UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | March 10 to March 16, 2024

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 Atmospheric Research Testbed (ART), consider the following statements:

1. The facility aims to conduct ground-based observations of weather.

2. The first phase of India’s Atmospheric Research Testbed in Central India (ART-CI) was inaugurated in Gujarat.

3. The testbed was funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

4. The facility will not provide observations during the southwest monsoon season from June to September.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) All four

With reference to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), consider the following statements:

1. It is a set of guidelines issued to regulate political parties and candidates prior to elections.

2. It does not govern speeches and campaigning.

3. It ensures to conduct of free and fair elections in the country.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) None

With reference to the High-level Committee (HLC) on “One Nation, One Election”, consider the following statements:

1. In the event of a hung House, a no-confidence motion, or any such event, fresh elections should be held to constitute the new Lok Sabha or state Assembly.

2. The committee recommended the preparation of single electoral roll and electoral photo identity cards.

3. The Constitution should be amended to enable simultaneous elections.

How many of the above are the recommendations of the High-level Committee (HLC)?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) None

With reference to the Scalable Instructable Multiworld Agent (SIMA), consider the following statements:

1. It follows natural language instructions to perform tasks across video game environments.

2. It is not capable of learning and adapting.

3. It is capable of doing different kinds of tasks and understands and follows instructions in all sorts of virtual environments.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) None

Consider the following countries:

1. Brazil

2. Australia

3. United States

4. Japan

How many of the countries given above have 2+2 dialogue with India?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) All four

With reference to the India’s indigenous Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR), consider the following statements:

1. It is a project in which electricity is produced from plutonium in nuclear power reactors.

2. Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd. was incorporated to build and operate the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR).

3. It is located in Karnataka.

4. When commissioned, India will be the second country after Russia to have a commercial operating FBR.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) All four

Consider the following:

1. Acetogenesis

2. Methanogenesis

3. Acidogenesis

4. Hydrolysis

What is the correct chronological order of these stages in biogas generation?

(a) 4—3—1—2

(b) 4—1—3—2

(d) 2—3—1—4

The Sela tunnel which would provide all-weather connectivity was in the news. It will connect:

(a) Srinagar and Kargil

(b) Ladakh and Srinagar

(d) Guwahati to Gangtok

Consider the following statements:

1. The State is ready to set up its first Integrated Aqua Park.

2. 95 percent of State’s population is estimated to be fish consumers.

3. The State needs to import fish from adjoining Bangladesh and other Indian states to fullfil its need.

The above-mentioned statements refer to which state?

(a) Tripura

(b) Meghalaya

(d) Mizoram

With reference to the Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle technology, consider the following statements:

1. MIRV-equipped missiles can accommodate multiple warheads, each of which can be programmed to strike a separate target.

2. It can penetrate missile defence systems.

3. These missiles can be released from the missile at different speeds and in different directions.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) None

Consider the following pairs with reference to the 96th Academy Awards:

1. Best Actor: Cillian Murphy

2. Best Actress: Emma Stone

3. Best Director: Christopher Nolan

4. Best International Feature: Society of the Snow

How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) All four

India has recently signed a trade agreement with the four-nation European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Which of the following countries is not part of this intergovernmental grouping?

(a) Norway

(b) Switzerland

(d) Denmark

He favoured the creation of a state of Israel for all persecuted Jews — the philosophy of Zionism — although he also wanted “reasonable agreement with the Arabs”. When the fate of Israel was to be decided at the UN in 1947, Zionist leaders were trying to secure support from across the world. To persuade the leader of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, they approached him.

Who is the person referred as ‘he’ in the above passage?

(a) Werner Karl Heisenberg

(b) Audie Murphy

(d) David Ben-Gurion

He became the first Indian to be nominated to the Legislative Council of Bombay. He founded the Native School of Bombay, which was renamed first as the Bombay Native Institution, and then as the Board of Education. Finally, this institution evolved into the prestigious Elphinstone College. The first train in India ran between Boribunder and Thane on April 16, 1853. The committee that gave the project impetus included him.

The above lines refers to:

(a) Bhimjee Parikh

(b) Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy.

(d) None of the above

Rhodamine B, recently seen in news, is a:

(a) Dye

(b) Election ink

(d) Leukaemia medicine

FYI:

— Recently, the first phase of India’s Atmospheric Research Testbed in Central India (ART-CI) was inaugurated at Silkheda in Sehore district, located about 50 km northwest of Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— It was funded by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— The facility will house 25 cutting-edge meteorological instruments for studying critical cloud dynamics linked with monsoons over central India’s Monsoon Core Zone (MCZ).

— The ART is an open-field, focused observational and analytical research programme at Silkheda.

— The facility intends to conduct ground-based observations of weather parameters such as temperature and wind speeds, as well as in-situ (on-site) observations of transient synoptic systems such as low-pressure areas and depressions that form in the Bay of Bengal during the southwest monsoon season, which runs from June to September. Hence, statement 1 is correct and statement 4 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) will come into immediate effect after the announcement of schedule for the upcoming Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections.

— The MCC is a collection of guidelines published to govern political parties and candidates ahead of elections. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— It regulates speeches, campaigning, the content of election manifestos, behaviour at polling booths, and other aspects to ensure that the country’s elections are free and fair. Hence, statement 2 is not correct and statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— The High-level Committee (HLC) on One Nation, One Election submitted its report to President Droupadi Murmu.

— Simultaneous elections, popularly referred to as “One Nation, One Election”, means holding elections to Lok Sabha, all state Legislative Assemblies, and urban and rural local bodies (municipalities and panchayats) at the same time.

— According to the FAQs, the committee has made the following recommendations:

(i) Amending the Constitution

— The Constitution should be amended to enable simultaneous elections in two steps:

(a) In the first step, simultaneous elections will be held to Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. For this, no ratification by the states will be required for the constitutional amendment.

(b) In the second step, elections to municipalities and the panchayats will be synchronised with elections to Lok Sabha and state Assemblies in such a way that local body elections are held within 100 days of the elections to Lok Sabha and state Assemblies. This will require ratification by not less than one-half of the states.

(ii) Single electoral roll and Election ID

— The Constitution should be amended to allow the Election Commission of India to prepare a single electoral roll and electoral photo identity cards for use in elections to all three levels of government in consultation with state election commissions. These amendments will require ratification by at least half of the states.

(iii) In case of hung house, etc

— In the event of a hung House, a no-confidence motion, or any such event, fresh elections should be held to constitute the new Lok Sabha or state Assembly for the unexpired term of the House.

(iv) Meeting Logistics Requirements

— The committee has recommended that for meeting logistical requirements, the Election Commission of India will plan and estimate in advance, in consultation with the State Election Commissions, and take steps for the deployment of manpower, polling personnel, security forces, EVMs/VVPATs, etc., so that free and fair simultaneous elections are held in all the three tiers of the government.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— Google DeepMind revealed its latest AI gaming agent called SIMA or Scalable Instructable Multiworld Agent, which can follow natural language instructions to perform tasks across video game environments.

— SIMA takes us a step closer to AI which can intelligently collaborate with humans not only in games but also in doing tasks in real-world environments. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— SIMA can be called a generalist AI Agent that is capable of doing different kinds of tasks. It can accomplish tasks or solve challenges assigned to it.

— It is capable of doing different kinds of tasks and understands and follows instructions in all sorts of virtual environments. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— SIMA “understands” your commands as it has been trained to process human language. So when you ask it to build a castle or find the treasure chest, it understands exactly what these commands mean.

— It is capable of learning and adapting. SIMA does this through the interactions it has with the user. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— India and Brazil explored ways to expand cooperation in areas of energy, critical minerals, technology and counter-terrorism at their first ‘2+2’ defence and foreign ministerial dialogue.

— Defence, space, energy, vital minerals, technology, counterterrorism, and other mutually beneficial problems were among the topics discussed.

— The dialogue took place in Delhi.

— It was co-chaired by G V Srinivas, additional secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, and Vishwesh Negi, joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defence.

— The Brazilian delegation was led by Rear Admiral Fernando de Luca Marques de Oliviera and Director of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, Marcelo Camara.

— India is having 2+2 dialogue with United States, Russia, Japan, Australia and United Kingdom.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— The vital second stage of India’s three-stage nuclear programme got a boost with the commencement of ‘core loading’ at the country’s first indigenous Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— Core loading is the process of placing nuclear fuel assemblies inside the core of a nuclear reactor.

— It is a project in which electricity is produced from uranium in nuclear power reactors. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— The project has been supported by successive governments as a step towards India gaining comprehensive skills that span the full nuclear fuel cycle, which is the process by which uranium is converted into energy in nuclear power reactors. The project to create an FBR was started twenty years ago.

— In 2003, when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was Prime Minister, the Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd or BHAVINI was incorporated to build and operate India’s most advanced nuclear reactor, the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR). Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Once commissioned, India will be the second country after Russia to have a commercial operating FBR. Hence, statement 4 is correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— A biogas plant requires fresh manure, which contains both methane and water.

—Bovines make methane in their rumen (the first of four stomach compartments), where bacteria ferment or break down the plant material they eat before it is further digested.

— Carbohydrate fermentation produces carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen.

— Archaea (bacteria-like germs in the rumen) consume them to make methane, which the animal then expels as gas or manure.

— Anaerobic digestion is a process by which the complex organic matter in dung is broken down in the absence of oxygen to produce biogas.

— The digestion, taking place in a 3,000 cubic-meter sealed vessel reactor, involves four successive stages:

(i) Hydrolysis (break-down of organic matter into simple molecules),

(ii) Acidogenesis (their conversion into volatile fatty acids),

(iii) Acetogenesis (production of acetic acid, CO2 and hydrogen) and

(iv) Methanogenesis (biogas generation).

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— The Sela Tunnel, which was “dedicated to the nation” by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a key border infrastructure project as it connects Guwahati to the strategic Tawang sector round-the-year, thus aiding faster military movement to the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

— It is constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) at an altitude of around 13,000 feet and a cost of Rs 825 crore.

— The tunnel was aimed at providing all-weather connectivity to Tawang across Sela Pass on the Balipara-Chariduar-Tawang (BCT) Road, which connects Tezpur in Assam to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.

— At present, two separate routes connect Tezpur and Tawang: Balipara-Chariduar-Tawang (BCT) and Orang-Kalaktang-Shergaon-Rupa-Tenga (OKSRT), which meet at Sela Pass and merge into one route to Tawang.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— The Tripura government has announced plans to establish the state’s first Integrated Aqua Park in Unakoti district, with the goal of increasing fish output and job prospects in the sector.

— The central government approved funds for the first phase of the project under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

— According to the minister, 1.15 lakh metric tonnes of fish must be consumed yearly in Tripura, where 95% of the population is considered to be fish consumers.

— Despite producing 80,000 metric tonnes of fish on its own, Tripura still needs to import 30,000 metric tonnes of fish from neighbouring Bangladesh and other Indian states.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— MIRV (Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle) technology is the capability that allows multiple warheads to be loaded on a single missile delivery system and programmed to hit different targets.

— MIRV-equipped missiles can accommodate multiple warheads, each of which can be programmed to strike a separate target. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The number of warheads that a missile can carry depends on its design, weight, size, range and other parameters.

— MIRV-equipped missiles can be made to carry decoy warheads to confuse the defence system. It has the ability to penetrate missile defence systems. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— The Agni series of short, medium, and intercontinental range ballistic missiles, developed in-house by the DRDO, will benefit from the incorporation of MIRV technology. Agni missiles are the primary land-based delivery vehicles for India’s nuclear arsenal.

— MIRVs can carry multiple warheads. Warheads on MIRVed missiles can be released from the missile at different speeds and in different directions. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— Here is a list of four important winners at this year’s Academy Awards:

1. Best Actor: Cillian Murphy

2. Best Actress: Emma Stone

3. Best Director: Christopher Nolan

4. Best International Feature: The Zone of Interest

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— India signed a trade agreement with the four-nation European Free Trade Association (EFTA), an intergovernmental grouping of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

— The deal brings in $100 billion in investment over 15 years, with the EFTA looking at joint ventures that will help India diversify imports away from China.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— March 14 is the birth anniversary of Albert Einstein, who, almost 70 years after his death, remains the most famous scientist in the world. While Einstein was a genius with many scientific breakthroughs to his name, he was also a Jew, who could not escape the political and ideological currents of his time.

— Einstein had to take US citizenship after the Nazis came to power in his country Germany, and raided his house while he was away on a visiting professorship at the California Institute of Technology.

— Einstein favoured the creation of a state of Israel for all persecuted Jews — the philosophy of Zionism — although he also wanted “reasonable agreement with the Arabs”. When the fate of Israel was to be decided at the UN in 1947, Zionist leaders were trying to secure support from across the world. To persuade the leader of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, they approached Einstein.

— Einstein, thus, wrote to Nehru on June 13, 1947, underlining the reasons India should support Israel. Nehru wrote back on July 11, 1947, with a polite but firm no.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— The Maharashtra cabinet on Wednesday (March 13) decided to ask the Ministry of Railways to rename Mumbai Central station after Nana Jagannath Shankarseth. Mumbai Central, located in the heart of the city, is used by several important local and long-distance trains, including Rajdhani Expresses, daily.

Who was Nana Jagannath Shankarseth?

— The social reformer, educationist, and philanthropist Nana Jagannath Shankarseth (February 10, 1803-July 31, 1865) is often described as the “architect” of Mumbai (then Bombay), who made extremely valuable contributions in terms of both ideas and money to multiple sectors, to lay a strong foundation for the city.

— Born in a wealthy Brahmin family in Murbad in Thane district, Shankarseth took the responsibility of running the family business at an early age after his father passed away in 1822. Shankarseth was greatly inspired by the legendary merchant and philanthropist Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy.

— As a social reformer and community leader, Shankarseth earned the goodwill of both Indians and the British. He became the first Indian to be nominated to the Legislative Council of Bombay.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— The Karnataka government recently “banned” the use of harmful colouring agents in gobhi manchurian and cotton candy, with a violation attracting imprisonment of up to 7 years and fine of up to Rs 10 lakhs, Karnataka health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said.

— “Consumption of snacks containing these artificial colours may pose long-term health risks, including cancer. Therefore, the health department has taken this necessary action,” he said.

— Artificial colouring was found in 107 of the 171 gobhi manchurian samples tested by the state government, and in 15 of the 25 cotton candy samples tested. “Based on these findings, an order has been issued banning the use of prohibited artificial colours, including Rhodamine B, in Gobi Manchurian and cotton candy,” the minister said.

What is Rhodamine B?

— While the minister said that Karnataka was banning the use of the colouring agent Rhodamine B, it is not one of the permitted food colouring agents under the country’s food safety regulation. It is a chemical colour used in dyeing clothes, paper, leather, printing, and plastics. It is used to give red and pink colours.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

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