Ans: B

Exp:

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Science for Women-A Technology & Innovation (SWATI) Portal has been launched by the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India. The database of the SWATI Portal will serve in policy-making to address the challenges of the Gender Gap. 

Statement 2 is correct: The Portal is a complete interactive database; and the first of its kind in India, which is developed, hosted and maintained by the National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR). 

Statement 3 is correct: The portal is aimed at creating a single online portal representing Indian Women and Girls in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Medicine). The other objectives of the SWATI Portal include scaling up the effort exponentially to include each and every Indian woman in science across all career stages and subjects, spanning both Academia and the Industry, enabling reliable and statistically significant long-term research on the issues of equality, diversity and inclusivity in India.

Ans: A

Exp:

Winter dormancy in reptiles, also called brumation, is akin to hibernation in mammals. Instead of experiencing long, sustained periods of inactivity, brumating reptiles stir occasionally to drink water; however, they may go without food for several months. Dormancy in reptiles may display a circadian rhythm, a seasonal one, or both; it is a state of torpor directly induced by low temperature.

Ans: A

Exp:

Tax is an obligatory expense enforced on an individual by the state and central government. It is one of the government’s most significant sources of income that helps them build a country’s economy and infrastructure. The tax structure in India is a three-tier structure: local municipal bodies, state, and central government. Typically taxation in India is broadly classified into direct tax and indirect tax. 

Ans:  C

Exp:

The El Nino and La Nina are the two phases of the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon that occurs in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. 

Statement 1 is incorrect: During El Nino, temperatures higher than normal prevail mainly over eastern and central parts of the equatorial Pacific Ocean. El Nino is mostly associated with hot summers and lack of rainfall during monsoon season in India. 

Statement 1 is incorrect: During La Nina, temperatures lower than normal prevail mainly over eastern and central parts of the equatorial Pacific Ocean. La Nina is just an amplification of normal cold conditions in the eastern tropical Pacific. The spring barrier may not be so important since strong El Ninos tend to transition into La Ninas.

Ans: C

Exp:

Statement 1 is correct: The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) launched Prime Minister Street Vendor’s Atma Nirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme to facilitate collateral-free working capital loans to street vendors to restart their businesses, which were adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Statement 2 is correct: The scheme has the following objectives;

• Facilitate collateral-free working capital loan up to ₹10,000, of 1 year tenure, with enhanced loan of ₹20,000 and ₹50,000 in the second and third tranches, respectively, on repayments of earlier loans.
• Incentivise regular repayment through interest subsidy @ 7% per annum.
• Reward digital transactions by way of cashback up to ₹1,200 per year.

Statement 3 is correct: State/Urban Local Bodies are responsible for the identification of eligible street vendors and the mobilisation of new applications under the scheme. However, in order to increase the number of beneficiaries, the Ministry is taking initiatives which include inter-alia conduct of regular review meetings with States/UTs/ULBs/Lending Institutions, awareness campaigns like broadcasting of radio jingles, Television advertisements and newspaper advertisements being carried out from time to time.