05 September 2022

Q1. Which of the following are the benefits of Blockchain Technology:

• No single point of failure
• Real-time information processing and verification
• Reduce the cost and complexity of cross-enterprise business processes
• Reduced data duplication

Select the correct answer code:

1. 2, 3, 4
2. 1, 2, 3
3. 1, 3, 4
4. 1, 2, 3, 4

• Solution:

(D)

• The benefits that blockchain offer is actually simplifying the way we work.
• Speeding up transactions: Blockchain provides all parties involved within a business network with a secure and synchronised record of transactions.
• Blockchain’s verification system can enable real-time information processing, verifying and maintaining all the way through to the settlement of transactions.
• Cutting cost and complexity: Implementing blockchain technology can allow you to leverage the power of your business’ ecosystem to do things faster and vastly reduce the cost and complexity of cross-enterprise business processes.
• By removing the intermediary, settling transactions becomes quicker and simpler.
• Increasing resilience:
• Due to the distributed and shared nature of the blockchain there is no single point of failure.
• This makes it significantly more resilient than current systems.
• Due to the distributed and shared nature of the blockchain, there is no single point of failure, makes it significantly more resilient than current systems.

Q2. Consider the following statements regarding SWASTIIK Technology:

• It is the technique for disinfecting water by using natural oils.
• The technique used is hydrodynamic cavitation that combines chemistry, biology, and chemical engineering, along with natural resources.
• This technology can eliminate harmful bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant strains.
• It was developed by DRDO.

Which of the above statements is/are correct:

1. 1, 2, 3
2. 1, 2, 4
3. 1, 2
4. 1, 2, 3, 4

• Solution:

(A)

• With water-borne diseases majorly contributing to India’s disease burden, the CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL) at Pune has come up with a new technique for disinfecting water by using natural oils.
• Disinfection of water is essential for removing pathogenic microorganisms that are responsible for causing a number of water-borne diseases.
• However, the common drawbacks of chemical methods of disinfection, such as chlorination, include the formation of harmful or carcinogenic by-products,” according to a statement issued by the ministry of science and technology.
• “SWASTIIK”, which involves boiling of a liquid as a result of pressure reduction (cavitation) and also uses natural oils having antimicrobial properties.
• This technology can eliminate harmful bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant strains, economically.
• The technique used—hydrodynamic cavitation—combines chemistry, biology, and chemical engineering, along with natural resources in the form of natural oils and plant extracts.

Q3. The Internet is expanding everyday necessitating the development of new storage. Among the following, what is the correct ascending order of data size or data storage:

• Terabyte
• Exabyte
• Petabyte
• Zettabyte

Select the correct answer code:

1. 1-2-3-4
2. 1-3-4-2
3. 1-3-2-4
4. 1-2-4-3

• Solution:

(C)

Q4. Ailments caused by Virus are:

• Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)
• Typhoid
• Dysentery
• Influenza

Select the correct answer code:

1. 1, 2
2. 2, 4
3. 1, 4
4. 1, 3

• Solution:

(C)

• Common ailments like cold, influenza (flu) and most coughs are caused by viruses.
• SARS, polio and chicken pox are also caused by viruses.
• Diseases like dysentery and malaria are caused by protozoans whereas typhoid and tuberculosis (TB) are bacterial diseases.

Q5. In what ways do naturally-occurring wildfires play an integral role in nature:

• They help return nutrients to the soil
• They act as a disinfectant
• They allow sunlight to reach the forest floor, enabling a new generation of seedlings to grow

Select the correct answer code:

1. 1, 2
2. 2, 3
3. 1, 2, 3
4. 1, 3

• Solution:

(C)

• “Although often harmful and destructive to humans, naturally occurring wildfires play an integral role in nature.
• They return nutrients to the soil by burning dead or decaying matter.
• They also act as a disinfectant, removing disease-ridden plants and harmful insects from a forest ecosystem.
• And by burning through thick canopies and brushy undergrowth, wildfires allow sunlight to reach the forest floor, enabling a new generation of seedlings to grow.”

Q6. With reference to ecological succession, recently mentioned in the news, the term Seral stage refers to:

1. Intermediate stage in an ecological succession.
2. Final stage in the ecological succession that is in near equilibrium with the environment.
3. First stage of primary succession in an area.
4. First stage of secondary succession in areas where natural biotic communities have been destroyed.

• Solution:

(A)

• A seral stage is an intermediate stage found in ecological succession in an ecosystem advancing towards its climax community.
• In many cases more than one seral stage evolves until climax conditions are attained.

Q7. Consider the following statements regarding Eutrophication, recently mentioned in the news:

• Eutrophication is when a body of water becomes overly enriched with minerals and nutrients which induce excessive growth of algae and in turn, increases water quality.
• Increase of phytoplankton in a water body is the response to increased levels of nutrients.

Which of the above statements is/are correct:

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

• Solution:

(B)

• Eutrophication is when a body of water becomes overly enriched with minerals and nutrients which induce excessive growth of algae.
• This process may result in oxygen depletion of the water body.
• One example is an “algal bloom” or great increase of phytoplankton in a water body as a response to increased levels of nutrients.
• Eutrophication is often induced by the discharge of nitrate or phosphate-containing detergents, fertilizers, or sewage into an aquatic system.

Q8. India Energy Modeling Forum, recently seen in news is the joint initiative of:

1. India and Japan
2. India and USA
3. India and Russia
4. India and Uzbekistan

• Solution:

(B)

• About the India Energy Modeling Forum:
• Jointly launched by NITI Aayog and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the US–India Strategic Energy Partnership.
• Composition:
• The forum would include knowledge partners, data agencies and concerned government ministries.
• Energy modeling or energy system modeling is the process of building computer models of energy systems in order to analyze them.
• The Energy Modelling Forum (EMF) in USA was established in 1976 at Stanford University to connect leading modelling experts and decision makers from government, industry, universities, and other research organizations.

Q9. Consider the following statements:

• According to WHO, No country in the southeast Asia region have successfully controlled Hepatitis B.
• Hepatitis B is said to be controlled when the disease prevalence is reduced to less than 1% among children less than five years of age.
• In India, a nation-wide Hepatitis B vaccine was introduced in the Universal Immunisation Programme.

Which of the above statements is/are correct:

1. 1, 2
2. 2, 3
3. 3 only
4. 1, 2, 3

• Solution:

(B)

• On September 3, 2019 Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Thailand became the first four countries in the World Health Organization’s southeast Asia region to have successfully controlled hepatitis B.
• The virus is said to be controlled when the disease prevalence is reduced to less than 1% among children less than five years of age.
• Despite the introduction of hepatitis B vaccine in the Universal Immunisation Programme in 2002 and scalingup nationwide in 2011, about one million people in India become chronically infected with the virus every year.

Q10. Consider the following statements regarding ‘Group – 4’ (G4) nations, recently mentioned in the news:

• G4 nations are group of four countries which support each other’s bids for permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council.
• G4 nations includes Brazil, India, Australia and Japan.

Which of the above statements is/are correct:

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

• Solution:

(A)

• The G4 nations comprising Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan are four countries which support each other’s bids for permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council.
• Unlike the G7, where the common denominator is the economy and long-term political motives, the G4’s primary aim is the permanent member seats on the Security Council.