General Knowledge and Current Affairs

(b) Alexander Fleming

Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 from the mould Penicillium notatum, for which he shared the 1945 Nobel Prize in Medicine. Louis Pasteur developed pasteurisation and vaccines, Edward Jenner pioneered the smallpox vaccine, and Robert Koch identified the causes of tuberculosis and anthrax.

(a) Accumulation of toxic substances in the body through the food chain, leading to fatal diseases like cancer

Unmanaged pesticide use leaves harmful chemical residues on crops and in soil and water. These toxic substances enter the human body through the food chain (biomagnification) and accumulate over time, causing serious and often fatal diseases such as cancer, along with other health problems.

(a) Compassion

Compassion is the human value that makes a person feel concern for the suffering and well-being of others and motivates them to help. Arrogance, self-interest and envy are negative traits that focus on the self rather than on others' welfare.

(b) Britain

The Citizen's Charter was first introduced in the United Kingdom by Prime Minister John Major in 1991. It set out the standards of service that citizens could expect from public bodies.

(b) Telephone Call

For urgent office matters, a telephone call gives immediate two-way communication and instant feedback, whereas postal mail and notice boards are slow and an annual report is not a communication channel for urgent matters.

(a) Ministry of Industry and Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport

The Ministry of Industry (with Commerce and Supplies) oversees the largest number of public enterprises, including many industrial and trading ones. The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport has comparatively few enterprises under it, whereas the other ministries named hold a larger or comparable number.

(b) Service Sector

Among the options given, Nepal Telecom falls under the Service Sector, because it provides telecommunication services to the public. The Commercial Sector covers trading and business-type enterprises, the Social Sector covers enterprises such as education and health bodies, and the Public Utility Sector covers enterprises like the Nepal Electricity Authority and Nepal Water Supply Corporation.

(a) Nepal Electricity Authority

Among Nepal's public enterprises, the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is the largest employer, with a workforce of over 10,000 (permanent plus contract staff) spread across its generation, transmission and distribution wings. Nepal Telecom, though a big employer, has only around 5,000–6,000 employees, while Nepal Airlines Corporation and Nepal Oil Corporation have much smaller workforces.

(b) Special Act

Most public enterprises in Nepal (e.g. Nepal Electricity Authority, Nepal Oil Corporation, Nepal Telecom, Nepal Water Supply Corporation) are set up under their own Special Act (विशेष ऐन), which defines their objectives, capital, management and powers. Some are also established under the Companies Act or the Development Committee Act, but the Special Act is the principal law for public enterprises.