Daily MCQs for UPSC Preparation » Daily MCQs 1 August

Daily MCQs 1 August

Q 1. The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest modular space station currently in low Earth orbit jointly run by a multinational collaboration of space agencies. Which of the following space agencies are part of the ISS?

1. NASA

2. ISRO

3. JAXA

4. ROSCOSMOS

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(A) 1, 2 and 3 only

(B) 2, 3 and 4 only

(C) 1, 3 and 4 only

(D) 1, 2 and 4 only

Answer: (C)

The new chief of ROSCOSMOS, recently said that Russia will pull out of the International Space Station after 2024 and focus on building its own orbiting outpost, amid high tensions between Moscow and the West over the fighting in Ukraine.

Option (c) is correct: The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), ROSCOSMOS (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada).

Q 2. Consider the following statements:

1. European Free Trade Association countries are part of the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA).

2. One member of the EU holds a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

3. Switzerland is not an EU or EEA member but is part of the single market.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(A) 1 and 2 only

(B) 2 and 3 only

(C) 1 and 3 only

(D) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (B)

European Union (EU) member countries recently agreed to lower their natural gas use by 15% between August and March, in order to prepare for further cuts in gas supply by Moscow. Some 40% of the EU’s gas came from Russia last year, making member countries vulnerable to fluctuations in supply.

Statement 1 is not correct: EFTA stands for the European Free Trade Association. It is a regional trade organization and free trade area consisting of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. None of these countries is part of the European Union, but aside from Switzerland, others are all part of the European Economic Area. Its free trade agreements foresee the elimination of import duties on industrial goods and fish. In addition, the EFTA States have added substantive rules and commitments on services, investment and/or public procurement to the agreements as a response to globalization.

Statement 2 is correct: After Brexit, only France holds a permanent seat on the UN Security Council from European Union countries. The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union, consisting of 27 member states that are subject to the obligations and privileges of the membership.

Statement 3 is correct: EEA stands for European Economic Area. There are 30 EEA countries: The 27 EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. It allows them to be part of the EU’s single market. Switzerland is not an EU or EEA member but is part of the single market. This means Swiss nationals have the same rights to live and work in the UK as other EEA nationals.

Q 3. In India, for the treatment of which one of the following infections, an antiretroviral medicine Dolutegravir is used together with other medications?

(A) COVID-19

(B) Monkeypox

(C) HIV/AIDS

(D) Japanese encephalitis

Answer: (C)

Recently, a group of HIV patients have been protesting against the shortage of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. India is one of the few countries that provide free medicines for lifelong treatment of more than 14.5 lakh HIV-positive people through 680 ART centres under its National AIDS Control Programme, which is fully funded by the Government of India. The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) centrally procures the drugs following national guidelines. The mainstay of treatment for more than 85% of HIV-positive people is the TLD (a fixed-dose combination of three antiretroviral drugs, Tenofovir (300 mg), Lamivudine (300 mg) and Dolutegravir (50 mg).

Option (C) is correct: The WHO recommends the use of the HIV drug dolutegravir (DTG) as the preferred first-line and second-line treatment for all populations, including pregnant women and those of childbearing potential. Dolutegravir is in a class of medications called HIV integrase inhibitors. It works by decreasing the amount of HIV in your blood and increasing the number of immune cells that help fight infections in your body. Although dolutegravir does not cure HIV, using it along with other medications may decrease your chance of developing acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and HIV-related illnesses such as serious infections or cancer.

Q 4. As per the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 in India, which one of the following statements is correct? (2019)

(A) The Waste generator has to segregate waste into five categories.

(B) The Rules are applicable to notified urban local bodies, notified towns and all industrial townships only.

(C) The Rules provide exact and elaborate criteria for the identification of sites for landfills and waste processing facilities.

(D) It is mandatory on the part of the waste generator that the waste generated in one district cannot be moved to another district.

Answer: (C)

Urban India alone generates nearly 0.15 million tonnes per day of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), with per capita generation ranging between 0.30 kg per day to 0.45 kg per day. The volume of waste is projected to reach 165 million tonnes by 2031 and 436 million tonnes by 2050, if existing policies, programmes and management strategies are not adequately addressed.

Option (C) is correct: Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 replaced the Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000.  Waste processing facilities will have to be set up by all local bodies.

  • Further, the landfill site shall be 100 metres away from a river, 200 metres from a pond and 20 km away from airports/airbases. The rules provide exact and elaborate criteria for the identification of landfill sites and waste processing facilities.
  • The bio-degradable waste should be processed, treated and disposed of through composting or biomethanation within the premises as far as possible. The residual waste shall be given to its waste collectors or agency as directed by the local authority.
  • There is no such provision that makes it mandatory on the part of the waste generator that the waste generated in one district cannot be moved to another district.
  • Waste generators would have to segregate waste into three streams- Biodegradables, Dry (Plastic, Paper, metal, Wood, etc.) and Domestic Hazardous waste (diapers, napkins, mosquito repellants, cleaning agents etc.) before handing it over to the collector.

Q 5. With reference to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, consider the following statements:

1. It is a criminal law enacted to prevent money laundering and to provide for confiscation of property derived from, or involved in, money laundering and related matters.

2. The provisions of this act are applicable to all financial institutions, banks (Including RBI), mutual funds, insurance companies, and their financial intermediaries.

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

Answer: (C)

In a recent hearing, the Supreme Court of India upheld the constitutional validity of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The court underlined that the principle of innocence of the accused/offender is regarded as a human right but that presumption can be interdicted by a law made by the Parliament/Legislature.

Statement 1 is correct: Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 is a criminal law enacted to prevent money laundering and to provide for confiscation of property derived from, or involved in, money laundering and related matters. It forms the core of the legal framework put in place by India to combat Money Laundering.

Statement 2 is correct: The provisions of this act are applicable to all financial institutions, banks (Including RBI), mutual funds, insurance companies, and their financial intermediaries. PMLA, 2002 levied a fine up to Rs 5 lakh, but the amendment act has removed this upper limit. It has provided for provisional attachment and confiscation of property of any person involved in such activities.