May 12-13 2024 Prelims Practice Questions (PPQs)

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The H5N1 virus was recently detected in dairy cattle in Texas.

• Cattle were not previously thought to be susceptible to influenza A virus.
• A recent study found an abundance of human and duck receptors in cows’ mammary glands and lung alveolar cells.
• This provides a perfect environment for the evolution of H5N1 viruses, which can easily spread from animals to humans.
• This makes dairy cattle to have similar potential as pigs to serve as evolutionary intermediaries between avian and human flu.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• The 2009 H1N1 pandemic, often referred to as the “swine flu” pandemic, was caused by a novel strain of the influenza A virus subtype H1N1.
• This strain was a result of genetic reassortment between swine, avian, and human influenza viruses, rather than solely due to the presence of human and avian receptors in pigs’ upper respiratory tracts.
• Key Factors Involved:
• Genetic Reassortment: Influenza viruses have a segmented genome, allowing for genetic reassortment when two different influenza viruses infect the same host cell.
  • Pigs are unique in that their respiratory tract cells contain receptors for both avian and human influenza viruses.
  • When pigs are infected with multiple strains simultaneously, such as avian, swine, and human influenza viruses, genetic reassortment can occur, leading to the emergence of new strains.
• Intermediate Host: Pigs are considered “mixing vessels” or intermediate hosts for influenza viruses because they can be infected by influenza viruses from birds, humans, and other pigs.
  • This provides an opportunity for the genetic material of these viruses to mix and reassort, potentially creating new strains with pandemic potential.
• Human-to-Human Transmission: Once a novel influenza virus emerges in pigs through reassortment, there is a risk of transmission to humans, particularly those who have close contact with infected pigs, such as farm workers or people in areas with intensive pig farming.
• Global Spread: The 2009 H1N1 virus spread rapidly around the world due to international travel and trade, leading to a global pandemic.
  • The virus exhibited sustained human-to-human transmission, causing illness in millions of people and resulting in significant morbidity and mortality.

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

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• The word ‘Tawaif’ comes from the Urdu word tawaf, which means circumambulation, the performers who spun in circles to the music came to be known as Tawaifs.
• Tawaifs, the Awadhi term for highly skilled courtesans, rose to prominence between the 18th and 19th centuries in the royal courts of Awadh, part of present-day Uttar Pradesh. They were also known as devadasis in the South, baijis in Bengal, and naikins in Goa.

Statement 2 is correct

• Tawaifs were highly skilled in music, dance, and other arts and were influential, refined and valued.
• They were entertainers who earned a living via the patronage of rich nawabs and Kings. Their work was primarily performing mujra and reciting ghazals.
• The tawaifs reached their zenith under the Mughal rule.
• Tawaif women were known for their power in society and their profound cultural wisdom.
• They were the epitome of autonomy. They were financially independent & were not forced to marry or have children.
• They were also the only women who were allowed to inherit property at the time.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• The tawaifs had actively participated in anti-British actions behind the scenes. Their buildings, known as “kothas“, became meeting areas and hiding places for anti-British elements.
• From 1920 to 1922, during the non-cooperation movement, a group of Varanasi courtesans formed the Tawaif Sabha to support the independence war.

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

Correct

Explanation

• A Sickout involves employees taking coordinated sick leaves to disrupt operations.
• It is a form of industrial action without formal strikes.
• It surprises management as there’s no prior notice or formal procedure.
• Unlike strikes, sickouts are informal, swift, and lack legal constraints.
  • Strikes involve formal processes with notices, procedures, and union involvement.

Answer: (c) A coordinated effort by employees to take sick leave without prior notice or formal procedure, disrupting company operations as a form of industrial action; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• Scientists at the ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR) observed mass anemone bleaching off Agatti island in Lakshadweep.
• While coral bleaching is common in the Lakshadweep, sea anemone bleaching is seen for the 1st time.
• NBFGR scientists have been studying sea anemones to propagate them under captive conditions.
• This research is part of a project funded by the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology under the Ministry of Earth Sciences to promote livelihoods for island women.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• Sea anemones are not primarily known for mobility and predatory behavior.
• In fact, they are more commonly recognized for their unique morphology, including their soft bodies and specialized stinging cells called nematocysts.
  • Nematocysts (microscopic stinging structures in the tentacles) are used to capture and paralyse prey.
• Sea anemones are sessile organisms, meaning they are attached to a substrate and do not move around actively.

  

• They are often found in symbiotic relationships with other marine organisms, such as clownfish, and play roles in nutrient cycling and habitat structure within marine ecosystems.

Statement 3 is correct

• When sea anemones experience bleaching, which is the loss of symbiotic algae, they become more susceptible to diseases and have increased mortality rates.
• This is because the loss of symbiotic algae deprives them of essential nutrients and compromises their ability to maintain physiological functions.
• Consequently, bleaching events are a cause for concern among marine biologists and conservationists due to their potential impacts on marine biodiversity and ecosystem health.

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

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• Peregrine Falcons are found on all continents except Antarctica and many oceanic islands.

  

• They don’t build nests and prefer skyscrapers, bridges, spires, and electrical pylons as nesting sites.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• They were in decline in the late 1970s due to pesticides like DDT weakening their eggshells.
  • Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) is an insecticide used in agriculture.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• They are high-level predators & play an important role in controlling pigeon populations in urban areas.
  • Pigeons negatively affect local biodiversity by reducing sparrow and mynah populations.

Statement 4 is correct

• India’s local variant is known as Shaheen falcons.
• The shaheen is a small and powerful-looking falcon with blackish upperparts, rufous underparts with fine, dark streaks, and white on the throat.

  

• The complete black face mask is sharply demarcated from the white throat. It has distinctive rufous underwing-coverts.
• The shaheen is found in South Asia from Pakistan across to India and Bangladesh in the east and to Sri Lanka, central and south-eastern China, and northern Myanmar.
• In India, it has been recorded in all states mainly from rocky and hilly regions.
• The shaheen has also been reported from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

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