'The Bus' by Arun Kolatkar: Summary and Analysis

1.Who won the US presidential election?

A. Joe Biden

B. Donald trump

C. George bush

D. Barack Obama

2. How many satellites did ISRO carry in space at one time?

A. 9

B. 10

C. 11

D. 12

3.Which country recently conferred the honorary rank of General of its army to the Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane?

A. Bangladesh

B. Sri Lanka

C. Nepal

D. Australia

4. In which country a massive 500m tall coral reef system has been discovered for the first time in 120 years?

A. Brazil

B. Seychelles

C. Mauritius

D. Australia

5.Who approved WhatsApp to join UPI payment?

A. NPCI

B. NIT

C. NEET

D. BIT

6. Who has been awarded with the JC Daniel award?

A. Lewis Glueck

B. Hariharan

C. Olga Tokruchuk

D. Peter Handke

7. International Day of Radiology is observed every year on which date?

A.1 November

B. 9 November

C. 8 November

D. 7 November

8. Who has been appointed as the chairperson of Air Quality Commission?

A. Paresh Kutty

B. Anupam Kutty

C. Shekhar Kutty

D. MM Kutty

9. Which country’s special forces practiced ‘Bull Strike’ tri-service?

A. India

B. Thailand

C. Nepal

D. France

10.When is the foundation day of Uttarakhand ?

A. 8 November

B. 9 November

C. 10 November

D. 11 November

11. Consider the following statements:

1. UN adopts India sponsored resolutions on nuclear disarmament.
2. The “Convention on the Prohibition of the Use of Nuclear Weapons”, tabled by India since 1972 in the General Assembly requests the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.

Which of the above statement/statements are correct?

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

12. Consider the following statements related to United Nations Industrial Development Organizations (UNIDO): 

1. United Nations Industrial Development Organizations (UNIDO) has been closely working with India to implement UN’s activities in harmony with national policy priorities and development strategies.
2. United Nations Industrial Development Organizations was established in 1996 by the UN General Assembly.
3. It is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization, and environmental sustainability.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A. 1 and 2 are correct

B. 1 and 3 are correct

C. 2 and 3 are correct

D. All of the above

13. Consider the following statements related to Project Lion:

1. Wildlife Institute of India along with the Gujarat Forest Department has identified six new relocation sites apart from the Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary under Project Lion.
2. MoEFCC has approved the project for three financial years from 2018 to 2021.

Which of the above statement/statements are correct?

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

14.Consider the following statements:

1. The ‘International ‘Satavadhanam’’ program has been launched virtually by the Vice President in Tirupati.
2. Avadhānaṃ originated as a Sanskrit literary process and is revived by poets in Telugu and Kannada in modern times.
3. It involves the partial improvisation of poems using specific themes, meters, forms, or words.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A. 1 and 2 are correct

B. 1 and 3 are correct

C. 2 and 3 are correct

D. All of the above

15. Consider the following statements:

1. Sports Ministry approves six centres as Khelo India Centre of Excellence.
2. The Ministry has also sanctioned over 97 crore rupees in the current financial year to upgrade these six centers.

Which of the above statement/statements are correct?

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

1.Answer: A

Explanation

Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. has defeated Donald Trump to become the 46th U.S. president, unseating the incumbent with a pledge to unify and mend a nation reeling from a worsening pandemic, faltering economy and deep political divisions. Bush in 1992. Biden’s electoral college vote to 290, surpassing the 270 needed to win the White House. Biden’s running mate, California Senator Kamala Harris, becomes the first Black and Indian-American woman to serve as vice president.

About Joseph Robinette Biden Jr:

• Biden Jr. was born November 20, 1942, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
• A member of the Democratic Party, Biden previously served as the 47th vice president from 2009 to 2017 and United States Senator for Delaware from 1973 to 2009.

About Kamala Harris:

• Harris was born on October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California. She has served as the junior United States senator from California since 2017.
• Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, a biologist whose work on the progesterone receptor gene stimulated work in breast cancer research, had arrived in the U.S. from Tamil Nadu in India in 1958 as a 19-year-old graduate student in nutrition and endocrinology at the University of California, Berkeley.
• Her father, Donald J. Harris, is a Stanford University professor emeritus of economics, who arrived in the U.S. from British Jamaica in 1961 for graduate study at UC Berkeley, receiving a PhD in economics in 1966.

2. Answer: B

Explanation

After nearly a year of silence, Sriharikota is back in action with Indian Space Research Organisation’s PSLV-C49 successfully lifting off from the first launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre.The rocket, in its 51th flight, carried an all-weather earth imaging satellite EOS-01, previously called RISAT-2BR2, and nine foreign satellites.The carrier was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

The EOS-01, an earth observation satellite, was intended to provide agriculture, forestry and disaster management support. The nine customer satellites are from Lithuania (1), Luxembourg (4) and USA (4). The customer satellites were being launched under a commercial agreement with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), department of space.

3. Answer: C

Explanation

Indian Army Chief MM Navarne was conferred with the rank of honorary General of Nepal Army on 5 Nov 2020. Bidhya Devi Bhandari 2nd President of Nepal presented him with a scroll and a sword during the honouring ceremony.

India-Nepal

• India and Nepal hold “SURYA KIRAN” military exercise. The countries have been awarding honorary ranks to each other’s army chiefs from 1950
• The Gorkha regiment of the Indian Army is raised through partial recruitment from Nepal.

Parliamentary Exchanges

• In 2016, a 13-member delegation of Members of Parliament from Nepal was on a study tour to India. In 2019, Nepal formed the “Nepal-India Parliamentary Friendship Group”.
• The group consisted of members from both the parliaments. This was to help Nepal in its parliamentary planning and proceedings.
• India taught its methodologies through the programme.

4. Answer: D

Explanation

Massive coral reef discovered in Great Barrier Reef for the first time in 120 years! Australian scientists have recently discovered a massive detached coral reef in the Great Barrier Reef, and this is the first to have been discovered in the region in 120 years, the Schmidt Ocean Institute announced in a statement. The base of the blade like reef is 1.5 km wide. Only 40 metres of the reef is under the sea surface. The newly discovered reef adds to the seven other tall detached reefs in the world. This includes the Raine Island. Raine Island is the most important Green Sea Turtle nesting area in the world. The marine ecosystem on the top of the newly discovered detached reefs are more vibrant than the rest.

Significance

• The newly found detached reef has great potential for the new species to evolve. This is because there is lot of deep water between this reef and the next coral community. Several new species have already been discovered during the project.
• A 45-metre long Siphonophore has been found. Siphonophore is a colonial organism that comprises of zooids. Zooids are multicellular organisms that allow the colony to float, reproduce, reproduce and move through water.

Why is the discovery significant?

• Most corals are found in shallow waters that are less than five metres deep.
• Deep water corals are rare and a very few deep water corals have broader depth range as that of the newly discovered coral.

5. Answer: A

Explanation

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) gave approval to WhatsApp to go live on the United Payments Interface (UPI) in a graded manner. WhatsApp can start with a maximum registered base of 20 million in UPI, NPCI said.

What is the plan?

• The NPCI has allowed WhatsApp to expand its user base in a graded manner. Initially the service is to be rolled out to 2 crore WhatsApp users.
• WhatsApp has more than 40 crore users in the country. This is because NPCI has stated that 30% cap is to be implemented on total payment volumes on every third-party payments application.
• This is to come into force from January 1, 2021.
• This 30% cap is on the total volume of transactions. The restrictions were imposed on the same day WhatsApp received a go-ahead to launch its payment feature.

UPI in India

• Currently UPI holds 400 million customers. In 2017, UPI accounted to 9% of all digital transactions in India.
• Later in February 2020, the share of UPI crossed 50%.

6. Answer: B

Explanation

Filmmaker Hariharan has been selected for the JC Daniel Award, the state government’s highest honour for lifetime contributions to Malayalam cinema. The award carries a purse of Rs 5 lakh, a citation, and a sculpture. Hariharan was chosen for the prestigious award by a jury chaired by MT Vasudevan Nair with director Harikumar, actor Vidhubala, State Chalachitra Academy chairman Kamal and Cultural Department Secretary Rani George as members. Hariharan, who initially skilled with cinematographer U Rajagopal in Madras, later assisted administrators M Krishnan Nair, AB Raj, and JD Thottanm for seven years. In 1972 he directed the film ‘Girls Hostel’. Later he got here up with a few of the evergreen films in Malayalam.

7. Answer: C

Explanation

The International Day of Radiology (IDoR) is held annually on November 8 to promote the role of medical imaging in modern healthcare. The day also marks the anniversary of the discovery of x-rays by Wilhelm Roentgen in 1895. The theme for 2020 is ‘Radiologists and radiographers supporting patients during COVID-19’ World Radiology Day was first celebrated in the year 2012.

8. Answer: D

Explanation

The Centre has notified the Commission for Air Quality Management for the National Capital Region (NCR). An ordinance was issued on October 29 to set up the new agency with sweeping powers to monitor and act against sources of air pollution across five north Indian states. The ordinance empowers the agency to make rules, set emission standards, and slap fines of up to Rs1 crore or imprison violators for up to five years. Delhi chief secretary MM Kutty will be the Commission’s first chairperson. Kutty is also ex-secretary, ministry of petroleum and natural gas.

9.Answer: A

Explanation

Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) has conducted a three-day Tri-Service Combat Exercise code-named “Bull Strike” at Teressa Island in Nicobar Group of Islands. The exercise focussed on interoperability and synergy among three services – Army, Navy and Air Force to maximise combat potential.

About “Bull Strike” Exercise

• The exercise saw participation from three services components of ANC, elements of Indian Army’s Parachute Brigade, MARCOS (Marine Commando Force) and Special Forces.
• The training activities included combat free fall and paradrop from Advanced Airlifter C-130J “Super Hercules” by a company of Para Commandos, action by MARCOS of Indian Navy and Special Heli Borne Operations (SHBO) by Indian Army Ghatak platoons.
• Search and rescue (SAR) and medical evacuation procedures were also practised by the participating troops.

10. Answer: B

Explanation

Uttarakhand, the Land of Gods, which was earlier named as Uttaranchal, is situated in North India. One of the biggest pilgrimage sites in India, the state is abundant in natural resources like rivers, forests etc

About Uttarakhand

• It is known as the “Land of Gods” or “Dev Bhumi”. It was named ‘Uttaranchal’ during its foundation. Later, it was renamed to Uttarakhand in 2007. The capital of the state is Dehradun. The high court of the state is located in Nainital.
• The State hosts Bengal Tiger in the Jim Corbett National Park. The Nanda Devi region is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The region is known for its rarity of flowers. The native people of Uttarakhand are Uttarakhandi, Kumaoni and Garhwali. Uttarakhand has the highest number of general category caste (upper caste) of any other state in India.
• The ethnic tribes of Uttarakhand are Jausari, Tharu, Bhotiya, Buksa, Jad, Raji and Banrawat.

National Parks and Sanctuaries in Uttarakhand

The major national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in the State of Uttarakhand are as follows

• Nanda Devi Biosphere
• Govind National Park
• Corbett National Park
• Rajaji National Park
• Gangotri National Park
• Govind Wild Life Sanctuary
• Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary
• Asan Wildlife Sanctuary
• Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary

Rivers in Uttarakhand

• Ganga, Kali, Yamuna and Tons are the famous rivers in the state.

11. Answer: A      

Explanation

The First Committee of UN General Assembly has adopted two resolutions which were sponsored by India – ‘Convention on the Prohibition of the Use of Nuclear Weapons’ and ‘Reducing Nuclear Danger’ under the ‘Nuclear weapons’ cluster. These resolutions manifest India’s commitment to the goal of nuclear disarmament.

About the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use of Nuclear Weapons

• The “Convention on the Prohibition of the Use of Nuclear Weapons”, tabled by India since 1982 in the General Assembly requests the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.
• The aim of this convention is to commence negotiations on an international convention prohibiting the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons under any circumstances.

About Reducing Nuclear Danger

• The resolution on “Reducing Nuclear Danger”, tabled since 1998, draws global attention to the risks of unintentional or accidental use of nuclear weapons and underscores the need for a review of nuclear doctrines.
• It calls for concrete steps to reduce such risks, including through de-alerting and de-targeting of nuclear weapons.

About United Nations General Assembly First Committee

• It is also known as the Disarmament and International Security Committee is one of six main committees at the General Assembly of the United Nations.
• It deals with disarmament and international security matters.

12. Answer: B

Explanation

The United Nations Industrial Development Organizations (UNIDO) has been closely working with India to implement UN’s activities in harmony with national policy priorities and development strategies. The UNIDO Regional Office in New Delhi acts as a focal point to promote UNIDO’s mandate of inclusive and sustainable industrial development in India.

About United Nations Industrial Development Organizations

• It is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization, and environmental sustainability.
• It was established in 1966 by the UN General Assembly.

Members

• As of 1 April 2019, 170 States are Members of UNIDO.

Mandate

• UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”.
• The relevance of ISID, however, applies in a greater or lesser extent to all SDGs.
• The mission of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013.
• It aims is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in the Member States.
• It is headquartered at Vienna, Austria.
• Accordingly, the Organization’s programmatic focus is structured, as detailed in the Organization’s Medium-Term Programme Framework 2018-2021.

In four strategic priorities:

1. Creating shared prosperity
2. Advancing economic competitiveness
3. Safeguarding the environment
4. Strengthening knowledge and institutions

13. Answer: C      

Explanation

Wildlife Institute of India along with the Gujarat Forest Department has identified six new relocation sites apart from the Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary under Project Lion. Last year a dedicated “Asiatic Lion Conservation Project” has been launched by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC). MoEFCC has approved the project for three financial years from 2018 to 2021.

The six new sites identified for possible lion relocation in the future include:

1. Madhav National Park, Madhya Pradesh
2. Sitamata Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan
3. Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan
4. Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh
5. Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan
6. Jessore-Balaram Ambaji WLS and adjoining landscape, Gujarat

Reasons for Lion Relocation

• Lion relocation has been talked about since 1995 when the Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary was identified as an alternate site.
• The motive behind finding a relocation site for the species is because the population in Gir has low genetic diversity, making it vulnerable to threats of extension from epidemics.
• The proposal sought to create free-ranging lion populations within Gujarat and in other states to counter this problem.
• Last year, over 20 lions from the Gir forest succumbed to the viral infection known as Canine distemper virus (CDV).

About Project Lion

• The programme has been launched for the conservation of the Asiatic Lion, whose last remaining wild population is in Gujarat’s Asiatic Lion Landscape (ALL).
• It aims to focus on habitat development, engaging technologies in lion management, addressing the issues of disease in lions, and will also be addressing the Human-Wildlife conflict.

About Asiatic Lion

• They are confined to Gir National Park and its surrounding environments in Gujarat’s Saurashtra district.

Conservation Status

• They are listed in Endangered category under IUCN.
• Under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule-I
• In CITES they are listed in Appendix I

14. Answer: D

Explanation

The ‘International ‘Satavadhanam’’ program has been launched virtually by the Vice President in Tirupati.

About Avadhānaṃ

• It is a literary performance popular from the very ancient days in India.

Background

• Avadhānaṃ originated as a Sanskrit literary process and is revived by poets in Telugu and Kannada in modern times.
• It involves the partial improvisation of poems using specific themes, meters, forms, or words.
• Avadhāni refers to the individual who performs the Avadhānaṃ; one of the many individuals asking questions is a Pṛcchaka (questioner).
• The Avadhanam event showcases, through entertainment, of superior mastery of cognitive capabilities – of observation, memory, multitasking in multiple modes of intelligence – literature, poetry, music, mathematical calculations, puzzle solving etc.
• The number of Pṛcchakas can be 8 (Aṣtāvadhānaṃ) or 100 (Śatāvadhānaṃ) or even 1000 (sahasrāvadhānaṃ).

15. Answer: A      

Explanation

The Sports Ministry has approved six centres as the Khelo India Centre of Excellence. The Ministry has also sanctioned over 67 crore rupees in the current financial year to upgrade these six centres.  The Sports Ministry has said that the financial support will be extended for the next four subsequent years in an effort to identify and groom Olympic level talent in the country.

The six centres include States Sports Academy in Assam, JNS Complex in Meghalaya, New Sports Complex in Daman & Diu, MP State Academy in Madhya Pradesh, Shree Shivchhatrapati Sports Complex in Maharashtra and Paljor Stadium in Sikkim. The Sports Ministry is upgrading existing sporting infrastructure in each State and Union Territory, with their partnership and is creating Khelo India Centres of Excellence with an aim to create a robust sporting ecosystem in the country.

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