QUIZ – 2016: Insights Current Affairs Quiz – 31st October & 01 November 2016
QUIZ – 2016: Insights Current Affairs Quiz
31st October & 01 November 2016
The following quiz will have 5-10 MCQs . The questions are mainly framed from The Hindu and PIB news articles.
This quiz is intended to introduce you to concepts and certain important facts relevant to UPSC IAS civil services preliminary exam 2016. It is not a test of your knowledge. If you score less, please do not mind. Read again sources provided and try to remember better.
Please try to enjoy questions, discuss the concepts and facts they try to test from you and suggest improvements.
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INSIGHTS CURRENT EVENTS QUIZ 2016
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The following Quiz is based on the Hindu, PIB and other news sources. It is a current events based quiz. Solving these questions will help retain both concepts and facts relevant to UPSC IAS civil services exam.
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- Question 1 of 8
1. Question
1 pointsWith reference to the GRAPES-3 experiment located at Ooty in India, consider the following statements:
- It is a collaboration between institutions from India and Japan.
- Apart from being able to detect muons from cosmic ray showers, it can be users to study solar storms and space weather.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
CorrectSolution: c.
The GRAPES-3 experiment at Ooty has the potential to provide information (on the basis of detecting muon outbursts) which can be used to provide early warnings of solar storms.
“The largest recorded solar storm in history is the Carrington event of 1859, which disrupted telegraph lines on earth for several hours. This storm caused Aurorae to be recorded even as far south as Florida State in the USA. If a storm of this magnitude should occur today, it would cripple all the VLSI-based communication systems, smart devices, mobile phones, computer networks and satellites, causing chaos. Therefore, detecting such muon bursts could serve as an early warning in the case of a superstorm.”
IncorrectSolution: c.
The GRAPES-3 experiment at Ooty has the potential to provide information (on the basis of detecting muon outbursts) which can be used to provide early warnings of solar storms.
“The largest recorded solar storm in history is the Carrington event of 1859, which disrupted telegraph lines on earth for several hours. This storm caused Aurorae to be recorded even as far south as Florida State in the USA. If a storm of this magnitude should occur today, it would cripple all the VLSI-based communication systems, smart devices, mobile phones, computer networks and satellites, causing chaos. Therefore, detecting such muon bursts could serve as an early warning in the case of a superstorm.”
- Question 2 of 8
2. Question
1 pointsWhich of the following may be the consequences of a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME)?
- The resulting solar flares may be capable of physically destroying earth.
- It will generate an electrical current in any conductive material near the ground.
- We might lose a lot of money stored in banks.
- The ionosphere thickens and delays the transmission of signals back to earth.
Select the correct answer using codes given below:
CorrectSolution: c.
- “…Let’s get one thing out of the way immediately. NASA is clear that “even at their worst, the Sun’s flares are not physically capable of destroying Earth”….”
- Unlike when in ordinary circumstances auroras are visible close only to the north and south poles, it will trigger auroras worldwide.
- All satellites in low orbits, including manned stations like the ISS and China’s Tiangong-1, could get dragged back down to Earth. After a big solar event, the extra energy from the Sun swells the Earth’s atmosphere, pushing it higher into orbit and thickening the air. The furthest atoms out, they actually drag the station down, like tiny little tendrils.
- We might also lose a lot of money. Banks store people’s cash in databases, so if a geomagnetic current found its way to a data centre it could delete millions of people’s savings.
- A storm half the strength of the Carrington event would destroy hundreds of transformers in the US alone.
- The extra heating also expands a layer of charged particles called the ionosphere, which radio signals back to Earth must pass through. The thicker ionosphere creates turbulence, delaying the signals. For tasks like GPS, which rely on transmissions that are timed to a billionth of a second, this disruption can be devastating.
Primary Source: http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/s20150923-the-sun-creates-space-weather-that-affects-us-all
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Improvisation: http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/indian-muon-trackers-get-a-handle-on-solar-storms/article9281700.ece
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IncorrectSolution: c.
- “…Let’s get one thing out of the way immediately. NASA is clear that “even at their worst, the Sun’s flares are not physically capable of destroying Earth”….”
- Unlike when in ordinary circumstances auroras are visible close only to the north and south poles, it will trigger auroras worldwide.
- All satellites in low orbits, including manned stations like the ISS and China’s Tiangong-1, could get dragged back down to Earth. After a big solar event, the extra energy from the Sun swells the Earth’s atmosphere, pushing it higher into orbit and thickening the air. The furthest atoms out, they actually drag the station down, like tiny little tendrils.
- We might also lose a lot of money. Banks store people’s cash in databases, so if a geomagnetic current found its way to a data centre it could delete millions of people’s savings.
- A storm half the strength of the Carrington event would destroy hundreds of transformers in the US alone.
- The extra heating also expands a layer of charged particles called the ionosphere, which radio signals back to Earth must pass through. The thicker ionosphere creates turbulence, delaying the signals. For tasks like GPS, which rely on transmissions that are timed to a billionth of a second, this disruption can be devastating.
Primary Source: http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/s20150923-the-sun-creates-space-weather-that-affects-us-all
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Improvisation: http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/indian-muon-trackers-get-a-handle-on-solar-storms/article9281700.ece
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- Question 3 of 8
3. Question
1 pointsA wave of ‘anti-establishment’ fervour is said to be spreading across the United States of America and Europe, fracturing mainstream parties. In this context, consider the following pairs:
Political Party – Country
- Five Star Movement – France
- The Pirate Party – Iceland
- Podemos – Spain
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
CorrectSolution: b.
National Front Party – France;
Five Star Movement – Italy;
The other two are correctly paired. “Spain has Podemos. Italy has its Five Star Movement, and Greece its Syriza. Now, the populist insurgency sweeping through Europe is finding a foothold in Iceland, where the Pirate Party, with its pirate flag logo and anarchist leanings, was poised to make big gains in a general election Saturday.”
http://www.thehindu.com/news-service/populist-wave-lifts-icelands-pirate-party/article9285864.ece
IncorrectSolution: b.
National Front Party – France;
Five Star Movement – Italy;
The other two are correctly paired. “Spain has Podemos. Italy has its Five Star Movement, and Greece its Syriza. Now, the populist insurgency sweeping through Europe is finding a foothold in Iceland, where the Pirate Party, with its pirate flag logo and anarchist leanings, was poised to make big gains in a general election Saturday.”
http://www.thehindu.com/news-service/populist-wave-lifts-icelands-pirate-party/article9285864.ece
- Question 4 of 8
4. Question
1 pointsThe Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), one of the world’s biggest telescopes when built, is a project being funded by scientific organisations of
- Canada
- USA
- Japan
- India
- China
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
CorrectSolution: c.
- One of the world’s biggest telescope projects might be forced to move its location. The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) was due to be built in Hawaii, but ran into opposition with indigenous groups which consider its proposed site sacred.
- Now the TMT’s board says a site in the Canary Islands, Spain, could act as a potential alternative.
- The $1.4bn project will enable experts to study the early Universe and peer into the atmospheres of exoplanets.
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/mbErel.aspx?relid=142343
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Improvisation: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-37836824
IncorrectSolution: c.
- One of the world’s biggest telescope projects might be forced to move its location. The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) was due to be built in Hawaii, but ran into opposition with indigenous groups which consider its proposed site sacred.
- Now the TMT’s board says a site in the Canary Islands, Spain, could act as a potential alternative.
- The $1.4bn project will enable experts to study the early Universe and peer into the atmospheres of exoplanets.
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/mbErel.aspx?relid=142343
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Improvisation: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-37836824
- Question 5 of 8
5. Question
1 pointsWhat is ‘Tesla’, sometimes seen in the news?
CorrectSolution: a.
From the given set of options, the most appropriate description of Tesla would be option ‘a’, though ‘Tesla’ is well-known primarily for its electric cars.
“Roof tiles with built-in solar panels have been unveiled by Tesla chief executive Elon Musk. The tiles, made from glass, are intended to be a more attractive way to add solar panels to homes, compared with currently-used solar technology.”
Improvisation: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-37809151
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IncorrectSolution: a.
From the given set of options, the most appropriate description of Tesla would be option ‘a’, though ‘Tesla’ is well-known primarily for its electric cars.
“Roof tiles with built-in solar panels have been unveiled by Tesla chief executive Elon Musk. The tiles, made from glass, are intended to be a more attractive way to add solar panels to homes, compared with currently-used solar technology.”
Improvisation: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-37809151
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- Question 6 of 8
6. Question
1 pointsConsider the following statements:
- India did not sign the UN’s Refugee Convention of 1951 because it felt that as an infant nation, it did not have the resources to implement its provisions.
- The Extradition Act, 1962 of India contains provisions which enable political asylum.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
CorrectSolution: b.
- Asylum and refugee status are different concepts although the terms are often used interchangeably. Asylum is an expansive institution of protection, refugees are a narrow category of people. An asylee need not be a refugee.
- Refugee status is narrowly defined. The UN’s Refugee Convention of 1951 links refuge to persecution on racial, religious, national, social, or political grounds. Many countries including India disagreed with the UN’s definition. It set the bar for protection too high for ordinary people for whom proving targeted persecution is difficult.
- The duty to protect refugees is a widely accepted, binding norm of international law. But the refugee convention refuses protection to people accused of “serious non-political crimes” such as terrorism. So governments routinely slap trumped-up terror accusations against their dissidents. For such people, asylum is a beacon.
- Asylum and extradition are related concepts. Extradition law exempts a country from handing over a criminal if the offence for which she is wanted is of a political character. This is known as the ‘political offence exception.’ It enables political asylum. It is recognised in the Extradition Act, 1962 and earlier laws too — perhaps an indicator of the legislature’s intent to allow people like Mr. Bugti to shelter in India at the government’s discretion.
IncorrectSolution: b.
- Asylum and refugee status are different concepts although the terms are often used interchangeably. Asylum is an expansive institution of protection, refugees are a narrow category of people. An asylee need not be a refugee.
- Refugee status is narrowly defined. The UN’s Refugee Convention of 1951 links refuge to persecution on racial, religious, national, social, or political grounds. Many countries including India disagreed with the UN’s definition. It set the bar for protection too high for ordinary people for whom proving targeted persecution is difficult.
- The duty to protect refugees is a widely accepted, binding norm of international law. But the refugee convention refuses protection to people accused of “serious non-political crimes” such as terrorism. So governments routinely slap trumped-up terror accusations against their dissidents. For such people, asylum is a beacon.
- Asylum and extradition are related concepts. Extradition law exempts a country from handing over a criminal if the offence for which she is wanted is of a political character. This is known as the ‘political offence exception.’ It enables political asylum. It is recognised in the Extradition Act, 1962 and earlier laws too — perhaps an indicator of the legislature’s intent to allow people like Mr. Bugti to shelter in India at the government’s discretion.
- Question 7 of 8
7. Question
1 pointsParticulate Matter affects more people than any other pollutant. Its major components are sulfate, nitrates, ammonia, sodium chloride, black carbon, mineral dust and water. The most health-damaging particles are those with a diameter of
CorrectSolution: a.
- PM consists of a complex mixture of solid and liquid particles of organic and inorganic substances suspended in the air.
- The most health-damaging particles are those with a diameter of 10 microns or less, (≤ PM10), which can penetrate and lodge deep inside the lungs. Chronic exposure to particles contributes to the risk of developing cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as of lung cancer.
- Air quality measurements are typically reported in terms of daily or annual mean concentrations of PM10 particles per cubic meter of air volume (m3). Routine air quality measurements typically describe such PM concentrations in terms of micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3).
Primary Source: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs313/en/
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IncorrectSolution: a.
- PM consists of a complex mixture of solid and liquid particles of organic and inorganic substances suspended in the air.
- The most health-damaging particles are those with a diameter of 10 microns or less, (≤ PM10), which can penetrate and lodge deep inside the lungs. Chronic exposure to particles contributes to the risk of developing cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as of lung cancer.
- Air quality measurements are typically reported in terms of daily or annual mean concentrations of PM10 particles per cubic meter of air volume (m3). Routine air quality measurements typically describe such PM concentrations in terms of micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3).
Primary Source: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs313/en/
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- Question 8 of 8
8. Question
1 pointsConsider the following statements:
- The Public Debt Management Agency, recently constituted by the Ministry of Finance, is a statutory body.
- Whereas the Reserve Bank of India manages the internal debt of the country, the Finance Ministry manages the external debt.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
CorrectSolution: b.
- The Ministry of Finance constituted a Public Debt Management Cell within the Ministry. The Cell will be an interim arrangement, which will be upgraded to a statutory Public Debt Management Agency in about two years. Note that Finance Bill, 2015 contained provisions to set up a statutory agency, which were dropped from the Bill before it was passed by Parliament.
- Public debt refers to the loans and borrowings taken by the government, and may be broadly categorised as internal debt (borrowings from within the country) and external debt (borrowing from international sources). The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) manages the internal debt of the country, while the Finance Ministry manages the external debt.
- A Middle Office was created in the Ministry in 2008 to formulate a debt management strategy for the government. The Public Debt Management Cell will subsume the Middle Office.
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IncorrectSolution: b.
- The Ministry of Finance constituted a Public Debt Management Cell within the Ministry. The Cell will be an interim arrangement, which will be upgraded to a statutory Public Debt Management Agency in about two years. Note that Finance Bill, 2015 contained provisions to set up a statutory agency, which were dropped from the Bill before it was passed by Parliament.
- Public debt refers to the loans and borrowings taken by the government, and may be broadly categorised as internal debt (borrowings from within the country) and external debt (borrowing from international sources). The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) manages the internal debt of the country, while the Finance Ministry manages the external debt.
- A Middle Office was created in the Ministry in 2008 to formulate a debt management strategy for the government. The Public Debt Management Cell will subsume the Middle Office.
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