Daily Prelims Practice Questions (PPQs) – November 23-24 2023

Questions

• Below are some questions from the PMF IAS Daily Prelims Practice Questions (PPQs) – November 2023

Q1. {Envi – Conservation – Reports} Consider the following statements with respect to the Emissions Gap Report, 2023:

1. It is an Annual Report published by the Global Footprint Network.
2. The report assessed countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which they are required to update every year.
3. The Global greenhouse gas emissions have reduced in 2022 when compared to 2021.
4. India has contributed only 5% to the global warming during 1850-2021.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct ?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. Only three
4. All four

Q2. {Envi – Conservation – eWaste} Consider the following statements with respect to Battery Waste Rules, 2022

1. The Rules have for the first time defined measurable targets for collection and recycling within a compliance timeframe.
2. The rules include all types of batteries regardless of chemistry, shape, volume, weight, material composition and use.
3. The Rules bring within its ambit all manufacturers, producers, dealers, recyclers, auctioneers ,vehicle service centres, consumer, bulk consumers as well as the batteries used in Space, Arms and Ammo, War Material and for other Military Purposes.
4. The rules have introduced Fit for 55 package to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 by incentivising battery refurbishers.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

1. Only One
2. Only Two
3. Only Three
4. All Four

Q3. {Social Sector – Education} Consider the following statements with respect to SATHEE Portal:

1. It is an online training platform to train micro and medium Entrepreneurs.
2. It is an initiative by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
3. Currently, the Online Material is available on the SATHEE portal in 4 languages that includes English, Hindi, Odia and Telugu.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct ?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. Only three
4. None of these

Q4. {Envi – Species – Conservation} Sturgeons, recently seen in news is:

1. A type of Anthropod, constituting the subclass Cirrepedia in the subphylum Crustacea, and is related to crabs and lobsters.
2. A Species of fishes of the family Acipenseridae (subclass Chondrostei).
3. From the family of the speartooth shark (Glyphis glyphis) which is one of the rarest shark species on earth, found only in tropical rivers in New Guinea and northern Australia.
4. A primate from the Gibbon Family, which has been accorded endangered conservation status recently.

Q5. {Economics – e-governance} Consider the following statements with respect to Global Digital Public Infrastructure Repository:

1. It is an initiative of the Indian G20 Presidency.
2. It aims to address the existing knowledge gap around the right practices to design, build and deploy population scale Digital Public Infrastructure.
3. India’s UIDAI, United payment interface, and Digilocker were part of this initiative.

Which of the following statement(s) is/are not True regarding Global Digital Public Infrastructure Repository ?

1. Only One
2. Only Two
3. All Three
4. None of these

Q6. {IE – Capital Market} Consider the following statements with respect to Investor Risk Reduction Access Platform:

1. It aims to reduce risks faced by investors due to certain technical glitches in the stock market.
2. The platform is developed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
3. All types of trading and traders can use this platform to square off their order during any technical glitches in stock markets.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct ?

1. Only One
2. Only Two
3. All Three
4. None of these

Q7. {IR – QUAD – Technology} Consider the following statements regarding Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) initiative:

1. The Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) initiative was announced by G20.
2. IPMDA seeks to establish a comprehensive system for monitoring and securing maritime activities in the Indo-Pacific region.
3. IPMDA also has a dedicated Space Program for open sharing of Earth Observation Data and Long tern sustainability of Outer Space.

How many of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. All three
4. None

Q8. {IE – Ports – Infra – Trade} Consider the following statements about India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC):

1. The IMEEC was unveiled at the G-20 summit in New Delhi.
2. India, the US, UK, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Germany are the signatories to the project.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct ?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Q9. {IE – Infra Development – Waterways} National Waterway-1 passes through how many of the given states ?

1. Uttar Pradesh
2. Bihar
3. Jharkhand
4. West Bengal

Select the Correct Answer:

1. Only One
2. Only Two
3. Only Three
4. All Four

Q10. {IE – Banking – Institutions} Consider the following statements about Micro Finance Institutions in India:

1. They provide easy credit and offer small loans to customers, with a small collateral only.
2. In a Joint Liability Group, 4-10 individuals seek loans against mutual guarantee.
3. In India, all loans that are below Rs.1 lakh can be considered as microloans.
4. Loans for Non Income Generating purposes are short tenured, many customers soon find themselves in the vicious debt trap of having to take another loan to pay off the first.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct ?

1. Only One
2. Only Two
3. Only Three
4. All Four

Q11. {Governance – Transparency} Consider the following statements about Social Audit:

1. Social Audit is defined as an evaluation of a plan of action that is conducted by the Government.
2. It Gained significance with the 73^rd amendment to the constitution, which addressed Panchayati Raj Institutions.
3. In a state, If a Gram Panchayat fails to conduct a Social Audit, then that Gram Panchayat nchayat is levied a Fine. If it fails to conduct the Social Audit for the second time, then it will have to face legal percussions.
4. Tamil Nadu became the first state to enact a Social Audit Law in India.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct ?

1. Only One
2. Only Two
3. Only Three
4. All Four

Questions with Answers and Explanation

Q1. {Envi – Conservation – Reports} Consider the following statements with respect to the Emissions Gap Report, 2023:

1. It is an Annual Report published by the Global Footprint Network.
2. The report assessed countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which they are required to update every year.
3. The Global greenhouse gas emissions have reduced in 2022 when compared to 2021.
4. India has contributed only 5% to the global warming during 1850-2021.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct ?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. Only three
4. All four

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• Emissions Gap Report is an annual report released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
• The report assesses countries’ promises to tackle climate change compared with what is needed.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• The report assessed countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which they are required to update every 5 years.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• Global greenhouse gas emissions rose by 1.2% from 2021 to 2022, reaching a record 57.4 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
• GHG emissions across the G20 also increased by 1.2 % in 2022.
• The world faces between 2.5 C and 2.9 C of warming above preindustrial levels if governments do not boost climate action.

Statement 4 is Correct

• India accounts for 18% of the world population, but to date only contributed 5% of warming.

Answer: (a) Only One

Q2. {Envi – Conservation – eWaste} Consider the following statements with respect to Battery Waste Rules, 2022

1. The Rules have for the first time defined measurable targets for collection and recycling within a compliance timeframe.
2. The rules include all types of batteries regardless of chemistry, shape, volume, weight, material composition and use.
3. The Rules bring within its ambit all manufacturers, producers, dealers, recyclers, auctioneers ,vehicle service centres, consumer, bulk consumers as well as the batteries used in Space, Arms and Ammo, War Material and for other Military Purposes.
4. The rules have introduced Fit for 55 package to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 by incentivising battery refurbishers.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

1. Only One
2. Only Two
3. Only Three
4. All Four

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The concept of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) serves as the foundation for Battery Waste Rules, 2022.
• The Rules have mandated that EPR registration system to be managed online on a portal by the Central Pollution Control Boards (CPCB).
• The Rules have for the first time defined measurable targets for collection and recycling within a compliance timeframe.

Statement 2 is correct

• The rules include all types of batteries regardless of chemistry, shape, volume, weight, material composition and use.
• The collecting, recycling, and refurbishing of used batteries is the responsibility of battery manufacturers, including importers

Statement 3 is incorrect

• The Rules bring within its ambit all manufacturers, producers, collection centres, importers, re-conditioners, refurbishers, dismantlers, assemblers, dealers, recyclers, auctioneers, vehicle service centres, consumers and bulk consumers.
• The rules do not apply to Battery used in:
  • Equipment connected with the protection of the essential security interests including arms, ammunitions, war material and those intended specifically for military purposes.
  • Equipment designed to be sent into space.

Statement 4 is incorrect

• The “Fit for 55” package – Is a set of legislative proposals by the European Union (EU) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030.

Answer: (b) Only Two

Q3. {Social Sector – Education} Consider the following statements with respect to SATHEE Portal:

1. It is an online training platform to train micro and medium Entrepreneurs.
2. It is an initiative by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
3. Currently, the Online Material is available on the SATHEE portal in 4 languages that includes English, Hindi, Odia and Telugu.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct ?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. Only three
4. None of these

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• The ministry of education in partnership with IIT Kanpur recently launched SATHEE Portal to help students preparing for Joint Entrance Examination (JEE).
• SATHEE – Self Assessment Test and Help for Entrance Exams.
• About 5,000 students from the Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, and schools under the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) have registered on the platform so far.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• It is an initiative by the Ministry of Education and IIT-Kanpur.
• It is an open learning platform available to students at no cost to help students preparing for Joint Entrance Examination (JEE).

Statement 3 is Correct

• Currently, digital learning material is available on the SATHEE portal in 4 languages that includes English, Hindi, Odia and Telugu.
• The portal uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to interact with students, and can be customised to each student’s pace of learning.

Answer: (a) Only One

Q4. {Envi – Species – Conservation} Sturgeons, recently seen in news is:

1. A type of Anthropod, constituting the subclass Cirrepedia in the subphylum Crustacea, and is related to crabs and lobsters.
2. A Species of fishes of the family Acipenseridae (subclass Chondrostei).
3. From the family of the speartooth shark (Glyphis glyphis) which is one of the rarest shark species on earth, found only in tropical rivers in New Guinea and northern Australia.
4. A primate from the Gibbon Family, which has been accorded endangered conservation status recently.

Explanation

Option b is Correct ; Option a, Option c and Option d are incorrect

• Sturgeons are any of about 29 species of fishes of the family Acipenseridae (subclass Chondrostei), native to temperate waters of the Northern Hemisphere.
• It is native to lower Danube countries such as Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine that produces caviar, has been fished illegally.
• Sturgeons are found in greatest abundance in the rivers of southern Russia and Ukraine and in the fresh waters of North America.
• Sturgeons are the most endangered species group on earth.
• The Global Sturgeon Initiative by the World Wide Fund for Nature aims to save the remaining sturgeon species.
• All 26 remaining sturgeon species are threatened with extinction.
• They have been around since the age of the dinosaurs, but are now on the brink of extinction due to overfishing, a flourishing illegal caviar trade and habitat loss.

Answer: (2) A Species of fishes of the family Acipenseridae (subclass Chondrostei).

Q5. {Economics – e-governance} Consider the following statements with respect to Global Digital Public Infrastructure Repository:

1. It is an initiative of the Indian G20 Presidency.
2. It aims to address the existing knowledge gap around the right practices to design, build and deploy population scale Digital Public Infrastructure.
3. India’s UIDAI, United payment interface, and Digilocker were part of this initiative.

Which of the following statement(s) is/are not True regarding Global Digital Public Infrastructure Repository ?

1. Only One
2. Only Two
3. All Three
4. None of these

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The Global Digital Public Infrastructure Repository is an initiative of the Indian G20 Presidency.
• The GDPIR is designed to be a resource for key lessons and knowledge available from G20 members and guest countries, enabling easy discoverability.

Statement 2 is correct

• It is aimed at addressing the existing knowledge gap around the right practices to design, build, and deploy population scale DPI (Digital public infrastructure).
• The repository will include a stack of applications, which countries can use, customise or modify, according to their jurisdictions.
• It is a critical enabler of digital transformation and is helping to improve public service delivery at scale.

Statement 3 is Correct

• The Global DPIS in India include:
  • Aadhar
  • United payment interface (UPI)
  • Digilocker
  • UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance)
  • eSanjeevani
  • API Setu
  • Co-WIN platform
  • Government e Marketplace (GeM)
  • DIKSHA (Digital Infrastructure For Knowledge Sharing)
  • E-Hospital platform
  • Poshan Tracker
  • Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission

Answer: (d) None of these

Q6. {IE – Capital Market} Consider the following statements with respect to Investor Risk Reduction Access Platform:

1. It aims to reduce risks faced by investors due to certain technical glitches in the stock market.
2. The platform is developed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
3. All types of trading and traders can use this platform to square off their order during any technical glitches in stock markets.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct ?

1. Only One
2. Only Two
3. All Three
4. None of these

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Investor Risk Reduction Access Platform (IRRA Platform) aims to reduce risks faced by investors due to certain technical glitches in the stock market.
• The platform will act as a ‘safety net’ for investors in case of technical glitches faced by a trading member or a stock broker registered with SEBI.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• IRRA has been jointly developed by all the stock exchanges that includes:
  • BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange),
  • NSE(National Stock Exchange),
  • NCDEX(National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Limited),
  • MCX(Multi Commodity Exchange Of India Ltd) and
  • Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India (MSE).

Statement 3 is incorrect

• Its purpose is to provide investors with an opportunity to square off/close their open positions and cancel pending orders using the IRRA platform in case of technical glitches.
• IRRA is not available for algo trading and Institutional clients.
• This service shall be enabled by the exchanges, suo moto, only in case of disruption of trading services of trading member across all the exchanges, where the trading member is a member

Answer: (a) One Only

Q7. {IR – QUAD – Technology} Consider the following statements regarding Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) initiative:

1. The Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) initiative was announced by G20.
2. IPMDA seeks to establish a comprehensive system for monitoring and securing maritime activities in the Indo-Pacific region.
3. IPMDA also has a dedicated Space Program for open sharing of Earth Observation Data and Long tern sustainability of Outer Space.

How many of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. All three
4. None

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• The IPMDA was announced by the Quad grouping, comprising India, Australia, Japan and U.S., at the Tokyo summit in early 2022 to track “dark shipping” and build a “faster, wider, and more accurate maritime picture of near-real-time activities in partners’ waters”, integrating three critical regions in the Indo-Pacific — the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, and the IOR.

Statement 2 is correct

• This initiative [IPMDA] seeks to establish a comprehensive system for monitoring and securing maritime activities in the Indo-Pacific, ensuring the safety of critical sea lines of communication, and promoting cooperation among like-minded nations in the region.

Statement 3 is correct

• Space-related applications and technologies make an essential contribution to addressing contemporary challenges in the Indo-Pacific. The Quad is working to expand Indo-Pacific countries’ access to and utilisation of earth observation data and other space-based tools to address the climate crisis, support the sustainable use of oceans and marine resources, and consult on the sustainable use of outer space.

Answer: (b) Only two

Q8. {IE – Ports – Infra – Trade} Consider the following statements about India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC):

1. The IMEEC was unveiled at the G-20 summit in New Delhi.
2. India, the US, UK, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Germany are the signatories to the project.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct ?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

Statement 1 is Correct

• The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) Project was signed at the G20 Summit in New Delhi, which holds significant geopolitical and economic implications for India.
• The IMEC will consist of Railroad, Ship-to-Rail networks and Road transport routes extending across two corridors, that is,
  • The East Corridor – connecting India to the Arabian Gulf,
  • The Northern Corridor – connecting the Gulf to Europe.
• The IMEC corridor will also include an electricity cable, a hydrogen pipeline and a high-speed data cable.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• India, the US, Saudi Arabia, UAE, the European Union, Italy, France, and Germany, are the Signatories of this Mega Project.
• India: Mundra (Gujarat), Kandla (Gujarat), and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (Navi Mumbai).
• Middle East: Fujairah, Jebel Ali, and Abu Dhabi in the UAE as well as Dammam and Ras Al Khair ports in Saudi Arabia.
• Railway line will connect Fujairah port (UAE) to Haifa port (Israel) via: Saudi Arabia (Ghuwaifat and Haradh) and Jordan.
• Israel: Haifa port.
• Europe: Piraeus port in Greece, Messina in South Italy, and
• Marseille in France

Answer: (a) 1 only

Q9. {IE – Infra Development – Waterways} National Waterway-1 passes through how many of the given states ?

1. Uttar Pradesh
2. Bihar
3. Jharkhand
4. West Bengal

Select the Correct Answer:

1. Only One
2. Only Two
3. Only Three
4. All Four

Explanation

Statement 1, 2, 3 and 4 are Correct

• The National Waterway 1 (NW-1) or Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system is located in India and runs from Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh to Haldia in West Bengal via Patna and Bhagalpur in Bihar across the Ganges river.
• It is 1,620 km (1,010 mi) long, making it the longest waterway in India. It is of prime importance amongst all the national waterways considering its locational advantages. The NW-1 passes through West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
• It was declared as a waterway in October 1986. It is navigable by mechanical boat up to Patna.
• The topography of NW-1 falls within the flat terrain of the Indo-Gangetic plain.

Answer: (d) All Four

Q10. {IE – Banking – Institutions} Consider the following statements about Micro Finance Institutions in India:

1. They provide easy credit and offer small loans to customers, with a small collateral only.
2. In a Joint Liability Group, 4-10 individuals seek loans against mutual guarantee.
3. In India, all loans that are below Rs.1 lakh can be considered as microloans.
4. Loans for Non Income Generating purposes are short tenured, many customers soon find themselves in the vicious debt trap of having to take another loan to pay off the first.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct ?

1. Only One
2. Only Two
3. Only Three
4. All Four

Explanation

Statement 1 is Incorrect

• MFIs are financial companies that provide small loans to people who do not have any access to banking facilities.
• They provide easy credit and offer small loans to customers, without any collateral.

Statement 2 is correct

• Joint Liability Group is usually an informal group that consists of 4-10 individuals who seek loans against mutual guarantee.
• The loans are usually taken for agricultural purposes or associated activities.

Statement 3 is Correct

• The definition of “small loans” varies between countries. In India, all loans that are below Rs.1 lakh can be considered as microloans.
• Non Banking Finance Company (NBFC)-MFIs in India are regulated by The Non-Banking Financial Company -Micro Finance Institutions (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2011 of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Statement 4 is correct

• The proportion of loans utilized for non-income generating purposes could be much higher than what is stipulated by the RBI which is 30% of the total loans of the MFI.
• These loans are short-tenured and given the economic profile of the customers, it is likely that they soon find themselves in the vicious debt trap of having to take another loan to pay off the first.
• This is one of the challenges faced by Microfinance institutions.

Answer: (c) Only Three

Q11. {Governance – Transparency} Consider the following statements about Social Audit:

1. Social Audit is defined as an evaluation of a plan of action that is conducted by the Government.
2. It Gained significance with the 73^rd amendment to the constitution, which addressed Panchayati Raj Institutions.
3. In a state, If a Gram Panchayat fails to conduct a Social Audit, then that Gram Panchayat nchayat is levied a Fine. If it fails to conduct the Social Audit for the second time, then it will have to face legal percussions.
4. Tamil Nadu became the first state to enact a Social Audit Law in India.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct ?

1. Only One
2. Only Two
3. Only Three
4. All Four

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• Social Audit is defned as an evaluation of a plan of action that is conducted jointly by the public and the government.
• It is an effective method for encouraging transparency, accountability, and involvement in programmes that are intended for people.

Statement 2 is Correct

• It gained significance with the 73^rd amendment to the constitution, which addressed Panchayat Raj institutions.
• The 9^th FYP (2002-07) approach paper laid a strong focus on social audit for the efficient operation of Panchayat Raj institutions and gave grama sabhas the authority to perform Social Audits in addition to their other duties.
• The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act of 2005 stipulates that “Social Audits” must be conducted on a regular basis to maintain the program’s accountability and openness.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• Because there are no fines or legal repercussions for breaking rules and guidelines, Social Audit is a pointless endeavour.

Statement 4 is incorrect

• Meghalaya was the first state in India to implement the Meghalaya Community Participation and Public Services Social Audit Act, 2017.

Answer: (a) Only One