August 22-2024 Prelims Practice Questions (PPQs)

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• ICAR Rice Research Institute and Pennsylvania State University researchers have created a new, ultra-small plant genome editor, which is half the size of traditional CRISPR proteins.
• TnpB Protein is an RNA-guided transposon-associated nuclease and evolutionary ancestor of Cas12 nucleases and is a highly effective tool for plant genome editing.
• It is from Deinococcus radiodurans, which is renowned for its resilience and is about one-third the size of Cas9 and Cas12a. It is functionally similar to Cas12a but is more compact.

Statement 2 is correct

• It is much smaller than Cas9 and Cas12a, making it better suited for plant cells.
• It has higher editing efficiency in plant genomes and can target areas inaccessible to Cas9.
• Its broader target range allows it to reach genomic loci that Cas9 cannot.
• This is due to its use of the Transposon Associated Motif (TAM) sequence.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• It is effective on both monocot and dicot plants and allows precise nucleotide changes with a hybrid base editor.
• It has the potential to enhance traits like yield, disease resistance, and stress tolerance.
• It requires complex delivery systems like viral vectors or lipid nanoparticles to deliver into cells.
• The processing and stability of the specific RNAs required to target DNA sequences can be challenging.
• Being a foreign protein, it can elicit an immune response in the host. It potentially limits its effectiveness.
• The production and purification of TnpB can be expensive, especially for large-scale applications.
• Occurrences of Off-target effects lead to unintended genetic modifications.

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

Explanation

Option (c) is correct

• Fig trees (Ficus carica) major productions are in the Middle East; India ranks 12th globally.
• Commercial cultivation in India: Maharashtra>Gujarat>Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow& Saharanpur)>Karnataka (Bellary, Chitradurga & Srirangapatna)>Tamil Nadu (Coimbatore).

Option (a) is incorrect

• Fig trees are indigenous to Asiatic Turkey and northern India.

Option (b) is incorrect

• It is a deciduous, multi-trunk tree with smooth gray bark that grows to a height of 15-30 feet.
• It has large, multi-lobed, dark green leaves and produces small, inconspicuous flowers.
• The fruits of the tree, known as syconia, are edible, brownish-purple, and have a high sugar content.

Option (d) is incorrect

• It prefers arid and semi-arid environments with high summer temperatures, plenty of sunshine, and moderate water and can survive temperatures as high as 45°C.
• The fig wasp (Blastophaga) is essential for pollination.

Answer: (c) India ranks 12th globally in fig production, with Maharashtra leading in commercial cultivation; Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

Statements 1 and 2 are incorrect

• Inadequate Representation in Corporate Sector:
  • Disparity in Senior Management: Only 34,879 women held senior management positions in 2023 compared to 1,86,946 men. Women are underrepresented on the Board of Directors as well.
  • Growth Disparity: While women’s representation in senior management increased, the growth rate for men was significantly higher.
• Growth in Women’s Entrepreneurship:
  • Increase in Women-Led Startups: The number of women-led recognized startups has surged and constitutes 47.6% of total recognized startups.
  • Underrepresentation in Judiciary: Only 14% of women in HCs and around 9% in the SCs.

Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Option (d) is correct

• The Aravalli Range stretches for a distance of about 720 km from Gujarat to Delhi, spanning Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Delhi.
• They date back millions of years when a pre-Indian subcontinent collided with the mainland Eurasian Plate.
• Carbon dating has shown that copper and other metals mined in the ranges date back to at least the 5th century BC.
• The Aravallis of Northwestern India, one of the oldest fold mountains of the world, now form residual mountains with an elevation of 300m to 900m.
• Guru Shikhar Peak on Mount Abu is the highest peak in the Aravalli Range (1,722 m).
• It is formed primarily of a folded crust, where two convergent plates move towards each other through a process called orogenic movement.
• The mountains are divided into two main ranges—the Sambhar Sirohi Range and the Sambhar Khetri Range in Rajasthan, which extend about 560 km.
• The hidden limb of the Aravallis, which extends from Delhi to Haridwar, creates a divide between the drainage of the Ganga and the Indus rivers.

Answer: (d) Aravalli Range; Difficulty Level: Very Easy

Explanation

Statements 1 and 2 are incorrect

• The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) was established in 2020 by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
• It is a statutory body established under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
• Objectives: To protect and promote consumer rights, prevent unfair trade practices, and address false or misleading advertisements.
• It is headed by a Chief Commissioner and has two additional commissioners, one dealing with goods and the other with services.
• It can investigate violations of consumer rights, recall goods or withdraw services that are dangerous, hazardous, or unsafe, order refunds for recalled purchases, and discontinue unfair practices.
• For misleading advertisements, the CCPA can impose a fine of up to 10 lakh rupees, 2 years in prison, and a product ban of up to 1 year. For repeated offenses, the penalty can increase to 5 years in prison, a 50 lakh rupee fine, and a product ban of up to 3 years.

Statement 3 is correct

• Consumer grievances can be registered through the eDaakhil portal.

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

Explanation

Option (b) is correct

• Manu Bhaker is the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in shooting.
• Haryana’s Manu Bhaker, World No. 5, created history by becoming the first Indian athlete in the post-independence era to win multiple medals in a single edition at the Summer Games in Paris.
• Manu Bhaker is the first Indian athlete in the post-independence era to win multiple medals in a single edition of the Summer Games in Paris, but not the first overall.
• Norman Pritchard was the first Indian to achieve this in the 1900 Paris Olympics.
• She is the fourth Indian to win multiple medals in the Olympics after Pritchard (athletics), Sushil Kumar (wrestling) and P.V. Sindhu (Badminton).

Answer: (b) Manu Bhaker; Difficulty Level: Easy