The 2016 Codex
Questions 61 to 70 (Set A)
Recently, India's first 'National Investment and Manufacturing Zone' was proposed to be set up in
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) Andhra Pradesh
National Investment and Manufacturing Zones (NIMZ) were conceived under the National Manufacturing Policy (NMP) as massive integrated industrial townships (minimum 5000 hectares). While several were proposed across India, India's first officially approved NIMZ was set up in the Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh in 2015, aimed at establishing a state-of-the-art manufacturing hub to boost job creation and GDP share.
Route: [REALM 148: Industrial Policies & Zones]The First Zone
The Miner's Shield
What is/are the purpose/purposes of 'District Mineral Foundations' in India?
1. Promoting mineral exploration activities in mineral-rich districts
2. Protecting the interests of the persons affected by mining operations
3. Authorizing State Governments to issue licences for mineral exploration
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) 2 only
The District Mineral Foundation (DMF) was established under the MMDR (Amendment) Act, 2015. It is a non-profit trust set up in districts affected by mining operations. Miners pay a mandatory percentage of their royalty into this fund.
Its singular purpose is to work for the interest and benefit of persons and areas affected by mining-related operations (Statement 2 is True). It provides them with healthcare, drinking water, education, and welfare. The DMF does not authorize licenses or conduct exploration (Statements 1 and 3 are False); those are executive functions of the State/Central governments and geological surveys.
Route: [REALM 127: Mining Governance & Law]'SWAYAM', an initiative of the Government of India, aims at
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) providing affordable and quality education to the citizens for free
SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds) is a massive indigenous IT platform launched by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (now Ministry of Education). It is essentially India's own MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) platform. Its core objective is to bridge the digital divide by providing completely free, high-quality online courses from class 9 to post-graduation to anyone, anywhere, at any time.
Route: [REALM 36: Government Initiatives in Education]The Virtual Classroom
The Dual Rule
The Montague-Chelmsford Proposals were related to
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) constitutional reforms
In 1918, Edwin Montagu (Secretary of State for India) and Lord Chelmsford (Viceroy) published their joint report outlining massive constitutional reforms for India. These proposals formed the direct basis of the Government of India Act, 1919. Their most famous constitutional innovation was the introduction of Dyarchy (dual rule) at the provincial level, splitting administration into Reserved subjects (controlled by the British) and Transferred subjects (controlled by Indian ministers).
Route: [REALM 41: Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms 1919]What is/are common to the two historical places known as Ajanta and Mahabalipuram?
1. Both were built in the same period.
2. Both belong to the same religious denomination.
3. Both have rock-cut monuments.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) 3 only
Let's dissect these two UNESCO World Heritage sites:
- Statement 1 is False (Period): Ajanta caves were excavated in two distinct phases from the 2nd century BCE to the 5th century CE (Satavahana and Vakataka eras). Mahabalipuram monuments were built much later, in the 7th and 8th centuries CE under the Pallava kings.
- Statement 2 is False (Religion): Ajanta is entirely dedicated to Buddhism. Mahabalipuram is overwhelmingly dedicated to Hinduism (Shaivism and Vaishnavism).
- Statement 3 is True: The defining architectural feature they both share is that they are spectacular examples of rock-cut monuments (Ajanta's caves are carved into a basalt gorge, and Mahabalipuram features monolithic rock-cut rathas and cave temples).
The Stone Carvers
The Decentralized Ledger
With reference to 'Bitcoins', sometimes seen in the news, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. Bitcoins are tracked by the Central Banks of the countries.
2. Anyone with a Bitcoin address can send and receive Bitcoins from anyone else with a Bitcoin address.
3. Online payments can be sent without either side knowing the identity of the other.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) 2 and 3 only
Statement 1 is False: This is the absolute antithesis of Bitcoin. Bitcoin is a decentralized cryptocurrency running on a public blockchain. It is specifically designed to bypass central authorities. No Central Bank (like RBI or the Federal Reserve) issues, regulates, or tracks it.
Statements 2 and 3 are True: It operates entirely on a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. Anyone possessing a cryptic alphanumeric "Bitcoin Address" (public key) can send/receive funds instantly across the globe. Because these addresses do not require a name, SSN, or bank account attached to them, transactions can be made pseudonymously/anonymously, without either party knowing the real-world identity of the other.
Route: [REALM 15: Crypto Assets & Blockchain]Consider the following statements:
1. New Development Bank has been set up by APEC.
2. The headquarters of New Development Bank is in Shanghai.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) 2 only
Statement 1 is False: The New Development Bank (NDB) was absolutely not set up by APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation). It was established in 2014 by the BRICS states (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) as an alternative to the World Bank and IMF to fund infrastructure projects.
Statement 2 is True: The bank is officially headquartered in Shanghai, China. (Note: KV Kamath of India was its first President).
Route: [REALM 183: Multilateral Development Banks] & [REALM 09: BRICS]The BRICS Vault
The Western Shield
'Gadgil Committee Report' and 'Kasturirangan Committee Report', sometimes seen in the news, are related to
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) protection of Western Ghats
The Western Ghats is one of India's most critical biodiversity hotspots. Due to severe ecological degradation from mining and development, the MoEFCC formed the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) led by Madhav Gadgil (2011). His report recommended designating the entire Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA).
Because states heavily opposed Gadgil's strict environmental blockades, the government formed a second panel led by K. Kasturirangan (2013) to water down the recommendations, balancing ecological protection with developmental needs (proposing only 37% of the area as ESA). Both are legendary reports concerning the protection of the Western Ghats.
Route: [REALM 14: Western & Eastern Ghats] & [REALM 93: Conservation Reserves]Consider the following:
1. Calcutta Unitarian Committee
2. Tabernacle of New Dispensation
3. Indian Reform Association
Keshab Chandra Sen is associated with the establishment of which of the above?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) 2 and 3 only
Keshab Chandra Sen was a firebrand reformer who radicalized the Brahmo Samaj but eventually fractured it due to his erratic behavior.
1 is False: The Calcutta Unitarian Committee was formed much earlier (1823) by Raja Rammohan Roy, Dwarkanath Tagore, and William Adam. Sen was not associated with its establishment.
3 is True: Returning from a tour of England, Sen established the Indian Reform Association in 1870 to drive social reform, female education, and temperance.
2 is True: After his own followers abandoned him (because he hypocritically married his underage daughter to a Maharaja despite fighting against child marriage), Sen formed a new, highly syncretic breakaway sect in 1881 called the Naba Bidhan or Tabernacle of New Dispensation.
Route: [REALM 21: Brahmo Samaj & Splinter Groups]The Fractured Samaj
The Gulf Divide
Which of the following is not a member of 'Gulf Cooperation Council'?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) Iran
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a political and economic alliance of six Middle Eastern countries—Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. These are all Sunni-ruled Arab monarchies situated on the Arabian Peninsula.
Iran lies across the Persian Gulf. It is a Persian, Shia-majority Islamic Republic, and is the primary geopolitical and ideological arch-rival of Saudi Arabia. Therefore, it is absolutely not a member of the GCC.
Route: [REALM 122 TO 140: Contemporary IR World Map] & [REALM 81: India & Gulf Region]