DAY 7 (22-09-23)
Q1. Consider the following statements regarding TrueNat, recently seen in news :
- It is a portable, chip-based and battery-operated machine.
- It was originally developed for conducting covid-19 tests.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(a) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (a)
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: It is a portable, chip-based and battery-operated RT-PCR kit developed by a Goa-based company. The World Health Organisation has approved TrueNat for detecting TB as it is cost-effective and a miniature version of the PCR test.
Statement 2 is incorrect: TrueNat was originally developed to detect Tuberculosis (TB) in one hour. Both TrueNat Xpert MTB and TrueNat Xpert MTB Plus were used to detect TB. Recently, in Kerala Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has approved its use to diagnose Nipah. In 2020 the ICMR also approved the use of TrueNat devices for conducting covid-19 tests. Moreover, being portable, the devices can be carried to remote places to quickly screen covid 19.
Q2. Which one of the following best defines the term ‘State’?
(a) A community of persons permanently occupying a definite territory independent of external control and possessing an organized government.
(b) A politically organized people of a definite territory and possessing an authority to govern them, maintain law and order, protect their natural rights and safeguard their means of sustenance.
(c) A number of persons who have been living in a definite territory for a very long time with their own culture, tradition, and government.
(d) A society permanently living in a definite territory with a central authority, an executive responsible to the central authority, and an independent judiciary.
Answer: (a)
Explanation:
According to Max Weber, a State is a human community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory. The state possesses a government which has the authority to enforce a system of rules over the people living inside it. That system of rules is commonly composed of a constitution, statutes, regulations, and common law.
Its mains functions can be maintaining law, order and stability, resolving various kinds of disputes through the legal system, providing common defence, and looking out for the welfare of the population in ways that are beyond the means of the individual, such as implementing public health measures, providing mass education and underwriting expensive medical research. The essential attributes of a state are:
- Defined territory
- Population
- Organized government
- Sovereignty and independence
Q3. Consider the following statements:
- Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) is published by the UNDP.
- MPI does not include income or GDP growth or budget deficit.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (c)
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) is published by the UNDP’s Human Development Report Office and tracks deprivation across three dimensions and 10 indicators: health (child mortality, nutrition), education (years of schooling, enrollment), and living standards (water, sanitation, electricity, cooking fuel, floor, assets).
Statement 2 is correct: MPI identifies which of these 10 deprivations each household experiences, then identifies households as poor if they suffer deprivations across one -third or more of the weighted indicators. MPI does not include income or GDP growth or budget deficit.
Q4. Consider the following statements:
- Only a sovereign state can acquire territory or give away its territory to some other state.
- The term ‘socialist’ was added to the Preamble by the 44th Amendment.
- In a Republic the head is either directly or indirectly elected.
How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Answer: (b)
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: Sovereignty comes with the power to cede or accede the territory. Only a sovereign state can acquire territory or give away its territory to some other state.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The term ‘socialist’ was added to the Preamble by the 42nd Amendment. Its intention was to show that the country was a socialist state whose aim was to secure people with Justice-social, economic and political.
Statement 3 is correct: Republic implies to an elected head of the state. There is no hereditary head of the state. In a Republic the head is either directly or indirectly elected. In India we follow indirect election system, as the role of President is merely ceremonial and symbolic. In a Republic, one among citizen is chosen as the head of the State.
Q5. Consider the following statements:
- The Constitution of India provides for a parliamentary system of government both at the centre and the states
- The lower house – Lok Sabha, is dissolved automatically every five years after the end of tenure of the government.
- The ministers are collectively responsible to the Parliament in general.
How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Answer: (c)
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: The Constitution of India provides for a parliamentary system of government both at the centre and the states. The Government is classified as parliamentary or presidential based on the relationship between executive and legislature. In the Parliamentary system the executives are responsible to the legislature for its actions. While in the Presidential form, the executives remain independent and separate and are not made responsible for the legislature.
Statement 2 is correct: The lower house – Lok Sabha, is dissolved automatically every five years after the end of tenure of the government. And in other cases, the Prime Minister can submit recommendation for dissolution to the President. Thus, Lok Sabha is dissolved on the advice of the Prime Minister before the end of its term and fresh elections can be conducted. Thus, the executive has the power to dissolve the legislature in the Parliamentary system.
Statement 3 is correct: The ministers are collectively responsible to the Parliament in general and Lok Sabha in particular (Article 75). The council of ministers act as a team, they swim or sink together. This collective responsibility to Lok Sabha means that they can remove ministry government by passing the vote of no confidence motion against them.