18 July 2022

Q1. Anang Tal Lake is situated in which state?

1. Amritsar
2. Imphal
3. Delhi
4. Jaipur

C – Explanation

• The lake is situated in Mehrauli, Delhi and is claimed to be created byTomar King, Anangpal II, in 1,060 AD.He is known to have established and populated Delhi in the 11^thThe millennium old Anang Tal signifies the beginning of Delhi.Anang Tal has a strong Rajasthan connection as Maharaja Anangpal is known as nana (maternal grandfather) of Prithviraj Chauhan whose fort Rai Pithora is on the list of the ASI.Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.

Q2. Consider the following statements:

Transnistria declared independence like Moldova did soon after the break-up of the Soviet Union.Transnistria was a part of Ukraine until recently.Moldova is not a member of the European Union & North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

Choose the correct option from the given code given below.

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

C – Explanation

• Transnistria is described as a “remnant of the Soviet Union”, Transnistria declared independence like Moldova did soon after the break-up of the Soviet Union. Hence, statement 1 is correct.When Moldovan troops attempted to take over the territory in 1990-1992, Transnistria was able to resist them because of Russian soldiers based in Transnistria. Since then, it has remained free of Moldovan control. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.Moldova is not a member of the European Union & North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Q3. Which of the given statements is/are correct?

Antimicrobial Resistance specifically relates to resistance to antibiotics.Kerala was the first state in India to adopt a comprehensive policy on Anti Microbial Resistance.International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS) was initiated and established by India in 2021.

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

B – Explanation

• Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death. Antimicrobials – including antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics – are medicines used to prevent and treat infections in humans, animals and plants. Hence statement 1 is not correct.The state of Kerala became the first Indian state to launch an Action Plan for containing Antimicrobial Resistance in 2018. Hence statement 2 is correct.In November 2018, the Danish Government formally announced its ambition to establish ICARS. In November 2021, ICARS became an independent, self-governing organisation, following the Danish Ministry of Health appointing the inaugural Board of Directors. Hence statement 3 is not correct.

Q4. Which of the given statements is/are not correct?

India has set up its first gene sanctuary in Sikkim.The Indian seed vault is located at Tanglang La in the Himalayas.Svalbard Global Seed Vault is a secure backup facility for the entire world’s crop diversity.

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. None of the above

A – Explanation

• India has set up its first gene sanctuary in the Garo Hills of Assam for wild relatives of citrus. Hence statement 1 is not correct.The Indian Seed Vault is a secure seed bank in Ladakh, India, located in a high-altitude mountain pass on the Chang La seed vault. Hence statement 2 is not correct.On the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen, in the remote Arctic Svalbard archipelago, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault is a secure backup facility for the world’s crop diversity. The Seed Vault stores duplicate seeds from genebanks all over the world for long periods of time. Hence statement 3 is correct.

Q5. Shigella sonnei – recently seen in the news, is:

1. A bacteria that causes contagious intestinal infection.
2. An oil-eating bacteria which is widely being used as a tool for Bioremediation.
3. An alga that can digest low-density plastic sheets.
4. A soil fungus which uses enzymes to rapidly break down plastic materials.

A – Explanation

• Shigella sonnei bacteria has been found to cause food poisoning in people. It is a bacteria that causes contagious intestinal infection. Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

Q6. Which of the given statements with respect to the Press Freedom Index is/are correct?

It is an annual ranking of countries compiled and published by Transparency International based on its own assessment of the countries’ press freedom records in the previous year.The ranking also is an indicator of the quality of journalism.India is ranked 150 in the Press Freedom Index 2022 edition.

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 3 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. None of the above

B – Explanation

• The World Press Freedom Index was released by Reporters Without Borders.Hence statement 1 is not correct. It mainly evaluates three things-
• Pluralism of the press:In other words, the index examines whether a country’s media organisations have varied leanings or whether they lean towards a particular paradigm.Independence of the press: In other words, the index examines whether a country’s press is stopped from reporting the truth.Legislative framework: In other words, the index tries to examine if the government of a country is actively threatening the media, by employing predatory laws and activities. Basically, the index tries to know how safe a journalist is in a country.Hence statement 2 is not correct.India is ranked 150 out of 180 countries in World Press Freedom Index 2022. Attacks on press freedoms had seen an exponential rise in India. Hence statement 3 is correct.

Q7. The terms bawari, nadi and khadin are associated with

1. Various caste systems in ancient India
2. Different administrative related terms used during the period of Palas
3. Sangam literature
4. Traditional water conservation structures

D – Explanation

• Ecologically safe engineering marvels of water conservation have existed in India for nearly 1,500 years, including traditional systems of water harvesting, such as the bawari, jhalara, nadi, tanka, and khadin. Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

Q8. Which one of the following inputs is required in less quantity in case of non-farming activities?

1. Labour
2. Land
3. Raw material
4. Capital

B – Explanation

• Non-farming producing activities are related to those economic activities that do not directly relate to agricultural activities. Non-farming activities include handicrafts, small-scale manufacturing (both domestic and non-domestic), construction, repair, transportation, community service, and so on.Among the given options land is required in less quantity in case of non-farming activities.Hence, option (b) is the correct answer.

Q9. Consider the following pairs:

Tiger Reserve              State

Achanakmar            ChhattisgarhAnamalai                  Tamil NaduKawal                        Telangana

Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

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

D – Explanation

• Tiger ReserveStateAchanakmar Wildlife SanctuaryChhattisgarhAnamalai Tiger Reserve (Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park)Tamil NaduKawal  Tiger ReserveTelanganaAll the pairs are matched correctly.Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

Q10. Consider the following statements with respect to the Sahitya Akademi Award:

It is the highest literary award in India.The literary work should be written by an Indian and published in India.It is awarded to writers who write in one of the “scheduled languages” only.

Which of the statements given above is/are not correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 3 only

C – Explanation

• Statement 1 is not correct: The Sahitya Akademi award is thesecond-highest literary award by the Government of India, after the Jnanpith award.Statement 2 is correct: The literary work should be written by an Indian and published in India.Statement 3 is not correct: It is conferred annually on 24 writers for their outstanding original literary works published in 24 Indian languages recognised by the Akademi. Sahitya Akademi has recognised English and Rajasthani apart from the 22 languages enumerated in the Indian Constitution.