UPSC 2019: Weekly GK and Current Affairs Quiz Aug 31 - Sep 06

Which of the following is/are correct about Mauryan administration?

1. It was highly centralized.
2. The highest category of officials was called Tirthas.

In Buddhism, what are the Tri Ratnas?

Which of the following is/are correct about the ancient Buddhist Councils?

1. The First Council was conducted under the patronage of Ajatasatru.
2. The Second Council was held at Vaishali.
3. The Third Council was conducted under the patronage of Chandragupta Maurya.

Which of the following is/are correct about Pallava Society?

1. Society was based on Aryan culture.
2. Pallava kings were orthodox Hindus although they were tolerant of Buddhism and Jainism.

Which of the following was/were causes of the downfall of the Mughal Empire?

1. Religious policies of Aurangzeb.
2. Weak successors of Aurangzeb.
3. Neglect of the sea power by the Mughals.

Which of the following is/are correct about the Anglo-Mysore Wars?

1. The Third Mysore War ended with the Treaty of Seringapatanam.
2. Tipu Sultan died while fighting in the Fourth Mysore War.

Which of the following is/are features of the Permanent Settlement of Bengal?

1. Landlords or Zamindars were recognised as the owners of the land.
2. The Zamindars could sell or transfer the land as they wished.

Which of the following is/are correct about the Charter Act Of 1793?

1. This Act separated the revenue administration and the judiciary functions of the company leading to the disappearance of Maal Adalats (revenue courts).
2. The company was granted the authority to grant licenses to individuals and company employees to carry on trade in India which was known as ‘privilege’ or ‘country trade’. This led to shipments of opium to China.

Which of the following is/are correct about the Subsidiary Alliance?

1. The Indian state entering into this alliance with the British lost all powers in matters of foreign affairs and the military.
2. Hyderabad was the first state to accept the subsidiary alliance.

Which of the following is/are correct about the Gandhi-Irwin Pact?

1. As per the Pact, the INC agreed to take part in the Second Round Table Conference.
2. The Salt Tax was removed.

Which of the following regarding atmospheric pressure is/are correct?

1. The weight of the column of air at a given place and time is called air pressure or atmospheric pressure.
2. Atmospheric pressure is measured by an instrument called Thermometer.
3. Atmospheric pressure is measured as force per unit area and the unit used for measuring pressure is called millibar.

Air pressure decreases with

Which of the following statements regarding the air temperature and the air pressure on various regions on earth is/are correct?

1. Air pressure is low in equatorial regions and it is higher in Polar Regions.
2. There is an inverse relationship between air temperature and air pressure.

Earth’s rotation generates which of the following force?

Which of the following factors influence the movement of ocean water?

1. Temperature
2. Salinity of Ocean
3. Density of Ocean Water
4. Wind System
5. Coriolis Force

Choose the correct codes:

Madhav Gadgil Committee relates to which of the following?

Which of the following statements is correct about the ‘National Disaster Management Authority’?

1. It is a Constitutional Authority.
2. It is headed by the Home Minister.
3. NDMA, as the apex body, is mandated to lay down the policies, plans and guidelines for Disaster  Management to ensure timely and effective response to disasters.

Biodiversity forms the basis for human existence in the following ways?

1. Soil formation
2. Prevention of soil erosion
3. Recycling of waste
4. Pollination of crops

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

Which of the following is/are correct?

1. Biodiversity is normally greater in the lower latitudes as compared to the higher latitudes.
2. Along the mountain gradients, biodiversity is normally greater in the lower altitudes as compared to the higher altitudes.

A sandy and saline area is the natural habitat of an Indian animal species. The animal has no predators in that area but its existence is threatened due to the destruction of its habitat. Which one of the following could be that animal?

Which of the following is/are correct regarding Parliament?

1. The Parliament is the legislative organ of the Union government as well of State government.
2. Parliament occupies a pre-eminent and central position in the Indian democratic political system due to adoption of the parliamentary form of government, also known as ‘Westminster’ model of government.

Which of the following is/are correct regarding organisation of Parliament under the Constitution of India?

1. Under the Constitution, the Parliament of India consists of three parts viz, the President, the Council of States and the House of the People.
2. In 1954, the Hindi names ‘Rajya Sabha’ and ‘Lok Sabha’ were adopted by the Council of States and the House of People respectively.

President of India is a part of which of the following two houses of the parliament?

Which of the following statements is correct regarding the representatives of states in Rajya Sabha?

1. The representatives of states in the Rajya Sabha are elected by the elected members of state legislative assemblies.
2. The seats are allotted to the states in the Rajya Sabha on the basis of population.

Which of the following is/are correct regarding election of the representatives of states for the Lok Sabha?

1. The voting age of an individual was reduced from 21 to 18 years by the 61st Constitutional Amendment Act, 1988.
2. Every Indian citizen who is above 18 years of age and who is not disqualified under the provisions of the Constitution or any law is eligible to vote at such election.

With reference to the Anti-microbial resistance, consider the following statements:

1. Antimicrobial resistance, which is also referred to as drug resistance, results in formation of Super  Bugs.
2. It happens when microorganisms change when they are exposed to antimicrobial drugs used to treat the infections they cause.
3. India is home to several drug-resistant bugs which are spreading fast and have been noticed even in the operation theatres and intensive care units (ICUs) of several well-regarded hospitals.

Which of the above is/are correct?

Which one of the following best describes ‘Google Station’, that was in news recently?

With reference to Agni-V Missile, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. It is India’s first intercontinental ballistic missile.
2. It is a surface to surface, nuclear capable ballistic missile.
3. It can deliver one-tonne nuclear warheads about 15000 km away.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

With reference to the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), which of the following statement/s is/are correct?

1. It is a Japanese mega-science project aiming to build the largest single dish radio telescope in the world.
2. The goal of FAST is to discover the laws of the development of the universe.

What is/are the unique feature/s of ‘BrahMos’ cruise missile, a joint venture between India and Russia?

1. BrahMos is a single-stage missile with only a solid propellant booster engine.
2. At present the missile has a flight range of 600 kilometers.
3. India and Russia started the development of BrahMos in 1998, which is based on the Russian Yakhont anti-ship missile.