UPSC Weekly Quiz — January 8 to 14, 2023

Question 1

Recently seen in news, ‘Pineapple Express’ is:

(a) an atmospheric phenomenon

(b) an economic concept

(c) a sports terminology

(d) a historical newspaper

Question 2

The recovery of the ozone layer has been made possible by the successful elimination of Ozone Depleting Substances or ODSs, through the implementation of: 

(a) Vienna Convention

(b) Montreal Protocol

(c) Kyoto Protocol

(d) Stockholm Convention

Question 3

With reference to Swami Vivekananda, consider the following statements:

1. He was an exponent of vedantic philosophy.

2. He founded the Ramakrishna Mission.

3. He spelt out the three pathways of attaining moksha from the worldly pleasure and attachment.

4. The Raja of Ramnad sponsored his trip to participate in the World’s Parliament of Religions.

Which of the above statements are correct?

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only

(b) 2, 3 and 4 only

(c) 1, 2 and 4 only

(d) 1, 3 and 4 only

Question 4

With reference to basic structure doctrine of the Indian Constitution, consider the following statements:

1. The doctrine was evolved by the Supreme Court in the 1973 landmark 6-3 verdict in Kesavananda Bharati v State of Kerala.

2. In the 2015 ruling where the Supreme Court struck down the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act and the related Constitutional Amendment, “judicial independence” was identified as a basic feature of the Constitution.

3. The origins of the basic structure doctrine are found in the American Constitution.

Which of the above statements are incorrect?

(a) Only 1

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1 and 3 only

Question 5

With reference to Starlink, consider the following statements:

1. It is a satellite internet constellation operated by NASA.

2. It comprises thousands of small satellites in low-Earth orbit and requires advance ground infrastructure.

Which of the above statements are incorrect?

(a) Only 1

(b) Only 2

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Question 6

With reference to VSHORAD missile system, consider the following statements:

1. Meant to kill low altitude aerial threats at short ranges, VSHORADS is a man portable Air Defence System.

2. It designed and developed by DRDO in collaboration with Russian military research agency.

Which of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only 1

(b) Only 2

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Question 7

With reference to The Ganga Vilas cruise, consider the following cities

1. Patna

2. Kolkata

3. Dhaka

4. Guwahati

5. Sahibganj

Which of the above cities does The Ganga Vilas route includes?

(a) 1, 2, 4 and 5

(b) 2, 3 and 4

(c) 1, 2, 3 and 4

(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Question 8

With reference to Overseas Indians, consider the following statements:

1. The Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) category was abolished in 2015 and merged with the Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) category.

2. India has the fourth largest emigrant population in the world after Mexico, Russian and China.

Which of the above statements are true?

(a) Only 1

(b) Only 2

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Question 9

With reference to Corbusier’s architectural works, consider the following buildings:

1. Sanskar Kendra in Ahemdabad

2. Open Hand Monument in Chandigarh

3. Indian Habitat Centre in New Delhi

Which of the above are Corbusier’s work?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 2 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Question 10

‘Ramkripal vs State of Madhya Pradesh’ relates to:

(a) Communication network

(b) Women’s Modesty

(c) Child adoption

(d) Hate speech

CSAT Comprehension

Read the following passage and answer the item that follow the passage. Your answer to the item should be based on the passage only.

Noma’s closure is yet another instance of the tension between haute cuisine as art and as a viable industry. Redzepi’s recent admission to the New York Times that Noma cannot afford to pay its wage bill even as it charges $500 per diner speaks volumes about the shaky foundations on which today’s fine dining industry — driven by cult-like devotion to individual “geniuses” and their demanding, labour-intensive “artistic vision” — is built. But the sheen, frankly, had started to wear off before, starting with Redzepi’s own admission of bad behaviour in the kitchen in a 2015 essay and culminating in revelations about Noma being staffed by unpaid interns and volunteers pulling gruelling shifts . Long hours, poor pay and toxic work environment have long plagued restaurants, from the high to the low end. Last year, Barber faced allegations of fostering a poor work culture at his restaurant Blue Hill at Stone Barn. Until now, however, the devotion that celebrity chefs and their restaurants inspire tended to undercut these problems. With Redzepi finally admitting that something in the system is profoundly broken, perhaps a fix can be found.

Question 

Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

1. Today’s fine dining industry is wearing off.

2. Celebrity chefs and volunteerism are taking the fine dining industry to new heights.

Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

(a) Only 1

(b) Only 2

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

(Source: Closing of world’s best restaurant)

ANSWERS TO MCQs

1 (a)

FYI

Over the past two weeks, California and other parts of the West Coast have been hit with a series of what meteorologists call atmospheric rivers. Forecasters said the rain arriving in California on Wednesday is being caused by a “true Pineapple Express” — a specific example of a common atmospheric phenomenon that resembles a conveyor belt for moisture. “Like rivers in the sky,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

2 (b)

FYI

The recovery of the ozone layer has been made possible by the successful elimination of some harmful industrial chemicals, together referred to as Ozone Depleting Substances or ODSs, through the implementation of the 1989 Montreal Protocol. The assessment has reported that nearly 99 per cent of the substances banned by the Montreal Protocol have now been eliminated from use, resulting in a slow but definite recovery of the ozone layer.

The ozone ‘hole’, once considered to be the gravest danger to planetary life, is now expected to be completely repaired by 2066, a scientific assessment has suggested. In fact, it is only the ozone layer over Antarctica — where the hole is the most prominent — which will take a long time to heal completely. Over the rest of the world, the ozone layer is expected to be back to where it was in 1980 by 2040 itself, a UN-backed scientific panel has reported.

3 (c)

Statement 3 is incorrect

FYI

Swami Vivekananda spelt out the four pathways of attaining moksha from the worldly pleasure and attachment in his books — Raja-yoga, Karma-yoga, Jnana-yoga and Bhakti-yoga.

January 12 this year marks the 161st birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, observed as National Youth Day.

4 (d)

Statements 1 and 3 are incorrect.

FYI

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar Wednesday sparked a debate on the separation of powers between the executive and the judiciary. He criticised the Supreme Court once again, for using the doctrine of basic structure to strike down the constitutional amendment that introduced the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act.

The doctrine was evolved by the Supreme Court in the 1973 landmark ruling in Kesavananda Bharati v State of Kerala. In a 7-6 verdict, a 13-judge Constitution Bench ruled that the ‘basic structure’ of the Constitution is inviolable, and could not be amended by Parliament.

The origins of the basic structure doctrine are found in the post-war German Constitution law which, after the Nazi regime, was amended to protect some basic laws. Jurist Nanbhoy Palkhivala who appeared against the government relied on the writings of Professor Dietrich Conrad in support of the basic structure doctrine.

5 (c)

Both statements are incorrect.

FYI

Elon Musk on January 7 sparked yet another controversy after he described tanks as “deathtraps” and suggested that they shouldn’t be used in the Ukraine-Russia war.

Between 1951 and 1957, Corbusier visited the city many times, on the invitation of Ahmedabad’s civic elite —mill owners and mahajans who wanted a modernist architectural lineage for the ancient city. In that period, he designed five buildings, two homes — Shodhan Villa and Sarabhai Villa — and two public buildings — the Mill Owners’ building on the banks of the Sabarmati and a museum, the Sanskar Kendra.

10 (b)

FYI

Shankar Mishra, the Air India passenger accused of urinating on a woman on board a New York-New Delhi flight on November 26 last year, told a Delhi court on January 11 that while his act may have been obscene and revolting, it did not qualify as a case of outraging the woman’s modesty. The court reserved its order but denied him bail, which is usually done when a prima facie case is made out.

The Supreme Court clarified this issue in 2007, in the case of ‘Ramkripal vs State of Madhya Pradesh’, where it noted that although the IPC does not define what constitutes an outrage to female modesty, the “essence of a woman’s modesty is her sex”.

“What constitutes an outrage to female modesty is nowhere defined in IPC. The essence of a woman’s modesty is her sex. The culpable intention of the accused is the crux of the matter. The reaction of the woman is very relevant, but its absence is not always decisive,” the court held.

Deeming ‘modesty’ as a virtue which attaches to a female owing to her sex, the court went on to give examples such as the act of pulling a woman, removing her saree, coupled with a request for sexual intercourse with the knowledge that her modesty might be outraged is sufficient to constitute the offence even without any deliberate intention.

Answer to the CSAT Comprehension: (a)

FYI

Statement 1 is correct

“But the sheen, frankly, had started to wear off before.”

Statements 2 is incorrect

Nowhere in the passage it is said. Rather it is contrary to what the passage express.

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