January 30 2024 Prelims Practice Questions (PPQs)

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• The Maratha Military Landscapes of India was developed between 17th and 19th centuries, represent an extraordinary fortification and military system envisioned by the Maratha rulers.
• This extraordinary network of forts, varying in hierarchies, scales and typological features, is a result of integrating the landscape, terrain and physiographic characteristics distinctive to:
  • Sahyadri mountain ranges,
  • Konkan Coast,
  • Deccan Plateau and
  • Eastern Ghats in the Indian Peninsula.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• There are more than 390 forts in Maharashtra out of which only 12 forts are selected under the Maratha Military Landscapes of India, of these 8 forts are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.
  • Hill forts – Salher fort, Shivneri fort, Lohgad, Raigad, Rajgad and Gingee.
  • Hill-forest fort – Pratapgad.
  • Hill-plateau fort – Panhala.
  • Coastal fort – Vijaydurg.
  • Island forts – Khanderi fort, Suvarnadurg and Sindhudurg.
• Taragarh fort is located in Ajmer, Rajasthan.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• Recently the Maratha Military landscapes is nominated in the category of cultural criteria.
• The Maratha Military landscapes is nominated in the category of cultural criteria and is not in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
  

  World Heritage sites in India – At present in India there are 42 World Heritage sites, out of which 34 are cultural sites, 7 are natural sites whereas 1 is mixed site. In Maharashtra there are 6 World Heritage Sites, 5 cultural and 1 natural site. This includes Ajanta Caves (1983), Ellora Caves (1983), Elephanta Caves (1987), Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (2004), Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai (2018) and western Ghats of Maharashtra.

Answer: (d) None; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• UNRWA was established in 1949 by a U.N. resolution to carry out direct relief for Palestinian refugees following the Arab Israeli War of 1948.
• Its mandate was later extended to include refugees from the 1967 Six-Day War.
• In the absence of a comprehensive solution to the Palestine refugee problem, the General Assembly has repeatedly renewed UNRWA’s mandate.
• UNRWA’s mandate is subject to periodic renewal every three years and has consistently been extended since its founding, most recently until June 30, 2026.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• Headquarters: Gaza City and Amman.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• The Agency operates in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza, as well as in Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria – the neighbouring countries where the Palestinian refugees took shelter after their violent expulsion.
• The task of finding a comprehensive solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Palestine refugee problem, however, is not part of UNRWA’s mandate but is rather the responsibility of the parties to the conflict and other political actors.

Statement 4 is correct

• UNRWA is distinct from Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
• UNHCR was established in 1950 as the main agency to aid all other refugees worldwide.
• UNHCR’s mandate covers Palestinians who are refugees within the meaning of the 1951 Refugee Convention, which could include Palestine refugees as defined by UNRWA.
• UNHCR normally takes up the case of Palestinian refugees only when they are outside UNRWA’s area of operations.

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

Correct

Explanation

• Singchung Bugun Village Community Reserve is a 17-square-kilometre biodiversity hotspot, around 40 km from the famous Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, in Arunachal Pradesh.
• The reserve was created in 2017 to protect biodiversity in the region.
• It is home to many rare and endangered species, such as the Bugun Liocichla (Liocichla bug forum) and the red panda (Ailurus fulgens), as well as various flora and fauna.
  

  Bugun Liocichla (Liocichla bugunorum) It is a songbird which is named after the Buguns community. It is a critically endangered species, with only 14 to 20 individuals believed to exist in the world. It is bigger than a sparrow but smaller than a pigeon. It was one of the first bird species to be discovered in India since the country’s independence in 1947, and it lives only on the Buguns’ community lands. It was first spotted in 1995 in Arunachal Pradesh.

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

Correct

Explanation

• A Brocken spectre also called Brocken bow, mountain spectre, or spectre of the Brocken is the magnified (and apparently enormous) shadow of an observer cast in mid-air upon any type of cloud opposite a strong light source.
• The figure’s head can be surrounded by a bright area called Heiligenschein, or halo-like rings of rainbow-coloured light forming a glory, which appear opposite the Sun’s direction when uniformly sized water droplets in clouds refract and backscatter sunlight.

• The light projects their shadow through the mist, often in a triangular shape due to perspective.
• The apparent magnification of size of the shadow is an optical illusion that occurs when the observer judges their shadow on relatively nearby clouds to be at the same distance as faraway land objects seen through gaps in the clouds, or when there are no reference points by which to judge its size.
• The shadow also falls on water droplets of varying distances from the eye, confusing depth perception.
  

  Aurora – It is a natural northern lights or southern lights in the Earth’s sky that appears as curtains, rays, spirals or flickers. Albedo Effect – It is a measure of the Earth’s surface’s ability to reflect incoming solar energy. Alpenglow – It refers to the indirect sunlight reflected or diffracted by the atmosphere before sunrise or after sunset, giving a horizontal reddish glow near the horizon opposite the Sun.

Answer: (d) It is the magnified shadow of an observer cast in mid-air upon any type of cloud opposite a strong light source; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The INSAT-3DS satellite is an exclusive meteorological satellite released by ISRO. The satellite is designed for enhanced meteorological observations and monitoring of land and ocean surfaces for weather forecasting and disaster warning.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• It will be launched using a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle to the Geostationary orbit.
• It will be the seventh flight of the INSAT-3D Series.

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

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• NCRF is a framework that sets the standard for cybersecurity in India.
• The NCRF can serve as a template for critical sector entities to develop their own governance and management systems for strong cyber-security systems.
• The NCRF is a guideline, meaning that its recommendations will not be binding.
• It recommends that enterprises allocate at least 10 per cent of their total IT budget towards cybersecurity.

Statement 2 is correct

• The framework has been drawn up by the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) with support from the National Cybersecurity Coordinator (NCSC).
• The NCSC provides guidance and support to state governments and private industry to help formulate policies.
• They also provide guidance on internet governance, network management, and response strategies for cyberattacks.
• It works under National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) and coordinates with different agencies at the national level for cyber security matters.

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

Correct

Explanation

• The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional bloc established in 1975 with the goal of promoting economic integration among its 15 member countries in West Africa.
• The member countries include Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger (all three now left it), Cape Verde, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Togo.

  

• ECOWAS aims to achieve a single common currency and create a large trading bloc in various sectors like industry, transport, telecommunications, energy, finance, and culture.

Answer: (c) 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7; Difficulty Level: Medium