The 2016 Codex
Questions 1 to 10 (Set A)
Which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. A Bill pending in the Lok Sabha lapses on its prorogation.
2. A Bill pending in the Rajya Sabha, which has not been passed by the Lok Sabha, shall not lapse on dissolution of the Lok Sabha.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) 2 only
This tests Article 107 of the Constitution dealing with the legislative life-cycle.
Statement 1 is False: Prorogation just means ending a session (like the Winter Session), not the end of the Lok Sabha itself. A bill pending in Parliament does not lapse simply because the session is prorogued. It picks up where it left off in the next session.
Statement 2 is True: Dissolution kills the Lok Sabha. However, if a bill originated in the Rajya Sabha (a permanent house) and is still sitting there (meaning it has not even touched the Lok Sabha yet), it does not lapse when the Lok Sabha dissolves, because the Lok Sabha never had ownership of it.
Route: [REALM 137: Legislative Procedure in Parliament]The Guillotine Rule
The IFPRI Formula
Which of the following is/are the indicator/indicators used by IFPRI to compute the Global Hunger Index Report?
1. Undernourishment
2. Child stunting
3. Child mortality
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) 1, 2 and 3
The Global Hunger Index (historically published by IFPRI, now jointly by Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide) is a multidimensional tool to measure hunger globally.
It is strictly calculated using four component indicators across three dimensions:
- Inadequate food supply: Undernourishment (share of population with insufficient caloric intake).
- Child mortality: Under-five mortality rate.
- Child undernutrition: This is split into two metrics: Child Stunting (low height for age) and Child Wasting (low weight for height).
Therefore, all three given options are formally used in the mathematical computation of the GHI score.
Route: [REALM 221: Poverty & Hunger Indices]There has been a persistent deficit budget year after year. Which action/actions of the following can be taken by the Government to reduce the deficit?
1. Reducing revenue expenditure
2. Introducing new welfare schemes
3. Rationalizing subsidies
4. Reducing import duty
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) 1 and 3 only
A fiscal deficit occurs when a government's total expenditures exceed its total revenues. To reduce the deficit, you must either decrease spending or increase revenue.
- 1. Reducing revenue expenditure: True. Cutting administrative costs, salaries, or non-asset creating expenses directly reduces the cash going out, shrinking the deficit.
- 3. Rationalizing subsidies: True. Subsidies are a massive drain on the treasury. "Rationalizing" means targeting them better to stop leakage, which saves money and reduces the deficit.
- 2. Introducing new welfare schemes: False. This requires spending *more* money, which increases the deficit.
- 4. Reducing import duty: False. Import duties are a source of tax revenue for the government. Cutting them reduces the money coming in, which worsens the deficit.
The Deficit Scale
The Restricted Vault
The establishment of 'Payment Banks' is being allowed in India to promote financial inclusion. Which of the following statements is/are correct in this context?
1. Mobile telephone companies and supermarket chains that are owned and controlled by residents are eligible to be promoters of Payment Banks.
2. Payment Banks can issue both credit cards and debit cards.
3. Payment Banks cannot undertake lending activities.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) 1 and 3 only
Payment Banks are a highly stripped-down version of a commercial bank, designed purely to push financial inclusion by leveraging massive retail networks.
Statement 1 is True: The RBI guidelines explicitly permit mobile telcos (like Airtel, Jio) and supermarket chains to act as promoters to use their vast existing rural reach.
Statement 3 is True: This is their defining restriction. Payment banks are strictly prohibited from lending money. They can only accept deposits (up to a limit) and facilitate remittances.
Statement 2 is False: Because issuing a credit card is fundamentally a form of unsecured lending, Payment Banks are strictly banned from issuing credit cards. They can only issue ATM/Debit cards linked to the deposited balance.
Route: [REALM 129: Differentiated Banks]With reference to 'LiFi', recently in the news, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. It uses light as the medium for high-speed data transmission.
2. It is a wireless technology and is several times faster than 'WiFi'.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) Both 1 and 2
Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) is a bidirectional, high-speed, fully networked wireless communication technology.
Statement 1 is True: Unlike Wi-Fi which uses radio waves, Li-Fi uses the visible light spectrum. Standard LED bulbs are equipped with a chip that modulates the light imperceptibly fast to transmit data.
Statement 2 is True: It is indeed wireless. Because the visible light spectrum is roughly 10,000 times larger than the entire radio frequency spectrum, Li-Fi avoids the congestion of Wi-Fi and is mathematically capable of being up to 100 times faster in ideal conditions.
Route: [REALM 496: IoT, Big Data & Mobile Gens]The Illumination Net
The Sovereign Pledge
The term 'Intended Nationally Determined Contributions' is sometimes seen in the news in the context of
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) plan of action outlined by the countries of the world to combat climate change
The phrase Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) is the very foundation of the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement (under the UNFCCC). Unlike the old Kyoto Protocol, which forced top-down emission targets onto countries, the Paris Agreement works bottom-up. Every country submits a voluntary pledge (their INDC) outlining their sovereign national plan of action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat global climate change.
Note: SDGs (Option D) are a broader UN agenda for 2030, but INDCs are explicitly and strictly tied to the UNFCCC climate change architecture.
Route: [REALM 200: UNFCCC]Which one of the following is a purpose of 'UDAY', a scheme of the Government?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) Providing for financial turnaround and revival of power distribution companies
UDAY stands for Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana. Launched by the Ministry of Power in 2015, its singular purpose is to rescue the State-owned Power Distribution Companies (DISCOMs), which were sinking under massive, unpayable debt burdens. The scheme provides a financial turnaround package where State Governments take over 75% of the DISCOM debt, issuing sovereign bonds in return, thereby restructuring their finances and reviving their operational efficiency.
Route: [REALM 149: Power Sector Reforms]The Bailout Grid
The Rupee's Reach
With reference to 'IFC Masala Bonds', sometimes seen in the news, which of the statements given below is/are correct?
1. The International Finance Corporation, which offers these bonds, is an arm of the World Bank.
2. They are the rupee-denominated bonds and are a source of debt financing for the public and private sector.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) Both 1 and 2
Statement 1 is True: The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is the private-sector investment arm of the World Bank Group. They coined the term "Masala Bonds" to evoke Indian culture (similar to Chinese Dim Sum bonds or Japanese Samurai bonds).
Statement 2 is True: The defining feature of a Masala Bond is that it is issued outside India (to foreign investors) but is denominated entirely in Indian Rupees (INR), rather than local currency (like US dollars). This means the foreign investor bears the currency exchange risk, protecting the Indian borrower (public or private entity) if the Rupee falls in value.
Route: [REALM 134: Debt Instruments] & [REALM 184: World Bank Group]Regarding the taxation system of Krishna Deva, the ruler of Vijayanagar, consider the following statements:
1. The tax rate on land was fixed depending on the quality of the land.
2. Private owners of workshops paid an industries tax.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) Both 1 and 2
Krishnadevaraya (of the Tuluva dynasty) was the greatest ruler of the Vijayanagar Empire. His administration maintained a highly structured and meticulous revenue system.
Statement 1 is True: Land revenue (Sist) was the main source of state income. It was not arbitrary; lands were carefully surveyed, classified into categories (wet, dry, orchards, woods), and the tax rate was strictly fixed depending on the quality and yield of the land (ranging usually from 1/6th to 1/3rd).
Statement 2 is True: The empire had a booming commercial economy. Besides land tax, there were heavy commercial taxes. Private owners of various workshops, artisans, craftsmen, and guilds (like weavers and metalworkers) were explicitly required to pay an industries tax or professional tax.
Route: [REALM 34: Vijayanagar Empire Administration]The Raya's Treasury
The Poet's Play
Which one of the following books of ancient India has the love story of the son of the founder of Sunga dynasty?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) Malavikagnimitra
The Shunga dynasty was founded by Pushyamitra Shunga (who assassinated the last Mauryan Emperor). His son was named Agnimitra.
The great Sanskrit playwright Kalidasa wrote his first play, Mālavikāgnimitram, centering around the court politics and the passionate love story of King Agnimitra (the Shunga prince) who falls in love with an exiled servant girl named Malavika.
Note: Swapnavasavadatta was written by Bhasa. Meghadoota is a lyric poem by Kalidasa about a cloud messenger. Ratnavali is a drama written by Emperor Harsha.
Route: [REALM 24: Post-Mauryan Dynasties] & [REALM 27: Ancient Literature]