Q1. What is a ‘state-sponsored cyber-attack’?
(a) An unauthorized intrusion into computer systems carried out by independent hackers.
(b) A cyber-attack targeting the critical infrastructure of a country, launched by terrorist organizations.
(c) A cyber-attack orchestrated or supported by a nation-state government for political, military, or economic purposes.
(d) A cyber-attack initiated by multinational corporations to gain a competitive advantage in the market.
Ans: (c)
Explanation:
- Context: Apple has been sending automated notifications to individuals worldwide, including many politicians and opposition leaders, alerting them to potential state-sponsored attacks.
- A state-sponsored cyber-attack is a hacking or digital intrusion orchestrated or supported by a government or nation-state. These attacks are typically well-funded, and sophisticated, and often target specific individuals, organizations, or government entities for political, economic, or espionage purposes.
Q2. What is “split voting” in the context of politics?
(a) It refers to the practice of casting multiple votes in a single election.
(b) It involves voters changing their political party affiliation during an election season.
(c) It describes the phenomenon where voters support different political parties or candidates for various offices in a single election.
(d) It pertains to the process of dividing a legislative body into two separate chambers for decision-making.
Ans: (c)
Explanation:
What is Split Voting?
- Split voting is a concept in electoral systems where voters have the option to cast separate votes for different candidates or parties in an election.
- Explanation using Example:
- During the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the state of Odisha had a state election as well. So, voters had to cast two votes. Research shows that many chose to cast their vote for different parties for the state and Lok Sabha elections. This is an example of split voting.
- Similarly, New Zealand uses a mixed member proportional (MMP) system. In this system, voters have two votes: a “party vote” and an “electorate vote.” The “party vote” determines the overall composition of the parliament, where voters choose a political party. The “electorate vote” is for selecting a local Member of Parliament (MP) for their specific geographical constituency.
Q3. What is an Advocate-on-Record (AOR)?
(a) An attorney who specializes in record-keeping for legal cases.
(b) A legal professional qualified to represent clients in court proceedings in India.
(c) A legal expert responsible for archiving court documents.
(d) A law enforcement officer responsible for recording witness statements.
Ans: (b)
Explanation:
- Context: The Supreme Court recently criticized an Advocate-on-Record (AoR) for submitting a frivolous case and subsequently dismissed a public interest litigation.
- The Court rebuked the lawyer, emphasizing that an AoR’s role goes beyond being a mere “signing authority,” implying that AoRs have a more substantial responsibility than just formalities
- About the Advocate-on-Record system:
- The Advocate-on-Record (AoR) system in the Supreme Court of India is a unique category of advocates responsible for filing cases in the Supreme Court. An AoR serves as the link between litigants and the highest court in the country
Q4. ‘ENCORE’ software application associated with the:
(a) FIR Search
(b) Assets Mapping and Geo Tagging
(c) Human Resources Management System
(d) None of the above
Ans: (d)
Explanation:
- Context: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has developed an in-house software system through ‘ENCORE’ (Enabling Communications on Real-time Environment) to manage candidates and elections more efficiently.
Q5. What is the Lucy mission?
(a) A JAXA mission to study the geological composition of the Moon.
(b) A European Space Agency (ESA) mission to explore Mars’ polar ice caps.
(c) A NASA mission to study the Trojan asteroids, which share an orbit with Jupiter.
(d) A SpaceX mission to investigate the geysers on Saturn’s moon, Enceladus.
Ans: (c)
Explanation: About ‘Lucy’ Mission:
- This is NASA’s first mission to explore the Jupiter Trojan asteroids.
- It is a solar-powered mission.
- It is estimated to be over 12 years long, during which the spacecraft will visit eight asteroids covering a distance of about 6.3 billion km to deepen the understanding of the “young solar system”.
