Daily Prelims Practise Questions (PPQs) – November 05-06 2023

Questions

• The questions below are based on PMF IAS Daily Current Affairs – November 2023.

Q1. {Geo – PG – Climatology} Consider the following statements about El Nino:

1. It is a climate pattern that causes cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean.
2. It causes the Walker circulation to weaken, thus decreasing precipitation in the southern hemisphere.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Q2. {Social Sector – Health – Disease} Consider the following statements regarding Zika virus:

1. It is an RNA virus which has a high mutation rate.
2. It is transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes, which bite mainly during the daytime.
3. The disease spread through blood transfusion and sexual contact only.
4. Zika-related infections have never been a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

1. 2 and 3 only
2. 1 and 2 only
3. 1 and 4 only
4. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q3. {IR – India-Bhutan} Consider the following statements:

1. India is Bhutan’s largest trading partner, accounting for about 80% of its exports and imports.
2. Bhutan has shared borders with only four Indian states.
3. Both India and Bhutan are members of SAARC, G20 and BIMSTEC.

How many of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. All three
4. none

Q4. {IR – India-Maldives} What was the primary objective of “Operation Cactus,” a significant military operation undertaken by the Indian Armed Forces?

1. To counter illegal fishing activities in the Indian Ocean and protect India’s maritime interests.
2. To rescue hostages from a hijacked Indian Airlines flight in a daring counter-terrorism operation.
3. To provide critical humanitarian assistance and disaster relief during a catastrophic natural disaster in the neighbouring countries.
4. To conduct a military operation against insurgents based in a neighbouring country and restore regional stability.

Q5. {IS – Initiatives} Consider the following statements about the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of India :

1. The CDS is the principal military adviser to the Defence Minister of India.
2. He acts as the Permanent chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC)
3. The CDS is appointed by the Prime Minister of India with concurrence from the National Security Advisor.
4. Recently, the CDS has approved India’s first-ever National Security Strategy (NSS).

How many of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. Only three
4. All four

Q6. {MoEITY – Laws} Regarding the legality of Gambling in India, which of the statements is correct?

1. In India, the states have the right to formulate their own gambling laws.
2. Amendment to the Information Technology Act of 2011 stated that websites offering online gambling services must be located inside India.
3. All the states of India have their own gambling laws.
4. The Public Gambling Act of 1867 allows running or being in charge of a public gambling house.

Q7. {Polity – IC – Election} With reference to various types of Voting systems, consider the following statements:

1. The Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP) system allows voters to split their votes or give both votes to one party.
2. Proportional Representation (PR) systems aim to allocate seats in proportion to the overall share of the vote a political party receives.
3. In the First-Past-the-Post (FPPS) system, the candidate with the most votes in a given constituency or electoral district wins.

How many of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. All three
4. None

Q8. {S&T – AI} Consider the following statements:

1. The world’s inaugural Artificial Intelligence Safety Summit was convened in the United Kingdom.
2. The summit resulted in the adoption of the Bletchley Park Declaration.
3. India abstained from signing the Bletchley Park Declaration, citing concerns about excessive regulations pertaining to frontier AI technologies.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Questions With Solution and Explanation

Q1. {Geo – PG – Climatology} Consider the following statements about El Nino:

1. It is a climate pattern that causes cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean.
2. It causes the Walker circulation to weaken, thus decreasing precipitation in the southern hemisphere.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Explanations

Statement 1 is incorrect

• El Nino is a climate pattern that causes warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Oceans.

Statement 2 is correct

• One of the impacts of El Nino is a decrease in precipitation in the southern hemisphere.
• This is because it causes the Walker circulation, a major atmospheric circulation pattern, to weaken.
• In normal conditions, the Walker circulation moves warm, moist air from the western Pacific to the eastern Pacific, where it rises and releases precipitation.
• So, when the Walker circulation weakens, less precipitation falls in the southern hemisphere.

Answer: (b) 2 only

Q2. {Social Sector – Health – Disease} Consider the following statements regarding Zika virus:

1. It is an RNA virus which has a high mutation rate.
2. It is transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes, which bite mainly during the daytime.
3. The disease spread through blood transfusion and sexual contact only.
4. Zika-related infections have never been a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

1. 2 and 3 only
2. 1 and 2 only
3. 1 and 4 only
4. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Explanations

Statement 1 is correct

• Zika Virus is an RNA Virus with a very high mutation rate.

Statement 2 is correct

• Zika virus disease is an infectious disease caused by the Zika virus, a mosquito-borne flavivirus.
• Zika virus is transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes, which bite mainly during the daytime.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• It is a contagious disease that spreads through:
  1. sexual contact
  2. transfusion of blood
  3. pregnancy (from mother to fetus)

Statement 4 is incorrect

• In 2016, WHO declared Zika-related microcephaly a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), which ended in the same year.

Answer: (b) 1 and 2 only

Q3. {IR – India-Bhutan} Consider the following statements:

1. India is Bhutan’s largest trading partner, accounting for about 80% of its exports and imports.
2. Bhutan has shared borders with only four Indian states.
3. Both India and Bhutan are members of SAARC, G20 and BIMSTEC.

How many of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. All three
4. none

Explanations

Statement 1 is correct

• India-Bhutan: India is Bhutan’s largest trading partner as well as the largest development partner of Bhutan, accounting for about 80% of its exports and imports.

Statement 2 is correct

• Geographical significance: Shares borders with four Indian states: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, and Sikkim.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• Bhutan is a member of SAARC and BIMSTEC but not a member of G20.
• India is a member of all three groupings.

Answer: (a) Only two

Q4. {IR – India-Maldives} What was the primary objective of “Operation Cactus,” a significant military operation undertaken by the Indian Armed Forces?

1. To counter illegal fishing activities in the Indian Ocean and protect India’s maritime interests.
2. To rescue hostages from a hijacked Indian Airlines flight in a daring counter-terrorism operation.
3. To provide critical humanitarian assistance and disaster relief during a catastrophic natural disaster in the neighbouring countries.
4. To conduct a military operation against insurgents based in a neighbouring country and restore regional stability.

Explanations

• “Operation Cactus” was the Indian military operation conducted in 1988 in the Maldives in response to a coup attempt that threatened the government of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
• Within hours of the request by the Maldivian President, the Indian govt, led by PM Rajiv Gandhi, decided to intervene.
• The Indian Armed Forces, primarily the Indian Army and Air Force, launched a quick and effective intervention. This operation was codenamed ‘Operation Cactus’.
• Indian paratroopers were airlifted from Agra and landed at Hulhule airport near the Maldivian capital of Malé. It was instrumental in regaining control and thwarting the coup attempt.
• The Indian Navy also played a crucial role, with naval vessels deployed to cut off escape routes for the mercenaries.

Answer: (a) To conduct a military operation against insurgents based in a neighbouring country and restore regional stability.

Q5. {IS – Initiatives} Consider the following statements about the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of India :

1. The CDS is the principal military adviser to the Defence Minister of India.
2. He acts as the Permanent chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC)
3. The CDS is appointed by the Prime Minister of India with concurrence from the National Security Advisor.
4. Recently, the CDS has approved India’s first-ever National Security Strategy (NSS).

How many of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. Only three
4. All four

Explanations

Statements 1 and 2 are correct

• In 2019, the GoI approved the creation of the post of CDS, who would also function as:
  1. The principal military adviser to the Defence Minister
  2. Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs (DMA)
  3. Permanent chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC)
• After the appointment of the CDS, the armed forces were brought under the ambit of the DMA.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in India is appointed by the President of India.

Statement 4 is incorrect

• Since its independence in 1947, India has not defined a National Security Strategy (NSS).
• In 2007, a draft NSS was prepared by the Integrated Defence Staff but wasn’t approved by the Cabinet Committee of Security.
• In 2018, the GoI established the Defence Planning Committee, whose mandate includes drafting a National Security Strategy for India.
• In 2021, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat emphasized the need to define the NSS.

• India is working on its first-ever National Security Strategy (NSS).

• National Security Strategy (NSS) is a comprehensive document outlining national security objectives and the means to achieve them.

Answer: (b) Only two

Q6. {MoEITY – Laws} Regarding the legality of Gambling in India, which of the statements is correct?

1. In India, the states have the right to formulate their own gambling laws.
2. Amendment to the Information Technology Act of 2011 stated that websites offering online gambling services must be located inside India.
3. All the states of India have their own gambling laws.
4. The Public Gambling Act of 1867 allows running or being in charge of a public gambling house.

Explanations

• In India, Gambling is under the State List. Thus, states have the right to formulate their own gambling laws. Some states, like Goa and Sikkim, have legalized casinos.
• Amendment in the Information Technology Act of 2011 stated that websites offering online gambling services must be located outside India.
• The Public Gambling Act of 1867 prohibits running or being in charge of a public gambling house.

• Only some states like Goa, Sikkim, etc., have Gambling laws.

Answer: (a) In India, states have the right to formulate their own gambling laws.

Q7. {Polity – IC – Election} With reference to various types of Voting systems, consider the following statements:

1. The Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP) system allows voters to split their votes or give both votes to one party.
2. Proportional Representation (PR) systems aim to allocate seats in proportion to the overall share of the vote a political party receives.
3. In the First-Past-the-Post (FPPS) system, the candidate with the most votes in a given constituency or electoral district wins.

How many of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. All three
4. None

Explanations

Statement 1 is correct

• The Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP) system allows voters to split their votes or give both votes to one party (double tick). New Zealand follows the MMP system.
• Under MMP, voters have two votes:
  1. A party vote: To determine the overall parliamentary composition.
  2. An electorate vote: To select a local MP.
• It allows voters to choose a candidate from a different party if they don’t like the local candidate from their preferred party.
• In parliament, winning candidates become MPs, and the remaining seats are filled from party lists.

Statement 2 is correct

• The Proportional Representation (PR) system aims to allocate seats in proportion to the overall share of the vote a political party receives.
• There are various types of PR systems, including list PR, single transferable vote (STV) etc.

Statement 3 is correct

• First-Past-the-Post (FPPS): In this system, the candidate with the most votes in a given constituency or electoral district wins.
• It is a simple winner-takes-all system where candidates do not need to receive an absolute majority of the votes to win.
• India follows the FPPS system.

Answer: (c) All three

Q8. {S&T – AI} Consider the following statements:

1. The world’s inaugural Artificial Intelligence Safety Summit was convened in the United Kingdom.
2. The summit resulted in the adoption of the Bletchley Park Declaration.
3. India abstained from signing the Bletchley Park Declaration, citing concerns about excessive regulations pertaining to frontier AI technologies.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Explanations

Statement 1 is correct

• The world’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI) Safety Summit was held at Bletchley Park in the UK.

Statement 2 is correct

• At the summit, the Bletchley Park Declaration was signed to minimise risks from ‘frontier AI’.
• Frontier AI is defined as highly capable foundation generative AI models that could possess dangerous capabilities that can pose severe risks to public safety.
• Generative can produce various types of content, including text, imagery, audio and synthetic data.
• Foundation models are trained on a broad set of unlabeled data that can be used for different tasks with minimal fine-tuning.
• Foundation models will replace the task-specific models that now dominate the AI landscape.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• 28 countries that have signed the declaration include the US, China, Japan, the UK, France, India, and the European Union.
• The declaration was also endorsed by Brazil, Ireland, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and the UAE.

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only