(Prelims) IAS General Studies – 2009 (Part 9)

121. Consider the following statements:
1) Infant mortality rate takes into account the death of infants within a month after death.
2) Infant mortality rate is the number of infant deaths in a particular year per 100 live births during that year.

Which of the following statement is/are correct
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans : d

• Infant mortality is the death of a child less than one year of age. Childhood mortality is the death of a child before the child’s fifth birthday.
• Infant mortality rate (IMR) is the number of deaths of children less than one year of age per 1000 live births. The rate for a given region is the number of children dying under one year of age, divided by the number of live births during the year, multiplied by 1,000

Forms of infant mortality:

• Perinatal mortality is late fetal death (22 weeks gestation to birth), or death of a newborn up to one week postpartum (postpartum means occurring immediately after birth).
• Neonatal mortality is newborn death occurring within 28 days postpartum. Neonatal death is often attributed to inadequate access to basic medical care, during pregnancy and after delivery.
• Postneonatal mortality is the death of children aged 29 days to one year. The major contributors to postneonatal death are malnutrition, infectious disease, and problems with the home environment.

122. If a Panchayat is dissolved, elections are to be held within
(a) 1 month
(b) 3 months
(c) 6 months
(d) 1 Year

Ans : c

123. Consider the following statement:
1) The Governor of Punjab is concurrently the administrator of Chandigarh.
2) The Governor of Kerala is concurrently the administrator of Lakshadweep.

Which of the following statement is/are correct
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Ans : a

124. Consider the following statement :
Organisation                                                Location of Head Quarter
1) Asian Development Bank                      :           Tokyo
2) Asia Pecific Economic Corporation       :           Singapore
3) Association of south East Asian Nation  :          Bangkok

Which of the above pair is/are correctly matched ?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 3 only

Ans : b

• Asian Development Bank: Manila
• Association of south East Asian Nation: Jakarta

125. With reference United Nations, consider the following statements :
1) The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of UN consists of 24 members state
2) It is elected by a 2/3rd majority of the general assembly for a three year term

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

Ans : b

• The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) constitutes one of the principal organs of the United Nations. It is responsible for coordinating the economic, social and related work of 14 UN specialized agencies, their functional commissions and five regional commissions.
• The ECOSOC has 54 members; it holds one four-week session each year in July. Since 1998, it has also held a meeting each April with finance ministers heading key committees of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
• The Council’s 54 member Governments are elected by the General Assembly by a 2/3rd majority for overlapping three-year terms. Seats on the Council are allotted based on geographical representation with 14 allocated to African States, 11 to Asian States, 6 to Eastern European States, 10 to Latin American and Caribbean States, and 13 to Western European and other State
• The current president of the ECOSOC is ambassador Martin Sajdik of the Republic of Austria. The president is elected for a one-year term

126. In which one of the following places is the Shompen tribe found?
(a) Nilgiri Hills
(b) Nicobar Islands
(c) Spiti Valley
(d) Lakshadweep Islands

Ans : b

• The Shompen  are the indigenous people of Great Nicobar Island. For the first time in the country’s history Shompens, considered one of the last surviving stone-age tribes cast their votes in 2014 Loksabha Election for the Lok Sabha seat of the Bay Islands.
• Six indigenous Nicobarese languages are spoken on the islands, which are part of the Mon–Khmer branch of the Austroasiatic language family, which includes Mon, Khmer and Vietnamese languages of Southeast Asia, and the Munda languages of India.

Tribes of Andaman:

• The five major groups of Andamanese found by the European colonists were:

1. Great Andamanese, extinct 54 Admixed Individuals
2. Jarawa now estimated 250 to 400 verified to exist in pure form
3. Jangil or Rutland Jarawa, extinct
4. Onge, now fewer than 100 verified to exist in pure form
5. Sentinelese, now estimated to be 100 to 200.

127. Consider the following statements
1. The Advocate General of a State in India concerned state in India is appointed by the president of India upon the recommendation of the governor of the concerned state
2. As provided in civil procedure code, High Courts have original, appellate and advisory jurisdiction at the state level

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

Ans : b

• Article 165: The Governor of each State shall appoint a person who is qualified to be appointed as a Judge of a High Court to be Advocate General for the State.

128. In India, the first Municipal Corporation is set up in which one among the following?
(a) Calcutta
(b) Madras
(c) Bombay
(d) Delhi

Ans : b

• Municipal Governance in India has been in existence since the year 1687 with the formation of Madras Municipal Corporation and then Calcutta and Bombay Municipal Corporation in 1726.

129. With reference to Lok Adalats, Consider the following statements :
(1) An award made by a Lok Sabha Adalat is deemed to be a decree of a civil court and no appeal lies against threto before any court.
(2) Matrimonial/Family disputes are not covered under Lok Adalat.

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

Ans : a

• Lok Adalat is a system of alternative dispute resolution developed in India.The idea of Lok Adalat was mainly advocated by Justice P.N. Bhagwati, a former Chief Justice of India. Lok Adalat is a non-adversarial system, whereby mock courts (called Lok Adalats) are held by the State Authority, District Authority, Supreme Court Legal Services Committee, High Court Legal Services Committee, or Taluk Legal Services Committee. They are held periodically for exercising such jurisdiction as they determine.
• These are usually presided over by retired judges, social activists, or other members of the legal profession. The Lok Adalats can deal with all Civil Cases, Matrimonial Disputes, Land Disputes, Partition/Property Disputes, Labour Disputes etc., and compoundable criminal Cases. The first Lok Adalat was held on March 14, 1982 in Gujarat.
• The focus in Lok Adalats is on compromise. When no compromise is reached, the matter goes back to the court. However, if a compromise is reached, an award is made and is binding on the parties. The disputing parties plead their case themselves in Lok Adalats. No advocate or pleader is allowed, even witnesses are not examined. No court fees is levied. Speedy justice is given to the people of all classes of society. Award has same effect as of a Civil Court decree. It was the Legal Services Authority Act 1987, which gave statutory status to Lok Adalat.

130. With reference to Union Government, Consider the following statement :
1) The Constitution of India provides that all cabinet ministers shall be compulsorily  the sitting members of Lok Sabha only.
2) The Union cabinet secretariat operated under the direction of the ministry of Parliamentary affairs

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

Ans : d

• Ministers can sit in Loksabha and Rajyasabha, both
• The Cabinet Secretariat is responsible for the administration of the Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules, 1961 and the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules 1961, facilitating smooth transaction of business in Ministries/ Departments of the Government by ensuring adherence to these rules. The Secretariat assists in decision-making in Government by ensuring Inter-Ministerial coordination, ironing out differences amongst Ministries/ Departments and evolving consensus through the instrumentality of the standing/ adhoc Committees of Secretaries. Through this mechanism new policy initiatives are also promoted. The Cabinet Secretariat is under the direct charge of the Prime Minister.

131. Which one Constitutional Amendments states that the total number of ministers, including the prime minister, in the council of ministers shall not exceed 15% of the total number of members of House of the People?
(a) 90th
(b) 91st
(c) 92nd
(d) 93rd

Ans : b

• 91st Constitutional Amendment Act of 2003

132. Consider the following statements.
1. Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) was setup during the prime ministership of Lal Bahadur Shastri.
2. The member for CAT are drawn from both judicial and administrative streams.

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

Ans : b

• The Central Administrative Tribunal has been established for adjudication of disputes with respect to recruitment and conditions of service of persons appointed to public services and posts in connection with the affairs of the Union or other local authorities within the territory of India or under the control of Government of India. This was done in pursuance of the amendment of Constitution of India by Articles 323A. (Added after Constitution (Forty- second) Amendment Act, 1976)
• Parliament had enacted the Adminisitrative Tribunals Act, 1985 (During PM Rajiv Gandhi) which came into force in July, 1985 and the Administrative Tribunals were established in November, 1985 at Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta and Allahabad. Today, there are 17 Benches of the Tribunal located throughout the country wherever the seat of a High Court is located, with 33 Division Benches. In addition, circuit sittings are held at several other places.

133. With reference to Union Government, Consider the following statements :
1) The number of Ministries at the Centre on 15th August 1947 was 18.
2) The number of Ministries at the Centre is16.

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

Ans : a

134. Consider the following statements :
1) The first telegraph line in India was lined between kolkata (formerly Calcutta) and Diamond Harbour.
2) The first export processing zone in India was setup in Kandla

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

Ans : c

• In 1850, the first experimental electric telegraph line was started between Calcutta and Diamond Harbour. In 1851, it was opened for the use of the British East India Company.
• The construction of 6,400 km of telegraph lines was started in November 1853. These connected Kolkata  and Peshawar in the north; Agra, Mumbai through Sindwa Ghats, and Chennai in the south. William O’Shaughnessy, who pioneered the telegraph and telephone in India, belonged to the Public Works Department, and worked towards the development of telecom throughout this period. A separate department was opened in 1854 when telegraph facilities were opened to the public.
• The Port of Kandla is located on the Gulf of Kutch on the northwestern coast of India. Kandla was constructed in the 1950s as the chief seaport serving western India, after the partition of India from Pakistan left the port of Karachi in Pakistan.
• The Port of Kandla Special Economic Zone (KASEZ) was the first special economic zone to be established in India and in Asia. Established in 1965, the Port of Kandla SEZ is the biggest multiple-product SEZ in the country. Kandla is the first Export Processing Zone in India.

135. Which one of the following Union Ministries implements the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety?
(a) Ministry Of Science and Technology
(b) Ministry Of Health and Family Welfare
(c) Ministry Of Environment and Forests
(d) Ministry Of Chemicals and Fertilizers

Ans : c

• The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity is an international agreement which aims to ensure the safe handling, transport and use of living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology that may have adverse effects on biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human health. It was adopted on 29 January 2000 and entered into force on 11 September 2003.(Cartagena is in Colombia)

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