06 July 2023

Q1. Consider the following statements regarding the Air Quality Index (AQI):

1. The AQI does not assess the level of ammonia in the atmosphere.
2. The CPCB developed it with help from IIT-Kanpur.
3. PM 2.5 can enter the lungs and subsequently travel to the bloodstream.

Which of the preceding statements is true?
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
Answer – C

• The Air Quality Index is derived from the assessment of eight primary air pollutants: emissions of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), lead (Pb), and ammonia (NH3).
• It was developed by the CPCB in conjunction with IIT-Kanpur and a group of experts composed of medical and air quality professionals. PM 2.5-sized particles have the power to deeply enter the respiratory system, travel to the lungs, and ultimately enter the circulation.

Q2. Which of the following statements regarding the 2016 Solid Waste Management Rules is true?

1. a) The waste generator is required to separate the garbage into five types.
2. b) The Rules only apply to notified urban local bodies, notified towns, and all industrial townships.
3. c) The Rules define exact and thorough criteria for deciding where to locate landfills and waste-processing facilities.
4. d) Garbage generators are necessary to prevent the movement of waste generated in one district to another.

Answer – C

• The Solid Waste Management Rules 2016 also apply to places under the control of Indian Railways, census towns, recognised industrial townships, airports, air bases, ports, and harbours, as well as defence facilities, special economic zones, pilgrimage sites, etc.
• Wet (biodegradable), dry (plastic, paper, metal, wood, etc.), and household hazardous wastes (napkins, diapers, empty cleaning agent containers, insect repellent containers, etc.) are the three categories into which the Generators must sort their garbage. At the trash generator’s discretion, garbage generated in one district may be sent to another district.

Q3. Regarding The Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act of 1994, take into account the following points.

1. It was put into place to stop female foeticides and the falling sex ratio in India.
2. Sex preference is against the Act only after conception.

Which of the preceding statements is true?
1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Answer – A

• In an effort to stop female femicide and improve India’s declining sex ratio, the Indian Parliament passed the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act in 1994. The Act prohibits discrimination based on gender both during and after conception.

Q4. Regarding Shilabhattarika, take into consideration the following statements:

1. In ancient India, she was a well-known Sanskrit poetess.
2. She was the daughter of the Chalukyan ruler who was Pulakeshin II of Badami.

Which of the preceding statements is true?
1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Answer – A

• Researchers from Pune’s Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI), which has the largest collection of manuscripts and rare books in South Asia, recently conducted a mission on Shilabhattarika. Recent evidence has established that she is the progeny of the great Chalukyan king Pulakeshin II of Badami (in modern Karnataka).

Q5. Consider the following statements in light of Thrissur Pooram:

1. Kerala is the location of the annual Thrissur Pooram Hindu festival.
2. Both the Muslim and Christian populations are present at the festival.

Which of the preceding statements is true?
1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Answer – C

• Kerala is the location of the annual Thrissur Pooram Hindu festival. The day on which the star sign “Pooram” emerges in the Malayalam month of “medam (April-May)” is the day on which it is celebrated.
• Pooram has evolved to symbolise all of Kerala’s religious and cultural traditions, while being originally a Hindu ritual. A number of Muslim and Christian participation events.

Q6. Which of the following statements about the Mahadayi River is untrue?
The Mahadayi River is located in the state of Karnataka.
It originates in the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary there.
It comes to an end in the Bay of Bengal.
Its basin is made up of Karnataka, Goa, and Maharashtra.
Answer – C

• The Mahadayi/Mandovi River, also known as the Mahadayi or Mhadei River, is claimed to be crucial to Goa, an Indian state. The Mandovi and the Zuari are the two most significant rivers in the state of Goa.
• Mahadayi River Water Project dispute: The project has only been discussed on paper despite being first proposed in the early 1980s due to a conflict between Karnataka, Goa, and Maharashtra.
• In compliance with Section 3 of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 (as amended), the State of Goa requested the creation of the Mahadayi River Water Dispute Tribunal in July 2002.

Q7. Take into account the following statements regarding the “Chief Justice of India (CJI)”:

1. He or she is the master of the roster and is in charge of the judiciary’s administrative branch.
2. Based on the recommendations of the Collegium, the President appoints CJI.

Which of the preceding statements is true?
1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Answer – A

• It is accurate to say that CJI controls the roster and decides how cases are assigned. He or she is also in charge of running the administrative aspects of the judiciary.
• The next chief justice will be chosen by the president of India in accordance with the Indian Constitution, and they will serve in that position for three years or until they turn 65, whichever comes first. Statement 2 is untrue as a result.

Q8. Consider the following statements regarding the Smart City Mission:

1. After Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) was renamed, it was implemented in 2015.
2. It aims to establish 100 smart cities by June 2024.

Which of the preceding statements is true?
1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Answer – A

• The first claim is accurate: With the aim of building sustainable, smart cities all across the country, the Government of India launched the National Smart Cities Mission, a plan for urban rejuvenation and retrofitting, in 2015.
• The Union Ministry of Urban Development will carry out the mission in collaboration with the state governments of the relevant cities.
• The second assertion is false: The Mission includes the transformation of 100 towns into smart cities. The most recent update to its expiration date was from June 2023 to June 2024.

Q9. In relation to the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), take into account the following statements:

1. A unique law was used to construct the AFSPA in 1958.
2. Today, the AFSPA also applies to Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Assam.

Which of the preceding statements is true?
1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Answer – D

• The first statement is untrue: An Act establishing it was passed by Parliament in 1958.
• The Indian Armed Forces are given special permission to maintain law and order in “disturbed areas.” According to the Disturbed Areas (Special Courts) Act of 1976, once a place is labelled as “disturbed,” it must stay that way for at least three months.
• False: Mizoram, Tripura, and Meghalaya have all repealed the AFSPA. It still applies to Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh.

Q10. Regarding the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), consider the following statements:

1. It was initiated in 1949.
2. Afghanistan became SAARC’s eighth member when it joined the group in 2008.

Which of the preceding statements is true?
1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Answer – D

• Statement 1 is untrue: The SAARC was established on December 8, 1985.
• The second assertion is false: Afghanistan joined SAARC in 2007.
• It is a regional intergovernmental organisation and the geographic union of South Asian republics.
• Its members are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. By 2021, SAARC will control 5.21% (USD 4.47 trillion) of global GDP, 21% of the world’s population, and 3% of the planet’s land area.
• SAARC was founded in Dhaka on December 8th, 1985.[4] Its secretariat is located in Kathmandu, Nepal.