UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | December 31, 2023 to January 06, 2024Premium Story

UPSC Weekly Quiz is a current affairs-based quiz on relevant topics from the past week, curated for the aspirants of competitive examinations. Attempt the weekly quiz every Saturday and find answers to the MCQs with explanations at the end of the article.

With reference to the Lagrangian point, consider the following statements:

1. It is a spot between Earth and the Sun.

2. These points were discovered by Leonhard Euler and Joseph-Louis in the 19th century.

3. It is the point at which the gravitational force exerted by two celestial bodies on a spacecraft and the centrifugal force cancel each other out.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) None

The Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (SCLSC) was in the news. Consider the following statements:

1. The committee was constituted to provide free and competent legal services to the weaker sections of society”.

2. It is constituted by the National Legal Services Authority or NALSA.

3. The chairman and other members are appointed by the President.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) None

With reference to the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machine, consider the following statements:

1. The machine is attached to the ballot unit (BU) of the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), prints out a slip of paper with the voter’s choice indicated on it.

2. The voters can take that slip along with them after casting a vote.

3. The VVPAT was used for the first time in Assam.

4. The 2014 Lok Sabha elections became the first general election to have 100 per cent of EVMs being attached to VVPATs.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) All four

With reference to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), consider the following statements:

1. The act does not apply to Indian citizens residing outside India.

2. The word “terrorist” has been defined in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

3. The government is required to give an individual an opportunity to be heard before declaring him/her as a terrorist.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) None

With reference to the fuel cell used by ISRO in space mission, consider the following statements:

1. ISRO has successfully tested Fuel Cell based Power System (FCPS) onboard PSLV-C58.

2. It will present a low-cost and lighter alternative to current cells.

3. It uses a silicon-graphite composite that can accommodate more Li-ions in smaller mass.

4. It generates less energy per unit weight compared to conventional cells.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) All four

India has signed a long-term agreement for the import of 10,000 MW power to India in the next 10 years with:

(a) China

(b) Bhutan

(d) Bangladesh

Rafah border crossing was in the news. It connects:

(a) Egypt and Sudan

(b) Sudan and South Sudan

(d) Gaza and Egypt

With reference to the Indian Science Congress (ISC), consider the following statements:

1. It is an event which brings together scientists, researchers and teachers to interact with students and the general public on matters relating to science.

2. The first session was held in the year 1914.

3. It is the first time that the session for the year 2024 has been postponed.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) None

Consider the following statements:

1. Muhammad Yunus is credited with pioneering the system of micro-finance loans to help impoverished people and was granted bail pending appeal.

2. He was awarded Nobel Peace Prize 2006 jointly with Grameen Bank for their efforts to create economic and social development from below.

Muhammad Yunus is associated with which country?

(a) Afghanistan

(b) Pakistan

(d) Bangladesh

With reference to X-rays, consider the following statements:

1. They comprise electric and magnetic waves that are constantly in motion.

2. X-rays follow a patterned direction of motion.

3. The polarised X-ray is organised and has two waves vibrating in the same direction.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) None

FYI:

— ISRO launched Aditya-L1 on September 2, 2023, with the mission of observing and better understanding the Sun.

— Aditya-L1 is located outside the Earth’s atmosphere, its instruments can observe the ultraviolet radiation from the corona, and in the process, better understand its workings.

— It will monitor solar atmosphere and the corona continuously to monitor eruptions on the Sun, and study the properties of charged particles in the Solar wind.

— L1 stands for the first Lagrangian point — there are five such points, L1 to L5, associated with the motion of one astronomical body.

— These points were theoretically discovered by the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler and the Italian-French mathematician Joseph-Louis Lagrange in the 19th century. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Aditya-L1 has seven instruments for the observation of all the radiation and charged particles. Its location, 1.5 million km away from Earth towards the Sun (more on that next), allows uninterrupted observations.

— L1 is the spot between Earth and the Sun, where the gravitational force exerted on a spacecraft by the two celestial bodies, and the centrifugal force cancel each other. Hence, statement 1 and 3 are correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— Supreme Court judge Justice BR Gavai has been nominated as the Chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (SCLSC), replacing Justice Sanjiv Khanna – the seniormost judge of the top court after the Chief Justice of India (CJI).

— The Supreme Court Legal Services Committee was constituted under Section 3A of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, to provide “free and competent legal services to the weaker sections of society”. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Section 3A of the Act states that the Central Authority (the National Legal Services Authority or NALSA) shall constitute the committee. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— It consists of a sitting SC judge, who is the chairman, along with other members possessing the experience and qualifications prescribed by the Centre.

— The chairman and other members are nominated by the CJI. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— When a vote is cast, the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machine attached to the ballot unit (BU) of the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) prints out a slip of paper with the voter’s selection indicated on it. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The printed slip is visible for seven seconds so the voter can see that the vote has been recorded correctly, before it falls into a box underneath. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— The idea of the VVPAT machine first emerged in 2010. The VVPAT was used for the first time in all 21 polling stations of the Noksen Assembly constituency of Nagaland in 2013. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— The 2019 Lok Sabha elections became the first general election to have 100% of EVMs being attached to VVPATs. Hence, statement 4 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— Gangster Goldy Brar, the mastermind behind the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, was declared a designated terrorist by the Centre under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

— Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act extends to the whole of India. The provisions of this Act apply also to—

(a) citizens of India outside India; Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

(b) persons in the service of the Government, wherever they may be; and

— The words “terror” or “terrorist” are not defined, but the UAPA defines a “terrorist act” as any act committed with intent to threaten or likely to threaten the unity, integrity, security, economic security, or sovereignty of India or with intent to strike terror or likely to strike terror in the people or any section of the people in India or in any foreign country. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— The central government may designate an individual as a terrorist through a notification in the official gazette, and add his name to the Fourth Schedule to the UAPA.

— The government is not required to give an individual an opportunity to be heard before such a designation. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— ISRO has successfully tested a 100 W class Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell based Power System (FCPS) in its orbital platform, POEM3, which was launched onboard PSLV-C58 on January 1, 2024. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— These cells are ideal for human space missions because the heat and water generated as byproducts are also essential, meaning a single system can meet multiple requirements of the mission.

— The objective of the experiment was to assess Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel cell operation in space and to collect data to facilitate the design of systems for future missions.

— The platform successfully demonstrated another Silicon-based cell developed by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). It will present a low-cost and lighter alternative to current cells. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— The conventional Li-ion cells use pure graphite as anode (the electrode that releases electrons to generate power in a cell), while the cell ISRO demonstrated uses a silicon-graphite composite that can accommodate more Li-ions in smaller mass. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— The Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell based Power System generates more energy per unit weight compared to conventional cells. Hence, statement 4 is not correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— Nepal signed a long-term agreement for the export of 10,000 MW power to India in the next 10 years and an MoU for cooperation in renewable energy.

— External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Nepal counterpart N P Saud jointly inaugurated 3 cross-border transmission lines.

— The power export agreement was signed during the 7th meeting of the Nepal-India Joint Commission.

— An MoU for cooperation in renewable energy was also signed by the Nepal Electricity Authority and National Thermal Power Corporation Limited, India.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— Rafah border crossing is the main entrance and exit point to the tiny Palestinian enclave from Egypt. It connects the Gaza Strip and Egypt.

— It is controlled by Egypt and has been the subject of heated international negotiations as the only entry point for relief supplies — following Hamas attacks, Israel imposed a “total siege” on Gaza.

— It’s the southernmost post of exit from Gaza and borders Egypt’s Sinai peninsula.

— There are only two other border crossings from and into the Gaza Strip:

Erez: Northern Gaza and Israel

Kerem Shalom: Israel and Southern Gaza

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— The Indian Science Congress, the largest gathering of scientists and students of science in the country and a permanent annual fixture in the calendar of the participant group for more than a century, has been postponed. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— The congress is inaugurated by the Prime Minister. It is a permanent fixture on the PM’s calendar, and is usually his/her first public engagement of the new year.

— The Science Congress is a one-of-a-kind event that brings together scientists and researchers from the country’s premier institutions and laboratories, as well as science teachers from colleges and universities, and provides them with a platform to interact with students and the general public on science-related topics. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The postponement is unprecedented. With the exception of the two years following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic— 2021 and 2022 — the Indian Science Congress has been held every year since 1914. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— Nobel prize winner Muhammad Yunus was sentenced to six months in jail by a court in Bangladesh for violating the country’s labour laws.

— He is credited with pioneering the system of micro-finance loans to help impoverished people, was granted bail pending appeal.

— As Bangladesh struggled to stabilise its economy and tackle poverty in the post-independence years, Yunus came up with a unique idea to help the impoverished.

— He decided to provide small loans to entrepreneurs who wouldn’t normally qualify for bank loans, on terms suitable to them.

— Grameen Bank is credited with lifting millions from poverty — it has disbursed collateral-free loans of $34.01 billion among 9.55 million people since its inception.

— In 2006, Yunus and Grameen Bank jointly received the Nobel Prize in Peace “for their efforts to create economic and social development from below.” The professor came to be known as the “Banker to the Poor”.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) put its first polarimetry mission X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) in a precise circular orbit of 650 km on January 1, 2023.

— It is the world’s second satellite-based mission dedicated to making X-ray polarimetry measurements.

— X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) is India’s maiden mission dedicated to analysing the polarisation of X-rays emanating from bright celestial sources in the medium frequency band.

— X-rays comprise electric and magnetic waves that are constantly in motion. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— They do not follow a patterned direction of motion. On the other hand, polarised X-ray is both organised and has two waves vibrating in the same direction. Hence, statement 2 is not correct and statement 3 is correct.

— The polarisation measurements – angular and degree of polarisation – are believed to provide clues about the bright X-ray emitting sources the nature of these radiations and the complex process they undergo.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

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