Solution: B

Genome India project

Overview of Genome India Project:

The first stage of the project will look at samples of “10,000 persons from all over the country” to form a “grid” that will enable the development of a “reference genome”.

The IISc’s Centre for Brain Research, an autonomous institute, will serve as the nodal point of the project.

Significance:

The project is said to be among the most significant of its kind in the world because of its scale and the diversity it would bring to genetic studies.

• The data generated would be accessible to researchers anywhere for analysis. As the genetic landscape differs across the world, it is necessary that genetic data is shared in order to derive greater knowledge from information and serve the purpose of enabling better treatment outcomes. 
• The initiative will pave the way for identifying genes and genetic variations for common diseases, treating Mendelian disorders, enabling the transformation of the Precision Medicine landscape in India, and thus improving the healthcare of the general population in our country.

Need for genome sequencing:

Mapping the diversity of India’s genetic pool will lay the bedrock of personalised medicine and put it on the global map. Considering the diversity of population in our country, and the disease burden of complex disorders, including diabetes, mental health, etc., once we have a genetic basis, it may be possible to take action before the onset of a disease.

What is genome sequencing?

A genome is an organism’s complete set of DNA, including all of its genes. Genomics is an interdisciplinary field of science focusing on the structure, function, evolution, mapping, and editing of genomes. Genomics also involves the sequencing and analysis of genomes through uses of high throughput DNA sequencing. Advances in genomics have triggered a revolution in discovery-based research and systems biology to facilitate understanding of even the most complex biological systems such as the brain.

Solution: D

Artificial insemination is a simple technique carried out on couples with specific fertility problems.

The ideal candidate would be a young woman with permeable fallopian tubes, less than 3 years of sterility and a male partner with normal semen. Artificial insemination is useful for couples that meet these requirements. No more than 4 tries are carried out, and the overall pregnancy rates are 25% – 30 %.

In Vitro Fertilisation is a completely different technique, in which the gametes are fertilised in the reproduction laboratory. This technique has a much higher pregnancy rate and provides more information to the clinic and couple, since the behaviour of these embryos can be observed over several days in the laboratory.

Each technique has its indications. It is very important to diagnose each couple correctly and recommend the most suitable treatment.

The main differences between these two treatments are explained simply below:

Solution: C

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSC)

What are induced pluripotent stem cells?

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are adult cells that have been genetically reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell–like state by being forced to express genes and factors important for maintaining the defining properties of embryonic stem cells.

Although additional research is needed, iPSCs are already useful tools for drug development and modeling of diseases, and scientists hope to use them in transplantation medicine.

What are stem cells, and why are they important?

Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. In addition, in many tissues they serve as a sort of internal repair system, dividing essentially without limit to replenish other cells as long as the person or animal is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential either to remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell.

Stem cells are distinguished from other cell types by two important characteristics:

1. First, they are unspecialized cells capable of renewing themselves through cell division, sometimes after long periods of inactivity.
2. Second, under certain physiologic or experimental conditions, they can be induced to become tissue- or organ-specific cells with special functions. In some organs, such as the gut and bone marrow, stem cells regularly divide to repair and replace worn out or damaged tissues. In other organs, however, such as the pancreas and the heart, stem cells only divide under special conditions.

What are the similarities and differences between embryonic and adult stem cells?

One major difference between adult and embryonic stem cells is their different abilities in the number and type of differentiated cell types they can become. Embryonic stem cells can become all cell types of the body because they are pluripotent. Adult stem cells are thought to be limited to differentiating into different cell types of their tissue of origin.

Embryonic stem cells can be grown relatively easily in culture. Adult stem cells are rare in mature tissues, so isolating these cells from an adult tissue is challenging, and methods to expand their numbers in cell culture have not yet been worked out. This is an important distinction, as large numbers of cells are needed for stem cell replacement therapies.

Solution: A

Recombinant DNA (rDNA)

• Recombinant DNA (rDNA) molecules are DNA molecules formed by laboratory methods of genetic recombination (such as molecular cloning) to bring together genetic material from multiple sources, creating sequences that would not otherwise be found in the genome.
• Recombinant DNA is possible because DNA molecules from all organisms share the same chemical structure. They differ only in the nucleotide sequence within that identical overall structure.
• In most cases, organisms containing recombinant DNA have apparently normal phenotypes. That is, their appearance, behavior and metabolism are usually unchanged.

• The cutting of DNA at specific locations became possible with the discovery of the so-called ‘molecular scissors’- restriction enzymes.
• Restriction enzymes belong to a larger class of enzymes called nucleases. These are of two kinds; exonucleases and endonucleases.
• Exonucleases remove nucleotides from the ends of the DNA whereas, endonucleases make cuts at specific positions within the DNA.
• The cut piece of DNA was then linked with the plasmid DNA. These plasmid DNA act as vectors to transfer the piece of DNA attached to it.
• You probably know that mosquito acts as an insect vector to transfer the malarial parasite In to human body.
• In the same way, a plasmid can be used as vector to deliver an alien piece of DNA into the host organism.
• The linking of antibiotic resistance gene with the plasmid vector became possible with the enzyme DNA ligase, which acts on cut DNA molecules and joins their ends. This makes a new combination of circular autonomously replicating DNA created in vitro and is known as recombinant DNA.
• When this DNA is transferred into Escherichia coli, a bacterium closely related to Salmonella, it could replicate using the new host’s DNA polymerase enzyme and make multiple copies. The ability to multiply copies of antibiotic resistance gene in E. coli was called cloning of antibiotic resistance gene in E. coli.

Applications of Recombinant DNA Technology

• Recombinant DNA is widely used in biotechnology, medicine and research.
• Recombinant DNA is used to identify, map and sequence genes, and to determine their function.

Solution: B

What is Nanotechnology?

Nanotechnology is science, engineering, and technology conducted at the nanoscale, which is about 1 to 100 nanometers.

Nanoscience and nanotechnology are the study and application of extremely small things and can be used across all the other science fields, such as chemistry, biology, physics, materials science, and engineering.

How it Started

The ideas and concepts behind nanoscience and nanotechnology started with a talk entitled “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom” by physicist Richard Feynman at an American Physical Society meeting at the California Institute of Technology (CalTech) on December 29, 1959, long before the term nanotechnology was used. In his talk, Feynman described a process in which scientists would be able to manipulate and control individual atoms and molecules. Over a decade later, in his explorations of ultraprecision machining, Professor Norio Taniguchi coined the term nanotechnology. It wasn’t until 1981, with the development of the scanning tunneling microscope that could “see” individual atoms, that modern nanotechnology began.

Solution: D

Benefits and Applications

After more than 20 years of basic nanoscience research and more than fifteen years of focused R&D under the NNI, applications of nanotechnology are delivering in both expected and unexpected ways on nanotechnology’s promise to benefit society.

Nanotechnology is helping to considerably improve, even revolutionize, many technology and industry sectors: information technology, homeland security, medicine, transportation, energy, food safety, and environmental science, among many others. Described below is a sampling of the rapidly growing list of benefits and applications of nanotechnology.

Everyday Materials and Processes

Many benefits of nanotechnology depend on the fact that it is possible to tailor the structures of materials at extremely small scales to achieve specific properties, thus greatly extending the materials science toolkit. Using nanotechnology, materials can effectively be made stronger, lighter, more durable, more reactive, more sieve-like, or better electrical conductors, among many other traits. Many everyday commercial products are currently on the market and in daily use that rely on nanoscale materials and processes:

• Nanoscale additives to or surface treatments of fabrics can provide lightweight ballistic energy deflection in personal body armor, or can help them resist wrinkling, staining, and bacterial growth.
• Clear nanoscale films on eyeglasses, computer and camera displays, windows, and other surfaces can make them water- and residue-repellent, antireflective, self-cleaning, resistant to ultraviolet or infrared light, antifog, antimicrobial, scratch-resistant, or electrically conductive.
• Nanoscale materials are beginning to enable washable, durable “smart fabrics” equipped with flexible nanoscale sensors and electronics with capabilities for health monitoring, solar energy capture, and energy harvesting through movement.
• Light weighting of cars, trucks, airplanes, boats, and space craft could lead to significant fuel savings. Nanoscale additives in polymer composite materials are being used in baseball bats, tennis rackets, bicycles, motorcycle helmets, automobile parts, luggage, and power tool housings, making them lightweight, stiff, durable, and resilient. Carbon nanotube sheets are now being produced for use in next-generation air vehicles. For example, the combination of light weight and conductivity makes them ideal for applications such as electromagnetic shielding and thermal management.

• Nano-bioengineering of enzymes is aiming to enable conversion of cellulose from wood chips, corn stalks, unfertilized perennial grasses, etc., into ethanol for fuel. Cellulosic nanomaterials have demonstrated potential applications in a wide array of industrial sectors, including electronics, construction, packaging, food, energy, health care, automotive, and defense. Cellulosic nanomaterials are projected to be less expensive than many other nanomaterials and, among other characteristics, tout an impressive strength-to-weight ratio.
• Nano-engineered materials in automotive products include high-power rechargeable battery systems; thermoelectric materials for temperature control; tires with lower rolling resistance; high-efficiency/low-cost sensors and electronics; thin-film smart solar panels; and fuel additives for cleaner exhaust and extended range.
• Nanostructured ceramic coatings exhibit much greater toughness than conventional wear-resistant coatings for machine parts. Nanotechnology-enabled lubricants and engine oils also significantly reduce wear and tear, which can significantly extend the lifetimes of moving parts in everything from power tools to industrial machinery.
• Nanoparticles are used increasingly in catalysis to boost chemical reactions. This reduces the quantity of catalytic materials necessary to produce desired results, saving money and reducing pollutants. Two big applications are in petroleum refining and in automotive catalytic converters.
• Nano-engineered materials make superior household products such as degreasers and stain removers; environmental sensors, air purifiers, and filters; antibacterial cleansers; and specialized paints and sealing products, such a self-cleaning house paints that resist dirt and marks.

Nanoscale materials are also being incorporated into a variety of personal care products to improve performance. Nanoscale titanium dioxide and zinc oxide have been used for years in sunscreen to provide protection from the sun while appearing invisible on the skin.

Solution: D

Mission on Nano Science and Technology (Nano Mission):

• Launched in 2007.
• It is as an “umbrella capacity-building programme”.
• The Mission’s programmes will target all scientists, institutions and industry in the country.
• It will also strengthen activities in nano science and technology by promoting basic research, human resource development, research infrastructure development, international collaborations, among others.
• It will be anchored in the Department of Science and Technology and steered by a Nano Mission Council chaired by an eminent scientist.

Outcomes and significance of the mission:

• As a result of the efforts led by the Nano Mission, today, India is amongst the top five nations in the world in terms of scientific publications in nano science and technology (moving from 4th to the 3rd position).
• The Nano Mission itself has resulted in about 5000 research papers and about 900 Ph.Ds and also some useful products like nano hydrogel based eye drops, pesticide removal technology for drinking water, water filters for arsenic and fluoride removal, nanosilver based antimicrobial textile coating, etc.

The Nano Mission has thus helped establish a good eco-system in the country to pursue front-ranking basic research and also to seed and nurture application-oriented R&D, focused on useful technologies and products.

Solution: C

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) are cylindrical molecules consisting of rolled-up sheets of single-layer carbon atoms, namely, graphene. Carbon nanotubes are used in applications that require high strength, electrical conductivity, durability, lightweight properties, and thermal conductivity as compared to the other conventional materials. Rapid demand for CNT in integrated circuits, lithium batteries, fuel cells, drug delivery, solar PV cells, hydrogen storage, and field emission displays is contributing to market growth.

They act as antennas for electromagnetic devices and radios. Conductive carbon nanotubes are used in brushes for commercial electric motors as they improve thermal and electrical conductivity. It occurs as they stretch through the plastic matrix of the brush. Rising commercialization, technological advancements to improve the overall product quality, and the development of more advanced products are the key trends driving the market.

Solution: A

SATCOM Applications

Most of us are touched by satellite communication in more ways than we realise. Satellite communication (SATCOM) offers some unique benefits like, ubiquitous coverage, serving far flung areas, anywhere connectivity etc. In the past two and a half decades Indian National Satellite (INSAT) and GSAT systems have revolutionized the country’s telecommunications, TV broadcasting, DTH services, business communications, rural area connectivity etc. The satellite communication technology has matured substantially over past three decades and is being used on commercial basis for a large number of applications.

In SATCOM Applications, currently the thrust areas are satellite based tele-education, tele-medicine, Village Resource Centres, wide-band services. In near future, Broadband Internet and similar VSAT applications will be provided using Multi Spot beam high power, high throughput satellites using Ku/Ka frequency, bands.

Tele-education project is focused on spreading satellite-based distance education to entire country at school, college and university level. Tele-medicine is providing very valuable support to rural health services by enabling Super-Specialty doctor’s services to remote areas.

Earth Observation Applications

The hallmark of Indian space programme is the application-oriented focus and the benefits that have accrued to the country through these programmes. The societal services offered by Earth Observation, SATCOM and the recent NavIC constellation of satellites in various areas of national development, including tele-education and telemedicine, are standing examples of applications-oriented space programme of India. Remote Sensing applications projects at National, State and Local levels are being carried out through a well-established multi-pronged implementation architecture of National Natural Resources Management System (NNRMS) in the country. The architecture of space programme in India emphasises on the applications, with active participation of user-community from Government, Academia and Industry. During past many years, Indian Remote Sensing Satellite constellation has taken giant strides in ensuring many areas of application, operational. Some of the most prominent ones are Agricultural Crops Inventory, Water Resources Information System, Ground Water Prospects, Forest Working Plans, Biodiversity and Coral Mapping, Potential Fishing Zones, Ocean State Forecasts, Rural Development, Urban Development, Inventory & Monitoring of Glacial Lakes / Water Bodies, Location based Services using NavIC constellation, Disaster Management Support Programme (Cyclone and Floods Mapping & Monitoring, Landslide Mapping & Monitoring, Agricultural Drought, Forest Fire, Earthquakes, Extreme Weather Monitoring and experimental Forecasts and so on).

Solution: C

Under Nutrient Based Subsidy scheme, government announces a fixed rate of subsidy (in Rs. per Kg basis), on each nutrient of subsidized P&K fertilizers, namely Nitrogen (N), Phosphate (P), Potash (K) and Sulphur (S).

It is applicable to 22 fertilizers (other than Urea) for which MRP will be decided taking into account the international and domestic prices of P&K fertilizers, exchange rate, and inventory level in the country

The scheme was set up in 2010 to ensure the availability of phosphate and potash fertilizers to farmers at an affordable price, as the retail prices of such non-urea fertilizers are decontrolled by government.

Solution: C

Hydrogen fuel is a zero-emission fuel burned with oxygen. It can be used in fuel cells or internal combustion engines. It is also used as a fuel for spacecraft propulsion.  Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe.

The sun and other stars are composed largely of hydrogen.

Benefits of hydrogen fuel

• It is readily available. It doesn’t produce harmful emissions.
• It is environmentally friendly and is a non-toxic It can be used as fuel in rockets.
• Hydrogen is three times as powerful as gasoline and other fossil fuels. It is renewable and can be produced again and again.

Solution: B

Gharials can be naturally found in National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary. The gharial is one of three crocodilians native to India, the other two being the mugger crocodile and the saltwater crocodile.

Solution: A

About the Launch Vehicle

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is the third generation launch vehicle of India. It is the first Indian launch vehicle to be equipped with liquid stages

Besides, the vehicle successfully launched two spacecraft – Chandrayaan-1 in 2008 and Mars Orbiter Spacecraft in 2013 – that later traveled to Moon and Mars respectively.

PSLV has a four-stage system comprising a combination of solid and liquid-fuelled rocket stages.

The first stage at the very bottom is solid fuelled having six strap-on solid rocket boosters wrapped around it. Second stage is liquid fuelled whereas the third stage has a solid fuelled rocket motor. At the fourth stage, the launcher uses a liquid propellant to boost in the outer space.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Payload to SSPO: 1,750 kg

PSLV earned its title ‘the Workhorse of ISRO’ thr

ough consistently delivering various satellites to Low Earth Orbits, particularly the IRS series of satellites. It can take up to 1,750 kg of payload to Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbits of 600 km altitude.

Payload to Sub GTO: 1,425 kg

Due to its unmatched reliability, PSLV has also been used to launch various satellites into Geosynchronous and Geostationary orbits, like satellites from the IRNSS constellation.

Solution: A

Geostationary orbit (GEO)

Satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO) circle Earth above the equator from west to east following Earth’s rotation – taking 23 hours 56 minutes and 4 seconds – by travelling at exactly the same rate as Earth.

This makes satellites in GEO appear to be ‘stationary’ over a fixed position. In order to perfectly match Earth’s rotation, the speed of GEO satellites should be about 3 km per second at an altitude of 35 786 km. This is much farther from Earth’s surface compared to many satellites.

Polar orbit and Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO)

Satellites in polar orbits usually travel past Earth from north to south rather than from west to east, passing roughly over Earth’s poles.

Satellites in a polar orbit do not have to pass the North and South Pole precisely; even a deviation within 20 to 30 degrees is still classed as a polar orbit. Polar orbits are a type of low Earth orbit, as they are at low altitudes between 200 to 1000 km.

Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) is a particular kind of polar orbit. Satellites in SSO, travelling over the polar regions, are synchronous with the Sun. This means they are synchronised to always be in the same ‘fixed’ position relative to the Sun. This means that the satellite always visits the same spot at the same local time – for example, passing the city of Paris every day at noon exactly.

This means that the satellite will always observe a point on the Earth as if constantly at the same time of the day, which serves a number of applications; for example, it means that scientists and those who use the satellite images can compare how somewhere changes over time.

This is because, if you want to monitor an area by taking a series of images of a certain place across many days, weeks, months, or even years, then it would not be very helpful to compare somewhere at midnight and then at midday – you need to take each picture as similarly as the previous picture as possible. Therefore, scientists use image series like these to investigate how weather patterns emerge, to help predict weather or storms; when monitoring emergencies like forest fires or flooding; or to accumulate data on long-term problems like deforestation or rising sea levels.

Often, satellites in SSO are synchronised so that they are in constant dawn or dusk – this is because by constantly riding a sunset or sunrise, they will never have the Sun at an angle where the Earth shadows them. A satellite in a Sun-synchronous orbit would usually be at an altitude of between 600 to 800 km. At 800 km, it will be travelling at a speed of approximately 7.5 km per second.

Solution: C

Lagrange points

For many spacecraft being put in orbit, being too close to Earth can be disruptive to their mission – even at more distant orbits such as GEO.

For example, for space-based observatories and telescopes whose mission is to photograph deep, dark space, being next to Earth is hugely detrimental because Earth naturally emits visible light and infrared radiation that will prevent the telescope from detecting any faint lights like distant galaxies. Photographing dark space with a telescope next to our glowing Earth would be as hopeless as trying to take pictures of stars from Earth in broad daylight.

Lagrange points, or L-points, allow for orbits that are much, much farther away (over a million kilometres) and do not orbit Earth directly. These are specific points far out in space where the gravitational fields of Earth and the Sun combine in such a way that spacecraft that orbit them remain stable and can thus be ‘anchored’ relative to Earth. If a spacecraft was launched to other points in space very distant from Earth, they would naturally fall into an orbit around the Sun, and those spacecrafts would soon end up far from Earth, making communication difficult. Instead, spacecraft launched to these special L-points stay fixed, and remain close to Earth with minimal effort without going into a different orbit.

The most used L-points are L1 and L2. These are both four times farther away from Earth than the Moon – 1.5 million km, compared to GEO’s 36 000 km – but that is still only approximately 1% of the distance of Earth from the Sun.

Solution: A

Apastamba, in the second century BC, introduced the concepts of practical geometry involving acute angles, obtuse angles and right angles. This knowledge of angles helped in the constructions of fire altars in those times.

Brahmagupta in the 7th century AD in his book Brahmasputa Siddhantika mentioned Zero for the first time as a number. In his book, he also introduced negative numbers and described them as debts and positive numbers as fortunes. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

Bhaskaracharya was one of the leading mathematicians in the 12^th century AD. His book Siddhanta Shiromani is divided into four sections:

Lilavati (dealing with Arithmetic)

Beejganita (dealing with Algebra)

Goladhyaya (about spheres)

Grahaganita (mathematics of planets.)

A chakrawat method or the cyclic method to solve algebraic equations was introduced by him in his book Lilavati. In the nineteenth century, James Taylor translated Lilavati and made it known to the people across the globe.

Solution: D

The CRISPR (short for the rather inelegantly named Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) technology for gene-editing has been triggering tremendous excitement ever since it was developed in the year 2012, both for the promise that it holds in improving the quality of life, and the dangers of its misuse.

Hundreds of scientists and laboratories have since started working on the technology for a variety of uses. In the last eight years, the technology has brought a string of awards and honours for its developers. On Wednesday, it culminated in the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for the two women who started it all, 52-year-old Emmanuelle Charpentier of France, and 56-year-old American Jennifer Doudna.

In essence, the technology works in a simple way — it locates the specific area in the genetic sequence which has been diagnosed to be the cause of the problem, cuts it out, and replaces it with a new and correct sequence that no longer causes the problem.

The technology replicates a natural defence mechanism in some bacteria that uses a similar method to protect itself from virus attacks.

An RNA molecule is programmed to locate the particular problematic sequence on the DNA strand, and a special protein called Cas9, which now is often described in popular literature as ‘genetic scissor’, is used to break and remove the problematic sequence. A DNA strand, when broken, has a natural tendency to repair itself.

But the auto-repair mechanism can lead to the re-growth of a problematic sequence. Scientists intervene during this auto-repair process by supplying the desired sequence of genetic codes, which replaces the original sequence. It is like cutting a portion of a long zipper somewhere in between, and replacing that portion with a fresh segment.

Because the entire process is programmable, it has a remarkable efficiency, and has already brought almost miraculous results. There are a whole lot of diseases and disorders, including some forms of cancer, that are caused by an undesired genetic mutation. These can all be fixed with this technology. There are vast applications elsewhere as well. Genetic sequences of disease-causing organisms can be altered to make them ineffective. Genes of plants can be edited to make them withstand pests, or improve their tolerance to drought or temperature.

Solution: B

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC): Ocean thermal energy conversion, or OTEC, uses ocean temperature differences from the surface to depths lower than 1,000 meters, to extract energy. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.

A temperature difference of only 20°C can yield usable energy. Research focuses on two types of OTEC technologies to extract thermal energy and convert it to electric power: closed cycle and open cycle. In the closed cycle method, a working fluid, such as ammonia, is pumped through a heat exchanger and vaporized.

This vaporized steam runs a turbine. The cold water found at the depths of the ocean condenses the vapor back to a fluid where it returns to the heat exchanger. In the open cycle system, the warm surface water is pressurized in a vacuum chamber and converted to steam to run the turbine. The steam is then condensed using cold ocean water from lower depths. OTEC has a theoretical potential of 180,000 MW in India subject to suitable technological evolution.

Answer: D

VoLTE is voice calls over a 4G LTE network, rather than the 2G or 3G connections. VolTE can transmit data too. VoLTE has up to three times more voice and data capacity than 3G UMTS and up to six times more than 2G GSM.

Solution: D

All the above statements are correct.

What is AI?

• Artificial intelligence is the branch of computer science concerned with making computers behave like humans.
• AI refers to the ability of machines to perform cognitive tasks like thinking, perceiving, learning, problem solving and decision

Application of AI:

• Heavy Industries & Space

1. a) Through AI an entire manufacturing process can be made totally automated, controlled & maintained by computer system
2. b) Example: car manufacturing machine tool production, computer chip production. Etc.
3. c) They carry out dangerous tasks like handling hazardous radioactive materials.

• Finance

1. a) Banks use intelligent software application to screen & analyze financial data.
2. b) Software that can predict trends in stock market have been created which have been known to beat humans in predictive power.

• Aviation

1. a) Air lines use expert system in planes to monitor atmospheric condition & system status.

• Weather Forecast

1. a) Neural Network is used for predicting weather condition.
2. b) Previous data are fed to a neural network which learns the pattern & uses that knowledge to predict weather pattern.

• Microsoft develops AI to help cancer doctors find the right treatments.
• Google uses machine learning to auto-complete search queries and often accurately predicts what someone is looking for.
• Facebook and Amazon use predictive algorithms to make recommendations based on a user’s reading or purchasing history.
• AI is the central component in self-driving cars—which can now avoid collisions and traffic congestion
• Banking sector

1. a) Banks may look at using AI for enhancing customer experience, security, and risk management
2. b) Intuitive and personalised customer experience is one of the benefits that AI can provide
3. c) With the use of AI, banks’ call centre work could get reduced to a certain extent.

• Repetitive Jobs

1. a) Repetitive jobs which are monotonous in nature can be carried out with the help of machine intelligence.
2. b) Machine intelligence can be employed to carry out dangerous tasks

• Difficult Exploration

1. a) Artificial intelligence and the science of robotics can be put to use in mining and other fuel exploration processes.
2. b) These complex machines can be used for exploring the ocean floor and hence overcoming the human limitations.

• Error Reduction

1. a) Artificial intelligence helps us in reducing the error and the chance of reaching accuracy with a greater degree of precision is a possibility.
2. b) Artificial intelligence is applied in various studies such as exploration of space.

c) They are created and acclimatized in such a way that they cannot be modified or get disfigured or breakdown in the hostile environment

Solution: D

Mangrove trees have become specialized to survive in the extreme conditions of estuaries. Two key adaptations they have are the ability to survive in waterlogged and anoxic (no oxygen) soil, and the ability to tolerate brackish waters.

Some mangroves remove salt from brackish estuarine waters through ultra-filtration in their roots. Other species have special glands on their leaves that actively secrete salt, a process that leaves visible salt crystals on the upper surface of the leaves.

All mangrove species have laterally spreading roots with attached vertical anchor roots. These roots are very shallow. Because the soil in shallow areas of mangal forests is typically flooded during high tides, many species of mangrove trees have aerial roots, called pneumatophores, which take up oxygen from the air for the roots. Some species also have prop roots or stilt roots extending from the trunk or other roots that help them withstand the destructive action of tides, waves, and storm surges

Many mangrove trees also have a unique method of reproduction. Instead of forming seeds that fall to the soil below and begin growing, mangrove seeds begin growing while still attached to the parent plant. Vivipary mode of seed germination. These seedlings, called propagules, even grow roots. After a period of growth, these seedlings drop to the water below and float upright until they reach water that is shallow enough for their roots to take hold in the mud

Solution: A

Palau, country in the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of some 340 coral and volcanic islands perched on the Kyushu-Palau Ridge. The Palau (also spelled Belau or Pelew) archipelago lies in the southwest corner of Micronesia.

Palau was a member of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, which was established in 1947 and administered by the United States. The U.S. government dissolved the trusteeship in 1986, but repeated measures to win the required support for a compact of free association between Palau and the United States were unsuccessful until 1993. The Republic of Palau officially became a sovereign state on October 1, 1994.

Solution: B

Germanium is more commonly used in nuclear batteries not fast breeder reactors. When bombarded with alpha particles, some Ge isotopes will generate stable Selenium isotope releasing high energy electrons in the process. Because of this, it is used in combination with radon for nuclear batteries.

Boron is an important element. Boron Enrichment: In consonance with the material input required for second stage of Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) based on FBRs, Heavy Water Board (HWB), with its decades of experience of handling isotope separation process, took up development, demonstration and deployment of indigenous technologies for production of enriched boron. HWB has now acquired comprehensive capability in this area achieving enrichment levels beyond 95 per cent in multiple chemical forms.

Sodium is another important input for FBRs, used as coolant in the reactor. Networking with the Indian R&D organizations, HWB has developed indigenous and safer closed electrolytic cell technology for production of nuclear grade sodium. Successively larger size cells are tested with the ultimate intent of an industrial scale set up.

Solution: C

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is the only germicidal agent composed only of water and oxygen. Like ozone, it kills disease organisms by oxidation.

When Hydrogen peroxide reacts with organic material it breaks down into oxygen and water, meaning it is non-toxic for general use.

Hydrogen peroxide kills microorganisms by oxidizing them, which can be best described as a controlled burning process. It can be helpful in cuts and infections, Foot Fungus, Sinus Infections etc.

Solution: C

Plants generally take up nitrates and nitrites and convert them into amino acids which are used to make proteins.

These proteins and other complex compounds are subsequently consumed by animals.

Once the animal or the plant dies, other bacteria in the soil convert the various compounds of nitrogen back into nitrates and nitrites. A different type of bacteria converts the nitrates and nitrites into elemental nitrogen.

Thus, there is a nitrogen-cycle in nature in which nitrogen passes from its elemental form in the atmosphere into simple molecules in the soil and water, which get converted to more complex molecules in living beings and back again to the simple nitrogen molecule in the atmosphere.

Ans. C.

The passage focusses on the skill gap that needs to be addressed to make us future ready. A is correct but is not the most crucial inference as it signifies nothing. B is unrelated to the central idea of the passage. D is  not capturing the message that is being conveyed in the passage. If reskilling is not done, there will be job losses.

Ans. D.

Only statement I is not true as the many parts of the country suffer from the problem but not all. For instance, eastern part of the country is relatively abundant in groundwater reserves.

Solution: B

Explanation:

In his four turns, Arun turns 135˚ and 45˚ anticlockwise and 315˚ and 225˚ clockwise.

So, totally 180˚ anticlockwise and 540˚ clockwise.

Effectively, Arun turns 360˚ clockwise which is also 0˚.

Thus, he turns 0˚ i.e. Arun will facing the original direction i.e. west.

Answer: (d)

Justification:

Correct Option: B

Sum of the first N natural number =        n (n + 1)/2

Let I missed number x then,

From the statement I :

N (n + 1)/2 – x = 320, N(N + 1) – 2X = 640

Product of two consecutive number – 2x = 640

Product of two consecutive number = 640 + 2x

It means, the Product of two consecutive number should be greater than 640

The first possible number = 25 × 26 = 650 = 640 + 2x

it means, the number of terms = 25 = n

and x = 5

If we take n = 26 then

26 × 27 = 702 = 640 + 2x

In this case, x = 31 which is greater than 26 therefore only n = 25 is possible

Hence, we can conclude our answer to this statement.

From the statement II :

we can conclude only the condition that the number I missed was an odd number. To this statement it is not possible to get a unique answer.

From the statement III :

we can conclude the sum of all the number without missing any number but we don’t have any information about the number I missed.

Hence, option B is correct.