21. Which one of the following is a Peacetime Gallantry Award?

Which one of the following is a Peacetime Gallantry Award?

Shaurya Chakra
Vir Chakra
Yudh Seva Medal
Param Vir Chakra
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2017
The correct answer is A) Shaurya Chakra. The Shaurya Chakra is one of India’s gallantry awards given for courage, bravery, or sacrifice.
– Indian gallantry awards are broadly classified into Wartime and Peacetime awards.
– Wartime gallantry awards, in descending order of precedence, are Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, and Vir Chakra.
– Peacetime gallantry awards, in descending order of precedence, are Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra, and Shaurya Chakra.
– Yudh Seva Medal is a wartime distinguished service decoration, not a gallantry award in the same category as the others listed.
The question asks for a Peacetime Gallantry Award among the given options. Shaurya Chakra is explicitly categorised as a peacetime gallantry award conferred for acts of gallantry otherwise than in the face of the enemy. Vir Chakra and Param Vir Chakra are wartime awards. Yudh Seva Medal is awarded for distinguished service of a high order during wartime.

22. Which one of the following is not an Inter-Services Establishment?

Which one of the following is not an Inter-Services Establishment?

Officers Training Academy
National Defence Academy
National Defence College
Armed Forces Medical College
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2017
The correct answer is A) Officers Training Academy. The Officers Training Academy (OTA) is primarily an institution that trains officers for a specific service, predominantly the Army, although it might have courses for other services.
– An Inter-Services Establishment (ISE) is an organisation comprising personnel from more than one of the three main services (Army, Navy, Air Force) and functioning under an integrated command structure.
– National Defence Academy (NDA), National Defence College (NDC), and Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) are all classic examples of Inter-Services Establishments where personnel from the three services serve together or receive joint training/education.
– Officers Training Academy (OTA) typically trains officers for a single service stream, distinguishing it from the joint nature of the other institutions listed.
ISEs facilitate jointness and integration among the Indian armed forces. NDA is a joint training academy for cadets entering the three services. NDC is a premier institution for strategic training for senior officers from all services and civil services. AFMC trains medical professionals for all three services. OTA, while a crucial training institution, focuses on single-service training streams.

23. In the year 2016, the Government of India announced a ₹ 6,000 crore sp

In the year 2016, the Government of India announced a ₹ 6,000 crore special package for the textile and apparel sector to

  • 1. create one crore jobs within three years
  • 2. create jobs equally for men and women
  • 3. provide tax and production incentives for the entrepreneurs

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2017
The correct answer is D) 1, 2 and 3. The special package for the textile and apparel sector announced by the Government of India in 2016 had multiple objectives, all of which are accurately reflected in the statements.
– The package aimed to create 1 crore jobs within three years, especially focusing on boosting employment for women.
– It sought to achieve this through various labour-friendly measures and incentives.
– The package provided financial and production incentives, including employer’s contribution to EPF, enhanced duty drawback, and tax benefits, to encourage investment and production in the sector.
The ₹ 6,000 crore package included several components like a new scheme for refund of state levies, rationalized labour laws, enhanced scope of drawback scheme, and government bearing the employer’s contribution of EPF for new employees for the first three years. The focus on job creation, particularly for women who form a significant part of the textile workforce, and providing tax/production incentives were central to the package’s strategy.

24. Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. In June 2016, t

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

  • 1. In June 2016, the LIGO group of scientists announced the detection of a second set of gravitational waves.
  • 2. Gravitational waves were generated due to merger of two black holes at about 1.4 billion light-years distant.
  • 3. Gravitational waves were inserted due to collision of two white dwarf stars at about 1.4 billion light-years distant.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1 only
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2017
Statement 1 is correct; the LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) collaboration announced the detection of the second set of gravitational waves (GW151226, detected in December 2015) in June 2016, following the historic first detection announcement (GW150914, detected in September 2015, announced Feb 2016). Statement 2 is correct; both the first and second gravitational waves detected by LIGO were attributed to the merger of two black holes. The second detection (GW151226) involved black holes estimated to be about 1.4 billion light-years away. Statement 3 is incorrect; the gravitational waves detected by LIGO up to that point were from the merger of stellar-mass black holes, not white dwarf stars. Mergers involving neutron stars were detected later.
Gravitational waves detected by LIGO in its initial phase were primarily generated by the violent merger of massive compact objects, specifically black holes.
The detection of gravitational waves provided strong evidence for Einstein’s theory of general relativity and opened up a new window for observing the universe, leading to the Nobel Prize in Physics 2017 for the founders of the LIGO project.

25. Consider the following statement about a famous football player : “He

Consider the following statement about a famous football player :
“He was diagnosed with a growth deficiency during his childhood but went on to win three Golden Shoes in his career.”
Who is that player?

Andres Iniesta
Lionel Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo
Zinedine Zidane
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2017
The description matches Lionel Messi. As a child, he was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency and his treatment was famously funded partly by FC Barcelona after he joined their youth academy. Lionel Messi has won the European Golden Shoe award multiple times (more than three), awarded to the leading goalscorer in domestic leagues of European national leagues.
Growth hormone deficiency in childhood and multiple Golden Shoe awards are characteristic facts about Lionel Messi’s career.
Andres Iniesta is a Spanish midfielder known for his playmaking abilities. Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese forward and a contemporary rival of Messi, also a multiple Golden Shoe winner, but he did not suffer from growth deficiency as a child. Zinedine Zidane is a former French midfielder and coach, known for his elegance and skill.

26. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited handed over the first two indigenously d

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited handed over the first two indigenously designed and manufactured light combat aircrafts to the Indian Air Force in 2016. What is the name of these new combat aircrafts?

Marut
Garud
Tejas
Pushpak
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2017
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is the manufacturer of India’s indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). The LCA is named Tejas. HAL handed over the first two series production Tejas aircraft to the Indian Air Force in 2016, marking a significant milestone in India’s aerospace program.
Tejas is the name given to India’s indigenous Light Combat Aircraft developed by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and manufactured by HAL.
Marut (HF-24) was India’s first indigenous fighter aircraft, developed in the 1960s. Garud is the name of the Indian Air Force Special Forces unit. Pushpak (HAL Pushpak) was an Indian light two-seater aircraft used for training, developed in the 1950s.

27. Which of the following statements about Bitcoin is/are correct? 1. I

Which of the following statements about Bitcoin is/are correct?

  • 1. It is a decentralized virtual currency.
  • 2. It is generated through complex computer software systems.
  • 3. The Reserve Bank of India recognized it as a legal tender in January 2016.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1 only
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2017
Statement 1 is correct; Bitcoin is a decentralized virtual currency or cryptocurrency that operates on a peer-to-peer network without a central authority like a central bank. Statement 2 is correct; Bitcoins are generated through a process called mining, which involves solving complex computational problems using powerful computer hardware. Statement 3 is incorrect; the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has not recognized Bitcoin or any other virtual currency as legal tender in India. On the contrary, the RBI has issued warnings about the potential risks associated with trading in virtual currencies.
Bitcoin is a type of cryptocurrency that is decentralized, relies on blockchain technology for transactions, and is generated through computationally intensive ‘mining’.
Legal tender is a medium of payment recognized by a legal system to discharge a public or private debt. As of 2016 and subsequently, the RBI has maintained that virtual currencies like Bitcoin are not legal tender and carry risks, including volatility and potential use in illicit activities.

28. Which of the following statements about the Trans-Pacific Partnership

Which of the following statements about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is/are correct?

  • 1. The TPP was signed by 12 Pacific Rim nations in the year 2015.
  • 2. The TPP is likely to be a game-changer in global trade as member countries account for about 40 percent of global GDP.
  • 3. India is a founder member of TPP.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1, 2 and 3
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1 only
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2017
Statement 1 is incorrect. While negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) concluded in October 2015, the agreement was officially signed by the 12 member nations in Auckland, New Zealand, on February 4, 2016. Statement 2 is correct; the TPP member countries together accounted for approximately 40% of global GDP and a significant share of global trade, making it a potentially significant trade bloc. Statement 3 is incorrect; India was not a member or founder member of the TPP. The 12 founding members were Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, and the United States.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was a major trade agreement involving countries around the Pacific Rim, but excluded major economies like China and India.
The TPP agreement faced political challenges, particularly in the United States, and the US withdrew from the agreement in January 2017. The remaining 11 countries proceeded to negotiate a revised agreement, known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which came into effect in December 2018.

29. The 7.6% growth rate registered by Indian economy during the year 2015

The 7.6% growth rate registered by Indian economy during the year 2015-16 is based on

Gross National Product at market prices
Gross Value Added at constant prices
Gross Domestic Product at market prices
Gross Domestic Product at constant prices
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2017
The growth rate of an economy is typically measured by the percentage change in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from one period to another. To measure ‘real’ growth, the effect of inflation is removed by calculating GDP at constant prices (using a fixed base year). The 7.6% growth rate for 2015-16, as reported by the Central Statistics Office (CSO, now part of NSO) based on the revised methodology (base year 2011-12), specifically refers to the growth in GDP at constant (2011-12) market prices.
Real economic growth is measured using GDP or GVA at constant prices to exclude the impact of inflation.
India revised its national income series in January 2015, changing the base year from 2004-05 to 2011-12 and adopting the internationally followed practice of measuring output based on market prices rather than factor cost. The new series also incorporated GVA (Gross Value Added) as a primary measure of economic activity by sector.

30. TRIPS Agreement pertains to

TRIPS Agreement pertains to

international tariff regime
intellectual property protection
international practices on trade facilitation
international taxation of property
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2017
TRIPS stands for the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. It is an international agreement administered by the World Trade Organization (WTO) that sets minimum standards for the regulation by national governments of different forms of intellectual property (IP) as applied to nationals of other WTO member nations.
The TRIPS Agreement is a key agreement within the WTO framework that harmonises global standards for intellectual property rights like patents, copyrights, trademarks, geographical indications, industrial designs, etc.
Prior to TRIPS, intellectual property rules varied significantly between countries, leading to potential trade disputes. The TRIPS Agreement aims to ensure adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights and to ensure that measures and procedures to enforce intellectual property rights do not themselves become barriers to legitimate trade.