25 November 2023

Q1. Consider the following statements:

1. Countries near the Equator do not experience high variations in daytime hours between seasons.
2. Daylight saving time (DST) is the practice of setting the clocks forward one hour from the standard time during autumn and back again in summer.
3. India officially follow daylight saving time in North-eastern states during summer.

How many of the above statements is/are correct?

1. a) Only one
2. b) Only two
3. c) All three
4. d) None

Solution: a)

• Only Statement 1 is correct.
• Daylight saving time (DST) is the practice of setting the clocks forward one hour from the standard time during the summer and back again in the autumn. This is done to make better use of natural daylight. India does not follow daylight saving time as countries near the Equator do not experience high variations in daytime hours between seasons.

Q2. Overheating of an economy can occur when:

1. there is high consumption and low savings.
2. its productive capacity is unable to keep pace with growing aggregate demand.

Select the correct answer code:

1. a) 1 only
2. b) 2 only
3. c) Both 1 and 2
4. d) Neither 1 nor 2

Solution: c)

• Overheating of an economy occurs when its productive capacity is unable to keep pace with growing aggregate demand leading to inflation.
• When there is excess demand and low supply, high consumption and low savings can lead to a situation where there is a shortage of investible capital. The economy is unable to supply demanded goods and prices start increases.
• This can be caused due to additional liquidity pumped in the system by the central bank or government. When people have more money in the short-term, they can demand more goods and services causing the economy to heat up in the short-term, until the demand is satisfied.

Q3. Consider the following statements regarding the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau:

1. It is a statutory multi-disciplinary body established under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960
2. It assists and advises the Customs authorities in inspection of the consignments of flora & fauna.
3. It is mandated to establish a centralized wildlife crime data bank.

How many of the above statements is/are correct?

1. a) Only one
2. b) Only two
3. c) All three
4. d) None

Solution: b)

• Statement 1 is incorrect.
• Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is a statutory multi-disciplinary body established by the Government of India under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, to combat organized wildlife crime in the country. It was established under the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972.

Under Section 38 (Z) of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972:

• it is mandated to collect and collate intelligence related to organized wildlife crime activities and to disseminate the same to State and other enforcement agencies for immediate action so as to apprehend the criminals;
• to establish a centralized wildlife crime data bank;
• co-ordinate actions by various agencies in connection with the enforcement of the provisions of the Act;
• assist foreign authorities and international organization concerned to facilitate co-ordination and universal action for wildlife crime control;
• capacity building of the wildlife crime enforcement agencies for scientific and professional investigation into wildlife crimes and assist State Governments to ensure success in prosecutions related to wildlife crimes; and
• advise the Government of India on issues relating to wildlife crimes having national and international ramifications, relevant policy and laws.
• It also assists and advises the Customs authorities in inspection of the consignments of flora & fauna as per the provisions of Wild Life Protection Act, CITES and EXIM Policy governing such an item.

Q4. Consider the following statements:

1. The government has the power to control the prices of certain medicines, those needed in public interest, through the Drug Prices Control Order.
2. The patented drugs are not included in the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM).
3. Once a drug is included in the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM), its prices are controlled by the central government and cannot be changed by companies themselves.

How many of the above statements is/are correct?

1. a) Only one
2. b) Only two
3. c) All three
4. d) None

Solution: b)

• Statement 2 is incorrect.
• The government has the power to control the prices of certain medicines, those needed in public interest, through the Drug Prices Control Order. The National List of Essential Medicines forms the primary basis for considering a drug as essential and controlling its prices. Additionally, the prices of drugs other than those included in the NLEM may also be controlled through the DPCO.
• Once a drug is included in the NLEM, its prices are controlled by the central government and cannot be changed by companies themselves.
• The NLEM-2022 has also included at least four drugs that are still under patent.

Q5. Consider the following statements regarding Generative AI:

1. Generative AI (GenAI) is a type of Artificial Intelligence that can create a wide variety of data, such as images, videos, audio, text, and 3D models.
2. ChatGPT, a chatbot developed by OpenAI runs on generative AI.
3. GenAI is capable of producing highly realistic and complex content that mimics human creativity.

How many of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Solution: c)

• Generative AI (GenAI) is a type of Artificial Intelligence that can create a wide variety of data, such as images, videos, audio, text, and 3D models. It does this by learning patterns from existing data, then using this knowledge to generate new and unique outputs. GenAI is capable of producing highly realistic and complex content that mimics human creativity, making it a valuable tool for many industries such as gaming, entertainment, and product design.
• The most famous generative AI application is ChatGPT, a chatbot that Microsoft-backed OpenAI released late last year.