07 June 2023

Q. Consider the following statements:

1. The year 2023 is adopted as the International Year of Millets by the UN.
2. The proposal to declare International Year of Millets was given by India.
3. India is the world leader in the production of millets.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 2 and 3 Only
2. 3 only
3. 2 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

D – Explanation

• Millets are collective group of small seeded annual grasses that are grown as grain crops, primarily on marginal land in dry areas of temperate, sub-tropical and tropical regions.
• Statements 1 and 2 are correct.
  • Government of India had proposed to United Nations for declaring 2023 as International Year of Millets (IYOM).
  • The proposal of India was supported by 72 countries and United Nation’s General Assembly (UNGA) declared 2023 as International Year of Millets on 5 th March 2021.
• India produces >170 lakh ton (80% of Asia’s & 20% of global production).
• India is the largest producer of millets with 37.5% of the total global output followed by Sudan and Nigeria. Hence statement 3 is correct.
• The Union Agriculture Ministry, in April 2018, declared millets as “Nutri-Cereals”, considering their “high nutritive value” and also “anti-diabetic properties”. 2018 was also observed as ‘National Year of Millets”

Q. Which of the following are the functions of the Drugs Controller General of India?

1. Sets standards for manufacturing and distribution of drug
2. Training of Drug Analysts
3. Preparation and maintenance of national reference standard
4. Analysis of Cosmetics received as survey samples from CDSCO

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

• 1, 2, and 3 only
• 2, 3, and 4 only
• 1, 3, and 4 only
• 1, 2, 3 , and 4

D – Explanation

• Drugs Controller General of India comes under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
• It also sets standards for manufacturing, sales, import, and distribution of drugs in India.
• Function:
  • The standard and quality of manufacturing, selling, import and distribution of drugs in India.
  • Preparation and maintenance of national reference standard.
  • To bring about the uniformity in the enforcement of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
  • Training of Drug Analysts deputed by State Drug Control Laboratories and other Institutions
  • Analysis of Cosmetics received as survey samples from CDSCO (central drug standard control organisation). Hence, option D is correct.

Q. Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Morten Meldal and K. Barry Sharpless won the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for working in which of the following fields?

• Study of Atoms
• Study of Covalent Bond
• Click chemistry
• Study of Physical property of ions

C – Explanation

• This year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry has gone to three scientists who, through their work, have made a strong case for adopting an alternative approach to producing new complex molecules in the laboratory or industry, which minimizes waste and increases overall efficiency.
• Carolyn Bertozzi and Barry Sharpless of the United States and Morten Meldal of Denmark have been given the Prize for developing the relatively recent field of ‘Click Chemistry’ and demonstrating its vast potential in the pharmaceutical and other industries. Hence, option C is correct.

Q. With reference to the Non-banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) in India, consider the following statements:

1. They cannot engage in the acquisition of securities issued by the government.
2. They cannot accept demand deposits like Savings Account.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• 1 only
• 2 only
• Both 1 and 2
• Neither 1 nor 2

B – Explanation

• A Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) is a company registered under the Companies Act, 1956 engaged in the business of loans and advances, acquisition of shares/stocks/bonds/debentures/ securities issued by the Government or local authority. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• NBFCs lend and make investments and hence, their activities are akin to that of banks. However, there are a few differences like NBFC do not form part of the payment and settlement system, they cannot accept demand deposits, and they cannot issue cheques drawn on itself. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Q. With reference to OPEC Plus alliance, consider the following statements:

1. It is an alliance between the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other major oil producers.
2. Russia is a part of OPEC
3. Saudi Arabia is the largest oil producer among OPEC members.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• 1 and 2 only
• 1 and 3 only
• 2 and 3 only
• 1, 2, and 3

B – Explanation

• OPEC Plus was created in 2016 when OPEC countries decided to ally with other oil-producing countries outside the group to cut down the global output of oil.
• OPEC Plus countries are an alliance between the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other major oil producers. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• Russia is a part of OPEC plus countries, which control more than 50% of the world’s crude supplies. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
• Saudi Arabia is the largest oil producer among OPEC members. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
• Russia, which produces more oil than even Saudi Arabia, plays a crucial role, along with OPEC, in influencing global crude oil prices.

OPEC Plus
OPEC Plus refers to a group of 23 oil-producing countries that includes 13 members of OPEC (Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Algeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Libya, Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, and Venezuela) and 10 other oil-producing countries (Russia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, South Sudan and Sudan).

Q. Nobel Prize in medicine has been given to a Swedish scientist for which of the following areas of study?

• Treatment of HIV
• Sequencing Neanderthal genome
• Treatment of Hepatitis C
• Use of biotechnology in treatment of Dementia

B – Explanation

• Medicine Nobel was awarded to Swedish scientist for sequencing Neanderthal genome
• Svante Pääbo accomplished something near impossible by sequencing the genome of the Neanderthal, an extinct relative of modern humans, and also made the sensational discovery of a previously unknown hominin, Denisova. Hence, option B is correct.

Q. With reference to the SASTRA Ramanujan Prize, consider the following statements:

1. It is presented biennially to individuals aged 32 and above.
2. It is awarded for outstanding contributions in the field of mathematics.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• 1 Only
• 2 Only
• Both 1 and 2
• Neither 1 nor 2

B – Explanation

The award, instituted by the Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology & Research Academy (SASTRA) in 2005 with a cash prize of $10,000, is presented annually to individuals aged 32 and below, who made outstanding contributions in the field of mathematics, influenced by Srinivasa Ramanujan in a broad sense. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect and 2 is correct.

Q With reference to Light Combat Helicopter, Prachand recently inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF), consider the following statements:

1. It is the only attack helicopter in the world which can land and take off at an altitude of 5,000 meters.
2. It as a single-engine, dedicated combat helicopter of 5.8-ton class.
3. It is powered by French-origin Shakti engines manufactured by the HAL.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• 1 Only
• 2 Only
• 1 & 3 Only
• 3 Only

C – Explanation

• The LCH has been designed as a twin-engine, dedicated combat helicopter of 5.8-ton class, thus categorised as light. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect. TheLCH is the only attack helicopter in the world which can land and take off at an altitude of 5,000 meters with a considerable load of weapons and fuel. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• Designed as a twin-engine, it has a maximum take-off weight of 5.8 tonnes, maximum speed of 268 kilometers per hour, and range550 kilometers.
• It has an endurance of over three hours and service ceiling — the maximum density altitude to which it can fly — of 6.5 kilometres.
• It is powered by two French-origin Shakti engines manufactured by the HAL. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Q. With reference to the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) , consider the following statements:

1. It was launched by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
2. It is a Central sector scheme.
3. The assistance for the construction of toilets shall be leveraged through convergence with Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G), MGNREGS or any other dedicated source of funding.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• 1 and 2 only
• 2 and 3 only
• 2 only
• 3 only

D – Explanation

• It was launched by the Ministry of Rural development to achieve the objective of “Housing for All” by 2022, the erstwhile rural housing scheme Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) was restructured to PMAY-G w.e.f 1st April 2016. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
• It is a centrally sposored scheme. The cost of unit assistance is shared between Central and State Governments in the ratio 60:40 in plain areas and 90:10 for Northeastern and hilly states. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
• The assistance for construction of toilets shall be leveraged through convergence with Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G), MGNREGS or any other dedicated source of funding. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Q. Consider the following statements regarding Denisovans:

1. They are an extinct species or subspecies of archaic human that lived in western Eurasia.
2. Most of what is known about them comes from DNA evidence.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

• 1 Only
• 2 Only
• Both 1 and 2
• Neither 1 nor 2

B – Explanation

• Statement 1 is incorrect. Fossil and genetic evidence suggests the Denisovans lived across a wide range of areas and conditions, from the cold mountains of Siberia and Tibet to the jungles of Southeast Asia.
• The Denisovans, together with the Neanderthals, are the closest extinct relatives of modern humans. It wasn’t until 2010 that scientists announced that the Denisovans existed, so much about them remains unknown.
• Statement 2 is correct. Denisovans are known from few physical remains and consequently, most of what is known about them comes from DNA evidence.
• The first traces of Denisovans were only found in 2010, with the discovery of an innocuous finger bone in remote Denisova Cave.
• The Denisovans shared a common ancestor with the Neanderthals until their populations diverged 380,000 to 470,000 years ago. This was much later than the split between modern humans and Neanderthals/Denisovans, which occurred between 550,000 and 760,000 years ago.
• One of the biggest remaining mysteries is why modern humans were so successful in their expansion and why the Denisovans and Neanderthals went extinct after having adapted to a Eurasian environment for several hundred thousand years.