Q 1. India Discrimination Report 2022 has been released by
a. Oxfam India
b. NITI Aayog
c. Reporters Without Borders
d. Transparency International
Answer: (a)
Option (a) is correct: Oxfam India has released a report titled ‘India Discrimination Report 2022’. The report is based on the data from the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. According to report in 2019-20, 60% of all males aged 15 and above had regularly salaried or self-employed jobs; the rate for females was 19%.
Highlights of the Report
- Labour force participation rate (LFPR) of women in India is just 25 per cent in 2021 – lesser than the figure of 42.7 per cent in 2004-05 and the lowest among the BRICS countries.
- Gender discrimination is the main reason behind the 98 per cent employment gap between males and females in India.
- Lack of education and work experience are contributing to the lesser wage for women.
- The average earning of a man is about 2.5 times that of a woman.
- The report concluded that, while there is a decline in discrimination within the Indian labour market over a decade, there still remains high gender inequality.
- There is a high probability that women’s employment in decent jobs have no bearing on their endowments.
- Women’s educational qualifications have little impact on their employment status.
- Due to this, gender discrimination in labour market is almost total in India.
- In 2019-20, 60 per cent of all men aging 15 and above have regular salaried and self-employed jobs. During the same period, only 19 per cent of women in that age group had jobs.
- The report also found that a large number of qualified women are unwilling to join the workforce because of “family responsibilities” and the need to conform to social norms.
- Apart from gender-based salary gaps, the report also found differences in income among castes.
- The mean income of regular employed persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes in urban regions was Rs.15,312. This is lesser than Rs.20,346 earned by those belonging to the General Category.
- This means that general category’s earnings is 33 per cent higher than SC/ST communities.
Q 2. Which of the following report is/are publish by the National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB)?
1. Crimes in India
2. Accidental Deaths and Suicides
3. Prison Statistics
4. Reports on Missing Women and children in India
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
a. 1 and 2 only
b. 2 and 3 only
c. 1 and 4 only
d. 1, 2 3 and 4
Answer: (d)
The National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB) Prison Statistics India Report says that 9,180 prisoners with mental illness, 150 deaths by suicide, and five prisoners with schizophrenia and epilepsy have died.
Option (d) is correct: NCRB, headquartered in New Delhi, was set-up in 1986 under the Ministry of Home Affairs to function as a repository of information on crime and criminals so as to assist the investigators in linking crime to the perpetrators. It was set up based on the recommendations of the National Police Commission (1977-1981) and the MHA’s Task Force (1985). Major Publications by The National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB):
- Crimes in India
- Accidental Deaths and Suicides
- Prison Statistics
- Reports on Missing Women and children in India
Q 3. Which of the following statement is/are correct about the Binjhia community?
1. The Binjhia community is the native of Odisha in India.
2. They do not have a language of their own and speak a dialect that is a crude mixture of Odia and Hindi.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither I nor 2
Answer: (b)
Recently, The Union Cabinet approved a proposal to add several tribes (Hatti tribe, Narikoravar, Kuruvikaran and Binjhiato) the list of Scheduled Tribes (ST) in States so that they can avail of benefits meant for STs, including reservation.
Statement 1 is not correct: Binjhia Spread over the states of Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh, they identify themselves Tas ‘Vindhyaniwasi’ or ‘Bindhyabasini Khyatriya’. They say that their original homeland was Kolangiri in the Vindhya Valley in the former Central Provinces from which they had gradually migrated to Chhotanagpr of Jharkhand and Chhatisgarh and Keonjhar, Sundergarh and Barasobmar estate of Bargarh districts of Odisha.
They were called as ‘Binjhia’ in Chhotnagpur and ‘Binjhawars’ in Chhatisgarh. According to their popular myth they had close association with Lord Ram. In Odisha, they are mostly found in Sundergarh district and sparsely distributed in the adjoining areas.
Statement 2 is correct: They do not have a language of their own and speak a dialect that is a crude mixture of Odia and Hindi. The Binjhia are non-vegetarians and agriculture is the mainstay of their economy. They do not eat beef and pork but consume alcoholic drinks including the handia (rice beer). Since most of farmers, they supplement their livelihood by animal husbandry, seasonal forest collections and wage earning in agricultural, construction, industrial and mining sectors.
They prepare umbrella from the siali leaf and broom stick from bernagrass and sell these in the market for cash. The Binjhia is an endogamous community who are divided into several exogamous gotras (clans) ranked in a hierarchical order. In the local social hierarchy, the Binjhias claim themselves superior to other tribes and claim the status of a clean caste equal to the Rajputs.
Q 4. With reference to chola empire, consider the following statements about Rajaraja I?
1. He defeated Cheras in the battle of Kandanur salai.
2. He completed the construction of the famous Brihadeeswara temple at Tanjore in 1010 A.D.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (c)
The enduring popularity of the Tamil novel Ponniyin Selvan, now adapted for the big screen by Mani Ratnam. It tells the story of the early days of Rajaraja I, born Arunmozhi Varman and considered the greatest of all Chola rulers.
Option (c) is correct: Rajaraja I is the most celebrated of the Chola kings. He engaged in naval expeditions and emerged victorious on the West Coast, Sri Lanka and conquered the Maldives in the Indian Ocean.
- He defeated Cheras in the battle of Kandanur salai (Statement 1 is correct)
- He was also successful in the expedition of western and Eastern Chalukyas. He installed Shaktiverma on Vengi Throne.
- He constructed a dam across the Kaveri River.
- He was a devout follower of Saivism. He completed the construction of the famous Rajarajeswara temple or Brihadeeswara temple at Tanjore in 1010 A.D. (Statement 2 is correct)
- His titles: Mummidi Chola, Jayankonda and Sivapadasekara.
- He abdicated his throne for his son Rajendra Chola I.
Q 5. Which of the following statement is not correct about Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) insurance scheme?
a. The insurance scheme provides a comprehensive personal accident cover of Rs. 5 Lakh to health care providers including community health workers and private health workers.
b. The insurance provided under this scheme would be over and above any other insurance cover being availed of by the beneficiary.
c. The scheme covers loss of life due to COVID-19 and accidental death on account of COVID-19-related duty.
d. All government health centres, wellness centres and hospitals of the Center as well as States are covered under this scheme.
Answer: (a)
Dependents of doctors got just over 20% of the total money distributed under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP) insurance scheme for health workers who died fighting COVID-19 in the country.
Option (a) is correct: The insurance scheme was launched in March 2020 to provide a comprehensive personal accident cover of Rs. 50 Lakh to over 22 lakh health care providers including community health workers and private health workers. The insurance provided under this scheme would be over and above any other insurance cover being availed of by the beneficiary. The scheme covers loss of life due to COVID-19 and accidental death on account of COVID-19-related duty. All government health centres, wellness centres and hospitals of the Center as well as States are covered under this scheme.