Previous Year UPSC Questions

Explanation

Project Loon, launched by Google in 2013 and later an Alphabet subsidiary, aimed to provide internet access to remote areas using high-altitude balloons. These helium-filled balloons operated at 20 km (12 mi) in the stratosphere, relaying signals via a solar-powered mesh network. Google used wind-da-ta algorithms to navigate them for consistent coverage. Despite successful deployments, including disaster relief in Puerto Rico (2017) and Kenya (2020), Alphabet shut down Project Loon in January 2021 due to high costs and scalability challenges. Its innovations contributed to advancements in stratospheric balloon technology and wireless communication.

Explanation

Mission Indradhanush, launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, on December 25, 2014, aims to increase full immunization coverage for children under two years and pregnant women. It targets vaccine-preventable diseases like diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles, and hepatitis B. The program uses micro-planning to identify low-coverage areas and conducts special immunization drives. Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) was introduced in 2017 to accelerate coverage. The initiative has significantly improved immunization rates, contributing to reduced child mortality and better public health outcomes in India.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: Its purpose is to promote entrepreneurship among SC/ST and women entrepreneurs. A scheme by the Ministry of Finance launched on 5 April 2016 to support entrepreneurship among women and SC & ST communities by facilitating loans ranging from 10 lakh to 1 crore for at least one SC/ST borrower and one woman borrower per bank branch. For non-individual enterprises, a minimum 51% shareholding and controlling stake must be held by an SC/ST or woman entrepreneur.

Statement 2 is correct: It provides for refinancing through SIDBI. The Stand-Up India scheme leverages the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) as a key mechanism for refinancing loans provided under the scheme. SIDBI plays a crucial role in providing refinance support to lending institutions, such as banks, that offer loans to eligible SC/ST and women entrepreneurs. This refinancing arrangement helps to ensure that lending institutions have access to adequate funds to support entrepreneurs under the Stand-Up India scheme. SIDBI’s involvement is essential for the scheme’s financial sustainability and effective implementation.

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) does not stipulate a uniform premium of two percent for all crops and seasons. The premium rates under the PMFBY are calculated based on the risk associated with each specific crop and region. Factors considered include the type of crop, the season in which it is grown, the historical yield data for the area, and the probability of various natural calamities. Therefore, farmers pay varying premium rates depending on these factors, and the two percent figure is not a universal premium. The premium subsidy is shared between the Central and State governments. As per provisions of PMFBY guidelines, the premium share of the farmer is capped at 2% for Kharif crops, 1.5% for Rabi Crops and 5% for commercial/Horticultural crops

Statement 2 is correct: The PMFBY provides comprehensive coverage against crop losses, including losses incurred during the post-harvest period. Specifically, it covers losses arising from specific perils such as cyclones, unseasonal rains, hailstorms, and other natural calamities. This coverage for post-harvest losses is a crucial component of the PMFBY, as it recognizes that farmers can suffer significant losses even after the crop has been harvested, due to factors beyond their control. This post-harvest coverage provides a vital safety net for farmers against such risks.

Explanation

Pair 1 is incorrect: The Kurdish people are a distinct ethnic group primarily inhabiting a region spanning parts of Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria and not Bangladesh. They are the largest stateless nation in the world. While there are Kurdish diaspora communities in various countries, their historical and primary presence is not associated with Bangladesh. The Kurdish population has faced various challenges, including political persecution and struggles for autonomy, primarily within the aforementioned countries in the Middle East.

Pair 2 is correct: Madhesi: Nepal The Madhesi people are an ethnic group residing predominantly in the southern plains of Nepal, also known as the Terai region. They have distinct cultural and linguistic identities, and their presence is a significant demographic factor in Nepal. The Madhesi community has of-ten played a crucial role in Nepali politics and has advocated for greater representation and rights. Their concerns have included issues related to citizenship, language, and representation in government.

Pair 3 is correct: Rohingya: Myanmar The Rohingya are a Muslim minority group who primarily reside in Rakhine State in Myanmar. They have faced long-standing discrimination and persecution in Myanmar, leading to their classification as a stateless people. In recent years, large-scale violence and displacement have forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee Myanmar, primarily to neighboring Bangladesh, creating a significant humanitarian crisis. The Rohingya issue is a complex and ongoing human rights concern with international implications.

Explanation

Shale gas is a type of natural gas that is trapped within shale formations, which are fine-grained sedimentary rocks. Un-like conventional natural gas, which is found in porous reservoirs like sandstone, shale gas is tightly bound within the rock and requires advanced extraction techniques to release it.

Option (d) is correct: The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MOPNG) has identified six basins as potentially shale gas bearing. These are: Cambay, Assam-Arakan, Gondwana, Krishna-Godavari Basin, Cauvery Basin and the Indo Gangetic plain.

Explanation

The Rashtriya Garima Abhiyan launched in 2001 by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. It is a na-tional campaign to eradicate manual scavenging in India, a de-humanizing practice historically imposed on marginalized Dalit communities. Recognizing it as a human rights violation, the campaign mobilizes government agencies, NGOs, and civil society to raise awareness, enforce laws, and support affected individuals in transitioning to alternative livelihoods. Through advocacy and grassroots action, it aims for a complete elimination of manual scavenging, ensuring dignity and social justice.

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: Bitcoin operates on a decentralized blockchain technology, which eliminates the need for any central authority such as central banks to track transactions. The system is maintained by miners who validate transactions and add them to the public ledger called the blockchain. While central banks are increasingly exploring the implications of cryptocurrencies and some are even considering issuing their own digital currencies (CBDCs), they do not currently track Bitcoin transactions.

Statement 2 is correct: Anyone with a Bitcoin wallet (which generates a Bitcoin address) can send and receive Bitcoins to and from any other Bitcoin address, anywhere in the world. A Bitcoin address functions as a public key, similar to a digital bank account number. This address can be shared to receive payments. Sending or receiving bitcoins requires no intermediary, allowing for peer-to-peer transactions across borders which is often faster and cheaper than traditional banking systems.

Statement 3 is correct: Bitcoin transactions are pseudo-anonymous which means that while wallet addresses are visible on the blockchain but the users’ identities are not directly linked to those addresses. This makes Bitcoin ideal for privacy-conscious users. This anonymity is a key feature that has attracted some users to Bitcoin, but it has also raised concerns about its potential use in illicit activities.

Explanation

Special Drawing Right (SDR) The SDR is an international reserve asset used by the IMF and other organizations as a unit of account. It is not a currency, but its value is based on a basket of five currencies--the US dollar, Euro, Chinese renminbi (added in 2016), Japanese yen, and British pound sterling. Key Features SDR value is calculated daily based on market exchange rates. The IMF reviews and adjusts the SDR basket every five years. IMF quotas (member contributions) and voting power are denominated in SDRs. SDR allocations to members are proportional to their IMF quotas. India’s SDR Quota in IMF 2016 reforms increased India’s voting share from 2.3% to 2.6%, while China’s rose from 3.8% to 6%. Currently, India holds 2.75% of the SDR quota and 2.63% of IMF votes. India’s foreign exchange reserves include SDRs, gold reserves, foreign currency assets, and IMF’s Reserve Tranche.

Explanation

Gold Monetization Scheme and Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme were introduced to lower the physical demand for gold and remove the estimated 20,000 tonnes of the precious metal from households where it was sitting inert. Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs) are government securities denominated in grams of gold issued by the RBI on behalf of the Government.

Statement 1 is correct: Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme was launched along with the Gold Monetisation Scheme in November 2015. India has a strong cultural affinity for gold, and a significant amount of gold is held by households in the form of jewelry, bars, and coins. The objective is to reduce India’s gold imports and bring all the gold lying idle with individuals and households and put it to productive use in the economy.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Neither the SGB nor the GMS is explicitly designed to promote FDI in the gold and jewellery sector. Their primary focus is on domestic gold mobilization and reducing reliance on imports. While a more organized gold market resulting from these schemes could create a conducive environment for investment, promoting FDI is not a stated objective of these schemes.

Statement 3 is correct: By offering a non-physical form of gold investment, the scheme aims to curb the demand for imported gold thus reducing the country’s import bill. The SGB scheme offers investors bonds denominated in grams of gold. These bonds provide returns linked to the market price of gold along with periodic interest payments.