Prelims Daily MCQs (03/01/2023)

Questions

Answer Key

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Detailed Explanation

1) Consider the following statements in respect of International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), seen recently in the news:

1. It is an integral part of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) that undertakes scientific research for development.
2. It works with Indian institutes for possible collaboration to improve the productivity of dryland through application of science-based rainwater harvesting and management technologies.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c)  Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer: (b)

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect: The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is an international non-profit organisation that undertakes scientific research for development.

Statement 2 is correct:The ICRISAT works with several ICAR institutes for possible collaboration to improve the productivity of dryland through application of science-based rainwater harvesting and management technologies.

2) Consider the following statements about Universal International Freephone Number (UIFN):

1. A UIFN enables an International Freephone Service (IFS) customer to be allocated a unique freephone number(s) that is the same throughout the world.
2. The number is issued by the respective embassies of the countries.
3. In order to be qualified for a UIFN number, the number has to be in-service between two or more countries within 180 days from the date of its reservation with the UIFN Registrar otherwise it will be canceled.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 2 only

(d) 1 and 3 only

Correct answer: (d)

Explanation:

Statement 2 is not correct: A Universal International Freephone Number (UIFN) is a worldwide toll-free "800 number" issued by the  International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

3) Consider the following statements about the Manibeli Declaration:

1. The declaration is a statement calling for a moratorium on the World Bank’s funding of solar power projects.
2. It is named after the Manibeli tribes who were protesting against large solar power projects being setup in their area.
   

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1 and 2 both

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Correct answer: (d)

Explanation:

Statement 2 is incorrect: It is called the Manibeli Declaration, in recognition of one of the first tribal villages that the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada River would submerge and one of the sites of sustained resistance to the dam. It is located in northern Maharashtra.

Statement 1 is incorrect: It's a statement calling for a moratorium on the World Bank’s funding of large dams.

4) Which of the following Projects are launched and managed by the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB)?

1. Crime – Multi Agency Centre
2. Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) project
3. National Database of Sexual Offenders (NDSO)
   

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1 only

(d) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer: (d)

Explanation:

All the given projects are launched and managed by NCRB.

5) Consider the following statements in respect of India and Ramsar convention:

1. The Ramsar Convention was signed in Ramsar, Israel, in 1971.
2. India signed the convention on 1st Feb 1982.
3. India Added 14 sites to the Ramsar sites in 2021, which is the most added by India in a year so far.
   

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 2 and 3 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1 2 and 3

Answer: (b)

Explanation:

Statement 1 is Incorrect: India is one of the Contracting Parties to Ramsar Convention, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Based on the date of designation mentioned on Ramsar Certificate, the number is 19 for this year (2022) and 14 for previous year (2021).

6) What are the benefits of India’s first Saline Water Lantern?

1. It will boost and supplement the UJALA scheme launched in 2015 for distribution of LED bulbs across the country.
2. This technology can also be used in hinterlands, where sea water is not available.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (c)

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: India’s first Saline Water Lantern, uses the sea water as the electrolyte between specially designed electrodes to power the LED lamps.

Saline Water Lantern will also boost and supplement Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s UJALA scheme launched in 2015 for distribution of LED bulbs across the country.

Statement 2 is correct: This technology can also be used in hinterlands, where sea water is not available, as any saline water or normal water mixed with the common salt can be used to power the lantern, which is not only cost-effective, but very easy to operate.

7)  Aanayoottu festival, seen recently in the news, is primarily celebrated in which state?

(a) Tamil Nadu

(b) Andhra Pradesh

(c) Kerala

(d) Goa

Correct Answer: (c)

Explanation:

The Aanayoottu (gaja pooja/ feeding of elephants) is a festival held in the precincts of the Vadakkunnathan temple in the City of Thrissur, in Kerala.

The festival falls on the first day of the month of Karkkidakam (timed against the Malayalam calendar), which coincides with the month of July.

8) Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs):

1. PPIs are instruments that enable remittance facilities, against the value stored therein.
2. PPIs can only be issued by banks.
   

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a)1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Option: (a)

Explanation:

Statement 2 is incorrect: PPIs can be issued by banks and non-banks. Banks can issue PPIs after obtaining approval from RBI. The non-bank PPI issuers are companies incorporated in India and registered under the Companies Act, 1956 / 2013.

9) Which one of the following recently released the report titled “India’s Bioeconomy Report 2022.”?

(a) Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council

(b) Niti Aayog

(c) Ministry of science and technology.

(d) National Institute of Immunology.

Correct Answer: (a)

Explanation:

Recently, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) released India’s Bioeconomy Report 2022.

10) With reference to “fishing cats” recently seen in the news, consider the following statements:

1. In India, fishing cats are mainly found in the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, on the foothills of the Himalayas along the Ganga and Brahmaputra river valleys and in the Western Ghats.
2. In the wild, fishing cats live up to an age of 6 years on an average.
3. The fishing cat is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, which means that it faces a high threat of extinction in the wild.
   

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1 and 3 only

Correct answer: (a)

Explanation:

The Chilika Lake, Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon, has 176 fishing cats, according to a census conducted by Chilika Development Authority (CDA) in collaboration with The Fishing Cat Project (TFCP).

Wetlands are the favorite habitats of the fishing cat. In India, fishing cats are mainly found in the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, on the foothills of the Himalayas along the Ganga and Brahmaputra river valleys and in the Western Ghats. So statement 1 is correct.

The fishing cat is nocturnal and apart from fish also preys on frogs, crustaceans, snakes, birds, and scavenges on carcasses of larger animals. It is capable of breeding all year round but in India its peak breeding season is known to be between March and May. Litter size varies between 1-4 and the young are suckled to the age of six months and become independent once they are ten months old. In the wild, fishing cats live up to an age of 12 years on an average. So statement 2 is incorrect.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) lists the fishing cat on Appendix II part of Article IV of CITES, which governs international trade in this species. In India, the fishing cat is included in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and thereby protected from hunting. Despite multiple threats, the Fishing Cat was recently downlisted to “Vulnerable” from “Endangered” in the IUCN Red List species assessment. So statement 3 is incorrect.

CSAT Questions and Solutions

11) Private investment in general is volatile. Foreign private investment is more volatile because the available investment avenues are significantly greater (i.e., the entire world). Therefore, the responsibility of providing employment cannot be left to Foreign District Investment (FDI). The current FDI inflows are volatile over time and across sectors and regions, which is a necessary consequence of their search for the highest returns. The adverse consequences are unstable employment and an accentuation of income and regional inequalities. A probable positive consequence of foreign investment is the inflow of new technology and its subsequent diffusion. However, the technology diffusion is not at all certain because the existing state of physical and human capital in India may prove inadequate for the diffusion.

With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

1. Relying on foreign investment in the long run is not an economically sound policy.
2. Policies must be undertaken to reduce volatility in foreign private investment.
3. Policies must be undertaken to strengthen domestic private investment.
4. Public investment should be given priority over private investment.
5. Substantial public investment in education and health should be undertaken.

Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

(a) 1, 2 and 4

(b) 1, 3 and 5

(c) 2, 4 and 5

(d) 3 only

Answer: (b)

Statement 1 is correct: The passage talks about the negative effects of foreign investment.

Statement 2 is wrong: The passage makes no reference to the capability of the State to reduce such volatility.

Statement 4 is correct: The passage highlights that private investment is volatile.

Statement 5 is correct: The sentence ‘...the existing state of physical and human capital in India may prove inadequate for the diffusion.’ implies that there is a need for public investment in education and health.

12) Most invasive species are neither terribly successful nor very harmful. Britain's invasive plants are not widespread, not spreading especially quickly, and often less of a nuisance than vigorous natives such as bracken. The arrival of new species almost always increases biological diversity in a region; in many cases, a flood of newcomers drives no native species to extinction. One reason is that invaders tend to colonise disturbed habitats like polluted lakes and post-industrial wasteland, where little else lives. They are nature's opportunists.

Which one of the following is the most logical and rational inference that can be made from the above passage?

(a) Invasive species should be used to rehabilitate desert areas and wastelands of a country.

(b) Laws against the introduction of foreign plants are unnecessary.

(c) Sometimes, the campaigns against foreign plants are pointless.

(d) Foreign plants should be used to increase the biodiversity of a country.

Answer: (a)

13) Salman Rushdie called Hindi cinema a love song to India’s mongrel self. Regardless of where one comes from, and away from the feverish hype of nationalist politics, Indians are Indians through the way in which Hindi film is part of their being. Snatches of dialogue; fashions; dance moves; ways of expressing love and hatred, and of being in the world – there is an enormous encyclopedia and archive that exists as a supplement. One may turn to one’s parents, teachers, or gods, but when it comes to the crunch, the answer is clear. Nothing happens that has not happened before in cinema.

In more recent years, the distinction between commercial masala and parallel cinema has been gradually blurring, with an increasing number of mainstream films adopting the conventions which were once strictly associated with parallel cinema.

Which one of the following is the best implied in the passage?

(a) Cinema shapes the thoughts and sensibilities of Indians in a significant manner.

(b) Cinema has impacted the Indian society in a positive as well as negative fashion.

(c) Indian cinema has showcased the culture of India to the world.

(d) Indian movie stars are appreciated in India as well as abroad.

Answer: (a)

Explanation:

Nothing happens that has not happened before in cinema‖. It implies that cinema shaped the thought process of Indians at large.

Option b is wrong as there is no mention of the negative impact of cinema. Similarly, showcasing the culture of India is also not mentioned.

Option d is vague as it says that Indian movie stars are celebrated in India as well as abroad. Only option a is the best answer in this situation.

14) Literacy is the beginning of lifelong learning, a prerequisite for accessing other human rights. It has the power to change the lives of millions of people who have received adequate formal education. But, mere attainment of literacy skills is not enough — such skills should be functional so that the youth and adults can use their ability to read and write to actively participate in the dynamic digitised world. Also, literacy should help in active participation in political, social, cultural, and economic activities.

On the basis of the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

1. India has a sizeable number of illiterates, which means the target of achieving 100 percent literacy by 2030 remains a challenging one.
2. The potential of digital technology should be harnessed for improving access to quality education through the creation of digital e-material, mobile apps etc.
   

Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (d)

Explanation:

Statement 1 is invalid: The passage talks about the importance of literacy and the opportunities that it opens up in diverse spheres. It neither talks about the state of literacy in India nor the goal of achieving the target of 100 percent literacy by 2030.

Statement 2 is invalid: According to the passage, literacy skills should be functional so as to enable youth and adults to participate in the digitized world. It does not mention the potential of digital technology in improving access to education, and hence this statement can be omitted.

15) His father spoke with me yesterday and he promised me that he will part from the bottle, by the end of this year. His illness has given him enough reasons to regret his poor choices in life, moreover, the death of his wife impacted his emotional health badly. He had sometimes been rude and violent with his family, but usually even under the influence of substance; he retained his calm and introspective nature. It was during the years he fought in the Great War that he contracted some misery, which turned him into a tippler.

Which of the following is correct about the subject of the passage?

(a) The man referred to in the passage is an alcoholic with a temper problem

(b) The man referred to in the passage is a habitual substance abuser with ill health and broken family

(c) The man referred to in the passage is addicted to alcohol under poor luck but may not necessarily be a bad man at heart

(d) The man referred to in the passage is a habitual offender

Answer: (c)

Explanation:

The passage takes a sympathetic tone and constructs a non-hostile theme to place its subject under. This is an indication that option C is the correct option. In these kinds of questions which are descriptive with a sense of objectivity, one must always focus on the tone and the theme of the author, invoked by grammatical and verbal cues.

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