[MISSION 2024] RTM(Revision through MCQs)- 14 November 2023

Ans: (c)

Explanation

• S1: OECD is an intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade.
• S2: India is one of the many non-member economies with which the OECD has working relationships in addition to its member countries. The OECD has been co-operating with India since 1995.
• S3: The organisation works to end financial crimes, including bribery, on a global scale. Additionally, it keeps track of countries on its “blacklist” that are regarded as uncooperative tax havens. Eliminating tax evasion by wealthy companies and inside the G-20 nations also required work.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/11/14/oecd-report-towards-eliminating-plastic-pollution-by-2040/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Context: The US Supreme Court has released its first-ever code of conduct, comprising nine pages of ethics rules for its justices.
• Recent Controversy in the US Justice System:
  • The need for a code of conduct move comes as the court faces increased scrutiny over recent reports of gifts and holiday arrangements received by some of its jurists. While federal judges in lower courts have had an ethical code since 1973, this marks the first time the Supreme Court has established its own set of rules. Recent opinion surveys indicate that public trust in the Supreme Court is near an all-time low.
• What is a Code of Conduct?
  • A code of conduct is a set of rules outlining the norms, rules, and responsibilities or proper practices of an individual party or an organization. It can be voluntary or non-voluntary.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/11/14/code-of-conduct-for-judiciary/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Silver iodide is a common substance used in cloud seeding. When released into a cloud, silver iodide particles provide a surface for ice crystals to form around. This process is intended to modify the cloud’s microphysical properties and potentially enhance precipitation.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/11/14/cloud-seeding/

Ans: (c )

Explanation:

• The primary goal of cloud seeding is to modify weather conditions by enhancing precipitation. By introducing substances like silver iodide into clouds, the aim is to influence the processes of cloud formation and precipitation, ultimately increasing rainfall or snowfall in a targeted area.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/11/14/cloud-seeding/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Option A: The role of hygroscopic seeding agents in cloud seeding is to induce cloud condensation by absorbing water vapor. These substances have a property of attracting and holding water molecules, providing a nucleus for cloud droplets to form around. This can enhance the cloud’s ability to produce precipitation.
• Option B: This option is incorrect. Hygroscopic seeding agents do not cool the air; instead, they facilitate the process of water vapor condensation.
• Option C: This option is incorrect. Generating electrical charges within the cloud is not the primary purpose of hygroscopic seeding.
• Option D: This option is incorrect. The use of hygroscopic seeding agents is generally intended to enhance precipitation, not disperse clouds or reduce precipitation.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/11/14/cloud-seeding/

Ans: (c )

Explanation:

• Option C: The main environmental concern associated with cloud seeding is the potential for changes in local weather patterns. While cloud seeding is designed to modify precipitation in specific areas, the extent and long-term consequences of these modifications are not fully understood. There are concerns about unintended impacts on rainfall distribution and other weather patterns in the vicinity of the seeded clouds.
• Option A: This option is incorrect. Cloud seeding is not directly associated with accelerated global warming.
• Option B This option is incorrect. Cloud seeding is not linked to the depletion of the ozone layer.
• Option D: This option is incorrect. Contamination of water sources is not a direct environmental concern associated with cloud seeding. The substances used in cloud seeding are typically released at high altitudes and are expected to disperse harmlessly in the atmosphere.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/11/14/cloud-seeding/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Cloud seeding activities often target stratocumulus clouds and moderate humidity conditions. These types of clouds are typically more responsive to seeding, and the presence of moderate humidity provides sufficient water vapor for potential precipitation enhancement.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/11/14/cloud-seeding/

Ans: (c )

Explanation:

• Context: In a first for India, a prisoner in Jammu and Kashmir, Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, has been released on bail with a condition to wear a Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking device.
• GPS works by using signals transmitted from satellites orbiting the Earth. These satellites continuously broadcast signals that contain information about the satellite’s location and the exact time the signal was transmitted. A GPS receiver on the Earth’s surface receives signals from multiple satellites and uses the time delay between signal transmission and reception to calculate the distance from each satellite. By triangulating these distances, the GPS receiver can determine its precise location in terms of latitude, longitude, and altitude.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/11/14/gps-anklets/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Context: In the first issuance of sovereign green bonds (SGrB) for the Financial Year 2024, the auction of five-year maturity bonds was successful, attracting decent investor interest.
• About Sovereign Green Bond:
• A sovereign green bond is a financial instrument that is issued by a sovereign entity, inter-governmental group, alliance, or corporation. The proceeds from the sale of these bonds are earmarked exclusively for projects classified as environmentally sustainable.
• In India, sovereign green bonds showcase the country’s commitment to building a low-carbon economy. They lower the capital cost for green projects by attracting new investors, and mobilizing private capital for sustainable development.
• India’s first deal in the sovereign green bond market financed expenditures in grid-scale solar and wind, decentralised solar such as solar water pumps for agriculture.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/11/14/sovereign-green-bond/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Context: Iceland is currently experiencing a significant increase in seismic activity, with around 1,400 earthquakes measured in the past 24 hours and over 24,000 recorded in the Reykjanes Peninsula since late October.
• What are the reasons for the seismic activity in Iceland?
  • The seismic activity in Iceland is primarily due to its location on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet. This geological setting makes Iceland prone to frequent earthquakes. The recent earthquake swarm is believed to be a result of movement and pressure changes associated with magma activity beneath the Earth’s surface, indicating a potential precursor to a volcanic eruption.
  • Fagradalsfjall lies about 40 km to the southwest of Reykjavík and is the “world’s newest baby volcano.” It had been dormant for eight centuries before erupting in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
• What is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge?
  • The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a mid-ocean ridge (a divergent or constructive plate boundary) located along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean and part of the longest mountain range in the world. In the North Atlantic, the ridge separates the North American from the Eurasian Plate and the African Plate, north and south of the Azores Triple Junction.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/11/14/seismic-activity-in-iceland/