UPPSC PYQ 1 (2020) — Geography
Which of the following ocean currents is associated with Indian Ocean?
- Florida current
- Canary current
- Agulhas current
- Kurile current
Answer: C. Agulhas current
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On July 24, 2026, the Union Cabinet approved the Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana Rasayan — the BHAVYA Rasayan Scheme — to establish three dedicated Chemical Parks across the country with a total financial outlay of ₹3,030 crore. First announced in the Union Budget for FY 2026-27, the scheme is aimed at reducing India's import dependence on chemical intermediates and building world-class common infrastructure for the domestic chemicals sector.
The scheme comes as India seeks to position itself as an alternative manufacturing base for specialty and bulk chemicals amid global supply-chain realignment away from China, often described as the "China+1" strategy pursued by multinational manufacturers. For aspirants preparing for UPSC, UPPSC, MPSC, and other state PSC exams, this topic is directly relevant for GS Paper 3 (Indian Economy — industrial policy, infrastructure) and frequently appears as a current-scheme question testing familiarity with Central Sector schemes announced in the Union Budget.
India's chemicals sector has long relied on imports for key intermediates and specialty chemicals, particularly from China, exposing domestic downstream industries — including pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and textiles — to supply disruptions and price volatility. Past efforts to build integrated chemical infrastructure include the Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Regions (PCPIR) policy of 2007, which set up dedicated investment regions but saw uneven implementation across states due to land acquisition and environmental clearance delays.
The BHAVYA Rasayan Scheme builds on lessons from PCPIR by adopting a leaner, park-based model with defined Centre-State cost-sharing, rather than large multi-thousand-acre investment regions. It follows a template similar to earlier Bulk Drug Parks and Medical Device Parks schemes under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, which used common infrastructure grants to de-risk private investment in capital-intensive manufacturing clusters.
Scheme structure and outlay
Funding pattern
Objectives and expected impact
Selection and rollout
Political and Constitutional Dimensions Industrial policy of this kind sits within the Union's fiscal domain — the scheme is funded entirely through the Union Budget and administered by a Union ministry — but its implementation depends on States, which control land acquisition, industrial land allotment, and local environmental clearances. This makes BHAVYA Rasayan a cooperative-federalism exercise: the Centre sets outlay and design, while States compete to provide land and matching funds, a pattern followed in other Central Sector infrastructure schemes and one that gives states real bargaining leverage over which regions ultimately host a chemical park.
Economic and Financial Dimensions By capping the Centre's exposure at ₹1,000 crore per park and mandating a ₹500 crore state contribution, the scheme leverages a smaller Central outlay to catalyse much larger private investment in downstream chemical manufacturing capacity. This approach reduces fiscal risk for the Centre while testing state-level commitment to industrial infrastructure — states unwilling or unable to mobilise matching funds and land will simply not host a park, creating a built-in filter for project viability and encouraging competitive federalism among industrially ambitious states.
Social Dimensions Chemical parks of this scale carry direct implications for local employment generation, but also for environmental and public health concerns in host regions, given the pollution-intensive nature of chemical manufacturing. Historical experience with PCPIRs suggests public consultation and environmental clearance processes will be closely watched by local communities and civil society groups near proposed park sites, making transparent grievance-redressal mechanisms important from the outset.
Governance and Administrative Dimensions Because the Central grant is disbursed against Common Infrastructure Facilities rather than direct subsidies to individual companies, the scheme requires robust State Industrial Development Corporations or similar nodal agencies to execute land pooling, utility development, and park management — administrative capacity that varies significantly across states and could determine which states successfully avail the scheme within its five-year window.
International Perspective The scheme is part of India's broader Atmanirbhar Bharat push to reduce import dependence in strategic sectors, and dovetails with global supply-chain diversification away from China being pursued by multinational chemical and pharmaceutical companies. Successful chemical parks could position India as an alternative sourcing base for chemical intermediates for global buyers, particularly in pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, strengthening India's case as a resilient node in reconfigured global chemical supply chains.
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Which of the following ocean currents is associated with Indian Ocean?
Answer: C. Agulhas current
Without green house effect, the average temperature of earth surface would be
Answer: B. –18°C
1. In Ease of Doing Business Report 2020, India's rank is 63. 2. India ranking for Ease of Doing Business in the year 2019 was 77.
With reference to the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Report, which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?
Answer: B. 2 only
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Geography · 2020Which of the following ocean currents is associated with Indian Ocean?
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