20 October 2022

Q. Consider the following with respect to Kisan Vikas Patra:

1. KVP is a saving certificate programme that India Post originally introduced in 1988.
2. The National Small Savings Fund does not consider it to be a component.
3. 500 rupees is the minimum investment amount.

Which of the aforementioned statements is true?

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

Explanation:

• KVP is a saving certificate programme that India Post initially introduced in 1988. Investments increased throughout the program’s mature term. As a result, statement 1 is true.
• It is regarded as a component of the National Small Savings Fund. It was discontinued in 2011 and then revived in 2014. As a result, assertion 2 is untrue.
• In 112 months, the principal’s investment in KVP would have doubled. Interest rates are 7.6% as of June 29, 2019.
• KVP certificates come in values of 1000, 5000, 10,000, and 50,000 rupees.
• 1000 rupees is the minimum investment amount. The cost of buying KVPs has no maximum limit, nevertheless. As a result, statement 3 is untrue.

Q. Which of the following was a topic on which the Indian government’s Shantilal Shah Committee focused?

1. Indian Railways
2. Abortion debate
3. Raising farmer income by twofold
4. Revised new educational policy

Explanation:

• A woman might receive three years in prison and/or a fine under Section 312 of the Indian Penal Code for having an abortion prior to the 1960s (IPC).
• The government established the Shantilal Shah Committee in the middle of the 1960s and ordered the panel, led by Dr. Shantilal Shah, to investigate the issue of abortions and determine whether India needed a law for the same. As a result, option B is correct.

Q. Consider the following pairs in relation to India’s historical textile crafts:

Textile – Region

1. Sungadi – Chattisgarh
2. Himroo – Hyderabad
3. Thigma – Nagaland
4. Kunbi – Goa

How many of the pairs are matched correctly?

1. One pair only
2. Two pairs only
3. Three pairs only
4. All four pairs are correctly matched

Explanation

• Some of the fabrics that were chosen included Sungadi and Toda embroidery from Tamil Nadu, Himroo from Hyderabad, and Bandha tie-dye from Sambalpur in Odisha. As a result, pair 1 is mismatched while pair 2 is correctly matched.
• Khes from Panipat, Chamba rumals from Himachal Pradesh, Thigma or wool tie and dye from Ladakh, and Awadh Jamdani from Varanasi are a few of the famous handcrafted textiles from north India that have been documented. As a result, pair 3 is mismatched.
• Ilkal and Lambadi or Banjara needlework from Karnataka, Sikalnayakanpet Kalamkari from Thanjavur, and other southern textiles have been added.
• The list of 50 famous textiles also includes Kunbi weaves from Goa, Mashru weaves and Patola from Gujarat, Himroo from Maharashtra, and Garad-Koirial from West Bengal. As a result, pair 4 is properly matched.

Q. Which of the following groups of countries make up the Pacific Islands?

1. Cook Island
2. Fiji
3. Kiribati
4. Marshall Islands Republic
5. Niue

Using the codes below, choose the right response:

1. Only 1, 2, 3, and 4
2. Only 2, 3, and 4
3. Only 1, 2, 3, and 5
4. 1, 2, 3,4 and 5

Explanation:

• A group of 14 republics known as the Pacific Island Countries are mostly found in the tropical region of the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Asia, Australia, and the Americas.
• They are the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. As a result, choice D is right.

Q. Take into account the following claims regarding IMEI numbers:

• A device on a mobile network can be recognised by its IMEI, a special number.
• It is similar to a phone’s unique identification and includes 18 numbers.

Which of the aforementioned statements is true?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. All of 1 and 2
4. None of 1 or 2

Explanation:

• The first statement is true. An individual number is used to uniquely identify a device on a mobile network. This number is called the IMEI, or International Mobile Equipment Identity.
• The second statement is untrue. It is similar to a phone’s unique identification and includes 15 numbers.
• When a user accesses the Internet or makes a call over it, the number is used to confirm the identification of the device.
• Manufacturers of smartphones will now be required to register the IMEI numbers of the handsets they produce starting in 2019.
• All IMEI numbers for mobile phones and smartphones must now be registered with the Indian Counterfeit Device Restriction (ICDR) portal, according to a new regulation that makers must abide by.
• Beginning January 1, 2023, the law will be in effect, and all manufacturers must abide with it.
• The law was passed to address the problem of counterfeit goods skipping inspection by exploiting these IMEI numbers. The risk of black marketing, phone theft, and phone tampering are all increased by unregistered IMEI numbers.

Q. Which of the following countries is home to the area of Zaporizhzh?

1. Ukraine
2. Finland
3. Japan
4. Switzerland

Explanation:

• In the southeast of Ukraine, on the banks of the Dnieper River, sits the city of Zaporizhzhia.
• The Zaporizhzhia Oblast’s administrative centre is there.

Q. Take into account the following claims regarding the Global Innovation Index:

1. The World Intellectual Property Organization issued it (WIPO).
2. In the Global Innovation Index 2022, India dropped six spots to take up position 40.

Which of the aforementioned statements is true?

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

Explanation:

• The first statement is true. Published by the World Intellectual Property Organization is the Global Innovation Index (GII) (WIPO)
• The second statement is untrue. In the Global Innovation Index 2022, India moved up six spots to position 40 as a result of improvements in a number of factors.
• In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, sluggish productivity growth, and other shifting issues, the 2022 edition of the Worldwide Innovation Index (GII) examines the most recent global innovation trends.
• It identifies the nations with the most inventive economy while outlining the strengths and shortcomings of innovation in 132 economies.
• For the 12th year in a row, Switzerland has the most creative economy in the world in 2022, followed by the US, Sweden, the UK, and the Netherlands. According to the GII 2022, China is closing in on the top 10, while India and Turkey both make their debut appearances in the top 40.

Q. Take into account the following claims regarding the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act:

1. On the opinion of one doctor, abortion is permitted up to 20 weeks; on the advice of two doctors, it may be permitted up to 24 weeks.
2. Both married and unmarried women are permitted to end their pregnancies under the laws.

Which of the aforementioned statements is true?

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

Explanation

• The Act governs the circumstances under which a pregnancy may be terminated.
• On the recommendation of one doctor up to 20 weeks, and two doctors in the case of specific groups of women between 20 and 24 weeks, abortion is permitted. Therefore, statement 1 is true.
• In cases of significant foetal abnormalities, it establishes state-level Medical Boards to determine whether a pregnancy may be ended after 24 weeks.
• According to a recent ruling by the Supreme Court, Rule 3B(c) of the MTP Act must be read in conjunction with the other sub-clauses under 3B.
• when other clauses do not distinguish between women who are married and those who are not. Therefore, it permits both married and unmarried women to end their pregnancies for special reasons when the foetus is between 20 and 24 weeks old. As a result, statement two is true.

Q. Take into account the following statements:

• Using renewable energy, water is electrolyzed to create green hydrogen.
• When brown hydrogen is created with coal, airborne pollutants are produced.
• Natural gas is used to create blue hydrogen, and the resulting emissions are released into the atmosphere.

Which of the aforementioned statements is true?

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

Explanation:

Varieties of hydrogen:

• The first statement is true. Green hydrogen has a lower carbon footprint and is created by electrolyzing water with renewable energy sources (like solar and wind). Water is split into hydrogen and oxygen by electricity.
• Water and water vapour are byproducts.
• The second statement is true. Coal is used to make brown hydrogen, and the byproducts are discharged into the atmosphere.
• The third statement is untrue. Natural gas is used to create blue hydrogen, and carbon capture and storage is used to reduce emissions.
• Natural gas is used to create grey hydrogen, and the resulting emissions are released into the atmosphere.
• Pink hydrogen is hydrogen produced using nuclear energy-powered electrolysis, which emits no carbon dioxide. Despite the fact that using nuclear energy produces radioactive waste that must be stored safely for a very long time.
• Yellow hydrogen is produced by electrolysis using electricity from the grid. Depending on the sources used to power the grid, the carbon emissions vary substantially.
• Turquoise hydrogen is created when methane is divided into hydrogen and solid carbon using heat in reactors or blast furnaces, a process known as pyrolysis. Turquoise hydrogen is still in the early phases of commercialization, and its environmental benefits depend on using clean energy to fuel the pyrolysis and storing the actual carbon.

Q. Take into account the following claims about 5G technology:

• The Long-Term Evolution (LTE) mobile broadband networks, which have a higher latency than 4G, have just undergone an upgrade.
• It mostly operates in the mid- and high-frequency spectrums.

Which of the aforementioned statements is true?

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

Explanation:

• The first statement is untrue. Latency has decreased with 5G. Fixed broadband has a latency of between 10 and 20 milliseconds, advanced 4G has a latency of roughly 40 milliseconds, and 3G has a latency of 65 milliseconds. While 4 milliseconds is the aim for an upgraded mobile broadband service, 5G is anticipated to run with a latency of as little as 1 millisecond, enabling mission-critical and Internet of Things applications to function below this target.

The second statement is untrue. Low, mid, and high frequency spectrum bands—which each have their own purposes and restrictions—are where 5G mostly operates.

Low Band Spectrum: The highest possible speed for data exchange and Internet coverage is 100 Mbps (Megabits per second). It can therefore be used and installed by telecom operators for commercial cellphone users who might not have specific needs for extremely fast Internet. The low band spectrum, however, might not be ideal for the industry’s specialised needs.

Mid Band Spectrum: It provides faster speeds compared to low band, but has restrictions on signal penetration and coverage area. Industries and specialised production units may use this band to create captive networks that can be tailored to the requirements of that particular industry.

High Band Spectrum: This band has the fastest speed of the three, but its range and signal intensity are incredibly constrained. Although it will require significant infrastructure, this band significantly improves applications of 5G technology used in the future, including Internet of Things (IoT) and smart technologies.