UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : Science and Technology MCQs on nebula, meissner effect, Sanchar Saathi and more (Week 139)

3. It provides different aspects related to end-user security, telecom and information security.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— The Centre has asked smartphone companies in India to preinstall a state-developed cybersecurity application that allows users to report fraudulent calls and messages and stolen mobile phones, The Indian Express has learnt. Users should not be able to delete the application, the Department has told smartphone companies. It has insisted that all new devices sold by the manufacturers come pre-installed with the ‘Sanchar Saathi’ application, and a software update to be issued to phones that have already been sold with the application made available with it.

— At present, Sanchar Saathi is available as a mobile application as well as a website. For now, its use is optional. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The Sanchar Saathi website says, “Sanchar Saathi is a citizen centric initiative of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to empower mobile subscribers, strengthen their security and increase awareness about citizen centric initiatives of the Government… Sanchar Saathi provides various citizen centric services. In addition, its Keep Yourself Aware facility provides latest updates and awareness material on different aspects related to end user security, telecom and information security.” Hence, statement 2 is not correct and statement 3 is correct.

— It offers various facilities, like blocking a stolen phone, checking mobile connections in your name, and reporting suspected fraud through an option called Chakshu.

— “Chakshu facilitates citizens to report the suspected fraud communications with the intention of defrauding telecom service users for cyber-crime, financial frauds, non-bonafide purposes like impersonation or any other misuse through Call, SMS or WhatsApp. Few examples of suspected fraud communications are communication related to impersonation as DoT / TRAI, police, Government official, suspected investment & trading, KYC & Payment related to Bank / Electricity / Gas / Insurance etc,” the website says. However, it cautions that Chakshu can’t be used to report cybercrimes.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

Ossification is the process of:

(a) Blood clotting

(b) Digestion of proteins

(c) Formation of cartilage

(d) Bone formation

Explanation

— A Pakistani couple who had crossed into Kutch in October, claiming to have fled their village because their families opposed their relationship, have been booked under The Foreigners Act and the Passports Act after they were found to be adults, and not minors as they had claimed.

— Tara Ranmal Chudi, or Toto, and Puja Karsan Chudi, or Meena, who claim to hail from Lasri village in the Tharparkar district of Pakistan, were not carrying any documents when they entered the village of Ratanpar in India. While Toto said he was around 16 years old, Meena said she was around 15. However, their medical examination has revealed that Toto is over 20, and Meena is between 18 and 20 years of age.

— The procedure for Medical Age Estimation is established in law, under which a person’s bones and teeth are examined to determine age. Specifically, experts measure the level of ossification of bones and mineralisation of teeth to figure out the age of a person.

— Ossification is the process of bone formation, where cartilage and other tissues harden into bones. Mineralisation is the natural enamel repair process of teeth.

— Since bones and teeth follow set biological processes for development, and are relatively unaffected by environmental changes unlike other parts of the body, they are the preferred choice for age estimation procedures.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

The Meissner effect is:

(a) expulsion of magnetic fields from a superconductor

(b) increase in resistance below the critical temperature

(c) phenomenon of ferromagnets losing magnetism when heated

(d) magnetic field trapped inside a normal conductor

Explanation

— Superconductors behave in ways utterly unlike ordinary materials. In a normal wire, electrons scatter and lose energy as heat, much like commuters jostling one another on a crowded street. But when certain materials are cooled below a critical temperature, those electrons pair up and begin to move together in perfect synchrony, gliding through the material without ever bumping into anything. The resistance drops to exactly zero, not just nearly zero, a current started in a superconducting loop can circulate for years without fading.

— The other great signature of superconductivity is something even stranger: the complete expulsion of magnetic fields, known as the Meissner effect. When a material turns superconducting, it pushes magnetic fields out of its interior.

— Superconductors are also used to generate extremely powerful magnetic fields, e.g., in MRI machines or particle accelerators. The two facts are not contradictory. The superconductor itself contains no magnetic field inside, thanks to the Meissner effect, but a coil of superconducting wire can carry enormous currents without loss.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

With reference to the Vikram-I rocket, consider the following statements:

1. It has been developed by Skyroot Aerospace, a private space startup.

2. It is a four-stage rocket that aims to cater to the small satellite market with rapid and cost-effective launch capabilities.

3. It has 3D-printed engines.

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

Explanation

— Through a video conference, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the Vikram-I rocket and inaugurated Skyroot Aerospace’s new Infinity Campus in Hyderabad. Speaking on the occasion, Modi highlighted India’s advancements in space technology.

— Skyroot Aerospace, founded by IIT alumni Pawan Chandana and Naga Bharat Daka, is the first private space startup to launch a rocket from the ISRO facility in Sriharikota, marking a significant milestone since the government opened the space sector to private enterprises three years ago.

— Vikram-I, developed by Skyroot Aerospace, is India’s new private orbital-class launch vehicle named after the notable space pioneer Vikram Sarabhai. This four-stage rocket aims to cater to the small satellite market with rapid and cost-effective launch capabilities. Hence, statements 1 and 2 are correct.

(Image: Skyroot)

— Vikram-I, which stands 20 meters tall and 1.7 metres in diameter, generates 1,200 kN of thrust with an all-carbon composite structure that enhances lightweight strength and efficiency. The design focusses on simplicity, dependability, and the flexibility to launch within 24 hours from any place. The first three stages are solid-fuelled, providing robust initial thrust, while a hypergolic liquid upper stage allows for precise orbital manoeuvres.

— Innovations include 3D-printed engines, which lower weight by 50% and manufacture time by 80%, as well as ultra-low-shock pneumatic separation systems and sophisticated avionics for real-time navigation. Vikram-I can launch up to 350 kilogrammes into low Earth orbit (LEO) and 260 kg into sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), with payload capacity varying according to mission profile, such as 290 kg for a 500 km SSO and 480 kg for a 500 km LEO at a 45-degree inclination. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

The term ‘nebula’ is described as:

(a) a cluster of young stars

(b) a stellar remnant after a supernova

(c) a giant cloud of dust and gases in space

(d) a rapidly rotating neutron star

Explanation

— NASA has recently released a new image of NGC 6537, the Red Spider Nebula, showing features never seen before. In the image taken by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the nebula’s full lobes, highlighted in blue, are visible for the first time.

— Each of these lobes appears as a closed, bubble-like structure, stretching roughly three light-years. The European Space Agency (ESA) has described the nebula — a giant cloud of dust and gases in space — as a “cosmic creepy-crawly,” because in the image, the lobes resemble spider-like “legs.”

— Located about 3,000 light-years from Earth, the Red Spider Nebula is a remarkable planetary nebula. This celestial spectacle forms during the final stage of a star’s life, when it sheds its outer layers and leaves behind a shell of gas and dust.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 134)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 139)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 138)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 138)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 138)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 138)

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