Profile
Settings
Refer your friends
Sign out
Q 1. Palk Strait is situated between which of the following countries?
(a) Indonesia and Sri Lanka
(b) Indonesia and Vietnam
(c) India and Sri Lanka
(d) Indonesia and Australia
Answer: (c)
Recently, Ram Setu has been at the center of several controversies and legal cases. It is also known as Adam’s Bridge. It is a 48-km chain of limestone shoals between Rameswaram on India’s southeast coast and Mannar Island near Sri Lanka’s northwest coast.
Option (c) is correct: Palk Strait is a strait between the Tamil Nadu state of India and the Mannar district of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It connects the Bay of Bengal in the northeast with Palk Bay and then with the Gulf of Mannar in the southwest.
Q 2. Methane is a very potent greenhouse gas. It is converted to carbon dioxide to ease its overall effect on global warming. This process is known as:
(a) Blocking
(b) Ceiling
(c) Flaring
(d) Stooping
Answer: (a)
Methane emissions will likely increase by 13 percent by 2030 without the Global Methane Pledge.
Option (a) is correct: Methane is the most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide. It is produced from the decomposition of animal wastes and biological matter. The emission of this gas can be restricted by using animal wastes and biological matter to produce gobar gas (methane). Methane persists for a much shorter time in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide but is a much more powerful climate-warming gas while it lasts. methane traps more heat, so converting it into something less potent would reduce its climate impact. The process by which methane is converted into carbon dioxide is known as Blocking.
Q 3. With reference to the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), consider the following statements:
1. The act is applicable even if the offense is committed outside India.
2. The Union government has the power to designate an individual or an organization as a terrorist.
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)
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) declared the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its front organizations as an “unlawful association” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act was enacted in 1967 and later strengthened to be modeled as an anti-terror law by the government in 2008 and 2012. In August 2019, Parliament cleared the Unlawful Activities (Prevention), Amendment Bill, 2019 to designate individuals as terrorists on certain grounds provided in the Act.
- The Act gives special procedures to handle terrorist activities, among other things. It aims at the effective prevention of unlawful activities associations in India. Unlawful activity refers to any action taken by an individual or association intended to disrupt the territorial integrity and sovereignty of India.
- UAPA has the death penalty and life imprisonment as the highest punishments. The Act assigns absolute power to the central government, by way of which if the Centre deems an activity as unlawful then it may, by way of an Official Gazette, declare it so.
- Under UAPA, both Indian and foreign nationals can be charged. The offenders will be charged in the same manner whether the act is performed in a foreign land, outside India. (Statement 1 is correct)
- According to the Act, the union government may proclaim or designate an organization as a terrorist organization if it: (i) commits or participates in acts of terrorism, (ii) prepares for terrorism, (iii) promotes terrorism, or (iv) is otherwise involved in terrorism. The Bill also empowers the government to designate individuals as terrorists on the same grounds. (Statement 2 is correct)
Q 4. With reference to the Mahakaleshwar temple, consider the following statements:
1. The present form of the temple was built by the Maratha general Ranoji Shinde in 1734 CE.
2. The temple is located alongside the holy river Kshipra.
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)
Recently, The Prime Minister is to inaugurate the Mahakaleshwar Corridor constructed in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain at a cost of Rs 350 crore, on October 11.
Statement 1 is correct: The temple in its present form was built by the Maratha general Ranoji Shinde in 1734 CE. Before Independence, the Dev Sthan Trust used to look after the temple. This was replaced by the municipal corporation of Ujjain post-Independence. The collectorate office of the Ujjain district now manages the administration of the temple.
Statement 2 is correct: Mahakaleshwar, which means the ‘Lord of time’, refers to Lord Shiva. As per Hindy mythology, the temple was constructed by Lord Brahma and is presently located alongside the holy river Kshipra. Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga in Ujjain is one of the 12 jyotirlingas considered the most sacred abodes of Shiva. As per records, the temple’s Mahakal Lingam is believed to be Swayambhu (self-manifested) and unlike any other jyotirlingas in the country, the idol of Mahakaleshwar faces south.
Q 5. With reference to the IMEI number, consider the following statements:
1. The IMEI is a unique number that is used to identify a device on a mobile network.
2. The IMEI number can help network providers track down a device in case it gets stolen or is lost.
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)
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has made the registration of IMEI numbers of all mobile phones mandatory before their sale in India on its anti-counterfeit and lost handset blocking portal from January 1, 2023.
Statement 1 is correct: The IMEI is a unique number that is used to identify a device on a mobile network. It has 15 digits and is like a phone’s unique identity. The number is used to verify the identity of a device when a user uses the Internet or places a call through it.
Statement 2 is correct: Phones with a dual-SIM option have two IMEI numbers, one for each SIM. The IMEI number can help network providers track down a device in case it gets stolen or is lost. Once such loss or theft is reported, the carriers can deny the device access to the cellular network even with a new SIM card.
