Q1. Which of the following statements about the Global Positioning System (GPS) is correct?
(a) GPS relies on a network of ground-based radar stations to determine location.
(b) GPS can only provide location information on land and is not used for navigation at sea.
(c) GPS satellites orbit the Earth and provide signals that are used to calculate precise location, velocity, and time.
(d) GPS signals are transmitted through underground cables to determine location accuracy.
Ans: (c)
Explanation:
- GPS consists of a constellation of satellites that continuously orbit the Earth. These satellites transmit signals that are received by GPS receivers on the ground. By calculating the time it takes for signals from multiple satellites to reach the receiver, the GPS receiver can determine its precise location, velocity, and time.’
Q2. Three names stand out among the large number of Indians who initiated and carried out the economic analysis of British rule during the years 1870-1905. Which of the following Indians is NOT one of them?
(a) Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade
(b) Dadabhai Naoroji
(c) Romesh Chandra Dutt
(d) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Ans: (d)
Explanation:
- Three names stand out among the large number of Indians who initiated and carried out the economic analysis of British rule during the years 1870-1905. The tallest of the three was Dadabhai Naoroji, known in the pre-Gandhian era as the Grand Old Man of India. Born in 1825, he became a successful businessman but devoted his entire life and wealth to the creation of a national movement in India. His near contemporary Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade, taught an entire generation of Indians the value of modem industrial development. Romesh Chandra Dutt, a retired ICS officer, published The Economic History of India at the beginning of the 20th century in which he examined in minute detail the entire economic record of colonial rule since 1757.
- These three leaders along with G.V. Joshi, G. Subramaniya lyer, G.K. Gokhale, Prithwis Chandra Ray and hundreds of other political workers and journalists analysed every aspect of the economy and subjected the entire range of economic issues and colonial economic policies to minute scrutiny.
Q3. With reference to Shivaji Jayanti, consider the following statements:
- Mahatma Phule started the celebration of Shivaji Jayanti which was then taken forward by Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
- The main aim of the day is to honor the great warrior’s role in restoring the Maratha Empire and to celebrate his vast legacy.
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:
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti marks the birth anniversary of the great Maratha emperor Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The main aim of the day is to honour the great warrior’s role in restoring the Maratha Empire and to celebrate his vast legacy.
- The celebration of Shiv Jayanti was set by Jyotirao Govindrao Phule, also known as Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, in 1870.
Q4. What are galactic tides?
(a) The gravitational forces that cause water to rise and fall in Earth’s oceans.
(b) The gravitational interactions between galaxies that can distort their shapes.
(c) The rhythmic pulsations of stars within a galaxy.
(d) The alternating periods of day and night on planets within a galaxy.
Ans: (b)
Explanation:
- Context: Galactic tides, similar to the tides in Earth’s oceans but on a much larger scale, are caused by gravitational forces within galaxies, resulting from interactions between celestial objects like stars and gas clouds.
- These tidal forces play a significant role in shaping the evolution of galaxies. They can alter a galaxy’s structure by creating features like tidal tails and bridges, stimulating star formation, and disrupting smaller star systems.
- Over vast stretches of time, galactic tides also perturb the orbits of stars, leading to long-term changes in the structure of galaxies. Galactic tides even influence how neighbouring galaxies interact with each other.
- Galactic tides also impact supermassive black holes located at the centres of galaxies, resulting in events that alter how these cosmic giants interact with nearby stars.
Q5. What is OSIRIS-REx?
(a) A type of asteroid
(b) A NASA spacecraft mission
(c) A space telescope
(d) A lunar rover
Ans: (b)
Explanation:
- Context: A NASA space capsule carrying the largest sample ever collected from an asteroid landed on Utah’s Test and Training Range.
- The capsule was released from the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, which had been in space for seven years and collected the sample from the asteroid Bennu. Scientists will use this sample to learn more about the origins of the solar system.
- The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, renamed OSIRIS-APEX (OSIRIS-Apophis Explorer), did not return to Earth’s surface. Instead, it separated from the sample return capsule and will continue its mission to study another near-Earth asteroid named Apophis when it comes close to Earth in 2029.
