April 20 2024 Prelims Practice Questions (PPQs)

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) Asia Pacific, in collaboration with other environmental organisations, has called on the ASEAN to take decisive action in response to plastic pollution.
• GAIA is a worldwide alliance of more than 1,000 grassroots groups, non-governmental organizations, and individuals in over 90 countries.
• GAIA aims to power a transition away from our current linear and extractive economy and towards a circular system that supports people’s right to a safe and healthy environment.
• GAIA envisions a just, zero-waste world built on respect for ecological limits and community rights, where people are free from the burden of toxic pollution and resources are sustainably conserved, not burned or dumped.

Statement 2 is correct

• This entails fighting pollution and building regenerative solutions in cities through local campaigns, shifts in policy and finance, research and communication initiatives, and movement building.
• They work on four primary points of intervention: incineration, zero waste, plastic, and climate.

Answer: (b) 2 only; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is reported to be testing a prototype of its DURGA-2 (Directionally Unrestricted Ray Gun Array) system.
• DURGA-2:
  • It damages or destroys its target using focused energy by means of lasers, microwaves or particle beams.
  • Other countries which have this system: Russia, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Israel, and China.

Statement 2 is correct

• Their beams are not affected by the constraining effects of gravity or atmospheric drag.
• They are extremely precise.
• Their effects can be tailored by varying the type and intensity of energy delivered against targets.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• They transmit lethal force at the speed of light (about 300,000 kilometers per second).
• Significance:
  • The aerospace industry can transform the way wars will be fought.
  • This will enable us to produce cutting edge platforms, weapons, sensors, and networks essential to fight and win a future war.

Answer: (a) Only one; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Ahead of Iran’s first-ever direct attack on Israel, Israeli intelligence reportedly jammed the country’s GPS navigation system signals to confuse Tehran’s missile targeting teams.
• GPS spoofing involves broadcasting false GPS signals to trick a GPS receiver.
• The attacker misleads the GPS receiver into believing it is located somewhere it is not, resulting in inaccurate location data.
• This undermines the reliability of GPS data, which is crucial for navigation, time synchronization, and other applications.
• GPS spoofing can:
  • Misdirect navigation systems, leading to incorrect routes.
  • Trick delivery vehicles, affecting logistics and supply chains.
  • Deceive smartphone apps, impacting location-based services.

Statement 2 is correct

• GPS relies on signals from satellites to calculate position based on signal arrival time.
• Weak signal strength of GPS satellites makes them vulnerable to fake signals.
• The attacker acquires knowledge of the victim’s GPS setup and sends counterfeit GPS signals that mimic the real ones.
• These stronger fake signals cause the receiver to recognize them as authentic, leading to inaccurate location data.

Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

• Mount Ruang:
• It is a stratovolcano located in Indonesia’s North Sulawesi province.
  

  Stratovolcano It is a tall, steep, and cone-shaped type of volcano. Unlike flat shield volcanoes, they have higher peaks. They are typically found above subduction zones, and they are often part of large volcanically active regions, such as the Ring of Fire that frames much of the Pacific Ocean.

• It is a 725-meter (2,400-foot) volcano.

• The summit of Ruang stands 10,932 feet above sea level, with a caldera that is about two miles wide.
• The summit contains a partial lava dome and reaches some 725 metres (2,379 ft) in altitude.
• From its summit, Klabat’s peak in the south, that of Siau to the north, and Ternate to the east can all be seen.
• The top of the mountain is partially filled with a lava dome formed as a result of activity in 1904.
• Since then, volcanic activity been observed through the formation of lava domes and pyroclastic flows.

Answer: (a) Indonesia; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• It is a special force in India that has primarily been utilised for counter-terrorism activities.
• The NSG is an elite force providing a second line of defence for the nation.
• The NSG members are also known as Black Cats because of the black drill cotton coveralls and balaclavas, or helmets, they wear.
• Establishment:
  • It was raised in 1984, following Operation Blue Star and the assassination of Indira Gandhi.
  • It was created by the Cabinet Secretariat under the National Security Guard Act of the Indian Parliament in 1986.
  • It was modelled on the pattern of the SAS of the UK and the GSG-9 of Germany.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• The Union Ministry for Home Affairs exercises administrative and operational control over NSG.
• It is headquartered at New Delhi.
• The NSG’s specific goals include:
  • Neutralization of terrorist threats,
  • Handling hijacking situations in the air and on land,
  • Bomb disposal (search, detection, and neutralisation of IEDs),
  • PBI (Post Blast Investigation),
  • Hostage Rescue, and
  • VIP Security.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• Director General (DG):
  • The head of the NSG, designated as Director General (DG), is selected by the Home Ministry.
  • All the selected DGs have been officers from the Indian Police Service (IPS).
  • It is designed to be employed as a specialised counter-terrorism force “only in exceptional situations,” not to take over “functions of the State Police Forces or other paramilitary forces.”
  • The teams of NSG work on a basic philosophy of swift and speedy strike and immediate withdrawal from the theatre of action.
  • The force is task-oriented and has two main elements in the form of the Special Action Group (SAG), comprising Army personnel, and the Special Ranger Group (SRG), comprising personnel drawn from the Central Armed Police Forces and State Police Forces.

Answer: (c) All three; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Longevity India Initiative is a project focused on efforts to extend human ‘health span’ and tackle ageing-related challenges.
• The initiative has also started a large-scale clinical study that will involve researchers from multiple IISc departments, clinicians, industry, philanthropists and civil society.
• This initiative seeks to enhance the understanding of ageing through both fundamental and applied research, and to develop solutions that can improve quality of life.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• Recently, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) launched the Longevity India Initiative.
• The initiative has received initial grant funding support from Prashanth Prakash, Founding Partner, Accel India.
• Significance:
• India’s elderly population projected to surge to 347 million by 2050, it is imperative that there is a need to leverage technology to provide accessible geriatric healthcare, nurture the silver economy and invest in digital systems that support ageing populations.

Answer: (a) 1 only; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• Cholera
  • It is an acute diarrhoeal disease that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.
  • It remains a global threat to public health and an indicator of inequity and lack of social development.
• Symptoms:
  • It is an extremely virulent disease that can cause severe acute watery diarrhoea.
  • Profuse watery diarrhoea, Vomiting, Leg cramps etc.
  • The disease can spread rapidly in areas with inadequate sewage and drinking water treatment.

Statement 2 is correct

• Euvichol-S:
  • It is the inactivated oral vaccine to treat Cholera.
  • This new vaccine is the third product of the same family of vaccines which are there for cholera in WHO prequalification list.
  • It is a simplified formulation of the oral cholera vaccine (OCV) Euvichol-Plus.
  • Other inactivated oral cholera vaccines are Euvichol and Euvichol-Plus.

Answer: (b) 2 only; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

• The indigenous wheat variety Kathiya Gehu from Bundelkhand, Uttar Pradesh, earns a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, marking a breakthrough for agricultural recognition.
• It’s the first farm produce from Uttar Pradesh to achieve this distinction, highlighting the region’s agricultural significance.
• Kathiya wheat’s robust nature enables it to thrive in regions facing water scarcity and adverse weather conditions, such as those prevalent in Bundelkhand.
• Its resilience extends to resistance against various common wheat diseases, ensuring sustainable cultivation practices.
• The GI certification process was initiated by the Khatiya Wheat Bangra Producer Company Limited, a local Farmer Producer Organization (FPO), with the support of entities like NABARD back in January 2022.
• The GI tag acknowledges the unique qualities and geographical origin of Kathiya Gehu, ensuring its protection and promoting its heritage.
• This recognition bolsters the cultural and economic value of Bundelkhand’s agricultural heritage.

Answer: (c) Uttar Pradesh; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

• Shompen, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group, cast their first Lok Sabha Election vote.
• Residing in the dense tropical rainforests of Great Nicobar Island, they belong to the Mongoloid group.
• With an estimated population of 229 according to the 2011 Census, they are hunters and gatherers, living a semi-nomadic life.
• Despite not being colonized in defined reserve forests, they sustain their lifestyle by hunting wild pig, python, monitor lizard, and crocodile.

Answer: (b) Great Nicobar Island; Difficulty Level: Medium