Search Previous Year Questions

The correct answer is Madhuri Kanitkar and Rajiv Kanitkar.

Key Points

• Lieutenant General Dr. Madhuri Kanitkar was promoted to the post of Lieutenant General from the post of Major General.
• This is the third-highest rank in the Army and she is the third woman officer to attain this position.
• She was formerly the Dean of the Armed Forces Medical College.
• She also holds the unique distinction of being the first woman pediatrician to be elevated to this rank for Indian Army Doctors and is the only doctor on the Prime Minister’s STIAC (S&T) Innovation Advisory Committee.
• Dr. Kanitkar is also the first trained pediatric nephrologist of the armed forces.
• Lieutenant General Dr. Madhuri Kanitkar and her husband, Lt. Gen. Rajeev Kanitkar, are the only couple in the Indian Armed Forces’ history to have reached this rank of Lieutenant General.

Important Points

• Ranks in the Indian army (top to bottom):

1. Field Marshal
2. General
3. Lieutenant General
4. Major General
5. Brigadier
6. Colonel
7. Lieutenant Colonel
8. Major
9. Captain
10. Lieutenant
11. Subedar Major
12. Subedar
13. Naib Subedar
14. Havaldar
15. Naik
16. Lance Naik
17. Sepoy

The correct answer is Legal Right.

Key Points

• Legal rights are the rights that exist under the rules of legal systems or by virtue of decisions of suitably authoritative bodies within them.
• Protection of women from Domestic Violence is a legal right because it is recognized by the 'The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005'.
• Protection of women from Domestic Violence is neither provided in the chapter of fundamental rights in the constitution nor it is provided as a Constitutional Right.

Important Points

• The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005
• The Act, in a bold break from prior legislation, gives a very expansive definition to the term domestic violence, a term hitherto not even used in legal parlance.
• Domestic violence is defined in a comprehensive way in the Act, comprising physical, mental, verbal, emotional, sexual, and economic abuse, harassment for dowry, acts of threatening to abuse the victim or any other person related to her.
• An important addition to the law ensures that an aggrieved wife, who takes recourse to the law, cannot be harassed for doing so.
• A woman who is the victim of domestic violence will have the right to the services of the police, shelter homes, and medical establishments.
• She also has the right to simultaneously file her own complaint under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code.
• The Act is an extremely progressive one not only because it recognizes women who are in a live-in relationship but also extends protection to other women in the household, including sisters and mothers thus the Act includes relations of consanguinity,

The correct answer is D.

Key Points

The correct answer is Stop Soil Erosion, Save our Future.

Key Points

• Every year, December 5 is celebrated as World Soil Day.
• The day highlights the soil's importance on Earth.
• The day was first celebrated on December 5, 2012, corresponding with the birthday of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who officially sanctioned the event.
• However, back in 2002, the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) made a resolution to propose December 5 as World Soil Day.
• The theme for World Soil Day, 2019: Stop Soil Erosion, Save our Future.
• The theme for World Soil Day, 2020: Keep soil alive, protect soil biodiversity.

Additional Information

• International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) is the global union of soil scientists.
• The objectives of the IUSS are to promote all branches of soil science and to support all soil scientists across the world in the pursuit of their activities.
• The International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) was founded as the International Society of Soil Science (ISSS) on 19^th May 1924.
• Headquarters: Vienna
• President: Laura Bertha Reyes Sánchez

The correct answer is 1992.

Key Points

• Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is a statutory body and a market regulator, which controls the securities market in India.
• The basic functions of SEBI are to protect the interests of investors in securities and to promote and regulate the securities market.
• SEBI is run by its board of members. The board consists of a Chairman and several other whole time and part-time members. The chairman is nominated by the union government.
• Before SEBI came into existence, the Controller of Capital Issues was the regulatory authority; it derived authority from the Capital Issues (Control) Act, 1947.
• In 1988, SEBI was constituted as the regulator of capital markets in India.
• Initially, SEBI was a non-statutory body without any statutory power. Following the passage of the SEBI Act by Parliament in 1992, it was given autonomous and statutory powers.

Additional Information

• Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT):
• SEBI also appoints various committees, whenever required to look into the pressing issues of that time.
• Further, a Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) has been constituted to protect the interest of entities that feel aggrieved by SEBI’s decision.
• SAT consists of a presiding officer and two other members.

The correct answer is Bangla.

Key Points

• Renaming of West Bengal

• The West Bengal assembly in 2018 passed a resolution to rename the state as Bangla.

• The central government refused the West Bengal assembly's demand to change West Bengal's name to Bangla.

• The Centre had in the past rejected the state government’s proposal of having three names i.e. Bangla (in Bengali), Bengal (in English) and Bangal (in Hindi).

• The West Bengal state government’s move to rename West Bengal as ‘Paschim Bango’ in 2011 was also turned down by the Centre.

• Renaming of states:

• The renaming of a state requires Parliamentary approval under Articles 3 and 4 in schedule 1 of the Constitution, and the President has to refer the same to the relevant state legislature for its views.

• When the fresh proposal comes to the home ministry, it will prepare a note for the Union cabinet for an amendment to Schedule 1 of the constitution.

• After that, the constitution amendment Bill will be introduced in parliament, which has to approve it with a simple majority, before the president gives his assent to it.

The correct answer is The Chairman and members of the Commission hold office for a term of 5 years.

Key Points

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC): 

• The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is the central recruiting agency in India.

• It is an independent constitutional body in the sense that it has been directly created by the Constitution.

• Articles 315 to 323 in Part XIV of the Constitution contain elaborate provisions regarding the composition, appointment, and removal of members along with the independence, powers, and functions of the UPSC.

• The tenure of Chairman as well as other members of UPSC is of 6 years or 65 years of age whichever is earlier. Hence, option 1 is not correct.

• Composition of UPSC: 

• The UPSC consists of a chairman and other members appointed by the president of India.

• The chairman and members of the Commission hold office for a term of six years or until they attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.

• However, they can relinquish their offices at any time by addressing their resignation to the president.

• They can also be removed before the expiry of their term by the president in the manner provided in the Constitution.

• The President can remove the chairman or any other member of UPSC from the office under the following circumstances:

• If he is adjudged an insolvent (that is, has gone bankrupt);

• If he engages, during his term of office, in any paid employment outside the duties of his office; or

• If he is, in the opinion of the president, unfit to continue in office by reason of infirmity of mind or body.

• In addition to these, the president can also remove the chairman or any other member of UPSC for misbehaviour.

• Current Chairman of UPSC: Dr. Manoj Soni

The correct answer is Reservation for economically weaker sections in government jobs and education.

Key Points

• The 124^th Constitution Amendment Bill, 2019: 
• The Bill seeks to provide for the advancement of “economically weaker sections” of citizens.
• The Bill seeks to amend Article 15 to additionally permit the government to provide for the advancement of “economically weaker sections”.
• Further, up to 10% of seats may be reserved for such sections for admission in educational institutions.
• Such reservation will not apply to minority educational institutions.
• The Bill seeks to amend Article 16 to permit the government to reserve up to 10% of all posts for the “economically weaker sections” of citizens.
• The reservation of up to 10% for “economically weaker sections” in educational institutions and public employment will be in addition to the existing reservation.
• The central government will notify the “economically weaker sections” of citizens on the basis of family income and other indicators of economic disadvantage.

Additional Information

• Article 15 of the Constitution prohibits discrimination against any citizen on the grounds of race, religion, caste, sex, or place of birth. However, the government may make special provisions for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes, or for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
• Article 16 of the Constitution prohibits discrimination in employment in any government office. However, the government can allow reservation for any “backward class of citizens”, if they are not adequately represented in the services under the state.

The correct answer is Andaman & Nicobar.

Key Points

• Andaman & Nicobar has 9 national parks.
• Arunachal Pradesh has 2 national parks.
• Assam has 6 national parks.
• Meghalaya has 2 national parks.

• National parks in Andaman & Nicobar:

The correct answer is ​Rs. 6,000/year.

Key Points

• Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN):
• The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PM-Kisan Yojana) is a government scheme through which, all small and marginal farmers will get up to Rs 6,000 per year as minimum income support.
• The PM Kisan Yojana came into effect on December 1, 2018.
• Under the PM Kisan Yojana, income support of Rs 6000 per annum is provided to all eligible farmer families across the country in three equal installments of Rs 2,000 each every four months.
• The scheme defines a family as a husband, wife, and minor children.
• The fund of Rs 2,000 is directly transferred to the bank accounts of the farmers/farmer's family.

Additional Information

• Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana: 
• Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana is a government scheme meant for old age protection and social security of Small and Marginal Farmers (SMF).
• All Small and Marginal Farmers having cultivable landholdings up to 2 hectares falling in the age group of 18 to 40 years, whose names appear in the land records of States/UTs as of 01.08.2019 are eligible to get benefit under the Scheme.
• Under this scheme, the farmers would receive a minimum assured pension of Rs 3000/- per month after attaining the age of 60 years and if the farmer dies, the spouse of the farmer shall be entitled to receive 50% of the pension as a family pension.
• Family pension is applicable only to spouses.