The 2016 Codex
Questions 21 to 30 (Set A)
With reference to 'Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana', consider the following statements:
1. Under this scheme, farmers will have to pay a uniform premium of two percent for any crop they cultivate in any season of the year.
2. This scheme covers post-harvest losses arising out of cyclones and unseasonal rains.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) 2 only
The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) was a flagship scheme launched to revolutionize crop insurance. However, the premium is not uniform across all crops and seasons.
- Statement 1 is False: The premium paid by farmers is capped at 2% for all Kharif crops, 1.5% for all Rabi crops, and 5% for commercial/horticultural crops. The balance premium is paid by the Government.
- Statement 2 is True: In a major improvement over older schemes, PMFBY explicitly covers post-harvest losses (if the harvested crop is lying in the field in "cut and spread" condition to dry) against specific localized perils like cyclones and unseasonal rains.
The Insurance Shield
The Forest Canopy
In which of the following regions of India are you most likely to come across the 'Great Indian Hornbill' in its natural habitat?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) Western Ghats
The Great Indian Hornbill (state bird of Kerala and Arunachal Pradesh) is a massive, spectacular bird that requires extensive tracts of mature, primary evergreen or moist deciduous forests. It needs tall, ancient trees (like Ficus) to find hollow cavities large enough for nesting and to sustain its heavy frugivorous (fruit-eating) diet.
Therefore, it absolutely cannot survive in the sand deserts, the freezing higher Himalayas, or salt marshes. Its prime natural habitats in India are the lush forests of the Western Ghats and the dense forests of North East India.
Route: [REALM 66: Biodiversity Distribution] & [REALM 14: Biomes of India]Which of the following are the key features of 'National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA)'?
1. River basin is the unit of planning and management.
2. It spearheads the river conservation efforts at the national level.
3. One of the Chief Ministers of the States through which the Ganga flows becomes the Chairman of NGRBA on rotation basis.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) 1 and 2 only
The NGRBA was established under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, to address the pollution of the Ganga in a holistic manner. (Note: It was later replaced by the National Ganga Council in 2016).
Statements 1 and 2 are True: A major shift in policy was treating the entire river basin (rather than just individual cities) as the core unit of planning. It acted as the supreme national body for coordinating these conservation efforts.
Statement 3 is False: To ensure supreme authority and interstate coordination, the NGRBA was chaired by the Prime Minister of India, not by Chief Ministers on a rotational basis (though the CMs of Ganga basin states were members).
Route: [REALM 197: River Conservation Programs]The Basin Command
The Slow Release
Why does the Government of India promote the use of 'Neem-coated Urea' in agriculture?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) Neem coating slows down the rate of dissolution of urea in the soil
Normal urea is highly soluble in water. When applied to fields, it dissolves rapidly, and much of the nitrogen is lost to groundwater leaching or volatilizes into the air before the plant roots can absorb it.
Coating the urea prills with neem oil acts as a physical and chemical inhibitor. It slows down the rate of dissolution (nitrification inhibitor), ensuring a gradual, sustained release of nitrogen matching the crop's growth requirements. This boosts yield, saves fertilizer costs, and critically, prevents highly subsidized agricultural urea from being illegally diverted to chemical factories.
Route: [REALM 12: Agri Inputs & Fertilizers]Consider the following statements:
1. The Chief Secretary in a State is appointed by the Governor of that State.
2. The Chief Secretary in a State has a fixed tenure.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) Neither 1 nor 2
The Chief Secretary is the highest-ranking civil servant in a State and acts as the principal advisor to the Chief Minister.
Statement 1 is False: While technically all executive actions are taken in the name of the Governor, the Chief Secretary is personally chosen and appointed by the Chief Minister of the State. It is fundamentally a political/administrative choice.
Statement 2 is False: Unlike the CBI Director or CEC, the Chief Secretary does not have a fixed tenure. They serve entirely at the pleasure of the Chief Minister and can be transferred out at any moment if the political leadership changes or loses confidence in them.
Route: [REALM 221: State Executive & Bureaucracy]The Chief's Pleasure
The Greenfield Boost
With reference to 'Stand Up India Scheme', which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. Its purpose is to promote entrepreneurship among SC/ST and women entrepreneurs.
2. It provides for refinance through SIDBI.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) Both 1 and 2
Statement 1 is True: The Stand Up India scheme (launched in 2016) is highly targeted. Its mandate is to facilitate bank loans between ₹10 lakh and ₹1 Crore to at least one SC or ST borrower, and at least one Woman borrower, per bank branch for setting up a greenfield enterprise in manufacturing, services, or trading.
Statement 2 is True: The scheme is not directly funded by the budget. Instead, it provides for refinance to commercial banks through the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), backed by an initial refinance window of ₹10,000 crores.
Route: [REALM 112: Schemes for Financial Inclusion]The FAO accords the status of 'Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS)' to traditional agricultural systems. What is the overall goal of this initiative?
1. To provide modern technology, training in modern farming methods and financial support to local communities of identified GIAHS so as to greatly enhance their agricultural productivity
2. To identify and safeguard eco-friendly traditional farm practices and their associated landscapes, agricultural biodiversity and knowledge systems of the local communities
3. To provide Geographical Indication status to all the varieties of agricultural produce in such identified GIAHS
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) 2 only
The core logic lies in the word "Heritage".
- Statement 1 is False: If the FAO injected "modern technology" and "modern farming methods" (like tractors and synthetic fertilizers), they would literally destroy the traditional heritage they are trying to protect. GIAHS is about preserving ancient wisdom, not modernizing it.
- Statement 2 is True: This is the exact definition of GIAHS—identifying, supporting, and safeguarding traditional agricultural systems that are rich in globally significant biodiversity and indigenous knowledge (e.g., Kuttanad below-sea-level farming).
- Statement 3 is False: The FAO does not grant "Geographical Indication" (GI) tags. GI tags are granted under Intellectual Property laws governed by the WTO TRIPS agreement, not by the FAO.
The Heritage Roots
The Mighty Siang
Which of the following is/are tributary/tributaries of Brahmaputra?
1. Dibang
2. Kameng
3. Lohit
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) 1, 2 and 3
The Brahmaputra (known as the Siang/Dihang when it enters India in Arunachal Pradesh) is fed by massive Himalayan tributaries.
- Dibang and Lohit: These are major left-bank tributaries. The Siang river meets the Dibang and Lohit at the head of the Assam Valley to officially form the mighty "Brahmaputra".
- Kameng: This is a major right-bank tributary originating in Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh) and flowing down to join the Brahmaputra at Tezpur.
The term 'Core Banking Solutions' is sometimes seen in the news. Which of the following statements best describes/describe this term?
1. It is a networking of a bank's branches which enables customers to operate their accounts from any branch of the bank on its network regardless of where they open their accounts.
2. It is an effort to increase RBI's control over commercial banks through computerization.
3. It is a detailed procedure by which a bank with huge non-performing assets is taken over by another bank.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) 1 only
CORE stands for Centralized Online Real-time Exchange. Before CBS, if you opened an account in Branch A, your ledger physically lived in Branch A. You could not deposit or withdraw money from Branch B.
Statement 1 is True: Core Banking Solutions network all the branches to a central server. This allows a customer to become a "customer of the bank" rather than a "customer of the branch," enabling any-branch banking, ATMs, and internet banking.
Note: Statements 2 and 3 are fabricated distractors. CBS is a consumer-facing operational upgrade for commercial banks, not an RBI surveillance tool or a merger/NPA takeover protocol.
Route: [REALM 141: Digital Banking Infrastructure]The Central Ledger
The Kyoto Carbon Market
Consider the following pairs: Terms sometimes seen in the news vs Their origin
| 1. Annex-I Countries | Cartagena Protocol |
| 2. Certified Emissions Reductions | Nagoya Protocol |
| 3. Clean Development Mechanism | Kyoto Protocol |
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) 3 only
This is a brilliant trick question. All three terms actually originate from the exact same treaty: The Kyoto Protocol (under the UNFCCC).
- Annex-I Countries: These are the developed, industrialized countries that were given binding emission reduction targets under the UNFCCC/Kyoto Protocol. (Cartagena Protocol deals with Biosafety/LMOs).
- Certified Emissions Reductions (CERs): These are the carbon credits generated by projects. One CER equals one tonne of CO2 avoided. This is a Kyoto mechanism. (Nagoya Protocol deals with Access and Benefit Sharing of genetic resources).
- Clean Development Mechanism (CDM): Correct. This is the primary flexible mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol allowing developed countries to invest in emission-reduction projects in developing countries (like India) to earn CERs.