11 April 2023

Q1. With reference to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), consider the following statements:

1. CBI derives its powers from Delhi Special Police Establishment Act.
2. CBI can suo-moto investigate the case in any state of India.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

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

A – Explanation

• The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) traces its origin to the Special Police Establishment (SPE) which was set up in 1941 by the Government of India. The functions of the SPE then were to investigate cases of bribery and corruption in transactions with the War & Supply Deptt. Of India during World War II. The Delhi Special Police Establishment Act was therefore brought into force in 1946. The CBI’s power to investigate cases is derived from this Act. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• CBI can investigate any case in any state of India. However, first the CBI has to take the consent of the states.There are two types of consent for a probe by the CBI. These are:General and Specific:
• When a state gives a general consent (Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act) to the CBI for probing a case, the agency is not required to seek fresh permission every time it enters that state in connection with investigation or for every case.When a general consent is withdrawn, CBI needs to seek case-wise consent for investigation from the concerned state government. If specific consent is not granted, the CBI officials will not have the power of police personnel when they enter that state. This hurdle impedes seamless investigation by the CBI. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Q2. With reference to microwave weapons, consider the following statements:

1. Microwave Weapons are supposed to be a type of direct energy weapons.
2. Microwave Weapons use beams of high-frequency electromagnetic radiation.

Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect?

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

D – Explanation

• The Indian Army has rejected “fake” a report which claimed that the Chinese army had used “microwave weapons” to drive Indian soldiers away from their positions in eastern Ladakh.
• Microwave Weapons are supposed to be a type of direct energy weapons, which aim highly focused energy in the form of sonic, laser, or microwaves, at a target.Microwave Weapons use beams of high-frequency electromagnetic radiation to heat the water in a human target’s skin, causing pain and discomfort.A number of countries are thought to have developed these weapons to target both humans and electronic systems.Concerns have been raised on whether they can damage the eyes, or have a carcinogenic impact in the long term.China had first put on display its “microwave weapon”, called Poly WB-1, at an air show in 2014. The United States has also developed a prototype microwave-style weapon, which it calls the “Active Denial System”.The US apparently deployed such a weapon in Afghanistan, but withdrew it without ever using it against human targets.In a microwave oven, an electron tube called a magnetron produces electromagnetic waves (microwaves) that bounce around the metal interior of the appliance, and are absorbed by the food.The microwaves agitate the water molecules in the food, and their vibration produces heat that cooks the food. Foods with a high water content cook faster in a microwave often than drier foods.Hence both statements are correct.

Q3. With reference to the deemed forests, consider the following statements:

1. The concept of deemed forests has been clearly defined in the Forest Conservation Act of 1987.
2. The High Court of Kerala in the case of T N Godavarman Thirumalpad (1996) accepted a wide definition of forests under the Forest Conservation Act.

Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect?

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

C – Explanation

• Karnataka Forest Minister announced in the Assembly that the state government would soon declassify 6.64 lakh hectares of the 9.94 lakh hectares of deemed forests in the state (nearly 67%) and hand it over to Revenue authorities.
• While the concept of deemed forests has not been clearly defined in any law including the Forest Conservation Act of 1980, the Supreme Court in the case of T N Godavarman Thirumalpad (1996) accepted a wide definition of forests under the Act.“The word ‘forest’ must be understood according to its dictionary meaning. This description covers all statutorily recognised forests, whether designated as reserved, protected or otherwise for the purpose of Section 2 (1) of the Forest Conservation Act,” the Supreme Court said in its December 12, 1996 order.“The term ‘forest land’ occurring in Section 2 will not only include ‘forest’ as understood in the dictionary sense, but also any areas recorded as forest in the government record irrespective of the ownership.The provisions enacted in the Forest Conservation Act 1980 for the conservation of forest and the matters connected therewith must apply clearly to all forest so understood irrespective of the ownership or classification thereof,” the court said.The issue of deemed forests is a contentious one in Karnataka, with legislators across party lines often alleging that large amounts of agriculture and non-forest land are “unscientifically” classified as such.
• Hence both statements are incorrect.

Q4. With reference to Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), consider the following statements:

1. It is a severe type of muscular dystrophy that primarily affects girls.
2. It is caused by a mutation in the gene for the multivitamin dystrophin.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

D – Explanation

• Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe type of muscular dystrophy that primarily affects boys. Females with a single copy of the defective gene may show mild symptoms.Muscle weakness usually begins around the age of four, and worsens quickly. Muscle loss typically occurs first in the thighs and pelvis followed by the arms.This can result in trouble standing up.[2] Most are unable to walk by the age of 12. Affected muscles may look larger due to increased fat content. Scoliosis is also common. Some may have intellectual disability.It is caused by a mutation in the gene for the protein dystrophin. Dystrophin is important to maintain the muscle fiber’s cell membrane.Although there is no known cure, physical therapy, braces, and corrective surgery may help with some symptoms. Hence both statements are incorrect.

Q5. What is Param Siddhi, recently seen in news?  

1. Indian supercomputer
2. New Train by Indian Railways
3. Comet
4. None of the above

A – Explanation

• Indian supercomputer Param Siddhi has achieved global ranking of 63 in TOP 500 most powerful non-distributed computer systems in the world released on 16th November 2020.
• Param Siddhi is the high performance computing-artificial intelligence (HPC-AI) supercomputer established under National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) at C-DAC.The supercomputer with Rpeak of 5.267 Petaflops and 4.6 Petaflops Rmax (Sustained) was conceived by C-DAC and developed jointly with support of Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) under NSM.Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

Q6. With reference to the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises scheme (PM-FME Scheme), consider the following statements:

1. It is a central sector scheme with 100 % assistance.
2. It aims to enhance the feasibility of existing individual micro-enterprises in the unorganized segment of the food processing industry.

Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect?

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

C – Explanation

• Launched under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, the PM-FME Scheme is a centrally sponsored scheme.It aims to enhance the competitiveness of existing individual micro-enterprises in the unorganized segment of the food processing industry and promote formalization of the sector and provide support to Farmer Producer Organizations, Self Help Groups, and Producers Cooperatives along their entire value chain.With an outlay of Rs. 10,000 crore over a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25, the scheme envisions to directly assist the 2,00,000 micro food processing units for providing financial, technical, and business support for upgradation of existing micro food processing enterprises. Hence both statements are incorrect.

Q7. With reference to the World Toilet Day, consider the following statements:

1. World Toilet Day is being celebrated on December 18.
2. This year the theme mentions the importance of “Sustainable sanitation and climate change”.

Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect?

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

A – Explanation

• World Toilet Day is being celebrated on November 19. This year the theme remarks the importance of “Sustainable sanitation and climate change”.
• It is an official United Nations international observance day on 19 November to spread awareness about the global sanitation crisis.Objective:To reach, SDG #6 i.e. to reach everyone with sanitation, and halve the proportion of untreated wastewater and increase recycling and safe reuse.It was established by the World Toilet Organization in 2001. Twelve years later, the UN General Assembly declared World Toilet Day an official UN day in 2013.UN-Water is the official convener of World Toilet Day.World Toilet Day is marked by educational campaigns and other activities. Events are planned by UN-Water, local civil society organizations and volunteers.
• Hence only statement 1 is incorrect.

Q8. With reference to National Population Register (NPR), consider the following statements:

1. It is a database containing a list of all citizen residents of the country including the foreigners.
2. NPR is a mechanism outlined in a set of rules framed under the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

D – Explanation

• National Population Register (NPR) is a database containing a list of all usual residents (not only citizens) of the country. Its objective is to have a comprehensive identity database of people residing in the country. A usual resident for the purposes of NPR is a person who has resided in a place for six months or more, and intends to reside there for another six months or more
• The NPR was first collected in 2010 and then updated in 2015. The census is legally backed by the Census Act, 1948. However the NPR is a mechanism outlined in a set of rules framed under the Citizenship Act, 1955. Hence, both the statements are incorrect.

Q9. Consider the following statements regarding the Chapare Virus:

1. It belongs to the Flaviviridae Family.
2. The virus spreads from person to person through indirect contact with bodily fluids of the vector.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

D – Explanation

• Chapare Virus belongs to the same Arenavirus family that is responsible for illnesses such as the Ebola virus disease (EVD). Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• Chapare viruses are generally carried by rats and can be transmitted through direct contact with the infected rodent, its urine and droppings, or through contact with an infected person. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

Q10. With reference to the Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS), consider the following statements:

1. It is a rare autoimmune disorder in which the patient’s immune system attacks bones.
2. Covid-19 patients do not have any threat suffering from GBS.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

D – Explanation

• It is a very rare autoimmune disorder in which the patient’s immune system attacks nerves. The exact cause of Guillain-Barre syndrome is unknown, but as per the World Health Organisation (WHO), GBS is often preceded by an infection. This could be a bacterial or viral infection. It may also be triggered by vaccine administration or surgery.
• Some patients infected with Covid-19 have been found suffering from Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS). Hence, both statements are incorrect.