UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | September 24 to September 30, 2023

1. It is an exotic mangrove species.

2. It is responsible for the increase in the green cover in the State of Gujarat.

3. This species’ roots penetrate deeply into the earth and spread widely, causing damage to communications and drainage lines.

4. Gujarat has banned the planting of ornamental Conocarpus trees only in non-forest areas.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

QUESTION 2

He was born into a family of progressive freedom fighters. He was a voracious reader and prolific writer who preferred a pen over a pistol in his hand. In the 1920s, he was writing for both Urdu and Punjabi newspapers in Amritsar. He was hanged for murdering British police officer John Saunders in 1931, at the age of only 23.

The above mentioned lines refer to:

(a) Chandrashekhar Azad

(b) Bhagat Singh

(c) Ram Prasad Bismil

(d) Rajguru

QUESTION 3

Consider the following factors:

1. High-yielding variety seeds

2. Fertilisers

3. Adequate irrigation facilities

4. Mechanised Farm Tools

How many of the factors given above were responsible for the Green Revolution?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

QUESTION 4

With reference to the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, consider the following statements:

1. The award is given for “outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema.

2. The award was first given in the year 1975.

3. The award comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion, a shawl and a cash prize of ₹20 lakh.

4. Asha Parekh has been conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2021.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

QUESTION 5

With reference to the Palm Oil, consider the following statements:

1. It offers lower yield at a higher cost of production than other vegetable oils.

2. Malaysia and Indonesia are the world’s largest palm oil producers.

3. It is used in biofuel.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 6

Consider the following countries:

1. Brunei

2. Indonesia

3. Malaysia

4. Laos

5. Vietnam

6. Cambodia

How many of the countries given above border South-China Sea?

(a) Only three

(b) Only four

(c) Only five

(d) All six

QUESTION 7

A staunch Gandhian from Tamluk, Bengal, she fell to British bullets on September 29, 1942, while leading a Quit India Movement march. Earlier, at the age of 61, she was arrested for taking part in the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930. In September 1942, at the age of 73, she led a large procession of around 6,000 protesters, mostly women. The procession marched with the aim to take over the Tamluk police station from British authorities. In 1977, the first statue in the Kolkata Maidan dedicated to a woman revolutionary was that of her.

The above mentioned lines refer to:

(a) Bhikaji Cama

(b) Matangini Hazra

(c) Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain

(d) Bela Mitra

QUESTION 8

1. In 2020, China’s Chang’e 5 mission returned samples from the moon.

2. Scheduled to launch in 2024, Japan’s Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) aims to investigate the moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos, and gather information on how they formed.

3. JAXA’s Hayabusa mission from 2003 to 2010 was the first time humans had brought back samples from a near-Earth object: the asteroid Itokawa.

4. NASA’s OSIRIS-REx has been on a seven-year mission to collect and return samples from an asteroid called Bennu — billions of kilometers from Earth.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one of the above statements.

(b) Only two of the above statements.

(c) Only three of the above statements.

(d) All of the above statements.

QUESTION 9

‘Sycamore Gap’ was recently seen in news. It is located in:

(a) Canada

(b) UK

(c) Russia

(d) Brazil

QUESTION 10

With reference to a latest Lancet Commission report on gender inequity in cancer care, consider the following statements:

1. The report highlighted that even though men are at a higher risk of cancers that affect both genders, cancer incidence and mortality in women remains high.

2. Except in metropolitan cities and higher income group families, women are more likely than men to lack the knowledge and power to make informed decisions, the report said.

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

(a) Only 1

(b) Only 2

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

ANSWERS TO THE MCQs

1. (c)

FYI:

— The Gujarat government has banned the planting of ornamental Conocarpus trees “in forest or non-forest areas”, citing their “adverse impacts on environment and human health”. Hence, statement 4 is not correct.

— It is a fast-growing exotic mangrove species. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— It had been a popular choice for increasing the green cover in Gujarat in recent years. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— In the past few years, Delhi and Kerala have tried to control the growth of non-indigenous trees that were harming the local environment and flora and fauna due to their abundance.

— Trees of this species flower in winter and spread pollen in nearby areas. It is learnt that this is causing diseases like cold, cough, asthma, allergy etc.

— The roots of this species go deep inside the soil and develop extensively, damaging telecommunication lines, drainage lines and freshwater systems. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

2. (b)

FYI:

— Bhagat Singh was born on September 28, 1907 in the village of Banga in Lyallpur district (present-day Faisalabad, Pakistan). On his 116th birth anniversary, here are facts about Bhagat Singh’s life.

— He was hanged for murdering British police officer John Saunders in 1931, at the age of only 23.

— He was born into a family of progressive freedom fighters. Both Bhagat Singh’s father Kishan and uncle Ajit were politically active against the British.

— He was a voracious reader and prolific writer who preferred a pen over a pistol in his hand.

— In the 1920s, he was writing for both Urdu and Punjabi newspapers in Amritsar. He also contributed to pamphlets and other ‘seditious’ literature criticising British colonial rule.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

3. (d)

FYI:

— The legendary agricultural scientist Monkomb Sambasivan Swaminathan, 98, passed away on September 28. Called the ‘Father of the Green Revolution’, he played a major role in the set of changes introduced in farming in the 1960s and ‘70s that helped India achieve food security.

— Green Revolution involved the provision of high-yielding variety seeds, adequate irrigation facilities mechanised farm tools and fertilisers to Indian farmers in regions of Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh primarily, which changed this dramatically.

— In 1942, Mahatma Gandhi gave a call for the Quit India Movement and in 1942-43, there was a famine in Bengal which led M.S Swaminathan to study agriculture.

— The famine was man-made, the consequence of British policies at the time that were guided by World War II and the need to provide grains to its soldiers from its colonies.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

4. (a)

FYI:

— Veteran Bollywood actress Waheeda Rehman, 85, has been conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2021 by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s (I&B) Directorate of Film Festivals. Hence, statement 4 is not correct.

— The award is given for “outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Rehman has been working in the Indian film industry since 1955, when she made her debut as a dancer in the Telugu social drama Rojulu Marayi.

— In 1971, she won the National Award for Best Actress for Reshma Aur Shera, a love story directed by and co-starring Sunil Dutt. She was nominated for the Filmfare Awards several times, winning for Guide (1965) and Neel Kamal (1968).

— Other films that won her praise are Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962), Abhijan (1962), which was directed by Satyajit Ray, Teesri Kasam (1966), Ram Aur Shyam (1967), Khamoshi (1969), Kabhi Kabhie (1976), Namkeen (1982), Lamhe (1991), 15 Park Avenue (2005), Rang De Basanti (2006), and Vishwaroopam II (2018).

— Rehman is also a recipient of the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan.

— The award comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion, a shawl, and a cash prize of ₹10 lakh. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— The award was instituted in 1969 when presented to Devika Rani, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award was introduced by the Government of India to commemorate Dadasaheb Phalke’s contribution to Indian cinema who directed India’s first full-length feature film, Raja Harishchandra in 1913. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: http://www.dff.gov.in)

5. (b)

FYI:

— The European Union (EU) intends to phase out imports of palm-oil-based biofuel by 2030 — while deforestation legislation adopted in Brussels earlier this year will impose considerable administrative burdens on palm oil exporters wanting to sell their goods in the bloc. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— Malaysia and neighboring Indonesia are the world’s two largest palm oil producers. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Malaysia’s state-owned Sime Darby Oils International and China’s Guangxi Beibu Gulf International Port Group signed a memorandum of understanding for a €500 million trading and distribution center for refined palm oil in the Chinese city of Qinzhou.

— It is grown only in the tropics, the oil palm tree produces high-quality oil used primarily for cooking in developing countries. It is also used in food products, detergents, cosmetics and, to a small extent, biofuel.

— It offers a far greater yield at a lower cost of production than other vegetable oils. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: http://www.worldwildlife.org)

6. (b)

FYI:

— A fresh controversy broke out recently after China installed a barricade near the South China Sea’s Scarborough Shoal.

— The South China Sea is situated just south of the Chinese mainland and is bordered by the countries of Brunei, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

— For decades, the countries have fought over territorial control of the water, but tensions have recently reached unprecedented heights.

— In the past few years, the country has also tried to stop other nations from conducting any military or economic operation without its consent, saying the sea falls under its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

— According to the estimates of the United States Energy Information Agency, there are 11 billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in deposits under the South China Sea.

— The nine-dash line demarcates China’s territorial claims in the sea on Chinese maps. It was initially the “eleven-dash line” but in 1953, the CCP-led government removed “the portion encompassing the Gulf of Tonkin, simplifying the border to nine dashes.

— The line runs as far as 2,000 km from the Chinese mainland to within a few hundred kilometres of the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

7. (b)

FYI:

— Matangini Hazrawas 73 when she fell to British bullets, leading a protest march in 1942 in Tamluk, Bengal. Her death made her a martyr, and one of the earliest casualties of the Quit India movement.

— A staunch Gandhian, Hazra was among the thousands of women who answered the Mahatma’s call to join the freedom struggle. She is one of Bengal’s tallest nationalist icons with roads, schools, and neighborhoods across the state named after her.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

8. (d)

FYI:

— NASA’s OSIRIS-REx is a robotic spacecraft that has been on a seven-year mission to collect and return samples from an asteroid called Bennu — billions of kilometers from Earth. Hence, statement 4 is correct.

— It took more than two years to reach Bennu after OSIRIS-REx launched in 2016. It then spent almost as much time mapping the asteroid, finding a site to scrape and collecting about 250 grams (8.8 ounces) of the rock. Then it began its journey back toward Earth.

— These days, sample return missions tend to be robotic. But we have in the past sent humans to collect rocks and soil from space — NASA’s Apollo missions did that between 1969 and 1972.

— Sample return missions send spacecraft to land on a celestial body — a moon, asteroid or planet — and collect samples of soil, minerals and rock.

— The samples are analyzed in laboratories on Earth. But some get stored, too — a lot of the Apollo samples were left sealed and untouched because scientists and engineers figured technology would improve over time, allowing them to conduct different or better experiments in the future.

— Samples from space tell us about life elsewhere in our solar system and early Earth history. Some scientists, and people in industry, hope asteroids will become a source of minerals as our earthly resources deplete.

— The samples can include atoms, molecules and complex compounds — even, scientists hope, evidence of water — and, as crazy as it may sound, particles of solar wind or cometary debris.

— NASA has said its samples from the asteroid Bennu “will give generations of scientists a window into the time when the sun and planets were forming about 4.5 billion years ago” — and the beginnings of life as we know it today. Bennu is thought to be rich in carbon, a chemical that is essential to life.

— More recently, JAXA’s Hayabusa mission from 2003 to 2010 was the first time humans had brought back samples from a near-Earth object: the asteroid Itokawa. Japan followed that with Hayabusa2, which returned samples from an asteroid called Ryugu in 2020. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— And, also in 2020, China’s Chang’e 5 mission returned samples from the moon. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Japan’s Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) aims to be the first sample return mission to bring back rocks from the Mars region.

— Scheduled to launch in 2024, MMX aims to investigate the moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos, and gather information on how they formed. It’s hoped that this will help scientists better understand how the solar system formed. MMX also aims to collect samples from Phobos, the larger of the two moons, and then return to Earth in 2029. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

9. (b)

FYI:

— UK’s beloved Sycamore Gap cut down was in news. The sycamore tree was located in a dip between two hills, at a gap in the Hadrian Wall – an old stone structure that is close to the border between England and Scotland – in Northumberland, northern England.

— A 300-year-old tree in England that was famous for its beauty and unique location was cut down by a teenage boy, in what is being seen as a deliberate act of vandalism. It resulted in the launch of an investigation and the boy’s arrest on Thursday (September 28). His motive is not clear yet.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

10. (a)

FYI:

— Around 63% of premature deaths due to cancers in Indian women could have been prevented by reducing risk factors, screening, and diagnosis, while 37% could have been averted with timely and optimal treatment, a new Lancet Commission report on gender inequity in cancer care said.

— Titled ‘Women, Power and Cancer’, the report said around 6.9 million cancer deaths among women in India were preventable and 4.03 million were treatable.