The 2015 Codex
Questions 1 to 10 (Set A)
'Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana' has been launched for
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) promoting financial inclusion in the country
Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) is India's National Mission for Financial Inclusion. Its core objective is to ensure access to financial services—namely basic savings and deposit accounts, remittance, credit, insurance, and pension—in an affordable manner to all unbanked households across the country.
Note: While it benefits marginalized communities (D), its specific technical mandate is universal financial inclusion through zero-balance bank accounts.
Route: [REALM 112: Schemes for Financial Inclusion]The Open Vault
The Federal Shift
With reference to the Fourteenth Finance Commission, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. It has increased the share of States in the central divisible pool from 32 percent to 42 percent.
2. It has made recommendations concerning sector-specific grants.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) 1 only
Statement 1 is True: The 14th Finance Commission (chaired by Y.V. Reddy) fundamentally transformed fiscal federalism by recommending a massive jump in the tax devolution to states—from 32% to 42% of the central divisible pool.
Statement 2 is False: To compensate for giving states 10% more untied money (tax devolution), the 14th FC explicitly decided to dispense with (remove) sector-specific grants. It argued that states should have the autonomy to spend their vastly increased tax share according to their own local priorities, rather than being micromanaged by central sector-specific allocations.
Route: [REALM 111: Finance Commission Devolution]The 'Fortaleza Declaration', recently in the news, is related to the affairs of
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) BRICS
The Fortaleza Declaration was signed at the 6th BRICS Summit, held in Fortaleza, Brazil, in July 2014. It was a historic summit because this declaration officially established the New Development Bank (NDB) (headquartered in Shanghai) and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA), setting up alternatives to Western-dominated financial institutions like the World Bank and IMF.
Route: [REALM 09: BRICS & NDB]The Alternate Bank
The Sluggish Ledger
A decrease in tax to GDP ratio of a country indicates which of the following?
1. Slowing economic growth rate
2. Less equitable distribution of national income
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) 1 only
The Tax-to-GDP ratio measures a country's tax revenue relative to the size of its economy.
Statement 1 is True: When economic growth slows down, corporate profits fall, and people buy fewer goods. Consequently, direct and indirect tax collections drop faster than the base GDP falls, resulting in a decreased Tax-to-GDP ratio. It is a classic indicator of a sluggish economy.
Statement 2 is False: A decrease in the tax-to-GDP ratio tells us nothing definitive about the equitable distribution of national income. Income inequality is mathematically measured using metrics like the Gini Coefficient, not the overall tax-to-GDP ratio.
Route: [REALM 97: Taxation Dynamics]In the South Atlantic and South-Eastern Pacific regions in tropical latitudes, cyclone does not originate. What is the reason?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone seldom occurs
Tropical cyclones require a combination of warm sea surface temperatures (>26.5°C), Coriolis force, and pre-existing atmospheric instability to act as a "spark."
While the South Atlantic and South-East Pacific do have cooler waters (due to the Benguela and Humboldt currents), the most critical missing ingredient is the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The ITCZ—the low-pressure band where trade winds collide and create massive updrafts/instability—seldom shifts south of the equator over the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific oceans. Without the ITCZ to trigger the initial spin and lift, tropical cyclones simply cannot form there.
Route: [REALM 13: Tropical Cyclones Formation]The Missing Spark
The Territorial Span
Which one of the following pairs of States of India indicates the easternmost and westernmost State?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat
This is a fundamental test of India's latitudinal and longitudinal extent.
- The easternmost point of India is Kibithu, which is located in the Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh (at approx. 97°25' E longitude).
- The westernmost point of India is Ghuar Mota, located in the Kutch district of Gujarat (at approx. 68°7' E longitude).
Consider the following statements regarding the Directive Principles of State Policy:
1. The Principles spell out the socio-economic democracy in the country.
2. The provisions contained in these Principles are not enforceable by any court.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) Both 1 and 2
The Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) form Part IV of the Indian Constitution.
Statement 1 is True: While Fundamental Rights (Part III) establish political democracy (freedom of speech, equality before law), the DPSPs act as the blueprint for establishing a Welfare State, embodying the ideals of social and economic democracy (equal pay, living wage, public health).
Statement 2 is True: According to Article 37, the provisions contained in Part IV shall not be enforceable by any court. If the state fails to provide a uniform civil code or right to work, a citizen cannot sue the government in the Supreme Court, though they remain "fundamental in the governance of the country."
Route: [REALM 49: DPSP: Basic Features]The Welfare Blueprint
The Core Pillars
In the 'Index of Eight Core Industries', which one of the following is given the highest weight?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) Electricity generation
The Index of Eight Core Industries tracks the fundamental pillars of the Indian economy (Refinery Products, Electricity, Steel, Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Cement, and Fertilizers), comprising over 40% of the IIP (Index of Industrial Production).
The absolute highest weight overall goes to Refinery Products (~28%). However, since Refinery Products is not in the options, we must select the second highest. Electricity generation holds the next highest weight (~19.8%), followed by Steel (~17.9%), Coal (~10.3%), and finally Fertilizer at the absolute bottom (~2.6%).
Route: [REALM 148: Industrial Indices (IIP & Core Industries)]Which of the following National Parks is unique in being a swamp with floating vegetation that supports a rich biodiversity?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) Keibul Lamjao National Park
Located on Loktak Lake in Manipur, Keibul Lamjao is the world's only floating national park. The lake is covered in massive, thick, circular mats of floating decaying vegetation and soil called Phumdis. This unique floating swamp is the last and only natural habitat of the critically endangered Sangai (the brow-antlered "dancing deer" of Manipur).
Note: Bhitarkanika (Odisha) is famous for mangroves and saltwater crocodiles. Keoladeo (Rajasthan) is a famous bird sanctuary. Sultanpur (Haryana) is a bird sanctuary.
Route: [REALM 93: Protected Areas] & [REALM 106: Endangered Fauna (Sangai)]The Floating Rings
The Grassroots Bulb
Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding National Innovation Foundation-India (NIF)?
1. NIF is an autonomous body of the Department of Science and Technology under the Central Government.
2. NIF is an initiative to strengthen the highly advanced scientific research in India's premier scientific institutions in collaboration with highly advanced foreign scientific institutions.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) 1 only
Statement 1 is True: The National Innovation Foundation (NIF) was set up in 2000 and operates as an autonomous body of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India.
Statement 2 is False: This is a conceptual trap. The NIF does not fund highly advanced research in elite institutions (like IITs or ISRO) in collaboration with foreign labs. Its explicit and sole mandate is to support grassroots innovations and outstanding traditional knowledge originating from ordinary people, farmers, mechanics, and unsung local innovators in rural India.
Route: [REALM 390: S&T Policy & Innovation]