UPSC Essentials: Daily Subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 2)

QUESTION 1

Consider the following statements about Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR):

1. It has been developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation.

2. The SFDR-based propulsion enables the missile to intercept aerial threats at short range at ultrasonic speeds.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

QUESTION 2

Consider the following statements with respect to BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile:

1. It is a two stage missile with solid propellent booster engine as its first stage and liquid ramjet as the second stage.

2. It operates on ‘Command Guidance’.

Which of the above statements is/are not correct?

(a) Only 1

(b) Only 2

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

QUESTION 3

This River is a part of Godavari river basin and flows through Satpura and Ajanta ranges. It then flows through Satpura Plateau and plains of Vidarbha region and then finally merges with Godavari river at the border of Maharashtra and Telangana. 

The above description refers to which of the following rivers?

(a) Manjra

(b) Indravati

(c) Sabri

(d) Pranhita

QUESTION 4

Banni grasslands were in the news recently. They are located in:

(a) Rajasthan

(b) Gujarat

(c) Maharashtra

(d) Haryana

QUESTION 5

Consider the following pairs:

    Missile                  Type

1. Helina     –           Anti-tank guided missile

2. Astra       –           Short range ballistic missile

3. Prithvi    –           Air to air missile

4. Agni-5     –           Long range nuclear capable missile

Which of the pair(s) given above is/are correctly matched?

(a) Only one pair.

(b) Only two pairs.

(c) Only three pairs.

(d) All four pairs.

QUESTION 6

Consider the following statements about the coronal holes:

1.These are regions on the sun’s surface from where fast solar wind gushes out into space.

2.The coronal holes formation is a unique phenomenon which takes place frequently.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

QUESTION 7

Which of the following statements is not correct about tropical cyclones?

(a) It has a low pressure centre.

(b) The weather is calm and free of clouds at the central part of the system.

(c) The wind blows clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

(d) They bring torrential rain and coastal flooding.

QUESTION 8

Svante Paabo was in the news recently. He received Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2022:

(a) For his discoveries concerning the genomes of extinct hominins and human evolution.

(b) For their discoveries of receptors for temperature and touch

(c) For the discovery of Hepatitis C virus

(d) For their discoveries of how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability

ANSWERS TO MCQs

 1. (d)

FYI:

— India has successfully tested Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) booster, a missile system, at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur off the Odisha coast.

— The test demonstrated reliable functioning of all critical components involved in the complex missile system and met all the objectives of the mission.

— The SFDR-based propulsion enables the missile to intercept aerial threats at very long range at supersonic speeds. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— There are various measures to track the performance like telemetry, radar and electro optical tracking systems.

— The SFDR has been developed by Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Hyderabad, in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories such as Research Centre Imarat, Hyderabad and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, Pune. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

Point to ponder: Supersonic Vs Ultrasonic

2. (b)

FYI:

— BrahMos is a two-stage missile with a solid propellent booster engine as first stage which helps in attaining supersonic speed and then it gets separated. The second stage consists of liquid ramjet which takes the missile closer to the speed of 3 Mach.

— The missile has flight range up to 290-km with supersonic speed throughout the flight which results in lower dispersion pof targets, quick time engagement and non-interception by any other weapon. It carries a conventional warhead of about 200-300 kgs.

— It operates on the ‘Fire and Forget Principle’. Its destructive power is enhanced due to large kinetic energy on impact. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

Features of BrahMos Missile

— Universal for multiple platforms.

— High supersonic speed throughout the flight.

— Long flight range with varieties of flight trajectories.

— Low radar signature.

— Pinpoint accuracy with high lethal power.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

Other Source: http://www.brahmos.com

3. (d)

FYI:

—The Pranhita river is part of Godavari river basin with a total catchment area of 1,10,000 Sq.Km.

— It flows through Satpura ranges and Ajantha ranges and further through Satpura Plateau and plains of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra before meeting Godavari river at Kaleshwaram on the Telangana – Maharashtra border.

— The Pranhita River System consists of mainly four major tributaries namely, Wainganga, Wardha, Penganga and Peddavagua.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

Other Source: indiawris.gov.in

4. (b)

FYI:

— The Banni grasslands of Gujarat constitute about 4.33 per cent (8,490 sq km) of the total geographical area, distributed in eight districts and three different climatic regions, Kutch, Saurashtra and central Gujarat.

— A majority of grasslands in Gujarat (41 per cent) are found in the Kutch district. Banni grassland was declared a Protected Forest in 1955, under the Indian Forest Act, 1927

— Banni is also home to the Indian wolf, jackal, Indian fox, desert fox, desert cat, caracal, hyena, chinkara, Nilgai, wild boar, Indian hare, common monitor lizard, and the cheetah before it became extinct.

— The Gujarat forest department will restore 10,000 hectares of the Banni grasslands in the coming year, and every year in the coming decade.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

5. (b)

FYI:

Missile	Description
Helina	HELINA (Helicopter based NAG) is a third generation fire and forget class anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system mounted on the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH).
Astra	The Astra Mk-1 is a beyond visual range (BVR), air-to-air missile (AAM).The missile has been designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for deployment on fighter jets like Sukhoi-30 MKI and Tejas of the IAF and the Mig-29K of the Navy.BVM missiles are capable of engaging beyond the range of 20 nautical miles or 37 kilometres
Prithvi	Prithvi is a short range ballistic missile. It was developed by Defence Research And Development Organisation (DRDO) under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.
Agni – 5	Agni-5 is a long-range surface-to-surface nuclear capable ballistic missile which uses a three-stage solid-fuelled engine. The nuclear-capable missile has been developed by the Defence Research and Development organisation (DRDO). The development of Agni missiles started in early 1980 under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme spearheaded by scientist and former President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, who was also a central figure in India’s missile and space programmes.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

Other Source: http://www.drdo.gov.in/helina

6. (a)

FYI:

— Coronal holes are regions on the sun’s surface from where fast solar wind gushes out into space. They contain little solar material, they have lower temperatures and thus appear much darker than their surroundings. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Coronal holes can last between a few weeks to months. The holes are not a unique phenomenon, they appear throughout the sun’s approximately 11-year solar cycle. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

7. (c)

FYI:

— A tropical cyclone is a rapid rotating storm which originates over tropical oceans from where it draws the energy to develop.

— It has a low pressure centre and clouds spiral towards the eyewall surrounding the “eye”, the central part of the system where the weather is normally calm and free of clouds.

— Its diameter is typically around 200 to 500 km, but can reach 1000 km.

— A tropical cyclone brings very violent winds, torrential rain, high waves and, in some cases, very destructive storm surges and coastal flooding.

— The winds blow counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

Source: public.wmo.int

8.(a)

FYI:

— Svante Paabo received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2022 for his discoveries concerning the genomes of extinct hominins and human evolution.

— Svante Pääbo succeeded in sequencing the genome of the Neanderthal. He also discovered a previously unknown hominin, Denisova.

— He found that gene transfer had occurred from these now extinct hominins to Homo sapiens following the migration out of Africa around 70,000 years ago.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

Source: http://www.nobelprize.org

Previous Quizzes:

Polity and Governance (Week 1)

Polity and Governance (Week 2)

History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 1)

History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 2)

UPSC Weekly Quiz (Current Affairs)

Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 1)

International Relations (Week 1)

Tomorrow’s Quiz: UPSC Weekly Quiz (Current Affairs)

Monday’s Quiz: Economy 

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