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[WEEK 6] ETHICS THEORY & CASE STUDIES | BRAINSTORMING ON ETHICS & ESSAY (BEE) by Sunil Oberoi Sir

Dear Students, As part of our new initiative, BRAINSTORMING ON ETHICS & ESSAY (BEE), here we have come up with the Sixth session. BEE is a FREE ONLINE (YOUTUBE) initiative, exclusively for Essay and Ethics curated by IASbaba’s renowned faculty member, Shri Sunil Oberoi Sir (former IAS Officer). The Sixth session focuses on the theme, 'ETHICS THEORY & CASE STUDIES'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hwp75WpNtI   Sunil Oberoi Sir has worked on Civil Services Reforms in India with UNDP and DoPT. He was a government nominee in interview boards and Examiner in various govt. exams. He was also associated with induction training of new entrants of Civil Services and In-Service training of Senior Civil Servants. To Know More about BEE Initiative -> CLICK HERE Download the schedule: Click Here For Any Queries: Email id: offline@iasbaba.com / support@iasbaba.com Mobile No: 91691 91888 (Please call between 10 am – 6 pm ONLY) Thank You IASbaba 

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[ADMISSIONS OPEN] ILP 2022 - INTEGRATED LEARNING PROGRAM – The Most Comprehensive and Trusted ONLINE Course

WHAT IS INTEGRATED LEARNING PROGRAMME (ILP) 2022? ILP 2022 is the Most Comprehensive ONLINE Programme for UPSC aspirants which caters to all the stages of the exam (Prelims, Mains & Interview). ILP acts as your companion in preparation, ever ready and capable to help you at each stage of your preparation – day by day, hour by hour. It reduces your efforts; micro manages your time in the most productive way and allocates your attention in a well-defined priority. It makes your preparation planned, seamless and enjoyable! OBJECTIVESILP is an effort towards assisting an aspirant sitting at the remotest part of the country to crack UPSC with a ‘single-digit rank’.To come up with something which can integrate your preparation in a common string of theme-based understanding of concepts.For More Details - CLICK HERETO ENROLL - ILP 2022 - CLICK HEREILP 2022 (WITH MENTORSHIP) - CLICK HERE

Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – Language and the Self – Inspirational Educative Articles

Language and the Self: Without language, all experiences of life merge into a simple experience; they never cling to you. They become nothing other than simple and pure momentary experiences. We use language to remember an experience. We compartmentalize it, play with it, and it just becomes a part of our memory. We keep comparing all new experiences with a few deeper older ones. By doing this, we can’t see people newly, nor can we experience things as though for the first time. Can you imagine what a sheer joy life would be if you could wake up every morning and not know anything about it? What would it be like if you saw a person you had never seen before and you didn’t know their name or anything about them? Your eyes would be wide open in curiosity to know more about them. But now, you look at someone and your mind immediately starts comparing – “He is rich, he is poor, he is black, he is white, he is tall, he is short.” In all this, you miss a wonderful opportunity to get to know someone. Try to imagine that you have not been introduced to such a thing as language. Imagine you don’t know what language is, you don’t know how to name things, and you don’t even know that you exist. Even to say, “I exist,” you need language. Of course, without language you will still exist; you will still walk, eat, and breathe, but there will be no one there to observe that process, and there will be no one there to question your behavior. There will be no one to stand in front of the mirror and say, “I look like this,” because you need language for all these things. Our world is nothing but a collective word used to describe individual experiences strung together by language. Language is the glue that sticks everything together. The moment you drop language, the whole universe becomes a subjective individual experience. Without language, there cannot be any separation between you and what you are experiencing. Existence is not an inert physical place that you simply inhabit. It is a lot more mysterious than you can imagine. The greatest mystery of all this is, of course, the mystery of you. “This article is a part of the creative endeavor of Nirvana Foundation and IASBABA.”

Important Articles

[WEEK 6] ESSAY 12: Theme – Life is a long journey between Human beings & being humane. | BRAINSTORMING ON ETHICS & ESSAY (BEE) by Sunil Oberoi Sir

Dear Students, As part of our new initiative, BRAINSTORMING ON ETHICS & ESSAY (BEE), here we have come up with the  Twelfth session. BEE is a FREE ONLINE (YOUTUBE) initiative, exclusively for Essay and Ethics curated by IASbaba’s renowned faculty member, Shri Sunil Oberoi Sir (former IAS Officer). The Twelfth essay focuses on the theme, ''. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3Ti4CwkHFM   Sunil Oberoi Sir has worked on Civil Services Reforms in India with UNDP and DoPT. He was a government nominee in interview boards and Examiner in various govt. exams. He was also associated with induction training of new entrants of Civil Services and In-Service training of Senior Civil Servants. To Know More about BEE Initiative -> CLICK HERE Download the schedule: Click Here For Any Queries: Email ID: support@iasbaba.com Mobile No: 91691 91888 (Please call between 10 AM – 6 PM ONLY)   Thank You IASbaba 

Important Articles

[MOCK INTERVIEW – UPSC 2020-21] New Time Slots for ONLINE MOCKS Open Now & ONE-ONE MOCKS with Mohan Sir!

Dear Students, Thank You for the Overwhelming Response and Heartwarming Feedback on our Interview Mentorship Program (IMP). More Interview Slots are now open! 200 students have attended the Mock Interviews in Bangalore, Delhi, and Online till now!! Due to the Covid situation and lockdown restrictions, we have come up with more ONLINE Mock Interviews. Offline Mocks in Bangalore and Delhi will start soon subject to government guidelines.   UPCOMING ONLINE MOCKS: 2nd July (Friday) - Slots Open! 3rd July (Saturday) - Slots Open! To BOOK YOUR TIME-SLOTS FOR ONE-ONE MOCKS with Mohan Sir & MOCK INTERVIEW (ONLINE) -> CLICK HERE P.S: More Mocks will be announced soon! P.S: You can also share the same with your friends who are interested in taking ONLINE Mock Interviews, One-One Mocks with Mohan Sir, DAF Questionnaire. To Know More about IASbaba's Interview Mentorship Program (IMP) -> CLICK HERE For further queries with regard to the interview, you can mail us at support@iasbaba.com or call us on 8549000077 [UPSC INTERVIEW] CURRENT AFFAIRS Discussion – Learn How to Handle Controversial Topics and Situation-Based Questions from Serving, Ex-IAS, IPS, IRS Officers & Mohan Sir – Exclusively for UPSC 2021-21 Interview Students! - CLICK HERE BABA's INTERVIEW PANELLIST Thank You IASbaba

WEEKEND WITH BABA

[WEEKEND WITH BABA] Sixth Live Session – Integrated Learning Program (ILP) - 2022 by Atyab Ali Zaidi Sir Live Now!!

Dear Students Gear up for a Live Zoom Session on Details regarding the Integrated Learning Program (ILP) - 2022. Details Regarding the Sixth Live Session The session on Integrated Learning Program (ILP) - 2022 will be taken by Atyab Ali Zaidi sir on 26th June (Saturday) from 5 PM - 6 PM. Zoom Session Details  Topic: Weekend with Baba - Ask Anything - Integrated Learning Program (ILP) - 2022 with Atyab Sir Time: Jun 26, 2021 05:00 PM Join Zoom Meeting - https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84519647338?pwd=R3N2cWY4aFlhOWJIeXBpYUR0SUM2UT09 Meeting ID: 845 1964 7338 Passcode: 680023 Note The Zoom link will be active only on the scheduled time and date. Students will be allowed to participate in the session on a 'first come first serve' basis. To Watch Previous 'Weekend With Baba' Sessions - CLICK HERE INTEGRATED LEARNING PROGRAM (ILP) 2022 - CLICK HERE You can start sharing your questions/queries/doubts with #ASKBABA (related to Integrated Learning Program (ILP) - 2022) in disqus comment box below and Upvoting can follow. Remember maximum upvotes will be given priority. Feel free to share your queries because many of the questions that you are having, will be the same as other candidates. Your questions might help others in clarifying their doubts. Waiting to talk to you soon! P.S: 'CONNECT WITH BABA' consists of the following - Hotline, #AskBaba, Phone-a-Friend, (Monday - Friday between 10 AM to 6 PM), and 'Weekend with Baba' (Every Saturday from 5 PM - 6 PM). To get Regular Updates from IASbaba, follow- TELEGRAM Channel – CLICK HERE YOUTUBE  –  CLICK HERE FACEBOOK  – CLICK HERE

Important Articles

[UPSC INTERVIEW] CURRENT AFFAIRS Discussion - Learn How to Handle Controversial Topics and Situation Based Questions from Serving, Ex-IAS, IPS, IRS Officers & Mohan Sir - Exclusively for UPSC 2021-21

Hello Everyone, There are many requests from the Interview students to conduct ‘Current Affairs’ Discussion sessions. So on those lines, we will be conducting sessions on how to answer controversial issues and tackle situation-based questions. These sessions will be handled by Serving, Retd. Bureaucrats and Mohan Sir. We are floating a form below so that the interested students who are selected for UPSC CSE interview 2020 can register. The session will start from Monday (28th June) REGISTER HERE - CLICK HERE PS: The link for these live sessions will be sent only to the registered students. For further queries with regard to the interview, you can mail us at support@iasbaba.com or call us on 8549000077

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 26th June 2021

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Guidelines for Other Service Providers (OSPs) Part of: GS Prelims and GS -III - Telecommunications  In news Recently, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has eased the norms for Other Service Providers (OSPs). Important Features of New Policy Distinction between Domestic and International OSPs has been removed.  A BPO centre with common Telecom resources will now be able to serve customers located worldwide including in India. Now, the interconnectivity between all types of OSP centres is permitted. The Electronic Private Automatic Branch Exchange (EPABX) of OSPs can now be located anywhere in the world. Removed the requirement of OSPs submitting their reports to the DoT on a period basis. Other Provisions: Exempted OSPs from requirement of any registration. No Bank Guarantees are to be furnished. Work from Home and Work from Anywhere also permitted. Penalties for violations were removed altogether Benefits The move is expected to provide a fillip to the BPO sector as well as create jobs.  The new guidelines will add to India’s attractiveness in ease of doing business, About Business process outsourcing (BPO) BPO is a business practice in which an organization contracts with an external service provider to perform an essential business task. OSPs or Other Service Providers are companies or firms which provide secondary or tertiary services such as telemarketing, telebanking or telemedicine for various companies.  Enforcement Directorate transfers assets of Fugitive Economic Offenders Part of: GS Prelims and GS -III - Money Laundering  In news The Enforcement Directorate has transferred assets worth Rs. 8,441.50 crore to public sector banks that suffered losses to the tune of Rs. 22,585.83 crore due to frauds committed allegedly by Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi. All the three have been declared 'Fugitive Economic Offenders' by PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) Court in Mumbai. About Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 It seeks to confiscate properties of economic offenders who have left the country to avoid facing criminal prosecution or refuse to return to the country to face prosecution. Fugitive Economic Offender (FEO)  A person against whom an arrest warrant has been issued for committing an offence listed in the Act and the value of the offence is at least Rs. 100 crore. Some of the offences listed in the act are: Counterfeiting government stamps or currency. Cheque dishonour. Money laundering. Transactions defrauding creditors. Upon confiscation, all rights and titles of the property will vest in the central government, free from encumbrances (such as any charges on the property). The central government may appoint an administrator to manage and dispose of these properties. About Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Money laundering is punishable with rigorous imprisonment for a minimum of 3 years and a maximum of 7 years and Fine. The property is believed to be "proceeds of crime" and can be provisionally attached for 180 days.  Such an order is required to be confirmed by an independent Adjudicating Authority The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is responsible for investigating offences under the PMLA About Enforcement Directorate It is a specialized financial investigation agency.  It comes under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance. ED enforces the following laws: Foreign Exchange Management Act,1999 (FEMA) Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) Do you know?  Money laundering is concealing or disguising the identity of illegally obtained proceeds so that they appear to have originated from legitimate sources. Special Purpose Vehicle for Mission Karmayogi Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II - Policies and interventions  In news Recently, a three-member task force has been formed to help the government in bringing major bureaucratic reforms through its ambitious “Mission Karmayogi”. The Centre had recently approved the ‘National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building – Mission Karmayogi’ to effect a transformational shift from rule based training to role-based capacity development of all civil services in the country. About the task force A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), namely ‘Karmayogi Bharat’, would be set up as a not-for-profit company. It will be set up under section 8 of Companies Act, 2013 as a 100% government-owned entity. The SPV will be responsible:  to deliver and manage design,  implement, enhance and manage a digital platform   manage and deliver competency assessment services  manage governance of telemetry data and ensure provision of monitoring and evaluation. The task force shall submit its recommendations on organisational structure for the SPV aligning its vision, mission and functions. Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2020: IRENA Part of: GS Prelims and GS -II - International Relations and GS III - Renewable Resources In news Recently, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) released the ‘Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2020’ report. Key highlights of the report 38% of the total global energy capacity now has higher operating costs than new utility-scale photovoltaics and onshore wind energy. Replacing this expensive coal power with renewables will save operators USD 32 billion a year and reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by around three billion tonnes. The year 2020 was a record year for renewables deployment despite the Covid-19- pandemic, with 261 GW installed.  Around 162 GW or 62% of total renewable power capacity added last year had lower costs than the cheapest new fossil fuel option. The growth was due to: advancements in technologies,  consistent fall in component costs, cost-competitive supply distribution channels, learning by using  commercial-scale availability. Indian Initiatives for Renewable Energy: Hydrogen Energy Mission. Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM). International Solar Alliance. PM- KUSUM. National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy. Rooftop Solar Scheme. About International Renewable Energy Agency It is an intergovernmental organisation, officially founded in Bonn, Germany, in January 2009. Currently it has 164 members, India is the 77th Founding Member of IRENA. Headquarters: Abu Dhabi, UAE. Major Functions: It supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future,  It promotes the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy,  World’s First Genetically Modified Rubber: Assam Part of: GS Prelims and GS III - Sci and tech  In news  Recently, the world's first Genetically Modified (GM) rubber plant developed by Rubber Research Institute was planted in Assam. About the GM Rubber Genetic modification (GM) technology allows the transfer of genes for specific traits between species using laboratory techniques. The GM rubber has additional copies of the gene MnSOD, or manganese-containing superoxide dismutase, inserted in the plant, which is expected to tide over the severe cold conditions during winter in the northeast. Why is it done?  Natural rubber is a native of warm humid Amazon forests and is not naturally suited for the colder conditions in the Northeast, which is one of the largest producers of rubber in India. Growth of young rubber plants remains suspended during the winter months. This is the reason for the long immaturity period of this crop in the region. About natural rubber Rubber is made from the latex of a tree called Hevea Brasiliensis. It is an equatorial crop, but under special conditions, it is also grown in tropical and sub-tropical areas. Temperature: Above 25°C with moist and humid climate. Rainfall: More than 200 cm. Soil Type: Rich well drained alluvial soil. Cheap and adequate supply of skilled labour is needed for this plantation crop. India is currently the sixth largest producer of NR in the world.  Top Rubber Producing States: Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka. Government Initiatives:  Rubber Plantation Development Scheme and Rubber Group Planting Scheme  100% FDI in plantations of rubber, coffee, tea, cardamom, palm oil tree and olive oil tree. Major Producers Globally: Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, China and India. Major Consumers: China, India, USA, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. Miscellaneous Gujarat International Maritime Arbitration Centre (GIMAC) Recently, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Gujarat Maritime University and International Financial Services Centres Authority in GIFT (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City) City. This will be the first centre of its kind in the country that will manage arbitration and mediation proceedings with disputes related to the maritime and shipping sector. The GIMAC will be part of a maritime cluster that the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) is setting up in GIFT City at Gandhinagar. Benefits: Facilitate faster dispute resolution. Enhance the attractiveness of GIFT Special Economic Zone (SEZ) among the International Maritime Community. Increase the ease of doing business. Reduce burden on courts. (Mains Focus) JUDICIARY/ GOVERNANCE Topic: GS-2: Structure, organization and functioning of Judiciary GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Unclogging the Courts Context: Recently, a senior judge of the Supreme Court of India, while hearing a case, stated that frivolous cases have been making the Court dysfunctional. Frivolous cases were adding to the burden of the Supreme Court and collaterally harming other litigants by delaying hearing of their cases. Frivolous cases also lead to wastage of time of judges and court system bringing down the efficiency of justice delivery system. The problem of frivolous cases, although identified, continues because of following reasons: Government as a major litigant The Ministry of Law and Justice in the Action Plan to Reduce Government Litigation (2017) stated that approximately 46 per cent pending cases before the courts pertain to the government.  Supreme Court has imposed fines on governments and litigants for filing frivolous litigations. However, this has not discouraged them from indulging in such litigations. Ignoring National Litigation Policy 2010 One of the provision of the policy which states that “litigation will not be resorted to for the sake of litigating”, is not working. The policy has not deterred the government authorities from filing frivolous cases Imposition of costs on government authorities for frivolous cases is being ultimately paid from the public exchequer, leading to inefficient usage of public funds. Non-appointment of judges Many high courts have 40 to 50 per cent vacancies at times.  According to a government statement in the Lok Sabha, there were 5,135 vacancies in district and subordinate courts as on June 30, 2018.  Special courts are created for specific disputes giving the impression of expedited hearing and disposal. But judges for these courts have to be provided by the high courts from the existing common pool of judges. Inadequate judge strength makes frivolous cases linger for longer period of time because existing strength cannot dispose them off in short period amidst huge burden of cases.       4. Other issues that lead to clogging of the system include the refusal to increase the number of sanctioned posts, lack of infrastructure in the district courts, absence of training of judges, stalling of police reforms etc Way Ahead The responsibility of unclogging the judiciary is with the central and state governments since they are the biggest litigants in the courts. Governments should approach the courts only if necessary, and not just to pass the buck. Vacancy in Judiciary should be addressed immediately by the government. Government has to follow National Litigation Policy, 2010 in letter & spirit. Connecting the dots: Women & Judiciary Language in Judiciary Judicial Administration Reform Responsible Artificial Intelligence EDUCATION/ GOVERNANCE Topic: GS-2: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education, Human Resources  GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. English Language in Education Context: Recent Andhra Pradesh government’s decision to make English the medium of instruction for all undergraduate courses (save, of course, the language subjects). State government has maintained that Telugu will remain a compulsory subject at the school level so that students get to learn the language Arguments against AP Government’s decision. Disproportionately impacts rural students: Critics contend this would leave many students, especially from the rural areas and from economically weaker sections who are likely to have been educated in Telugu medium schools thus far, seriously disadvantaged. Fears of sub-optimal learning: Forcing such students to shift to English so late in their academic pursuit, critics fear, may cause sub-optimal learning vis-a-vis the students’ actual competence and aptitude. Attack on Culture: The opposition have sought to position the decision as an attack on Telugu culture and sacrificing the protection of Telugu language.  Arguments in Favour of AP Government’s decision. Needed for increasing PG Education: The language of instruction in post-graduate courses is English. Continuing with Telugu as the medium of instruction at the UG level would further delay the shift for a set of students. It would be tantamount to indirect gate-keeping of PG education. Aligned with people’s choices: The set of students from a Telugu-medium background who opted for the same medium at the UG level in 2020-21 was merely a quarter of the pool that joined degree courses, and the state government says the larger share of Telugu-medium students entering UG courses have themselves opted for English instruction. Push towards White Collar Jobs: There is a strong case for teaching in English in the later years as it is the de facto language of white-collar employment, which provides better income & social security. Enhances employability of students:  English-learning at the undergraduate level increases the employability of students in globalised world. Survey shows that English fluency results in a difference of up to 34% in hourly wages for Indian men, with the advantage going up commensurately with the degree of relative fluency. Getting Future Ready: English skills are likely to become far more important in the future; for future jobs in the technology sector (AI, Machine Learning, Big Data Analytics), English proficiency will become as key as technical training. Therefore, the state has to ensure that students get all the support needed to transition from Telugu to English. Connecting the dots: New Education Policy 2020 Right to Education Act Operation Digital Board (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note: Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Comments Up-voted by IASbaba are also the “correct answers”. Q.1 Consider the following statements: BPO is a business practice in which an organization contracts with an external service provider to perform an essential business task. OSPs or Other Service Providers are companies or firms which provide secondary or tertiary services such as telemarketing, telebanking or telemedicine for various companies.  Which of the above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2  Neither 1 nor 2  Q.2 Consider the following statements regarding Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Money laundering is punishable with rigorous imprisonment for a minimum of 3 years and a maximum of 7 years and Fine. The property is believed to be "proceeds of crime" and can be provisionally attached for 180 days.  Which of the above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2  Neither 1 nor 2  Q.3 Where is Headquarters of International Renewable Energy Agency located? UAE France Belgium Gurugram ANSWERS FOR 25th June 2021 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 C 2 B Must Read On dowry deaths: Indian Express On gender disparities in vaccine rollout: Hindustan Times On BIMSTEC & India’s NER: ORF

Important Articles

[WEEK 6] ESSAY 11: Theme – Technology as the silent factor in International Relations | BRAINSTORMING ON ETHICS & ESSAY (BEE) by Sunil Oberoi Sir

Dear Students, As part of our new initiative, BRAINSTORMING ON ETHICS & ESSAY (BEE), here we have come up with the  Eleventh session. BEE is a FREE ONLINE (YOUTUBE) initiative, exclusively for Essay and Ethics curated by IASbaba’s renowned faculty member, Shri Sunil Oberoi Sir (former IAS Officer). The Eleventh essay focuses on the theme, ''. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM5p2rarIWA   Sunil Oberoi Sir has worked on Civil Services Reforms in India with UNDP and DoPT. He was a government nominee in interview boards and Examiner in various govt. exams. He was also associated with induction training of new entrants of Civil Services and In-Service training of Senior Civil Servants. To Know More about BEE Initiative -> CLICK HERE Download the schedule: Click Here For Any Queries: Email ID: support@iasbaba.com Mobile No: 91691 91888 (Please call between 10 AM – 6 PM ONLY)   Thank You IASbaba 

Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz – 2021 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 26th JUNE 2021

For Previous Daily Quiz (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE The Current Affairs questions are based on sources like ‘The Hindu’, ‘Indian Express’ and ‘PIB’, which are very important sources for UPSC Prelims Exam. The questions are focused on both the concepts and facts. The topics covered here are generally different from what is being covered under ‘Daily Current Affairs/Daily News Analysis (DNA) and Daily Static Quiz’ to avoid duplication. The questions would be published from Monday to Saturday before 2 PM. One should not spend more than 10 minutes on this initiative. Gear up and Make the Best Use of this initiative. Do remember that, “the difference between Ordinary and EXTRA-Ordinary is PRACTICE!!” Important Note: Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :) After completing the 5 questions, click on 'View Questions' to check your score, time taken, and solutions. To take the Test - Click Here