.

(a) These are offered on assets like Indian equities, international equities, bonds or gold.

(b) They can be bought or sold from the exchange on a real time basis.

(c) Investment decisions are at the discretion of the fund manager.

(d) They can be bought and sold intra-day like stocks.

  17.

Consider the following statements about the seventh schedule:

1. It provides a clear separation of powers.

2. It devolves legislative powers to states.

3. It is inherited from the Government of India Act, 1935.

Select the correct statement(s) using the codes given below:

(a) 2 and 3 only

(b) 1 only

(c) 1, 2 and 3

(d) 3 only

  18.

Consider the followings statements w.r.t. Babool tree.

1. It a nitrogen-fixing legume.

2. It is native to India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

  19.

Consider the following statements about Parliament Secretary.

1. A Parliament Secretary is a Senior Civil Servant.

2. He holds the rank of Minister of State.

Which of the above statements is/are true?

(a) Only 1
 

(b) Only 2
 

(c) Both 1 and 2
 

(d). Neither 1 nor 2

  20.

Pacific Islands include

1. Australia

2. Aleutian Chain islands

3. Papua New Guinea

(a) 3 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c)  2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, 3

  21.

Consider the following statements:

1. Mangalajodi is in Kerala.

2. It is a bird sanctuary.

(a) Only 1 is true

(b) Only 2 is true

(c) 1 and 2 are true

(d) 1 and 2 are false

  22.

Consider the following statements about Minimum Support Price (MSP).

1. These are declared only for the Rabi cropping season.

2. They are declared once a year.

3. The MSPs are announced by the Union government on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 1 and 3 only

  23.

Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Governor''s powers in relation to bills in the state legislature?

(1) Governor cannot send the bill back to the State Legislature if it is a Money Bill.

(2) When a governor reserves a bill for the president’s consideration, he is no longer involved in the bill’s enactment.

(3) If any Bill is pending in the House, the governor can send a message to such House to remind them about the same.

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

  24.

‘Jordanian initiative’ in the news, is related to

(a) UNSC Expansion

(b) Israel Palestine conflict

(c) GCC Memebership

(d) Syria''s return to the Arab League

  25.

PM Modi released ₹75-coin, special stamp to mark inauguration of new Parliament building. Consider the following statements:

1. The standard weight of the coin will be 75 grams.

2. Its shape is rhombus.

3. It will contain 1 pico gram of Gold.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None of these

 1.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-global/pakistan-and-iran-inaugurate-border-market-8618781/

B

 2.

C

 3.

A Red Herring Prospectus contains all the valuable information regarding the company which intends to raise funds from the public by selling its shares. It includes crucial information regarding the company''s promoters, business operations, growth prospects, and financials.

https://indianexpress.com/article/business/market/jsw-infrastructure-to-raise-rs-2800-cr-via-ipo-files-drhp-with-sebi-8601263/

C

 4.

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/restoring-the-world-trade-organizations-crown-jewel/article67061171.ece

D

 5.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-law/bombay-hc-fm-channels-must-pay-royalties-composers-lyricists-8598243/

https://www.thequint.com/explainers/iprs-to-collect-royalty-from-fm-radio-broadcasters-bombay-high-court-judgement-for-music-authors#read-more

https://blog.ipleaders.in/copyright/#Introduction

C

 6.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-climate/what-is-liquified-natural-gas-impact-climate-8397534/

B 

 7.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/rajnath-singh-meets-maldivian-president-solih-in-male/article66802842.ece

B

 8.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/brahmos-has-emerged-as-a-brahmastra-defence-chiefs/articleshow/100659826.cms?from=mdr

B 

 9.

The Constitution of India does not mentioneither a confidence motion or a no-confidencemotion.

Before the vote on the confidence motion, theprime minister may also recommend to thepresident that the House be dissolved; such arecommendation has to be followed. However, he cannot make such a recommendation afterhe loses the confidence motion.

B 

10.

Old parliament building

• Shift of capital from Calcutta to Delhi
• At the coronation of George V as Emperor of India on December 12, 1911, the monarch decided to transfer the seat of the Government of India from Calcutta to the ancient Capital of Delhi.
• Selection of architect and scope of their work
• In 1913, Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker signed on to be the architects for the Imperial City at New Delhi.
• Initially, they were asked to design President’s House and North and South Block only.
• In 1919, the British Parliament passed the Government of India Act which provided for a bicameral legislature for India.
• A new building was needed to accommodate the new houses of the Legislative Council.
• Construction of Parliament
• The parliament building’s construction took six years – from 1921 to 1927.
• In the 1919 plan for the construction of the Parliament, it was decided to have a council house, comprising:
• Legislative Assembly Chamber (which later became the Lok Sabha),
• Council of States Chamber (which is now the Rajya Sabha) and
• Chamber of Princes (later became Library Hall).
• Architecture
• In 1919, Lutyens and Baker settled on a circular shape for the Parliament.
• They felt it would be reminiscent of the Colosseum, the Roman historical monument.
• It is popularly believed that the circular shape of the Chausath Yogini temple at Mitawli village in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena provided inspiration for the Council House design.
• However, there is no historical evidence to back this up.
• A few Indian elements, such as jaalis (a latticed carving depicting objects like flowers and other patterns) and chhatris (a domed roof atop a pavilion-like structure) were added.
• Goal of the architecture
• The goal of the architecture was to project the strength of British imperialism and rule over India.
• Hence, both the architects agreed to highlight the superiority of European classicism, upon which Indian traditions had to be based.
• Material used
• The circular building has 144 cream sandstone pillars, each measuring 27 feet.
• Foundation and inauguration
• The foundation for the existing Parliament was laid by the Duke of Connaught on February 12, 1921.
• It was inaugurated in January 18, 1927, by then Governor General of India Lord Irwin.
• Sir Bhupendra Nath Mitra, a member of the Governor-General’s Executive Council and in charge of the Department of Industries and Labour, invited Viceroy to inaugurate the building.

What will happen to the old parliament building now?

• The building will not be demolished and will be converted into a ‘Museum of Democracy’ after the new Parliament House becomes operational.

New Parliament building

• In 2019, the central government announced the redevelopment project to give a new identity to the ‘power corridor’ of India.
• This project is known as Central Vista redevelopment project.
• The plan includes:
• the construction of a new parliament,
• Prime minister and vice-president’s residences along with 10 building blocks that will accommodate all government ministries and departments.
• Piloted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the plan aims to change the face of the Lutyens’ Delhi.
• Lutyens’ Delhi shows off India’s iconic buildings such as South and North blocks of Central Secretariat, Parliament House, and Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Need for new Parliament building

• Current building is 96-years-old
• As per the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the current building is 96-years-old and poses structural safety concerns.
• Narrow seating space for MPs
• The present building was never designed to accommodate a bicameral legislature for a full-fledged democracy.
• The number of Lok Sabha seats is likely to increase significantly from the current 545 after 2026, when the freeze on the total number of seats lifts.
• The Central Hall has seating capacity only for 440 persons.
• When the Joint Sessions are held, the problem of limited seats amplifies.
• Distressed infrastructure:
• The addition of services like water supply and sewer lines, fire fighting equipment, CCTV cameras, etc., have led to seepage of water at several places.
• Fire safety is a major concern at the building.
• Obsolete communication structures:
• Communications infrastructure and technology is antiquated in the existing Parliament, and the acoustics of all the halls need improvement.
• Safety concerns:
• The current Parliament building was built when Delhi was in Seismic Zone-II; currently it is in Seismic Zone-IV. This raises structural safety concerns.

Main features of the new building

• Built-up area of about 65,000 sq m, triangular in shape, and incorporates architectural styles from around India;
• Lok Sabha hall with a capacity of up to 888 seats, and Rajya Sabha hall with a capacity of upto 384 seats;
• The Lok Sabha may accommodate up to 1,272 seats for joint sessions of Parliament.
• The Lok Sabha hall is based on the peacock theme, India’s national bird. The Rajya Sabha is based on the lotus theme, India’s national flower.
• A “Platinum-rated Green Building”, the new Sansad Bhavan will embody India’s commitment towards environmental sustainability.
• The new Parliament is divyang friendly where people with disabilities will be able to move around freely.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/indias-new-parliament-and-why-it-is-needed-8632565/

A

11.

— A person is disqualified for being chosen as, and for being, a member of either House of Parliament:

(a) if he holds any office of profit under the Government of India or the Government of any State other than an office declared by Parliament by law not to disqualify its holder.

(b) if he is of unsound mind and stands so declared by a competent Court.

(c) if he is an undischarged insolvent.

(d) if he is not a citizen of India or has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a foreign State, or is under any acknowledgment of allegiance or adherence to a foreign State.

(e) if he is so disqualified by or under any law made by Parliament.

— A person shall be disqualified for being a member of either House of Parliament if he is so disqualified under the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution.

D

12.

·   Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is a non-profit initiative of the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce. Statement 2 is correct: Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is an initiative aiming at promoting open networks for all aspects of exchange of goods and services over digital or electronic networks.

·   ONDC is to be based on open-sourced methodology, using open specifications and open network protocols independent of any specific platform. Statement 3 is correct: ONDC is expected to make e-Commerce more inclusive and accessible for consumers. Consumers can potentially discover any seller, product or service by using any compatible application or platform, thus increasing freedom of choice for consumers.

https://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/explained-what-is-the-open-network-for-digital-commerce/article66878581.ece

B

13.

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/policy/india-aims-to-expand-standard-care-for-hypertension-and-diabetes-to-75-million-people-by-2025/article66862330.ece

14.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-law/model-prisons-act-mha-8630225/

A

15.

A

16.

https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/why-exchange-traded-funds-have-caught-on-in-india-2-9451801.html

In regular mutual funds, investment decisions are at the discretion of the fund manager and since lakhs of small investors trust mutual funds, these have stringent requirements, including high Asset Management Companies (AMC) net worth, experienced investment team, among others.

However, if a mutual fund desires to offer only passive investment products such as ETFs and index funds — where investment decisions are not discretionary, but are tied to changes in the underlying benchmark index — then there is a case to provide them a regulatory framework with fewer compliance requirements, it added.

C 

17.

It provides a clear division of powers.

• Article 246 of the Constitution mentions three lists in the Seventh Schedule — union, state and concurrent lists. While the Centre can make laws on subjects specified in the Union list, the state governments have jurisdiction over items in the state list.
• Both the Centre and states can make laws for subjects in the concurrent list, but the Union''s law will prevail in case of conflict.

Significance of the 7th schedule of the Indian constitution

• Clear Responsibilities: The division of subjects into the state list, central list, and concurrent list makes the constituent units of the federation conscious of their respective roles.
• Harmony: The clear separation of powers between the center and states in the 7th schedule prevents the union from changing the fundamentals of the constitution, thus, it helps in maintaining peace and harmony between the center and states.
• Division of Powers: The 7th schedule provides a clear division of powers between the center and states which prevents conflict between center and states.
• Unity and Integrity of India: After partition, national integration was of utmost importance, and only a strong central government could protect the nation against external threats.
• Autonomy to states: The devolution of legislative powers to states makes the state independent of a union in their respective sphere.

Need for Reforms in the 7th Schedule:

• Redundant and old: It is alleged that it has become redundant with time. The present Seventh Schedule and union (at that time Federal) list, state (at that time Provincial) list and concurrent lists are inherited from that 1935 piece of legislation.
• Delivery of Public goods: Most public goods people think of are efficiently delivered at the local government level, not the Union or state level. There is a Seventh Schedule issue that is thus linked to the insertion of a local body list. Countervailing pressure by citizens increasingly demands efficient delivery of such public goods. But without delegation of funds, functions and functionaries, presently left to the whims of state governments, local governments are unable to respond.
• Increasing Centralization: Items have moved from the state list to the concurrent list and from the concurrent list to the union list. Hitherto, such limited movements have reflected greater centralisation, such as in 1976.
• Empowering Local Bodies: There should be a fourth list for local bodies along with the central, state and concurrent lists. It will lead to the devolution of powers to local bodies and will help them in dealing with diverse matters of local importance.
• Deletion of the concurrent list: The concurrent list creates a lot of confusion between centre and state and creates a situation of dispute over the framing of legislation. Its removal from the constitution will reduce the friction points between the centre and states.

The 7th Schedule is the basis of the Indian federation, any change or reform in the 7th schedule should be undertaken by taking states on board and developing a proper consensus between the center and states.

— Parliament has exclusive power to make laws with respect to any of the matters enumerated in List I in the Seventh Schedule (in this Constitution referred to as the Union List).

— Parliament and the Legislature of any State have the power to make laws with respect to any of the matters enumerated in List III in the Seventh Schedule (in this Constitution referred to as the Concurrent List).

— The Legislature of any State has exclusive power to make laws for such State or any part thereof with respect to any of the matters enumerated in List II in the Seventh Schedule (in this Constitution referred to as the State List).

— Parliament has the power to make laws with respect to any matter for any part of the territory of India not included in a State notwithstanding that such matter is a matter enumerated in the State List.

— Parliament can make laws in the State list in the following circumstances:

(a) Parliament can make laws on the subjects enumerated in the state list when the Proclamation of Emergency is in operation in a part or whole state.

(b) When legislatures of two or more States pass a resolution to the effect of the matters with respect to which Parliament has no power to make laws for the States except as provided in articles 249 and 250 should be regulated in such States by Parliament by law.

(c) For the implementation of International agreements or treaties with foreign affairs.

(d) When Rajya Sabha passes a resolution.

— The union list makes no mention of “order”. It only mentions the “Deployment of any armed force of the Union or any other force subject to the control of the Union or any contingent or unit thereof in any State in aid of the civil power; powers, jurisdiction, privileges and liabilities of the members of such forces while on such deployment.”

— The state list mentions “public order” and “police (including railway and village police)”.

A 

18.

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/food/here-is-why-you-should-plant-babool-89271#:~:text=The%20tree%20works%20as%20a,reclamation%20of%20the%20Chambal%20ravines.

C

19.

Parliamentary Secretary is ‘trainee minister’. For this, young politicians are appointed so that they get experience of running the ministry. They assist the ministers in parliamentary work.

B  

20.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/us-signs-new-security-pact-with-papua-new-guinea-amid-competition-with-china/article66881298.ece

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/pacific-island-nations#:~:text=The%20Pacific%20Islands%20do%20not,of%20square%20miles%20of%20ocean.

A

21.

https://www.newindianexpress.com/good-news/2022/may/05/worlds-lone-white-swamphen-has-mangalajodi-address-2449988.html

B

22.

—  Minimum Support Price (MSP) is a form of market intervention by the Government of India to insure agricultural producers against any sharp fall in farm prices.

—  The minimum support prices are announced by the Government of India at the beginning of the sowing season for certain crops. Hence, statements 1 and 2 are not correct.

 They are announced on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). Hence, statement 3 is correct.

—  MSP is price fixed by the Government of India to protect the producer – farmers – against excessive fall in price during bumper production years.

—  The major objectives are to support the farmers from distress sales and to procure food grains for public distribution.

C

23.

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/governors-cannot-indefinitely-hold-back-bills/article66957776.ece

D

24.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/arab-governments-vote-for-syrias-return-to-the-arab-league-after-12-year-absence/article66823635.ece

D

25.

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/govt-to-issue-special-commemorative-coin-of-75-to-mark-the-inauguration-of-new-parliament-building/article66894191.ece

D