Explore topic-wise InterviewSolutions in Current Affairs.

Parliament meetings start at 11 a.m. Up to 12 Noon, it will be Question-Answer time. This is the time set apart for the members to ask questions to the Ministers on a particular topic. 

When the Question Hour finishes, the Zero Hour starts. Since it starts at 12 Noon it is called the Zero hour. During the Zero hour, urgent matters can be raised without giving prior notice. 5 to 10 minutes are given for each matter. The agenda of the Parliament is pre-determined. But with the permission of the speaker, this can be changed. Keeping the pre-determined agenda away, the Speaker at times allows members to present matters of urgent importance. Adjournment Motion is for that.

Correct option is D) recovery

President of India draws the maximum salary 

The Correct Answer is "Third Buddhist Council – Pataliputra".

• Six Buddhist Councils marked important turning points in the story of early Buddhism.
• This story spans the time from immediately after the death and Parinirvana of the historical Buddha in the 5th century BCE to sometime early in the first millennium CE.
• This is also the story of sectarian clashes and the eventual Great Schism that resulted in the two major schools, Theravada and Mahayana.
• In total, 6 Buddhist councils were convened.

The description of the six Buddhist councils has been given below:

First Buddhist Council :

• It was held soon after the Mahaparinirvan of the Buddha, around 483 BC under the patronage of King Ajatshatru.
• It was presided by Mahakasyapa, a monk. The council was held in the Sattapani cave at Rajgriha.
• The council was held with the purpose of preserving Buddha’s teachings (Sutta) and rules for disciples. During this council, the teachings of Buddha were divided into three Pitakas.
• The significance of the First Council is that 500 senior monks adopted the Vinaya-Pitaka and Sutta-Pitaka as the accurate teaching of the Buddha, to be remembered and kept by generations of nuns and monks to come.

Second Buddhist Council :

• The Second Buddhist Council was held at Vaisali (or Vaishali), an ancient city in what is now the state of Bihar in northern India, bordering Nepal under the patronage of King Kalasoka while it was presided by Sabakami.
• This Council probably was held about a century after the first one, or about 383 BCE.
• It was called to discuss monastic practices, in particular, whether monks could be allowed to handle money.

Third Buddhist Council :

• It was held in 250 BC at Pataliputra under the patronage of King Asoka.
• It was presided by Moggliputta Tissa. The third part of the Tripitaka was coded in the Pali language.
• This Council appears to have met to compose commentaries on the Tipitaka.

Fourth Buddhist Council :

• The fourth Buddhist council was held in 72 AD at Kundalvana, Kashmir.
• It was presided by Vasumitra, while Asvaghosa was his deputy.
• The council was held under the patronage of Kushan King Kanishka of the Kushan Empire.
• Buddhism was divided into two sects namely Mahayana and Hinayana.

Fifth Buddhist Council :

• The fifth Buddhist council was held in Mandalay, Burma in the year 1871 under the patronage of King Mindon.
• It was presided by Jagarabhivamsa, Narindhabhidhaja and Sumangalasami.
• During this council, 729 stone slabs were engraved with Buddhist teachings.

Sixth Buddhist Council :

• The Sixth Buddhist Council was held in 1954 in Burma at Kaba Aye, Yangoon.
• It was held under the patronage of the Burmese government and it was presided by Prime Minister U Nu.
• The council commemorated 2500 years of Buddhism.

Rajya Sabha is considered to be a permanent House because  the House is never dissolved

If the President dies or resigns or is otherwise incapacitated and as a result, the Presidential office becomes vacant, the Vice- President will act as President only for a maximum period of six month

A bill is the draft of the proposed law. If the Parliament approves the draft, it becomes a law. The law is to be approved by the President.

When the House wants a bill to be sent to the Select Committee, a Select Committee is formed. A Select Committee is formed to study a bill in detail and make its report. The chairman of the Committee is nominated by the Speaker. After studying the bill carefully, the committee presents its report to the House. When the work is over the Select Committee is disbanded.

Correct answer is c) 1954

The House  can withhold them for 14 days to make recommendations

20 in the Lok Sabha and 9 in the Rajya Sabha.

Lok Sabha was formed on 17 April 1952

At 12 Noon is known as zero hour of parliament.

The correct answer is Pranab Mukherjee.

• Pranab Mukherjee was the President who has signed the 'Lokpal Bill'.
• A Lokpal is an anti-corruption authority or body of ombudsman who represents the public interest in the Republic of India.
• The Lokpal has jurisdiction over the central government to inquire into allegations of corruption against its public functionaries and for matters connected to corruption.

About Lokpal:

• The current Chairperson of Lokpal is Pinaki Chandra Ghose.
• Formed - 19 March 2019.
• Headquarters - New Delhi.
• Official website - www.lokpal.gov.in

The correct answer is truth.

• Gandhi said The Truth is far more powerful than any weapon of mass destruction.
• Gandhism is a philosophy which has ideas to inspire and to create the vision.
• It is associated with the idea of nonviolence resistance which is also called civil resistance.
• The two pillars of Gandhism are truth and non-violence i.e Satyagraha and Ahimsa.
• The Gandhian principles have been included in the Directive Principles of State Policy in the Constitution.

• Movements Started by Gandhiji in India:
  • Champaran Satyagraha of 1917
  • Kheda Satyagrah of 1918
  • Khilafat Movement Post World War I
  • Non-Co-operation Movement
  • Civil Disobedience Movement
  • Negotiations over Round Table Conferences
  • Gandhi Irwin Pact
  • Quit India Movement 

The correct answer is 24th April.

• The Panchayat Divas also called National Panchayati Raj Day or National Local Self-Government day is celebrated every year on 24 April since 2010.

• It is the national day of the Panchayati Raj System. It is celebrated by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. 
• It was declared by the then Prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. He pointed following objective of declaring so:
  • For proper functioning of Panchayati Raj institutions (PRIs)
  • Increasing the participation of locals in the development process
  • To counter the Maoist threat 

The correct answer is Dr. Vishnu Narhari Wakankar.

• The Bhimbetka Caves is located in Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh state. According to ancient things, the folklore goes that one of the five brothers of Pandavas from Mahabharata Bhim sat here.
• This ancient site was discovered and headed by DR. Vishnu Narhari Wakankar. In Bhimbetka caves there are rock shelters feature pre-historic cave paintings and the earliest are said to about 10,000 years old century (8,000 BCE)
• These cave paintings belong to the Mesolithic age that shows theme paintings of such as hunting animals, early evidence of dance, etc. In 2003, the Bhimbetka caves included in the UNESCO heritage list.

• Dr. Rakhal Das Banerjee was the founder of the Harappan site Mohenjodro.
• Alexander Cunningham was considered as the founder of the Archaeological Survey of India(ASI).
• Dr. Vishnu Sharma is the writer of the Panchatantra collection of fables.

The correct answer is Carbon credit.

• Carbon credits work as a certification that businesses or individuals owning them are counterbalancing the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG).
  • A carbon credit represents the right to emit a measured amount of GHG.
  • Carbon credits were devised as a market-oriented mechanism to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Companies get a set number of credits, which decline over time.
  • They can sell any excess to another company.

• A carbon credit is a permit that allows the company that holds it to emit a certain amount of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases.
• One credit permits the emission of a mass equal to one ton of carbon dioxide.
• Under the prevailing Kyoto Protocol climate agreement, carbon credits are used in the market-based system of Carbon Trading.
• Carbon trading allows countries and companies to sell their carbon credits for money.

Correct answer is Wular Lake

The correct answer is Rock paintings.

• The Bhimbetka Rock Shelters are in the foothills of the Vindhyan Mountains (Madhya Pradesh) on the southern edge of the central Indian plateau.
• The Bhimbaitka complex is a magnificent repository of rock paintings within natural rock shelters.
• In Bhimbetka, we can see nearly 20 layers of paintings, one on top of another.
• The symbolism is an inspiration from nature along with slight spirituality.

• These caves are named after 'Bhima', one of the five Pandavas of Mahabharata. Bhimbetika simply means “sitting place of Bhima". 
• Dr. V. S. Wakankar (one of the most renowned archeologists) discovered these caves in 1958.
• These rock shelters are located in the Raisen District of Madhya Pradesh, near Abdullaganj town, and inside the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary.
• These rock shelters were declared a World Heritage Site in 2003.
• The entire region comprises more than 600 caves.

The correct answer is Ashoka.

• Ashoka adopted Buddhism after observing the brutality of the Kalinga War.
• The Kalinga war was the most famous war fought between the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka the Great and the State of Kalinga.
• Ashoka embraced Buddhism under the influence of a Buddhist monk, Upagupta.
• Kalinga war was a horrifying event as mentioned in the 13th Rock Edict of Ashoka.

• Ashoka was the son of Bindusara. He was the governor of Taxila and Ujjain during his father’s reign. 
• Ashoka sat on the throne around 268 B.C after successfully defeating his brothers.
• Ashoka’s mother’s name was Subhadrangi. His wife’s name was Devi or Vedisa who was a princess of Ujjaini.

Harshavardhana

The correct answer is Durgaram Mehtaji.

• Durgaram Mehtaji
  • He was a Gujarati social reformer, essayist, diarist and teacher from British India.
  • He founded the Manav Dharma Sabha along with other reformists.
  • Manav Dharma Sabha the first reform association of Gujarat, at Surat in 1844
  • He was the first to use autobiographical writing in Gujarati literature by keeping minutes of the transactions of the Manav Dharma Sabha with his comments and views.
• Mahipatram Rupram Nilkanth wrote biography of Durgaram under the tile Mehtaji Durgaram Manchharamnu Jivancharitra.
• Mahipatram Roopram
  • He was a Gujarati educationist, reformer, novelist and biographer from 19th century India.
  • He wrote the first travelogue of Gujarati literature, Englandni Musafarinu Varnan (1862) in which he had described the political, social, education condition of England then as well as descriptions of some popular places in England.
• Dalpatram
  • He was a Gujarati language poet during 19th century in India.
  • He led a social reform movement in Ahmedabad, and wrote articles against superstitions, caste restrictions and child marriage.
  • He dealt with the problem of widow remarriage at length in his poem, Vencharitra.
• Dayaram
  • He was a Gujarati poet of medieval Gujarati literature.
  • He is known in Gujarati literature for his literary form called Garbi, lyric songs.
  • He was a follower of Pushtimarg of Hindu Vaishnavism.

Socialism demands a whole-scale transformation of society's productive forces, and to immediately end Capitalism. Cooperatives are a little different--they seek to do the best they can democratically within whatever economic system is present.

George's Valley is renowned for its beauty and friendly inhabitants. Known as the adventure hub of the Limpopo, George's Valley Gorge is a magnet for adrenaline junkies with a variety of thrills ranging from mild to wild.

A rift valley is a lowland region formed by the interaction of Earth's tectonic plates. This small rift valley has a typical formation—long, narrow, and deep.

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The soil considered an important resources because : It provides food through agriculture. It is the source of nutrients for many forms of life. Many valuable minerals are explored from the soil.

measures taken to conserve water are.....
1. avoid leaking of water from taps.
2.rain water harvesting is an another method to conserve water
3.use minimum amount of water to bath
4. use washing, machine to wash clothes becuz that does not consume much water.
5. dams and canal systems should be used.
6. use kitchen left over water to water plants in garden.
7. use showers instead of flowing taps for bathing as well as watering plants.

Summary No. of words given in the original passage: 326 No. of words to be written in the summary: 326/3 = 108 ± 5

Rough Draft There is an enemy beneath our feet – an enemy more deadly for his complete neutrality. He recognizes no national frontiers, no political parties. Everyone in the world is endangered by him. The enemy is the earth itself. When an earthquake strikes, the world trembles. The power of a quake is greater than anything man himself can produce.

But today scientists are directing a great deal of their effort into finding some way of battling earthquakes, and it is possible that at some time in the near future mankind will discover a means of protecting itself from earthquakes. An earthquake strikes without warning.

When it does, its power is immense. If it strikes a modem city, the damage is very immense. When gas cylinders burst, explosions are caused and fires start. Underground railways are wrecked. Buildings collapse, bridges fall, dams burst, and gaping crevices appear in busy streets. If the quake strikes at sea, huge tidal waves sweep inland. If it strikes in mountain regions, avalanches roar down into the valley.

Consider the terrifying statistics from the past 1755: Lisbon, capital of Portugal – the city destroyed entirely and 450 were killed. 1970: Peru: 50,000 were killed. In 1968 an earthquake struck Alaska. As this is a relatively depopulated part, only a few people were killed. But it is likely that this was one of the most powerful quakes ever to have hit the world. 

Geologists estimate that during the tremors, the whole of the state moved over 80 feet farther west into the Pacific Ocean. Imagine the power of something that can move an entire subcontinent!

This is the problem that the scientists face. They are dealing with forces so immense that man cannot hope to resist them. All that can be done is to try to pinpoint just where the earthquake will strike and work from there. At least some protective measures can then be taken to save lives and some of the property.

No. of words in the summary: 110

Notes Title : Earthquake – the deadly enemy of mankind. Deadly Enemy of Mankind

• trikes all without a distn. – national boundary/political affiliation
• Power greater than man-made weap.
• Scientists finding means to combat eq.; they will find ways to protect themselves from eq.

Damage Cause by an Earthquake in General

• Strikes without warning. 
• Modem city when struck red. to a primitive village.

Damage Caused by an Earthquake in Particular

• strikes plains, seas, mnts. – all round destm.
• In 1755, Lisbon destyd, 450 killed.
• In 1970, Peru struck, 50,000 killed.
• In 1968, Alaska hit, subcontinent moved 80 feet into the Pacific Ocean.

Problems Scientists Face

• cannot resist powerful eq.
• can predict the place of origin
• precaution can be taken to save man & property.

Abbreviations used: eq. – earthquakes; distn. – distinction; weap. – weapon; red. – reduced; mnts. -mountains; destm. -destruction; destyd.-destroyed;

1. True 

2. True 

3. True 

4. False

Summary No. of words given in the original passage: 388 No. of words to be written in the summary: 388/3 = 129 ± 5

Rough Draft Residents of the Bhirung Raut Ki Gali were shocked, where Ustad Bismillah Khan was born on March 21, 1916. Subhan Khan recalled that in Dumaraon, he would give Rs.2/- and 5/- to boys and girls respectively. He wanted to play Shehnai in Bihariji’s Temple to recall his childhood days withhls-Tather, Bachai Khan. His original name was Quamaruddin and became Bishmillah as a Shehnai player in varanasi. His father was the official Shehnai player of the Maharaja of Dumaraon estate. On the day India got freedom, 31 year old Bismillah, had the rare honour of playing from Red Fort.

He was appreciated globally. His life was a witness to the plurality that is India. A few hours before he died the Shehnai wizard hummed a thumri, typical of a man whose life revolved around music. Throughout his life, he abided by the principle that all religions are one and the same. His simplicity and disregard for the riches in spite of being famous was seen in his cycle rickshaw rides.

Fair Draft: Bismillah Khan – A Legend Residents were shocked about Bishmillah Khan’s demise. Tears welled in an aged cousin. Shubhan recalled his generosity to children. Quamaruddin became Bishmillah as a Shehnai player and wanted to play in Bihariji’s Temple to recall his childhood days with his father, the official Shehnai player of Dumaraon. Bismillahmastered it during teenage. On the day of Independence, young Bismillah, played from Red Fort and appreciated globally.

He was a witness to the plurality in India. Being Muslim, he would dip in River Ganges and do riyaaz at the Balaji temple. During his final hours, the Shehnai wizard hummed a thumri, typical of a man whose life revolved around music. Throughout he believed that all religions were same. His disregard for riches was seen in his cycle rickshaw rides but providing for his family took its toll No. of words in the summary: 133

Notes 

Title: Bismillah Khan – A Legend 

1. Shocked Death

• cousin Khan in tears 
• caretaker of Dumaraon recalls 
• Boys – Rs. 21- to boys ; Girls – Rs. 5/-

2. Early Years org. name Quamaruddin 

• played shehnai with father at temp. 
• got famous as Bismillah at Varanasi.

3. Music, a family heritage 

• father: Dumarao’s court poet 
• played Shehnai from 6 yrs. 
• played Shehnai at Red Fort in 1947, age 31

4. Routine in Vans. 

• dip in Ganges riyaz at Balaji Temp. 
• Hummed thumri before his last breath.

5. Strong Belief in Secularism 

• Bismillah bel. in secularism 
• all religions are one and same 
• a plurality of life, India 
• Pract Islam

Abbreviations used: Rs – rupees; Org. – original; Temp. – temple; Yrs. – years; Fml. – family Mem. – member; Pract. – Practised; Bel. – believed.

1. c) Subscription -> sign -> name 

2. c) The authorities concerned with the support of local NGO‘s should protect the monuments 

3. a) Scribbling/spitting/overpopulation 

4. c) Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I would like to express my concern about neglected monuments 

5. c) Causes -> effects -> suggestions 

6. b) Affectionately yours 

7. b) Country‘s heritage 

Summary No. of words given in the original passage: 192 No. of words to be written in the summary: 192/3 = 64 ± 5

Rough Draft Being social animals, human beings have their actions and desires bound up with society. In matter of food clothes knowledge and belief they are interdependent with one another. We eat food that others have procedure Wear clothes that others have made, live in houses that others have built. They use language created by others. Without language their mental power would not grow.

We have to admit that we owe principal knowledge over the least to the fact of living in human society. The individual if left alone from birth would remain primitive. They are superior to beast, because they live in human society. An individual life left alone from birth would grow utterly beast like. So human society and not individuality guides man’s material and spiritual existence.

Fair Draft: Man is a Social Animal Being social animals, human beings have their actions and desires bound up with society. In the matter of food, clothes, knowledge and belief we are interdependent. We eat food, wear clothes, live in houses that others have produced or made. We use language created by others.

Without language, their mental power would not grow. An individual life left alone from birth would grow utterly beast-like. So human society and not individuality guides man’s material and spiritual existence.

No. of words in the summary: 77

Notes 

Title: Man is a Social Animal 

Survey: 

lives & efforts 

our actions & desires – bound up

Practices: Eat food – wear clothes – live in houses – made by others Lang – learnt 4m others – for mental power

Status: Indiv. if left alone – be primitive 

The individual – much in virtue member A human community – directs mat. & spiritual existence.

Abbreviations used: & – and; A – of; lang. – language; indiv. – individual; 4m – from; mat. – material

Ausable was a shrewd private detective. He did not become panicky on seeing Max with an automatic gun in his room. Even if he were, he did not show it off. Instead, he expressed surprise that he expected him to be in Berlin. He cooked up a nice story that it was the second time someone had broken into his room through the balcony of the neighbouring apartment which reaches down under his window.

He expressed his displeasure that he would raise hell with the hotel management for not blocking that balcony. This gave a strong suggestion to Max, that he could have used the balcony instead of the pass key to enter Ausable’s room. Being a criminal or spy, a person always looks for various routes of escape in times of danger. Very rarely he starts direct encounter risking his life. When Henry, the waiter who arrived with the pre-ordered drinks, knocked, Mr. Ausable simply smiled.

When Max asked who it was, he told a blatant lie that it was the police who had come for his extra protection and wouldn’t hesitate to fire as the door wasn’t locked but just closed. Max, assuming that there is a balcony extending below Ausable’s window, jumped. He never knew that it was a suicidal jump from the sixth floor. Thus, Ausable outwitted the spy, Max.

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Correct Answer is: (d) does he

Correct answer is Tiruchi

‘Remember Caesar’ is a light hearted comedy. The name Caesar is the name of a tragic hero Julius Caesar in one of the plays of William Shakespeare. Weston gives an appointment to Mr. Caesar to discuss rose tree planting work in his garden. Just to remind him of the proffered appointment, he scribbles two words “Remember Caesar” and keeps that scrap of paper in his coat pocket and has forgotten about it. On seeing that note, Lord Weston is shocked. Roger, the assistant of the judge elevates him to the level of a tragic hero.

He flatters the judge that his death could be a great loss to England as he was a great impartial judge. Mrs. Weston’s entry lightens up the whole drama and the tragedy transitions into a dark comedy. Lady Weston keeps hinting about earlier attempts when he was eating a game pie. When Weston says he has instructed Roger to barricade all doors, her immediate worry is about the grocery awaited. She asks if he was expecting both French and Dutch together in the attempt to assassinate. Lady Weston doesn’t want to send away the cook. She is practical.

She wants her to stay back to cook his pet dishes. Lady Weston brings a handful of candles to keep the room lit if Mr. Weston has to stay underground for a while. A velvet coat is construed as an infernal machine that could blow up the whole place is smothered with books inside a pail of water. The arrival of Mr. Caesar only sorts out the knot. The judge remembers to meet Mr. Caesar on 15th March.

Correct Answer is: (a) to

Martha and John cherished a grudge against Gresham for having underpaid Baldwin for about two decades. They openly said that he deserved punishment. Initially Gresham condemned the bribe claimed as a difference in salary paid. Had he been made a similar offer he claimed he would have asked him to go to the devil. Baldwin said that having been a friend he couldn’t use such an abusive language. Casually John asked how much he offered.

Baldwin said that it was one hundred thousand dollars. Suddenly Martha and John changed their attitude towards Gresham. John viewed a shame if Gresham got indicted because he shared his name. Martha also desperately tried to convince him not to testify against Gresham. John even suggested that he could say those three words “I don’t remember” as the depositor would not lose a cent. Baldwin felt miserable because the family members who he wanted to feel proud of his uprightness wanted him to crossover to the side of corrupt practices because of the generous offer made by Gresham.

It was Ausable who closed the door behind him.

There was a delay before we went through the tunnel.

Children get really excited. They want to see the touch of sunlight on all form of life in the planet. They want to tan themselves in the new found warmth of the Sun. Children persist that they be allowed to go out to the Sun. The teacher allows them with a warning that they must be back in two hours. They start running and turning their faces up to the sky and feeling the Sun on their cheeks like a warm iron. They take off their jackets to allow the Sun to bum their arms.

They gladly shouted “Oh, its better than Sun lamps. Children stood in the great jungle in the Venus. The jungle was in the colour of stones as they had not seen the Sun for years. The children lay out laughing on the jungle mattresses and heard it sigh and squeak under them resilient and alive. They ran among the trees, they slipped and fell and pushed one another.

They played hide and seek. But most of them squinted at the sun until tears ran down their faces. They put their hands up to the yellowness and the amazing blueness, they breathed off the fresh air and listened to the silence in a blessed sea of soundlessness. They looked at everything and savoured everything. Like animals escaped from their caves, they ran shouting in circles. Their mirth continued for one hour.

In the third part of the poem, Ulysses makes a clarion call to his hearty compatriots (i.e.) mariners. They have been with him both during ‘thick and thin’ or thunders or sunshine. They had frolicsome time fighting along with Ulysses against great warriors and Gods in the past. Ulysses does not want to live in memory of glory. He believes they need not waste away their precious time in nostalgic memories just recounting their escapades to the younger generation. He is conscious of the impending death in old age. But he tells it is not “too late to seek a newer world”.

The many “voices of the ocean” call out to the mariners to resume voyage. He does not want his compatriots to miss even an hour which could provide them novel experiences in their voyage. He persuades his compatriots to gather at the port as the sails are already puffing up welcoming them all. Their life would be one of fulfillment only when they venture out into the unknown on the seas. He uses an emotional bait to his mariners.

He highlights the probable outcome of their voyage. They might reach the “Happy Isles” (i.e.) great paradise and meet Achilles, their war hero. No matter how much strength they have, they still have some “strength of will” left to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield

statement. It’s not hot today is it.

(b) cannot be compared

Correct Answer is: (d) isolated