UPSC IAS Archives

31. With reference to the role of UN-Habitat in the United Nations program

With reference to the role of UN-Habitat in the United Nations programme working towards a better urban future, which of the statements is/are correct ?

UN-Habitat has been mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities to provide adequate shelter for all.
Its partners are either governments or local urban authorities only.
UN-Habitat contributes to the overall objective of the United Nations system to reduce poverty and to promote access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

1, 2 and 3

1 and 3 only

2 and 3 only

1 only

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Statements 1 and 3 are correct, while statement 2 is incorrect.

– Statement 1 is correct. UN-Habitat is indeed mandated by the United Nations General Assembly with the mission to promote socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements development and the achievement of adequate shelter for all.
– Statement 2 is incorrect. UN-Habitat works with a wide range of partners, not limited to only governments and local urban authorities. Its partners include national governments, local authorities, civil society organizations, the private sector, academic institutions, and other UN agencies.
– Statement 3 is correct. UN-Habitat’s work on improving urban living conditions, providing access to basic services like water and sanitation, and promoting sustainable development directly contributes to the broader UN goals of poverty reduction and improving living standards.

UN-Habitat was established in 1978 as the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements and upgraded to a Programme (UN-Habitat) in 2002. Its headquarters are in Nairobi, Kenya. It is the focal point for urbanization and human settlement issues within the UN system.

32. Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) is a standard criterion for

Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) is a standard criterion for

Measuring oxygen levels in blood

Computing oxygen levels in forest ecosystems

Pollution assay in aquatic ecosystems

Assessing oxygen levels in high altitude regions

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The correct answer is C) Pollution assay in aquatic ecosystems.

Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) is a measure used to indicate the amount of dissolved oxygen consumed by microorganisms in a water sample while they decompose organic matter under aerobic conditions. It is a standard test for assessing the level of organic pollution in water bodies.

High BOD values indicate that there is a large amount of biodegradable organic material in the water, which consumes a significant amount of dissolved oxygen as it decomposes. This depletion of oxygen can harm aquatic life. Therefore, BOD is a crucial parameter in evaluating the quality of water and the extent of pollution in rivers, lakes, and other aquatic ecosystems. Options A, B, and D relate to oxygen levels in blood, forests, or high altitudes, which are not measured by BOD.

33. Consider the following statements: In India, the Himalayas are sprea

Consider the following statements:

In India, the Himalayas are spread over five States only.
Western Ghats are spread over five States only.
Pulicat Lake is spread over two States only.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

1 and 2 only

3 only

2 and 3 only

1 and 3 only

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The correct answer is B) 3 only.

Statement 1 is incorrect as the Himalayas are spread over more than five states/UTs. Statement 2 is incorrect as the Western Ghats are spread over six states. Statement 3 is correct as Pulicat Lake is located across the borders of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Statement 1: The Himalayan range extends over several states and union territories in India, including Jammu & Kashmir (UT), Ladakh (UT), Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, and parts of Assam and West Bengal (Darjeeling district). This is clearly more than five.
Statement 2: The Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage site, run parallel to the western coast of India and traverse the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. This totals six states.
Statement 3: Pulicat Lake is the second largest brackish water lake in India. It is located on the border of Andhra Pradesh (Nellore district) and Tamil Nadu (Tiruvallur district). Thus, it is spread over two states only.

34. For election to the Lok Sabha, a nomination paper can be filed by

For election to the Lok Sabha, a nomination paper can be filed by

anyone residing in India.

a resident of the constituency from which the election is to be contested.

any citizen of India whose name appears in the electoral roll of a constituency.

any citizen of India.

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The correct answer is C) any citizen of India whose name appears in the electoral roll of a constituency.

As per the Representation of the People Act, 1951, to be eligible to file a nomination for a Lok Sabha election, a person must be a citizen of India and their name must be included in the electoral roll of any parliamentary constituency in India.

Article 84 of the Constitution of India lays down the qualifications for membership of Parliament, which includes being a citizen of India and being not less than 25 years of age for the Lok Sabha. Section 4 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, further specifies that a person is not qualified to be chosen for a seat in the Lok Sabha unless they are an elector for any parliamentary constituency. This means their name must be on the voters’ list. They do not need to be a resident or elector of the specific constituency from which they wish to contest, although they must be an elector somewhere in India.

35. The Global Infrastructure Facility is a/an

The Global Infrastructure Facility is a/an

ASEAN initiative to upgrade infrastructure in Asia and financed by credit from the Asian Development Bank.

World Bank collaboration that facilitates the preparation and structuring of complex infrastructure Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to enable mobilization of private sector and institutional investor capital.

Collaboration among the major banks of the world working with the OECD and focused on expanding the set of infrastructure projects that have the potential to mobilize private investment.

UNCTAD funded initiative that seeks to finance and facilitate infrastructure development in the world.

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The correct answer is B) World Bank collaboration that facilitates the preparation and structuring of complex infrastructure Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to enable mobilization of private sector and institutional investor capital.

The Global Infrastructure Facility (GIF) is a collaborative platform led by the World Bank Group. Its primary role is to support developing countries in preparing and structuring viable, bankable infrastructure projects, particularly Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), to attract and mobilize private sector investment.

The GIF was launched in 2014 by the World Bank Group in partnership with G20 nations and other multilateral development banks, private sector investors, and governments. It acts as a global platform that pools expertise and resources from its partners to address the constraints in the early stages of complex infrastructure PPP project development in developing countries. It focuses on project preparation support rather than directly providing financing for construction.

36. With reference to ‘National Investment and Infrastructure Fund’, which

With reference to ‘National Investment and Infrastructure Fund’, which of the following statements is/are correct ?

1. It is an organ of NITI Aayog.
2. It has a corpus of ₹ 4,00,000 crore at present.

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

1 only

2 only

Both 1 and 2

Neither 1 nor 2

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The correct answer is D) Neither 1 nor 2.

The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) is not an organ of NITI Aayog. It is a fund set up by the Government of India to attract investment into the country’s infrastructure sector. The initial planned corpus for NIIF was significantly less than ₹4,00,000 crore.

Statement 1 is incorrect. NIIF was established in 2015 by the Government of India as a Category II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) under the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Regulations, 2012. While both NIIF and NITI Aayog are government initiatives related to economic development, NIIF is a separate fund management entity, not a subsidiary or organ of NITI Aayog. Statement 2 is incorrect. The initial target corpus announced for NIIF was ₹40,000 crore (approximately USD 6 billion at the time), with the government contributing 49%. The actual funds raised and managed across its various funds (Master Fund, Fund of Funds, Strategic Opportunities Fund) are substantial but have evolved and grown over time, and ₹4,00,000 crore is not its current stated corpus or target corpus size.

37. Mediterranean Sea is a border of which of the following countries ?

Mediterranean Sea is a border of which of the following countries ?

Jordan
Iraq
Lebanon
Syria

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

1, 2 and 3 only

2 and 3 only

3 and 4 only

1, 3 and 4

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The correct answer is C) 3 and 4 only.

The Mediterranean Sea borders various countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Among the listed countries, only Lebanon and Syria have a coastline on the Mediterranean Sea. Jordan and Iraq are not bordered by the Mediterranean Sea.

Jordan is primarily landlocked, with its only coastline being on the Gulf of Aqaba, which is part of the Red Sea. Iraq has a small coastline on the Persian Gulf and is not connected to the Mediterranean Sea. Lebanon and Syria are situated on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, bordering it directly.

38. With reference to the religious history of India, consider the followi

With reference to the religious history of India, consider the following statements:

1. Sautrantika and Sammitiya were the sects of Jainism.
2. Sarvastivadin held that the constituents of phenomena were not wholly momentary, but existed forever in a latent form.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only

2 only

Both 1 and 2

Neither 1 nor 2

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The correct answer is B) 2 only.

Sautrantika and Sammitiya were sects of Buddhism, not Jainism. Sarvastivadin was a school of Buddhist philosophy that held the belief that phenomena exist in all three periods of time (past, present, and future), though not in a wholly momentary fashion.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Sautrantika and Sammitiya are sub-schools within the Nikaya Buddhism (often referred to as Hinayana by Mahayana followers). Sautrantikas particularly emphasized the authority of the Sutra Pitaka over the Abhidharma. Sammitiyas were a sub-sect of the Vatsiputriya school known for their controversial doctrine of ‘pudgala’ (person). Statement 2 is correct. The Sarvastivadins (meaning “the doctrine that all exists”) were a prominent early Buddhist school whose central tenet was that the fundamental constituents of reality (dharmas) exist in all three times.

39. With reference to ‘Global Climate Change Alliance’, which of the follo

With reference to ‘Global Climate Change Alliance’, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. It is an initiative of the European Union.
2. It provides technical and financial support to targeted developing countries to integrate climate change into their development policies and budgets.
3. It is coordinated by World Resources Institute (WRI) and World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).

1 and 2 only

3 only

2 and 3 only

1, 2 and 3

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The correct answer is A) 1 and 2 only.

The Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) was launched by the European Union. Its primary objective is to provide technical and financial support to developing countries to help them integrate climate change considerations into their development policies and budgets.

The GCCA was established by the European Commission in 2007 to enhance dialogue and cooperation on climate change between the European Union and developing countries most vulnerable to climate change, particularly Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Statement 3 is incorrect; the GCCA is managed and funded primarily by the European Union and its Member States, not coordinated by WRI and WBCSD.

40. Which one of the following was a very important seaport in the Kakatiy

Which one of the following was a very important seaport in the Kakatiya kingdom?

Kakinada

Motupalli

Machilipatnam (Masulipatnam)

Nelluru

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The correct answer is B) Motupalli.

Motupalli was a prominent seaport during the rule of the Kakatiya dynasty in the region corresponding to parts of modern-day Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Historical accounts, including the writings of Marco Polo, mention Motupalli as an important trading centre of the Kakatiya kingdom.

The Kakatiya kingdom flourished between the 12th and 14th centuries. Their territory included a coastline that facilitated maritime trade. Motupalli, located in the present-day Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, was their principal port. An inscription from the time of Kakatiya ruler Ganapatideva (1244 AD) at Motupalli promises safety to foreign traders and lists customs duties, highlighting its importance as a trading hub. While Kakinada, Machilipatnam, and Nelluru are also coastal areas, Motupalli is specifically historically documented as a major port of the Kakatiyas.