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Q 1. What is the conservation status of the Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of threatened species?
a. Endangered
b. Vulnerable
c. Near Threatened
d. Least Concern
Answer: (a)
Recently, SBI Foundation and WWF India have partnered to generate fine-scale information on Red Panda species at a transboundary level and engage with communities in safeguarding them in the Khangchendzonga landscape of Sikkim and West Bengal.
Option (a) is correct: India is home to both the species of panda Himalayan red panda (Ailurus fulgens) and Chinese red panda (Ailurus styani). Siang river in Arunachal Pradesh splits the two phylogenetic species. It is found in the forests of India, Nepal, Bhutan and the northern mountains of Myanmar and southern China. The number of Red Pandas has been declining in the wild, even in the Singalila and Neora Valley National Parks, the two protected areas where the endangered mammal is found in the wild in West Bengal.
Protection Status:
Red Pandas:
- IUCN Red List: Endangered
- CITES: Appendix I
- Wildlife Protection Act 1972: Schedule I
Giant Pandas:
- IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
- CITES: Appendix I
Q 2. Which among the following institutions is not a part of World Bank group?
a. International Development Association (IDA)
b. International Finance Corporation (IFC)
c. Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
d. International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Answer: (d)
Punjab government has received a loan of $150 million (approx Rs 1,200 crore) from the World Bank to help the state better manage its financial resources and improve access to public services. The $150 million loan has a maturity of 15 years including a grace period of 6 months. Punjab government will launch new projects with World Bank’s assistance to attain its development goals.
Option (d) is correct: Together, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and International Development Association (IDA) form the World Bank, which provides financing, policy advice, and technical assistance to governments of developing countries. While the World Bank Group consists of five development institutions.
- International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) provides loans, credits, and grants.
- International Development Association (IDA) provides low- or no-interest loans to low-income countries.
- The International Finance Corporation (IFC) provides investment, advice, and asset management to companies and governments.
- The Multilateral Guarantee Agency (MIGA) insures lenders and investors against political risk such as war.
- The International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) settles investment-disputes between investors and countries.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. It is not a part of World Bank Group.
Q 3. With reference to modern Indian history, which of the following is correct sequence of occurrence of event associated with B.R. Ambedkar?
1. Set up Bahishkrit Hitkarini Sabha
2. Formation of Independent Labour Party
3. The temple entry movement in Kalaram temple, Nasik
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
a. 1-2-3
b. 2-3-1
c. 3-1-2
d. 1-3-2
Answer: (d)
The Indian Government is looking to use special AC train to promote the proposed Ambedkar Circuit that covers various places in India associated with B.R. Ambedkar.
Option (d) is correct: Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, popularly known as Babasaheb Ambedkar, was one of the main architects of the Indian Constitution. He was a very well-known political leader, philosopher, writer, economist, scholar and a social reformer who dedicated his life to eradicating untouchability and other social inequality in India.
- In 1923, he set up the ‘Bahishkrit Hitkarini Sabha (Outcastes Welfare Association)’, which was devoted to spreading education and culture amongst the downtrodden.
- The temple entry movement launched by Dr. Ambedkar in 1930 at Kalaram temple, Nasik is another landmark in the struggle for human rights and social justice.
- Dr. Ambedkar attended all the three Round Table Conferences (1930-32) in London and each time, forcefully projected his views in the interest of the ‘untouchable’.
- In 1932, Gandhi ji protested Communal Award of a separate electorate by fasting while imprisoned in the Yerwada Central Jail of Poona. This resulted in the Poona Pact wherein Gandhi ji ended his fast and Babasaheb dropped his demand for a separate electorate. Instead, a certain number of seats were reserved specifically for the ‘Depressed Class’.
- In 1936, Babasaheb Ambedkar founded the Independent Labour Party.
- In 1939, during the Second World War, he called upon Indians to join the Army in large numbers to defeat Nazism, which he said, was another name for fascism.
- On October 14, 1956 he embraced Buddhism along with many of his followers. The same year he completed his last writing ‘Buddha and His Dharma’.
Q 4. Which of the following statements is/are correct about Kharif crops?
1. Kharif crops require a hot and wet climate.
2. Kharif crops are Monsoon dependent.
3. Ragi, jowar and bajra are examples of Kharif crops.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
a. 1 only
b. 3 only
c. 1 and 2 only
d. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (d)
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has released the advance estimates of production of major Kharif crops for 2022-23. The recently released estimates predict the production of 149.92 million tonnes of food grains in the country. This is lesser than the target of 163.15 million tonne for the Kharif 2022-23 season and the production of 156.04 million tonnes during the last kharif season (2021).
Option (d) is correct: Kharif crops are sown at the beginning of Monsoon season (June-July) and harvested at the end of the monsoon season (September-October). The Kharif crops have enough rains to sustain. Kharif crops should be sown with the beginning for the first rains. Kharif crops require a hot and wet climate. Kharif Crops are also called as Monsoon crops. Kharif crops are Monsoon dependent. The sowing period changes based on the Monsoon rainfall. At the beginning of the first Monsoon, the sowing of Kharif crops start. Some of the main Kharif crops of India include rice (paddy), maize, groundnut, cotton, soybean, pigeon pea (arhar), mung bean, red chilies, sugarcane, turmeric, millets like ragi, jowar and bajra.
Q 5. Which of the following is the theme of the International Day of Peace 2022?
a. End racism, Build peace.
b. Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world.
c. Shaping Peace Together
d. Climate Action for Peace
Answer: (a)
September 21 is observed as the International Day of Peace.
Option (a) is correct: The International Day of Peace was established by the United Nations General Assembly in the year 1981. In 2001, the UNGA adopted a resolution to designate this day as a period of non-violence and ceasefire. The International Day of Peace is observed to strengthen the ideals of peace through the observance of 24-hours of non-violence and ceasefire. Its main objective is to create a world where compassion and empathy overcome suspicion and hatred. The theme for 2022 is “End racism. Build peace.” It aims to eradicate racism and put an end to race-based discrimination.
