Answers to CSM, 2016 Model Test-1, dated. 30.09.2016

Answers to CSM, 2016 Model Test-1, dated. 30.09.2016

Dear Friends, 

I would be keep posting the answers one by one as and when my time permit...I may update also...

Q.1. Why NSG membership is important for India?   

The NSG membership is crucial for India due to the following benefits        

1. Access to sophisticated nuclear technology and fuels which will facilitate high end growth in the fields of medicine and nuclear power generation.

2. Access to nuclear technologies is quid-pro-quo for scaling up India’s nuclear power production and it is in turn very essential to achieve her commitment to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and ensuring 40% of clean energy by 2030.

3. With access to latest technology, India can commercialize the production of nuclear power equipment and supply the same to the countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and others for peaceful purposes. This in turn will boost innovation and high tech manufacturing in India and can be leveraged for economic and strategic benefits.

4. Having the ability to offer its own nuclear power plants to the world means spawning of an entire nuclear industry and related technology development. This could give the Make in India programme a big boost.

5. India’s international political, economic, military and strategic profile and clout increases. She will enter into the category of international rule-creating nations rather than stay in the ranks of rule-adhering nations

Q. 10. What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of Li-fi technology?

Ans. The potential benefits of the Li-fi technology are

1. Efficiency: Li-Fi works on visible light technology. The LED bulbs which are used in homes and offices for lighting purposes can be used to transmit data. Hence, it is very efficient in terms of costs as well as energy.

2. High speed: The Li-fi technology is faster by several times than that of wi-fi and facilities high data transmission in few seconds

3. Availability: It can be used in all the places wherever there is a light source. Hence, high speed internet can be provided practically in all places, in homes, offices, shops, malls etc.

4. Security: One main advantage of Li-Fi is security. Since light cannot pass through opaque structures, Li-Fi Internet is available only to the users within a room and cannot be breached by users in other rooms or buildings.

5. Li-fi technology wouldn’t interfere with the navigation systems and therefore great potential to provide internet and data transmission facilities in flying objects such as aeroplanes and fighter jets.

The drawbacks or disadvantages of Li-Fi technology include:

1. Internet cannot be used without a light source. This could limit the locations and situations in which Li-Fi could be used.

2. Because it uses visible light, and light cannot penetrate walls, the signal's range is limited by physical barriers.

3. Other sources of light may interfere with the signals. It can’t be used outdoors as sunlight would interfere with the light used for li-fi technology.

4. A whole new infrastructure for Li-Fi would need to be constructed.

13. “The merging of railway and general budgets is a sweetener to the Indian Railways”. Comment.

Ans. The merging of Railway Budget with that of General Budget with effect from 2017-18 is expected to benefit the railways in the following ways

1.    Due to the merger of two budgets, the Railways will also get rid of the annual dividend it currently has to pay for Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) from the government.

2.    The Indian Railways suffer from a huge revenue deficit and the same will be transferred to the Ministry of Finance.

3.    The time and energy of the Railways Dept.  which has been hitherto utilized on budget exercise now can be diverted to productive areas like expansion and broadening of lines, high speed rail, bio-toilets, metro projects etc.

4.    The Rail Budget will be free of political pressures. It has been used as a bargaining chip by major political parties to enlist smaller parties into a coalition. Introducing new trains in home states usually netted votes of minor parties.

5.    The GOI is surely bigger than Railways Dept. and therefore may allocate or mobilize more funds for operationalizing the high speed rail, metro projects and connecting the hinterland to the ports.

[During the British Raj, Railway Budget made up for 85 percent of the country’s general budget, but now it accounts for only 15 percent].