[Mission 2024] QUED ( Questions from Editorials ) 29 November 2023

Solution: d)

Argentina: Peso

Japan: Yen

Thailand: Bhat

China: Renminbi

Russia: Ruble

Solution: c)

Option 2 is incorrect.

Freedom of speech and expression, a fundamental right guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. This can only be reasonably restricted under Article 19(2) in the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence. More importantly, such restriction under Article 19(2) can only be by way of a “law”, which, as held by the Supreme Court of India, must be legislation passed by the State.

“Public interest” is not a ground under Article 19(2) to restrict the freedom of speech and expression.

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Solution: c)

Emerging technologies, an euphemism for capabilities that rely on a combination of cyber technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), unmanned systems, and advanced computing, is in vogue among most militaries. The Indian military is seemingly alive to this development.

Under ‘UDAAN’, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is using AI, cyber and virtual reality to address its operational, logistical, and training needs. The Navy, too, says that it is moving forward with emerging technologies, which includes an Integrated Unmanned Roadmap, while also encouraging indigenisation under project ‘Swavlamban’.

The Defence Ministry, through ‘AIDef’, has showcased its initiatives in this realm, which includes the Defence AI Council and the Defence AI Project Agency. Both these efforts are aimed towards incorporating AI into various allied organisations, such as Defence Public Sector Undertakings and the Defence Research and Development Organisation. 

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Solution: a)

Only Statement 1 is correct.

The earth is made up of chunks of solid rocks called tectonic plates. Discontinuities in these rock masses, along which they have moved, are called fault lines. These fractures are a result of tectonic forces and stress that builds up in the earth’s lithosphere, causing the rocks to break and slip.

An earthquake occurs when blocks of lithosphere suddenly slip past one another, releasing energy and sending seismic waves through the ground.

The surface where the lithosphere chunks slip becomes a fault plane. The point within the earth where the fault rupture starts and produces an earthquake is called the focus or the hypocentre. The point on the surface of the earth directly above it is called the epicentre.

Tectonic plates are slow moving but are always in motion, mostly due to the heat energy generated inside the earth. The edges of these plates are called plate boundaries and consist of faults— this is where most earthquakes occur.

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Solution: b)

Statement 1 is incorrect.

Afghanistan is located over multiple fault lines in the region where the Indian and the Eurasian tectonic plates meet. These plates collide often, leading to significant tectonic activity in the region.

Afghanistan is located on the Eurasian plate. Towards western Afghanistan, the Arabian plate subducts northward under Eurasia, and towards eastern Afghanistan the Indian plate does the same. In southern Afghanistan, the Arabian and Indian plates adjoin and both subduct northward under the Eurasian plate.

The Hindu Kush mountain range and the Pamir Knot are geologically complex regions where tectonic plates meet. The collision and convergence of the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate result in the folding and faulting of the Earth’s crust. This geological complexity contributes to the occurrence of earthquakes in the region.

The ongoing northward movement of the Indian Plate towards the Eurasian Plate also results in compression, leading to the uplift of the Himalayas and the transmission of tectonic stress across the entire region, including Afghanistan. The compression causes the crust to deform, and creates faults and fractures that can slip and generate earthquakes. These interactions at plate boundaries generate significant tectonic stresses and result in earthquakes.

Afghanistan is also crisscrossed by various active fault systems like the Chaman Fault and the Main Pamir Thrust. These faults are the sources of many earthquakes in the region.

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