Council was introduced by the Constitution (One Hundred and First Amendment)
Act, 2016.
● Statement 2 is incorrect: The GST Council is chaired by the Union Finance Minister and
other members are the Union State Minister of Revenue or Finance and Ministers in-charge
of Finance or Taxation of all the States.
Mandate of GST Council
● The Goods and Services Tax Council shall make recommendations to the Union and the
States on—

○ the taxes, cesses and surcharges levied by the Union, the States and the local
bodies which may be subsumed in the goods and services tax;
○ the goods and services that may be subjected to, or exempted from the goods and
services tax;
○ the threshold limit of turnover below which goods and services may be exempted
from goods and services tax;
○ the rates including floor rates with bands of goods and services tax;
○ the date on which the goods and services tax be levied on petroleum crude, high
speed diesel, motor spirit (commonly known as petrol), natural gas and
aviation turbine fuel.

● Quorum: One-half of the total number of Members of the Goods and Services Tax Council
shall constitute the quorum at its meetings.
● Voting share: Every decision of the Goods and Services Tax Council shall be taken at a
meeting, by a majority of not less than three-fourths of the weighted votes of the
members present and voting, in accordance with the following principles, namely: —
○ the vote of the Central Government shall have a weightage of one-third of the total
votes cast, and
○ the votes of all the State Governments taken together shall have a weightage of
two-thirds of the total votes cast, in that meeting. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
● No act or proceedings of the Goods and Services Tax Council shall be invalid merely by
reason of—
○ any vacancy in, or any defect in, the constitution of the Council; or
○ any defect in the appointment of a person as a Member of the Council; or any procedural irregularity of the Council not affecting the merits of the case.
● Dispute adjudication: The Goods and Services Tax Council shall establish a mechanism to adjudicate any dispute
○ between the Government of India and one or more States; or
○ between the Government of India and any State or States on one side and one or more other States on the other side; or
○ between two or more States, arising out of the recommendations of the Council or implementation thereof.

5. Consider the following statements.
1. Sowa-Rigpa is an ancient Indian medical system conceived and propounded by Lord Buddha in India.
2. It has been propagated and transmitted through teacher-student-lineage prevalent in the Western ghats region of India.
3. Sowa-Rigpa is acknowledged as a traditional medical system by the governments of India, Bhutan, Mongolia and Tibet.

Answer: B
Explanation:
● Statement 1 is correct: Sowa-Rigpa is an ancient Indian medical system conceived and
propounded by Lord Buddha in India and later was enriched in the entire Trans-
Himalayan region.
● Statement 2 is incorrect: Sowa-Rigpa originated in India 2500 years ago and was
introduced in the TransHimalayan region around the 8th Century CE. Since then, it has

been propagated and transmitted through teacher-student-lineage (including family
lineage) prevalent in the secular and monastic contexts of the Trans Himalayan region of
India.
● Sowa-Rigpa is a traditional medical system of Ladakh, Sikkim, Darjeeling and Kalingpong
(West Bengal); Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnour, Dharamsala regions of Himachal Pradesh; Mon-
Tawang and west Kameng regions of Arunachal Pradesh; and Tibetan settlements in various
parts of India. Sowa-Rigpa is also traditionally practiced in Bhutan, Mongolia, Tibet, China,
Nepal and some parts of Central Asia.
● Statement 3 is correct: Today, Sowa-Rigpa is acknowledged as a traditional medical
system by the governments of India, Bhutan, Mongolia and Tibet.
● Sowa-Rigpa has been recognized and promoted by the Government of India as a traditional
medical system.

1. Consider the following statements about India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).
1. Its primary objective is to promote economic development by fostering integration between
Asia, the Arabian Gulf, and Europe.
2. It aims to create an entirely railway based connection from India to Europe.

Answer: A
Soln:
India – Middle East – Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC)
● During the G20 Summit held in India last year, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was
signed among the Governments of India, the U.S., Saudi Arabia, the European Union,
the UAE, France, Germany, and Italy to establish the India – Middle East – Europe
Economic Corridor. Hence statement 1 is correct.
● IMEC is envisioned as a network of transportation routes encompassing railways and
sea lanes. Hence statement 2 is incorrect.
● Its primary objective is to promote economic development by fostering integration
between Asia, the Arabian Gulf, and Europe.
● This project falls under the umbrella of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure
Investment (PGII), an initiative led by Western nations to support infrastructure projects
worldwide.
○ The PGII seeks to finance infrastructure projects in developing countries by leveraging a combination of public and private investments.
○ It was initially introduced during the G7 summit in the UK in 2021.
● The IMEC corridor hopes to become a viable alternative to China’s Belt and Road
Initiative (BRI), which has steadily established global connectivity linkages with the Chinese market through extensive shipping, rail, and road networks, since its conception 10
years ago.

2. Consider the following statements about Judges in the High courts.
1. The Collegium for the appointment and transfer of High Court judges are the same in
composition.
2. Distinguished jurists in the opinion of the President can be appointed as a judge in the High
court.
3. Based on Collegium’s recommendation, the Governor of the particular state appoints a High
Court Judge.

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3. Consider the following statements about the University Grants Commission (UGC).
1. It is a statutory body.
2. It works under the Union Ministry of Education.
3. It provides grants to all Universities and Colleges.

Answer: D
Soln:

As per the s Judges case and Memorandum of Procedure, the Collegium process for appointment of
the High Court Judges is summarised below:
● The Collegium for appointment of the High Court judges consists of the Chief Justice of India
and other two senior Judges of the Supreme Court.
● The process for filling up any vacancy in a High Court shall be initiated by the Chief Justice
of the concerned High Court in consultation with other two senior Judges of the High Court.
The proposed list of names for appointment is sent by the Chief Justice of the High Court to
the Governor of the State, the Union Government and the Supreme Court Collegium.
● The State Government may provide its inputs on the proposed list of names to the Union
Government. The Union Government with its comments forwards the same to the Supreme
Court Collegium.
● The Supreme Court Collegium consisting of the Chief Justice of India and other two senior
Judges then make the final recommendation for appointment of Judges to a High Court.
● The President appoints the Judges to a High Court. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.
Transfer of Judges:
● The President may, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, transfer a Judge from
one High Court to any other High Court [Art 222].
● This process of transfer is also based on recommendation of the Supreme Court Collegium.
The Collegium for transfer of Judges consists of the Chief Justice of India and four other
senior judges of the Supreme Court. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
● The Chief Justice of India shall also consult the Chief Justices of concerned High Courts i.e.,
the High Court from which the transfer is to be made and the High Court to which the
transfer is to be made before recommending transfer of a Judge to the President.
Qualification for a High Court Judge
As per Article 217(2), a person shall be qualified for appointment as a Judge of a High Court if he/
she fulfils the following conditions:
● He/she is a citizen of India and,
● For at least 10 years held a judicial office in the territory of India; or 3. Has for at least 10
years been an advocate of a High Court or of two or more such Courts in succession.
● Distinguished jurists can be appointed as judge only in the Supreme Court. Hence,
statement 2 is incorrect.

Answer: B
Soln:
University Grants Commission (UGC):

● The University Grants Commission (UGC) is a statutory body established to oversee and
advance higher education within the country. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
● It was created through an Act of Parliament (UGC Act) in 1956 and operates under the
Ministry of Education. Hence, statement 2 is correct
● It was established for the promotion and co-ordination of University education and for
the determination and maintenance of standards of teaching, examination and research
in Universities, and for the purpose of performing its functions under the UGC Act.
● In addition to providing grants to eligible universities and colleges, the Commission
provides recognition to universities in India, and also advises the Central and State
Governments on the measures which are necessary for the development of Higher
Education. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.
● Head office: New Delhi.

4. Consider the following statements about the Clemency powers available to the President and the Governors.
1. The President alone can pardon a sentence given by a Court martial.
2. The President and the Governors can commute a death sentence.
3. Respite refers to the postponement of a punishment.

5. Consider the following statements about Orangutans
1) Orangutans are great apes native to the rainforests of India.
2) Orangutans are known to use sticks as tools to scrape insects from hollow surfaces of trees..

Answer: B
Explanation
● Statement 1 is incorrect: Orangutans are great apes native to the rainforests of
Indonesia and Malaysia.
○ Ape is a large primate (an order of mammals) that lacks a tail, including the gorilla,
chimpanzees, orangutan, and gibbons.

● Orangutans were originally considered to be one species. From 1996, they were divided
into two species: the Bornean orangutan and the Sumatran orangutan . A third species,
the Tapanuli orangutan , was identified definitively in 2017.
● They have proportionally long arms and short legs, and have reddish-brown hair
covering their bodies.
● Some adult male orangutans develop flaps of fatty tissue on both sides of their face
known as flanges.
● Orangutans are the most solitary of the great apes. Social bonds occur primarily between
mothers and their dependent offspring.
● They are arboreal creatures.
● Statement 2 is correct: Orangutans are known to use sticks as tools to scrape insects
from hollow surfaces of trees.

Threats

● Habitat loss and fragmentation caused by logging for timber materials is threatening the
survival of orangutans.
● Frequent forest fires threaten to reduce tree cover available for orangutans.
● Encroachment of forest land for palm oil cultivation is also affecting the population of
Orangutans.
Conservation status
● All the three species of Orangutan are listed as critically endangered as per IUCN red List
● All the three species of Orangutan are listed in Appendix I of CITES.
Why in the news ?
● Recently, scientists observed a unique animal behavior where an orangutan was found
using its fingers to apply medicinal plant juices to heal wounds on the skin.