ias mains general studies sample answers

8/12/2019 IAS Mains General Studies Sample Answers

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IAS Mains General Studies Sample Answers

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Bring out the salient features of the evolution and the current status of the Bharat Stage vehicle

emission norms in the India?

**********************************************************************************Bharat Stage vehicle emission norms are emission standard instituted by the government of India that

regulate the output of air pollutants, such as NO2, CO, hydrocarbons, particulate matter (PM), including

motor vehicles, or other air pollutant. In most cases they are similar to the European emission standards.

The standards and the timeline for implementation are set by the Central Pollution Control Board under

the Ministry of Environment & Forests.

Emission regulation were first imposed in India in 1989 in Idle emission. It was followed by mass

emission regulation in 1991 and figment it catalytic for cars in metros in 1995, these regulations further

tightened and extended in 1996 and 1998. In 2000 Bharat Stage II (EURO II equivalent) norms were

introduced in NCR. The norms were farther extended on to other cities and vehicles in 2001 and to the

entire country in 2005. In 2005 Bharat Stage III norms were introduced in NCR and 12 other cities and

extended to the entire country in 2010. These are applicable to all new 4 wheelers sold and registered inthe respective regions for 2 and 3 wheelers, Bharat Stage III norms came into force from April 2010.

In 2002, the Indian government accepted the report submitted by the Mashelkar committee. The

committee proposed a road map for the roll out of Euro based emission norms for India. It also

recommended a phased implementation of future norms with the regulations being implemented in major

cities first and extended to the rest of the country after a few years.

Though enforcement of these norms brought down emission reductions to a significant level for example

in case of cars the upper limit is 84% from 1991 to 2000 but there are certain deviations vis--vis EURO

references which if addressed could bring even better results.

Overview of the emission norms in India

1991Idle CO Limits for Gasoline Vehicles and Free Acceleration Smoke for Diesel Vehicles, MassEmission Norms for Gasoline Vehicles.

1992Mass Emission Norms for Diesel Vehicles.

1996Revision of Mass Emission Norms for Gasoline and Diesel Vehicles, mandatory fitment of Catalytic

Converter for Cars in Metros on Unleaded Gasoline.

1998Cold Start Norms Introduced.

2000India 2000 (Equivalent to Euro I) Norms, Modified IDC (Indian Driving Cycle), Bharat Stage II

Norms for Delhi.

2001Bharat Stage II (Equivalent to Euro II) Norms for All Metros, Emission Norms for CNG & LPG

Vehicles.

2003Bharat Stage II (Equivalent to Euro II) Norms for 13 major cities.

2005From 1 April Bharat Stage III (Equivalent to Euro III) Norms for 13 major cities.2010Bharat Stage III Emission Norms for 4-wheelers for entire country whereas Bharat StageIV

(Equivalent to Euro IV) for 13 major cities. Bharat Stage IV also has norms on OBD (similar to Euro III

but diluted)


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Inflation : Definition, WPI, CPI, Measurement and Causes

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Inflation is defined as a situation where there is sustained, unchecked increase in the general price level

and a fall in the purchasing power of money. Thus, inflation is a condition of price rise. The reason for

price rise can be classified under two main heads : (1) Increase in demand (2) Reduced supply.Inflation explained with an example

Suppose for Rs.100, last week you bought 5 Kg. of rice. This means that the cost of 1Kg of rice was Rs.

20. This week when you approached the same shop-keeper and paid Rs.100 to get rice, he gave only 4

Kg of rice. He also explained that the price of rice has increased, and now it is Rs.25 per Kg.

This example clearly explains the fall in the purchasing power of money. For Rs. 100 you could get 5 Kg

rice before, but now only 4 Kg. So purchasing power of money got reduced. This is inflation. And lets us

calculate the inflation rate (percentage). If price of rice, which was Rs.20 per Kg increased to Rs.25, this

corresponds to Rs.5 increase on Rs.20, ie. 25% increase. So the inflation rate is 25%, which is obviously

a very high rate.

Problems with InflationHaving understood what inflation really is, lets ponder what effects can inflation cause in an economy? Is

inflation that bad? High rates of inflation is bad because, it can eat up hard-earned money of ordinary

people. Life of common man will become tough. His savings will soon be exhausted, unless his

investments offer high rate of return than the inflation rate present in the country.

Inflation Rates in India

There are different indices in India like Wholesale Price Index(WPI), Consumer Price Index(CPI) etc

which measure inflation rates in India. But what we generally find in headlines as inflation rate in India is

Inflation rate based on WPI. In the last 50 years, WPI based inflation rate shows an average inflation rate

around 7-8%. The highest inflation rate observed in India was 34.68 Percent in September of 1974. The

lowest rate touched was -11.31 Percent in May of 1976 ( a case of deflation).Inflation in India

How to measure Inflation rate?

Unchecked inflation can ruin the whole economy. There are many examples from African and South

American economies which got shattered by the high inflation rates. But who measures inflation rate in

India? And what are they types of Inflation indices in India? Lets study each of them.

Inflation can be measured at three levelsproducer, wholesaler and retailer (consumer). Prices generally

rise in each level till the commodity finally reach the hand of consumer.

Inflation at Producer Level

As of now in India, there is no index to measure inflation at producer level. A Producer Price Index (PPI)

is proposed, but so far this type of inflation calculation has not started in India.

Inflation at Wholesale Level

This is the most popular inflation rate calculation methodology in India. The index used to calculated

wholesale inflation is known as Wholesale Price Index (WPI). This inflation rate is often known as

headline inflation. WPI is released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Though RBI use WPI for most of its policy decisions, WPI based inflation calculation is not false proof.

WPI shows the combined price of a commodity basket comprising 676 items. But WPI does not include


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services, and it neither reflect the bottlenecks between producer and wholesaler nor between wholesaler

and retailer (consumer).

Inflation at Retail Level (Consumer Level)

Consumer often directly buys from retailer. So the inflation experienced at retail shops is the actual

reflection of the price rise in the country. It also shows the cost of living better.

In India, the index which shows the inflation rate at retail level is known as Consumer Price Index (CPI).

CPI is based on 260 commodities, but includes certain services too. There were four Consumer Price

Indices covering different socio-economic groups in the economy. These four indices were Consumer

Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW); Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Labourers (CPI-AL);

Consumer Price Index for Rural Labourers (CPI -RL) and Consumer Price Index for Urban Non-Manual

Employees (CPI-UNME). CPI is now using a new series on the base 2010=100 for all-India and

States/UTs separately for rural, urban and combined. The Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ministry of

Statistics and Program Implementation releases Consumer Price Indices (CPI). CPI is based on retail

prices and this index is used to calculate the Dearness Allowance (DA) for government employees.

Headline Inflation vs Core Inflation

Having studied inflation rate measurement at different levels, now lets focus on two terms related toinflation. They are Headline Inflation and Core Inflation.

Headline Inflation

Headline Inflation is the measure of total inflation within an economy. It includes price rise in food, fuel

and all other commodities.

The inflation rate expressed in Wholesale Price Index (WPI) usually denotes the headline inflation.

Though Consumer Price Index (CPI) values are often higher, WPI values traditionally make headlines.

Core Inflation (Underline Inflation or Non-food Inflation)

Core inflation is also a term used to denote the extend of inflation in an economy. But Core inflation does

not consider the inflation in food and fuel. This is a concept derived from headline inflation. There is no

index for direct measurement of core inflation and now it is measured by excluding food and fuel items

from Wholesale Price Index (WPI) or Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Causes of Inflation

There can be two set of factors that can cause inflation in an economy. They are Demand Pull and Cost

Push.

Demand Pull Factors

Rise in population.

Black money.

Rise in income.

Excessive government expenditure.

Cost Push Factors

Infrastructure bottlenecks which lead rise in production and distribution costs.

Rise in Minimum Support Price (MSP).

Rise in international prices.

Hoarding and black marketing.

Rise in indirect taxes.

What measures can be taken to address inflation?


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Both government and central bank (Reserve Bank) try to tackle inflation with their policies which are

known as Fiscal and Monetary Policies respectively. Fiscal policies correspond to tax related measures

taken by government to control inflation (money supply). RBI through its various monetary policies limit

the money supply by altering rates like CRR, Repo, Reverse Repo etc. Administrative measures taken by

government like strengthening of Public Distribution System also plays a crucial role in curbing inflation.

Is inflation always bad for the economy?Though a high rate of inflation is not good for the economy, a mild inflation, say under 3%, may turn, at

times, useful for the economy. As we hinted in the beginning, inflation can occur because of high demand

too. High demand on scarce resources will automatically increase prices. This is called demand pull

inflation. But demand for a commodity is a good sign from the industry perspective. Industries now will

try to produce more commodities to reap the benefit of high prices and demand. More production will

trigger GDP growth.

IAS Mains General Studies Sample Answers

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Distinguish Between the Following Four Literary Awards:

(i) Jnanpith Award

(ii) Sahitya Akademi Award

(iii) Vyas Samman

(iv) Saraswati Samman

(i) Jnanpith Award: This award is the most prestigious and highest literary award, given for the best

creative literary writing by any Indian citizen in any of the languages included in the eighth schedule of

the Indian Constitution. This award carries a cash award of Rs. 5 lakh. Since 1982 this award has been

given for the life time contribution of the writer, prior to that the award were given for a single work. The

award was instituted in 1961, was the brain child of late Smt. Rama Jain, the first President of Bhartiya

Jnanapith. The malyalam writer G. Sankar Kurup, was its first recipient.

(ii) Sahitya Akademy Award: This is a literary honor annually conferred by Sahitya Akademi, Indias

National Academy of letters, on writers of outstanding works in any of the twenty four major Indian

languages including English language. This award was instituted in 1954, comprises a plaque and a cash

prize of Rs. 10,000. This is the second highest literary honour centered by the Govt. of India.

(iii) Vyas Samman: The Vyas Amman is a literary award annually conferred by K. K. Birla foundation. The

award instituted in 1991. It carries a cash prize of Rs. 2.5 lakh (as of 2005). This award in conferred on


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the best creative literary work in Hindi language, which has been published in the last 10 years.

(iv) Saraswati Samman: This award is named after Indian goddess Saraswati, the goddess of learning.

This the highest literary works in any Indian languages that is included in the eighth schedule of Indian

Constitution and have been published in the previous ten years by a panel of scholars and former award

winners. It includes a monetary award of Rs. 5 Lakhs. The Saraswati Samman was instituted in 1991 bythe K. K. Birla foundation.

All you need to know about Microbes

BY Rachit Raj3rd Rank in Civil Services Examination, 2013

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Industrial Application of Microbes

Microbes have been used to produce products for thousands of years. Even in ancient times, vinegar

was made by filtering alcohol through wood shavings, allowing microbes growing on the surfaces of

the wood pieces to convert alcohol to vinegar. Likewise, the production of wine and beer uses

another microbeyeastto convert sugars to alcohol. Even though people did not know for a

long time that microbes were behind these transformations, it did not stop them from making and

selling these products.

Both of these are early examples of biotechnologythe use of microbes for economic or industrial

purposes. This field advanced considerably with the many developments in microbiology, such as

the invention of microscope. Once scientists learned about the genetics of microbes, and how their

cells produce proteins, microbes could also be altered to function in many new, and useful, ways.

This sparked the application of biotechnology to many industries, such as agriculture, energy and

medicine.

Genetic Engineering of Microbes

Genetic information in organisms is stored in their DNA. This molecule holds instructions for how the

organism looks and functions. DNA is broken into sections called genes, each of which contains the

template for a single protein molecule. Proteins serve as building blocks for the cell, and also carry

out other activities. By studying microbes, scientists learned how to cut pieces out of a DNA

molecule, and move them to another part. This changes how the cell looks or acts. Scientists can

also take genes from one organism and insert them into the DNA of another. This gives the


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organism entirely new abilities.

This type of genetic engineeringthe altering of an organisms genetic information has enabled

scientists to use microbes as tiny living factories. One example of this is the production of insulin. In

humans, the pancreas creates a protein called insulin that regulates glucosesugarlevels in the

blood. People with one type of diabetes cannot produce insulin, so they inject it into their bloodthroughout the day. To produce cheaper insulin, scientists inserted the human gene for insulin into

the DNA of a common intestinal bacterium. This change enabled the bacterium to produce a new

producthuman insulin.

Food and Agriculture & Microbes

As with the production of vinegar, microbes are used widely in the agricultural and food industries.

Bacteria are used in the production of many food products, such as yogurt, many types of cheese

and sauerkraut. Farmers also use a bacterium that produces a natural fertilizer. This type of

bacterium is normally associated with bean plants, growing in nodules on the roots in a symbioticmutually beneficialrelationship. The bacterium converts nitrogen gas in the air to a form that

plants can uselike fertilizer. By adding bacteria to the soil, farmers can increase the productivity

of the plants.

Genetic engineering can also be used to produce plants with new abilities, such as enhanced

resistance to pesticides, or increased nutritional content. In this case, microbes are used to insert

new genes into the DNA of the plants. This results in genetically modifiedGMfoods. Humans

have long modified the genetics of agricultural plants and animals by breeding them to enhance

specific traits. Genetical engineering, however, allows scientists to add genes that exist in totally

unrelated organisms.

Energy & Microbes

During vinegar production with wood chips, bacteria grow on the surface of the wood, forming what

is called a biofilm. Bacteria attached to a surface like this can produce many compounds, as well as

block the flow of a fluid. The latter behavior has been used to increase the amount of oil extracted

from an oil field. Bacteria growing in the wells block areas that are more open. When water is then

pumped into the ground, the biofilms drive the water into other areas that still contain oil. This then

forces the oil to the surface.

Microbes can also be used to create fuels directly. Certain bacteria ferment glycerol to form ethanol,

a biofuel that can be used in automobiles. The glycerol is a byproduct of biodiesel production, but it

is more valuable if converted to fuel. With genetic engineering, microbes can also be altered to

produce fuels that they dont usually make. One company has modified the DNA of yeast to create

biofuel from sugarcane feedstock. The challenge to all of these methods is creating a process that

produces fuels more easilyand cheaplythan conventional methods.


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Crime and Security & Microbes

Certain types of bacteria thrive in high temperatures. These extremophilesorganisms that prefer

extreme conditionshave cell components designed to withstand heat. One of these is a

bacterium, Thermus aquaticus, that lives in hot springs and near thermal vents. It contains an

enzyme that is involved in the copying of DNA inside the cell. This type of enzyme occurs in otherorganisms, but the one from T. aquaticus can withstand higher temperatures. Scientists use this

enzyme to multiply very small amounts of DNA, such as from samples found at crime scenes.

Other techniques are used to identify disease-causing microbes released by terrorists. The microbes

can be identified from their DNA. These tests are extremely sensitive, and can find the DNA

equivalent of a drop of water in a swimming pool. The U.S. Postal used microbe-detection

techniques after letters contaminated with a dangerous microbeanthraxwere sent through the

mail. The tests identified the microbe as coming from the same source, meaning that a single

person sent all of the letters.

Medical Application of Microbes

In addition to vaccines and antibiotics, microbes have been essential for many important

contributions to medicine. Like diabetes, many diseases can be treated with compounds derived

from microbes: cystic fibrosis, cancer, growth hormone deficiency and hepatitis B. In addition,

genetic methods that were first developed in microbes now allow scientists to study genetic diseases

in humans. This has resulted in the ability to test fetuses for genetic diseases.

There have also been research studies of gene therapy in humans. This technique uses a microbe

often a virusto insert new genes into cells. In theory, this could correct a condition caused by agenetic disease. Microbial genetics has also led to the ability to determine the sequence of DNA

more rapidly, like reading a book. With this information, scientists can look for genes in individuals

that causeor contribute todiseases.

1 July 2014 Current Affairs

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1) State Bank of India (SBI) on 1 July 2014 launched six digital branches across the nation to serve tech-

savvy customers. One of such branches in Delhi was inaugurated on this day by Finance Minister Arun

Jaitley. Other 5 such branches are located in Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Ahmedabad. What is the


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name given to this new range of branches which will have full digital banking capabilities?sbiINTOUCH

(These sbiINTOUCH branches will include instant account opening with personalised debit cards, instant

loan approvals for education, car and home and remote expert advisors available via video links. The new

branches will be located in malls and will be primarily aimed at youth, who look for digital banking)

.

2) Indias Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C23) successfully put five satellites from abroad into theirperfect orbits on 30 June 2014. These 5 satellites belonged to which four countries?France, Germany,

Canada and Singapore (The PSLV put into orbit SPOT satellite from France, AISAT from Germany, NLS7.1

and NLS7.2, both from Canada, and VELOX-1 from Singapore. Antrix, the commercial wing of the

Department of Space, will be charging a fee for putting each of these satellites into orbit. The launch was

conducted from ISROsspaceport at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh)

.

3) Which public sector financial entity engaged in commercial and development banking operations is

celebrating its 50th anniversary (Golden Jubilee) during July 2014?Industrial Development Bank of

IndiaIDBI (IDBI was established in 1964 under an Act of Parliament as a wholly owned subsidiary of

the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). In 1976, the ownership of IDBI was transferred to the Government ofIndia and it was made the principal financial institution for coordinating the activities of institutions

engaged in financing, promoting and developing industry in India. IDBI provided financial assistance,

both in rupee and foreign currencies, for green-field projects as also for expansion, modernisation and

diversification purposes. During September 2004 the RBI incorporated IDBI as a scheduled bank under

the RBI Act, 1934. Consequently, IDBI, formally entered the portals of banking business as IDBI Ltd.

from 1 October 2004. The commercial banking arm, IDBI BANK, was merged into IDBI in 2005)

.

4) It was reported in some newspapers that the Finance Ministry is considering doubling the exemption

limit for investments by individuals in financial instruments to Rs 2 lakh in the forthcoming Annual

Budget. This is being sought so as to give a major boost to household savings. What was the savings rate

of India during 2012-13, a figure declining continuously since 2007-08?30% of GDP (The savings rateof the country stood at 38% of countrys GDP during 2008. There have been demands from bankers and

insurers to hike the tax exemption limit from Rs 1 lakh per annum to encourage household savings. The

Direct Taxes Code (DTC) too had recommended that the combined ceiling for investments and

expenditures be raised to Rs 1.5 lakh per annum)

.

5) What is the name of the BPO business of Shashi and Ravi Ruia of Essar Group, a part of which is being

sold to Paris-based Teleperformance for $600 million?Aegis BPO (Aegis, part of the $39-billion Essar

Group, is the fourth largest Indian BPO company with $800 million in revenues. Aegis offers a suite of

solutions to clients managing over 1 billion customer interactions every year for over 300 clients across

verticals such as BFSI, telecom, healthcare, travel, retail and technology. It employs more than 50,000

people across 12 countries. Ruia brothers are in the process of selling US and Philippines operations of

the company to Teleperformance. Teleperformance is a leading provider of outsourced customer

experience management services)

.


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5-6 July 2014 Current Affairs

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1) Czech Republics Petra Kvitovaon 5 July 2014 claimed her second Wimbledon womens singles title

with a crushing command performance over Canadian player Eugenie Bouchard 6-3, 6-0. She took just

55 minutes to win the title. In which year Kvitova had won her first Wimbledon womens singles title?In 2011 (With this win Kvitova dashed Eugenie Bouchards dream of becoming the first-ever Canadian to

win a tennis Grand Slam title)

.

2) All the 46 Indian nurses working in a Tikrit hospital in Iraq, who were kidnapped by the Islamic State

of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants, were released on 4 July 2014. These nurses reached India safely on 5

July 2014 through a special Air India flight. They arrived through which Iraqi city which is the capital of

countrys Kurdistan Region? Erbil (Erbil is the fourth largest city of Iraq. Indian nurses reached Erbil on

4 July after being released by ISIS)

.

3) The rail-link for Katra was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 4 July 2014 by flagging off

the inaugural train from Katra to Jammu. The Katra-Udhampur rail section also features Indias longest

steel girder bridge. What is the name of this bridge?Jhajjar Bridge (Jhajjar Bridge is countrys longest

steel girder bridge and has been built at a height of 85 metres)

.

4) Who on 4 July 2014 created history by becoming the first woman to participate in a Formula One

weekend?Susie Wolff (She took part in the practice session of the British F1 Grand prix at the famedSilverstone circuit in her Mercedes-powered car as part of Williams team. However, her time on the track

was cut short after an engine problem occurred after completing just one timed lap. 22 years earlier

Giovanna Amati had made three unsuccessful Grand Prix qualification attempts. Susie will now get

another opportunity to take part in the German F1 Grand Prix)

.

5) Which four teams have qualified for the semi-finals of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2014?Germany,

Brazil, Argentina and Netherlands (The semi-final line-up isGermany Vs Brazil (8 July) and Argentina Vs

Netherlands (9 July). One important fact about this line up is that one team each from Europe and South

America is in both the semi-final matches. Germany defeated France by 1-0, Brazil defeated Colombia by2-1, Argentina defeated Belgium by 1-0 and Netherlands defeated Costa Rica by 4-3 (penalties) to enter

semi-finals)

.

6) Star Brazilian striker Neymar Jr. was ousted from FIFA World Cup 2014 after sustaining a serious back

injury in the quarterfinals against Colombia on 4 July 2014. His ouster came as a rude shock to Brazil as


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Neymar was teams best player and was looking in good form despite heavy pressure on him. Howmany

goals he had scored in this World Cup?Four (Neymay Jr. sustained injury after being kneed in his spine

by Colombian defender Juan Zuniga)

.

Improving The Justice Delivery System In The Country

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Q. What are the initiatives have been taken to improve justice delivery system?

Some of the initiatives which have been taken to improve justice delivery system are as follows:

1. The disposal of cases has been accelerated by undertaking special drives, the recent one being from1st July, 2011 to 31st December, 2011. Of late, the Government has set up a National Mission for Justice

Delivery and Legal Reforms which will be addressing the issues of delays and arrears in the judicial

system as well enforcing better accountability at all levels through a variety of methods which will include

setting and monitoring of performance standard, enhancement of capacity through training at various

levels etc.

2. Fast Track Courts were constituted as per the recommendations of the 11th Finance Commission. As

per the reports received, 1192 fast track courts were functional in the country as on 31.3.2011. Nearly 33

lakh cases were disposed of by the fast track courts over a period of 11 years of central assistance from

2000-01 to 2010-11. (i) Increasing the number of court working hours using the existing infrastructure by

holding morning / evening / shift courts;

3. Under the central sector scheme of Computerization of the District and Subordinate Courts (e-Courts

Project) in the country and for up-gradation of the ICT infrastructure of the Supreme Court and the High

Courts, a total of 9,914 courts (out of 14,229 courts) have been computerized in the country as on

31.03.2012. Remaining courts will be computerized by 31.3.2014. In the second phase, digitization,

library management, e-filing and establishment of data warehouse are expected to be added to the

ongoing computerization and citizen-centric services.

4. The Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008 has been enacted for establishment of Gram Nyayalayas at the

grassroots level for providing access to justice to citizens at their doorstep. As per the information

received from the State Governments a total of 153 Gram Nyayalayas have already been notified so far.Out of these, 151 Gram Nyayalayas have already started functioning. An amount of Rs. 25.39 crore has

been released to the State Governments for establishment of Gram Nyayalayas during last three years.

5. A Centrally Sponsored Scheme for development of infrastructure facilities for the judiciary is being

implemented since 1993-94 under which central assistance for construction of court buildings and

residential quarters for judicial officers is released to augment the resources of the State Governments.

The expenditure on the scheme is shared by the Centre and the State Governments on 75:25 basis,


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except for States in North East Region, which is on 90:10 basis.

6. For legal empowerment of the marginalized people in India, an externally aided Project Access to

Justice for Marginalized People in India is being implemented in the selected 7 States, with the support

of UNDP. These 7 States are: Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan and

Uttar Pradesh. The interventions under the Project are focused on strengthening access to justice for thepoor, particularly women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and minorities. The Project seeks, on the

one hand, to improve the institutional capacities of key justice service providers to enable them to

effectively serve the poor and disadvantaged. On the other hand, it aims to directly empower the poor

and disadvantaged men and women to seek and demand justice services.

ias mains general studies sample answers

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