QUIZ – 2020: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 26 February 2021

Solution: c)

The most common element in nature is not found freely. Hydrogen exists only combined with other elements, and has to be extracted from naturally occurring compounds like water (which is a combination of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom). Although hydrogen is a clean molecule, the process of extracting it is energy-intensive.

Hydrogen is an energy carrier, not a source of energy. Hydrogen fuel must be transformed into electricity by a device called a fuel cell stack before it can be used to power a car or truck. A fuel cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy using oxidising agents through an oxidation-reduction reaction. Fuel cell-based vehicles most commonly combine hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity to power the electric motor on board. Since fuel cell vehicles use electricity to run, they are considered electric vehicles.

Source

Solution: b)

Pagrhi Sambhaal Jatta was a successful farm agitation that forced the British government to repeal three laws related to agriculture back in 1907. Bhagat Singh’s uncle Ajit Singh was the force behind this agitation, and he wanted to channel people’s anger over the farm laws to topple the colonial government.

Solution: c)

Palk strait connects the Bay of Bengal in the northeast with Palk Bay in the southwest. The strait is 53 to 82 kilometres wide. Several rivers flow into it, including the Vaigai River of Tamil Nadu.

Palk Bay is studded at its southern end with a chain of low islands and reef shoals that are collectively called Adam’s Bridge, it has historically been known in Hindu Mythology as “Ram Setu” i.e.

This chain extends between Dhanushkodi on Pamban Island (also known as Rameswaram Island) in Tamil Nadu and Mannar Island in Sri Lanka. The island of Rameswaram is linked to the Indian mainland by the Pamban Bridge.

Solution: a)

Fiscal deficit (FD) is the difference between revenue receipts plus non-debt capital receipts on the one side and total expenditure including loans, net of repayments, on the other. It measures the gap between the government consumption expenditure including loan repayments and the anticipated income from tax and non-tax revenues.

It also indicates the borrowing requirements of the government from all sources. The bigger the gap the more the government will have to borrow or resort to printing money to make both ends meet. Indiscriminate borrowings will push the economy into debt trap, while too much deficit financing may be inflationary.

Increasing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) tend to bring more revenue to the government there by reducing FD.

Austerity measures are reductions in government spending, increases in tax revenues, or both which can reduce FD.

Providing budgetary support to public sector enterprises and Waiving off farm loans increase government expenditure thus increasing FD.

Solution: a)

Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) has been constituted under Section 3(3) of the ‘Environment (Protection) Act, 1986’ for the purpose of regulation and control of ground water development and management in the Country. CGWA grants ‘No Objection Certificates’ (NOC) for ground water abstraction in 23 States/UTs through guidelines which are modified from time to time.