August 07-2024 Prelims Practice Questions (PPQs)

Correct

Explanation

All statements are correct

• Methanotrophs (methane oxidizing bacteria) are natural methane-mitigating agents found in all environments where both methane and oxygen are present.
• They oxidize methane to build their biomass, breathing oxygen and producing CO₂ and H₂O.
• These grow abundantly in wetlands, rice fields, ponds, and other water bodies.
• It promotes rice plant growth by inducing early flowering and increasing grain yield.
• Recently, India’s first indigenous natural methane-mitigating agents, primarily Methylocucumis oryzae, reported from rice fields and wetlands in Western India.
• It is characterized by its cucumber-like shape, large size, strict mesophilic nature (grows below 37ºC), and pale pink colonies.
• It remains phylogenetically unique, with no strains reported or cultured in any other country

Answer: (c) All three; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

Option (c) is correct

• Recently, the World Craft Council (WCC) included Srinagar in its list of World Craft Cities.
• World Crafts Council (WCC) is an international non-profit organization affiliated with UNESCO.
• It aims to preserve, protect, and develop traditional crafts and global craftsmanship.
• The WCC-World Craft City Programme, launched in 2014, establishes a dynamic network of craft cities across the globe.
• Jaipur, Mamallapuram, and Mysore are the other World Craft Cities in India.
• Srinagar is known for its handicrafts, such as Pashmina and Shahtoosh shawls, Persian carpets, crewel-stitched and embroidered fabrics, silk, walnut carvings, papier-mache, namdas (rugs), and bas-ketry.

Answer: (c) 1, 2, 4 and 5 only; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

• Studies about the stone inscriptions in temple walls of Tamil Nadu details the land surveys conducted by the Cholas.

Statement 1 is correct

• In Chola period tax assessments were conducted periodically and collected through local grandees.
• Types of lands:
  • Vellanvagai: Land of non-Brahmin farmers (Taxed).
  • Brahmadeya: Land gifted to Brahmanas (Tax exempted).
  • Shalabhoga: Land for school (Tax exempted).
  • Devadana, Tirunamattukkani: Land gifted to temples (Tax exempted).
  • Pallichchhandam: Land for Jain institutions (Tax exempted).
• Related Terms:
  • Puravuvari-tinaikkalam: Department of land revenue.
  • Naduvagaiseykira: The surveyors of the land from the landholding communities.
  • Ur: General assembly of the village.
  • Urar: Landholders in the village who played a crucial role in village administration.

Statement 2 is correct

• Important taxes during Chola period:
  • Kudimai: Primary source of revenue collected from cultivators as rent.
  • Opati: Levied and collected by the king and local chiefs.
  • Iraikattina-nellu: Tax paid in kind (paddy or rice).
  • Vetti: A form of forced labor, where people had to work for the king or landlords without pay.
  • Eriayam tax: Collected by village assemblies for maintenance and repairing of irrigation tanks.

Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2; Difficulty Level: Hard

Correct

Explanation

Option (b) is correct

• Ladki Bahin Yojana is a Maharashtra government scheme where Rs 1,500 will be transferred into the bank accounts of eligible women aged between 21 and 65 every month.
• Eligibility: Family income below Rs 2.5 lakh and has no member paying income tax.
• The scheme is available only to Maharashtra residents who are married, widowed, divorced, abandoned, or destitute women, and to one unmarried woman per family.

Option (a) is incorrect

• The scheme is specifically for eligible women with family income below Rs 2.5 lakh, who are married, widowed, divorced, abandoned, destitute, or one unmarried woman per family. It does not cover all women regardless of income or marital status.

Option (c) is incorrect

• The scheme is designed to provide financial support to eligible women in Maharashtra based on income and marital status, not specifically for working women or for professional development.

Option (d) is incorrect

• The scheme is only available to residents of Maharashtra, not to women from all over India.

Answer: (b) It is a scheme by the Maharashtra government that transfers Rs 1,500 monthly into the bank accounts of eligible women aged between 21 and 65; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

Statements 1 and 2 are correct

• The Digital Agriculture Mission aims to provide farmers with digital identities for their land and crops to improve transparency and prevent record tampering.
• It includes major components such as the India Digital Ecosystem of Agriculture (IDEA), the Unified Farmers Service Interface (UFSI), National E-governance Plan in Agriculture, the revamping of the Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC), and soil health, fertility, and profile mapping.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• The Mission focuses on various technologies beyond just drones and satellite imaging, including precision agriculture and data analytics.

Answer: (b) Only two; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct, and Statement 2 is incorrect

• Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is now the largest in the world in terms of farmers insured.
• It has low premium burden on farmers capped at 2% for Kharif crops, 1.5% for Rabi Crops and 5% for commercial/horticultural crops and high claim settlement ratio of 98%.

Answer: (a) 1 only; Difficulty Level: Medium