Daily Prelims Practice Questions (PPQs) – November 30 2023

Questions

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

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

1. In the world, the tropical deserts occur along the western margins of continents within the trade wind belt.
2. In India, the East Himalayan region gets high rainfall from north-east winds.

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. {MoCAFPD – Schemes} Consider the following statements about the National Food Security Act,2013:

1. The Midday Meal Scheme, The Integrated Child Development Services Scheme and The Public Distribution System, which are a part of National Food Security Act, are Universal in Nature.
2. The State Wise coverage and the identification of “Eligible Households” is done by respective State Government/UTs.
3. The National Food Security Act recognizes the Maternity Entitlements.

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

1. Only One
2. Only Two
3. All
4. None

Q3. {Envi – RE} Consider the following statements:

1. Compressed Biogas (CBG) has methane content of more than 90%.
2. CBG Blending Obligation (CBO) is a roadmap for mandatory blending of compressed biogas (CBG) in the transportation and domestic segments of the city gas distribution (CGD) sector in a phased manner.
3. When CBG is released into the atmosphere, it contributes to the oxygen content by releasing a portion of oxygen into the environment.

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

1. Only One
2. Only Two
3. All
4. None

Q4. {A&C – Art} Consider the following statements with respect to Parthenon Sculptures:

1. They are a collection of different types of marble architectural decoration.
2. More than 50% of the original sculptures is housed at British Museum, London and half in Athens.

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

Q5. {Envi – Species} Axolotl, recently seen in news is:

1. A Critically Endangered Species of amphibians used extensively in scientific research due to their ability to regenerate limbs, gills and parts of their eyes and brains.
2. A kind of Multi-speciality Drone which will be given to 15000 Women Self Help Groups to provide rental services to farmers for agriculture purposes during the year 2023-24 to 2025-26.
3. A Type of Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar, which is the latest induction in our Super Sukhoi.
4. A Fireball Meteor observed over Oregon by NASA.

Q6. {S&T – Defense} Yard 12706 recently seen in news is:

1. A Stealth guided missile destroyers
2. An Indigenous Torpedo Tube Launcher developed by Larsen and Toubro.
3. The area around River Negro, the largest tributary of the Amazon River, which is facing severe wildfires since September.
4. An area in Iceland around which more than 120 earthquakes have occurred simultaneously paving the way for an evident Volcanic Eruption.

Questions with their Answers and Explanation.

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

1. In the world, the tropical deserts occur along the western margins of continents within the trade wind belt.
2. In India, the East Himalayan region gets high rainfall from north-east winds.

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Most of the world’s deserts are located in the western margins of continents in the subtropics because the prevailing winds in the tropics are tropical easterly winds.
• The tropical easterly winds become dry by the time they reach the western margins of the continents and so they bring no rainfall.
• The areas between 20 °-30 ° latitude on western margins of continents are the regions of descending air. Because of this, the air gets compressed and warm as it descends and thus the moisture keeps decreasing.
• Presence of cold ocean currents along the western coast of the continents tends to stabilise the air over the coast. This prevents cloud formation and rainfall. Hence, it leads to arid conditions or the formation of marine deserts on the adjacent coastal lands.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• This Rainfall comes from the Bay of Bengal branch of the South-West Monsoons and the Rains travel upcountry along the Great Himalayan Range and move into the Central and Western part of the Himalayas.
• This causes copious rainfall in the eastern Himalayas while monsoon winds hardly reach Western Himalayas and thus causing no rainfall. This higher rainfall leads to decrease in the height of snow line in the Eastern Himalayas.

Answer: (a) Only One | Difficulty Level: Easy (Conceptual)

Q2. {MoCAFPD – Schemes} Consider the following statements about the National Food Security Act, 2013:

1. The Midday Meal Scheme, The Integrated Child Development Services Scheme and The Public Distribution System, which are a part of National Food Security Act, are Universal in Nature.
2. The State Wise coverage and the identification of “Eligible Households” is done by respective State Government/UTs.
3. The National Food Security Act recognizes the Maternity Entitlements.

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

1. Only One
2. Only Two
3. All
4. None

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• The National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA 2013) converts into legal entitlements for existing food security programmes of the Government of India. It includes the Midday Meal Scheme, Integrated Child Development Services scheme and the Public Distribution System.
• The Midday Meal Scheme and the Integrated Child Development Services Scheme are universal in nature whereas the PDS will reach about two-thirds of the population (75% in rural areas and 50% in urban areas).

Statement 2 is incorrect

• The Corresponding to the all India coverage of 75% and 50% in the rural and urban areas, State-wise coverage will be determined by the Central Government.
• In 2021, The state-wise coverage was determined by the NITI Aayog based on the 2011-12 Household Consumption Expenditure survey of NSSO.
• Within the coverage under TPDS determined for each State, the work of identification of eligible households is to be done by States/UTs.

Statement 3 is correct

• The Act also includes the Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDM), the Integrated Child Development Services Scheme (ICDS) and maternity entitlements. While the MDM and ICDS were pre-existing schemes of the union government, universal maternity entitlements were created under the NFSA 2013 for the first time.
• In 2017, these entitlements were operationalized through the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana. Through the ICDS and MDM, pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children are eligible for daily free meals in government schools and anganwadi centers.
• Pregnant women and lactating mothers will also be entitled to receive maternity benefit of not less than Rs. 6,000.

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

Q3. {Envi – RE} Consider the following statements:

1. Compressed Biogas (CBG) has methane content of more than 90%.
2. CBG Blending Obligation (CBO) is a roadmap for mandatory blending of compressed biogas (CBG) in the transportation and domestic segments of the city gas distribution (CGD) sector in a phased manner.
3. When CBG is released into the atmosphere, it contributes to the oxygen content by releasing a portion of oxygen into the environment.

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

1. Only One
2. Only Two
3. All
4. None

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Bio-gas is produced naturally (through a process of anaerobic decomposition) from waste/biomass sources like agriculture residue, cattle dung, municipal solid waste, etc. After purification, it is compressed and called as Compressed Bio Gas (CBG).
• CBG has methane content of more than 90% which is similar to commercially available natural gas in composition and energy potential.
• It can help reduce carbon emissions and provide additional revenue source for farmers. It can also help reduce import of natural gas and crude oil, ensuring energy security.

Statement 2 is correct

• The CBG Blending Obligation (CBO) is an initiative by the Indian government to mandate the blending of CBG with natural gas in the city gas distribution (CGD) sector.
• This blending obligation is being implemented in a phased manner, with the target of achieving 5% blending by 2028-29.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• CBG is primarily composed of methane (CH4), and it does not contain oxygen. Upon combustion, CBG produces carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O), but no oxygen is released into the atmosphere.

Answer: (b) Only Two | Difficulty Level: Easy (Conceptal)

Q4. {A&C – Art} Consider the following statements with respect to Parthenon Sculptures:

1. They are a collection of different types of marble architectural decoration.
2. More than 50% of the original sculptures is housed at British Museum, London and half in Athens.

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The Parthenon Sculptures are a collection of different types of marble architectural decoration from the temple of Athena (the Parthenon) on the Acropolis in Athens.
• It is made between 447BC and 432BC which is more than 2,000 years old.
• Most of them originally adorned the walls and grounds of the Parthenon temple on the rocky Acropolis hill in Athens.
• The Parthenon Sculptures consist of:
  • A frieze which shows the procession of the Panathenaic festival (the commemoration of the birthday of the goddess Athena).
  • A series of metopes (sculpted relief panels) depicting the battle between Centaurs and Lapiths at the marriage-feast of Peirithoos.
  • Figures of the gods and legendary heroes from the temple’s pediments.

Statement 2 is correct

• More than 50% of the original sculptures is housed at British Museum, London and half in Athens.
• The British Museum houses 15 metopes, 17 pedimental figures and 247ft (75m) of the original frieze.
• Athens has been demanding the return of the sculptures since it became independent in the early 1830s.

Answer: (c) Both 1 & 2 | Difficulty Level: Medium

Q5. {Envi – Species} Axolotl, recently seen in news is:

1. A Critically Endangered Species of amphibians used extensively in scientific research due to their ability to regenerate limbs, gills and parts of their eyes and brains.
2. A kind of Multi-specialty Drone which will be given to 15000 Women Self Help Groups to provide rental services to farmers for agriculture purposes during the year 2023-24 to 2025-26.
3. A Type of Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar, which is the latest induction in our Super Sukhoi.
4. A Fireball Meteor observed over Oregon by NASA.

Explanation

• Axolotl is listed as critically endangered in the wild, with a decreasing population of around 50 to 1,000 adult individuals, by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and is listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
• Axolotls are used extensively in scientific research due to their ability to regenerate limbs, gills and parts of their eyes and brains. Notably, their ability to regenerate declines with age, but it does not disappear. Axolotls keep modestly growing throughout their life and some consider this trait to be a direct contributor to their regenerative abilities.
• Axolotls are only native to the Mexican Central Valley. Although the native axolotl population once extended through most of the lakes and wetlands that make up this region, the Native habitat is now limited to Lake Xochimilco as a result of the expansion of Mexico City. Lake Xochimilco is not a large body of water, but rather a small series of artificial channels, small lakes, and temporary wetlands.An Axolotl

Answer: (a) Critically Endangered Species of amphibians used extensively in scientific research due to their ability to regenerate limbs, gills and parts of their eyes and brains | Difficulty Level: Medium

Q6. {S&T – Defense} Yard 12706 recently seen in news is:

1. A Stealth guided missile destroyers
2. An Indigenous Torpedo Tube Launcher developed by Larsen and Toubro.
3. The area around River Negro, the largest tributary of the Amazon River, which is facing severe wildfires since September.
4. An area in Iceland around which more than 120 earthquakes have occurred simultaneously paving the way for an evident Volcanic Eruption.

Explanation

• The crest of Yard 12706 (Imphal), the third amongst the four Project 15B stealth guided missile destroyers, was unveiled by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh on Nov 28, 2023.
• The crest design depicts the Kangla Palace on the left and ‘Kangla-Sa’ on the right.
• The Kangla Palace is an important historical and archaeological site of Manipur and was the traditional seat of the past kingdom.
• With a dragon’s head and lion’s body, the ‘Kangla-Sa’ is a mythical being from Manipur history and is symbolic as the guardian/protector of its people. ‘Kangla-Sa’ is also the state emblem of Manipur.
• Imphal is a potent and versatile platform equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, including surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles and torpedoes.
• Powered by Combined Gas and Gas (COGAG) propulsion, she is capable of achieving speeds in excess of 30 knots (56 km/hr).
• The ship boasts of a high indigenous content of approximately 75% that includes the following:
  • Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (BEL, Bangalore)
  • BrahMos Surface-to-Surface Missiles (BrahMos Aerospace, New Delhi)
  • Indigenous Torpedo Tube Launchers (Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai)
  • Anti-Submarine Indigenous Rocket Launchers (Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai)
  • 76mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (BHEL, Haridwar)

Answer: (a) A Stealth Guided Missile Destroyer | Difficulty Level: Medium