DAY – 26 (InstaTest-26): Insta 75 Days Revision Plan-2022: Topic – POLITY, Subject-wise Tests 22 & 23, December 2021 CA – INSIGHTSIAS

Solution: a

Urea Subsidy is a part of Central Sector Scheme of Department of Fertilizers wholly financed by the Government of India.

The difference between the delivered cost of fertilizers at farm gate and MRP payable by the farmer is given as subsidy to the fertilizer manufacturer/importer by the Government of India.

Urea production units use Natural Gas as well as Naphtha as feedstock/fuel.

Presently, urea is made available to farmers at statutorily controlled price.

Features of Urea

Urea, a white crystalline solid containing 46% nitrogen, is widely used in the agricultural industry as an animal feed additive and fertilizer.

Unlike many fertilizers, Urea can be applied to soil as a solid or solution.

100% Neem Coated Urea was made mandatory in 2015. 

Benefits of Neem Coating Urea

• Improvement in soil health.
• Reduction in costs with respect to plant protection chemicals.
• Reduction in pest and disease attack.
• Plugging the diversion of the subsidized Urea towards non-agricultural purposes.
• It reduces loss of Nitrogen/ammonia from urea when it remains on the soil surface for extended periods of time during warm weather.

Solution: d

Government has launched One Nation-One Ration Card scheme on pilot basis in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharastra and Gujarat. Families who have food security cards can buy subsidized rice and wheat from any ration shop in these states but their ration cards should be linked with Aadhar Number to avail this service.

About the scheme:

• One Nation One Ration Card (RC) will ensure all beneficiaries especially migrants can access PDS across the nation from any PDS shop of their own choice.
• Benefits: no poor person is deprived of getting subsidized food grains under the food security scheme when they shift from one place to another. It also aims to remove the chance of anyone holding more than one ration card to avail benefits from different states.
• Significance: This will provide freedom to the beneficiaries as they will not be tied to any one PDS shop and reduce their dependence on shop owners and curtail instances of corruption.
• It is launched by Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
• It would integrate the existing PDS systems/portals of States/UTs with the Central systems/portals.

Challenges:

• Prone to corruption: Every state has its own rules for Public Distribution System (PDS). If ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ is implemented, it will further boost corruption in an already corrupted Public Distribution System.
• The scheme will increase the woes of the common man and, the middlemen and corrupt PDS shop owners will exploit them.
• Tamil Nadu has opposed the proposal of the Centre, saying it would result in undesirable consequences and is against federalism.

Solution: c

The Food Corporation of India is an organization created and run by the Government of India. It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India. Its top official is designated as Chairman. It was set up in 1965 with its Initial headquarters at Chennai. Later this was moved to New Delhi. It also has regional centers in the capitals of the states. Important regions of the state also serve as district centers.

Objectives: 

• • Effective price support operations for safeguarding the interests of the poor farmers
  • Distribution of foodgrains throughout the country for Public Distribution System (PDS)
  • Maintaining a satisfactory level of operational and buffer stocks of food grains to ensure National Food Security
  • Regulate market price to provide food grains to consumers at a reliable price.
  • It has primary duty to undertake purchase, store, and move/transport, distribute and sell food grains and other foodstuffs.

Solution: b

Characteristics of mangroves

• They are basically evergreen land plants growing on sheltered shores, typically on tidal flats, deltas, estuaries, bays, creeks and the barrier islands.
• The best locations are where abundant silt is brought down by rivers or on the backshore of accreting sandy beaches.
• Their physiological adaptation to salinity stress and to water logged anaerobic mud is high.
• They require high solar radiation and have the ability to absorb fresh water from saline/brackish water.
• It produces pneumatophores (blind roots) to overcome respiration problem in the anaerobic soil conditions.
• Mangroves occur in variety of configurations. Some species (e.g. Rhizophora) send arching prop roots down into the water. While other (e.g. Avicennia) send vertical “Pneumatophores” or air roots up from the mud.
• Most mangrove vegetation has lenticellated bank which facilitates more water loss, produces coppices. Leaves are thick and contain salt secreting glands.
• Mangroves exhibit Viviparity mode of reproduction. i.e. seeds germinate in the tree itself (before falling to the ground). This is an adaptative mechanism to overcome the problem of germination in saline water.
• Some secrete excess salt through their leaves as if you look closely, you can see crystals of salt on the back of the leaves; others block absorption of salt at their roots.
• Adventitious roots which emerged from the main trunk of a tree above ground level are called stilt roots.

Solution: d

Concessional Finance Scheme (CFS)

Under it, government has been supporting Indian Entities bidding for strategically important infrastructure projects abroad since 2015-16. Since the objectives of the Scheme continue to be relevant, it is proposed to extend the Scheme for another five years from 2018 to 2023.

Implementation Strategy and Targets:

Under the Scheme, MEA selects the specific projects keeping in view strategic interest of India and sends the same to Department of Economic Affairs (DEA).

The strategic importance of a project to deserve financing under this Scheme, is decided, on a case to case basis, by a Committee chaired by Secretary, DEA and with members from Department of Expenditure, Ministry of External Affairs, Department of Industrial Promotion and Policy (DIPP), Department of Commerce, Department of Financial Services and Ministry of Home Affairs. The Deputy National Security Adviser is also a member of this Committee. Once approved by the Committee, DEA issues a formal letter to EXIM Bank conveying approval for financing of the project under CFS.

The Scheme is presently being operated through the Export-Import Bank of India, which raises resources from the market to provide concessional finance. Government of India (GoI) provides counter guarantee and interest equalization support of 2% to the EXIM Bank.

Solution: a

The Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) is an intergovernmental organization which brings together five member states : the Union of the Comoros, France in respect of La Réunion, Madagascar, Mauritius and the Seychelles. Created by the Port-Louis Declaration in 1982, the IOC was institutionalized in Seychelles in 1984 by the General Agreement for Cooperation, better known as the “Victoria Agreement ”.

The only regional organization in Africa composed exclusively of islands, it defends the specificities of its member states on the continental and international scenes. Benefiting from the active support of a dozen international partners , the IOC embodies regional solidarity through cooperation projects covering a wide range of sectors: preservation of ecosystems, sustainable management of natural resources, maritime security, entrepreneurship, public health , renewable energies or culture.

In 2016, an observer member status with the IOC was created. IOC observer members are invited to major organizational meetings and maintain a sustained dialogue on subjects of common interest.

IOC has seven observers – India, China, Malta, European Union, International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), Japan and United Nations

Solution: a

• The BRIC grouping’s 1st formal summit, held in Yekaterinburg, commenced on 16 June 2009.
• Since 2009, the governments of the BRICS states have met annually at formal summits. India hosted the most recent 13th BRICS summit on 9 September 2021 virtually.

Solution: d

• Operation Twist is the name given to a US Federal Reserve monetary policy operation, which involves the purchase and sale of government securities to boost the economy by bringing down long-term interest rates.
• RBI goes for ‘Operation Twist’ to bring down long-term rates.

Solution : b

India and the US have signed an agreement to jointly develop air-launched unmanned aerial vehicles (ALUAV) or drones that can be launched from an aircraft. This involves teaming up manned and unmanned aircraft for missions.

Solution: c

• Indian Foreign Exchange reserves hit a new lifetime high of around US$ 612 billion.
• India the fourth largest Forex reserve holder after China, Japan, and Switzerland.

Solution: d

• All of them were signed.
• India and the United States signed the landmark defence pact, Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) during the third round of 2 + 2 India-US ministerial dialogue.
• BECA is the final of the four foundational agreements that the US signs with close partners

Answer : C

It is the Ministerial-level committee of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
It meets twice a year, once during the Fund-Bank Annual Meetings in October and once during the Spring Meetings in April.
IMFC has 24 members, drawn from the pool of 189 governors, and represents all member countries.
India is one of the current members.
It operates on consensus, including on the selection of its chairman.

Answer B

1)A minimum population of 5,000;

2) At least 75 percent of the male main working population engaged in non-agricultural pursuits; and

3) A density of population of at least 400 persons per sq. km.

Answer C

India surpassed Japan as the second top steel producer in January 2019. India was the world’s second-largest steel producer with production standing at 111.2 million tonnes (MT) in 2019.
The growth in the Indian steel sector has been driven by the domestic availability of raw materials such as iron ore and cost-effective labour

Answer D

Sugar industry is and agro-based industry. Sugarcane is the raw material in sugar industry. Sugarcane is perishable and weight losing raw material.It is also heavy and bulky raw material. Taking into consideration all above characteristics of raw material used in sugar industry, it is always located in the areas of sugarcane production

It can tolerate any soil that retains moisture

Answer D

Although the absolute number of urban populations is increasing constantly, the growth rate has been variable.
Both the urban and rural population has been consistently increasing although the rate of increase has declined.

Answer : b

A’s one day work will be 5%, while B will do 6.66 % of the work in one day. Hence, their total work will be 11.66% in a day.

 In 8 days they will complete  → 11.66 x 8 = 93.33% This will leave 6.66% of the work. This will correspond to 4/7 of the ninth day.

Answer : B

Answer : a

N+ A = 10%
N = 8.33%
Hence A = 1.66% → 60 days.

Answer : d

Raju being twice as good a workman as Vijay, You can solve the following equation to get the
Required answer:
1/R + 1/2R = 1/14.
Solving will give you that Vijay takes 42 days.

Answer : D

In the passage, author says about the effect of increased carbon dioxide. Increase in concentration of carbon dioxide will start chain reaction between plants and destabilised the carbon trapped in the soil. Soil contains more than double amount of carbon present in plants and atmosphere combined. When more carbon dioxide is present in atmosphere, then there will be more plant growth and these plants will support microorganisms in soil. Finally, these microorganisms cause carbon to convert into carbon dioxide and this Co, will release into atmosphere from the soil. So, conclusion can be made from passage that the increasing plant cover can also cause the release of carbon from soil.