July 2-2024 Prelims Practice Questions (PPQs)

Correct

Explanation

Statement-I is correct

• Under Article 352, when war, external aggression, or armed rebellion threatens the security of India or a part of it, the President can declare a national emergency.
• The President may declare a national emergency, even before the occurrence of the actual threat, if he is satisfied that the safety of India or a part of it is threatened.
• Proclamation made under Article 352 for the imposition of a national emergency should be laid before each House of Parliament and must be approved by them with a special majority.
• Approval:
  • Within one month after the date of the proclamation of national Emergency, it must be ratified by both houses of Parliament.
  • If the Lok Sabha is not in session or has been dissolved before the expiry of one month after promulgation, the proclamation must be approved within 30 days from the first sitting of the newly constituted Lok Sabha, provided that the Rajya Sabha approves it in the meanwhile.

Statement-II is correct and is the correct explanation for statement-II

• Special majority required for approval of emergency: 50% of the total membership of the House, and a majority of not less than 2/3rd of the members of that House present and voting.

Answer: (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I; Difficulty Level: Easy

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Unlike chemotherapy or immunotherapy which uses injectable or oral medication, CAR T-cell therapies use a patient’s own cells.
• In CAR T-cell therapy, the patient’s blood is drawn to harvest T-cells (immune cells that play a significant role in destroying tumour cells).
• T cells are genetically engineered by introducing DNA into them to produce chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) on the surface of the T cells.
• After reengineering, T cells are called “CAR -T cells”.
• CAR-T cells are then multiplied and infused into the patient.

Statement 2 is correct

• Significance of CAR-T Cell Therapy
• More Effective: CAR -T cells are more specific and directly activate the patient’s immune system against cancer. This is why they’re called ‘living drugs’.
• Long-Term Remission: It can produce long-term remission, even for those with advanced or relapsed cancer. This is because CAR -T cells remain in the body and can continue to attack cancer cells.
• Lesser Side-Effects: CAR-T cells are engineered to target cancer cells that express a particular antigen specifically. This precision minimises damage to healthy cells.
• Customised Treatment: CAR-T cell therapy can be customised for each patient.

Statement 3 is correct

• T cell (T lymphocyte or thymocyte) is a white blood cell essential to the immune system.
• It protects the body from infection and helps fight cancer.
• It develops from stem cells in the bone marrow.

Answer: (d) None; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

Pair 1 is not correct

• The Indian Army and Royal Thailand Army (RTA) will conduct their 13th joint Military Exercise MAITREE-2024 at Fort Vachiraprakan in Tak Province, Thailand.
• It is an annual training event that has been held alternately in India and Thailand since 2006.
• Aims to practice joint counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations in jungle and urban environments under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.

Pair 2 is not correct

• It is a joint training exercise between the Indian Special Forces and the Indonesian Special Forces, aiming to enhance understanding, cooperation, and interoperability between the two armies’ Special Forces.

Pair 3 is not correct

• Exercise “SURYA KIRAN” is conducted annually between India and Nepal with the aim to enhance interoperability in jungle warfare & counter-terrorism operations.

Answer: (d) None; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Viharas were monasteries built to shelter monks, originally serving as dwelling places for wandering monks during the rainy season.
• Over time, they evolved into centers of learning and Buddhist architecture, funded by donations from wealthy lay Buddhists.
• Chaityas, on the other hand, were halls of worship.
• The Chaitya at Bhaja is one of the earliest surviving examples of such a hall.

Statement 2 is correct

• This unique Buddhist text, part of the Sutta Pitaka, is a collection of verses composed by bhikkhunis.
• It provides an insight into women’s social and spiritual experiences

Answer: (d) None; Difficulty Level: Very Easy

Correct

Explanation

• The PM has lauded the completion of 9 years of the Digital India initiative.

Statement 1 is correct

• Digital India is a flagship programme of the Government of India with a vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and a knowledge economy.
• The overall goal is to ensure that digital technologies improve the life of every citizen, expand India’s digital economy, and creating investment and employment opportunities and create digital technological capabilities in India.

Statement 2 is correct

• The programme is centred on three key vision areas, namely digital infrastructure as a core utility to every citizen, governance and services on demand, and digital empowerment of citizens.

  

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