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.
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1. The plague is caused virus that can spread between animals and people.
2. It is the only form of plague that can be spread from person to person by inhaling infectious droplets.
3. Recently, Mexico confirmed the first case of bubonic plague.
4. The symptoms include swollen lymph nodes.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
QUESTION 2
Consider the following factors:
1. Moisture
2. Temperature
3. Light air density
4. Wind speed
How many of the above factors have link between pollution and winter months in India?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
QUESTION 3
With reference to the Money Bill, consider the following statements:
1. A Bill can be designated as a money Bill if it includes financial obligations of the Indian government.
2. The President of India has the final say on whether a Bill is a money Bill or not.
3. Rajya Sabha has 14 days to consider the Bill and return it with recommendations.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
QUESTION 4
Consider the following statements:
1. The city had been a major centre of resistance, blocking further Russian advance.
2. The city is close to the city of Donetsk.
3. Recently, Russia has registered a big victory, capturing this town.
The above-mentioned statements refer to which city?
(a) Robotyne
(b) Marinka
(c) Kreminna
(d) Avdiivka
QUESTION 5
With reference to the Raisina Dialogue, consider the following statements:
1. It is an annual conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, which aims to address the most challenging issues faced by the world.
2. The conference takes place in New Delhi.
3. The theme of the 2024 edition is focused on four pillars – Neo Insurgence, Amoral Mosiac, Chaotic Codes, Pernicious Passports, and Grey Rhinos.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
QUESTION 6
The Supreme Court has directed governments to follow the “broad and all-encompassing” definition of forests.
Consider the following statements with reference to the above statement:
1. The “broad and all-encompassing” definition of forest was laid down in 1996 judgment in the T N Godavarman case.
2. The provisions of the Act were applied in… recorded forests.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
QUESTION 7
Consider the following statements about Indian Farmers:
1. At the time of Independence, around 70 per cent of India’s total workforce was involved in agriculture.
2. The relative proportion of cultivators has increased from 1951 to 2011.
3. As per the latest Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households (Jan-Dec 2019), 70 per cent of all agricultural households have a land holding size of less than 1 hectare.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
QUESTION 8
Kiru Hydel Power Project was recently in the news due to alleged corruption in the award of a contract. The power project is located on which river?
(a) Chenab
(b) Ravi
(c) Indus
(d) Sutlej
QUESTION 9
With reference to the Google’s Gemma, consider the following statements:
1. It shares some key technical and infrastructure components with Gemini.
2. It has been designed in compliance with its AI principles.
3. It uses automated techniques to filter certain personal information and sensitive data from its training sets.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
QUESTION 10
With reference to the allocation of election symbol, consider the following statements:
1. The Election Commission of India is responsible for the allotment of symbols.
2. The process of allocation of election symbols is mentioned in the Constitution of India.
3. Recently, the election symbol “Man Blowing Turha” has been allocated to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
QUESTION 11
With reference to Minimum Support Price (MSP) and Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) consider the following statements:
1. FRP is the price that the Centre’s Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) decides.
2. MSP is fixed based on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
3. Sugarcane has both the FRP and MSP
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
QUESTION 12
Consider the following landmark cases:
1. I.C. Golak Nath v. State of Punjab
2. Nabam Rebia, and Bamang Felix v. Deputy Speaker
3. Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association v. Union of India
What is the correct chronological order of the above cases of their final judgement?
(a) 1-2-3
(b) 3-2-1
(c) 2-3-1
(d) 1-3-2
QUESTION 13
A fleet of 20,000 British soldiers was positioned on the foothills of the Kittur fort as they attempted to invade the former princely state of Karnataka. But the Queen retaliated and killed a British official to protect and safeguard her homeland. It was one of the earliest woman-led anti-colonial struggles.
Who is the Queen in the above passage?
(a) Rani Mangammal
(b) Rani Chenamma
(c) Abakka Rani Chowta
(d) Belwadi Mallamma
QUESTION 14
Meow Meow, White Magic, M-Cat and Drone recently seen in the news are:
(a) Spywares
(b) Space satellites
(c) Drugs
(d) AI tools
QUESTION 15
It is a series of large language models (LLMs), recently seen in the news, that can respond in 11 Indian languages like Hindi, Tamil, and Marathi.
The above line refers to:
(a) Param
(b) Airawat
(c) BharatGPT
(d) Hanooman
ANSWERS TO THE MCQs
1. (b)
FYI:
— Health officials in Oregon, US confirmed the first case of bubonic plague in the state since 2005. According to various reports, the person probably got the disease from a sick pet cat. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
— The disease was quickly detected and the person received antibiotics for treatment.
— The bubonic plague, also known as the “Black Death,” claimed the lives of up to 50 million people in Europe between 1346 and 1353.
— The plague is caused by Yersinia pestis, a zoonotic bacteria, i.e. bacteria that can spread between animals and people. Y pestis is usually found in small animals and their fleas. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
— According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), humans can be infected in one of three ways —
(i) Bite of infected vector fleas,
(ii) Unprotected contact with infectious bodily fluids or contaminated materials (like bitten by an infected rat), and Hence, statement 2 is correct.
(iii) Inhalation of respiratory droplets/small particles from a patient with pneumonic plague.
— Bubonic plague specifically refers to cases where bacteria gets into the lymph nodes. According to the United States’ Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it can cause fever, headache, weakness and painful, swollen lymph nodes, and usually happens from the bite of an infected flea. Hence, statement 4 is correct.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
2. (c)
FYI:
— Monsoon rainfall over India is known to be strongly influenced by El Nino and La Nina events, the alternating warming and cooling of the eastern Pacific Ocean that impacts weather across the world.
— This is the first time that air quality in Indian cities has been linked to a La Nina event — and indirectly to climate change.
— During October to January, northern Indian cities, particularly Delhi, experience very high concentrations of PM2.5.
— A variety of meteorological factors — temperature, moisture, heaviness in air, wind speed and direction — play a role in trapping pollutants in the lower levels of the atmosphere.
— These variables are also responsible for carrying pollutants from other places, particularly those produced by agricultural waste burning in Punjab and Haryana, to Delhi and its surrounding areas.
— The western and southern parts of the country have always had relatively lower levels of pollution, because of their proximity to oceans.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
3. (b)
FYI:
— Although the Supreme Court declared the electoral bond scheme illegal earlier this month, it did not address one component of the challenge: the government’s use of the Money Bill route to pass essential legislation.
— According to Article 110 of the Constitution, a Bill can be designated as a money Bill if it exclusively deals with certain subjects. These include taxation, financial obligations of the Indian government, the consolidated fund (revenue received by the government through taxes and expenses incurred in the form of borrowings and loans) or contingency fund (money to meet unforeseen expenditure) of India, or “any matter incidental” to the subjects listed in the Article. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— Article 110 also stipulates that the Lok Sabha Speaker would make the final decision on whether a bill is a money bill or not. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
— Under Article 109, however, a Bill introduced as a money Bill only requires assent from the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha merely has 14 days to consider the Bill and return it with recommendations. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
— The Lok Sabha may either accept or reject these recommendations and enact the money Bill into law.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
4. (d)
FYI:
— Russia has registered a big victory, capturing the town of Avdiivka. This is its most significant battleground gain after the city of Bakhmut in May last year.
— The city’s surrender comes as Western aid to Ukraine stutters, with a significant aid package delayed in the US and European countries, failing to supply the finances and ammunition required.
— Avdiivka is located on the frontlines in the east of Ukraine, Avdiivka had been a major centre of resistance, blocking further Russian advance.
— Avdiivka is close to the city of Donetsk, which Russia has occupied.
— The Avdiivka campaign has also highlighted that Ukraine is running out of the kind of arms and ammunition it needs to keep the larger Russian military at bay.
Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.
5. (b)
FYI:
— The ninth edition of the Raisina Dialogue was conducted in New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the summit. Greece’s Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, attended the inauguration as the chief guest.
— The Raisina Dialogue is an annual conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, which aims to address the most challenging issues faced by the world. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— The conference takes place in New Delhi and is attended by people from political, business, media, and civil society backgrounds. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
— The Dialogue is structured as a multi-stakeholder, cross-sectoral discussion, involving heads of state, cabinet ministers and local government officials, who are joined by thought leaders from the private sector, media and academia.
— The theme of the 2024 edition is “Chaturanga: Conflict, Contest, Cooperate, Create,” according to a press release by the Ministry of External Affairs. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
— During the three-day conference, the participants will engage with each other over six “thematic pillars” which include:
(i) Tech Frontiers: Regulations & Realities;
(ii) Peace with the Planet: Invest & Innovate;
(iii) War & Peace: Armouries & Asymmetries;
(iv) Decolonising Multilateralism: Institutions & Inclusion;
(v) The Post 2030 Agenda: People & Progress; and
(vi) Defending Democracy: Society & Sovereignty.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
6. (c)
FYI:
— The Supreme Court has directed governments to follow the “broad and all-encompassing” definition of forest as laid down in its 1996 judgment in the T N Godavarman case until a consolidated record of all kinds of forests across the country is prepared. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— A three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud passed the order on petitions that challenged the 2023 amendments to the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 (FCA) on the ground that the modifications had “substantially diluted” the definition of forest, and had reduced the ambit of the Act.
— Subsequent to the said Judgment, the provisions of the Act were applied in recorded forests which had already been put to various type of non-forestry use. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
— As a remedy, the amendment made the FCA applicable only to notified forests and lands that were identified as ‘forest’ in government records.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
7. (b)
FYI:
— At the time of Independence, around 70 per cent of India’s total workforce was involved in agriculture. Together, this sector accounted for 54% of India’s economic output. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— The relative proportion of cultivators (highlighted in green) has fallen from 72% ( of all farm workers) in 1951 to 45% in 2011 while the proportion of labourers has risen from 28% (of all farm workers) in 1951 to almost 55% in 2011. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
— As per the latest Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households (Jan-Dec 2019), shows that most Indian farmers have small and marginal land holdings and, worse, almost half of them are indebted.
— According to this survey, around 70% of all agricultural households have a land holding size of less than 1 hectare and around 88% have a land holding size of less than 2 hectares. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
— According to a 2015 study by Ramesh Chand, now a member of Niti Aayog, a plot smaller than 0.63 ha does not provide enough income to stay above the poverty line.
— States like Andhra Pradesh and Telangana had a very high proportion of farm households that were indebted even though average income levels were similar to India’s average.
— The Terms of Trade (ToT) is the ratio between the prices paid by the farmers for their inputs and the prices received by the farmers for their output. If the ToT is less than 100, it means farmers are worse off. The ToT were negative in 2004-05 but they steadily improved for the next 6-7 years to hit a high of 102.95 in 2010-11.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
8. (a)
FYI:
— The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted raids at 30 locations linked to former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik.
— The agency is investigating alleged corruption in the award of a contract for the Kiru Hydel Project, in J&K’s Kishtwar district.
— Kiru Hydel Power Project is being constructed between the existing Kirthai II (upstream) and Kwar (downstream) hydel power projects, at an estimated cost of Rs 4,287 crore.
— It will be developed near the convergence point of river Chenab and the Singad and Bela streams, near the Patharnakki and Kiru villages in Kishtwar district.
— It will have a 123-meter-tall dam from the Chenab’s riverbed level. The reservoir will store 41.5 million m³ of water. The project will include a 700-meter-long, horseshoe-shaped diversion tunnel for the release of excess water.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
9. (c)
FYI:
— Google has now unveiled Gemma, its most recent open artificial intelligence (AI) product, following the dominance of news feeds by OpenAI’s text-to-video model Sora.
— Gemma is a family of lightweight state-of-the-art open models that has been built using the same research and technology used in Gemini models by Google DeepMind, and other teams across Google.
— Gemma is being offered in two model sizes, Gemma 2B and Gemma 7B, which have been released with pre-trained and instruction-tuned variants.
— Gemma shares some key technical and infrastructure components with Gemini, which is its most capable AI model to date. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— Both Gemma 2B and Gemma 7B are capable of achieving the ‘best-in-class performance’ for their sizes when compared to other open models.
— According to Google, Gemma was created in accordance with its AI guiding principles. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
— The tech firm claims that they employed automated methods to remove sensitive data and specific personal information from Gemma’s training sets in order to make the pre-trained models safe and dependable. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
— According to Google, the objectives for AI applications include the following: the need to be socially beneficial, avoid creating or reinforcing unfair bias, be built and tested for safety, be accountable to people, incorporate privacy design principles, uphold high standards of scientific excellence, and most importantly, being made available for uses that accord with these principles.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
10. (b)
FYI:
— The Election Commission of India (ECI) is responsible for the allotment of symbols. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— This is done under The Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, which is meant “to provide for specification, reservation, choice and allotment of symbols at elections in Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies, for the recognition of political parties.” Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
— Symbols can be either reserved, meaning they are exclusive to a recognised political party (having garnered a minimum amount of votes or seats at the national or state level elections), or ‘free’.
— The Election Commission has allotted the election symbol “Man Blowing Turha” to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction led by Sharad Pawar. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
— The symbol shows a man blowing a long, curved, trumpet-like instrument in the shape of a reverse ‘C’, decorated with a thread or string. The turha is also pronounced and written as turhi, turahi, or turturi, and varies somewhat in form across regions in Maharashtra.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
11. (c)
FYI:
— On Wednesday (February 21), the Centre announced a hike in the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane to Rs 340 per quintal for Sugar Season 2024-25 (October-September) from the existing Rs 315 per quintal.
What is FRP?
— FRP is the price that the Centre’s Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) decides. This committee includes the Prime Minister, the Defence Minister, the Home Minister, the Finance Minister, the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and some other senior ministers. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
How does it differ from the MSP?
— Sugar is one of the 23 crops for which the government provides MSP.
— MSPs serve as a basic, guaranteed payment for farmers given the various vulnerabilities involved in agriculture, such as unfavourable weather conditions. In such scenarios, fluctuations in production could lead to price changes, shortage of food items for consumers and a lack of income for the farmers to support themselves.
— To address this, the government announces the MSP every year for certain crops. It is the price at which the government is supposed to procure/buy that crop from farmers if the market price falls below it.
— MSPs provide a floor for market prices and ensure that farmers receive a certain “minimum” remuneration so that their costs of cultivation (and some profit) can be recovered. The price is fixed based on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). Hence, statement 2 is correct.
— In 2020, the government’s think tank NITI Aayog released the final report of its task force on the Sugar and Sugarcane industry.
— It said, “Since sugarcane has a very short shelf life, the responsibility of procurement of cane is on the sugar mills that are mandatorily expected to pay the FRP on purchase upfront. Additionally, other crops that are under the MSP can be sold at prices higher than the MSP itself. However, with regard to sugarcane, the absence of shelf life prompts them to sell their produce at any price prevailing in the cane-crushing season irrespective of demand and supply forces.”
— Also, it noted certain issues raised by farmers in Uttar Pradesh. One of these was a mismatch between the FRP and MSP. “A concern was voiced with regard to increasing rate of FRP for sugarcane and near stagnant MSP for sugar over the years. This has resulted in sugar mills having significant outstanding dues to the farmers.” Hence, statement 3 is correct.
— The central government had introduced MSP for sugar in 2018.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
12. (d)
FYI:
— Eminent jurist and Senior Advocate Fali S Nariman passed away in the early hours of February 21 at the age of 95.
— His career as a lawyer spanned over 75 years with the last half-century being spent as a senior advocate of the Supreme Court of India. During this time, he left an imprint on the law and the legal profession in a vast array of landmark cases.
I.C. Golak Nath v. State of Punjab
— Two brothers in Punjab challenged the Constitution (Seventeenth) Amendment Act, 1964 as it amended Article 31A of the constitution. This article deals with the acquisition of estates and can be found in the fundamental rights chapter of the constitution.
— Fali Nariman appeared on behalf of the intervenors in this case who supported the petitioners. They argued that Parliament’s power to amend the constitution under Article 368 did not include articles contained in Part III of the Constitution dealing with fundamental rights. A majority of six judges from the eleven-judge bench agreed with the petitioner’s submissions in 1967, pointing out that Article 13(2) states that Parliament cannot make a law which infringe fundamental rights.
National Judicial Appointments Commission case: Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association v. Union of India
— Nariman would also appear in the latest chapter of the judge appointments dispute following the challenge to the National Judicial Appointment Commission Act, 2014 (NJAC). The NJAC amended the Constitution to insert Article 124A which created a six-person commission for judicial appointments. This commission would comprise the CJI, two other senior SC Judges, the Union Minister of Law and Justice, and two “eminent persons” who would be nominated by a committee comprising the CJI, Prime Minister and Leader of Opposition.
— Nariman represented the SCAORA in the case and argued that the NJAC would impinge upon the independence of the judiciary if the central government and the legislature were allowed to participate in the selection and appointment of judges. Four of the five judges on the bench agreed with this view in 2015 and struck down the NJAC, in effect reinstating the collegium system for judge appointments.
Governor to act only upon the aid and advice of the council of ministers, chief minister: Nabam Rebia, and Bamang Felix v. Deputy Speaker
— The Supreme Court in 2016 was tasked with navigating the political crisis in Arunachal Pradesh following the rebellion of 21 Congress MLAs in 2015. Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa advanced the assembly session so that a floor test could be conducted to determine which party held the majority.
— Nariman, on behalf of the house whip Bamang Felix, argued that the governor did not have the power to advance the assembly session as this could only be done upon the aid and advice of the council of ministers and the chief minister, as per the constitution. The court agreed and restored the Congress government, led by chief minister Nabam Tuki.
Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.
13. (b)
FYI:
— A fleet of 20,000 British soldiers was positioned on the foothills of the Kittur fort as they attempted to invade the former princely state of Karnataka. But the Queen of Kittur, Rani Chennamma, retaliated and killed a British official to protect and safeguard her homeland.
— This came to be known as the Kittur revolt of 1824, one of the earliest woman-led anti-colonial struggles. Rani Chennamma’s valour forms a significant part of Karnataka’s political imagination.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
14. (c)
FYI:
— Mephedrone, which has various street names such Meow Meow, White Magic, M-Cat and Drone, is a synthetically manufactured stimulant of the amphetamine and cathinone category.
— During a drug bust a few months ago, Pune City police caught a 23-year-old student who hails from a town in a neighbouring district. The youth who had been living in a Pune hostel had been caught peddling Mephedrone also known as Meow Meow. Interrogation revealed that the drug was first introduced to him during a party.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
15. (d)
FYI:
— The BharatGPT group — led by IIT Bombay along with seven other elite Indian engineering institutes — announced that it would launch its first ChatGPT-like service next month.
— It is backed by Reliance Industries Ltd and the Department of Science and Technology, the group built the ‘Hanooman’ series of Indic language models in collaboration with Seetha Mahalaxmi Healthcare (SML).
Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.
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