UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 2 October 2024

Solution: a)

Statement 1 is correct as the Eight Core Industries contribute 40% of the weight in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).

Statement 2 is incorrect because the ICI is released by the Office of the Economic Adviser under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), not the Reserve Bank of India.

Statement 3 is correct since the base year for the ICI is 2011-12.

Solution: a)

Statement 1 is correct. Thermobaric weapons use the oxygen from the atmosphere to fuel an explosion, resulting in a high-temperature blast.

However, statement 2 is incorrect, as thermobaric weapons are not specifically banned under the Hague Conventions, although targeting civilians could violate humanitarian laws.

Statement 3 is incorrect because thermobaric weapons are most effective in enclosed spaces like buildings or tunnels, where the pressure wave can have a devastating effect.

Solution: c)

The Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) is caused by a zoonotic RNA virus from the Filoviridae family, similar to Ebola. It was first discovered in Marburg, Germany, in 1967, not in Uganda (statement a is incorrect).

The African fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) is the natural reservoir of the virus (statement c is correct).

No specific treatment or vaccine is available for MVD (statement d is incorrect).

Solution: b)

Statements 1 and 3 are correct. The Bagmati River originates in the Shivapuri Hills of Nepal and holds significant cultural value as it is home to the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu.

However, statement 2 is incorrect because the river only flows through Bihar in India, not Uttar Pradesh.

Solution: b)

Statement 1 is correct as MVD is caused by a zoonotic RNA virus from the Filoviridae family, similar to Ebola.

Statement 2 is incorrect because human-to-human transmission occurs primarily through contact with blood, bodily fluids, and not just respiratory droplets.

Statement 3 is correct, as the case fatality rate varies between 24% to 88%, depending on the outbreak.

Solution: c)

The Canary Islands are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, located about 1,300 km south of mainland Spain and west of the African coast (Morocco). They were formed by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago, which gave them their unique landscape. The islands have a subtropical climate with little seasonal variation.

Solution: b)

Statements 1 and 3 are correct. Operation Northern Arrows was launched by the Israel Defense Forces to target Hezbollah’s military infrastructure in southern Lebanon (statement 1).

The operation involved localized raids with air cover and artillery support (statement 3).

However, statement 2 is incorrect because the operation focused on the Israel-Lebanon border, not the Israel-Jordan border.

Solution: d)

Statement 1 is correct. Thermobaric weapons use a two-stage explosion, first dispersing fuel and then igniting it to create a blast wave.

Statement 2 is incorrect, as these weapons are not specifically designed to target civilians (such use would violate international law).

Statement 3 is incorrect because while pressure changes are a cause of damage, the extreme heat generated is also a major factor.

Solution: d)

Solution: a)

Statement 2 is correct because El Hierro has volcanic landscapes and a subtropical climate.

Statement 1 is incorrect since El Hierro is the second-smallest of the main Canary Islands, not the largest. Statement 3 is incorrect because El Hierro is located about 115 km off the coast of Africa, as part of the Canary Islands archipelago.