Answer: C
Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act:
● As a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities
(CRPD), India is obligated to promote accessibility as an essential right. Hence,
statements 1 and 3 are correct.
● Enacted in 2016, the RPwD Act draws on the CRPD and aims “to ensure that all persons
with disabilities can lead their lives with dignity, without discrimination and with
equal opportunities.” Hence, statement 2 is correct.
○ The Act increased types of disabilities from existing 7 to 21.
○ All Government institutions of higher education and those getting aid from the
Government are required to reserve at least 5% of seats for persons with
benchmark disabilities.
○ Four percent reservation for persons with benchmark disabilities is to be
provided in posts of all Government establishments with differential quotas for
different forms of disabilities.

○ Incentives to employers in the private sector are to be given who provide 5%
reservation for persons with benchmark disability.

● The RPwD Rules of 2017, framed under the Act, were to lay down specific accessibility
standards.
● So far, 17 standards and guidelines have been notified across government ministries and
departments. The lack of uniformity across the different guidelines would create issues
in enforcement, the SC noted.
● It added that once the mandatory rules are prescribed, the Centre, state governments and
union territories would have to ensure that non-compliance with the accessibility
standards is penalised.
Why in news?
● A bench of the Supreme Court has ordered the Union government to frame mandatory rules for ensuring the accessibility of public places and services to persons with disabilities.
● The apex court reaffirmed accessibility as a fundamental right and noted that the provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act were not being treated as mandatory.

3. Consider the following statements about Generic drugs.
1) Generic drugs are drugs produced by other manufacturers once the patent for the original drug expires.
2) A generic drug is slightly inferior to an already existing brand-name drug in terms of quality and performance characteristics.
3) Generic drugs are slightly expensive compared to their branded counterparts.

4. Consider the following statements about Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY).
1) The scheme aims to provide access to clean cooking fuel to poor households.
2) The scheme releases deposit free LPG connections in the name of the eldest male member of
the family.

Answer: A
Explanation
Generic drugs
● When a company develops a new drug — often after years of research — it applies for a
patent, which prohibits anyone else from making the drug for a fixed period (usually
20 years unless specified).
● To recover the cost of research and development, companies usually price their brand-
name drugs on the higher side.
● Once the patent expires, other manufacturers duplicate and market their own versions of
the drug — known as Generic drugs. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
● A generic drug is created to be the same as an already existing brand-name drug in
dosage form, safety, strength, route of administration, quality, performance
characteristics, and intended use. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
● Generic drugs are equally effective and inexpensive (50%-90% less) compared to their
branded counterparts. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.

Answer: A
Explanation
About Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY)
● The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas launched PMUY to release deposit free LPG
connections in the name of adult women members of poor households across the
country. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
● Launched in 2016, the primary objective of the PMUY is to provide access to clean
cooking fuel LPG to poor households thereby protecting their health by reducing the
serious health hazards associated with use of conventional cooking fuel such as firewood,
coal, cow dung etc. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
● Under the scheme, cash assistance of Rs. 1600 is given to the beneficiaries to get a deposit-free new connection.
● Additionally, all PMUY beneficiaries will be provided with first LPG refill and stove (hotplate) both free of cost by the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).
● A targeted subsidy of Rs.300 per LPG cylinder for upto 12 refills per year is also provided to PMUY consumers.
Beneficiaries
● Initially, the beneficiaries were identified through Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC), 2011 data.
● The scope of PMUY was later expanded to cover all the poor families in the country subject to fulfilling the terms and conditions.

Places in news Region
1. Baku Palestine
2. Kazan Azerbaijan
3. Ramallah Russia

Answer: D
Explanation
Places in news Region
1. Baku Azerbaijan
2. Kazan Russia
3. Ramallah Palestine
So none of the pairs are correctly matched. Hence, answer is option D.

2. Consider the following statements about MIcrogrid.
1) A microgrid is an integrated energy and communication system.
2) Microgrid generation sources can be solar, wind or microturbines.

3. Consider the following statements about the Exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
1) EEZ includes territorial sea, contiguous zone and continental shelf.
2) EEZ provides the coastal state control over all economic resources.
3) The coastal state has no jurisdiction regarding protection of marine environment.

Answer: C
● A microgrid is an integrated energy and communication system consisting of
interconnected loads and distributed energy sources. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
● Microgrid generation sources include solar, wind, microturbines or other small energy sources. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Answer: C
Explanation
Exclusive economic zone
● The exclusive economic zone can be defined as a belt of water which extends up to 200
nautical miles from the baseline of the coastal state. Thus it includes both territorial sea
and contiguous zone. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.

● The exclusive economic zone provides the coastal state control over all economic resources such as fishing, mining, oil exploration, and marine research. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
● The coastal state also has jurisdiction regarding protection and preservation of natural resources and marine environment. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.

4. Consider the following statements about notices issued by Interpol.
1) Notices are issued at the request of a member country’s Interpol National Central Bureau.
2) National Investigation Agency is the National Central Bureau for Interpol in India.
3) Interpol itself can order law enforcement authorities to act on a particular notice.

Answer: C
Explanation
● Notices are issued by the General Secretariat at the request of a member country’s
INTERPOL National Central Bureau. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
○ Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), is the National Central Bureau for Interpol
in India, which coordinates with all law enforcement agencies in India for assistance via INTERPOL channels. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

● INTERPOL’s notices are completely discretionary, i.e. Interpol itself cannot compel law enforcement authorities to act on a particular notice. Very often, actual action on the notices is predicated on the relations between the two countries. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.

5. Consider the following statements.
1) Digi Doctor initiative aims to create a detailed database of doctors.
2) Digi Qure and Cure Bay are health tech startups.