National (Current Affairs – UPSC) (Part-I)

Total Questions: 50

11. The damage to the Spektr Module of the Russian Space Station Mir was due to: [1998]

(a) collision with a Soyuz cargo ship
(b) faulty material design of the Spektr Module
(c) explosion inside the space station
(d) collision with an asteroid

Correct Answer: (a) collision with a Soyuz cargo ship

Solution:Due to collision with soyuz cargo ship, the spectre module of the Russian space station Mir was damaged.

12. Which one of the following was the venue for the preliminary talks between the Sri Lankan Government and representatives of Tamil United Liberation Front and other militant groups? [1998]

(a) New Delhi
(b) Colombo
(c) Thimpu
(d) Madras

Correct Answer: (c) Thimpu

Solution:The priliminary talks between the Sri Lankan government liberation front and other militant group was held at Thimpu, the capital of Bhutan.

13. The following news item appeared in a National daily dated 1-12-1999: [2000]

Parliament today rejected a Bill to grant women the right to vote and stand for office in parliamentary elections, by a margin of 32 to 30.

The National Assembly was split between liberal pro-government and Shiite Muslim deputies who were in favour of women's rights, while the opposition camp grouped Sunni Muslim fundamentalists and tribal MPs.

A total of 64 MPs and Ministers were present, of whom two abstained."

The Parliament referred to in this quotation is that of:

(a) Kuwait
(b) Iran
(c) Bahrain
(d) Saudi Arabia

Correct Answer: (a) Kuwait

Solution:Kuwait's all-male Parliament rejected granting women full political rights. The vote was 32 to 30 with 2 abstentions. With 64 members present, the bill needed 33 votes to pass.

14. The given map shows locations of airports labelled as 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. What is the correct sequence of the airports in which the hijacked Indian Airlines plane IC-814 landed after its initial take off from Kathmandu in December 1999? [2000]

(a) 3, 1, 2, 4
(b) 2, 4, 1, 3
(c) 5, 4, 2, 3
(d) 5, 1, 3, 2

Correct Answer: (c) 5, 4, 2, 3

Solution:The correct sequence of air ports in which Indian Airlines plane IC-814 landed after its initial take off from Katmandu is Amritsar, Lahore, Dubai, Kandahar which is marked as 5, 4, 2 and 3 in the given map.

15. The new GDP series released by the CSO in February, 1999 is with reference to base price of: [2000]

(a) 1991-92
(b) 1992-93
(c) 1993-94
(d) 1994-95

Solution:Earlier it was 1980-1981.

16. The Standing Committee of State Finance Ministers recommended in January, 2000 uniform rates across the states in respect of: [2000]

(a) value-added tax
(b) sales tax
(c) stamp duty and registration fees
(d) agricultural income tax

Correct Answer: (b) sales tax

Solution:A sales tax is a consumption tax charged at the point of purchase for certain goods and services.

17. The Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana which came into operation from 1-12-1997 aims to provide gainful employment to the urban unemployed or underemployed poor but does not include: [2000]

(a) Nehru Rozgar Yojana
(b) Urban Basic Services Programme
(c) Prime Minister's Integrated Urban Poverty Eradication Programme
(d) Prime Minister's Rozgar Yojana

Correct Answer: (d) Prime Minister's Rozgar Yojana

Solution:Swarna Jayanthi Shahari Rozgar Yojana was launched as a replacement of three other schemes that addressed poverty alleviation, namely Nehru Rozgar Yojana (NRY), Urban Basic Services for the Poor (UBSP), and Prime Minister's Integrated Urban Poverty Eradication Program (PMIUPEP). The scheme was later refurbished in the year 2009 with revised guidelines.

18. Consider the following statements: [2000]

The Ministerial Meeting of WTO held in December 1999 was unsuccessful because in attempted to link trade with:

1. labour related issues

2. environment related issues

3. terrorism related issues

4. debt related issues

Which of these statements are correct?

(a) 1, 3 & 4
(b) 1 & 2
(c) 2 & 3
(d) 2 & 4

Correct Answer: (b) 1 & 2

Solution:The ministerial meeting of WTO was held in Seattle (US) in 1999.

19. The upper part of the given graph is a hypothetical movement in the BSE Sensex over a few months and the lower part is the fluctuation in the average value of automobile shares in the same period (actual values not given). [2000]

Which one of the following inferences can be drawn from the graphs?

(a) The automobile share market has been as unstable as BSE Sensex in that period
(b) There has been a major political change in June/July
(c) Automobile shares have shown a steady improvement in price, unaffected by large fluctuations in BSE Sensex
(d) None of these

Correct Answer: (c) Automobile shares have shown a steady improvement in price, unaffected by large fluctuations in BSE Sensex

Solution:Going by the trend represented in the given graph, it is observed that the automobile shares have shown a steady improvement in price during Jan-Aug period. It was more or less unaffected by the large fluctuations in.

20. The new series of Wholesale Price Index (WPI) released by the Government of India is with reference to the base prices of: [2001]

(a) 1981-82
(b) 1990-91
(c) 1993-94
(d) 1994-95

Solution:Base year for WPI is 1993-94 has been in use since April 2000. Earlier 1981-82 was being used as the base year.

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