Q1. The Start-ups Intellectual Property Protection (SIPP) Scheme aims to
(a) provide copyrights to Start-ups engaged in the domain of online content creation
(b) guarantee patent rights to start-ups engaged in innovative pharmaceuticals and vaccine development
(c) ensure compliance of Start-ups with the provisions of the TRIPS agreement
(d) enable supportto Start-ups from a registered facilitators to file their application for patents
ANS-D
Explanation:
- Start-ups Intellectual Property Protection (SIPP) scheme launched byGovernment of India, facilitates the start-ups to file applications for patents, designs andtrademarks through registered facilitators in appropriate IP offices by paying only thestatutory fees, ensuring final disposal of the IPR application.
Q2.With reference to New Space India Ltd (NSIL), consider the following statements:
- It is a central public sector enterprise under the Department of Space
- It is mandated to enable Indian space industry to scale-up high-technology manufacturing base.
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
ANS-C
Explanation:
- New Space India Limited (NSIL), a Central Public Sector Enterprise underDepartment of Space, has been mandated to transfer the technologies emanating out of
- Indian space programme and enable Indian industry to scale up high- technologymanufacturing base.
Q3. With reference to ‘Bamboo’, consider the following statements:
- While Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world, Bamboo is one of the slowest flowering plant in the world.
- In the life cycle of bamboo plants, gregarious bamboo flowering occurs every year.
- Bamboo flowering may adversely affect wild animals migration in forests.
- There is a mass growth of bamboo groves immediately after the bamboo flowering.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 4 only
(c) 3 and 4 only
(d) 1 and 3 only
ANS-D
Explanation:
- While Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world, Bamboo is oneof the slowest flowering plant in the world. It is correct.
- In the life cycle of bamboo plants, gregarious bamboo flowering occurs every year. Itis incorrect.
- Gregarious flowering is the most impressive pattern of bamboo flowering.
- Gregarious flowering is when all populations of a particular species of bamboo flowersall at once.
- For most species of bamboo, this can happen at intervals anywhere between60 to 130 years.
- This flowering cycle is genetically pre-programmed into each species.
- Once a species reaches its life expectancy, the bamboo will flower and produce seeds.
- When a bamboo flowers gregariously, it expends a tremendous amount of energyproducing flowers and seeds. The mass flowering stresses the bamboo to such an extent
- that it will die.
- A particular species can flower and die worldwide, regardless of thegeographic location.
- This means that the same plant in North America will flower anddie at roughly the same time (for the most part) as the same plant in Asia.
- Mostbamboos are simply divisions taken from a mother plant at some point (unless if grownfrom seed). These divisions are re-divided over time and shared across the world.
- Although the divisions are geographically in different locations, they still carry the samegenetic makeup.
- Bamboo flowering may adversely affect wild animals migration in forests.
- The gregarious flowering may adversely affect migration, especially by elephants, wildgaur, and other lower herbivores owing to the mass destruction of bamboo groves afterthe flowering.
- There is a mass growth of bamboo groves immediately after the bamboo flowering.
- There will be mass death of bamboos after the gregarious flowering of bamboos.
- That’swhy it affects the migration of animals in the forest.
- Profuse natural regeneration occurs from seeds after gregarious flowering.
- Seeds haveno dormancy, and it helps germination under favourable conditions soon after seed fall.
- Henceforth bamboo germination and growth takes its time and immediate mass growthis not possible. statement 4 is incorrect.
Q4.Which among the following are effectively considered as macronutrients for plants?
- Nitrogen
- Iron
- Zinc
- Manganese
- Magnesium
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1 and 5 only
(b) 2, 3 and 4 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 3, 4 and 5 only
ANS-A
Explanation:
- Macronutrients, as the name suggests, are the nutrients required by theplants in large amounts.
- These include carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen,phosphorus, sulfur, calcium and potassium. Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen are obtainedfrom air and water while the others are obtained from the soil
- Micronutrients are the ones required in very small amounts by the plants.
- There are 7essential plant nutrient elements defined as micronutrients [boron (B), zinc(Zn), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), chlorine (Cl)]. Theyconstitute in total less than 1% of the dry weight of most plants.In addition to these,some elements like silicon, cobalt, selenium, and sodium are present which are requiredby higher plants.
- Hence option A is the correct answer.
Q5. Which of the following statements regarding the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) is incorrect?
(a) SKAO is world’s largest radio telescope.
(b) SKAO Radio telescope cannot be used in bad weather.
(c) India is part of 10 member SKAO council.
(d) SKAO will be located in Africa and Australia.
ANS-B
Explanation:
- Square Kilometer Array (SKA) Telescope : Recently, the Square KilometreArray Observatory (SKAO) Council held its inaugural meeting and approved theestablishment of the world’s largest radio telescope.
- Location: the telescope, proposed to be the largest radio telescope in the world, will belocated in Africa and Australia
- SKAO council is a new intergovernmental organisation dedicated to radio astronomyand is headquartered in the UK. At the moment, organisations from ten countries are apart of the SKAO.
- These include Australia, Canada, China, India, Italy, New Zealand,South Africa, Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK.
- Unlike optical telescopes, radio telescopes can detect invisible gas and, therefore, theycan reveal areas of space that may be obscured by cosmic dust.
- Radio telescopes canalso be used in bad weather because the radio waves are not blocked by clouds as theypass through the atmosphere.
- ASKAP surveys are designed to map the structure and evolution of the Universe, which itdoes by observing galaxies and the hydrogen gas that they contain.
Q6. The Neptune Declaration, often mentioned in the media, aims to
(a) Explore and extract mineral samples from Neptune, as adopted by world countries
(b) Recognize the seafarers as the key workers by the government
(c) Fast track efforts by all countries towards achieving SDGs
(d) Provide corona vaccines by developed countries to developing countries
ANS-B
Explanation:
- Neptune Declaration was unveiled at the Davos summit.
This NeptuneDeclaration outlines four main actions that are needful to address the crew changecrisis:
- To recognize the seafarers as the ‘key workers’ by the government and providethem priority access to Covid-19 vaccines;
- To establish and implement the goldstandard health protocols which arebasedon the existing best practice;
- To increase the collaboration between the ship operators and charterers so as tofacilitate the crew changes;
- To ensure the air connectivity between the key maritime hubs for seafarers.
- As seafarers are the frontline workers of the maritime industry carrying 90 per cent ofglobal trade, it is extremely important to take care of their mental and physical well-being during unusual circumstances and crises such as pandemic, war, etc.
Q7. With reference to the Retrofit of Air-conditioning to improve Indoor Air Quality forSafety and Efficiency (RAISE) programme, consider the following statements:
- It is a joint initiative of Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) and World Bank.
- Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) works under the administration of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
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
ANS-D
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is not correct: The Ministry of Power has launches Retrofit ofAir-conditioning to improve Indoor Air Quality for Safety and Efficiency (RAISE) – a jointinitiative of EESL and USAID’s MAITREE programme. It aims to ensure cleaner andgreener office spaces in the country.
- The Market Integration andTransformation Program for Energy Efficiency (MAITREE) is a part of the US-Indiabilateral Partnership between the Ministry of Power and USAID.
- Statement 2 is not correct: Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), under theadministration of Ministry of Power, is working towards mainstreaming energyefficiency.
- EESL aims to create market access for efficient and future-readytransformative solutions that create a win-win situation for every stakeholder.
Q8. Consider the following pairs:
Rivers-Confluence Point
- Bhagirathi and Alaknanda – Nandaprayag
- Satlej and Beas – Harike Wetland
- Krishna and Tungabhatra – Alampur
- Kaveri and Bhavani – Tiruchirappali
Which of the given pairs are correctly matched?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 3 and 4 only
ANS-C
Explanation:
Rivers-Confluence Point
- Bhagirathi and Alaknanda-Devaprayag
- Satlej and Beas-Harike Wetland
- Krishna and Tungabhatra-Alampur
- Kaveri and Bhavani-Erode
- Hence 2 and 3 are correctly matched.
Q9. ‘Nord Stream 2’, seen in news recently is a gas pipeline that connects
(a) Russia and Germany
(b) Russia and China
(c) France and Norway
(d) Poland and Sweden
ANS-A
Explanation:
- Nord Stream 2 Pipeline In a development that could ratchet up tensionsbetween the United States andGermany, the consortium building the Nord Stream 2pipeline has said that it has resumed work on the controversial Project. In 2015,
- Gazprom and 5 other European energy firms decided to build Nord Stream 2, valued ataround $11 billion.
- The 1,200km pipeline will run from Ust-Luga in Russia to Greifswaldin Germany, and will carry 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year.
- The under-construction pipeline will run along the already-completed Nord Stream 1system, and the two together will supply an aggregate of 110 billion cubic meters ofgasto Germany per year.
Q10. Which of the following statements is/are incorrect:
- The 15th Finance commission (FC) presented two reports for the FY2020-
FY2021-2026 and recommended devolution on the exactly the sameparameters in both
- The 15th FC recommended more tax share with states than the 14th FC in the backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic.
- The 15th FC recommendation does not have any parameter based on the forestand ecology.
- Income of a state in 15th FC has been computed as average per capita GSDP during the five-year period between 2014-15 and 2018-19.
Select the correct option using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 4 only
(b) 1, 2 and 3 only
(c) 2, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 3 and 4 only
ANS-C
Explanation:
- The Fifteenth Finance Commission (Chair: Mr. N. K. Singh) was required tosubmit two reports.
- The first report, consisting of recommendations for the financialyear 2020-21, was tabled in Parliament in February 2020, because of enactment of theJammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
- The final report with recommendations for the period 2021-26 was tabled in Parliamenton February 1, 2021. Hence statement 1 is correct.
- Statement 2 is incorrect: The 15thFinance commission recommended lesstax share withstates than the 14thFinance Commission: 41% by 15th FC than 42% by 14th FC. Because
- 1% is set aside for newly created UT of Jammu and Kashmir, this was earlier a state & UTof Ladakh.
- Statement 3 is incorrect: The 15thFinance commission recommendations have 10%weightage based on the forest and ecology in the tax share with the states.
- Statement 4 is incorrect: Income of a state in 15th Finance commission has beencomputed as average per capita GSDP during the three-year period between2016-17and 2018-19
