Answer: (D)

Explanation:

• The Food Corporation of India is a statutory body created and run by the Government of India. It is under the ownership of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India formed by the enactment of Food Corporation Act, 1964 by the Parliament of India.
• Economic Cost is the total cost to FCI. It consists of Acquisition Cost and Distribution Cost. Acquisition cost consists of Minimum Support Price (MSP) plus procurement incidental cost. Procurement incidentals are expenses incurred during procurement till the food grains reach the first point of godown. The elements are state taxes, commission to arathias or societies, bagging materials, mandi labour, transportation from mandi to depot etc.

Answer: (B)

Explanation:

• The Supreme Court upheld reservation in promotions as early as 1962. This trend was followed for many years.
• However, in Indra Sawhney Case, 1992, the Supreme Court, sitting in a nine-judge bench, overruled this. This stopped reservation in promotions.
• The Supreme Court in M. Nagaraj Case, 2006, upheld the power of the Government, as enshrined in Article 16 (4A) of the Constitution of India, to provide for reservation in promotions.
• However, while doing so, it had laid down multiple pre-conditions on the exercise of such power:

• the requirements of collecting “quantifiable data” showing backwardness of the class,
• inadequacy of representation of that class in public employment and
• ensuring that the efficiency of administration was not compromised with.

• In Jarnail Singh v. Lachhmi Narain Gupta, (2018) the requirement of collecting quantifiable data showing the backwardness of SCs and STs was done away with.

Answer: (D)

Explanation: The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), internal designation HT-7U, is an experimental superconducting tokamak magnetic fusion energy reactor in Hefei, China.

Answer: (D)

Explanation: The main theme of this policy of 1988 is protection, conservation, and development of forests.

Salient Features and Goals of National Forest Policy-

• Maintenance of environmental stability through preservation and restoration of ecological balance
• Conservation of Natural Heritage(existing) Checking Soil Erosion and Denudation in catchment areas of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs
• Checking extension of sand dunes in desert areas of Rajasthan and along coastal tracts
• Substantially increasing Forest/Tree Cover through Afforestation and Social Forestry
• Taking steps to meet requirements of fuel, wood, fodder, minor forest produces, soil and timber of Rural and Tribal Population
• Increasing the productivity of Forests to meet National Needs
• Encouraging efficient utilization of Forest Produce and Optimum Use of Wood(Timber) Generation of Work Opportunities, the involvement of Women.

Answer: (C)

Explanation:

• Punchhi commission - 2007 (Article 356 and 357 to be amended for providing safeguards)
• Sarkaria commission - 1988 ( consulting CM before appointing governor)
• Rajamannar Committee - 1971 (deletion of A 356 & 357)

Answer: (D)

Explanation:

• Disguised Unemployment: It is a situation in which more people are doing work than actually required. Even if some are withdrawn, production does not suffer.
• Casual Unemployment: When a person is employed on a day-to-day basis, casual unemployment may occur due to short-term contracts, shortage of raw materials, fall in demand, change of ownership etc.

Answer: (C)

Explanation: Forest and Wildlife Department officials said India has a network of 49 such sites, the highest in South Asia, covering 10,93,636 hectares. In state-wise distribution of wetlands, Gujarat is at the top with 34,700 sq km (17.56 percent of total geographical area of the state), It is followed by Andhra Pradesh (14,500 sq km), Uttar Pradesh (12,400 sq km) and West Bengal (11,100 sq km). At present Keoladeo National Park,Rajasthan and Loktak Lake,Manipur are the two Indian sites listed under the Montreux Record.