January 18 2024 Prelims Practice Questions (PPQs)

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The e-SAKSHI mobile application provides real-time access, enhancing decision-making processes for MPs.
• The primary objective is to facilitate the recommendation of works that focus on creating lasting community assets based on locally perceived needs.
• This innovative technology solution aims to enhance transparency, accessibility, and efficiency in the execution of MPLAD scheme.
• It would offer convenience and accessibility, allowing MPs to propose, track, and oversee the projects at their fingertips, promoting transparency.

Statement 2 is correct

• e-SAKSHI mobile application was launched by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
• To enhance the efficiency and transparency of the Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) Scheme, the Statistics Minister Rao Inderjit Singh recently launched the MPLADS e-SAKSHI mobile application.

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

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• ASER is released annually by the Non-Government Organisation (NGO) Pratham.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• ASER samples households, not children.
• All children aged 3-16 who reside in sampled households are included in the survey. Enrolment information is recorded for all these children, while basic learning levels are assessed for children aged 5-16.
• In each district, 30 villages are sampled from the most recent Census village directory using Probability Proportional to Size (PPS), a sampling technique that is commonly used for large scale surveys. 20 households are randomly sampled in each village.
• The sample design employs a rotating panel of villages. Each year, 10 villages from three years ago are dropped and 10 new villages are added.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• The report records trends in school enrolment, attendance, and reading and arithmetic abilities among children ages 6-14 years in rural areas of the country.
• The 2023 survey focused on an older group of 14-to-18-year-old children, specifically on their ability to apply reading and math skills to everyday situations, and their aspirations.
• It also sought to capture their access to digital technology, and whether they possess the skills to use it.

Answer: (d) None; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.
• The ICJ-created statute clarifies that only states may be parties in cases before the Court.
  

  South Africa had moved the ICJ, invoking the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, 1948, against Israel. South Africa has accused Israel of committing genocide in its ongoing military campaign in Gaza. Both South Africa and Israel are signatories to the Genocide Convention of 1948.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• ICJ cannot enforce its orders and depends on the UNSC to take measures.
• UNSC is also subject to the veto power of permanent members.
  • The US has vetoed 34 out of 36 UNSC resolutions related to the Israel-Palestine conflict since 1945.

Statement 3 is correct

• In 1948, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was adopted by the UN General Assembly and came into force in 1951.
• In 1948, the Convention was adopted by the UNGA and came into force in 1951.
• It is an international convention that defines genocide and obligates State Parties to prevent and punish the crime of genocide.
• The Genocide Convention was the first human rights treaty adopted by the UNGA.
• It is an instrument of international law leading to the codification of genocide, for the first time, as a crime.
• There are about 153 member states that are engaged with the Genocide Convention.
  

  Zambia is the most recent country to sign the convention in 2022.

Statement 4 is incorrect

• India actively participated in the formulation of the Genocide Convention and ratified it in 1959.
• Despite the ratification, India is yet to define genocide by law.

Answer: (b) Only two; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Guru Gobind Gobind Singh Ji initiated the Five K’s tradition of the Khalsa,
  • Kesh: uncut hair.
  • Kangha: a wooden comb.
  • Kara: an iron or steel bracelet worn on the wrist.
  • Kirpan: a sword.
  • Kacchera: short breeches.

Statement 2 is correct

• Chandi Di Var also known as Vaar Durga Ki is a composition written by Guru Gobind Singh Ji, included in the 5th chapter of Dasam Granth.
• This composition is part of Chandi Charitra, which in turn is part of Bachittar Natak.
• The third piece of writing associated with the portrayal of Chandi is called Chandi di Vaar. Written in fifty-five stanzas, this is the only composition in the Dasam Granth which is in Punjabi.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• Guru Gobind Singh Ji saw the war conduct of Aurangzeb and his army against his family and his people as a betrayal of a promise, unethical, unjust, and impious.
• After all of Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s children had been killed by the Mughal army and the battle of Muktsar, the Guru ji wrote a defiant letter in Persian to Aurangzeb, titled Zafar Nama (“epistle of victory“), a letter which the Sikh tradition considers important towards the end of the 19th century.

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

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• With its impressive 30-meter diameter prime mirror, the TMT is poised to delve deeper into space, providing unparalleled sensitivity and detail in the observation of cosmic objects.
• The telescope’s design allows it to observe a broad spectrum of wavelengths, ranging from ultraviolet to mid-infrared. This versatility enables the exploration of various phenomena in the universe.
• Objectives:
  • Detecting oxygen in exoplanet atmospheres to find evidence of life
  • Studying dark matter and dark energy
  • Observing early galaxy formation after the Big Bang
  • Capturing images of black holes.
• It can collect over 12 times more light than the Hubble space telescope. This vastly expands the observational capacity for faint or very distant astronomical objects.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• It is proposed as a joint collaboration involving institutions in the U.S., Japan, China, Canada, and India.
• Indian participation in the project was approved by the Union Cabinet in 2014.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• India plans to contribute $200 million worth of hardware, software, and instruments.
• India will provide 83 out of the 492 mirrors for the telescope.
• The Aryabhatta Research Institute for Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital, the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bangalore and the Inter-University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune are the three main institutes constituting Thirty Meter Telescope-India.
• India Thirty Meter Telescope will be jointly funded by the Departments of Science and Technology and Atomic Energy.

Answer: (d) None; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The tallest mountain in the world from base to peak is Mauna Kea.
• In total, it is approximately 10,205m (33481 feet) in height, taller than Mount Everest’s 8,849m (29032 feet).

Statement 2 is correct

• Mauna Kea is an inactive volcano on the island of Hawaiʻi.
• As the highest point in not only Hawaiʻi but the entire Pacific Basin, Maunakea serves an important role in the scientific community as a hub of astronomical observation. From the dry, cloudless atmosphere of Maunakea, it is possible to observe galaxies at the farthest edges of the observable universe.
• The volcano is home to more than a dozen massive telescopes from around the world, making it the largest observatory of its kind on the planet.

Statement 3 is correct

• Over half of Mauna Kea is underwater in the Pacific Ocean.
• Mauna Kea rises directly from the seafloor, built by lava from a volcanic hot spot that, island by island, created the Hawaiian archipelago.

Statement 4 is incorrect

• In Hawaiian traditions of creation, the mountain is an ancestor and shares genealogical ties with Native Hawaiians, or Kanaka Maoli. It is one of the most sacred sites, if not the most sacred in Hawaiian culture.
• Maunakea is known by Hawaiians as a region of the gods.

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

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• The New Generation Akash (Akash-NG) missile is not a Ballistic missile but a Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) system.
• Ballistic missiles follow a ballistic trajectory towards their target after launch, while SAM systems are designed to be launched from the ground to hit aerial targets.

Statement 2 is correct

• The Akash-NG is an advanced version of the original Akash missile, featuring several improvements, including a longer range, higher speed, etc.
• The Akash-NG has a range of 60 km compared to the original Akash’s range of 30 km.

Statement 3 is correct

• The Akash-NG’s capability to engage multiple targets simultaneously enhances the Air Force’s ability to defend against various threats, making it a force multiplier.
• The missile system’s advanced technology and network-centric operation enable it to engage multiple targets with high precision and efficiency, improving the defense system’s effectiveness against potential aerial threats.

Answer: (b) Only two; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• Saltwater or estuarine crocodiles
• Distribution: Abundant in areas like the Sundarbans, Bhitarkanika National Park, and A&N Islands.
• Apart from the eastern coast of India, the saltwater crocodile is extremely rare on the Indian subcontinent.
• Habitat: Thrives in saltwater habitats such as mangrove swamps, estuaries, and coastal areas.
• Size: It is the largest of all crocodilians and the largest reptile in the world.
• IUCN: Least Concern
• WPA, 1972: Schedule I

Statement 2 is incorrect

• The Mugger (or marsh) crocodile (Vulnerable) is a freshwater species found sparsely in various lakes, rivers and marshes in the Indian subcontinent.

Statement 3 is correct

• Bhitarkanika was the former hunting ground of the Kanika kings. Crocodiles were extensively hunted here and the mangrove forests they inhabited unduly exploited.
• In 1975, a government-run crocodile conservation project was implemented in Odisha in collaboration with the UN Development Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organisation.
• A hatchery was established at Dangmal, and the project adopted a “rear and release” approach. Crocodile eggs were collected from the wild and the young were reared away from predators. On reaching a suitable size, they were released into protected areas.
• The Wildlife Protection Act in 1972 and the subsequent notification of Bhitarkanika to a wildlife sanctuary in 1975 put an end to hunting.
• Today, around 70 per cent of India’s saltwater crocodile population is found in Bhitarkanika. As per the January 2022 census, the region is home to a healthy population of 1784 individuals.

Statement 4 is correct

• The earliest known depictions of the gharial date to the Indus Valley civilisation.
• Seals and tablets show gharials with fish in their mouths and surrounded by fish. A tablet shows a deity flanked by a gharial and a fish.
• These pieces are about 4,000 years old and were found at Mohenjo-daro and Amri, Sindh.

Answer: (b) Only two; Difficulty Level: Medium