21. Some of the constructed/under construction tunnels in India were recently making news. In this context, consider the following tunnels with states in which they have been/are being constructed:
- Chenani-Nashri tunnel- Himachal Pradesh
- Silkyara Bend-Barkot Tunnel- Sikkim
- Sela pass tunnel- Arunachal Pradesh
Which of the above is/are correct?
[A] 1 & 2 Only
[B] 3 Only
[C] 2 & 3 Only
[D] 1, 2 & 3
Answer: B [3 Only]
Notes:
Recently, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved to the construction of 4.531 km long 2-Lane Bi-Directional Silkyara Bend-Barkot Tunnel in Uttarakhand. The project will be implemented along NH-134 under the Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) Mode. Chenani-Nashri tunnel is 9.28 km long and is India’s longest highway tunnel located in Jammu & Kashmir. It was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi in 2017. Sela Pass is a high-altitude mountain pass in Arunachal Pradesh which is claimed by China. In Budget 2018, the government announced the construction of Sela pass tunnel.
22.Consider the following pairs:
State Dance
1. Manipur : Pung cholam
2. Assam : Ghumura
3. Meghalaya : Shad Suk Mynsiem
4. Sikkim : Chu fat
5. Karnataka : Dholu Kunitha
Which of the above is/are correctly matched?
[A] 1,2 and 3 Only
[B] 1,3,4 and 5 Only
[C] 3,4 and 5 Only
[D] 1,2,3,4 and 5
Answer: B [1, 3, 4 and 5 Only]
Notes:
Ghumura is a dance form in Odisha state of India
23. It is among the oldest surviving health traditions of the world with a living history of more than 2500 years. It has been practised in Himalayan regions, particularly in Leh and Ladakh (J&K), Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Darjeeling etc. This curative system is very effective in managing chronic diseases like Asthma, Bronchitis, Arthritis, etc. It considers body and the mind as the locus of treatment. This healing system is known as _?
[A] Sowa-Rigpa
[B] Naturopathy
[C] Unani
[D] Ayurveda
Answer: A [Sowa-Rigpa]
Notes:
Sowa-Rigpa is among the oldest surviving health traditions of the world with a living history of more than 2500 years. It has been practised in Himalayan regions throughout, particularly in Leh and Ladakh (J&K), Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Darjeeling etc. This curative system is effective in managing chronic diseases like Asthma, Bronchitis, Arthritis, etc. It considers body and the mind as the locus of treatment.
24.Consider the following statements about the state of Sikkim.
1.Sikkim’s literacy rate increased to 82.2% from 68.8% in 2001.
2.Sikkim is the least populated state in India.
3.Sikkim also became the first fully organic state.
Which of the above is correct?
[A] 2 only
[B] 3 only
[C] 1, 2, 3
[D] 2 and 3 only
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [1, 2, 3]
Notes:
Sikkim will be the first state to implement UBI in India. It is the best state for women in the workplace. It also decreased its poverty ratio by 22% to 51,000 in 2011-12 from 1.7 lakh in 2004-05.
25. Who has been sworn-in as the new chief minister of Sikkim?
[A] Arun Uperti
[B] Kunga Nima Lepcha
[C] Prem Singh Tamang
[D] Sonam Lama
Answer: C [Prem Singh Tamang]
Notes:
Prem Singh Tamang, the president of Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) and popularly known as P S Golay, has been sworn-in as the new chief minister of Sikkim. Governor Ganga Prasad administered the oath of office to Mr. Golay in a grand ceremony at the Palzor stadium in Gangtok. Mr. Golay is not a member of the state assembly at present as he did not contest the polls.
The SKM won 17 of the 32 legislative Assembly seats in the State in the recently held Assembly polls. The Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), which had ruled the State for 25 years, won 15. Mr. Golay succeeded Pawan Chamling of the SDF who has the record of longest-serving Chief Minister of the country, ruling the State for five consecutive terms for a little over 24 years.
26. Consider the following statements:
I. Sikkim has the minimum area among the 28 Indian States (Delhi and Pondicherry not included)
II. Chandigarh had the highest literacy rate among Pondicherry, NCT of Delhi and other Union Territories.
III. Maharashtra has the highest population after Uttar Pradesh among the 28 Indian States (Delhi and Pondicherry not included)
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[A] I and II
[B] II and III
[C] I only
[D] III only
Answer: B [II and III]
Notes:
Maharashtra is ranked 2nd after Uttar Pradesh among 28 Indian states. So, option ‘3’ is correct. But option ‘1’ and ‘2’ are incorrect, because Goa is the smallest state based on area (i.e., 3702 sq km), not the Sikkim. Highest literacy rate is of Union territory is Lakshadweep i.e. 86.7%.
27. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
Monastery State
(a) Dhankar Monastery: Himachal Pradesh
(b) Rumtek Monastery: Sikkim
(c) Tabo Monastery: Himachal Pradesh
(d) Kye Monastery: Arunachal Pradesh
28. Which of the following statements are correct with respect to PTR/ Pupil Teacher ratio?
- The PTR norms for the country are 30:1 for primary level education, 35:1 for upper primary level education and 30:1 for secondary level education.
- The PTR compliance is aided by Sarva Siksha Abhiyan program for elementary and secondary education.
- Tripura, Sikkim and Nagaland have the worst PTR among Indian states.
- Kerala is the most compliant among the large states.
Select the correct option from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1, 2 & 3
[B] Only 2, 3 & 4
[C] Only 1 & 4
[D] 1, 2, 3 & 4
Answer: C [Only 1 & 4]
Notes:
Statement 1 is correct:
The PTR norms are set down under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009. The Unified District Information on School Education (UDISE) published data about the PTR compliance of states and UTs. The differences in the optimum pupil strength per class vary across the world. This makes global PTR data not uniformly comparable. However, UNESCO has said that the Indian standards are comparable to other nations of similar socio-economic standing.
Statement 2 is incorrect:
PTR implementation among the schools is in the state and UT government’s jurisdiction. But their effort is aided by Centre’s flagship programs for improving education coverage. The Sara Siksha Abhiyan is concerned with universal elementary education. But the secondary education is dealt with by the Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhiyan. These two schemes provide additional teachers in order to reach the optimal PTR levels.
Statement 3 is incorrect:
According to the UDISE report of 2017-18, the smaller states are the best performing with respect to PTR levels. Tripura, Sikkim and Nagaland are the top performing states. UTs also showed good performance. The worst performing states were the larger states, especially, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The percentage of schools that are non-compliant with national standards is also very high in these states. E.g.: about 67% and 77% of primary and upper primary schools of Bihar are non-compliant to norms.
Statement 4 is correct:
The UDISE report shows that Kerala is the most compliant to PTR norms among the larger states. It has very low compliance issue- less than 5% of primary and upper primary schools are non-compliant. It also has the best compliance to the provisions of RTE. Kerala has historically been a high spender in the education field. Some of its initiatives, like State Literacy Mission, are keenly involved in improving the state’s educational standing.
29.In context with the inauguration of the Sisseri bridge in November, consider the following statements:
- It is located in Sikkim.
- It was constructed by the National Highway Authority of India.
Select the correct option from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1 is correct
[B] Only 2 is correct
[C] Neither 1 nor 2 is correct
[D] Both 1 and 2 are correct
Answer: C [Neither 1 nor 2 is correct]
Notes:
Statement 1 is incorrect:
The Sisseri River Bridge is located in Arunachal Pradesh. It provides connectivity to the Lower Dibang Valley in the north-east. It is a 200m long bridge that connects Dibang valley with Siang. It is to be part of the Trans- Arunachal Highway.
Statement 2 is incorrect:
The Sisseri River Bridge was constructed by BRO/ Border Road Organisation. The BRO is concerned with development of road connectivity in the country’s border region, especially in the north-east states. The Sisseri Bridge was constructed under the Project Brahmank of the BRO.
30. In which year Sikkim became a protectorate state of India?
[A] 1948
[B] 1950
[C] 1947
[D] 1949
Answer: C [1947]
Notes:
Sikkim was a princely state ruled by Chogyals till 1947. When the British Paramountcy lapsed in 1947 Sikkim became a protectorate of India. Accordingly government assumed the responsibility for the defense, external affairs and communications of Sikkim.