Daily MCQs 26 September

Q 1. With reference to the Coal gasification, consider the following statements: 

1. In the gasification process, sulphur present in the coal is converted to hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and minor amounts of carbonyl sulphide (COS). 

2. Syngas, which comes from coal gasification plants is suitable for the manufacturing of hydrogen and basic chemicals such as ammonia. 

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)

Easing the way for setting up of coal-to-chemical projects through Surface Coal Gasification (SCG) route, Coal India Limited (CIL), under the aegis of Ministry of Coal, will be inking three major Memorandum of Undertaking (MoU) on 27th September 2022 in New Delhi. Through SCG route coal is converted into syngas that can be subsequently processed for downstream production of value added chemicals. These are otherwise produced through imported natural gas or crude oil. Envisaged end products would be di-methyl ether, synthetic natural gas and ammonium nitrate.

Statement 1 is correct: Coal gasification offers a practical means of utilizing coal for meeting stringent environmental control requirements. In the gasification process, sulphur present in the coal is converted to hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and minor amounts of carbonyl sulphide (COS). These sulphur compounds can be easily and economically removed from gas streams by a wide variety of commercially available processes (i.e., acid gas removal systems). The separated acid gas is further processed to recover elemental sulphur. After the acid gas removal treatment, only few ppm of sulphur remains in the coal gas.

Statement 2 is correct: The major advantage of gasification is that coal is converted into a gaseous fuel which is easy to handle and is a clean form of energy. In the gaseous form, it enables to substitute petroleum products and natural gas. The synthesis gas has wide range of applications. It can be used in Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) system for efficient and clean generation of electric power. It is suitable for the manufacturing of hydrogen and basic chemicals such as ammonia, methanol, substitute natural gas, CTL (coal to liquid), as reduction gas in steel industry etc. It can be used in complex of plants for the simultaneous production of electric power, chemicals/ fertilizers, reduction gas and fuels which also improve the economics of coal gasification.

Q 2. Consider the following statements: 

1. Attorney General of India and Solicitor General of India are the only officers of the Government who are allowed to participate in the meetings of the Parliament of India.

2. According to the Constitution of India, the Attorney General of India submits his resignation when the Government which appointed him resigns.

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: (d)

The tenure of the incumbent Attorney General, K.K. Venugopal, is coming to a close on September 30. The 90-year-old jurist has made it clear that he would not want to continue as the top law officer. Mr. Rohatgi (67) had served as the 14th Attorney General of India.

Statement 1 is not correct: According to Article 76(1), the President shall appoint a person who is qualified to be appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court to be Attorney-General for India. The Attorney General has the right to speak and to take part in the proceedings of both the Houses of Parliament or their joint sitting and any committee of the Parliament of which he may be named a member but without a right to vote. He enjoys all the privileges and immunities that are available to a member of Parliament, but Solicitor General does not have any provision participate in the meetings of Parliament (The post of Solicitor General is merely Statutory and not Constitutional). 

Statement 2 is not correct: According to Article 76(4), the Attorney-General shall hold office during the pleasure of the President and shall receive such remuneration as the President may determine. Hence, Attorney General can be removed by the president at any time. Since he is appointed by the president on the advice of the council of ministers, conventionally he resigns when the council is dissolved. But it is not mandatory. In addition to the Attorney General of India, there are other law officers of the Government of India. They are the solicitor general of India and the additional solicitor general of India. They assist the Attorney General of India in the fulfilment of his official responsibilities. It should be noted here that only the office of the AG is created by the Constitution. In other words, Article 76 does not mention about the solicitor general and additional solicitor general.

Q 3. “MEHAR BABA COMPETITION-II”, recently seen in the news, is launched for:

a. providing a boost to the growing indigenous drone industry

b. achieving the cherished goal of eradication of child labour

c. helping women to achieve economic independence

d. training and educating the aspiring young entrepreneurs in India

Answer: (a)

Option (a) is correct: To provide a boost to the growing indigenous drone industry, Hon’ble Raksha Mantri had launched the “MEHAR BABA COMPETITION-II” on 06 April 2022 at Air Headquarters (Vayu Bhawan). The competition is aimed at developing technology for a “Swarm Drone Based System to Detect Foreign Objects on Aircraft Operating Surfaces”. The competition is named after the legendary Air Commodore Mehar Singh, MVC, DSO – affectionately also known as Mehar Baba. The first edition of the competition was launched in October 2018 and had culminated in October 2021. 

All aircraft operators face a challenge in keeping the aircraft operating surfaces clean and clear of Foreign Object Debris (FOD). Very often, this is a labour-intensive task that needs to be repeated over a day. This manpower could be more gainfully employed if personnel could focus solely on their core tasks. Furthermore, visual spotting of FOD in low light conditions becomes rather challenging.

Q 4. With reference to India, consider the following statements: 

1. Under 5 Mortality Rate (U5MR) India is witnessing a progressive reduction since 2014. 

2. No state in India has yet achieved the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) target of Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR). 

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: (a)

In a significant milestone, India has achieved landmark achievement in further reduction of child mortality rates. As per the Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report 2020 released on 22nd September 2022 by Registrar General of India (RGI), the country has been witnessing a progressive reduction in IMR, U5MR and NMR since 2014 towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets by 2030.

Statement 1 is correct: Under 5 Mortality Rate (U5MR) for the country has shown significant decline of 3 points (Annual Decline Rate: 8.6%) from 2019 (32 per 1000 live births in 2020 against 35 per 1000 live births in 2019). It varies from 36 in rural areas to 21 in urban areas.

Statement 2 is not correct:  As per SRS 2020 Report, 

• Six (6) States/ UT have already attained SDG target of NMR (<=12 by 2030):  Kerala (4), Delhi (9), Tamil Nadu (9), Maharashtra (11), Jammu & Kashmir (12) and Punjab (12). 
• Eleven (11) States/UT have already attained SDGs target of U5MR (<=25 by 2030): Kerala (8), Tamil Nadu (13), Delhi (14), Maharashtra (18), J&K (17), Karnataka (21), Punjab (22), West Bengal (22), Telangana (23), Gujarat (24), and Himachal Pradesh (24).

Q 5. With reference to the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), consider the following statements: 

1. Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) will provide choice to individuals to access both public and private health services. 

2. Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) will help digitize the claims process and enable faster reimbursement. 

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)

“Arogya Manthan 2022” will be organised on 25th September, 2022 to celebrate four years of implementation of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri – Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) and one year of implementation of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).

Statement 1 is correct: The implementation of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) is expected to significantly improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency of health service delivery overall. It will empower individuals with accurate information to enable informed decision making and increase accountability of healthcare providers. It will provide choice to individuals to access both public and private health services, facilitate compliance with laid down guidelines and protocols, and ensure transparency in pricing of services and accountability for the health services being rendered.

Statement 2 is correct: Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) will help digitize the claims process and enable faster reimbursement. This will enhance the overall ease of providing services amongst the health care providers. It would facilitate a comprehensive feedback loop between researchers, policymakers, and providers.