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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.
QUESTION 1
With reference to the heat waves, consider the following statements:
1. It occurs when an area of low-pressure stays over a region for days and weeks.
2. The effect of El Nino triggers more extreme heat in many parts of the world and in the ocean.
3. Heatwave is considered if the maximum temperature of the hilly region exceeds 20 degrees Celsius.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
QUESTION 2
Consider the following pairs:
(Port) (Location)
1. Odesa Port Russia
2. Hamabantota Port Bangladesh
3. Chornomorsk Port Ukraine
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
QUESTION 3
With reference to the Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), consider the following statements:
1. It is a viral haemorrhagic fever usually transmitted by ticks.
2. It does not transmit to humans.
3. There is no vaccine for the virus.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
QUESTION 4
With reference to the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), consider the following statements:
1. It is a regional organisation that was established in 1997 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration.
2. It has eight member countries.
3. All the member countries share a border with the Bay of Bengal.
4. The first-ever Foreign Ministers’ meeting of BIMSTEC was held in Thailand.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
QUESTION 5
With reference to the India-France relations, consider the following statements:
1. The year 2023 marked the 25th year of India and France entering into a strategic partnership.
2. France has emerged as the largest exporter of defence equipment to India in the last decade.
3. France is a pioneer in civil nuclear energy and has offered to build six nuclear power reactors in Jaitapur.
4 India and France have jointly launched the International Solar Alliance.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
QUESTION 6
“Hwasong-18” was in the news recently. It is
(a) Air-to-air missile of Israel.
(b) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle of China
(c) Bomber plane of USA
(d) Intercontinental ballistic missile of North Korea
QUESTION 7
With reference to the adjournment motion, consider the following statements:
1. It is a form of censure of the government which was originated in the House of Commons in the United Kingdom and in India it was established under the Government of India Act of 1919.
2. Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha rule book provides for adjournment motion.
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 8
With reference to Export Preparedness Index 2022, consider the following statements:
1. It is released by Niti Aayog
2. The ranking is based on four main pillars: policy, social security, export ecosystem and export performance.
3. In the category of union territories/small states, Delhi was ranked first.
How many above statement/s above is/are true?
(a) One statement only
(b) Two statements only
(c) All of the statements
(d) None of the statements
ANSWERS TO MCQs
1. (a)
FYI:
— The US scientific and regulatory agency National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that the last month was the Earth’s hottest June since the record-keeping of global temperatures began 174 years ago.
— El Nino conditions, which have developed for the first time in seven years, are partly responsible for triggering extreme heat, continents like North America, Africa, Asia and Europe have been battered by scorching heat waves, caused, in most cases, by either formation of heat domes or the arrival of anticyclones. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
— Most parts of the world are currently experiencing sweltering heat due to the onset of heat waves but their cause remains different across regions.
— A heat dome occurs when an area of high-pressure stays over a region for days and weeks. It traps warm air, just like a lid on a pot, for an extended period. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
— The longer that air remains trapped, the more the sun works to heat the air, producing warmer conditions every day. Heat domes, if they last for an extended period, may cause deadly heat waves.
— A heat wave is a condition of air temperature which becomes fatal to the human body when exposed. A heat wave is considered if the maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius or more for Plains and at least 30 degrees Celsius or more for Hilly regions. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
2. (a)
FYI:
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
3. (b)
FYI:
— According to the WHO, “Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a viral haemorrhagic fever usually transmitted by ticks. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— It can also be contracted through contact with viraemic animal tissues (animal tissue where the virus has entered the bloodstream) during and immediately post-slaughter of animals.
— According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), animals such as cattle, goats, sheep and hares “serve as amplifying hosts for the virus.
— Transmission to humans occurs through contact with infected ticks or animal blood. CCHF can be transmitted from one infected human to another by contact with infectious blood or body fluids”, such as sweat and saliva. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
— The ticks can also be hosted by migratory birds, thus carrying the virus over long distances.
— While the disease was first detected among soldiers in the Crimean Peninsula (near the Black Sea) in 1944, in 1969, it was found that an ailment identified in the Congo Basin was caused by the same pathogen. Thus, the disease was named the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever.
— According to the WHO, the symptoms of CCHF include fever, muscle ache, dizziness, neck pain, backache, headache, sore eyes and sensitivity to light. There may be nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and sore throat early on, followed by sharp mood swings and confusion. After 2–4 days the agitation may be replaced by sleepiness, depression and lassitude.
— There is no vaccine for the virus in either humans or animals, and treatment generally consists of managing symptoms. According to the WHO, “the antiviral drug ribavirin has been used to treat CCHF infection with apparent benefit. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
4. (a)
FYI:
— The first-ever Foreign Ministers’ meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) was held in Bangkok, Thailand. Hence, statement 4 is correct.
— It was formed with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration. Initially known as BIST-EC (Bangladesh-India-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation), the organisation is now known as BIMSTEC and comprises seven members, with Myanmar joining towards the end of 1997. Hence, statement 1 is correct and statement 2 is not correct.
— Bhutan and Nepal are two landlocked countries that became members in 2004. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
— Cooperation within the BIMSTEC had initially focused on six sectors in 1997 (trade, technology, energy, transport, tourism, and fisheries) and expanded in 2008 to other areas.
— In 2021, a reorganisation led to each of the Member States leading certain sectors. India focuses on security, along with counter-terrorism and transnational crime, disaster management and energy.
— In a speech given earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said BIMSTEC connects South and Southeast Asia and the ecologies of the Great Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
5. (c)
FYI:
— This year the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi marks the 25th year of India and France entering into a strategic partnership. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— Since 1998, when India’s first-ever strategic partnership was signed with France, both countries have worked closely in almost all multilateral forums, including in the UN Security Council.
— The convergence has emerged on issues related to reformed and effective multilateralism, international terrorism, Climate Change, sustainable development, and the Indo-Pacific.
— A strong institutional mechanism has been established to strengthen cooperation in the areas of defence, space, civil nuclear, renewables, cyberspace, digital technology, counter-terrorism, maritime security, regular defence exercises and the blue economy.
— Both have jointly launched the International Solar Alliance and established trilaterals like India-France-Australia and India-France-UAE. Hence, statement 4 is correct.
— France has emerged as the second-largest exporter of defence equipment to India in the last ten years. A large number of deals including more Rafale jets, submarines, and joint development of combat aircraft engines and helicopters are being negotiated and finalised. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
— France is a pioneer in civil nuclear energy and has offered to build six nuclear power reactors in Jaitapur. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
6. (d)
FYI:
— North Korea tested its latest Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). This ICBM is the first to use solid propellants.
— The Hwasong-18 is a solid-fuelled ICBM and was first unveiled at the February 8 parade earlier this year that commemorated the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Army in DPRK’s capital Pyongyang.
— The use of solid propellants in the Hwasong-18 allows for faster deployment of missiles. Solid propellants can fire faster and accelerate more quickly at liftoff.
— ICBMs are ballistic missiles with a range of over 5,500 km and nuclear weapons delivery technology. Presently, in addition to the DPRK, Russia, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, China, India and Israel are the only countries with documented possession of land-based ICBMs.
Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.
7. (a)
FYI:
— In 1952, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha published their respective Rules of Procedure. These Rules laid down the details of how the two Houses would function. They also specified the different procedural mechanisms by which Members of Parliament (MPs) could participate in the functioning of the two legislative chambers.
— The adjournment motion is a form of censure of the government. It originated in the House of Commons in the United Kingdom and started its journey in India under the rules of the pre-independent bicameral legislature established under the Government of India Act of 1919. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— The central assembly and legislative council members could move the adjournment motion in their Houses.
— In 1952, the Council of Ministers became collectively responsible to Lok Sabha. As a result, the adjournment motion found a place in the Lok Sabha Rule Book. Therefore it was left out of Rajya Sabha. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
— The Rajya Sabha Rule Book does not provide for an adjournment motion. Over the years, Rajya Sabha MPs have used Rule 267 to suspend Question Hour in the House to raise urgent matters.
— In 1952, this rule stated, “Any member may, with the consent of the Chairman, move that any rule may be suspended in its application to a particular motion before the Council and if the motion is carried the rule in question shall be suspended for the time being.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
8. (a)
FYI:
— Tamil Nadu has pipped Maharashtra and Gujarat to emerge as the top state among coastal states in the Niti Aayog’s Export Preparedness Index 2022. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— The index is aimed at assessing the readiness of the states in terms of their export potential and performance.
— Tamil Nadu is followed by Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and Kerala in that order in the ranking of coastal states, according to the government think tank’s report released on Monday.
— Among hilly/Himalayan states, Uttarakhand has ranked at the top position. It is followed by Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Sikkim, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram in that order.
— Haryana topped the chart among the landlocked regions. It was followed by Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
— In the category of union territories/small states, Goa was ranked first. Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar and Ladakh were ranked second, third, fourth and fifth, respectively. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
— The index can be used by the regions to benchmark their performance against their peers and analyse potential challenges to develop better policy mechanisms to foster export-led growth at the sub-national level. The ranking is based on four main pillars: policy, business ecosystem, export ecosystem and export performance. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
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