Economic and Social Development

301. Which of the following statement(s) is /are false ? Wage Boards are

Which of the following statement(s) is /are false ?

  • Wage Boards are tripartite in nature, with representatives from workers, employers and independent members
  • Except for the Wage Boards for Journalists and Non-Journalists, all the other wage boards are statutory in nature
  • Second National Commission on Labour has recommended against the utility of wage boards

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

[amp_mcq option1=”1 only” option2=”2 only” option3=”1 and 2 only” option4=”1, 2 and 3″ correct=”option2″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2016
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Statement 1 is correct; Wage Boards are indeed tripartite bodies comprising representatives of workers, employers, and independent members. Statement 3 is correct; the Second National Commission on Labour (2002) recommended phasing out the system of Wage Boards, suggesting minimum wages be determined by expert committees instead. Statement 2 is false; most Wage Boards set up in India were non-statutory, meaning their recommendations were not legally binding unless specifically accepted and notified by the government. Only the recommendations of the Wage Boards for Working Journalists and Non-Journalist Newspaper Employees, once accepted by the government, have statutory backing under specific Acts. Therefore, the claim that *all* other wage boards are statutory is incorrect.
Understanding the nature (statutory vs. non-statutory) and composition (tripartite) of Wage Boards in India, and the recommendations of the Second National Commission on Labour is important.
Wage Boards were historically used in India for specific industries to fix wages. The non-statutory nature of many boards and the delay in government acceptance of recommendations often limited their effectiveness, leading to the recommendation for alternative mechanisms for wage fixation.

302. Which one of the following is not a thrust area in the Railway Budge

Which one of the following is not a thrust area in the Railway Budget 2015-16 ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Online booking of disposable bed rolls” option2=”Defence Travel System to eliminate Warrants” option3=”180 days in advance ticket booking facility for passengers” option4=”Bio-toilets” correct=”option3″]

This question was previously asked in
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The correct answer is 180 days in advance ticket booking facility for passengers.
The Railway Budget 2015-16, presented by Suresh Prabhu, focused on several key areas including improved passenger amenities, technology adoption, safety, infrastructure development, and sustainability. Online booking of disposable bed rolls was indeed proposed. The development of a Defence Travel System to eliminate warrants was a stated priority. Bio-toilets were a major push for environmental sustainability and hygiene. However, the budget proposed increasing the advance ticket booking period from 60 days to 120 days, not 180 days. Therefore, 180 days advance booking was not a thrust area mentioned in that budget.
Other thrust areas in the Railway Budget 2015-16 included improving cleanliness, developing station amenities, focusing on high-speed corridors, attracting investment, and emphasizing safety and security. The increase in advance booking period was a measure aimed at passenger convenience and better planning.

303. Which of the following is/are example(s) of ‘Near Money’ ? Treasury

Which of the following is/are example(s) of ‘Near Money’ ?

  1. Treasury Bill
  2. Credit Card
  3. Savings accounts and small time deposits
  4. Retail money market mutual funds

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

[amp_mcq option1=”1 only” option2=”2 only” option3=”1, 2 and 3″ option4=”1, 3 and 4″ correct=”option4″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2016
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The correct answer is 1, 3 and 4.
Near money refers to assets that are highly liquid and can be easily converted into cash with little or no loss in value. They serve as a store of value and can perform some functions of money, though they are not directly used as a medium of exchange in the same way as currency or demand deposits. Treasury Bills are short-term government securities, highly liquid and considered near money. Savings accounts and small time deposits can be readily accessed or converted, making them near money. Retail money market mutual funds invest in short-term, high-quality debt and are typically redeemable on short notice, thus qualifying as near money. A Credit Card is a means of borrowing money, not an asset that represents near cash; it facilitates transactions but is a liability for the user until repaid.
Examples of near money often include savings deposits, time deposits (like Certificates of Deposit), money market mutual funds, treasury bills, and other short-term government securities. They increase the overall liquidity in the financial system.

304. Which one of the following is not an objective of the Rashtriya Uchcha

Which one of the following is not an objective of the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA)?

[amp_mcq option1=”Improve the overall quality of private educational institutions” option2=”Ensure reforms in the affiliation, academic and examination systems” option3=”Correct regional imbalances in access to higher education” option4=”Create an enabling atmosphere in the higher educational institutions to devote themselves to research and innovations” correct=”option1″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2016
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The Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) is a centrally sponsored scheme launched in 2013 that provides strategic funding to eligible *state higher educational institutions*. Its primary focus is on improving access, equity, and quality in state-funded universities and colleges. Improving the overall quality of *private* educational institutions is not an objective of RUSA; they are not direct beneficiaries of its funding.
RUSA is specifically designed to fund and improve *state* higher educational institutions, not private ones.
Other key objectives of RUSA include improving the quality of teaching and learning, promoting autonomy in state universities, ensuring adequately qualified faculty, encouraging research and innovation, and expanding the institutional base by creating additional capacity in existing institutions and establishing new ones.

305. Which one of the following is not a monitorable target of the Beti Bac

Which one of the following is not a monitorable target of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Abhiyan ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Provide girls’ toilet in every school in 100 Child Sex Ratio (CSR) districts by the year 2017″ option2=”100 percent girls’ enrolment in secondary education by the year 2020″ option3=”Promote a protective environment for girl children through implementation of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012″ option4=”Train Elected Representatives / Grassroot functionaries as Community Champions to mobilize communities to improve CSR and promote girl’s education” correct=”option2″]

This question was previously asked in
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The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Abhiyan has specific, monitorable targets related to improving the Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and promoting girls’ education. Options A, B, and D are all plausible specific actions or outcome goals that can be monitored (number of toilets built, percentage of enrolment achieved, number of functionaries trained). Option C, “Promote a protective environment for girl children through implementation of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012”, describes an *approach* or a *strategic objective* rather than a concrete, quantifiable monitorable target of the scheme itself. While creating a protective environment is a goal, “implementation of POCSO Act” is a means or process, not a direct metric like improving CSR or increasing enrolment percentages.
Monitorable targets for schemes like BBBP are typically quantifiable outcomes or specific deliverables (e.g., improvements in ratios, enrolment rates, infrastructure provision, training numbers).
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is a flagship program of the Government of India aimed at addressing the issue of declining Child Sex Ratio and related issues of empowerment of women over a life cycle continuum. It focuses on awareness campaigns, multi-sectoral intervention in select districts, and convergence of existing schemes.

306. Which one of the following is not among the aims of the Second Five Ye

Which one of the following is not among the aims of the Second Five Year Plan (1956-57 to 1960-61) ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Rapid industrialization with particular emphasis on the development of basic and heavy industries” option2=”Large expansion of employment opportunities” option3=”Achieve self-sufficiency in food grains and increase agricultural production to meet the requirements of industry and exports” option4=”Reduction of inequalities in income and wealth and a more even distribution of economic power” correct=”option3″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2016
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The Second Five Year Plan (1956-61), known as the Mahalanobis Plan, prioritized rapid industrialization, focusing on the development of basic and heavy industries. It also aimed at a large expansion of employment opportunities and the reduction of inequalities in income and wealth. While increasing agricultural production was still important, achieving self-sufficiency in food grains was not its primary declared aim, unlike the First Plan or later plans. The focus significantly shifted from agriculture to industry in the Second Plan.
The Second Five Year Plan marked a significant shift in India’s planning strategy, moving the focus from agriculture (First Plan) to rapid industrialization, particularly heavy industries.
The plan was based on the model developed by P.C. Mahalanobis. It advocated for a closed economy where the main trading activity would be centered on importing capital goods. The plan faced resource constraints and rising inflation, leading to some adjustments later.

307. Which of the following is not a ‘Public Good’?

Which of the following is not a ‘Public Good’?

[amp_mcq option1=”Electricity” option2=”National Defence” option3=”Light House” option4=”Public Parks” correct=”option1″]

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UPSC CDS-1 – 2016
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Electricity is not considered a ‘Public Good’ in the economic sense.
– A pure public good is characterized by two main properties: non-excludability (it is difficult or impossible to prevent people who have not paid for it from consuming it) and non-rivalry (consumption by one person does not reduce the amount available for others).
– National Defence is a classic example of a public good: defending the nation benefits everyone, and one person’s security does not diminish another’s (non-rivalrous); it is impossible to exclude any citizen from receiving this benefit (non-excludable).
– A Lighthouse is also often cited as a public good: ships can benefit from the light without paying (non-excludable), and one ship using the light doesn’t stop others from using it (non-rivalrous).
– Public Parks can be considered common resources or quasi-public goods. While often publicly provided, they can suffer from rivalry (overcrowding) and sometimes even excludability (fenced parks with entry fees or limited access).
– Electricity is a private good or, in some distribution scenarios, a club good. It is excludable (utility companies can cut off service to non-payers) and rivalrous (the amount of electricity consumed by one household reduces the amount available in the grid capacity).
Goods are classified into different types based on excludability and rivalry: Private Goods (Excludable, Rivalrous), Public Goods (Non-excludable, Non-rivalrous), Common Resources (Non-excludable, Rivalrous), and Club Goods (Excludable, Non-rivalrous, at least up to capacity).

308. Human Development Report for each year at global level is published by

Human Development Report for each year at global level is published by :

[amp_mcq option1=”WTO” option2=”World Bank” option3=”UNDP” option4=”IMF” correct=”option3″]

This question was previously asked in
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The Human Development Report (HDR) for each year at the global level is published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The HDR is an annual report published by the Human Development Report Office of the UNDP. It was first launched in 1990 by Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq and Indian economist Amartya Sen.
The HDR measures human development using the Human Development Index (HDI), which is a composite statistic measuring life expectancy, education, and per capita income indicators.

309. Which of the following is / are the example(s) of Transfer Payment(s)

Which of the following is / are the example(s) of Transfer Payment(s) ?

  • 1. Unemployment Allowance
  • 2. Payment of Salary
  • 3. Social Security Payments
  • 4. Old age Pension

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

[amp_mcq option1=”1 and 3 only” option2=”1, 2 and 4 only” option3=”1, 3 and 4 only” option4=”None of the above” correct=”option3″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2016
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Statements 1, 3, and 4 are examples of Transfer Payments.
Transfer payments are unilateral payments made by the government or other entities to individuals or households for which no goods or services are currently received in return. These are essentially income transfers.
Statement 1 (Unemployment Allowance), Statement 3 (Social Security Payments), and Statement 4 (Old age Pension) are examples of transfer payments. They are benefits provided by the state to support individuals without demanding current labour or services.
Statement 2 (Payment of Salary) is a payment made in exchange for services rendered (labour). It is part of factor income, not a transfer payment.
Transfer payments are included in National Income calculation when looking at personal income (as they are income to individuals) but excluded when calculating Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as they do not represent production of goods or services.

310. Norman Borlaug won Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions in : 1. d

Norman Borlaug won Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions in :

  • 1. development of high-yielding crops.
  • 2. modernization of irrigation infrastructure.
  • 3. introduction of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

[amp_mcq option1=”1 only” option2=”2 only” option3=”2 and 3 only” option4=”1, 2 and 3″ correct=”option1″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2016
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Norman Borlaug won the Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions in the development of high-yielding crops (Statement 1).
– Norman Borlaug is considered the “father of the Green Revolution”.
– His Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 was specifically awarded for his work in developing high-yielding, disease-resistant varieties of wheat, which significantly increased food production, particularly in developing countries.
– While the Green Revolution involved other aspects like irrigation and fertilizers, Borlaug’s direct and Nobel-recognized contribution was primarily in the genetic improvement of crops.
The Nobel committee cited his work for having “done so much to feed the world and create a new basis for the prospects of peace in the world”. This highlights the humanitarian impact of his agricultural innovations.
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