10 September 2022

Q1. Consider the following statements:

• The creation of antibodies against disease-causing virus guarantees immunity against a future attack from the same virus.
• Serosurveys for the prevalence of novel coronavirus tests the presence of antibodies that are developed after an infection.

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)

• It is sometimes thought that everyone who is infected with a disease-causing virus, and recovers, becomes immune to the disease, because they build antibodies against it.
• But that is not the case.
• While the creation of antibodies is necessary for the recovery process, it does not guarantee immunity against a future attack from the same virus.
• Immunity comes from what are known as “neutralising” or “protective” antibodies.
• The neutralising antibodies become special because they have the ability to thwart the entry of the same virus inside human bodies in the future.
• Serosurveys only look for the presence of antibodies in people.
• Their purpose is to find out whether a person has been infected with the virus or not, and through random testing of people, estimate the extent of spread of the disease, or prevalence, in a population group.

Source Hindu

Q2. Consider the following statements:

• The storage temperature for vaccines can vary, even if they are developed using same technology.
• Polio Vaccine used in India’s immunisation programme are stored in room temperature.
• mRNA vaccine can be developed that can be stored at warmer temperatures.

Which of the above statements is/are correct:

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

• Solution:

(B)

Source Indian Express

Q3. Consider the following statements regarding Guillain Barre Syndrome:

• Guillain Barre Syndrome is a rare autoimmune disorder.
• It is caused by bacteria or viral infection.
• There are no reported cases of patients infected with Covid-19 showing the symptoms of Guillain Barre Syndrome.

Which of the above statements is/are correct:

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

• Solution:

(C)

• In a rare complication, some patients infected with Covid-19 have been found suffering from Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS).
• In India, such cases have been reported since August.

What is Guillain Barre Syndrome?

• It is a very rare autoimmune disorder.
• The immune system, in an attempt to kill the coronavirus, accidentally starts attacking the peripheral nervous system.
• GBS is caused by bacteria or viral infection.
• In the past, patients of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome showed GBS symptoms, as did those infected with Zika, HIV, Herpes virus and Campylobacter jejuni.

Source WHO Website

Q4. At any time after the expiration of three years from the date of the grant of a patent, any person interested may make an application for grant of compulsory licence on patent on which of the following grounds:

• The reasonable requirements of the public with respect to the patented invention have not been satisfied.
• The patented invention is not available to the public at a reasonably affordable price.
• The patented invention is worked in the territory of India by a non-Indian pharmaceutical company.

Select the correct answer code:

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

• Solution:

(A)

• At any time after the expiration of three years from the date of the grant of a patent, any person interested may make an application to the Controller for grant of compulsory licence on patent on any of the following grounds, namely
• that the reasonable requirements of the public with respect to the patented invention have not been satisfied, or
• that the patented invention is not available to the public at a reasonably affordable price, or
• that the patented invention is not worked in the territory of India.

Source WTO Website

Q5. Hayabusa 2 project, recently seen in news is related to:

1. Developing fuel cell that finds commercial applications
2. Asteroid sample-return mission
3. An orbiting spacecraft which seeks to become the first to be propelled solely by sunlight
4. Astronomical observatory with an extremely large telescope

• Solution:

(B)

• Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft left the asteroid Ryugu a year ago and is expected to reach Earth and drop a capsule containing the precious samples in southern Australia on December 6.
• The soil samples and data from the asteroid could provide clues to the origins of the solar system.

Hayabusa2 project:

• It is an asteroid sample-return mission operated by the Japanese space agency, JAXA.

Source Science Reporter Magazine

Q6. The three-drug Bedaquiline, Pretomanid and Linezolid (BPaL) regimen is used to treat:

1. Coronavirus disease
2. Hepatitis B
3. Tuberculosis
4. Measles

• Solution:

(C)

• At a time when the world grapples with highly treatment-resistant tuberculosis, the recently approved three-drug regimen to tackle the condition has shown a 90 per cent favourable outcome, according to a new study.

Source WHO Website

Q7. Consider the following statements regarding Aditya-L1 mission:

• It is India’s first solar mission.
• Satellite will be placed at 36000 km above the surface of the Earth.
• It will be launched on PSLV launch vehicle.

Which of the above statements is/are correct:

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

• Solution:

(C)

• Aditya – L1:
• First Indian mission to study the Sun
• The Aditya-1 mission was conceived as a 400kg class satellite carrying one payload, the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) and was planned to launch in a 800 km low earth orbit.
• A Satellite placed in the halo orbit around the Lagrangian point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation/ eclipses.
• Therefore, the Aditya-1 mission has now been revised to “Aditya-L1 mission” and will be inserted in a halo orbit around the L1, which is 1.5 million km from the Earth.
• The satellite carries additional six payloads with enhanced science scope and objectives.
• It is planned to be launched on the PSLV-C56 in December 2021 or January 2022.

Source ISRO Website

Q8. The International Energy Agency’s mandate focus on:

• Energy security
• Economic development
• Environmental protection

Select the correct answer code:

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

• Solution:

(D)

• The Agency’s mandate has broadened to focus on the “3Es” of effectual energy policy: energy security, economic development, and environmental protection.

Source Hindu

Q9. Consider the following statements regarding the roles and functions of Financial Action Task Force (FATF):

• FATF set standards and promote effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering and terrorist financing.
• FATF does not involve in monitoring countries’ progress in implementing its Recommendations.

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 Financial Action Task Force (FATF) was established in July 1989 by a Group of Seven (G-7) Summit in Paris.
• The objectives of the FATF are to set standards and promote effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system.
• Starting with its own members, the FATF monitors countries’ progress in implementing the FATF Recommendations; reviews money laundering and terrorist financing techniques and counter-measures; and, promotes the adoption and implementation of the FATF Recommendations globally.
• In April 2012, it added efforts to counter the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Source Indian Express

Q10. The Stockholm Declaration adopted in 1972 is related to:

1. Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
2. Right to healthy environment
3. Protecting human rights
4. Elimination of child labour

• Solution:

(B)

• The Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, or Stockholm Declaration, was adopted on June 16, 1972 by the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment at the 21st plenary meeting as the first document in international environmental law to recognize the right to a healthy environment. In the declaration, the nations agreed to accept responsibility for any environmental effects caused by their actions.
• A signatory to the Stockholm Declaration (1972) on Environment, India enacted laws to control water (1974) and air (1981) pollution soon after.

Source Hindu