Thursday, February 19, 2015

20th February 2014 IAS PCS Questions of the Day

Question 1. Consider the following statements about Humidity

1. Absolute humidity represents the actual amount of moisture present in the air. Absolute humidity remains constant with change in temperature.

2. Relative humidity is the ratio between the amount of moisture, which the air can hold at a given temperature and the amount it actually holds. Relative humidity increases with increase in temperature, while it decreases with decrease in temperature.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only 1
(b) Only 2
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) None of these

Solution 1. (d) Specific humidity is the ratio of the weight of water vapour (gm) to the weight of air (kg) expressed as grams per kilogram of air. It represents the actual amount of moisture present in the air. Absolute humidity is ratio between the weight of vapour per unit volume of air expressed as gram per cubic metre of air. It varies with expansion and contraction of air even though amount of water vapour remains constant.

Relative humidity is the ratio between the amount of moisture which the air can hold at a given temperature and the amount it actually holds. It is expressed as a percentage (%). It has inverse relationship with temperature, Relative humidity inverse=1/temperature i.e. relative humidity decrease with increase in temperature while it increases with decrease in temperature.

Question 2. Which one of the following statement regarding the government securities is incorrect?

(a) They are also known as Gilt Edge Securities

(b) they can be held by any person, firm, company, corporate body or institution, State Governments, Provident Funds and Trusts

(c) They have maturity period ranging from 1 to 30 years

(d) The minimum investment in G-Secs is Rs. 1000

Solution 2. (d) The minimum investment in Government Securities is Rs. 10000 and they are issued both in demat and physical from. They could be in the form of dated securities and floating rate bonds.

Question 3. Consider the following statements

1. Ganga originates as Bhagirathi from the Gangotri Glacier in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand.

2. The river acquires its name after its headstream Alaknanda and Bhagirathi unite at Prayag.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only 1
(b) Only 2
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) None of these

Solution 3. (c) The river acquires its name after its headstreams Alaknanda and Bhagirathi unite at Devprayag. The Ganga begins at the confluence of the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda rivers. The headquarters of the Alaknanda are formed by snowmelt from such peaks as Nanda Devi, Trisul and Kamet. The Bhagirathi rises at the foot of Gangotri glacier, at Gaumukh, at an elevation of 3892 m (12769 ft).

Question 4. Consider the following statements about photochemical smog

1. It occurs in cool humid climate.
2. It has high concentration of oxidizing agents, so is called oxidizing smog.
3. It results from the action of sunlight on unsaturated hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only 1
(b) 1 and 2
(c) 2 and 3
(d) All of these

Solution 4. (c) Photochemical smog is the chemical reaction of sunlight nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere, which leaves airborne particles and ground-level ozone. This obnoxious mixture of air pollutants can include the aldehydes, nitrogen oxides, such as nitrogen dioxide peroxyacyl nitrates, tropospheric ozone, volatile organic compounds. All of these chemicals are usually highly reactive and oxidizing.

Question 5. Which of following is not type of tax enumerated in the Constitution?

(a) Taxes levied by the union but collected and appropriated by the states
(b) Taxes levied and collected by the union but assigned to the states
(c) Taxes levied and collected by the union but distributed between the union and the states
(d) Taxes levied and collected by the states but distributed between the union and the states

Solution 5. (d) Statement (a) describes the type of taxes described in Article 268. This includes duties on medicinal and toilet preparation with alcohol in them. Statement (b) describes the type of taxes in Article 269 and includes excise duty, central sales tax etc. Statement (c) describes the type of tax in Article 270. This type of tax is distributed between the centre and the states based on Finance Commission recommendations. It includes income tax, corporation tax etc. Statement (d) is the only incorrect statement and it the right answer. Taxes collected by the states are kept with the State Governments only.

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