GENERAL AWARENESS PRACTICE QUESTIONS FOR CIVIL EXAMS

1. Which of the following states has launched the Indira Bal Swasthya Yojana (IBSY) to provide free treatment to all children?
a. Gujarat
b. Rajasthan
c. Haryana
d. Karnataka
2. The current headquarters of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is located in which of the following cities?
a. Mumbai
b. Bengaluru
c. Dehradun
d. New Delhi

3. Nirbasan is a book written by which of the following writers?
a. Taslima Nasreen
b. Salman Rushdie
c. Begum Rokeya
d. Selina Hossain
4. Which of the following States will host an international children film festival in association with CFSI in April 2012?
a. Goa
b. Maharashtra
c. Odisha
d. New Delhi
5. Which of the following states has successfully used mobile phone technology to provide timely healthcare to pregnant women and infants?
a. Gujarat
b. Karnataka
c. Andhra Pradesh
d. Haryana
6. Vizhinjam International Seaport is located in which state?
a. Kerala
b. Andhra Pradesh
c. Tamil Nadu
d. Gujarat
7. The KK Birla Foundation has awarded the 21st Bihari Puraskar 2011 to Arjundeo Charan for his Rajasthani poetry collection:
a. Anta Ke Sanshaya
b. Ghar Tau Ek Nam Hai Bhrosai Rau
c. Jagah Jaisi Jagah
d. Utsav Ka Nirmam Samai
8. An international Congress on ‘Modern Concepts in Canine Health and Diseases of Human Concern’ was held in which of the following districts of Rajasthan from 9 to 11 February 2012?
a. Bikaner
b. Jaipur
c. Jhalawar
d. Jodhpur
9. The Union Ministry of Health & Family has launched a music video, Life Se Panga Mat Le Yaar, sung by Shaan. Shaan has been appointed India's:
a. Population control ambassador
b. AIDS control ambassador
c. Cancer control ambassador
d. Tobacco control ambassador
10. Who is the coach of the Indian women's hockey team?
a. Sandeep Somesh
b. Mir Ranjan Negi
c. CR Kumar
d. Khalid Modi
11. The National Anti Doping Appeal Panel (NADAP) is headed by:
a. DM Dharmadhikari
b. PN Bhagwati
c. KT Thomas
d. CK Mahajan
12 Who among the following is the current chairman of Prime Minister's Scientific Advisory Council?
a. CNR Rao
b. Vikash Sinha
c. R Chidambaram
d. R Narasimha
13. Russia will hand over the refurbished aircraft carrier, Admiral Gorshkov, to India before the end of 2012. Which of the following shipyards had built Admiral Gorshkov?
a. Sevmash Shipyard
b. Hotchya Shipyard
c. Samussky Ship Building
d. Zvezda Shipyard
14. The Solicitor General for India is subordinate to the Attorney General of India. Who among the following is the current Solicitor-General?
a. Gopal Subramaniam
b. Rohinton Nariman
c. GE Vahanvati
d. Harish Salve
15. In which of the following states are houses - with all facilities, including toilets, drainage, and road connectivity - being provided to displaced families under the Asare scheme?
a. Andhra Pradesh
b. Karnataka
c. Bihar
d. Odisha
16. Who among the following is the current President of the ATP Players' Council?
a. Rafael Nadal
b. Roger Federer
c. Brad Drewett
d. Ivan Ljubicic
17. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA. has given its final approval to the London-based mining group Vedanta Resources Plc's acquisition of a majority stake in Cairn India Limited for $8.48 billion. Who is the head of the CCEA?
a. Manmohan Singh
b. Kapil Sibbal
c. Pranab Mukherjee
d. Abhishek Manu Singhvi
18. Which of the following states has launched the Atal Bijli Bachat Yojna to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by distributing free four CFL bulbs to every household?
a. Himachal Pradesh
b. Madhya Pradesh
c. Gujarat
d. Karnataka
19. Which state has become the first to set up a special commando unit for protecting tigers from poachers and hunters?
a. Karnataka
b. Tamil Nadu
c. Madhya Pradesh
d. Chhattisgarh
20. The National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) is India's largest iron ore producer and exporter. Who is the current Chairman-cumManaging Director of NMDC?
a. Rana Som
b. NK Nanda
c. S Thiagarajan
d. Subimal Bose
21. The India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) is the nodal agency of the Government of India for promoting external trade. Who among the following is the current C h a i r m a n - c u m - M a n a g i n g Director of ITPO?
a. Neeraj Kumar Gupta
b. Rita Menon
c. AK Khanna
d. Sunil Kumar Sharma
22. The Kiran-Mk 2 is a/an:
a. Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft
b. Scheme for adolescent girls launched by Andhra Pradesh
c. Scheme for pregnant women launched by West Bengal
d. Satellite dedicated to Kalpana Chawla - to be launched by ISRO
23. Kobelco Cranes India Pvt Ltd (KCI), a part of Kobelco Cranes Company Limited (KCL) has commenced production at its hydraulic crane manufacturing plant in Andhra Pradesh. KCL originally belongs to which country?
a. Japan
b. Germany
c. South Korea
d. Sweden
24. The GD Birla award is given each year to scientists who have contributed towards scientific research. Who among the following has won the GD Birla Award - 2011 for his contributions to the field of biochemistry?
a. Santanu Bhattacharya
b. Tapas Kumar Kundu
c. Nilesh Kumar
d. Manindra Agrawal
25. Who among the following authors has written the book Feeding the Forgotten Poor?
a. William D Dar
b. Jagdish Bhagwati
c. Kuldip Nayyar
d. Amartya Sen
26. Who among the following authors is the current President of Maldives?
a. Mohammed Nasheed
b. Waheed Hassan
c. Ahmed Shihan
d. Abdullah Fairoosh
27. Which social activist refused to accept the Karnataka government's Basava Puruskar 2010 on grounds of “disagreement with certain state policies and inability of the government to deal with the mining scam and other scandals”?
a. Medha Patkar
b. Anna Hazare
c. Kiran Bedi
d. Aruna Roy
28. US President Barack Obama recently issued an executive order blocking the property of which of the following country's governments and its financial institutions in America?
a. North Korea
b. Iran
c. Syria
d. Cuba
29. The Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Ministry of Agriculture and was established on 16 July 1929. Where are the ICAR’s headquarters located?
a. Pantnagar
b. Puducherry
c. New Delhi
d. Bhopal
30. Which New Delhi-based NGO has been awarded the “Best Institution for Child Development and Welfare” honour by the Union Minister of Women & Child Development, Krishna Tirath, recently?
a. Ank
b. Uday
c. Deepalaya
d. Tamana
31. The 14th Youth National Volleyball Championships were held in which of the following cities, from 7 to 13 February 2012?
a. Hyderabad
b. New Delhi
c. Kolkata
d. Pune
32. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) is responsible for proper planning and coordinated development of the technical education and management education system in India. Who is the Chairman of the AICTE?
a. SS Mantha
b. Ram Avtar Yadav
c. Rabinder Randhawa
d. H C Rai
33. Kaiga power plant is a nuclear power generating station situated at Kaiga near the river Kali. Which state is it located in?
a. Karnataka
b. Tamil Nadu
c. Maharashtra
d. Gujarat
34. Kalakkad - Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) is located in which of the following states?
a. Kerala
b. Andhra Pradesh
c. Tamil Nadu
d. Karnataka

ANSWERS

1. (a) Haryana
2. (d) New Delhi
3. (a) Taslima Nasreen
4. (c) Odisha
5. (b) Karnataka
6. (a) Kerala
7. (b) Ghar Tau Ek Nam Hai Bhrosai Rau
8. (a) Bikaner
9. (d) Tobacco control ambassador
10. (c) CR Kumar
11. (d) CK Mahajan
12. (a) CNR Rao
13. (a) Sevmash Shipyard
14. (b) Rohinton Nariman
15. (b) Karnataka
16. (b) Roger Federer
17. (a) Manmohan Singh
18. (a) Himachal Pradesh
19. (a) Karnataka
20. (b) NK Nanda
21. (b) Rita Menon
22. (a) IAF aircra
23. (a) Japan
24. (b) Tapas Kumar Kundu
25. (a) William D. Dar
26. (b) Waheed Hassan
27. (a) Medha Patkar
28. (b) Iran
29. (c) New Delhi
30. (d) Tamana
31. (c) Kolkata
32. (a) SS Mantha
33. (a) Karnataka
34. (c) Tamil Nadu

Brief notes on the concept of Legal Rights

We have mentioned earlier that a person is an entity clothed with certain rights and duties. The sources of different rights may be customary, statutory, contractual, tortuous, personal law, etc.

Some of the rights, which a person has, are interest in life, or liberty or property or extending over domestic relations and even to contractual relations. Some of these interests are not recognized or protected by law. The rights recognized or protected by law alone are enforceable. These rights have their origin in some source or the other, such as custom, statutes, personal law, of tort.

There are a number of distinguishing features of rights. Some of these are: (i) A right is always vested in a person but not in an inanimate being or animal or even a dead person. (ii) A right is generally correlative of a duty in relation to the fulfillment of a right. (iii) The right must relate to a subject matter, namely the objects, which in a given case may relate to a person or property, place or a thing. (iv)The nature of a right may be to get something done from another or to refrain him to do something.

Thus, there may be a right to get back the money lent, or to get the house built as per agreement, or to prevent a person to trespass upon your property. (v) Every right can be traced to a source which may be a contract, a custom, a natural law, etc.

By: Tapan

5 most essential Political Rights of a citizen

These are rights by virtue of which the citizens take direct or indirect part in the administration of the state. Political rights are an essential complement of civil rights. In the absence of political rights civil rights become meaningless.


Political rights provide ways and means by which citizens can check the arbitrary use of authority and encroachment upon their rights.


Political rights are enjoyed by the citizens alone and not by aliens. These are not extended to aliens because they owe allegiance to their own states. Some of the political rights may be described as follows :
1. Right to Vote:


According to this right, citizens in a state elect their representatives who are to constitute the government. Previously this right was given on the basis of some qualifications of property, education or the like. But now this right has been extended to all adults irrespective of any qualification.


The right to vote places sovereign power in the hands of the people in the ultimate sense. Citizens can make or unmake the government through the exercise of this power.
2. Right to be Elected:


This is a valuable right of a citizen in a democratic state. It implies that every citizen should have the right to seek election to legislative bodies or other representative organs.


People in a democracy have equal opportunities to be elected for any representative body. Nobody should be debarred from contesting elections to any office on account of his birth, class or creed if he is mentally and physically fit.
3. Right to Hold Public Offices:


The right to hold public offices is allied to the right to be elected. This means that all are equally eligible for appointment to all state offices, provided they are qualified by virtue of education, experience, ability and character.
4. Right to Petition:


It means that every citizen have the right to send petitions to the government or the legislature for the redress of his grievances.
5. Right to Permanent Residence:


The citizens have the right to permanent residence in the state of their birth. They cannot be deported for any crime.
6. Right to Resist:


This is a controversial right. Some believe that citizens should be given the right to resist an unjust government while others assert that government will become a plaything in the hands of the people if this right is freely exercised. According to Mahatma Gandhi, however, people should be given the right to resist a bad government.


By: Ankita

Intellectual Property Rights

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) is the right to protect innovative ideas to make use of and sell a new product or technology. The protection is granted solely to the inventor or corporation, which files a claim on the investors' behalf, for a limited period of time. This may take the form of patents, trademarks or copyrights. IPRs are legally enforceable but with limited monopoly granted by the state to the inventor. Within the specified time frame for which granted, no one else can copy the idea or technology allowing the innovators to commercialize it and recoup any investment on research and its development. Intellectual property has two characteristics in particular which lend it to special legal protection.


The first is that it tends to have a high cost of development and the second is that it has low7 costs of reproduction. For example, it may cost say more than a few crores to bring a new drug to the market, yet after the drug is available any good chemist could through reverse engineering reproduce it at a fraction of the cost. Similarly, amongst any other product or process of which computer software or a piece of writing are the most easily copied.


The area where IPR requirements are most pronounced can be categorized as:
Agriculture - Plant varieties including Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
Manufacturing
Information products


The debate for the desirability of IPRs continues in terms of welfare of the innovator who deserves right/remuneration for his efforts against the welfare of the society at large, which would benefit from the access to the innovation. The argument for IPR protection is that there would be less innovation without protection as no one would be willing to shell out large amounts of money or even innovate to develop new products/technologies/processes, if their innovation could be immediately copied by others; stronger the IPR protection, the more monitory rewards can be recouped by the innovator and thus more innovation tends to occur.


However, it cannot be overlooked that the overriding needs of the welfare for all rich and poor is to have affordable access to the results of innovation that can lead to in sustainable development. It is important to note that while on one hand the financial incentive for innovation is a key justification for IPRs, on the other hand, IPR systems can severely hamper the very innovation they are intended to spur as the sharing and spread of innovative knowledge would get restricted in the hands of only a few who can invest in it.


To bring all the countries at par, the Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) was formulated in January 1995, under which all member countries must bring their national IPR laws into conformity with certain provisions. However, the provisions in it generated so much controversy and debate that the final agreement states that the conditions "shall be reviewed after every four years from the date of entry into force".


The benefits of IPR protection for the innovator (and country) and lack of it for mankind and sustainable development on a whole needs to be weighted each time the issue crops up and decide accordingly.


By: R.K TRIPATHY

Review of Constitution

“The working of our Constitution over the years has exposed various weaknesses of the Indian political system and a comprehensive review of the Constitution is necessary.” Immediately after independence, the Constituent Assembly and its Drafting Committee prepared and adopted the Indian Constitution, which with some changes over the years, has been continuing.

Last about six decades of working of the Constitution has exposed certain weaknesses of the Indian political system. At times it is felt by many that a comprehensive review of the Indian Constitution must be carried out to tackle the weaknesses. One of the major weaknesses is that the multi-party system has given scope for so-called ‘horse trading’, which could not be stopped even by the constitutional amendment facilitating the enactment of the Anti-defection Act. Further, it has resulted in evolution of coalition culture, which has increased the political instability of the government.

Further, considering the present-day overlaps resulted by the legislative and judicial activism, there has to be a clear demarcation of the boundaries of jurisdiction of the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary. Several people feel that with a view to have strong executive at the national and State levels, the present system of Parliamentary democracy must be replaced by the Presidential form of government where the President (Head of the State) is directly elected by the people, who also becomes the functional head
of the State as well as that of the government.

In addition, the empowerment of the States with the overall aim of strengthening the Indian federation is another area on which many political thinkers are unanimous. It is believed that the Indian federal system must also be as close as possible to the US system, so that the regional aspirations of the people are met. It is also felt by many that it is high time that the protection available to the public servants under Article 310 of the Constitution is done away with, so that work culture is inculcated among the government employees.

With a view to strengthen the Constitution, most of the above amendments are necessary. But one has to keep in mind and ensure that none of the proposed amendments actually violate Supreme Court Judgments about the ‘basic structure’ of the Constitution. For effecting the change beyond the basic structure, it would perhaps require the prior approval of the Supreme Court and the process may have to be undertaken under the close scrutiny of the apex
court.

Civil Services Prelims Exam 2011 .Paper 2-General Studies part

>Directions for the following 5 items Read the following passage and answer the items that follow. Your answers to these items should be based on the passage only.


Passage
Now India’s children have a right to receive at least eight years of education, the gnawing question is whether it will remain on paper or become a reality. One hardly needs a reminder that this right is different from the others enshrined in the Constitution, that the beneficiary—a six year old child cannot demand it, nor can she or he fight a legal battle when the right is denied or violated. In all cases, it is the adult society which must act on behalf of the child. In another peculiarity, where a child’s right to education is denied, no compensation offered later can be adequate or relevant. This is so because childhood does not last. If a legal battle fought on behalf of a child is eventually won, it may be of little use to the boy or girl because the opportunity missed at school during childhood cannot serve the same purpose later in life. This may be painfully true for girls because our society permits them only a short childhood, if at all. The Right to Education (RTE) has become law at a point in India’s history when the ghastly practice of female infantic ide has resurfaced in the form of foeficide. This is “symptomatic of a deeper turmoil’ in society which is compounding the traditional obstacles to the education of girls. Tenacious prejudice against the intellectual potential of girls runs across our cultural diversity and the system of education Fias not been able to address it.

1. With reference to the passage, consider the following statements:

1. When children are denied education, adult society does not ad on behalf of them.
2. Right to Education as a law cannot be enforced in the country.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(A) lorily
(B) 2 only
(C) Both I and 2
(D) Neither I nor 2

2. According to the passage, what could be the traditional obstacles to the education of girls?
I. Inability of parents to fight a legal battle when. the Right to Education is denied to their children.
2. The traditional way of thinking about girls’ role in society.
3. The prejudice against the intellectual potential of girls.
4. Improper system of educal ion.
Select the correct answer from
the codes given below
(A) land2only
(B) 2,3and4only
(C) 1,3and4only
(D) 1,2,3and4

3. On the basis of the passage, cons ider the following statements:
1. Right to Education is a legal right and not a fundamental right.
2. For realising the goal of universal education, the education system in the country must be made ideri- tical to that of developed countries.
Which of the statements given above is I are correct?
(A) 1 only
(B) 2orily
(C) Bothland2
(D) Neither 1 nor 2

4. Which one of the following statem ents conveys the key message. of the passage?
(A) India has declared that education is compulsory for its children.
(B) Adult society is not keen on implementing the Right to Education.
(C) The Right to Education, particularly of a girl child, needs to be safeguarded.
(D) The system of education should address the issue of Right to Education.

5. Which one of the following statements conveys the inference of the passage?
(A) The society has a tenacious prejudice against the intellectual potential of girls.
(B) Adults cannot be relied upon to fight on behalf of children for their Right to Education.
(C) The legal fight to get educa tion for children is often pro traded and prohibitive.
(D) There is no sufficient subs titute for education received in childhood.

The Proliferation and Brand Dilution of National Law Universities

The National Law University (NLU) experiment started in 1987 with an aim to add new vigour to legal education, which in 70s and 80s seemed to have resigned itself to institutional mediocrity. Except for few institutions in presidency towns, the legal education was in a downward spiral. The stage was set for something new and Prof. Menon (though some say he was inspired by Prof. Bakshi) decided to experiment with the novel idea of a 5 year law education right after secondary school. This model was completely different from the then contemporary legal education models followed in the common law countries. In US students could enter law school only after completion of an undergraduate degree, while in UK students could enter legal studies directly after school and the period of study was 3 years followed by a one or two year period of 'apprenticeship' to apply for Bar (through BPTC formerly known as BVC and pupilage) or law firms (via LPC).
The 5 year integrated law school model strived hard on its own for a number of years before the stakeholders deemed it to be successful but once this verdict was reached there was no holding back. First off the blocks were NALSAR, NLIU and NUJS. After that the flood gates were open. Within a decade the number of NLUs jumped from one to fifteen.

If we look at the comparative growth of other institutions of national importance like IITs or IIMs, we find that these institutions had a long gestation period with slow growth before they moved into the expansion phase. However for law schools the growth has been exponential (as borne out by the graph above).

Many reasons can be attributed to this explosive growth of National Law Universities across India, one of the main cause is the little or no initial investment to be made by the state yet the enviable tag of a state with National Law University. Most of the new NLUs run from make shift buildings which have little or no infrastructure to run a corporation schools much less a NLU. Secondly all the NLUs are based on self financed model, which secures a steady flow of capital in form of fees, thus all it needs from state is a legislative Act and voila there is a new National Law University. If one looks at the newest law schools like NUSRL and NLS&JAA they hardly have any of their own infrastructures. The trend seems to have reached such alarming proportion that new law schools start off without faculty yet invite applications from students for admission. CLAT though path breaking in reducing cost and anxiety among law school aspirants, unwittingly end up providing students for these new institutions. If these institutions fail in long term then it would do immense harm to the law school brand and reputation. Thus it is in the interest of the collective NLU brand that older more established NLUs provide active mentorship to the fledgling institutions. It would also be opportune at this moment to look at the recruitment statistics of NLUs. Arguably AMSS, AZB, Khaitan & Co., Luthra & Luthra and Trilegal are the biggest five domestic recruiters. If we look at the collective recruitment pattern in 2011 of these Big Five we would find that they tend to favour old NLUs over the rest of the law schools.

The recruitment graph shows a classic case of inverse triangle, where few law schools have disproportionately large share of the top end of the job market. If we believe that private sector is the best judge of quality then the trend is extremely worrisome as it tends to point out that there are serious faultlines somewhere in the system and a diminishing brand value of NLUs outside the few top institutions. The situation is quite similar for the new IITs where the graduating batches are offered a 'pittance' compared to 'more established' IITs. Though recruitment stats alone should not constitute the measuring rod for quality of any institution or its students, however it seems that the time has come to reinvent the NLU brand. The only way forward for NLUs to revive itself is to have strong inter NLU exchanges of both faculty as well as students, strong and active mentor groups for new NLUs and an unambiguous moratorium on opening of new NLUs unless there is an existing infrastructure in terms of library, academic buildings and faculty. To end on a happy note NLUD seems to be have discovered the proper path on how best to open a new NLU - with a world class infrastructure, a 'charismatic' VC and an able faculty.

Centre for Civil Society- ìpolicy certificate in public policy for young leaders

ìpolicy
certificate in public policy for young leaders
new Delhi, 26-29 april 2012

Centre for Civil Society, in partnership with Atlas Network, presents ìpolicy for Young Leaders , a four-day, residential course in public policy and liberal philosophy for law students, researchers, and faculty. The course focuses on issues in the areas of education, livelihood for the poor, and good governance.  During the course participants share and explore ideas about voluntary and policy-based solutions to current social problems.

The ìpolicy experience encourages experiential learning, making for an exciting, engaging and entertaining course. Formats vary between interactive lectures, working groups, field visits and cooperative games.

Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to learn, engage, network and develop skills in critical thinking and public policy; all in a relaxed and enjoyable environment where the priority is you.

Who is eligible?

The programme is targeted towards law students, researchers, and faculty under 35 interested in law and policy issues. The course has been designed to make each session participatory; therefore, available seats for the course have been limited to 40 people. Individuals who entered the Jeevika Law Competition will be given priority in the application process.

Please Note:

·         Selected candidates will be required to participate for the entire duration of the course at the end of which a Certificate in Public Policy will be awarded.

·         The course fee is Rs. 2000, which includes all meals and a four-night stay at the venue. The 20 top individuals who participated in the Jeevika Law Competition will be given a scholarship voucher that covers the entire course fee.

·         Limited reimbursement of actual expenses (up to Rs. 3000) is available for outstation candidates.  Reimbursement will only be awarded with travel proof such as boarding pass, train ticket, etc.

·         The deadline for submission of the Application Form is April 18, 2012.

For any queries, contact Sadaf Hussain: 99531 33868 or 011-2653 7456 ext: 25
  
CCS was ranked in top 50 Think Tanks worldwide in 2011 by a study conducted by University of Pennsylvania

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Simplification Of The Legal Words And Language:Need Of The Hour

Law is very much complicated than human brain. That is why it fails to reach to the general people in India. Most of the law is drafted and decorated on the foreign principles before the Indian independence and after the independence. After 1947 to next 15 years, the position of the Indian democracy was just like the baby stage .Now Indian democracy is quite mature but at this postmodern era of deconstruction there is no simplification of the legal words and language. Most of the advocates juggle with the words. The general people of India are in an exploitive situation to get the justice as because the legal words are beyond the reach of literate educated and semi educated. The general people are the tax payer and the parliamentarians, judges and public prosecutors draw a lump sum from the public money. All laws are for human beings and if it is too tough to understand for the critical legal language for the general people from where law is evolved and then what is the use of it. It is just like the colonial policy to collect the raw material and make a finished good for gain of a particular handful of people.

Every human being is self advocate for self representation self defense due to natural reason within them. The simplification of legal words and language can provide them with more power of liberalization, equalization and personal sophistication to shield and shape their rights named and unnamed to strengthen the welfare society and social changes and social control.

By: Sk Jahangir Ali

Source: Legal India