1.

Consider the following statements about National Coal Index (NCI):

1. It is a price index combining the prices of coal from all the sales channels- Notified Prices, Auction Prices and Import Prices.

2. It is released annually.

3. Wholesale Price Index does not have a component of imported coal was the main reason for the introduction of NCI.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below –

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1 and 2 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

  2.

The Sapre committee, is in relation to

(a) Revamping PRIs

(b) Tax Devolution

(c) MSP for uncovered crops

(d) Adani-Hindenburg row

 3.

Thalassemia patients suffer from:

1. Iron overload

2. Enlarged spleen

3. Shrunken liver

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

   4.

Which of the following statements are correct with reference to the exoplanets?.

1. An exoplanet is any planet beyond the solar system.

2. TOI 4603b is an exoplanet.

3. Massive giant exoplanets are those having a mass equivalent to Jupiter.

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

   5.

Before the Prime Minister enters upon his office, in his oath of office, he swears-

1.  To protect and defend the Constitution of India

2.  To uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India

3. To faithfully and conscientiously discharge the duties of his office

4.  To do right to all manner of people in accordance with the Constitution and the law, without fear or favour, affection or ill will.

(a) 2, 3, and 4 Only

(b) 1, 2 and 4 Only

(c) 2 and 3 Only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

  6.

1. Ganymede

2. Callisto

3. Europa

How many of these is/are the moons of Jupiter?

(a) Only 1

(b) Only 2

(c) All the three

(d) None of these

 7.

Which of the following statements is not correct about Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)?

(a) It is regulated by the SEBI.

(b) It is the same as the fiat currency, and is non-exchangeable with the fiat currency.

(c) It is a fungible legal tender, for which holders need not have a bank account.

(d) It will appear as ‘liability’ on the RBI’s balance sheet.

   8.

With reference to applications of genome sequencing, consider the following statements: 

1. a tool for prenatal screening

2. to read the codes of viruses

3. improving natural environment

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

   9.

Which of the following countries signed the “Washington Declaration” as a nuclear deterrence strategy?

(a) U.S.-South Korea

(b) U.S.-North Korea

(c) U.S.-Iran

(d) U.S.-Iraq

  10.

He was a Hindu saint, philosopher, poet, and a devotee of Lord Ram and Hanuman. He wrote the Maruti Stotra. Name the saint referred here.

(a) Samarth Ramdas

(b) Tulsidas

(c) Namadev

(d) Sri Chaitanya

  11.

1. It plans to become a 130 GW company by 2032.

2. It was conferred the status of Maharatna Company in 1997.

3. It marked its first overseas capacity addition, beginning with Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant in Bhutan.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct w.r.t. National Thermal Power Corporation.?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

  12.

Consider the following statements w.r.t. Galapagos Islands:

1. These Islands are located in Ecuador.

2. The Islands are named after their giant tortoises.

3. Darwin’s natural selection was inspired by his study on the endemic species on the Islands.

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.

Consider the following statements regarding the Collegium System for the appointment of judges:

1. The Supreme Court Collegium is led by the incumbent Chief Justice and two other senior most judges of that court.

2. The collegium system is rooted in the Constitution.

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

  14.

“ASEAN” countries are not inclusive of

(a) Laos

(b) Cambodia

(c) Australia

(d) Singapore 

  15.

Reduction-Diffusion Technology was recently in news in connection with

(a) near field communication

(b) rare earth permanent magnets

(c) wireless electricity

(d) semiconductor doping method

  16.

Which among the following is/are true?

(a) The President can dissolve the Union Council of Ministers in accordance with Article 75(2) of the constitution, if he finds that the Ministry does not enjoy the support of the majorities in the Lok Sabha.

(b) Refusal to act according to the advice given to the President by the Council of Ministers, headed by the Prime Minister, will render the President liable to impeachment.

(c) Neither (a) nor (b)

(d) Both (a) & (b)

  17.

Consider the following statements:

1. Under the Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972, the Archaeological Survey of India can retrieve surrendered as well as illegally exported antiquities.

2. Kohinoor diamond was taken by the British after the signing of the Treaty of Lahore.

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

  18.

With reference to Natural Gas, consider the following statements:

1. Natural gas contains hydrogen sulphide.

2. Currently, Natural gas makes up only about 6% of the nation’s overall energy mix.

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 pairs:   

       Bridge           Associated River

1. Bogibeel                  Lohit

2. Dhola-sadiya           Krishna

3. Vikramshila Setu     Ganga 

How many pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) Only 1 pair

(b) Only 2 pairs

(c) All 3 pairs

(d) None of the pair is correct

  20.

Consider the following statements:

1. Uzbekistan in the Samarkand SCO Summit, handed over the rotating presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to India.

2. Varanasi is declared as the first “Cultural and Tourism Capital” of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation for 2022-23.

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

  21.

Which of the following is/are true w.r.t. Public Accounts Committee?.

1. It is formed every 5 years.

2. CAG assists the committee during the course of investigation.

3. A Minister is not eligible to be elected as a member of the Committee.

4. The Chairman is appointed by the Prime Minister with the recommendation of the Speaker.

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

  22.

An ordinance would be made open to challenge on the following grounds:

1. It constitutes colorable legislation.

2. It contravenes any of the Fundamental Rights as mentioned in our Constitution.

3. It is violative of substantive provisions of Our Constitution such as in Article 301.

4. Its retrospectively is unconstitutional.

(a) 1, 2 and 3

(b) 2 only

(c) 1 and 4

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

  23.

1. The craft was used to create the mascot of Dancing Girl of Mohenjodaro.

2. It is protected as a Geographical Indication.

3. Channapatna is known as the Gombegala Ooru of Kerala.

Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect w.r.t. Channapatna toys craft?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

  24.

Consider the following statement with reference to Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP):

1. It is a massive connectivity project to connect the Haldia port to Mizoram through Myanmar.

2. The project will reduce the need to transport goods through the narrow Siliguri corridor.

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

  25.

Consider the following statements:

1. The increase in temperatures is known to be more prominent in the higher altitudes, near the polar regions, than near the equator.

2. India’s average temperature has risen by around 0.7 deg. C during 1901-2018.

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

 1.

https://coal.nic.in/index.php/en/nominated-authority/national-coal-index

A

 2.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/adani-hindenburg-row-supreme-court-hearing-may-12/article66842393.ece

D

 3.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/what-is-thalassemia/article23811040.ece

A

 4.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/scientists-discover-jupiter-size-massive-exoplanet/article66912192.ece

A

 5.

A 

 6.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-sci-tech/european-space-agency-jupiter-icy-moons-explorer-juice-what-is-it-8552948/

C

 7.

· CBDC is a legal tender issued by the RBI in digital form. It is the same as the fiat currency, and is exchangeable one-to-one with the fiat currency.

· It is a fungible legal tender, for which holders need not have a bank account. The e-rupee will be in the form of a digital token representing a claim on the central bank, and will effectively - function as the digital equivalent of a banknote that can be transferred electronically from one holder to another.

· It will appear as ‘liability’ (currency in circulation) on the RBI’s balance sheet.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-economics/e-rupee-india-digital-currency-explained-8301325/

B

 8.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/explained-what-is-genome-sequencing-and-why-does-the-genome-india-project-matter/article66723854.ece

DNA sequencing has been used in medicine including diagnosis and treatment of diseases and epidemiology studies. Sequencing has the power to revolutionize food safety and sustainable agriculture including animal, plant and public health, improving agriculture through effective plant and animal breeding and reducing the risks from disease outbreaks. Additionally, DNA sequencing can be used for protecting and improving the natural environment for both humans and wildlife.

D 

 9.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/explained-what-is-the-washington-declaration/article66813713.ece

A

10.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-history/samarth-ramdas-chhatrapati-shivaji-maharaj-8598333/

A

11.

https://www.financialexpress.com/business/industry-ntpc-eyes-10gw-coal-based-brownfield-expansion-3049473/

A

12.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/new-coral-reef-discovered-in-ecuadors-galapagos-islands/article66750441.ece

D

13.

The Collegium system is a system for the appointment and transfer of judges in the Supreme Court and High Court.

• It is not rooted in the Constitution. Instead, it has evolved through judgments of the Supreme Court.
• Under the system, the Chief Justice of India (CJI), along with four senior-most Supreme Court judges, recommends the appointment and transfer of judges.
• A High Court Collegium, meanwhile, is led by the incumbent Chief Justice and the two seniormost judges of that court.
• The government can also raise objections and seek clarifications regarding the Collegium’s choices, but if the Collegium reiterates the same names, the government is bound to appoint them to the post.

Constitutional Provisions for Judicial Appointments

 Genesis of the collegium

The collegium system has its genesis in a series of Supreme Court Judgements:

• S P Gupta Vs Union of India, 1981 (First Judge Case): Supreme Court held that consultation in the process of appointing judges does not require concurrence, and instead only involves the exchange of views.
• Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association Vs Union of India, 1993 (Second Judge Case): The Supreme Court reversed it''s previous and altered the definition of consultation to mean concurrence. 
• It was decided that the advice tendered by the CJI in regard to the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court is binding on the President. 
• Further, the CJI is required to consult with two of his most senior colleagues before tendering such advice.
• Third Judge Case,1998: Supreme court stated that the consultation process to be adopted by the CJI requires ‘consultation of plurality judges’.
• The CJI should consult a collegium of four senior most judges of the Supreme Court. Even if two judges give an adverse opinion, they should not send the recommendation to the government.
• National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act, 2014: It was brought to replace the existing collegium system for appointing judges.
• However, a five-judge Constitution Bench declared it as unconstitutional and nullified it, stating that it posed a threat to the independence of the judiciary.

Criticisms

Some of the criticism against the collegium system are

• Lack of transparency: The collegium system is often criticized for its lack of transparency, as the reasons for the collegium''s decisions are not disclosed to the public. 
• Judicial vacancies: It has struggled to keep up with the stagnant vacancies in the judiciary leading to the pendency of cases.
• As of August 2022, there are still 3 vacancies in the Supreme Court and 380 vacancies in the High courts.

• Charges of nepotism: There have been allegations of nepotism and favouritism in the collegium system. 
• The Law Commission in 2009 also noted that nepotism and political privilege was rife in the workings of the collegium system.
• Against the system of checks and balances: The collegium system violates the principle of checks and balances as it ensures the complete exclusion of the executive from the judicial appointment process, which leads to a lack of accountability.
• Lack of representation of women: The collegium system does not ensure adequate representation of women in the judiciary.
• Example: In the Supreme Court, there are currently four women justices out of the sitting 33. Whereas in High Courts, women judges constitute 11.5%.
• Transfer of judges: Currently, the Supreme Court and the government do not disclose the reason for a transfer of judges. There is a possible threat to judicial independence. 

Steps taken

• 99th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2014: It provided for the National Judicial Commission (NJAC) to replace the collegium system for the appointment of judges.
• However, it was struck down by the Constitutional bench for being violative of the independence of the judiciary.
• Memorandum of Procedure (MoP): The MoP is the list of rules and procedures for the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court and the high courts. It is a document framed by the government and the judiciary together.
• The Union government framed an MoP on 30 June 1999.
• The current MoP gives out the detailed procedure for the appointment of Supreme Court and high court judges. 
• It states that all appointments of judges to the Supreme Court must be recommended by the Collegium, composed of the Chief Justice of India and the four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court. This recommendation is then sent to the central government. The law minister will forward it to the prime minister, who is to advise the President on the appointment.
• Revised MoP: In 2015, the Supreme Court instructed the central government to develop a new MoP to ensure transparency in the collegium''s proceedings. In 2017, although the MoP was finalized, the government did not adopt it, citing a need to reconsider the matter.

 Road ahead

• Reforming the MoP: The existing MoP should be reformed. This can include involving representatives from both executive and judiciary in decision-making for judges'' appointments to ensure checks and balances.
• Expanding eligibility criteria: It should include, apart from the criteria envisaged in Constitution, other criteria for the determination of merit and suitability of candidates
• There can be an open invitation for all eligible candidates to apply for the vacancy in the judiciary in the prescribed format. 
• Increasing diversity:  Women should be provided adequate representation in judicial appointments.
• Increasing transparency: A list of candidates, who had applied, nominated, or considered by the members of the collegium on their own, should be maintained.
• All opinions of the collegium can be exchanged in writing. 
• Proceedings of the collegium should be documented and recorded in the minutes. 
• Law Commission of India recommendations:           
• There should be an equal role for the judiciary and the executive in the selection and appointments of judges to High Courts and the Supreme Court.
• The retirement age of the Judges of the High Court should be increased to 65 years, and that of the Judges of the Supreme Court should be increased to 68 years.
• Article 124(3) contemplates the appointment of judges of the Supreme Court from three sources. However, in the last fifty years, not a single distinguished jurist has been appointed. From the Bar also, less than half a dozen judges have been appointed. It recommended that suitably meritorious persons from these sources are appointed.

C

14.

Founded in: 1967 by the five South-East Asian nations of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. 10 Members at Present: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The ASEAN Declaration states that the aims and purposes of the Association are: (1) to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region and (2) to promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries in the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter.

ASEAN Plus Three: It is a forum that functions as a coordinator of cooperation between the ASEAN and the three East Asian nations of China, South Korea, and Japan.

ASEAN Plus Six: The group includes ASEAN Plus Three as well as India, Australia, and New Zealand.

C

15.

https://psuwatch.com/newsupdates/pm-modi-inaugurates-rare-earth-permanent-magnet-plant-vishakhapatnam

B

16.

D    

17.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/bring-back-the-koh-i-noor-diamond-parliamentary-panel-recommends/article66866564.ece#:~:text=Ministry%20officials%20noted%20that%20India,exported%20out%20of%20the%20country.

A

18.

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/natural-gas-the-bridge-on-indias-path-to-energy-atmanirbharta-8186516/

Gas-based economy implies gas as the main commercial energy source in the energy mix of an economy

Advantages of Natural Gas for India

1.      Environmentally clean:

• Natural gas as a fuel source is much “greener” than alternative fossil fuels. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), natural gas produces roughly half as much CO2 as coal and 32% less than oil. increased gas utilization is also expected to help India meet its intended nationally determined contributions (INDC) commitments under the Paris Agreement
• In addition to emitting lower levels of CO2, natural gas emits far fewer pollutants into the air. For example, burning natural gas produces less than 1% of the amount of sulphur dioxide compared to coal or oil.

2.      Economical/ Cost Efficient:

• Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is 40%cheaper than Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), 60% cheaper than gasoline and 45% cheaper than diesel. A 10% replacement of liquid fuel into gas will reduce India’s import bill by nearly $3billion every year.

3.      Convenience:

• Gas is continuously fed into the system so there are no hassles of refilling. Further, it is piped, thus does not require any space to store, hence handling is easy, safe and secure

4.      Possibility of Energy Independence:

• A gas-based economy would help India be less reliant on crude oil imports by substituting the use of oil products in industrial and residential applications.

5.      Improved Access:

• Gas utilization would also help improve access to electricity and clean cooking for India’s growing population with unmet energy needs. According IEA, 2017, A total of 244 million Indians do not have access to electricity and 819 million do not have access to clean cooking fuel.

• Natural gas is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, but commonly including varying amounts of other higher alkanes, and sometimes a small percentage of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen sulphide, or helium.
• It is formed when layers of decomposing plant and animal matter are exposed to intense heat and pressure under the surface of the Earth over millions of years.
1. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG):
• To overcome the transportation drawback, natural gas shipping takes place from available regions to other countries in liquid form. LNG has volume that is 1/600th of its original volume.
2. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG):
• Natural gas is compressed to 200 bar pressure so that the volume is almost 1% of the original. Unlike LNG, the plant, machinery, and investment required for CNG production is considerably less.
3. Liquefied Petroleum Gas( LPG)
• LPG production happens during the refining of crude oil. The composition is predominantly propane, butane, or a mix of these and other gases. In addition, extraction of LPG takes place directly from some of the oil wells. The calorific value is higher than the Natural gas in the range of 95 MJ /kg

Status of Natural Gas in India

Reserves:

India has 26 sedimentary basins covering 3.14 million sq. km of area. About 44 % of India’s total sedimentary basin area is on-land 56% is offshore. Only 22 % of the total area falls under the category “Moderately to well explored”. Exploration efforts have been initiated in 44 % of the area and the balance 34% remains poorly to completely unexplored.

Usage:

• The role of natural gas in India’s energy mix is limited- only 6% as of 2016

• Gas consumption in India is driven by five sectors: fertilizer (34% of total gas demand in fiscal year 2015-16), electric power (23%), refining (11%), city gas distribution, including transport (11%), and petrochemical (8%) industries.
• Natural gas consumption varies widely by region across India. For example, the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra in the west and Uttar Pradesh in the north consume more than 65% of the India’s natural gas, while making up only 31% of the population. Gujarat consumes the highest percentage of natural gas.       

Steps taken:

1.      Gas4India Campaign: It is a multimedia, multi-event campaign to communicate to people, the national, social, economic and ecological benefits of using natural gas as the fuel.

2.      Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP): It is a contractual and fiscal model for award of hydrocarbon acreages towards exploration and production (E&P). It provides a single, or uniform, license for the exploration and production of all conventional and unconventional hydrocarbons from an entire contract area.

NELP: New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) was created in 1997 ended the state dominance and created a competitive environment leading to liberalization of oil and gas exploration and production industry. However, it failed to keep the momentum of production growth and attracting the foreign investment and HELP was introduced to replace NELP

3.      Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP): OALP, a part of HELP, is aimed at enabling faster survey and assessment of areas with oil and gas potential. It enables companies apply for particular areas they deem to be attractive to invest in, and the Centre then put those areas up for bids.

4.      Discovered Small Field Policy: Launched in 2016, the policy aims at extracting the Oil, Natural gas from the un-monetized small oil/gas discoveries that are available in India

5.      Sustainable Alternative towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT):It aims to promote Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) as an alternative, green transport fuel. Under the scheme, public sector oil marketing companies will seek expression of interest from potential entrepreneurs to set up compressed bio-gas production plants and make it available in the market for use as auto fuel.

Compressed Biogas (CBG):
CBG is the purified form of biogas, without other gaseous impurities.In CBG production, biogas is cleaned of hydrogen & carbon-dioxide to produce 95% methane gas. This pure gas is compressed and bottled for transportation and usage.

6.      National Seismic Programme of Un-appraised areas: Under the programme, Government has approved the proposal for conducting 2D seismic survey for data Acquisition, Processing and Interpretation (API) of un-appraised areas

7.      Coal bed Methane Policy, 1997: It seeks to offer the blocks for exploitation of Coal Bed Methane (CBM) through open completive bidding system. In 2018, the government approved a framework for Coal Bed Methane extraction under which Coal India and its subsidiaries will be able to extract Coal Bed Methane from its mines without seeking approvals under the Petroleum & Natural Gas Rules 1959 (PNG Rules, 1959).

8.      Pipeline Projects for Natural Gas

National Gas Grid: Since a National Gas Grid (NGG) was conceptualized in 2000, India has built more than 16,000km of gas network. Recent initiatives include:

a) Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga Project (Jagdishpur – Haldia &Bokaro – Dhamra Pipeline Project (JHBDPL)): It seeks to cater to the energy requirements of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal.

b) Barauni to Guwahati Pipeline: The pipeline will pass through the Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim & Assam

c) North East Region(NER) Gas Grid: It will pass through Assam, Sikkim, Mizoram, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya in a phased manner

d) Kochi-Koottanad-Bangalore-Mangalore Pipeline (Phase-II): It will pass through Kerala and Tamil Nadu

e) Ennore-Thiruvallur-Bengluru-Puducherry-Nagapatinam-Madurai-Tuticorin Pipeline (ETBPNMTPL): It will pass through the State of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka.

International gas pipelines:

• Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline,
• the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline (IPI) and
• Iran-Oman- Russia and India- pipeline project

9.      City Gas Distribution (CGD) Network:CGD refers to transportationor distribution of natural gas to consumers in domestic, commercial or industrial and transport sectors through a network of pipelines. Recently, the Indian Prime Minister laid Foundation Stones of City Gas Distribution (CGD) Projects in 65 Geographical Areas (GAs) in 129 Districts.

Issues and challenges

1.      Reliance on Imports for Gas Supply: India is the world’s fourth-largest LNG importer, a substantial share of which comes from Qatar.As domestic energy production has lagged demand growth, India’s import dependence has increased. Consequently, concerns about India’s energy security have been rising.

2.      Pricing and Affordability: Lower domestic gas production than expected and higher international LNG prices have rendered the use of gas uneconomical for power generation sector as it cannot compete with coal based power generation at current domestic coal prices

India’s fertilizer industry cannot absorb high gas prices, because that would result in higher food prices for the poor. As a result, the industry receives priority access to domestically produced natural gas. The electricity sector ,in turn ,has to depend more on imported natural gas, which is relatively expensive .These distortions are the primary reason why gas is unable to compete with coal in power generation

3.      Competition: The nature of the Indian gas market, where some aspects are liberalized and some aspects are govt. controlled, together with frequent government intervention in the form of multiple policies and regulations, has not encouraged competition and has been detrimental for the entire gas supply chain

4.      Gas Distribution Infrastructure:pipeline network has been developed mostly in the northern and western regions. A large part of the country lacks  transmission  infrastructure  and  access  to  gas

5.      Lack of coordination:The presence of number of regulatory bodies and disconnect in policymaking and an incoherence in implementation of policies have affected the growth of the sector.

Note: he Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) – are in charge of natural gas regulation

6.      Quality and availability of field data:The poor quality of data remains a challenge in India for both policy makers and for prospective investors in the private sector

7.      Lack of progress of international gas pipelines:India has been considering gas imports by pipeline. However, despite some discussion of pipelines, there has been no progress made on international pipelines

Way Forward:

1.      An integrated national-level energy policy that define and clearly demarcates the role of natural gas in India’s energy mix is needed

2.      The biggest risk for future gas demand is the affordability of gas in the key demand sectors, such as power and fertilizers. Consequently, there needs to be an adequate mechanism to protect these sectors from higher gas prices. In the power sector, an increase in Clean Energy Cess could make gas a more attractive option

3.      Development of gas infrastructure is the most critical enabler for transition to a gas-based economy and pipeline and robust LNG infrastructure should be created to act as a facilitator for market development and to ensure wider availability of gas across all regions

4.      Increasing domestic gas production is critical to build a gas-based economy. Necessary steps should be taken to increase domestic gas production and reduce reliance on LNG imports

C

19.

https://www.indiatodayne.in/visualstories/webstories/nine-indias-longest-bridge-41648-10-06-2023

The Bogibeel Bridge is the longest rail-cum-road bridge of India on the Brahmaputra River in Assam.

Dhola-sadiya bridge spans the Lohit River, a major tributary of the Brahmaputra.

Vikramshila Setu is a bridge across the Ganges, near Bhagalpur in Bihar. Vikramshila Setu is the 6th longest bridge over water in India. The 4.7 km long two-lane bridge serves as a link between NH 33 and NH 31 running on the opposite sides of the Ganges.

A

20.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-to-host-sco-summit-virtually/article66913235.ece

● The Uzbekistan President chaired the 22nd SCO summit of Samarkand. o Uzbekistan in this summit handed over the rotating presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to India.

● Varanasi - Cultural and Tourism Capital of SCO: The holy city of Varanasi, showcasing India’s culture and traditions over the ages, is declared the first “Cultural and Tourism Capital” of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation for 2022-23.  It is a new initiative by the eight-member organisation to promote people-to-people contacts and tourism among the member states.  The title of ‘Cultural and Tourism Capital’ will be rotated among the member states.

C

21.

The Chairman is appointed by the Speaker of Lok Sabha. It is formed every year.

C 

22.

Article 301 talks about the freedom of trade, commerce, and intercourse throughout the country. It states that subject to other provisions under Part XIII, the freedom to carry on these activities shall be free. Freedom here means the right to freedom of movement of persons, property, things that may be tangible or intangible, unobstructed by barriers within the state (intra-scale) or across the states (inter-scale).

In case of State of Orissa v. Bhupendra Kumar Bose, the court held that the rights and obligations which are created by the Ordinance came into effect as soon as the Ordinance is promulgated and the same cannot be extinguished until a proper legislature by a legislative body extinguishes those rights and obligations of the Ordinances. However, where the Ordinances promulgated is an abuse of power and a kind of Fraud on the constitution, then, the state prevailing with such promulgation should immediately revive.

An ordinance would be made open to challenge on the following grounds :-

1.     It constitutes colorable legislation;

2.     It contravenes any of the Fundamental Rights as mentioned in our Constitution;

3.     It is violative of substantive provisions of Our Constitution such as an Article 301;

4.     Its retrospectively is unconstitutional.

Ordinances are however framed by the executive body which is said to be a single, unified entity. The President is the head of the executive body who promulgate ordinances on the advice of the council of ministers. The most important requirement of the promulgation of the ordinances is the ‘necessity to take the immediate action’. Then there will be no difficulty in ascertaining the satisfaction of the President when there is real need or necessity in promulgating the Ordinances.

D 

23.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-history/what-mohenjodaros-dancing-girl-figurine-tells-us-about-the-prehistoric-civilisation-8627594/

B

24.

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1922176

It is a massive connectivity project to connect the Haldia port (West Bengal) to Mizoram through Myanmar. This project will reduce distance from Kolkata to Sittwe by approximately 1,328 km and will reduce the need to transport goods through the narrow Siliguri corridor, also known as Chicken’s Neck.

D

25.

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1945036

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-climate/climate-change-why-india-is-heating-up-slower-than-the-world-average-8602414/

C