UPSC Essentials — Daily subject-wise quiz : Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 12)

Each day, we will cover one new subject. Attempt today’s subject quiz on Environment, Geography, Science and Technologyto check your progress. Come back tomorrow to solve the Economy Quiz.

QUESTION 1

Primovir, Paxista, Molnunat, and Molnatris were recently in the news. They are:

(a) Generic COVID drugs

(b) Non-communicable diseases

(c) Unmanned Areal Vehicle

QUESTION 2

With reference to the NVS-01 Mission, consider the following statements:

1. It was launched using a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.

2. It is the first of the second-generation satellites envisaged for the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) services.

3. It is equipped with an indigenous atomic clock.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 3

Consider the following pairs:

(Place in News)                      (Region)

1. Yutucan Peninsula             Southeast Mexico

2. Iberian Peninsula              Southwestern Europe

3. Paracel Island                     Indian Ocean

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

(a) Only one pair

(b) Only two pairs

(c) All three pairs

(d) None

QUESTION 4

With reference to the monkeypox, consider the following statements:

1. The monkeypox virus is an orthopoxvirus.

2. It causes symptoms similar to smallpox.

3. It is a disease that is transmitted from infected animals to humans.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 5

Consider the following statements about transfats:

1. It can be of natural origin which is produced in the gut of ruminant animals and found in milk and meat.

2. They increase the tendency of blood to clot, through activation and aggregation of platelets.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

ANSWERS TO MCQs

1. (a)

FYI:

— The demand for Indian generic drugs has shot up in China amid the massive COVID surge in the country, with Chinese experts cautioning that fake versions of these drugs are flooding the market.

— Due to the massive short supply of Paxlovid, demand for Indian generic versions has gone up through Chinese e-commerce platforms.

— Four generic COVID drugs produced in India – Primovir, Paxista, Molnunat, and Molnatris — have been listed for sale in recent weeks. Primovir and Paxista are both generic versions of Paxlovid, while the other two are generic versions of Molnipiravir.

— All four drugs appear to have been approved for emergency use by the Indian authorities but are not legal for use in China.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

2. (b)

FYI:

— The Indian Space Research Organisation successfully launched the first of the five second-generation satellites for the Navigation by Indian Constellation (NavIC). Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— The 2,232 kg satellite, launched using a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle or GSLV rocket, will add to India’s regional navigation system and provide accurate and real-time navigation. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— The satellite took off from the second launch pad at 10.42 am aboard GSLV-F12 and was inserted just over 18 minutes later into a geosynchronous transfer orbit of 173 km *40,700 km that will be circularised over the next couple of days to bring the satellite to its final position.

— NVS-01 is the first of the second-generation satellites envisaged for the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) services.

— NVS series of satellites will sustain and augment the NavIC with enhanced features.

— This series incorporates L1 band signals additionally to widen the services. For the first time, an indigenous atomic clock will be flown in NVS-01. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: www.isro.gov.in)

3. (b)

4. (c)

FYI:

— The monkeypox virus is an orthopoxvirus, which is a genus of viruses that also includes the variola virus, which causes smallpox, and vaccinia virus, which was used in the smallpox vaccine. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Monkeypox causes symptoms similar to smallpox, although they are less severe. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Vaccination eradicated smallpox worldwide in 1980, monkeypox continues to occur in a swathe of countries in Central and West Africa, and has on occasion showed up elsewhere.

— According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), two distinct clade are identified: the West African clade and the Congo Basin clade, also known as the Central African clade.

— Monkeypox is a zoonosis, that is, a disease that is transmitted from infected animals to humans. According to the WHO, cases occur close to tropical rainforests inhabited by animals that carry the virus. Monkeypox virus infection has been detected in squirrels, Gambian poached rats, dormice, and some species of monkeys. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.