Q1. Consider the following statements with regard to the Poverty trends in India

1. According to a recent report of the World Bank India has eradicated extreme poverty
2. Extreme poverty mainly refers to an income below the international poverty line of $1.90 per day in 2011 prices set by the World Bank

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1. 1 only
   2. 2 only
   3. Both 1 and 2
   4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer (b)

Explanation:

The last official estimate of poverty that is comparable over time, undertaken by the Planning Commission, is for the year 2011-12. The reason behind this state of affairs is that we have not had a household consumption expenditure survey for a subsequent year, such a survey being the ideal basis for poverty estimation.

Real consumption expenditure

• A consumption expenditure survey was conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) for 2017-18 but was rejected by the government as defective.
• Now two recent studies have made up for this lacuna, emerging as they do, separately, from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank (henceforth Fund-Bank).
• It may be noted that as they are not based directly on a household expenditure survey, they arrive at estimates of consumption spending, and thereby poverty, by making somewhat strong assumptions.
• They share a common feature, which is an accelerated decline in poverty since 2011-12.

  

The World Bank study:

• Extreme poverty is estimated to have declined 12.3 percentage points between 2011 to 2019 in India, says a World Bank Policy Research Working paper.
• The extreme poverty count fell from 5% in 2011 to 10.2% in 2019 and the decline in rural areas was much higher than in urban areas, estimates the study.
• The reduction in rural poverty was more pronounced with a 14.7 percentage points drop compared to 7.9 percentage points fall in urban areas.

Q2. Pandemic, Poverty, and Inequality: Evidence from India’ says that ‘extreme poverty was maintained below 1% in 2020 due to Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKY). The report was released by the

1. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
2. The IMF
3. The World Bank
4. Oxfam International

Answer (b)

Explanation:

The IMF study:

• The IMF paper titled ‘Pandemic, Poverty, and Inequality: Evidence from India’ says that ‘extreme poverty was maintained below 1% in 2020 due to Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKY).
• It also says that the expansion of India’s food subsidy program absorbed a major part of the pandemic shock. As per the paper, extreme poverty was as low as 1% in 2019 — a substantial reduction in poverty rates from 2011 levels.
• The pandemic shock is largely a 'temporary income shock'. By using temporary fiscal policy interventions i.e expanding food distribution, a large part of the shock was absorbed.
• Consumption inequality (with the incorporation of food transfers) has dropped to the lowest level — equal to that observed in 1993-94
• The paper argues that the incorporation of the food subsidy data has helped it conclude that the 'official poverty line' must be moved from a PPP of $1.9 to $3.2. In terms of rupees, moving from 865 per person per month to Rs 2250 per person per month.

Q3. Which of the following is not a word added to the preamble of the Indian constitution by the Forty-second Amendment?

1. Socialist
2. Secular
3. Integrity
4. Fraternity

Answer (d)

Explanation:

Forty-second Amendment

The preamble has been amended only once so far. On 18 December 1976, during the Emergency in India, the Indira Gandhi government pushed through several changes in the Forty-second Amendment of the constitution. A committee under the chairmanship of Sardar Swaran Singh recommended that this amendment be enacted after being consulted to study the question of amending the constitution in the light of past experience. Through this amendment, the words "socialist" and "secular" were added between the words "Sovereign" and "democratic" and the words "unity of the Nation" were changed to "unity and integrity of the Nation".

Q4. Consider the following statements with regard to the REN21’s renewables 2022 global status report

1. India added the highest renewable energy capacity in 2021 across the world
2. India added around 4 gigawatts (GW) of renewable power capacity in 2021

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer (d)

Explanation:

India added third highest renewable energy capacity in 2021, says report

• India added around 4 gigawatts (GW) of renewable power capacity in 2021, the third highest after China (136 GW) and the United States (43 GW), according to a global status report released on Wednesday.
• The REN21’s renewables 2022 global status report noted that with this growth, India was now the third-largest market in the world for new solar photovoltaics (PV) capacity and ranked fourth in the world for total solar energy installations (60.4 GW) by overtaking Germany at 59.2 GW and following China (305.9 GW), US (121.4 GW) and Japan (78 GW).
• India has allotted $24.3 billion (₹18,100 crores) for its solar energy schemes which provide incentives to domestic and international companies to set up battery manufacturing India invested $11.3 billion in renewables in 2021, equivalent to the GDP of Brunei Darussalam in 2020, the report noted.

COVID disruption to renewable growth:

• While this growth has put India in an important position in terms of the generation of renewable energy, the report said that last year, aftershocks of the Covid-19 pandemic and a rise in commodity prices led to a disruption in renewable energy supply chains and delayed renewable energy projects
• Though there was a rebound in economic activity, the subsequent 4% increase in global energy demand was mostly met by fossil fuels, the report noted, resulting in record carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
• Although many more governments committed to net zero greenhouse gas emissions in 2021, the reality is that, in response to the energy crisis, most countries have gone back to seeking out new sources of fossil fuels and burning even more coal, oil and natural gas.

• This situation has exposed the world to ever more pressing climate disasters as well as to geopolitical and economic threats.

Q5. Which of the follwoing south asian countries’ parliament gave initial approval to same sex marriages?

1. Thailand
2. Vietnam
3. Indonesia
4. Malaysia

Answer (a)

Explanation:

• Thailand took a step towards marriage equality as lawmakers gave initial approval to legalising same-sex unions, prompting celebrations outside the parliament building.
• It is a significant landmark in a Buddhist-majority country with a highly visible LGBTQ community but whose members still face major barriers and discrimination.
• Thailand would be the first country in Southeast Asia to recognise same-sex unions.