The 2018 Codex
Questions 1 to 10 (Set A)
Consider the following statements:
1. In the first Lok Sabha, the single largest party in the opposition was the Swatantra Party.
2. In the Lok Sabha, a 'Leader of the Opposition' was recognised for the first time in 1969.
3. In the Lok Sabha, if a party does not have a minimum of 75 members, its leader cannot be recognised as the Leader of the Opposition.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) 2 only
Statement 1 is False: In the first Lok Sabha (1952), the Communist Party of India (CPI) emerged as the largest opposition party with 16 seats. The Swatantra Party wasn't even founded until 1959.
Statement 2 is True: The post of Leader of the Opposition received statutory recognition much later (in 1977), but it was recognized for the very first time in 1969 when the Congress split, and Ram Subhag Singh became the LoP.
Statement 3 is False: The convention for recognizing the Leader of the Opposition requires the party to have at least 10% of the total strength of the House. For the Lok Sabha (543 seats), 10% is 55 members, not 75.
Route: [REALM 129: Lok Sabha] & [REALM 134: Officers of Parliament]The Opposition Bench
The Xerophyte Shield
Which of the following leaf modifications occur(s) in the desert areas to inhibit water loss?
1. Hard and waxy leaves
2. Tiny leaves
3. Thorns instead of leaves
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Plants in desert areas (Xerophytes) evolve specific mechanisms to prevent water loss (transpiration).
- Hard and waxy leaves: The wax acts as a waterproof seal, preventing water from evaporating out of the leaf surface.
- Tiny leaves: Smaller leaves mean less surface area exposed to the sun and wind, drastically reducing evaporation.
- Thorns instead of leaves: The ultimate modification (seen in cacti). Leaves are reduced entirely to spines/thorns to stop transpiration, and photosynthesis is taken over by the green, fleshy stem.
As per the NSSO 70th Round "Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households", consider the following statements:
1. Rajasthan has the highest percentage share of agricultural households among its rural households.
2. Out of the total agricultural households in the country, a little over 60 percent belong to OBCs.
3. In Kerala, a little over 60 percent of agricultural households reported to have received maximum income from sources other than agricultural activities.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) 1 and 3 only
Statement 1 is True: The NSSO 70th round data showed that Rajasthan had the highest percentage of agricultural households among its rural households (over 78%).
Statement 2 is False: While OBCs do form the largest chunk of agricultural households, the figure was around 45%, not "a little over 60%". This statistical exaggeration makes the statement incorrect.
Statement 3 is True: Kerala is unique. Due to high remittances, service sector jobs, and commercialization, over 60% of rural agricultural households reported their principal source of income was from sources *other* than farming (wage employment, salary, etc.).
Route: [REALM 398: Agricultural Data, Statistics & Surveys]The Data Clipboard
The Dual Guardians
How is the National Green Tribunal (NGT) different from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)?
1. The NGT has been established by an Act whereas the CPCB has been created by an executive order of the Government.
2. The NGT provides environmental justice and helps reduce the burden of litigation in the higher courts whereas the CPCB promotes cleanliness of streams and wells, and aims to improve the quality of air in the country.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) 2 only
Statement 1 is False: While the NGT was indeed established by an Act (the NGT Act, 2010), the CPCB is not an executive body. The CPCB is a statutory organization established in 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act.
Statement 2 is True: It perfectly describes their respective mandates. NGT is a specialized quasi-judicial body tackling civil environmental disputes (reducing High Court burdens). CPCB is a technical/regulatory body tasked with monitoring and promoting the cleanliness of water and air.
Route: [REALM 197: Environmental Courts & Tribunals] & [REALM 198: Environmental Institutions]Consider the following statements:
1. The Parliament of India can place a particular law in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution of India.
2. The validity of a law placed in the Ninth Schedule cannot be examined by any court and no judgement can be made on it.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) 1 only
Statement 1 is True: Parliament, via a constitutional amendment under Article 368, has the power to place laws (usually land reforms or controversial reservations) into the Ninth Schedule (created by the 1st Amendment in 1951).
Statement 2 is False: Originally, the 9th Schedule provided blanket immunity from judicial review. However, in the landmark I.R. Coelho case (2007), the Supreme Court ruled that any law placed in the Ninth Schedule after April 24, 1973 (the date of the Kesavananda Bharati verdict) is absolutely open to judicial review if it violates the "Basic Structure" of the Constitution.
Route: [REALM 47: Rights Outside Part III] & [REALM 62: Basic Structure Doctrine]The Cracked Vault
The Invisible Toll
Which one of the following best describes the term "Merchant Discount Rate" sometimes seen in news?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c)
Don't let the word "Discount" fool you into thinking it's an incentive or a cashback.
The Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) is a toll. When you swipe your debit or credit card at a shop, the bank providing the card-swiping service (Point of Sale machine) charges the shopkeeper a processing fee. The merchant bears this cost, which is deducted (discounted) from the total amount they receive from your payment. It is a charge to the merchant by the bank.
Route: [REALM 33: Digital Payments Infrastructure]What is/are the consequence/consequences of a country becoming the member of the 'Nuclear Suppliers Group'?
1. It will have access to the latest and most efficient nuclear technologies.
2. It automatically becomes a member of "The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)".
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) 1 only
Statement 1 is True: The NSG is a cartel of 48 countries that control global trade in nuclear technology and materials. Becoming a member allows a country seamless access to global nuclear technology, fuel, and equipment for civilian power generation.
Statement 2 is False: There is no "automatic" membership. In fact, this is the exact core of India's geopolitical struggle. India wants to join the NSG without signing the NPT (because India views the NPT as discriminatory). China blocks India's entry precisely because India hasn't signed the NPT. Joining one does not automatically make you a member of the other.
Route: [REALM 190: Nuclear Suppliers Group] & [REALM 192: NPT]The Unlinked Gates
The Sovereign Levy
With reference to India's decision to levy an equalization tax of 6% on online advertisement services offered by non-resident entities, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. It is introduced as a part of the Income Tax Act.
2. Non-resident entities that offer advertisement services in India can claim a tax credit in their home country under the "Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements".
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) Neither 1 nor 2
The "Equalization Levy" (often dubbed the Google Tax) was introduced to tax the digital advertising revenues of foreign tech giants who make millions in India but have no physical "permanent establishment" here.
Statement 1 is False: To avoid legal loopholes, the government intentionally did not introduce it under the Income Tax Act, 1961. Instead, it was introduced as a completely separate levy under the Finance Act, 2016.
Statement 2 is False: Because it is an independent levy outside the Income Tax Act, it falls outside the purview of Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAA). Therefore, foreign entities cannot claim tax credits in their home country for the Equalization Levy paid in India.
Route: [REALM 101: Meaning & Principles of Taxation] & [REALM 8: Digital Advertisement Policy]Consider the following statements:
1. The Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Review Committee Report has recommended a debt to GDP ratio of 60% for the general (combined) government by 2023, comprising 40% for the Central Government and 20% for the State Governments.
2. The Central Government has domestic liabilities of 21% of GDP as compared to that of 49% of GDP of the State Governments.
3. As per the Constitution of India, it is mandatory for a State to take the Central Government's consent for raising any loan if the former owes any outstanding liabilities to the latter.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) 1 and 3 only
Statement 1 is True: The N.K. Singh Committee on FRBM review famously recommended an overarching ceiling for general government debt at 60% of GDP, explicitly split as 40% for the Centre and 20% for the States by 2023.
Statement 2 is False: UPSC inverted the data. The Centre's debt burden is far higher. At the time, the Central Government's domestic liabilities hovered around 46-49% of GDP, while State liabilities were around 21-24%.
Statement 3 is True: Article 293(3) of the Constitution is a powerful centralizing fiscal tool. It explicitly states that a State may not raise any loan without the consent of the Government of India if there is still any part of a previous loan outstanding to the Centre.
Route: [REALM 98: Public Debt] & [REALM 83: Financial Relations]The Debt Balance
The Oil Deficit
Consider the following statements:
1. The quantity of imported edible oils is more than the domestic production of edible oils in the last five years.
2. The Government does not impose any customs duty on all the imported edible oils as a special case.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) 1 only
Statement 1 is True: India suffers a massive structural deficit in edible oils. We import roughly 60% of our domestic consumption requirement (mostly Palm oil, followed by Soybean and Sunflower oils), meaning imported quantity routinely outstrips domestic production.
Statement 2 is False: The government actively manages customs duties on imported edible oils. Duties are frequently raised to protect domestic oilseed farmers from cheap international dumping, or slashed when domestic retail prices spike too high. They are certainly not exempt "as a special case."
Route: [REALM 188: Agricultural Imports] & [REALM 47: Oilseeds Geography of India]