Question 31: Consider the following statements:

1. A judgment of the Supreme Court becomes the law of the land, according to the Constitution.
2. Under Article 137, the Supreme Court has the power to review any of its judgments or orders.
3. Review petition can be filed by any person aggrieved by a ruling.
4. Review petition is to be heard after a curative petition is dismissed.

Which of the following statements is/are true?

A) 1,2 and 3

B) 2,3 and 4

C) 1,3 and 4

D) 1,2,3 and 4

Correct Answer: A

Explanation

• A judgment of the Supreme Court becomes the law of the land, according to the It is final because it provides certainty for deciding future cases. However, the Constitution gives, under Article 137, the Supreme Court the power to review any of its judgments or orders.
• It is not necessary that only parties to a case can seek a review of the judgment on it. As per the Civil Procedure Code and the Supreme Court Rules, any person aggrieved by a ruling can seek a review. However, the court does not entertain every review petition filed.
• In a 2013 ruling, the Supreme Court itself laid down three grounds for seeking a review of a verdict it has delivered — the discovery of new and important matter or evidence which, after the exercise of due diligence, was not within the knowledge of the petitioner or could not be produced by him; mistake or error apparent on the face of the record; or any other sufficient reason. In subsequent rulings, the court specified that “any sufficient reason” means a reason that is analogous to the other two grounds.
• What if a review petition fails? In Roopa Hurra v Ashok Hurra (2002), the court itself evolved the concept of a curative petition, which can be heard after a review is dismissed to prevent abuse of its process. A curative petition is also entertained on very narrow grounds like a review petition and is generally not granted an oral hearing.

Question 32: Consider the following statements:

1. The Operation Jackpot was a codename for three operations undertaken by Bengali Mukti Bahini in former East Pakistan against the Federation of Pakistan during the Bangladesh Liberation War.
2. Vijay Diwas or Victory Day is commemorated on December 16, marking the end of the 1971 Indo-Pak War.

Which of the following statements is/are true?

A) 1 only

B) 2 only

C) 1 and 2 only

D) Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer: C

Explanation

• The Operation Jackpot was a codename for three operations undertaken by Bengali Mukti Bahini in former East Pakistan against the Federation of Pakistan during the Bangladesh Liberation War.
• Vijay Diwas or Victory Day is commemorated on December 16, marking the end of the 1971 Indo-Pak War and the liberation of Bangladesh. India declared victory on this day 51 years ago after Pakistan signed the Instrument of Surrender.

Question 33: Consider the following statements:

1. The Institute for Plasma Research in Ahmedabad, a laboratory under the Department of Atomic Energy, is the lead institution from the Indian side participating in the ITER project.
2. The fusion reaction happens when two light nuclei merge to form a single heavier nucleus.
3. The nuclear energy currently in use across the world comes from the fission process.
4. A large amount of energy is released in both the fusion and fission processes, but substantially more in fission than fusion.
5. Scientists use high-energy laser beams to achieve those temperatures required for the fusion process.
6. In the ITER project very strong laser beams are used in order to achieve the temperature required for the fusion process.

Which of the following statements is/are true?

A) Only three statements are correct

B) Only four statements are correct

C) Only five statements are correct

D) All the statements are correct

Correct Answer: B

Explanation

• The fusion reaction happens when two light nuclei merge to form a single heavier Because the total mass of that single nucleus is less than the mass of the two original nuclei, the leftover mass is energy that is released in the process, according to the Department of Energy.
• In the case of the sun, its intense heat — millions of degrees Celsius — and the pressure exerted by its gravity allow atoms that would otherwise repel each other to fuse.
• Fusion is a different, but more powerful, way of harnessing the immense energy trapped in the nucleus of an atom. This is the process that makes the Sun, and all other stars shine and radiate energy.
• The nuclear energy currently in use across the world comes from the fission process, in which the nucleus of a heavier element is split into those of lighter elements in a controlled manner. In fusion, nuclei of two lighter elements are made to fuse together to form the nucleus of a heavier atom.
• A large amount of energy is released in both these processes, but substantially more in fusion than fission. Besides greater energy yield, fusion is also a carbon-free source of energy and has negligible radiation risks.
• But fusion reactions happen only at very high temperatures, 10 times the temperature that exists at the core of the Sun and creating such an extreme environment in a laboratory requires huge amounts of energy.
• So far, the energy released in such experimental fusion reactions have been lower than what is consumed to create the enabling high At best, some of these reactions have produced ‘near break-even’ energies.
• At the Lawrence Livermore facility, scientists use high-energy laser beams to achieve those temperatures, also called ‘inertial fusion’. At some other places, including the international collaborative project in southern France called ITER in which India is a partner, very strong magnetic fields are used for the same purpose.
• It is relatively easier to attain break-even energy levels through inertial fusion compared to magnetic fusion. Obtaining net energy gain is a very important step, but we are still far away from reactor grade fusion reactions.
• The fusion reactions currently being run in labs last for barely a few seconds. Those based on laser beams run for even shorter times. It is difficult to sustain such extreme high temperatures for prolonged periods.
• India joined the ITER project in The Institute for Plasma Research in Ahmedabad, a laboratory under the Department of Atomic Energy, is the lead institution from the Indian side participating in the project.

Question 34: Consider the following statements:

1. Resident as well as non-resident Indians in the age group of 18-60 years can invest in the new pension scheme (NPS).
2. Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) is the regulator for NPS.

Which of the following statements is/are true?

A) 1 only

B) 2 only

C) 1 and 2 only

D) Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer: C

Explanation

• Resident as well as non-resident Indians in the age group of 18-60 years (as on the date of submission of NPS application) can invest.
• PFRDA is the regulator for NPS. Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) is an Authority set up by the Government of India through the PFRDA Act 2013 

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