UPSC 2020 Prelims Questions with Answers

Explanation

Blockchain technology is a decentralized and secure system for recording and verifying transactions across multiple computers. It uses cryptography to link blocks of data together in a chain, making it difficult to alter or tamper with the information. This technology has applications in various fields, including finance, supply chain management, and healthcare.

Statement 1 is correct: Blockchain operates as a decentralized and distributed ledger, allowing all participants to view transactions without granting control to any single user. This transparency and lack of central authority are fundamental characteristics of blockchain technology.

Statement 2 is incorrect: While blockchain gained prominence through cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, its applications extend far beyond digital currencies. Blockchain’s versatile structure supports various uses, including supply chain management, healthcare data management, and identity verification, among others.

Statement 3 is correct: Public blockchain platforms, such as Ethereum, enable developers to build decentralized applications (dApps) without requiring approval from a central authority. This open-access design promotes innovation and encourages widespread participation within the blockchain ecosystem.

Explanation

Article 50 (Part IV, Directive Principle of State Policy) specifically addresses the separation of the judiciary from the executive. This principle is rooted in liberal-intellectual ideals, which align with the doctrine of separation of powers. The separation ensures that the legislative, executive, and judicial branches function independently, preventing the concentration of power in one branch. By doing so, it helps safeguard individual rights and freedoms, crucial for a functioning democracy.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: Free legal services are available to the groups of society that are listed under Section 12 of the Legal Services Authorities Act, they are:

Women and children Members of SC/ST Industrial workmen Victims of mass disaster, violence, flood, drought, earthquake industrial disaster Disabled persons Persons in custody Persons whose annual income does not exceed 1 lakh or may be prescribed by the State Government Beggars or those who have fallen victim to human trafficking.

Statement 2 is correct: Income limit for Transgender is Rs. 2,00,000.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Though there is a provision for free aid to members of SC and ST community, the Legal Services Authority does not mention Other Backward Classes (OBC) while providing free legal services.

Statement 4 is incorrect: The provision of free legal services to Senior Citizens is dependent on the rules framed by the respective state governments who can prescribe income limits. As a result, not all elderly people qualify for free legal assistance.

Explanation

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is a grade of crude oil that serves as a major benchmark for oil prices globally. WTI is a high-quality, light, and sweet crude oil. It is called "light" because it has a low density, and "sweet" because it contains low sulfur content. These characteristics make it ideal for refining into gasoline and other high-demand petroleum products. It is one of the three major benchmarks for crude oil prices, alongside Brent Crude (from the North Sea) and Dubai Crude. It is widely used as a reference price for oil in the Americas. WTI prices often make headlines because they reflect global oil market trends and have significant implications for energy costs, economic stability, and geopolitical dynamics.

Explanation

At room temperature, benzene is a colorless or pale yellow liquid with a sweet odor and is highly flammable. It evaporates quickly into the air, and its vapor is denser than air, which can cause it to settle in low-lying areas. Benzene is a toxic air pollutant released from various sources and it can also contaminate water.

Option (a) is correct: Natural sources of benzene include volcanoes and forest fires. It is also present in gasoline, cigarette smoke, and crude oil, fuel evaporation, coal and oil combustion, and other activities. In various industries, benzene is used as a raw material to produce chemicals for making plastics, resins, nylon, and synthetic fibers. It is also found in the production of certain lubricants, rubbers, dyes, detergents, drugs, and pesticides. Although varnishes and paints may contain benzene, and the thermal breakdown of polyurethane can release benzene among other substances, these are not well-established as sources of benzene pollution.

Explanation

TRIMs (Trade-Related Investment Measures) are WTO rules governing investment measures that impact trade in goods. They aim to eliminate trade distortions by prohibiting practices like local content requirements, trade balancing, and quantitative restrictions. TRIMs promote free and non-discriminatory trade, ensuring compliance with GATT principles. Its focus on trade-related regulations rather than directly regulating foreign investments, fostering a fair and open international trading environment.

Statement 1 is correct: The Trade-Related Investment Measures (TRIMS) Agreement of the World Trade Organization (WTO) explicitly prohibits measures that require foreign investors to meet certain performance requirements, such as quantitative restrictions on imports. These restrictions are considered trade-distorting and are not allowed under the TRIMS Agreement.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The TRIMS Agreement only applies to investment measures related to trade in goods, not services. It focuses on ensuring that investment measures do not distort or restrict trade in goods. Trade in services is covered under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), which is separate from TRIMS.

Statement 3 is correct: The TRIMS Agreement is not concerned with the regulation of foreign investment itself. It focuses on ensuring that investment measures do not create trade distortions or restrictions. It does not regulate how countries manage foreign investment in terms of entry, ownership, or operational conditions.

Explanation

National Policy on Biofuels 2018 categorizes biofuels as "Basic Biofuels" viz. First Generation (1G) bioethanol & biodiesel and "Advanced Biofuels" - Second Generation (2G) ethanol, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to drop-in fuels, Third Generation (3G) biofuels, bio-CNG etc. to enable the extension of appropriate financial and fiscal incentives under each category. First-Generation Biofuels (also referred to as Basic biofuels) i.e. bioethanol and biodiesel, are produced from types of bio-mass that are often used for food, such as corn, soy, and sugarcane. These biofuels are made through fermentation or chemical processes that convert the oils, sugars, and starches in the bio-mass into liquid fuels. Second-Generation Biofuels (also referred to as Advanced bio-fuels) i.e, ethanol, municipal solid waste to drop-in fuels, are produced from non-food biomass, such as perennial grass and fast-growing trees. The processes to make them often involve converting fibrous non-edible material called "cellulose" into fuel. Third-generation biofuels are derived from algae and bacteria, which can produce large quantities of lipid oils or other biofuels like biomethanol or biohydrogen. Algae, in particular, grows quickly and has the potential to generate more biomass per unit of land compared to conventional crops.

Option (a) is correct: The Policy expands the scope of raw material for ethanol production by allowing the use of Sugarcane Juice, Sugar containing materials like Sugar Beet, Sweet Sorghum, Starch containing materials like Corn, Cassava, Damaged food grains like wheat, Broken rice, Rotten Potatoes.

Explanation

Ocean Mean Temperature (OMT) represents the thermal energy in the upper layer of the ocean. It is measured up to the 26°C isotherm, which represents the depth where water temperature is consistently 26°C. OMT is a more reliable indicator than Sea Surface Temperature (SST) for predicting the Indian monsoon rainfall, as it reflects the ocean’s thermal energy more comprehensively.

Statement 1 is incorrect: OMT is measured up to the 26°C isotherm. In the southwestern Indian Ocean during January-March, the depth of the 26°C isotherm is approximately 59 meters, not 129 meters.

Statement 2 is correct: OMT, especially during the January-March period (pre-monsoon season) has been found to be a useful indicator for forecasting the Indian Summer Monsoon rainfall. Warmer OMT in this period can suggest a stronger monsoon and potentially higher rainfall, while cooler OMT may indicate a weaker monsoon. This is because the ocean’s temperature influences the amount of moisture available for the monsoon winds. Studies by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) and other scientific bodies have shown a strong correlation between OMT and monsoon performance.

Explanation

Social Cost of Carbon is best described as the measure of monetary value of long-term damage done by a tonne of CO emissions in a given year. The social cost of carbon (SCC) is used to estimate in dollars all economic damage that would result from emitting one ton of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. India’s country-level social cost of carbon emission was estimated to be the highest at $86 per tonne of CO. It means the Indian economy will lose $86 by emitting each additional tonne of CO. India is followed by the US ($48) and Saudi Arabia ($47).

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: Coal ash contains contaminants like mercury, cadmium and arsenic. Without proper management, these contaminants can pollute waterways, groundwater, drinking water, and the air.

Statement 2 is correct: Burning of fossil fuels (which contain sulphur and nitrogenous matter) such as coal and oil in power stations and furnaces or petrol and diesel in motor engines produce sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which also leads to ‘acid rain’.

Statement 3 is correct: Indian Coal has comparatively higher ash content than imported coal due to the drift theory of the formation of coal deposits in India. Coal seams formed due to drift theory contain higher ash as compared to the in-situ theory of formation.