DAY – 14 (InstaTest-14): Insta 75 Days Revision Plan-2023: Topic – SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Subject-wise Test 16& 27 (Revision ) , Textbook-wise Test 26 and September 2022 CA (PRELIMS 30 & MAINS 30)

Solution: D

The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) functions in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). As per Rules, 1989, it is responsible for the appraisal of activities involving large scale use of hazardous microorganisms and recombinants in research and industrial production from the environmental angle. The committee is also responsible for appraisal of proposals relating to release of genetically engineered (GE) organisms and products into the enviornment including experimental field trials.

GEAC is chaired by the Special Secretary/Additional Secretary of MoEF&CC and co-chaired by a representative from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).

Clearance of Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) is mandatory for the environmental release of Genetically Modified (GM) crops. As per the ‘’Rules 1989’’, State/UT Biotechnology Coordination Committees and District Level Committees are responsible for monitoring instances of illegal cultivation of GM crops and taking appropriate action under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

Solution: D

What Is DNA Sequencing?

DNA Sequencing is the method that determines the order of the four nucleotides bases (adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine) that make up the DNA molecule and convey important genetic information.

Applications of DNA Sequencing Technologies

DNA sequencing has been used in medicine including diagnosis and treatment of diseases and epidemiology studies. Sequencing has the power to revolutionize food safety and sustainable agriculture including animal, plant and public health, improving agriculture through effective plant and animal breeding and reducing the risks from disease outbreaks. Additionally, DNA sequencing can be used for protecting and improving the natural environment for both humans and wildlife.

Aligned DNA sequences form the base of many analyses used to infer evolutionary patterns and processes. Within species, we can use this information to quantify the degree of population differentiation, migration rates among populations, and even the demographic history of populations.

Solution: C

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the world’s second-largest refurbished state-of-the-art National Gene Bank at the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), Pusa, New Delhi.

The National Gene Bank established in the year 1996 to preserve the seeds of Plant Genetic Resources (PGR) for future generations, has the capacity to preserve about one million germplasm in the form of seeds. Presently it is protecting 4.52 lakh accessions, of which 2.7 lakh are Indian germplasm and the rest have been imported from other countries.

Solution: A

How does LiFi work?

LiFi is a Visible Light Communications system transmitting wireless internet communications at very high speeds. LiFi transmission speeds can go over 100 Gbps, 14 times faster than WiGig, also known as the world’s fastest WiFi.

Advantages:

• Li-Fi could make a huge impact on the internet of things too, with data transferred at much higher levels with even more devices able to connect to one another.
• Li-Fi offers great promise to overcome the existing limitations of Wi-Fi by providing for data-heavy communication in short ranges.
• Due to its shorter range, Li-Fi is more secure than Wi-Fi.
• Since it does not pollute, it can be called a green technology for device-to-device communication in the Internet of Things (IoT).
• Li-Fi systems consume less power.

Limitations of Li-Fi:

• As visual light can’t pass through opaque objects and needs line of sight for communication, its range will remain very restricted to start with. In order to enjoy full connectivity, more capable LED bulbs will need to be placed at various places.
• Li-Fi requires the lightbulb is on at all times to provide connectivity, meaning that the lights will need to be on during the day.
• Li-Fi is likely to face interference from external light sources, such as sunlight and bulbs, and obstructions in the path of transmission, and hence may cause interruptions in communication.

Solution: C

Micro-LED vs LED

Current so-called LED displays are actually LCD displays that use LED as backlighting units – which are always on with a liquid-crystal layer that is used to create the actual image (i.e. block the light where needed). This complicated LCD structure results in a device with serious image quality drawbacks (mainly a low response time and relatively poor contrast ratio) and also difficulties in achieving flexibility and high-quality transparency.

Compared to an LCD display, a micro-LED is much simpler, as the LEDs themselves emit the light and can be individually controlled. This results in displays that offer a much better image quality (contrast, response time) and are highly efficient, too, as there are no filters as in LCDs. As opposed to LCDs, micro-LEDs can be made flexible.

Micro-LED vs OLED

OLEDs use tiny sub-pixels made from organic emissive materials. Micro-LEDs are somewhat similar – but with an inorganic LED structure. Compared to OLEDs, Micro-LEDs promise to be much more efficient and brighter, more durable (higher lifetime) and with a higher color gamut. Micro-LEDs are based on well-established LED devices, which means that it could potentially be a technology that is relatively easy to scale up.

Solution: D

Application of geospatial Technology

1. Disaster Management: early warning systems, detection, vulnerability mapping and for taking preventive measures.
2. Agriculture and forest management: satellite-based fishing, precision agriculture, monitoring and modelling of crop conditions, insurance monitoring, forestry monitoring.
3. Energy: determine the suitability of a location for generating solar energy).
4. Logistics: Road Asset Management system, land management, scientific maintenance planning, enhance road safety measures etc.
5. Natural Resource Management: Potential areas of mining and detection of illegal mining.

Solution: A

What is Quantum computing?

Quantum computing is a multidisciplinary field comprising aspects of computer science, physics, and mathematics that utilizes quantum mechanics to solve complex problems faster than on classical computers. The field of quantum computing includes hardware research and application development.

What is a qubit?

Quantum bits, or qubits, are represented by quantum particles. The manipulation of qubits by control devices is at the core of a quantum computer’s processing power. Qubits in quantum computers are analogous to bits in classical computers. At its core, a classical machine’s processor does all its work by manipulating bits. Similarly, the quantum processor does all its work by processing qubits.

Superposition

A qubit itself isn’t very useful. But it can perform an important trick: placing the quantum information it holds into a state of superposition, which represents a combination of all possible configurations of the qubit. Groups of qubits in superposition can create complex, multidimensional computational spaces. Complex problems can be represented in new ways in these spaces.

Entanglement

Entanglement is a quantum mechanical effect that correlates the behavior of two separate things. When two qubits are entangled, changes to one qubit directly impact the other. Quantum algorithms leverage those relationships to find solutions to complex problems.

Decoherence

Decoherence is the loss of the quantum state in a qubit. Environmental factors, like radiation, can cause the quantum state of the qubits to collapse. A large engineering challenge in constructing a quantum computer is designing the various features that attempt to delay decoherence of the state, such as building specialty structures that shield the qubits from external fields.

Solution: D

Intel in collaboration with Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Ministry of Education today announced the launch of the AI For All initiative with the purpose of creating a basic understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) for everyone in India. Based on Intel’s AI For Citizens program, AI For All is a 4-hour, self-paced learning program that demystifies AI in an inclusive manner. It is as applicable to a student, a stay-at-home parent as it is to a professional in any field or even a senior citizen. The program aims to introduce AI to 1 million citizens in its first year.

Solution: A

James Webb Space Telescope

About JSWT:

Launched in December 2021, JWST is a joint venture between the US (Nasa), European (ESA) and Canadian space agencies (CSA).

• It is an orbiting infrared observatory that will complement and extend the discoveries of the Hubble Space Telescope, with longer wavelength coverage and greatly improved sensitivity.
• Webb was formerly known as the “Next Generation Space Telescope” (NGST) and it was renamed in 2002 after a former NASA administrator, James Webb.

• It will be a large infrared telescope with an approximately 6.5 meter primary mirror. The telescope uses infrared light, which cannot be perceived by the human eye, to study every phase in cosmic history.

Orbit:

• The Hubble Space Telescope orbits around the Earth at an altitude of ~570 km above it.
• Webb will not actually orbit the Earth, instead it will sit at the Earth-Sun L2 Lagrange point,5 million km away.

Solution: D

Project NETRA

An early warning system in space to detect debris and other hazards to Indian satellites.

What is Project NETRA (Network for space object Tracking and Analysis)?

Under the project, the ISRO plans to put up many observational facilities: connected radars, telescopes; data processing units and a control center.

They can, among others, spot, track and catalogue objects as small as 10 cm, up to a range of 3,400 km and equal to a space orbit of around 2,000 km.

Solution: B

The solar cycle is the cycle that the Sun’s magnetic field goes through approximately every 11 years.

Our Sun is a huge ball of electrically-charged hot gas. This charged gas moves, generating a powerful magnetic field. The Sun’s magnetic field goes through a cycle, called the solar cycle.

Every 11 years or so, the Sun’s magnetic field completely flips. This means that the Sun’s north and south poles switch places. Then it takes about another 11 years for the Sun’s north and south poles to flip back again.

One way to track the solar cycle is by counting the number of sunspots. The beginning of a solar cycle is a solar minimum, or when the Sun has the least sunspots. Over time, solar activity—and the number of sunspots—increases.

The middle of the solar cycle is the solar maximum, or when the Sun has the most sunspots. As the cycle ends, it fades back to the solar minimum and then a new cycle begins.

Solution: C

Types of vaccine: Vaccines can be synthesized in many ways based on which they are classified:

1. Live attenuated vaccines

Examples:

• Oral Sabin polio vaccine
• MRV Vaccine (Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella)
• Nasal influenza vaccine
• Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine
• Varicella vaccine
• Rotavirus vaccine

2. Inactivated or Dead vaccines

Examples:

• Typhoid vaccine
• Influenza vaccine
• Salk polio vaccine
• Hepatitis A vaccine

3. Acellular or Subunit vaccines
4. Toxoid Vaccine:

Examples:

• Diphtheria vaccine
• Tetanus vaccine
• Pertussis vaccine

1. Conjugate Vaccine:

Examples:

• Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) conjugate vaccine
• Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine
• Meningococcal C conjugate vaccine

1. Recombinant Vaccine:

Examples:

• Hepatitis B vaccine
• Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine

Solution: C

What is COVAX No-Fault Compensation Program?

The Program is the first vaccine injury compensation mechanism operating on an international scale.

The purpose of the Program is to provide a mechanism to compensate those individuals in Advance Market Commitment (AMC) Eligible Economies who suffer from certain serious adverse events that are confirmed to be associated with vaccines earmarked for delivery through the COVAX Facility for use in AMC Eligible Economies until 30 June 2023, or the administration of such vaccines.

The Program is designed to be fast, robust and transparent, making it easier for any affected individual to get fair compensation, without having to go through a lengthy and expensive legal process.

Who is eligible to receive compensation from the No-Fault Compensation fund?

The Program is open to all eligible individuals – citizens, residents, refugees and other populations of concern (as defined by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee) in an AMC Eligible Economy, who have suffered a serious adverse event resulting in permanent impairment or death following the administration of a COVID-19 Vaccine received through the COVAX Facility until 30 June 2023.

Solution: B

What are trans fats?

Trans fats, or trans-fatty acids, are a form of unsaturated fat.

They come in both natural and artificial forms.

Natural, or ruminant, trans fats occur in the meat and dairy from ruminant animals, such as cattle, sheep, and goats. They form naturally when bacteria in these animals’ stomachs digest grass.

However, dairy and meat eaters needn’t be concerned.

The best-known ruminant trans-fat is conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which is found in dairy foods, butter and lamb.

However, artificial trans fats — otherwise known as industrial trans fats or partially hydrogenated fats — are hazardous to your health.

• These fats occur when vegetable oils are chemically altered to stay solid at room temperature, which gives them a much longer shelf life.

Solution: D

The ‘Agni Prime’, or ‘Agni-P’, is a nuclear-capable new-gen advanced variant of the Agni class of missiles; it is a two-stage canisterised solid propellant ballistic missile with a maximum range of 2,000 km.

• Agni Prime’ is a short-range (surface to a surface) ballistic missile that will have a maximum range of 2,000 km and will have advanced features in agility and road mobility.
• It can carry a payload of around 1,000 Kg or a nuclear warhead.

Solution: A

 International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources:

• The International Treaty is the major international agreement between member countries to conserve, use and manage plant genetic resources for food and agriculture around the world for the benefit of people everywhere.
• The Treaty ensures that farmers and plant breeders access, easily, the raw genetic material needed to develop new crop varieties, including those with higher yields and those that are resilient to climate change.
• It provides a global solution to the challenges of crop diversity loss and climate change adaptation through mechanisms such as the Multilateral System and Benefit-sharing Fund.
• Any country that is a member of the United Nations, or any of its specialized agencies or of the International Atomic Energy Agency can join the International Treaty. To join, they have to formally inform the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the parent organization of the International Treaty, of their decision to join the treaty through ratification, accession, approval or acceptance.
• The International Treaty established and operates a special initiative operated for the benefit of developing countries – the Benefit-sharing Fund (BSF). This Fund supports agricultural projects for farmers, public institutions and others in developing countries to conserve and use PGRFA to improve food crop production, fight plant pests and adapt to the effects of climate change.
• The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, also known as the “Doomsday Vault,” is a secure seed bank located on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago.
• The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is owned by Norway and managed in partnership between the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the regional genebank NordGen and the Crop Trust.
• The seed vault was established in 2008 as a backup to existing seed banks around the world, in case of natural or man-made disasters that could threaten the preservation of important crop genetic diversity.
• The International Treaty provided the international legal framework needed for the establishment of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway
• Both the International Treaty and the Svalbard Global Seed Vault work to conserve and safeguard seeds. Both works to ensure food security in a sustainable way. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault contributes conservation by providing a safety backup of the world’s major crops and plants for future food security.

https://www.fao.org/plant-treaty/overview/ask-treaty/en/

Solution: B

• Indian millets are a group of nutritiously rich, drought tolerant and mostly grown in the arid and semi-arid regions of India. They are small-seeded grasses belonging to the botanical family Poaceae.
• They constitute an important source of food and fodder for millions of resource-poor farmers and play a vital role in ecological and economic security of India.
• These millets are also known as “coarse cereals” or “cereals of the poor”.

• India is the largest producer of millet, followed by Niger and China. Other major millet-producing countries include Burkina Faso, Mali, and Senegal.
• While millet is not a major food crop in the developed world, it plays a vital role in the diets of many people in developing countries. Millet is a drought-tolerant crop that can be grown in dry, arid climates where other crops would fail. It is also a nutritious grain that is high in fiber and essential minerals. For these reasons, millet will continue to be an important food crop in the years to come.

https://www.thehindu.com/business/watch-business-matters-why-did-un-declare-2023-as-international-year-of-millets/article66366169.ece

Solution: A

• Sperm whales are the largest of the toothed whales and have one of the widest global distributions of any marine mammal species.
• They are found in all deep oceans, from the equator to the edge of the pack ice in the Arctic and Antarctic.
• They are named after the waxy substance—spermaceti—found in their heads. The spermaceti is an oil sac that helps the whales focus sound. Spermaceti was used in oil lamps, lubricants, and candles.
• According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) is listed as a species of “Vulnerable” status. This means that the species is at high risk of extinction in the wild in the medium-term future.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/fourteen-dead-sperm-whales-found-beached-on-australian-island/article65914709.ece

Solution: A

Brent crude is the most traded of all of the oil benchmarks, and is defined as crude mostly drilled from the North Sea oilfields: Brent, Forties, Oseberg and Ekofisk (collectively known as BFOE). This oil type is widely used as it is both sweet and light, making it easy to refine into diesel fuel and gasoline.

https://indianexpress.com/article/business/market/oil-falls-as-banking-concerns-persist-likely-fed-rate-hike-8507491/

Solution: B

An Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (IAD) is a device that is used to slow down an object, such as a spacecraft, during atmospheric entry. IADs are designed to increase the drag of the object as it moves through the atmosphere, thus slowing it down and reducing the amount of heat generated by the friction between the object and the air.

IADs can come in various shapes and sizes, but they typically consist of a large, inflatable structure that is deployed prior to atmospheric entry. As the object enters the atmosphere, the IAD inflates and expands, creating a large surface area that generates drag and slows the object down.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully demonstrated a new technology with Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (IAD). Designed and developed by ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), IAD is a game-changer with multiple applications for future missions including to Mars and Venus. The IAD was successfully test flown in a ‘Rohini’ sounding rocket from Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station.

https://newsonair.gov.in/News?title=ISRO-successfully-test-Inflatable-Aerodynamic-Decelerator-to-land-missions-on-Mars-or-Venus&id=447073

Solution: B

Status of the wolf in India:

• The population of wolves in India was estimated to be 3,100 — Gujarat’s wolf population was estimated to be 494, the third highest after Madhya Pradesh (772) and Rajasthan (532).

The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) are also working on the conservation breeding of endangered cat species (Asiatic lion, Bengal tiger, snow leopard and clouded leopard), canine species (Tibetan wolf) and bustard species (great Indian bustard, lesser florican).

Solution: C

What is a hypersonic missile?

• A hypersonic missile, such as Kinzhal, is capable of flying at least at the speed of Mach 5, i.e., five times the speed of sound, and is maneuverable.
• The maneuverability of the hypersonic missile is what differentiates it from a ballistic missile, as the latter follows a set course or a ballistic trajectory.
• This makes them extremely lethal because, by the time they are detected by ground-based radars, they are already quite near to their target.

There are two types of hypersonic weapons systems: Hypersonic Glide Vehicles (HGV) and Hypersonic Cruise Missiles. The HGVs are fired from a rocket before gliding to the intended target while the hypersonic cruise missile is powered by air-breathing high-speed engines or ‘scramjets’ after

Solution: C

Solution: B

About Parliament’s Committees:

A Parliamentary Committee is a panel of MPs that are appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker/Chairman. They work under the direction of the Speaker/Chairman and present their report to them or to the House.

• They draw their authority from Article 105 (Privileges) and Article 118 (rules to regulate the conduct of the house)
• The Standing Committees are permanent (constituted every year or periodically) and work on a continuous basis. While the Ad Hoc Committees are temporary and cease to exist on completion of the task assigned to them.

Solution: C

Correct Answer: A) 1,77,366

Explanation:

New population

= 1,60,000 [(1 + (3/100)] [(1 + (2.5/100)] [(1 + (5/100)]

= 1,77,366

Answer: D) 1020RS

Explanation:

Let the marked price be Rs.x

x * (100-15)/100 – x * (100-20)/100 = 51

x * 85/100 – x* 80/100 = 51

x * [5/100] = 51

x = Rs.1020

Answer: C) 50 paise

Explanation:
Reduction in price = 20/100 * 10 = Rs 2
For 5 oranges, reduction in cost = 2/5 Rs or 200/5 = 40 paise
So actual cost before reduction = 40/1-0.20 = 50 paise

Correct Option: B) Rs 3600

P : Q : R = (8000 × 3 + 6000 × 9) : (6000 × 3 + 8000 × 9) : (11000 × 6)

⇒ (24000 + 54000) : (18000 + 72000) : (6600)

⇒ 78000 : 90000 : 66000

⇒ 26 : 30 : 22

⇒ 13 : 15 : 11

∴   Difference of Q’s & R’s shares

= Rs[35100 × (15/39) – 35100 ×         (11/39)]

⇒  Rs.(900 × 15 – 900 × 11)  ⇒  13500 – 9900   ⇒  Rs 3600.

Hence, option B is correct.

Answer. A)  1 only.

2 is wrong as to education might be one of the factors but there are also other factors like economic necessity, socio-cultural factors which have not been discussed in the passage. Hence we cannot arrive at the conclusion given in 2 based on the facts given in the passage. 3 is wrong again as the passage does not have sufficient data to come to that conclusion. Hence A.