APSC Exam Syllabus for Research Assistant in Planning Services under Transformation & Development Department
APSC has released notification for 25 posts of Research Assistant in Planning Services under Transformation & Development Department, Govt of Assam. APSC has declared scheme of exams and syllabus for the Research Assistant exam by a separate notification.
Research Assistant Written Test (Multiple Choice Question)
SUBJECT: GENERAL STUDIES
Time: 2 hours.
Total Marks: 200
MCQ type Questions
Syllabus for Research Assistant:
Syllabus Items/Topics
Current Affairs (Indian & Assam)
Indian History & National Movement
Assam History
Geography (India & Assam)
Indian Polity & Constitution of India
Sports/Books/Authors and Important People of Assam
The candidates should not be less than 21 years of age and not more than 38 years of age as on 01/01/2023. The upper age limit is relaxable : (i) By 5 years for SC/ST candidates, i.e. upto 43 years. (ii) By 3 years for OBC/MOBC candidates i.e. upto 41 years as per Govt. Notification No. ABP. 6/2016/9 dated Dispur the 25th April 2018. (iii) For Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBD) by 10 years irrespective of SC/ST/OBC and General Category of candidate as per Govt. Memorandum No. ABP 180/2017/105 dated Dispur the 7th January, 2019.
Education Qualification :
Bachelor Degree in Arts, Science or Commerce from any recognized University with either Statistics, Economics, Mathematics, Agricultural Economics, Sociology, Anthropology, Social Anthropology, Social Work, Business Administration, Business Management, Geography or Commerce as one of the subjects. Preference shall be given to Honours Graduates. (Upload relevant marksheet/certificate reflecting the subjects)
Eligibility Criteria :
(i) The candidate must be a permanent resident of Assam. (ii) The candidate must produce PRC issued in Assam for educational purpose/ Employment Exchange Registration certificate / Voter ID card of the candidate or his/her parents will be treated as proof of residency along with the application form. State Govt. Employees of Assam need not submit any documents regarding domicile proof, however, they will have to submit No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their respective employer.
Important Dates for APSC Research Assistant Recruitment
(i) STARTING DATE FOR ONLINE APPLICATION : 29/03/2023 (ii) CLOSING DATE FOR ONLINE APPLICATION : 28/04/2023 (iii) LAST DATE FOR PAYMENT OF APPLICATION FEE: 30/04/2023
HOW TO APPLY for APSC Research Assistant Recruitment 1. Applicants are required to apply online through APSC’s recruitment website. No other means/ mode of application will be accepted and the Application will be summarily rejected. 2. Applicants who have not registered yet, in Online Recruitment Portal of APSC are first required to go to the APSC’s recruitment website https://apscrecruitment.in and register themselves by clicking on ‘Register Here’ link and complete the One Time Registration(OTR) process by providing basic details..
APSC Recruitment 2023 – 4 posts of Inspector of Statistics in Directorate of Economics & Statistics under Transformation and Development Dept, Govt of Assam jobs
Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) has released a notification for the recruitment of 4 posts of Inspector of Statistics in Planning Services under Transformation and Development Dept, Assam.
No. of posts: Total 4
Category-wise breakup: UR: 1, OBC/ MOBC: 3
Pay scale: Rs. 22,000/- to 97,000/- Grade Pay: Rs. 9,700/- in Pay Band-3
Last Date for Payment of Application fee : 01.05.2023
Eligibility Criteria:
(i) The candidate must be a permanent resident of Assam.
(ii) The candidate must produce PRC issued in Assam for educational purpose/ Employment Exchange Registration certificate / Voter ID card of the candidate or his/her parents will be treated as proof of residency along with the application form.
Educational Qualification:
At least second class Master Degree in Economics, Statistics or Mathematics from a recognized University or its equivalent.
Age:
The candidates should not be less than 21 years of age and not more than 38 years of age as on 01/01/2023. The upper age limit is relaxable : (i) By 5 years for SC/ST candidates, i.e. upto 43 years. (ii) By 3 years for OBC/MOBC candidates i.e. upto 41 years. (iii) For Persons with Disability (PWD) by 10 years irrespective of SC/ST/OBC and General Category of candidate.
Important Inscriptions of Kamarupa region of Ancient and Medieval Assam
The Kamarupa inscriptions are a number of 5th-century to early 13th-century rock, copper plate and clay seal inscriptions associated with the rulers and their subordinates of the Kamarupa region.
Most common language of these inscriptions is Sanskrit. But there appear systematic Prakriticisms that indicate an underlying colloquial Indo-Aryan language, called Kamarupi Prakrit.
The earliest of these inscriptions, the Umachal and Nagajari-Khanikargaon rock inscriptions, belong to the 5th century and written in a script which was nearly identical to the eastern variety of the Gupta script.
There is a steady evolution in the script over the centuries, and last of the scripts, for example the Kanai-boroxiboa inscription using Kamarupi, a proto-Assamese script. The script continues development as the Medieval Assamese script from the 13th to the 19th century and emerges as the modern Assamese script.
Q1. Who among the following has won the Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia Award 2022?
Pranjal Saikia
Tanuj Borah
Arun Nath
Mousumi Lekharu
C. Arun Nath
Q2. Consider the following statements, with regard to Assam Valley Literary Award:
The award was instituted by the Williamson Magor Group, a tea company.
It is given to creative writers who have enhanced Assamese literature.
Which of the above statements are correct?
I only
II only
I and II
None of the above
C. I and II
The Assam Valley Literary Award was conceived in the year 1990 by Williamson Magor Education Trust to honour creative writers who have enhanced Assamese literature.
It is given to writers of Assam once a year. The award was instituted by the Williamson Magor Group, a tea company.
The first recipient of the Assam Valley Literary Award was prominent Assamese writer, filmmaker and social worker Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia.
In 2017, Sananta Tanty, Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi, Dr. Rita Chowdhury received this award.
Q3. Who among the following has received the Nobel Prize 2022 in literature?
Kailash Satyarthi
Angela Merkel
Jacinda Ardern
Annie Ernaux
D. Annie Ernaux
Annie Ernaux received the Nobel Prize 2022 in literature for the bravery and clinical acuity with which she reveals the origins, estrangements, and collective restrictions of personal memory.
Q4. Who among the following has received the Nobel prize 2022 in Chemistry
Carolyn Bertozzi, Barry Sharpless and Douglas W. Diamond
Alain Aspect, John F Clauser and Anton Zeilinger
Ben S. Bernanke, Morten Meldal and Philip H. Dybvig
Morten Meldal, Carolyn Bertozzi and Barry Sharpless
D. Morten Meldal, Carolyn Bertozzi and Barry Sharpless
Q5. Who among the following has won the Booker Prize 2022 for his novel “The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida”, ?
Shehan Karunatilaka
Bernardine Evaristo
Geetanjali Shree
Daisy Rockwell
A. Shehan Karunatilaka
Q6. Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2022 was awarded to whom?
Achanta Sharath Kamal
Pullela Gopichand
Kapil Dev
Narain Karthikeyan
A. Achanta Sharath Kamal
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2022 awarded to the Table Tennis player Achanta Sharath Kamal.
Q7. Who has won SASTRA Ramanujan Prize 2022?
Manjul Bhargava
Akshay Venkatesh
Yunqing Tang
Kathrin Bringmann
C. Yunqing Tang
The SASTRA Ramanujan Prize 2022 was awarded to Yunqing Tang, Assistant Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, USA.
Q8. Who has been awarded the 2022 UNESCO Peace Prize for her efforts to welcome refugees?
Kailash Satyarthi
Angela Merkel
Jacinda Ardern
Sanna Marin
B. Angela Merkel
Q9. Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the year 2022 was awarded to
Svante Paabo
Douglas W. Diamond
John F Clauser
Barry Sharpless
A. Svante Paabo
Svante Paabo received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his research on the extinct hominid genomes and the evolution of humans.
Q10. Who among the following has received the Nobel prize 2022 in Chemistry
Carolyn Bertozzi, Barry Sharpless and Douglas W. Diamond
Alain Aspect, John F Clauser and Anton Zeilinger
Ben S. Bernanke, Morten Meldal and Philip H. Dybvig
Carolyn Bertozzi, Morten Meldal and Barry Sharpless
D. Carolyn Bertozzi, Morten Meldal, and Barry Sharpless
Carolyn Bertozzi Morten Meldal Barry Sharpless won the Nobel prize in Chemistry For the establishment of the foundations of click chemistry & bioorthogonal chemistry and also took chemistry into the functionalism era.
Q11. Who received the 2022 World Food Prize from the World Food Prize Foundation?
Cynthia Rosenzweig
Rattan Lal
Fazle Hasan Abed
Sanjaya Rajaram
A. Cynthia Rosenzweig
Cynthia Rosenzweig, a senior research scientist at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), received the 2022 World Food Prize from the World Food Prize Foundation. World Food Prize is a prestigious award conceived as the ‘Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture’. Rosenzweig was selected for the award for her research to understand the relationship between climate and food systems and forecast how they will change in the future.
Q12. Who among the following from Assam has been selected for the prestigious Arjuna Award 2022?
Hima Das
Lovlina Borgohain
Nayanmoni Saikia
Mirabai Chanu
C. Nayanmoni Saikia
Assam’s Nayanmoni Saikia was conferred with the Arjuna Award at Rashtrapati Bhawan by President Draupadi Murmu.
Nayanmoni Saikia was nominated for the award for her achievements in Lawn Bowl.
Apart from Nayanmoni Saikia, Shushila Devi from Manipur was also presented with the prestigious award for her remarkable contributions and achievements in the field of boxing.
Q13. Who among the following has been awarded with Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards 2021 in the Land Adventure category?
Arunima Singha
Arun Vajpai
Ms. Naina Dhakad
Debabrata Mukherjee
C. Ms. Naina Dhakad
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India announced “Tenzing Norgay Adventure Award” (TNNAA) for the year 2021.
The award is given in four categories which are Land Adventure, Water Adventure, Air Adventure, and Life Time Achievement.
Ms. Naina Dhakad in the Land Adventure category.
Shri Shubham Dhananjay Vanmali in the Water Adventure category.
Group Captain Kunwar Bhawani Singh Samyal in the Life Time Achievement category.
Q14. Who won the 21st Grand Slam and 7th Wimbledon title?
Novak Djokovic
Roger Federer
Andy Murray
Rafeal Nadal
A. Novak Djokovic
Q15. Who became the first Indian woman to win a medal at the Asian Cup Table Tennis tournament?
Mouma Das
Neha Aggarwal
Manika Batra
Ankita Das
C. Manika Batra
Q16. Which country won the T20 Cricket World Cup 2022?
Pakistan
England
Australia
India
B. England
In Women’s Cricket, Australia lifted the ICC T20 World Cup Trophy for the sixth time.
Q17. Which country won the Asia Cup 2022?
India
Bangladesh
Sri Lanka
Pakistan
C. Sri Lanka
Q18. Which country has won the FIFA World Cup 2022 title?
France
Portugal
Argentina
Russia
C. Argentina
The FIFA World Cup in 2026 is all set to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Q19. Which Indian shuttler won the ‘Singapore Open 2022’ championship title?
Lakshya Sen
Ashwini Ponnappa
Aparna Popat
P V Sindhu
D. P V Sindhu
India Ace shuttler PV Sindhu defeated China’s Wang Zhi Yi in the final match of women’s singles at the Singapore Open 2022.
The two-time Olympic medallist clinched her maiden Super 500 title of the year 2022.
The Singapore Open 2022 is Sindhu’s third title of the 2022 season after winning the Syed Modi International and Swiss Open BWF Super 300 titles.
Q20. Who was awarded with Natasurjya Phani Sarma award 2022?
Rajen Gohain
Pranjal Saikia
Arun Nath
Biju Kakoti
B. Pranjal Saikia
The state government will confer Natasurjya Phani Sarma award on actor Pranjal Saikia for the year 2022.
Arun Nath will be conferred Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia Award 2022.
Music artiste Rajen Gohain and Pokhila Lekthepi will be awarded Silpi Award 2023.
Biju Phukan Award 2022 will be conferred to filmmaker Samarendra Narayan Dev
Q21. Who was awarded with Assam Vaibhav award 2022?
Sourav Kalita
Shriya Lohia
Tapan Saikia
Jiya Rai
C. Tapan Saikia
Dr Tapan Saikia will be conferred with the Asom Baibhav award for his contributions towards creating awareness and early detection of cancer in Assam and other Northeast states.
Q22. Who has been awarded the 56th Jnanpith Award in Assam?
Nilomani Phukan
Basistha Dev Sarma
Ranjana Bardoloi
Bipul Das
A. Nilomani Phukan
The 56th Jnanpith was awarded to Nilamani Phookan. Nilmani Phookan is the third person to win the Jnanpith Award from Assam after Mamoni Roisom Goswami and Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya.
The Award carried a Citation, a shawl, and Rs. 11 lakh.
Novelist Damodar Mauzo was chosen for the 57th Jnanpith Award 2021-2022 for his contribution to Indian literature.
Q23. Who was conferred with Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2022 from Assam in Art and Culture?
Dhritishman Chakraborty
Puhabi Chakraborti
Dhiraj Kumar
Banita Dash
A. Dhritishman Chakraborty
Q24. Indian weightlifter from Aizawl who won gold in the 2022 Commonwealth Games?
Mirabai Chanu
Jeremy Lalrinnunga
Jaismine Lamboria
Achinta Sheuli
C. Jeremy Lalrinnunga
Jeremy represented India in the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires. He won the gold medal in the Boys’ 62 kg category weightlifting, India’s first gold medal in the Youth Olympics Games.
Q25. Who has been recently conferred with Padma Shri for preserving the traditional method of making Etikoppaka toys?
Ansari Shahid Hussain
Shri C V Raju
Raghuram Rajan
Chitra Mudgal
B. Shri C V Raju
Shri C V Raju from Etikoppaka village, Visakhapatnam,Andhra Pradesh has been conferred with Padma Shri for preserving the traditional method of making Etikoppaka toys.
Etikoppaka toys are traditional toys made by artisans of Etikoppaka village located on the banks of Varaha River in Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh.
Toys are made of soft wood and lacquer color. Coloured with natural dyes derived from seeds, lacquer,roots and leaves.
Q26. Which Indian is to be conferred with France’s highest civilian award Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur?
Ashwini Vaishnaw
Narendra Modi
Shashi Tharoor
Droupadi Murmu
C. Shashi Tharoor
The French government is honouring the Shashi Tharoorfor his writings and speeches. The award is also called as the National Order of the Legion of Honour. It was established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte.
Q27. The lawn bowler from Assam who was part of the Indian team to win its first ever gold medals in Lawn Bowls in 2022 Commonwealth Games is
Nayanmoni Saikia
Lovely Choubey
Pinki Singh
Lovlina Borgohain
A. Nayanmoni Saikia
Q28. Bhupen Hazarika won the Best Music National Director award for the
Hirak Rajar Deshe
Chameli Memsaab
Shakuntala
Asom Amar Rupahi
B. Chameli Memsaab
Bhupen Hazarika won the Best Music Director National Award for “Chameli Memsaab” (Chameli Memsaab; music by Bhupen Hazarika) in the 23rd National Film Awards (1975)
Chameli Memsaab is a 1975 Indian Assamese romantic drama film directed by Abdul Majid. A love story set in a tea estate in Assam, between a British tea estate owner and local tea garden worker.
Q29. Who among the following was the first female Padma Shri Award winner from Assam?
Manju Borah
Nalini Bala Devi
Nalini Prava Deka
Rita Choudhury
B. Nalini Bala Devi
Q30. Which city won the world Green City award 2022?
Dibrugarh
Mysuru
Dehradun
Hyderabad
D. Hyderabad
Hyderabad won the ‘World Green City Award” 2022. The city also won another award in the category “Living Green for Economic Recovery and Inclusive Growth”.
It also won the overall ‘World Green City 2022’ award. It has been the best across all six categories. The city beats cities like Paris, Montreal, Fortaleza, Mexico City, and Bogota.
Q31. Who has been awarded the UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) 2022 Champions of the Earth award?
Ghanashyam Mahanta
Swayam Mallick
Purnima Devi Barman
Ajay Kumar Sahoo
C. Purnima Devi Barman
Indian wildlife biologist Dr Purnima Devi Barman was recently awarded with the Champions of the Earth award in the Entrepreneurial vision category , UN’s highest environmental honour.
She is the founder of the Hargila Army and senior project manager of the Avifauna Research and Conservation Division, Aaranyak.
Q32. Who is the first recipient of the highest civilian award of Assam, the ‘Assam Baibhav‘?
Himanta Biswa Sarma
Ratan Tata
Sarbananda Sonowal
Bhupen Hazarika
B. Ratan Tata
Assam Baibhav is the highest civilian award in the State of Assam, India.
In 2021, the Government of Assam conferred its highest civilian award, Assam Baibhav, to Ratan Tata for “his exceptional contribution towards furthering cancer care in Assam”.
The Award carries a cash prize of ₹5 lakh (US$6,600) and the recipient can avail medical treatment throughout his life at government expense.
On 2 December 2021, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma officially declared the award on the occasion of “Asomdiwas” (Assam Day).
Q33. Who has been recently awarded the UK’s Royal Order of Merit in recognition of their distinguished service to science?
C.N.R Rao
Dr Anish Ghosh
Dr Saket Saurabh
Venki Ramakrishnan
D. Venki Ramakrishnan
Nobel laureate professor Venki Ramakrishnan has been awarded the prestigious Order of Merit by Britain’s King Charles III in recognition of his distinguished service to science.
Q34. Who was recently honoured with the ‘Changemaker’ award at UN SDG Action Awards?
Garvita Gulhati
Anisha Malik
Srishti Bakshi
Akhilesh Anil Kumar
C. Srishti Bakshi
Indian women’s rights activist, Srishti Bakshi was honoured with the ‘Changemaker’ award at UN SDG Action Awards.
Q35. Which city has won the cleanest city award in the Swachh Survekshan 2022 survey?
Indore
Hyderabad
Surat
Mysuru
A. Indore
Indore has won the cleanest city award in the Swachh Survekshan 2022 for the sixth consecutive year in the ‘more than 1 lakh population’ category.
Surat was adjudged the second cleanest city, for the second time in a row. Navi Mumbai bagged the third spot.
Indore further cemented its position by emerging as India’s first 7-star Garbage Free city, while Surat, Bhopal, Mysuru, Navi Mumbai, Vishakhapatnam, and Tirupati earned 5-star Garbage Free certifications.
Madhya Pradesh emerged as the ‘Cleanest State’ in the category of “more than 100 Urban Local Bodies”, relegating Chhattisgarh, the Cleanest State of the previous 3 years, to second place. Maharashtra emerged as third cleanest State.
Tripura emerged as the Cleanest State award in the “less than 100 ULBs category”, dislodging Jharkhand, which had won in the last 2 consecutive years.
Q36. Which of the following product from Assam got Geographical Indication (GI) recently in December 2022?
Judima
Boka Saul
Gamocha
Joha rice
C. Gamocha
‘Gamocha’, which is a symbol of the culture and identity of Assam, has received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag from the central government.
A Geographical Indication (GI) is tagged to primarily agricultural, natural or manufactured products, handicrafts and industrial goods originating from a definite geographical territory.
The GI tag has been registered in favour of the Directorate of Handloom & Textiles of the Assam government under the Geographical Indication of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
Q37. Who among the following has been conferred with the Swami Vivekananda Karmayogi Award 2020?
Purnima Devi Barman
Jadav Payeng
Salim Moizuddin Abdul Ali
M. S. Swaminathan
B. Jadav Payeng
Forest Man of India Jadav Payeng was awarded Swami Vivekananda Karmayogi Award 2020. He was awarded the 6th Karmayogi Award for his consistent efforts in creating a real man-made forest through massive reforestation.
Swami Vivekananda Smriti Karmayogi Award is organized by My Home India in New Delhi. The award was conferred for the first time in 2013. The award is composed of a trophy, a recitation and a reward of Rs 1 lakh.
Karmayogi Award is presented to great personalities from North-Eastern India who dedicate their lives to Nation and promote Nationalism through art & culture, sports, education, etc. for their contribution to respective fields.
Q38. Who among the following was the first Assamese writer to receive the Jnanpith Award?
Mamoni Raisom Goswami
Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya
Bhattadeva
Chandrasekhar Kambar
B. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya
Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya was the first ever Assamese writer to receive the Jnanpith Award, which was awarded to him in the year 1979 for his novel Mrityunjay.
Mamoni Raisom Goswami was the winner of the Jnanpith Award for the year 2000.
Q39. Who among the following was conferred the 56th Jnanpith Award?
Amitav Ghosh
Mamoni Raisom Goswami
Kedarnath Singh
Nilamani Phookan
D. Nilamani Phookan
Q40. Who was chosen for the 57th Jnanpith Award 2022 for his contribution to Indian literature?
G. Sankara Kurup
Sankha Ghosh
Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri
Damodar Mauzo
D. Damodar Mauzo
Important MCQ Questions on Ranks of International & National indices
Q41. What is the rank of India in the Global Sustainable Development Report, 2022?
118
115
121
125
C. 121
Finland is in the top position in the Global Sustainable Development Report, 2022.
India ranked 120 in the Global Sustainable Development Report, 2021
Q42. What is the rank of India in the World Happiness Report 2022?
132
180
136
144
C. 136
India ranked 136th in the World Happiness Report 2022.
Finland is in the top position in the world happiness report in 2022.
India ranked 139th in World Happiness Report 2021.
Q43. What is the rank of India in the Global Peace Index 2022?
144
135
112
117
B. 135
Q44. What is the rank of India in the Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index (CRII) 2022?
180
146
37
123
D. 123
According to the latest Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index (CRII), India has moved up six places to rank 123 out of 161 countries for reducing inequality.
Norway leads the CRII followed by Germany and Australia.
Q45. What is the rank of India in the Network Readiness Index (NR) 2022?
40th
76th
61st
106th
C. 61st
Q46. Which institution releases the ‘Global Gender Gap Report’?
World Economic Forum (WEF)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
International Labour Organization (ILO)
International Court of Justice
A. World Economic Forum (WEF)
Iceland (90.8%) led the Global Gender Gap Index 2022 ranking in the first place. India is ranked at 135 out of 146 countries. Last year, India was ranked 140 out of 156 countries.
Q47. Which country is the top-most investor in India during fiscal year 2021-22?
USA
China
Singapore
UAE
C. Singapore
India has recorded the highest ever annual FDI inflow of USD 83.57 billion in the Financial Year 2021-22. FDI equity inflow in manufacturing sectors has increased by 76 per cent in 2021-22.
Singapore was the topmost investor in India last fiscal year, accounting for 27% of the FDI, followed by the US at 18% and Mauritius at 16%. In 2020-21, the inflows were USD 81.97 billion.
Q48. What is the rank of India in the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) 2021?
5th
7th
9th
10th
B. 7th
Q49. As per UN report ‘World Population Prospects 2022’, India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country in which year?
2023
2026
2030
2033
D. 2023
According to the report, India’s population stands at 1.412 billion in 2022, compared to China’s 1.426 billion.
India, which will surpass China as the world’s most populous nation by 2023.
India is projected to have a population of 1.668 billion in 2050, way ahead of China’s 1.317 billion people by the middle of the century.
The global population is projected to reach eight billion by November 15, 2022, and could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050.
Q50. Which is ranked first in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2022?
IIT Madras
IISc Bangalore
IIT Kharagpur
Jawaharlal Nehru University
A. IIT Madras
The Ministry of Education has released the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) for the year 2022.
Indian Institute of Technology Madras has retained its first position for the fourth consecutive year in the overall category and for the seventh consecutive year in Engineering. Indian
Institute of Technology, Delhi was ranked second while Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, was ranked third.
Q51. Which state is ranked first in the NITI Aayog’s India Innovation Index (2021)?
Kerala
Tamil Nadu
Telangana
Karnataka
D. Karnataka
Karnataka has been ranked first in the NITI Aayog’s India Innovation Index (2021) for the third time in a row. The first edition was released in October 2019.
India Innovation Index ranks states and union territories on the basis of innovation capabilities.
Manipur topped the ‘North East and Hill States’ section.
Chandigarh won the ‘Union Territory and City States’ category.
TOP State Ranks: Karnataka Telangana Haryana Maharashtra
Q52. Which state has emerged as an overall team champion of the North East Olympic Games 2022?
Assam
Meghalaya
Mizoram
Manipur
D. Manipur
The 2nd edition of the North East Olympic Games concluded in Shillong, Meghalaya with Manipur emerging as the overall team champion with a total of 240 medals which included 88 Gold Medals, 75 Silver Medals, and 77 Bronze Medals.
Assam took the second spot with a total of 203 medals followed by Arunachal Pradesh.
Q53. Which Indian state has topped the Public Affairs Index (PAI) 2022?
Tamil Nadu
Assam
Haryana
Odisha
C. Haryana
Haryana topped in the category of big states in the Public Affairs Index-2022. The state has emerged at the forefront in social, economic and political justice themes.
It has topped among the major states followed by Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Punjab and Karnataka among many other states.
Q54. What is India’s rank in the 2020 Democracy Index?
56
73
86
93
D. 93
India was ranked 93rd in the LDI, India figures in the “bottom 50%” of countries.
It has slipped further down in the Electoral Democracy Index, to 100, and even lower in the Deliberative Component Index, at 102.
Q55. What is the rank of India in the global aviation safety ranking?
110
65
48
132
C. 48
India ranked 48th position in the global aviation safety ranking by the International Civil Aviation Organization.
India was in the 102nd position four years ago in the ranking.The position is the highest-ever spot attained by the country.
In the ranking, Singapore is at the top, followed by the UAE and South Korea at the second and third positions.
Q56. Which of the following states of India has the highest rank in the Human Development Index 2022?
Madhya Pradesh
Kerala
Punjab
Goa
B. Kerala
Q57. India’s rank in the ‘Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index’ released recently by the consultancy firm Ernst & Young (EY)?
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
C. 3rd
Q58. Which state tops in the State of India’s Environment Report 2022?
Sikkim
Kerala
Himachal Pradesh
Goa
B. Kerala
The State of India’s Environment Report 2022 was released by the Center for Science and Environment (CSE).
India has slipped three spots to rank 120 on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) adopted as a part of the 2030 agenda by 192 United Nations member states in 2015.
In 2021 India ranked 117 among 192 nations. The overall Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) score of India was 66 out of 100.
Kerala topped, with Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh in second position. Karnataka, Goa, Uttarakhand, and Andhra Pradesh tied for third place.
Jharkhand and Bihar are the least prepared to meet the SDGs by the target year 2030.
Union Territory Rankings: Chandigarh topped among the Union Territories, followed by Delhi, Puducherry, and Lakshadweep in second place, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands in the third position.
Q59. India’s rank among the biggest oil-importing and consuming nations of the world?
Second
Third
Fourth
Fifth
B. Third
India is the third largest consumer of crude oil in the world, after the United States and China.
Iraq has been India’s top supplier for the past few years, staying ahead of Saudi Arabia, which has been producing less than its capacity to meet OPEC supply curb commitments.
Saudi Arabia was the biggest supplier of crude oil to China, the biggest oil importer in the world in 2020.
Q60. What is the rank of India in the Global Hunger Index 2022?
102
99
107
77
C. 107
In the 2022 Global Hunger Index, India ranks 107th out of 121 countries.
Q61. What is the rank of India in the world economy 2022?
9th
6th
5th
8th
C. 5th
According to the World Economy Ranking 2022 India’s GDP is the fifth largest GDP in the world.
India has surpassed UK to become the fifth largest economy in the world and it contributes 3.5% of the world’s GDP. India has a nominal GDP of 3.8 trillion dollars in 2022.
Q62. What is the rank of India in the world, by purchasing power parity (PPP)?
Fifth
Third
Fourth
Sixth
B. Third
India is the third-largest economy in the world in PPP terms and the fifth-largest in market exchange rates.
Q63. What is the rank of India in the Global Innovation Index 2022?
48th
53rd
40th
62nd
A. 40th
India ranked 40th for the first time in the Global Innovation Index Ranking. India ranked 46th in the Global Innovation Index (GII), 2021.
Q64. What is the rank of India in the World Competitiveness Index (WCI) 2022?
37
43
51
29
A. 37
The Index has been compiled by the Institute for Management Development (IMD).
IMD is a Swiss foundation, based in Switzerland. The IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY), first published in 1989.
Denmark has topped the list followed by Switzerland in second place and Singapore in third place.
India has come up to 37th rank in 2022 from 43rd in 2021 in the World Competitive Index.
Q65. As per Human Development Report 2021-22, India’s rank on the Human Development Index 2022 is
125th
132nd
140th
117th
B. 132nd
India ranks 132 out of 191 countries and territories on the 2021/22 Human Development Index. India’s HDI value stood at 0.633 in 2021.
The theme of the HDR 2021-22 which was compiled amidst the COVID Pandemic is “Uncertain Times, Unsettled Lives: Shaping our Future in a Transforming World”.
Recently, the World Economic Forum (WEF) ranked India at 135 out of 146 countries in its Global Gender Gap (GGG) Index for 2022.
Q66. Which of the following is an INCORRECT match of Global Index and India’s Ranking in it?
Global Hunger Index – India’s rank 107th
Henley Passport Index 2022 – India’s rank 68th
Global Crypto Adoption Index 2022 – India’s rank 4th
World Competitiveness Index 2022 – India’s rank 37th
B. Henley Passport Index 2022 – India’s rank 87th
Q67. Which state topped the Business Reform Action Plan 2020′ (BARP) ranking?
Punjab
Andhra Pradesh
Gujarat
Haryana
B. Andhra Pradesh
Government released the ‘State Business Reform Action Plan 2020’ (BARP) ranking which shows how Indian states have fared in enhancing Ease of Doing Business for an Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman released the 2020 rankings in which Andhra Pradesh retained the number one ranking.
Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Telangana are the Top Achievers based on implementation of Business Reforms Action Plan.
Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh figure under the Achievers category.
Assam, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Jharkhand, Kerala, Rajasthan and West Bengal have been placed in the Aspirers category.
Andaman & Nicobar, Bihar, Chandigarh, Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Puducherry and Tripura have been clubbed under the Emerging Business Ecosystems category.
Q68. What is the rank of India in the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2022?
168th
151st
180th
106th
C. 180th
The rank of India in the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2022 is 180th.
The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) is an international ranking system of countries based on their environmental health.
It is a biennial index, first started in 2002 as the Environment Sustainability Index by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with the Yale Centre for Environmental Law and Policy and Columbia University Center for International Earth Information Network.
India ranked 168th in the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) in 2020 while it ranked 177th in 2018.
Q69. With reference to Climate Change Performance Index, Consider the following statements:
The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) is released every year at the UN Climate Change Conference.
The index was released jointly by Germanwatch, NewClimate Institute and Climate Action Network.
India has ranked 8th in the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2023.
Which of the above statements are correct?
Only I
II and III
I and III
All of the above
D. All of the above
The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) is released every year at the UN Climate Change Conference.
Climate Change Performance Index 2023 was released jointly by Germanwatch, NewClimate Institute and Climate Action Network.
India has ranked 8th in the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2023 published by German Watch, New Climate Institute and Climate Action Network International based in Germany.
Published annually since 2005, the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) is an independent monitoring tool for tracking the climate protection performance of 59 countries and the EU.
It aims to enhance transparency in international climate politics and enables comparison of climate protection efforts and progress made by individual countries.
Q70. What is the rank of India in the Global Democracy Index (GDI) 2022?
The Assam Finance Commission was constituted on 23rd June, 1995.
The Finance Commission is constituted by the President under Article 280 of the Constitution, mainly to give its recommendations on distribution of tax revenues between the Union and the States and amongst the States themselves.
The Assam Finance Commission review the financial position of the Local Bodies namely the Panchayats and Municipalities and put forward to the Government the recommendations relating to the distribution between the State of Assam and the Panchayats / Municipalities of the nett proceeds of the taxes, duties, tolls and fees.
State Finance Commission (SFC)
The State Finance Commission (SFC) is a Constitutional body, formed under the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992. It recommends the transfer of funds from the State Government to the Panchayati Raj Institutions and provides suggestions for augmenting their resources. Municipalities and city councils are also brought under the purview of the State Finance Commission as per Article 243-Y.
The Governor of a State appoints a Finance Commission, every five years in accordance with Article 243-I of the Indian Constitution.
Every recommendation of the State Finance Commission and subsequent action taken by the State Government must be brought before the State legislature by the Governor.
Functions of State Finance Commission:
State Finance Commission’s functions are comparable to that of the Central Finance Commission, which, in accordance with Article 280 of the Indian Constitution, is appointed by the President of India and is in charge of allocating central revenues to the Union and state governments.
Some of the functions of the State Finance Commission are:
A State Finance Commission examines the financial position of the panchayats and municipal organizations in a state and offers recommendations to the Governor.
It gives suggestions to the Governor regarding the policies that should control how taxes, tariffs, levies, and toll fees collected by the state are divided between the state and its Panchayati Raj Institutions at all levels.
To implement numerous measures to enhance the financial conditions of various local authorities and Panchayati Raj Institutions.
To serve as a liaison for financial matters between the Union and State governments for local bodies.
The Grant-in-Aid to Local Bodies from the consolidated fund of the state.
Utilising the funds that the state government receives from the Union government.
Disbursement of funds from the State’s consolidated fund to various municipal organizations and Panchayati Raj Institutions of the state.
Measures for the overall advancement of Panchayat’s finances.
Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) was established in August 1987.
It is a national-level apex organization functioning under the administrative control of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
It is headquartered in New Delhi.
The objectives of TRIFED are
Socio-economic development of tribal people in the country.
To institutionalize trade of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) and Surplus Agriculture Produce (SAP) collected or cultivated by tribals as they are heavily dependent on these natural products for their livelihood.
To empower tribal people with knowledge, tools and pool of information so that they can undertake their operations in a more systematic and scientific manner.
In 2021, the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, launched “Sankalp se Siddhi” – Village and Digital Connect Drive. The main aim of the drive is to activate the Van Dhan Vikas Kendras located in tribal villages.
It also organizes exhibitions like the National Tribal Craft Expo called “Aadi Mahotsav” etc. to promote and market tribal products.
The session of parliament in India is convened by the Government. India does not have a fixed parliamentary calendar. By convention, Parliament meets for three sessions in a year. The President of India summons each House of the Parliament from time to time. The gap between two sessions of the Parliament cannot exceed 6 months, which means the Parliament meets at least two times in one year.
Sessions of Parliament
A session of the Indian Parliament is the period during which a House meets almost every day uninterruptedly to manage the business.
The process of calling all members of the Parliament to meet is called Summoning of Parliament. President of India can summons Parliament, as per Article 85 of the Constitution.
The decision is taken by the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs which is formalised by the President, in whose name MPs are summoned to meet for a session.
There are typically three sessions in a year. A session contains many meetings. In general, the sessions are as follows:
Budget session (February to May)
Monsoon session (July to September)
Winter session (November to December)
Budget Session
The members discuss the various provisions of the budget and matters concerning taxation, after the Finance Minister presents the budget.
The budget session is generally split into two periods with a gap of one month between them.
This session every year starts with the President of India’s Address to both Houses.
The monsoon session is held in July to September every year.
This is after a break of two months after the budget session.
In this session, matters of public interest are discussed.
Winter Session
The winter session of Parliament is held in mid-November to mid-December every year.
It is the shortest session of all.
It takes up the matters that could not be considered upon earlier and makes up for the absence of legislative business during the second session of the Parliament.
Joint Session of Parliament
Article 108 of the Constitution provides for the joint sitting of the Parliament’s two Houses, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, in order to break any deadlock between the two.
The joint sitting of the Parliament is called by the President of India.
Such a session is presided over by the Speaker, and in his/her absence, by the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha. In the absence of both, it is presided over by the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
If any of the above are not present, any other member of the Parliament can preside by consensus of both the Houses.
Joint Session is called when
If a bill is passed by one House and passed on to the other and –
The other House rejects the bill.
The Houses disagree on the amendments made to the bill.
If 6 months have passed since the passing of the bill by one House and the bill has been received by the other House without it being passed (the President cannot summon a joint sitting if the bill was not passed because of the dissolution of the Lok Sabha). Also, in calculating the 6 months, days, when House was prorogued or adjourned for more than 4 consecutive days, are not counted.
Exceptions to Joint Sittings
Constitution Amendment Bills: As per Article 368, the constitution of India can be amended by both the Houses by a 2/3rd majority. In case of a disagreement between both the houses, there is no provision for a joint session of Parliament.
Money Bills: Money bills do not require the approval of the Rajya Sabha. Only Lok Sabha needs to pass it. Even if the Upper House does not pass a money bill within 14 days, it is deemed to have been passed by both Houses of Parliament after the expiry of the above period. So, there is no case for a joint sitting in the case of a money bill.
Quorum of Parliament
The minimum number of the members required to be present for conducting a meeting of the house is called Quorum.
One-tenth strength is fixed as quorum by the Constitution for both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
There should be at least 55 members present to conduct a sitting of Lok Sabha.
There should be at least 25 members are to be present to conduct a sitting of Rajya Sabha.
Adjournment of Parliament
When the sitting of the House is terminated to meets again at the time appointed for the next sitting, it is called Adjournment.
The sittings of the house can be postponed through adjournment for a specified time such as hours, days or weeks.
If the meeting is terminated without any definite time/date fixed for the next meeting, it is called Adjournment sine die.
The presiding officer (Speaker or Chairman) of the House is the authority to adjourn as well as adjournment sine die the house sittings.
Prorogation of Parliament
Prorogation is done by the President of India. It is the end of session of Parliament and not the dissolution of the house.
Prorogation is done only in case of Lok Sabha, as Rajya Sabha does not dissolve.
On February 21, 2023, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2023, which has provided much higher outlays for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) during the Financial Year 2023-24.
With the objective of seeking a significant impact in the North Eastern Region (NER), emphasis has been laid on enhancing capital expenditure in the NE Region. By way of devolution Northeast India will get Rs 78,500 Crore. For flagship schemes the budget has allocated Rs 5000 Crore more this year.
Enhanced outlays are provided towards supporting the initiatives with special focus for the ST and SC communities; and the livelihoods of the women and the youth in NE Region.
There have been significant increases in the MDoNER Scheme-wise outlays also, that will increase the impact in infrastructure, social-development and livelihood sectors in the NER.
The quantum of funds to be earmarked by the various Central Ministries / Departments in the NER as per the 10% Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) stipulations have also been significantly enhanced.
Some of the major ongoing infrastructure projects in NER such as Capital Connectivity Roads and Rail-Lines, Air Connectivity, Power, Telecom, Petroleum & Natural Gas etc. are financed under 10% GBS.
Some of the announcements related to the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) are:
There is a step-jump in the budget outlay for the MDoNER during the Financial Year 2023-24. The total B.E. 2023-2024 allocation is Rs. 5892.00 crore; well over twice (~114% higher than) the RE 2022-23 allocation of Rs. 2755.05 crore.
Out of this, Rs 4093.25 crore (~70%) is provided for Capital expenditure. In addition, Rs. 1,324.03 crore further from within the amount of Rs. 1,798.75 crore provided for Revenue Expenditure is as grants for creation of capital assets.
This is tantamount to provisioning of Rs. 5,417.28 crore (~92%) out of Rs. 5,892.00 crores as B.E. 2023-24 outlay for MDoNER towards expenditure of capital nature.
The total B.E. 2023-2024 allocation for the infrastructure targeted North East Special Infrastructure Development (NESID) Scheme is Rs. 2,491.00 crore; well over (~67% higher than) the RE 2022-23 allocation of Rs. 1,493.30 crore.
The total B.E. 2023-2024 allocation for the infrastructure, social development and livelihoods targeted Prime Ministers Development Initiative for North-East (PMDevINE) Scheme is Rs. 2,200.00 crore; four and a half times the RE 2022-23 allocation of Rs. 400.00 crore. PM-DevINE was announced in the union budget to address developmental gaps in the northeastern region.
The total B.E. 2023-2024 allocation for the overall wholistic development, social infrastructure and social development targeted Schemes of North Eastern Council (NEC) is Rs. 800.00 crore ; (~20% higher than) the RE 2022-23 allocation of Rs. 666.87 crore.
As per Expenditure Profile of Union Budget 2023-24 Statement-11, the 10% GBS share for the NER comes to Rs. 94,679.53 (~31% higher than) the RE 2022-23 allocation of Rs. 72.540.28 crore under 10% GBS share of the 55 non-exempt Ministries / Departments.
The allocation for Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) out of the B.E. outlay for 2023-24 has been enhanced to Rs. 1690.00 crore or over twice (~101% higher than) the RE 2022-23 allocation of Rs. 839.95 crore for TSP.
The allocation for Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) out of the B.E. outlay for 2023-24 has been enhanced to Rs. 488.00 crore or nearly one and a half times (~48% higher than) the RE 2022-23 allocation of Rs. 330.54 crore for SCSP.
In comparison to the actual expenditure of Rs. 24,819.18 crore in 2014-15, the B.E. 2023-24 provision for 10% GBS shows an increase of Rs. 71,860.35 crore ; nearly thrice ( ~281% higher than) the actual expenditure in 2014-15.
In aggregate, a total of Rs. 3,37,000 crore was spent in the period from 2014-15 to 2021-22. Together with the anticipated expenditures of Rs. 72,540.28 crore in 2022-23 and Rs. 94,679.53 crore in 2023-24, the aggregate expenditure in NER under the 10% GBS stipulation is likely to reach Rs. 5,00,000 crore in the decade from 2014-15 to 2023-24.
For the first time an amount of Rs 1.20 lakh crore has been earmarked for connecting the hilly and border areas of the region.
Funds for Railway Development in Assam & North East States
Adequate fund has been allotted for the overall development of railway infrastructure in all Northeastern states. Union Budget 2023 has allocated 19 projects of Rs. 75,795 crore for the Railways in Assam and NorthEast. 19 projects covering 2,008 Km is are currently in process at Assam and other Northeastern regions.
Under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, 59 stations in the North East will be developed with world-class amenities/facilities. The list of stations that will be benefited under the scheme are: Naharalagun (Itanagar), Amguri, Arunachal, Chaparmukh, DhemajiDhubriDibrugarh, Diphu, Duliajan, Fakiragram Jn., Gauripur, Gohpur, Golaghat, Gosaigaon hat. Haibargaon, Harmuti, HojaiJagiroad, Jorhat Town, Kamakhya. Kokrajhar, Lanka, Ledo, Lumding, Majbat, MakumJn, Margherita, Mariani, Murkongsolek, Naharkatia, Nalbari. Namrup, Narangi, New Bongaigaon, New Haflong, New Karimganj, New Tinsukia, North Lakhimpur, Pathshala, Rangapara North, RangiyaJn, SarupatharSilapathar, Silchar, Simalguri, Sivasagar Town, Tangla, Tinsukia, Udalguri, ViswanathChariali, Imphal, Sairang (Aizawl), Dimapur, Rangpo, Agartala, Dharmanagar, Kumarghat, Udaypur.
15 stations each in all divisions of NFR to be developed under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.
The Union Budget 2023-24 has earmarked Rs 10,988.80 crore for the development of railways in the North East. It is 13.75 per cent more than the previous year’s allotment (Rs 9,660.14 crore).
Total railway infrastructure projects of Rs 75,795 crore are going on in the entire Northeastern region. An adequate allocation has been made for the early execution of all the ongoing works. Around Rs 1,100 crore has been allocated for Dimapur-Kohima new line projects while Rs 800 crore is earmarked for the execution of the Jiribam-Imphal new line projects.
Other capital connectivity projects in the Northeastern states such as Sivok – Rangpo new line projects in Sikkim gets Rs 2,350 crore while Rs 915 crore has been allocated for Bairabi-Sairang new line projects in Mizoram.
Among other new line projects, Rs 200 crore for Agartala-Akhaura international connectivity project between India and Bangladesh and around Rs 700 crore is allocated for Araria – Galgalia project.
Rs 600 crore for New Bongaigaon – Rangiya-Kamakhya and Rs 500 crore for New Bongaigaon-Goalpara-Kamakhya has been allocated for speedy execution of the ongoing track doubling works, he also said.
Moreover, Rs 115 crore has been allocated for the doubling works between Katihar-Kumedpur and Katihar-Mukuria sections to further improve train connectivity to and from Northeast.
Agthori station near Guwahati will be redeveloped with world-class facilities for Rs 517 crore.
Acknowledgment
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma “Assam Govt will be richer by Rs 10,000 Crore following the Union budget 2023-24. CM Sarma said, “We have calculated and Assam will be richer by Rs 10,000 following the budget. This part only relates to untied fund. Once we calculate the money from the schemes it will be much more.”
While grant of Panchayats is increased by 15 percent grant of town committees is increased by 61 percent. “SDRF grant is increased by 5 percent and Central sector allocation is enhanced by 5 percent. The interest free loan amount of Assam is increased to Rs 6000 Crore.”
Assam will get an additional Rs 6400 crore of untied funds from the budget than the previous year. From some Rs 25,000 crore annually, this budget has allocated Rs 31, 950 Crore for Assam which is a hike of Rs 6,400 Crore. That means that now the state government will get around Rs 550 Crore more from the Centre monthly.”
Currently, the state government receives around Rs 18,000 Crore monthly from the Centre as untied funds which the state government can utilize at its own will.
Federation of Industry and Commerce of North Eastern Region (FINER) has hailed the Budget 2023, welcoming the budget, Bajrang Lohia said that the Finance Minister presented a citizen-centric, growth-oriented budget, which clearly sets the priorities going ahead, aiming at a stable tax regime. The budget focuses on the youth, women, and disadvantaged in general, and strives for enabling opportunities among the people.
The announcement of laying Rs.2491 crore for the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme is a huge relief to the industry fraternity of the region. Under the scheme, 100 percent centrally funding is provided to the State governments of North Eastern Region for the projects of physical infrastructure relating to water supply, power and connectivity enhancing tourism and social infrastructure relating to primary and secondary sectors of education and health.
