UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | February 11 to February 17, 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 Sora – launched by open AI, consider the following statements:

1. It can generate videos up to a minute long while maintaining visual quality.

2. It creates complex scenes with multiple characters, specific types of motion, and accurate details of the subject and background.

3. It cannot create multiple shots within a single generated video.

4. Currently, there is no portal other than Sora which can convert text-to-video.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) All four

With reference to the Cartosat-2, consider the following statements:

1. It is an advanced remote sensing satellite capable of providing scene-specific spot imagery.

2. The satellite operated in a sun-synchronous polar orbit at an altitude of 635 km.

3. It is equipped with panchromatic and multi-spectral cameras.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) None

Pandaram lands were recently in the news due to the dispute between the local people and the administration. It is located in:

(a) Andaman and Nicobar

(b) Daman and Diu

(d) Lakshadweep

With reference to the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, consider the following statements:

1. The Chief Conservators of Forests permit hunting or killing of a wild animal specified in Schedule I.

2. Section 41 of the 1972 Act regulates hunting of wild animals

3. Species mentioned under Schedules I and II are classified as “Strictly Protected Species.”

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) None

Consider the following countries:

1. Kuwait

2. Sudan

3. Egypt

4. Oman

5. Saudi Arabia

How many of the above countries share boundaries with the Red Sea?

(a) Only two

(b) Only three

(d) All five

Zemithang, Taksing, and Chayang Tajo were recently in the news due to Vibrant Villages Programme. These villages are located in:

(a) Assam

(b) Tripura

(d) Arunachal Pradesh

The Indian Prime Minister inaugurated the BAPS Swaminarayan temple, the first Hindu temple in the Gulf nation. The temple was built by the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a denomination of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, a Vaishnav sect of Hinduism. The inauguration of the 108-ft high temple marks a significant moment for the Hindu community.

The above-mentioned lines refer to which country?

(a) Saudi Arabia

(b) Kuwait

(d) Bahrain

With reference to the proportionality test, consider the following statements:

1. The test was formally laid down as the best practice in 2017 when the seven-judge Bench Puttaswamy ruling recognised the right to privacy as a fundamental right.

2. The proportionality test is used to decide whether an action is a reasonable restriction.

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

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

With reference to the card network in India, consider the following statements:

1. Card networks connect banks, merchants, and customers (card users) to one another to carry out smooth and secure transactions.

2. Diners Club is not included in authorised card networks in India.

3. The transactions done by card networks are covered under the purview of the Reserve Bank of India.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) None

The city of Belgorod was in the news due to a missile strike. The city is located in:

(a) Ukraine

(b) Syria

(d) Russia

With reference to the recommendations of the Dr Swaminathan Commission consider the following statements:

1. Minimum Support Price (MSP) based on C2 (actual cost of production) plus 50 per cent must be fixed.

2. Delay in issue of the MSP particularly in respect of Kharif crops needs to be avoided.

3. Implementation of MSP across regions needs improvement.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) None

With reference to floor test held in legislative bodies, consider the following statements:

1. When the House is in session, it is the Speaker who can call for a floor test.

2. When the Assembly is not in session, the Governor’s residuary powers allow him to call for a floor test.

3. The Composite Floor Test is conducted only when more than one person stakes a claim to form the government.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) None

Which of the following pairs of litterateurs have been named the recipients of the 58th Jnanpith Award?

(a) Javed Akhtar and Jagadguru Rambhadracharya

(b) Damodar Mauzo and Javed Akhtar

(d) Gulzar and Jagadguru Rambhadracharya

With reference to NISAR, consider the following statements:

1. It is being jointly developed by NASA and ISRO.

2. NISAR will support telecommunication and usher in high-speed Internet Era.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

With reference to The Cairns Group, consider the following statements:

1. It has claimed that India’s public stockholding (PSH) programme is highly subsidised and hurting food security of other countries.

2. It comprises of 19 nations including USA, Canada and Australia.

Which of the statements given above is/are not correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

FYI:

— OpenAI, the creator of the revolutionary chatbot ChatGPT, has unveiled a new generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) model that can convert a text prompt into video, an area of GenAI that was thus far fraught with inconsistencies.

— The model, called Sora, can generate videos up to a minute long while maintaining visual quality and adherence to the user’s prompt. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Sora can create “complex scenes with multiple characters, specific types of motion, and accurate details of the subject and background,” according to OpenAI’s blog post. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— The model has a deep understanding of language, enabling it to accurately interpret prompts and generate compelling characters that express vibrant emotions. Sora can also create multiple shots within a single generated video that accurately persist characters and visual style. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— Other businesses have also entered the text-to-video market. Google’s Lumiere, which was unveiled last month, can produce text-and image-based five-second movies in response to a suggestion. Several businesses, such as Runway and Pika, have also demonstrated remarkable text-to-video models. Hence, statement 4 is not correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— Seventeen years after its launch, Cartosat-2, the first of ISRO’s second generation of high-resolution imaging satellites primarily used in urban planning has been deorbited.

— According to the statement, the satellite, launched on January 10, 2007 and weighing 680 kg, operated in a sun-synchronous polar orbit at an altitude of 635 km. It performed 14.78 orbits around Earth in a day. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Cartosat-2 is an advanced remote sensing satellite capable of providing scene-specific spot imagery. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The satellite equipped with over 12,000 coupled charged devices used its “panchromatic and multi-spectral cameras” to generate high-resolution images that were extensively used for urban planning, monitoring of road networks and water distribution, creation of land use maps, among others. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— The Lakshadweep administration’s persistent planting of trees on “Pandaram lands,” which it claims is government property, has sparked a simmering conflict between the locals and the administration that lies beneath the island’s seeming serenity.

— Pandaram lands, a form of land ownership, became a controversy in the island after the present administrator took over and claimed such properties belong to the government.

— The locals claim that the administration is violating a High Court stay on numbering the coconut trees on Pandaram lands and continues to mark the trees, presumably for felling them.

— The Lakshadweep administration officials were not willing to comment on the issue on record. However, a senior official said such apprehensions were based on presumptions.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— Kerala Legislative Assembly unanimously passed a resolution urging the Union Government to amend relevant sections of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 to address the escalating human-animal conflict in the state.

— Section 11 of the 1972 Act regulates hunting of wild animals. As per clause (1)(A) of the section, the Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW) of a state may — if satisfied that a wild animal specified in Schedule I (mammals) has become dangerous to human life or disabled or diseased beyond recovery — permit hunting or killing of such animal. Hence, statement 1 and 2 are not correct.

— Now, Kerala wants to amend the Section 11 (1) (A) so as to devolve the above-mentioned powers of the CWLW to Chief Conservators of Forests (CCF) instead.

— The Wildlife Protection Act came into force on September 9, 1972, to “provide for the protection” of wild animals, birds and plants to ensure the “ecological and environmental security of the country.

— The Act protects wild and captive animals or birds which belong to a species listed under Schedules I-IV. Species falling under Schedules I and II are classified as “Strictly Protected Species.” Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— Species mentioned under Schedules III and IV of the Wildlife Protection Act are governed by Sections 44, 48, and 49, which relate to the prohibition on dealings in trophy and animal articles without a license, purchase of animals by a licensee, and restriction on transportation of wildlife.

— Section 48 of the Act specifically states that any wild animal or animal article can be transported only after obtaining permission from the Chief Wildlife Warden or any other officer authorised by the State Government on their behalf.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— During his discussion with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Germany, Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted the need of ensuring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, emphasising how the United States and India play critical roles in maintaining economic stability in the turbulent region.

— Red Sea, one of the most significant shipping routes in the world, is seeing tensions rise as a spillover of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

— The nearly 2,000-kilometer Red Sea connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean via the narrow Suez Canal. Prior to the Suez Canal’s construction in 1869, ships had to travel around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa to travel between Europe and Asia; the Suez Canal significantly reduced the time and resources required to cover that distance by providing a direct route.

— According to the US Energy Information Administration, the Suez Canal accounted for 9.2 million barrels per day of total oil flows in the first half of 2023.

— The Houthis say they have been attacking vessels in the Red Sea with links to Israel.

— The Red Sea share its border with Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Egypt, Eritrea, Yemen and Djibouti.

— The Houthis have been embroiled in a civil war with the Yemen government for almost a decade. They are in power in northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. The official government now operates out of Aden.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— The Chinese people have started occupying several of the country’s model ‘Xiaokang’ border defence villages, along its border with India’s northeastern region.

— For more than five years, China has been building 628 such Xiaokang or “well-off villages” along India’s borders with the Tibet Autonomous Region. These have been built all along the LAC, including the Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh borders.

— The Indian government announced the Vibrant Villages Programme in 2022 to develop its border villages into modern villages with all amenities and as tourist attractions. The programme builds on the existing Border Area Development Programme (BADP) under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

— India intends to transform 663 border villages into modern villages as part of the program’s first phase. At least 17 such border villages along China’s borders in Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh have been selected for development as a pilot project.

— Zemithang, Taksing, Chayang Tajo, Tuting, and Kibithu are villages in Arunachal Pradesh’s east and Tawang region.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— During his two-day visit to UAE, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the BAPS Swaminarayan temple in Abu Dhabi, the first Hindu temple in the Gulf nation.

— The temple has been built by the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a denomination of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, a Vaishnav sect of Hinduism.

— The inauguration of the 108-ft high temple marks a significant moment for the Hindu community in UAE, as well as for the two countries’ bilateral ties.

— BAPS has a network of around 1,550 temples across the world, including the Akshardham temples in New Delhi and Gandhinagar, and Swaminarayan temples in London, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, Toronto, Los Angeles, and Nairobi.

— The Abu Dhabi temple is a traditional stone Hindu temple with seven shikhars. Built in the traditional Nagar style, the temple’s front panel depicts universal values, stories of harmony from different cultures, Hindu spiritual leaders and avatars.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— Underlining that the restrictions on free speech by the electoral bonds scheme are not “proportional” to its goal, a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, unanimously struck down the scheme.

— The judicial review of the electoral bonds scheme involved examining whether the extent of the state’s encroachment into the rights of individuals was proportional to achieve its objectives — curbing black money and protecting donor privacy.

— A law passed by Parliament cannot interfere with Part III of the Constitution, which states the inalienable fundamental rights. The only interference with Article 19(1), which safeguards the basic right to free speech, is acceptable if the “reasonable restrictions” mentioned in Article 19(2) are not violated. The proportionality test determines whether an action constitutes a reasonable constraint. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— The test was formally laid down as the best practice in the 2017 seven-judge Bench Puttaswamy ruling, which recognised the right to privacy as a fundamental right. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— In the electoral bonds case, the government had argued that curbing black money and protecting donor anonymity are both legitimate aims for the state. While tackling black money is fairly non-contentious, the government argued that donor anonymity is also a legitimate state interest since it seeks to give effect to a fundamental right — the right to privacy of the donor.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has ordered a certain card network to stop “unauthorised payments” made using business cards. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— The regulator said that the card network was allowing businesses to make payments to entities that were not authorised to accept card payments, which was a violation of The Payment and Settlement Systems (PSS) Act, 2007.

— The RBI also raised concerns over non-compliance of Know Your Customer (KYC) norms in such transactions.

— Card networks connect banks, merchants, and customers (card users) to one another so that transactions can be carried out smoothly and securely. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— When a customer uses her card to make a payment, card networks operate in the background. India has five approved card networks: Visa, Mastercard, RuPay, Diners Club, and American Express. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— In a statement, the RBI said that it had “noticed” that a card network had an arrangement that enabled businesses to make card payments through certain intermediaries to entities that did not accept card payments.

— Thus, the intermediary accepted card payments from corporations for commercial payments and remitted the monies to non-card accepting recipients using IMPS (Immediate Payment Service), RTGS (Real-Time Gross Settlement), or NEFT.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— A missile strike on the Russian city of Belgorod near the Ukraine border which killed six people, including a child, and injured 18 others.

— Earlier, Russia fired two dozen cruise and ballistic missiles at a broad area of Ukraine, hitting multiple regions after a midnight strike in Ukraine’s northeast killed five people in an apartment building, authorities said.

— Five of the 18 people injured in Belgorod, a city of around 340,000 people, were children, regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— The first of the 12 demands made by protesting Punjab farmers in their email sent to the government on February 6 was for a law to guarantee the procurement of all crops for all farmers at MSP, and for the determination of crop prices as per the recommendations of the Dr Swaminathan Commission.

What the Commission said on Minimum Support Prices?

— The Swaminathan Commission did not recommend the fixing of MSP based on C2 (actual cost of production) plus 50 per cent, as demanded by the protesting farmers. In its second report, the NCF made just two recommendations relating to MSP. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— First, “Delay in issue of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) particularly in respect of Kharif crops needs to be avoided.” Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Second, “Implementation of MSP across regions needs improvement.” The Commission noted that “except Punjab, Haryana, UP, and Andhra Pradesh to some extent, the prices of agri commodities covered under MSP…often rule below the MSP in absence of any government intervention”. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

FYI:

What is a floor test?

— A floor test (also called a ‘trust vote’) is held in legislative bodies, to find out whether the government that is suspected to have lost the majority still retains the confidence of the House. This is done through a vote among the members.

— As The Indian Express earlier reported, “When the House is in session, it is the Speaker who can call for a floor test. But when the Assembly is not in session, the Governor’s residuary powers under Article 163 allow him to call for a floor test.” Hence, statements 1 and 2 are correct.

— There is another test, the Composite Floor Test, which is conducted only when more than one person stakes a claim to form the government. When the majority is not clear, the governor might call for a special session to see who has the majority. The majority is counted based on those present and voting.

— This can also be done through a voice vote where the member can respond orally or through division voting. Some legislators may be absent or choose not to vote. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— Renowned Urdu poet Gulzar and Sanskrit scholar Jagadguru Rambhadracharya have been named the recipients of the 58th Jnanpith Award, the Jnanpith selection committee announced on Saturday.

— Goan writer Damodar Mauzo had received the prestigious award for 2022.

Therefore, (d) is correct answer.

FYI:

— Meteorological satellite INSAT-3DS will be launched into space onboard a Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Saturday evening, in a crucial mission for the rocket nicknamed “naughty boy” for its spotty record.

— The mission’s success will be crucial for the GSLV, which is scheduled to carry later this year the Earth observation satellite, NISAR, which is being jointly developed by NASA and ISRO. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— NISAR will map the entire globe in 12 days and provide “spatially and temporally consistent” data for understanding changes in Earth’s ecosystems, ice mass, sea level rise and natural hazards such as earthquakes and tsunamis, according to ISRO. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— The government’s headroom to accede to the protesting farmers demand for a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) is somewhat limited given India is under pressure on its farm subsidies at the World Trade Organization (WTO), with the latest attack by an influential group of 19 agri exporting countries.

— The Cairns Group – comprising Australia, Brazil and Canada among others members — have claimed that India’s public stockholding (PSH) programme is highly subsidised and the farm support that India gives is “distorting” global food prices and “hurting” food security of other countries. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Memebers: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Uruguay, Vietnam. Not USA. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

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