The 2018 Codex
Questions 91 to 100 (Set A)
Consider the following events:
1. The first democratically elected communist party government formed in a State in India.
2. India's then largest bank, 'Imperial Bank of India', was renamed 'State Bank of India'.
3. Air India was nationalised and became the national carrier.
4. Goa became a part of independent India.
Which of the following is the correct chronological sequence of the above events?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) 3-2-1-4
Let's map the precise timeline of these landmark post-independence events:
- 1953: Under the Air Corporations Act, J.R.D. Tata's Air India was nationalized (Event 3).
- 1955: Based on the Gorewala Committee's recommendation, the Imperial Bank of India was nationalized and renamed the State Bank of India (SBI) (Event 2).
- 1957: History was made when the Communist Party of India (CPI), led by E.M.S. Namboodiripad, won the assembly elections in Kerala, forming the world's first democratically elected communist government (Event 1).
- 1961: The Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Vijay, liberating Goa from Portuguese rule and formally annexing it into India (Event 4).
The Era of Consolidation
The Invisible Shield
Right to Privacy is protected as an intrinsic part of Right to Life and Personal Liberty. Which of the following in the Constitution of India correctly and appropriately imply the above statement?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) Article 21 and the freedoms guaranteed in Part III
This question directly references one of the most historic rulings in modern Indian jurisprudence: the Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) v. Union of India case in August 2017. A unanimous 9-judge bench of the Supreme Court declared that the Right to Privacy is a fundamental, inherent right.
The Court explicitly ruled that privacy is protected as an intrinsic part of the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21, and as a part of the freedoms guaranteed by Part III of the Constitution.
Route: [REALM 35: Article 21] & [REALM 195: Privacy & Data Governance]Consider the following:
1. Areca nut
2. Barley
3. Coffee
4. Finger millet (Ragi)
5. Groundnut
6. Sesamum
7. Turmeric
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has announced the Minimum Support Price for which of the above?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) 2, 4, 5 and 6 only
The government announces MSP for 22 mandated crops (plus Fair and Remunerative Price for Sugarcane) based on CACP recommendations. These include 14 Kharif, 6 Rabi, and 2 commercial crops.
Included in MSP: Barley (Rabi cereal), Finger millet/Ragi (Kharif cereal), Groundnut (Kharif oilseed), and Sesamum (Kharif oilseed).
Excluded from MSP: Coffee and Areca nut are plantation crops that fall under the purview of specific Commodity Boards (like the Coffee Board) which handle price stabilization differently. Turmeric is a spice and is not covered under the core 22 MSP crops.
Route: [REALM 124: Crops Covered under MSP]The Price Shield
The Hornbill's Haven
In which one of the following States is Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary located?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) Arunachal Pradesh
The Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary (now widely known as the Pakke Tiger Reserve) is located in the East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh. Bordering the Nameri National Park of Assam, it is globally renowned for its extraordinary community-led Hornbill Nest Adoption Program (which won the India Biodiversity Award).
Route: [REALM 93: Protected Areas] & [REALM 46: Himalayas as a System]With reference to India's satellite launch vehicles, consider the following statements:
1. PSLVs launch the satellites useful for Earth resources monitoring whereas GSLVs are designed mainly to launch communication satellites.
2. Satellites launched by PSLV appear to remain permanently fixed in the same position in the sky, as viewed from a particular location on Earth.
3. GSLV Mk III is a four-staged launch vehicle with the first and third stages using solid rocket motors; and the second and fourth stages using liquid rocket engines.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) 1 only
Statement 1 is True: The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is India's workhorse for placing remote sensing/Earth observation satellites into Low Earth Polar Orbits. The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) was specifically designed to carry heavy communication satellites (like INSAT/GSAT) much higher into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbits.
Statement 2 is False: It describes a Geostationary orbit (where a satellite matches Earth's rotation and appears fixed in the sky), which is where the GSLV puts satellites. PSLV satellites zoom around the earth pole-to-pole multiple times a day.
Statement 3 is False: The GSLV Mk III (now LVM3) is a three-stage heavy lift vehicle (two solid strap-on boosters, a liquid core stage, and a cryogenic upper stage), not a four-stage vehicle like the PSLV.
Route: [REALM 355: Launch Vehicles & Applications]The Dual Chariots
The Fluctuating Capital
With reference to the governance of public sector banking in India, consider the following statements:
1. Capital infusion into public sector banks by the Government of India has steadily increased in the last decade.
2. To put the public sector banks in order, the merger of associate banks with the parent State Bank of India has been affected.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) 2 only
Statement 1 is False: UPSC loves to trap candidates with the word "steadily." Capital infusion by the government into PSBs fluctuated wildly over the 2008-2018 decade depending on the NPA crisis and fiscal deficit pressures. It did not form a continuous upward ("steady") curve.
Statement 2 is True: In a massive consolidation move effective April 1, 2017, the five associate banks of SBI (State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, Hyderabad, Mysore, Patiala, and Travancore) along with the Bharatiya Mahila Bank were officially merged into the parent State Bank of India to create a global banking behemoth.
Route: [REALM 132: Public Sector Banks] & [REALM 141: Banking Sector Reforms]Consider the following items:
1. Cereal grains hulled
2. Chicken eggs cooked
3. Fish processed and canned
4. Newspapers containing advertising material
Which of the above items is/are exempted under GST (Goods and Services Tax)?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) 4 only
This question tests your understanding of the philosophy behind GST brackets. Unprocessed, raw essentials are exempt (0%). The moment you process, brand, or cook them, they attract GST.
- Cereal grains hulled: Raw grains are exempt. But "hulled" means they have been processed to remove the outer husk. Thus, they attract a 5% GST. (False).
- Chicken eggs cooked: Raw fresh eggs are exempt. Once you cook them, they fall under prepared foods and attract GST. (False).
- Fish processed and canned: Fresh fish is exempt. Processed/canned fish attracts GST. (False).
- Newspapers: To protect the freedom of press and flow of information, newspapers, journals, and periodicals (whether they contain advertising or not) are kept fully exempt (0%) under GST. (True).
The Processing Tax
The Forest Deed
Consider the following statements:
1. The definition of "Critical Wildlife Habitat" is incorporated in the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
2. For the first time in India, Baigas have been given Habitat Rights.
3. Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change officially decides and declares Habitat Rights for Primitive and Vulnerable Tribal Groups in any part of India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) 1 and 2 only
Statement 1 is True: The term "Critical Wildlife Habitat" (where tribal rights can be modified/resettled to protect wildlife) is specifically defined under Section 2(b) of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006.
Statement 2 is True: In 2016, the Baiga community in Madhya Pradesh became the very first Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in India to be officially granted "Habitat Rights" under the FRA.
Statement 3 is False: While MoEFCC deals with forests generally, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) is the nodal agency for implementing the Forest Rights Act and officially recognizing these specific tribal Habitat Rights.
Route: [REALM 196: Forest & Biodiversity Legal Governance] & [REALM 55: Forest Rights in India]Consider the following:
1. Birds
2. Dust blowing
3. Rain
4. Wind blowing
Which of the above spread plant diseases?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Plant diseases (pathogens like fungi, bacteria, and viruses) are highly opportunistic and use almost every natural mechanism to spread (disseminate).
- Birds: Carry fungal spores or infected insects on their feet and feathers from plant to plant.
- Dust blowing: Soil-borne pathogens and hardy spores attach to dust particles and travel miles.
- Rain: Raindrops create a "splash" effect, bouncing bacterial pathogens from infected soil/lower leaves onto healthy upper leaves.
- Wind blowing: The most common vector for fungal rusts and smuts, carrying spores across continents.
The Vectors of Blight
The Green Certificate
With reference to organic farming in India, consider the following statements:
1. 'The National Programme for Organic Production' (NPOP) is operated under the guidelines and directions of the Union Ministry of Rural Development.
2. 'The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority' (APEDA) functions as the Secretariat for the implementation of NPOP.
3. Sikkim has become India's first fully organic State.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) 2 and 3 only
Statement 1 is False: This is a classic UPSC ministry swap. The National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) grants the organic certification primarily intended to boost agricultural exports. Therefore, it is operated under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, not the Ministry of Rural Development or Agriculture.
Statement 2 is True: Under the Ministry of Commerce, APEDA acts as the nodal secretariat for implementing NPOP standards.
Statement 3 is True: In 2016, Sikkim proudly achieved the status of becoming India's (and the world's) first 100% organic farming state, completely phasing out synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
Route: [REALM 61: Organic Farming Crops] & [REALM 326: Organic Farming]