UPSC 2021: Weekly GK and Current Affairs Quiz Aug 07 - Aug 13

Both statements are incorrect. There are no restrictions on publishing the results of opinion polls. However, it cannot be published during the period of Election silence, i.e, 48 hours before the close of voting. In the case of a multi-phase election, results of exit polls can be published only after the voting is over in the last phase.

Statement 2 only is correct.

• Akash is a mid-range surface-to-air missile (SAM).
• It is a medium-range nuclear-capable supersonic missile. It has been indigenously developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the Integrated Guided-Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).
  • The Integrated Guided Missile Development Program started in 1984.
• It is a multi-target, multi-directional, all-weather air-defence missile system consisting of surveillance and tracking radars for defending vulnerable areas against medium-range air targets penetrating from low, medium and high altitudes.

All four are correct. China has built dams on the following rivers: Mekong, the Brahmaputra, the Irtysh, the Indus, the Yellow river and Yangtze river.

All three are correct statements.

• Kala-azar is endemic to the Indian subcontinent in four countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal).
• It is also known as Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and black fever.
• It is a parasitic disease caused by protozoan parasites of the Leishmania genus.

Statement 1 only is correct.

• The Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution contains provisions relating to the administration of tribal areas in the state of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.

• The tribal areas listed under the sixth Schedule are constituted as autonomous districts with each such autonomous district provided with a district council consisting of 30 members, partly elected and partly nominated.
• Governors can direct the manner in which acts of the state legislature apply to the sixth Schedule areas, while in respect of acts of the Parliament, such power rests with the President.
  • Governors can direct the manner in which acts of the state legislature apply to the sixth Schedule areas, while in respect of acts of the Parliament, such power rests with the President, except in the case of the state of Assam where the Governor enjoys such powers both with respect to state and central laws.

Statement 2 is incorrect.

• SAHAYAK-NG is India’s first indigenously designed and developed Air Droppable Container.
• It is an advanced version of SAHAYAK Mk I. It is a GPS aided air dropped container with the capacity to carry a payload of up to 50 kg and can be dropped from a heavy aircraft.
• The successful maiden test was conducted by the DRDO along with the Indian Navy.
• The container was dropped from IL 38SD aircraft (of the Indian Navy) off the coast of Goa during the test flight.
• The trial was conducted by the Navy to enhance its operational logistics capabilities and provide critical engineering stores to ships which are deployed more than 2000 km from the coast.
• It reduces the requirement of ships to come close to the coast to collect spares and stores.

The cities arranged from east to west- Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Tehran, Aden, Jeddah

1 and 2 only are correct. Dibru-Saikhowa is a National Park as well as a Biosphere Reserve situated on the south bank of the river Brahmaputra in Assam. The national park is located in the Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts of Assam. It is an identified Important Bird Area (IBA) notified by the Bombay Natural History Society. The park is bounded by the Brahmaputra and Lohit Rivers in the north and the Dibru river in the south.

Statement 3 only is correct. The National Board for Wildlife is a “Statutory Organization” constituted under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. NBWL is chaired by India’s Prime Minister and its vice-chairman is the Minister of Environment. The primary function of the Board is to promote the conservation and development of wildlife and forests. It has the power to review all wildlife-related matters and approve projects in and around national parks and sanctuaries. No alternation of boundaries in national parks and wildlife sanctuaries can be done without the approval of the NBWL. Its roles are “advisory” in nature and advise the Central Government on framing policies and measures for the conservation of wildlife in the country.

Global Environment Outlook (GEO) is a series of reports on the environment issued periodically by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The GEO project was initiated in response to the environmental reporting requirements of UN Agenda 21 and to a UNEP Governing Council decision of May 1995 which requested the production of a new comprehensive global state of the environment report.

Statement 2 only is correct. Central Information Commission is a statutory body under the Right to Information Act of 2005.

Statements 2 and 3 only are correct. The Western Ghats are spread across 6 states (GJ, MH, KA, GA, TN, KL).

Statement 2 only is correct. NAFED functions under the Ministry of Agriculture.

• Flue-gas desulfurisation (FGD) is a set of technologies used to remove sulphur dioxide from exhaust flue gases of fossil-fuel power plants, and from the emissions of other sulphur dioxide emitting processes such as waste incineration.
• It generally involves using an alkaline substance to neutralize predominantly acidic gases like sulphur dioxide.
• Commonly employed methods:
  • Wet scrubbing, uses a slurry of alkaline sorbent, usually limestone or lime, or seawater to scrub the predominantly acidic gases.
  • Wet sulphuric acid process recovers sulphur in the form of sulphuric acid.
  • Dry sorbent injection systems introduce powdered hydrated lime or other sorbent material.

All the statements are incorrect. Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) is an intergovernmental organisation headquartered in Mauritius. The IOC is composed of five African Indian Ocean nations: Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion (an overseas region of France), and Seychelles. India has been recently granted observer status in the Indian Ocean Commission. The Commission has four other observers — China, EU, Malta and the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF).

Both statements are incorrect. Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram are protected by the Inner Line, and lately, Manipur was added (in December last year). The concept originates from the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act (BEFR), 1873.

The index was published by an American think tank Cato Institute and the Fraser Institute in Canada. It takes into account 76 indicators of personal, civil, and economic freedoms to rank 162 countries from 2008 to 2018.

1 and 2 only are correct. The South China Sea is an arm of the Western Pacific Ocean in Southeast Asia. It is south of China, east & south of Vietnam, west of the Philippines and north of the island of Borneo.

Statement 2 only is correct. China is the largest producer of tobacco in the world.

The United Kingdom and France

Statement 2 only is correct. Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) is the one-way electronic transmission of the postal ballots to the Service Voters. It has been developed by ECI and C-DAC. Though recommendations have been made to extend it to overseas voters, currently it is restricted to only service voters.

Both are correct. Read more on e-RUPI.

The Patuxent River flows in the state of Maryland, United States of America.

Organic farming

Read more on the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana.

Both are correct. Read more on the Consumer Price Index.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The Angas were written in Prakrit.

The four noble truths of Buddhism are Dukha, Samudaya, Nirodha and Magga.

All four are correctly matched.

Only 2 is correct. The administration was highly centralised.

Only 2 is correct. The Lucknow Pact was an agreement between the Indian National Congress (INC) and the All India Muslim League.