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Journalism of Courage
UPSC Weekly Quiz is a current affairs-based quiz on relevant topics from the past week, curated for the aspirants of competitive examinations. Attempt the weekly quiz every Saturday and find answers to the MCQs with explanations at the end of the article.
With reference to the El Niño, consider the following statements:
1. It refers to the abnormal warming of sea surface waters in the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
2. It emerges naturally during autumn-summer in the northern hemisphere.
3. It does not affect the temperatures and rainfall patterns.
4. El Niño typically lasts for 2 to 3 months.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
With reference to the Geologic Time Scale (GTS), consider the following statements:
1. The GTS is based on chronostratigraphic classification which deals with the relation between rock strata and the measurement of geological time.
2. The units in GTS like eons, eras, periods, epochs, and ages have same length of time.
3. The GTS (since the formation of Earth) is divided in ascending order of duration.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Consider the following statements about Haiper:
1. It is an all-in-one visual foundation model that generates high-quality video content.
2. It does not offer video repainting tools.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
With reference to the Penicillin G, consider the following statements:
1. It is the active pharmaceutical ingredient used in manufacturing antibiotics.
2. The production of Penicillin G was phased out in India after Chinese products flooded the market.
3. It is used for the treatment of bacterial infections.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
With reference to the silver filigree, consider the following statements:
1. It is known to have existed as far back as the 12th century.
2. Andhra Pradesh has received a geographical indication (GI) tag for this product.
3. In this art, silver bricks are transformed into thin fine wires or foils and used to create jewellery or showpieces.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Recently, the Indian Navy commissioned INS Jatayu at which of the following places?
(a) Lakshadweep
(b) Andaman and Nicobar
(c) Karwar
(d) Visakhapatnam
Shanan hydropower project, the British-era 110-MW hydel project was in the news recently. It is located in:
(a) Sikkim
(b) Jammu and Kashmir
(c) Uttarakhand
(d) Himachal Pradesh
With reference to the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India, consider the following statements:
1. It allows to create Autonomous District and Regional Councils with the power to administrate tribal areas.
2. The Schedule also gives power to collect land revenue and impose taxes.
3. Ladakh has been included under the Sixth Schedule.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Which of the following person won Pritzker Architecture Prize for the year 2024?
(a) David Chipperfield
(b) Diébédo Francis Kéré
(c) Anne Lacaton
(d) Riken Yamamoto
The place Kulasekarapattinam was in the news. It is associated with:
(a) DRDO’s new research centre in Telangana.
(b) ISRO’s second rocket launchport in Tamil Nadu
(c) Naval Port in Kerala
(d) Island located north-west of Andaman and Nicobar.
With reference to the Lahore Resolution of 1940, consider the following statement:
1. It formally called for an independent state for India’s Muslims and called it as Pakistan.
2. Pakistan National Day is observed on March 23, the day the Lahore Resolution was adopted in 1940 by the Muslim League.
3. The Lahore Resolution was criticised by many Indian Muslims, like Abul Kalam Azad and the Deoband ulema led by Husain Ahmad Madani, who advocated for a united India.
How many of the statements given above are not correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
With reference to the International Women’s Day, consider the following statement:
1. The United Nations has designated the year 2024’s theme as ‘Inspire Inclusion.’
2. International Women’s Day has its origins in the early 20th century, which arose from the labour movements in North America and Europe.
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
Consider the following statement with reference to Methane:
1. It is an invisible but strong greenhouse gas, and the second largest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide, responsible for 30 per cent of global heating since the Industrial Revolution.
2. The gas also contributes to the formation of ground-level ozone — a colourless and highly irritating gas that forms just above the Earth’s surface.
3. The satellite which will track and measure methane emissions at a global scale is known as MethaneSAT.
How many statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
With reference man-animal conflict seen in news recently, consider the following statements:
1. Amid repeated deaths from animal attacks and rising anger over them, Kerala declared man-animal conflict as a state-specific disaster, becoming the first state in the country to do so.
2. Once the issue is declared a state-specific disaster, the onus to deal with it shifts to the state disaster management authority, which, powered by the Wildlife Protection Act, can take quicker and more decisive action.
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
Recently, 1947 Justice Vivian Bose ruling was cited by Supreme Court with reference to:
(a) Quashing FIR over Art 370 protest
(b) Quashing the result of the election for the Mayor of Chandigarh
(c) Judgement declaring electoral bonds as ultra vires
(d) None of the above
FYI:
— The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), a specialised agency of the UN, said in a media release that the 2023-24 El Niño, one of the five strongest on record, has peaked and is gradually weakening — but it will continue to impact climate around the world in the coming months.
— El Niño refers to the abnormal warming of sea surface waters in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— El Niño occurs naturally in the northern hemisphere throughout autumn-summer, every 2-7 years. It peaks in the winter (October-February) before diminishing in the summer, resulting in a phenomenon that normally lasts 9 to 12 months. Hence, statement 4 is not correct.
— It emerges naturally during autumn-summer in the northern hemisphere. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
— El Niño events cause global meteorological changes, including higher temperatures, droughts, and disruptions to regular rainfall patterns. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
— Temperature readings over the equatorial Pacific Ocean determine the strength of an El Niño event.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
FYI:
— A committee of 18 scientists have voted down a proposal to declare the start of the Anthropocene, or the “Human Epoch”, in geologic time.
— Geoscientists, or scientists who study the Earth, use the geologic time scale (GTS) to measure the history of the planet.
— The GTS (since the formation of Earth, roughly 4.54 billion years ago) is divided, in descending order of duration, into aeons, eras, periods, epochs, and ages. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
— The GTS is based on chronostratigraphic classification. Stratigraphy is a branch of geology that deals with the study of rock layers (or strata). Chronostratigraphy (“chrono”: relating to time) is an aspect of stratigraphy that deals with the relation between rock strata and the measurement of geological time. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— Chronostratigraphic units are not uniform — any two aeons, eras, periods, epochs, and ages do not encompass the same length of time (like days or minutes). Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
FYI:
— Haiper is an all-in-one visual foundation model that allows everyone, with or without technical training, to generate high-quality video content with ease. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— It is released by DeepMind alumni, Yishu Miao and Ziyu Wang, the model comes with the company’s own proprietary AI model underneath.
— Haiper offers tools such as text-to-video, animated static images, video repainting tools, etc. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
— Users can go on to the website, log in with their email addresses, and start generating videos for free by typing in text prompts.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
FYI:
— India will start manufacturing the common antibiotic Penicillin G later this year, three decades after the country’s last plant shut down.
— Penicillin G is the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) used in manufacturing several common antibiotics. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— Penicillin G, just like many other APIs that India manufactured, was phased out of production because of subsidy-driven cheaper Chinese products flooding the market. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
— The last plant to stop production of the antibiotic was Torrent Pharma in Ahmedabad.
— According to the United States government’s National Library of Medicine, Penicillin G is a narrow spectrum antibiotic used for the treatment of several bacterial infections such as pneumonia, meningitis, gonorrhea, syphillis, etc. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
FYI:
— The famous Rupa Tarakasi, or silver filigree work of Odisha’s Cuttack, has received the geographical indication (GI) tag. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
— Odisha’s Cuttack is known for its silver filigree work, of intricate design and fine craftsmanship.
— As part of Rupa Tarakasi, silver bricks are transformed into thin fine wires or foils and used to create jewellery or showpieces. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
— While the actual origin of Cuttack’s filigree art is unknown, it is believed to have existed as early as the 12th century. The Mughals were generous patrons of the arts. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
FYI:
— Naval Detachment Minicoy will be commissioned as INS Jatayu, an upgraded naval base, marking an important milestone in the Indian Navy’s resolve to incrementally augment security infrastructure at the strategic Lakshadweep Islands.
— India has operated a naval detachment on Minicoy, the southernmost atoll of the Lakshwadeep archipelago, since the 1980s; INS Jatayu will be the country’s second naval facility in Lakshadweep. In 2012, the Navy commissioned its first base on the islands, INS Dweeprakshak in Kavaratti.
— Lakshadweep, which translates to ‘a hundred thousand islands’ in Sanskrit and Malayalam, is a 36-island archipelago located between 220 and 440 km from Kochi.
— The Lakshadweep are part of a chain of coralline islands in the Indian Ocean that includes the Maldives to the south and the Chagos archipelago farther south of the equator.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
FYI:
— The Centre ordered that status quo be maintained on the Shanan hydropower project, over which Punjab and Himachal Pradesh have made competing claims.
— The British-era 110-MW hydel project, situated at Jogindernagar in Mandi district, was leased to Punjab in 1925.
— The lease agreement was signed between the then ruler of Mandi, Raja Joginder Bahadur, and Col BC Batty, a British representative and Chief Engineer of Punjab.
— The project used to feed the undivided Punjab and Delhi before Independence. After partition, supply to Lahore was discontinued and its transmission line was stopped at Verka village in Amritsar.
Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.
FYI:
— Ladakh is now regarded as a separate Union Territory “without legislature” following the deletion of Article 370 in August 2019 and the subsequent implementation of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. UTs, like as New Delhi and Pondicherry, have their own legislative assemblies.
— The organisations like the ABL and the KDA have demanded that Ladakh be included under the Sixth Schedule. This Schedule contains provisions regarding the administration of tribal areas in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. At present, Ladakh is not a part of Sixth Schedule. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
— Inclusion under this Schedule would allow Ladakh to create Autonomous District and Regional Councils (ADCs and ARCs) — elected bodies with the power to administrate tribal areas. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— The ADCs and ARCs may also constitute village councils or courts to decide disputes between parties from Scheduled Tribes, and appoint officers to oversee the administration of the laws they enact.
— The Schedule also gives ARCs and ADCs the power to collect land revenue, impose taxes, regulate money lending and trading, collect royalties from licences or leases for the extraction of minerals in their areas, and establish public facilities such as schools, markets, and roads. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
— Special provisions under Article 371 would allow protections to be extended to the local population of Ladakh, while stopping short of the widespread autonomy that is provided to ADCs and ARCs under the Sixth Schedule.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
FYI:
— Japanese architect Riken Yamamoto was this week declared winner of the 2024 Pritzker Architecture Prize, the highest international award in the field, which is sometimes referred to as the “Architecture Nobel”.
— The prize has been awarded every year since its founding in 1979, and Yamamoto is the ninth laureate from Japan.
— Jay A Pritzker, the late founder of the Hyatt Hotels chain, and his wife Cindy established the Pritzker Architecture Prize to “honour a living architect whose built work demonstrates talent, vision, and commitment, who has made consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture.”
— The award includes a $100,000 prize, a citation, and a bronze medallion based on designs by Louis Sullivan, the Chicago architect known as the father of the skyscraper, with the words firmness, commodity, and delight, evoking the Roman architect and engineer Marcus Vitruvius’ prescription for a well-constructed structure.
Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.
FYI:
— Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the second rocket launchport of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at Kulasekarapattinam.
— It is situated at a geographically advantageous location in coastal Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district.
— It will be extensively and exclusively used for commercial, on-demand, and small satellite launches in the future.
— To ensure that ISRO’s first launchport, the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR in Sriharikota, is not overwhelmed with too many launches, the space agency has opted to construct another facility.
— SHAR will be only used for launching bigger and heavy-lift-off missions, the Kulasekarapattinam launchport will be used to launch smaller payloads.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
FYI:
— As a new government takes over the reins in Pakistan, it is attempting to start a “low-key and low-risk” engagement with India after years of diplomatic chill.
— For this, Pakistan has decided to hold its National Day celebrations in New Delhi again this year, after a four-year gap caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the deteriorating ties between the two countries.
— Pakistan National Day is observed on March 23, the day the Lahore Resolution was adopted in 1940 by the Muslim League. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
What was the Lahore Resolution of 1940?
— The Lahore Resolution, adopted by the All-India Muslim League during its general session in Lahore from March 22 to March 24, 1940, formally called for an independent state for India’s Muslims.
— While the resolution does not include the word ‘Pakistan’ anywhere, and some have even debated if its text calls for one separate nation or two, Pakistan celebrates it as its National Day. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
— The Lahore Resolution was criticised by many Indian Muslims, like Abul Kalam Azad and the Deoband ulema led by Husain Ahmad Madani, who advocated for a united India. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
FYI:
— The United Nations has designated the year 2024’s theme as ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress’ with a focus on addressing economic disempowerment, while the campaign theme for this year is ‘Inspire Inclusion.’ Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
— It highlights the significance of diversity and empowerment across all sectors of society. Through this campaign, there is a strong emphasis on recognising the importance of diversity and empowerment in various spheres of society and underscoring the pivotal role of inclusion in advancing gender equality.
International Women’s Day: The Origin
— International Women’s Day has its origins in the early 20th century, which arose from the labour movements in North America and Europe. The first National Women’s Day was observed in the United States on February 28, 1909, which was organized by the Socialist Party of America to commemorate the 1908 garment workers’ strike in New York, where women protested against working conditions. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
Therefore, option (b) is correct answer.
FYI:
— MethaneSAT — a satellite which will track and measure methane emissions at a global scale — was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon9 rocket from California on Monday (March 4). The entity behind MethaneSAT is the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) — a US-based nonprofit environmental advocacy group. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
why do we need to track and measure methane emissions?
— Methane is an invisible but strong greenhouse gas, and the second largest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide, responsible for 30 per cent of global heating since the Industrial Revolution. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, over a period of 20 years, methane is 80 times more potent at warming than carbon dioxide. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— The gas also contributes to the formation of ground-level ozone — a colourless and highly irritating gas that forms just above the Earth’s surface. According to a 2022 report, exposure to ground-level ozone could be contributing to one million premature deaths every year.
— Therefore, it is crucial to cut methane emissions. And the main culprit: fossil fuel operations, which account for about 40 per cent of all human-caused methane emissions. The objective of MethaneSAT is to help achieve this goal. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
FYI:
— Amid repeated deaths from animal attacks and rising anger over them, Kerala on Wednesday (March 6) declared man-animal conflict as a state-specific disaster, becoming the first state in the country to do so. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— Here is a look at what the decision means, and how it would change the way the government is addressing the issue.
What changes
— At present, managing man-animal conflict is the responsibility of the forest department, which acts as per the Wild Life Protection Act. Once the issue is declared a state-specific disaster, the onus to deal with it shifts to the state disaster management authority, which, powered by the Disaster Management Act, can take quicker and more decisive action. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
FYI:
— The Supreme Court on Thursday (March 7) quashed an FIR against a Maharashtra college professor booked for his WhatsApp status critical of the abrogation of Article 370 and for wishing Pakistan on its independence day.
— In doing so, the apex court cited a 1947 Nagpur High Court judgment authored by Justice Vivian Bose, which had said the effect of the words must be judged from the “standards of reasonable” men and women.
— Over the years, courts have used Justice Vivian Bose’s ruling as a yardstick to judge if any words, spoken or written, can promote enmity or disharmony between different groups.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
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