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The correct answer is ​“Belt” refers to the overland routes and “road” refers to the sea routes. The initiative aims at improving connectivity among Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Key Points

• One Belt One Road (OBOR)
• It is an ambitious project that focuses on connectivity and cooperation among multiple countries spread across the continents of Asia, Africa, and Europe.
• OBOR spans about 78 countries.
• One Belt, One Road (OBOR) is China’s much-touted new foreign and economic policy. It is a development strategy to connect China with Central Asia, Europe, and Indo-Pacific littoral countries. This policy has two components:
• Belt– The “One Belt” refers to the land-based “Silk Road Economic Belt”. Here Beijing aims to connect the country’s underdeveloped hinterland to Europe through Central Asia.
• Road – The “One Road” references the ocean-going “Maritime Silk Road”. It is to connect the fast-growing Southeast Asian region to China’s southern provinces through ports and railways.
• Hence, Option 3 is correct.
• The plan is to connect the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.
• This will connect the Chinese coastline with South East Asia, South Asia, the Gulf, and the East coast of Africa.
• China will build hard and soft maritime infrastructure. It will include custom coordination, the formation of SEZ, new ports, e-commerce, trade liberalization, and policy coordination.
• OBOR covers countries throughout the Asian continent from China to the rest of Eurasia.
• The geographical stretch makes it comparable with the Silk Road or Silk Route, an ancient network of trade routes connecting the East and West around 120 BCE to 1450s CE that is famous for the profitable silk (and horses) trade.
• That is why it is also called as “New Silk Road” initiative.
• Initially announced in the year 2013, the project involves building networks of roadways, railways, maritime ports, power grids, oil and gas pipelines, and associated infrastructure projects.
• The project covers two parts.
• Silk Road Economic Belt: It is land-based and is expected to connect China with Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Western Europe.
• 21^st Century Maritime Silk Road: It is sea-based and is expected to connect China’s southern coast to the Mediterranean, Africa, South-East Asia, and Central Asia.

The correct answer is Zanskar River.

Key Points

• ​The Chadar trek
• It is an annual winter event in Ladakh, popular among adventure tourists, wherein the trek is undertaken on the frozen Zanskar river over a period of 4-5 days, with halts in between. Hence, Option 3 is correct.
• The Chadar Trek or the Zanskar Gorge is a winter trail over the frozen Zanskar River, which lies in the Indian union territory of Ladakh.
• It is traditionally the only means of travel in the area during the harsh winter months. The trail has become popular with international adventure tourists.
• The walls are near vertical cliffs up to 600 m high and the Zanskar River (a tributary of the Indus) is only 5 meters (16 ft) in places.
• The overall distance is approximately 105 kilometers (65 mi) – an average trekker walks 16 kilometres (10 mi) per day.
• The best time to do the Chadar trek is January to February when the temperature during the winters drops sometimes to -30 to -35 degrees.
• Chadar trek starts from Chilling however with time the organizers tend to drive ahead to about 1 km away from the first camp at Tilad Sumdo (10,390 ft).
• Over the next days, the trek moves to higher camps until Nerak (11,150 ft).
• This is the frozen waterfall and the return point of the trek.
• There are other variations of the trek which go until Lingshed, while a bigger version goes to Padum over almost 14 days.

Additional Information

• The Shyok River
• It a tributary of the Indus River that flows through northern Ladakh and enters Gilgit–Baltistan, spanning some 550 km.
• The Shyok River originates at the Rimo Glacier, one of the tongues of Siachen Glacier.
• The Nubra River
• It is a river in the Nubra Valley of Ladakh in India. It is a tributary of the Shyok River and originates from the Siachen Glacier, the second-longest non-polar glacier in the world.
• In earlier Tibetan maps, it was referred to as Yarma Tsangpo.
• The Zanskar River
• It is the first major tributary of the Indus River, equal or greater in volume than the main river, which flows entirely with Ladakh, India.
• It originates northeast of the Great Himalayan range and drains both the Himalayas and the Zanskar Range within the region of Zanskar.
• The Galwan River
• It flows from the disputed Aksai Chin region administered by China to the Ladakh region of India.
• It originates near the caravan campsite Samzungling on the eastern side of the Karakoram range and flows west to join the Shyok River.
• The point of confluence is 102 km south of Daulat Beg Oldi.

The correct answer is A volunteer organization, of the ‘Syrian Civil Defence’ formed to rescue the wounded in the Syrian airstrike.

Key Points

• The White Helmets
• The White Helmets comprise an unarmed, neutral organization of more than 3,000 volunteer rescue workers operating in opposition-held areas of Syria. Hence, Option 1 is correct.
• The White Helmets carry out search-and-rescue operations to save as many lives as possible.
• In addition to lifesaving, White Helmets deliver public services such as securing damaged buildings, reconnecting electrical cables, and offering safety information to children.
• The group, also known as the Syria Civil Defence, takes its nickname from the color of its personnel’s protective hard hats.
• Their motto is “To save one life is to save all of humanity.
• Emerged in 2013, they were nominated for the Nobel Peace Price in 2016 but didn’t win.
• Their short documentary won an Oscar award in 2017
• They work in rescue operations during Bombing, medical evacuation, evacuation of civilians from dangerous areas, and other service work.

The correct answer is All of the above.

Key Points

• Subordinate Courts in India
• The District Courts of India are the district courts of the State governments in India for every district or one or more districts together taking into account the number of cases, population distribution in the district. They administer justice in India at a district level. These courts are under the administrative control of the High Court of the State to which the district concerned belongs. The decisions of the District court are subject to the appellate jurisdiction of the High court.
• The provisions related to subordinate courts are provided in the 6^th part of the Indian Constitution. Articles 233-237 deal with the subordinate courts.
• Control over Subordinate Courts –
• This is an extension of the above supervisory and appellate jurisdiction. It states that the High Court can draw a case pending before any subordinate court if it involves the substantial question of law. The case can be disposed of itself or solve the question of law and return to the same court.
• The high court has complete authority and control over its officers and employees.
• Appointment of the District Judges as per Article 233,
• Appointments and promotion of district judges in any state shall be made by the Governor of the state in consultation with the high court exercising jurisdiction concerning such state
• A person not already in the service of the Union or of the state shall only be eligible to appoint a district judge if he has been for not less than 7 years an advocate or a pleader and is recommended by the high court for appointment.
• Control over subordinate courts is the collective and individual responsibility of the High Court as it is the head of the judiciary in the state and has got administrative control over the subordinate courts in respect of certain matters.
• Article 236 of the Constitution of India
• The expression district judge includes judge of a city civil court, additional district judge, joint district judge, assistant district judge, chief judge of a small cause court, chief presidency magistrate, additional chief presidency magistrate, sessions judge, additional sessions judge, and assistant sessions judge: Hence, Option 4 is correct.
• The expression judicial service means a service consisting exclusively of persons intended to fill the post of district judge and other civil judicial posts inferior to the post of the district judge.

The correct answer is Chandrabhaga beach.

Key Points

• The Chandrabhaga beach
• The Chandrabhaga beach on the Konark coast of Odisha has become Asia's first beach to get the Blue Flag certification the tag given to environment-friendly and clean beaches, equipped with amenities of international standards for tourists. Hence, Option 1 is correct.
• The beach was awarded the honor on World Environment Day (WED) on June 5, 2018.
• Apart from this, 12 more Indian beaches are being developed by the Society for Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM), an Environment Ministry’s body working for the management of coastal areas, under the Blue Flag certification standards.
• Among them are the Chiwla and Bhogave beaches in Maharashtra and one beach each from Puducherry, Goa, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• The Blue Flag beach standards were established by the Copenhagen-based Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) in 1985. To get the Blue Flag tag, a beach has to be plastic-free and be equipped with a waste management system.

Additional Information

• Marina Beach is a natural urban beach in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, along the Bay of Bengal. The beach runs from near Fort St. George in the north to Foreshore Estate in the south, a distance of 6.0 km, making it the longest natural urban beach in the country.
• Gopalpur is a coastal town and a Notified Area Council on the Bay of Bengal coast in Ganjam district in the southern part of Odisha, India. Today it is a commercial port, a famous sea beach, a tourist destination. Gopalpur is around 15 km from Berhampur. The reconstruction of an all-weather port including new berths is under development.
• Gokarna is known as one of the seven important Hindu pilgrimage centers. It is on what was once an unspoiled beach near the estuary of the river Aghanashini. Recently, due to the influx of tourists, the character of the town has changed; it is no longer just a center of pilgrimage, though large numbers of devotees visit to offer prayers and worship to Shiva

The correct answer is Human Poverty Index.

Key Points

• The Human Poverty Index
• The Human Poverty Index (HPI) was first introduced into the Human Development Report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1997.
• It is an attempt to bring together a composite index of the different features of deprivation in the quality of life to arrive at an aggregate judgment on the extent of poverty in a community. Hence, Option 2 is correct.
• The Human Poverty Index (HPI) measures deprivation in basic human development by combining basic dimensions of poverty and reveals the differences between human poverty and income poverty.
• It uses indicators of the most basic dimensions of deprivation, namely, a short life, lack of basic education, and lack of access to public and private resources.

• Multidimensional Poverty Index
• The Multidimensional Poverty Index was launched by the UNDP and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) in 2010.
• MPI is based on the idea that poverty is not unidimensional (not just depends on income and one individual may lack several basic needs like education, health, etc.), rather it is multidimensional.
• The index shows the proportion of poor people and the average number of deprivations each poor person experiences at the same time.
• MPI uses three dimensions and ten indicators which are:
• Education: Years of schooling and child enrollment (1/6 weightage each, total 2/6);
• Health: Child mortality and nutrition (1/6 weightage each, total 2/6);
• Standard of living: Electricity, flooring, drinking water, sanitation, cooking fuel, and assets (1/18 weightage each, total 2/6)
• A person is multidimensionally poor if she/he is deprived in one-third or more (means 33% or more) of the weighted indicators (out of the ten indicators). Those who are deprived in one half or more of the weighted indicators are considered living in extreme multidimensional poverty.
• MPI is significant as it recognizes poverty from different dimensions compared to the conventional methodology that measures poverty only from income or monetary terms.

Additional Information

• Human Development Index
• Published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), it is a statistical tool used to measure a country’s overall achievement in its social and economic dimensions. The social and economic dimensions of a country are based on the health of people, their level of educational attainment, and their standard of living.
• For the first time, the United Nations Development Programme introduced a new metric to reflect the impact caused by each country’s per-capita carbon emissions and its material footprint, which measures the number of fossil fuels, metals, and other resources used to make the goods and services it consumes.
• This metric is called- the Planetary Pressures-adjusted HDI, or PHDI.
• The Human Freedom Index 2020
• Released recently placed India at the 111^th spot out of 162 countries.
• India ranked 94 on the index in 2019.
• Published by: American think tank Cato Institute and Fraser Institute in Canada.

The correct answer is (A) - (II), (B) - (IV), (C) - (I), (D) - (III).

Key Points

• Rajni Kothari 
• He was an Indian political scientist, political theorist, academic, and writer.
• He was the founder of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) in 1963, a social sciences and humanities research institute, based in Delhi and Lokayan (Dialogue of the People), started in 1980 as a forum for interaction between activists and intellectuals.
• He was also associated with the Indian Council of Social Science Research, International Foundation for Development Alternatives, and People's Union for Civil Liberties.
• One of the great political thinkers of the 20^th-century, amongst his noted works, includes Politics in India (1970), Caste in Indian Politics (1973), and Rethinking Democracy (2005).
• In 1985, Lokayan was awarded the Right Livelihood Award for linking and strengthening local groups working to protect civil liberties, women's rights, and the environment.
• The Indian State Since Independence: 70 Years written by C.P. Bhambri
• Mohit Bhattacharya
• He was an academic and former vice-chancellor of Burdwan University.
• Bhattacharya, a leading name in the field of public administration, was suffering from multiple ailments for a long time.
• Public administration is authored by Mohit Bhattacharya.
• Working A Democratic Constitution
• A History Of The Indian Experience is a non-fiction book that deals with the four decades of the Indian Constitution.
• Granville Austin presents a monumental work in Working A Democratic Constitution: A History Of The Indian Experience.
• Hence, Option 1 is correct.

The correct answer is 13 April

Key Points

• Akhila - Karnataka Satyagraha Day
• In 1930, after the success of Mahatma Gandhi's Salt Satyagraha, Karnataka decided to conduct its own.
• On 13 April, in the presence of about 40,000 people M.P. Nadakarni broke the salt law in Ankola. Hence, Option 2 is correct.
• Revu Honnappa Naik, Honnappa Mangeshkar bought the first packet of salt auctioned for 30 rupees.
• After the auction, Swami Vidyananda addressed the gathering in which leaders like Karnad Sadashiva Rao, Smt Umabai Kundapur, Dr. Hardikar, T.S. Naikand and others participated.
• The police promptly arrested the leaders but the Sathyagraha continued for 45 days with full tempo.
• Salt Sathyagraha was offered in nearly 30 centers like Mangalore, Kundapur, Udupi, Puttur, Padubidre, etc. in Karnataka.
• Students came out in large numbers to prepare salt and sell it from house to house.
• When Gandhiji decided to raid the salt depot at Dharsana, a similar raid was undertaken in Karnataka at Sanikatte.
• A group of volunteers led by Sridhar Panduranga Balaji collected a few maunds of salt and carried it to Kumta, where the whole stock was sold in 15 minutes.
• Four taluks in Karnataka namely Hirekerur in Dharwad district and Ankola, Sirsi, and Siddapura in North Kanara district were selected for organizing the no-tax campaign.
• Despite repressive measures by the authorities, the campaign was a huge success.
• More than 1500 activists were arrested in Karnataka for participating in the Civil-Disobedience Movement during 1930-31.
• These historic events led to Ankola being named the Bardoli of Karnataka.

Additional Information

• ANKOLA
• It is a Taluk is in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka state. It is a place of rich antiquity, beaches, and old temples.
• Ankola is also known as the Bardoli of Karnataka, for the role it played in the freedom movement.
• It is a small town on the west coast of India.
• Ankola is famous for its native breed of mango called ishaad and for cashew harvesting.
• It is also known for the treatment of Paralysis. Belambar is a small village 7 km. from Ankola, where Mahatma Gandhi was treated for paralysis.
• Even today the place is on record.

The correct answer is a Letter of Credit.

Key Points

• Letter of Credit
• A letter of credit (L/C) is a type of documentary credit or a non-fund-based credit.
• It is a document issued by a bank or financial institution at the request of a buyer whereby the bank or financial institution gives assurance of payment to a seller if the terms and conditions specified in the document are fulfilled. Hence, Option 4 is correct.
• This means that a Letter of Credit is a promise made by the Bank to pay to the exporter/seller on behalf of the importer/buyer.
• The seller receives the payment only when all the requirements specified in the L/C are met including the documents, delivery dates, product specification, etc.
• Thus, a Letter of Credit has three parties:
• Buyer / Importer: Also known as Opener, as he opens the credit
• Bank / Financial Institution: Also known as Issuer, as it opens the letter of credit
• Seller / Exporter: Also known as the beneficiary as credit is opened in favor of him
• It is a guarantee in the form of a letter, issued by a buyer’s bank. Suppose you want to buy or sell some goods from or to a foreign country.
• It is very much possible that you don’t know the seller or buyer. And also the laws regulating the trade may be different.
• Therefore, both the seller and the buyer need some kind of guarantee to seamlessly perform the trade. Here Letter of Credit comes into action.
• A Letter of Credit is a letter from a bank that guarantees that the payment due by the buyer to a seller will be made timely and for the given amount.
• In case the buyer cannot make payment, the bank will cover the entire or remaining portion of the payment.

Additional Information

• Open account.
• An open account transaction is a sale where the goods are shipped and delivered before payment is due.
• Obviously, this option is the most advantageous for the importer in terms of cash flow and cost, but it is consequently the highest risk option for an exporter.
• An open account transaction in international trade is a sale where the goods are shipped and delivered before payment is due, which is typically in 30, 60, or 90 days. Obviously, this option is advantageous to the importer in terms of cash flow and cost, but it is a risky option for an exporter.
• A foreign draft 
• It is basically a bill of exchange that is drawn in one country and made payable in another country.
• A bill of exchange is a written order, used mostly in international trade, that binds one party to pay a fixed sum of money to another party on demand, or at a predetermined date.
• A Bill of Lading 
• It is a document that the Carrier of goods issues to the Shipper of the goods.
• It's a document to provide evidence or proof of shipment.
• This is extremely important in International Trade as it provides 'title' as to who legally owns the cargo.

The correct answer is Ravva structure.

Key Points

• Ravva structure
• The Ravva offshore block is in the Krishna–Godavari basin of Andhra Pradesh. Hence, Option 3 is correct.
• It is the area of a great reserve of petroleum and natural gas.
• Krishna Godavari Basin is a peri-cratonic passive margin basin in India.
• It is spread across more than 50,000 square kilometers in the Krishna River and Godavari River basins in Andhra Pradesh.
• The site is known for the D-6 block where Reliance Industries discovered the biggest natural gas reserves in India in 2003.
• Ravva oil and gas field is located in the shallow offshore area of the Krishna-Godavari basin on the eastern coast of India.
• It lies in Block PKGM-1. The field is operated by Cairn India which holds a 22.5% stake in it. Its partners in the field include ONGC (40%), Videocon Petroleum (25%), and Ravva Oil (12.5%).
• The Ravva field was initially estimated to produce 100 million barrels of crude oil. It has, however, produced more than 225 million barrels till 2011.
• The output from the field accounts for 8% of total domestic oil production in India.

• Ravva field was discovered by the state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in 1987.
• It brought out the first oil from the field in March 1993.
• International tenders were called in the same year for the development of the field.
• The Government of India signed a 25-year production sharing contract (PSC) with Ravva JV in October 1994. The contract is effective until 2019.
• Cairn became the operator of the field in 1996. A 4D seismic acquisition survey was conducted in 2010-11 to find the remaining oil zones within the field and conduct future infill drilling.
• ONGC drilled 30 discovery wells in 331.26km² in 1987.
• Oil and gas reserves were found in 21 wells. Ravva JV drilled 29 more wells including two sidetracks, from 1996 to 2002.
• Offshore infill development and exploration drilling program was undertaken in October 2006.
• Five new infill wells including a horizontal well were drilled to increase the oil production.
• The drilling of the horizontal well was completed using sliding sleeves, standalone screens, screens with inflow control devices, and swell packers. Production wells were drilled using open-hole methods.

Additional Information

• Batholiths
• These are large granitic rock bodies formed due to the solidification of hot magma inside the earth.
• They appear on the surface only after the denudation processes remove the overlying materials.
• Batholiths form the core of huge mountains and may be exposed on the surface after erosion.
• Laccoliths
• These are large dome-shaped intrusive bodies connected by a pipe-like conduit from below.
• These are intrusive counterparts of an exposed domelike batholith.
• The Karnataka plateau is spotted with dome hills of granite rocks. Most of these, now exfoliated, are examples of laccoliths or batholiths.
• A syncline
• It is a fold with younger layers closer to the center of the structure. Synclines are typically a downward fold, termed a synformal syncline (i.e. a trough); but synclines that point upwards, or perched, can be found when strata have been overturned and folded (an antiformal syncline).