Daily Prelims Practise Questions (PPQs) – November 08 2023

Questions

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

Q1. {Geo – EG – Industrial Location} Consider the following statements regarding Lab Grown Diamonds (LGD):

1. India is the largest producer of LGD through the High-Pressure High-Temperature Method.
2. The optical properties of LGD are entirely different from those of natural diamonds.
3. The cost of LGD is relatively high in comparison to natural diamonds due to the expenses associated with the technological processes involved in their production.

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

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

Q2. {Polity – Bodies – Statutory} With reference to the Central Information Commission (CIC), consider the following statements:

1. The President appoints the Chief Information Commissioner on the recommendation of a committee comprising the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition and the Chief Justice of India.
2. The Right to Information (Amendment) Act 2019 provided for a fixed term of 5 years for the Chief Information Commissioner.
3. The Chief Information Commissioner is eligible for reappointment.
4. The decisions of the Central Information Commission are final and binding.

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

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. 3 only
4. 4 only

Q3. {Vulnerable Sections – Reservations} Consider the following statements:

1. The ‘Housing and Population Census’ in India is conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
2. The Office of the Registrar General was established under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
3. The ‘Civil Registration System’ in India is undertaken by the Registrar General of India.

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

Q4. {Envi – Air Pollution} With reference to the Air Quality Index (AQI), consider the following statements:

1. The AQI is calculated primarily based on the concentration of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in the air.
2. An AQI value of 100 represents good air quality, indicating no health concerns.
3. The PM 10 pollutant, considered in AQI calculation, can penetrate the lung barrier and enter the bloodstream.

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

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 only
4. None of the above

Q5. {IE – Industry} The term “Net Neutrality,” recently seen in the news, can be best described as:

1. The concept of providing unrestricted access to internet services.
2. The practice of regulating internet service providers to ensure fair competition.
3. The prioritisation of certain internet content to enhance user experience.
4. The principle that allows ISPs to optimise network traffic for better service quality.

Q6. {S&T – AI} Consider the following statements:

1. Deep fakes leverage advanced artificial intelligence methodologies to fabricate remarkably lifelike videos and audio recordings.
2. Shallow fakes usually employ rudimentary artificial intelligence manipulation techniques requiring less sophisticated technology than their deep fake counterparts.
3. The deceptive prowess of deep fakes lies in their adept mimicry of authentic human expressions, making identifying falsified content a formidable challenge.

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 – EG – Industrial Location} Consider the following statements regarding Lab Grown Diamonds (LGD):

1. India is the largest producer of LGD through the High-Pressure High-Temperature Method.
2. The optical properties of LGD are entirely different from those of natural diamonds.
3. The cost of LGD is relatively high in comparison to natural diamonds due to the expenses associated with the technological processes involved in their production.

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

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• Lab-grown diamonds (synthetic diamonds) are artificially manufactured using processes that duplicate the conditions under which diamonds naturally develop (high pressure and temperature).
• India produces ~25% of global LGDs and is the largest producer of LGD through CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) technology.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• They consist of actual carbon atoms arranged in the characteristic diamond crystal structure.
• They exhibit the same optical and chemical properties as natural diamonds.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• They are affordable compared to natural diamonds. Natural diamonds are expensive due to their hard mining process.

Lab-Grown Diamonds	Natural Diamonds
No presence of Nitrogen	A small amount of Nitrogen is present.
Manufactured in a few months	Created over millions of years in Earth’s Crust
No impact on the environment	Results in water pollution
They are affordable compared to natural diamonds	They are expensive due to their hard mining process.

Answer: (c) All three (incorrect statements)

Q2. {Polity – Bodies – Statutory} With reference to the Central Information Commission (CIC), consider the following statements:

1. The President appoints the Chief Information Commissioner on the recommendation of a committee comprising the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition and the Chief Justice of India.
2. The Right to Information (Amendment) Act 2019 provided for a fixed term of 5 years for the Chief Information Commissioner.
3. The Chief Information Commissioner is eligible for reappointment.
4. The decisions of the Central Information Commission are final and binding.

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

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. 3 only
4. 4 only

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• The President appoints the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and the members on the recommendation of a committee Comprising:
  1. The Prime Minister
  2. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha
  3. Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister

Statement 2 is incorrect

• According to the RTI Amendment Act, 2019, the CIC and Information Commissioners (Centre and State) are appointed for such term as may be prescribed by the Central Government.
• Prior to this amendment, the Chief Information Commissioner and an Information Commissioner were provided with a fixed term of five years or up to an age of 65 years.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• The CIC and Information Commissioners are not eligible for reappointment.

Statement 4 is correct

• The decisions of the Central Information Commission are final and binding.

Answer: (d) 4 only

Q3. {Vulnerable Sections – Reservations} Consider the following statements:

1. The ‘Housing and Population Census’ in India is conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
2. The Office of the Registrar General was established under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
3. The ‘Civil Registration System’ in India is undertaken by the Registrar General of India.

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect, and 3 is correct

• The Census Commissioner is also designated as the Registrar General of India under the Registration of Births and Deaths (RBD) Act, 1969.
• The office of RGI is primarily responsible for the following activities:
  1. Housing and Population Census
  2. Civil Registration System (CRS): Registration of births and deaths.
  3. Sample Registration System (SRS): A large-scale sample survey of vital events is conducted half-yearly. It is an important source of vital rates like Birth Rate, Death Rate, Infant Mortality Rate and Maternal Mortality Rate at the State level in the country.
  4. National Population Register (NPR): It is prepared by collecting information relating to all persons usually residing in the country.
  5. Mother Tongue Survey

Statement 2 is correct

• The Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India was established in 1961 under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• It is the statutory authority vested with the responsibility of conducting the Housing and Population Census in India under the Census Act, 1948.

Hint: Statement 2 and 3 gives a clue about the statement 1. (Inspired from UPSC PYQ)

Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only

Q4. {Envi – Air Pollution} With reference to the Air Quality Index (AQI), consider the following statements:

1. The AQI is calculated primarily based on the concentration of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in the air.
2. An AQI value of 100 represents good air quality, indicating no health concerns.
3. The PM 10 pollutant, considered in AQI calculation, can penetrate the lung barrier and enter the bloodstream.

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

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 only
4. None of the above

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• The AQI is based on the concentration of multiple air pollutants, including ozone, particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide.
• CO₂ is generally not considered in AQI calculation.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• Higher the AQI value, worse the Air quality and leads to health concern.
• A value of 100 doesn’t indicate good air quality.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• PM10 (particles with a diameter of 10 micrometres or less): These particles are small enough to pass through the throat and nose and enter the lungs. Once inhaled, these particles can affect the heart and lungs and cause serious health effects.
• PM2.5 (particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less): These particles are so small they can get deep into the lungs and into the bloodstream.

Inspired from UPSC PYQ

Answer: (d) None of the above

Q5. {IE – Industry} The term “Net Neutrality,” recently seen in the news, can be best described as:

1. The concept of providing unrestricted access to internet services.
2. The practice of regulating internet service providers to ensure fair competition.
3. The prioritisation of certain internet content to enhance user experience.
4. The principle that allows ISPs to optimise network traffic for better service quality.

Explanation

• Net neutrality is the principle that internet service providers (ISPs) should treat all data on the internet equally. This includes providing access to all sites, content, and applications at the same speed, under the same conditions, without blocking or giving preference to any content.
• It is the concept of an open, equal internet for everyone, regardless of device, application, or platform used and content consumed.
• In point (a), the phrase “Unrestricted Access” is too extreme to be true.
• “Ensuring fair competition” is one of the major aspects of net neutrality.

Answer: (b) The practice of regulating internet service providers to ensure fair competition.

Q6. {S&T – AI} Consider the following statements:

1. Deep fakes leverage advanced artificial intelligence methodologies to fabricate remarkably lifelike videos and audio recordings.
2. Shallow fakes usually employ rudimentary artificial intelligence manipulation techniques requiring less sophisticated technology than their deep fake counterparts.
3. The deceptive prowess of deep fakes lies in their adept mimicry of authentic human expressions, making identifying falsified content a formidable challenge.

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

• Deepfakes are synthetic media in which video, audio, and images are edited and manipulated using artificial intelligence. It is hyper-realistic digital falsification.
• The term “deepfake” was coined in 2017 when an anonymous Reddit user used Google’s open-source deep-learning technology to create explicit videos and used the pseudonym “Deepfakes”.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• Shallow fakes employ rudimentary techniques, such as basic video editing or photo retouching.
• AI can be used to make shallow fakes, but it is not usually employed for such low-tech applications.

Statement 3 is correct

• The deceptive prowess of deep fakes lies in their adept mimicry of authentic human expressions, rendering the identification of falsified content a formidable challenge.
  

  Feature	Shallowfakes	Deepfakes
  Creation method	Basic video editing techniques	Artificial intelligence (AI)
  Quality	Low-quality	High-quality
  Difficulty to spot	Easy	Difficult
  Potential for harm	Low	High

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only