Passage Exercise is a naval exercise between India and
- United State of America
- United Kingdom
- South Korea
- Russia
Answer: (d) Russia
Explanation:
In NEWS: India, Russia hold passage exercise in East Indian Ocean
- The navies of India and Russia began a two-day Passage Exercise (PASSEX) in the East Indian Ocean Region (IOR) on Friday, coinciding with Navy Day on December Hence option (d) is the correct answer.
- The exercise involves participation of RuFN guided missile cruiser Varyag, large anti-submarine ship Admiral Panteleyev and medium ocean tanker Pechenga.
- Indian Navy is being represented by indigenously constructed guided missile frigate Shivalik and anti-submarine corvette Kadmatt alongwith integral helicopters.
- The exercise is aimed at enhancing interoperability, improving understanding and imbibing best practices between both the friendly navies.
- It would involve advanced surface and anti-submarine warfare exercises, weapon firings, seamanship exercises and helicopter operations.
- PASSEXs are conducted regularly by IN with units of friendly foreign navies, whilst visiting each other’s ports or during a rendezvous at sea.
Consider the following statements regarding the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence
- It is the apex anti-smuggling intelligence and investigation agency functioning under the aegis of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs
- It has contributed to the economic and physical economy of India by actively bringing to light some significant cases of commercial frauds and cross-border smuggling
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (c) 1 and 2 only
Explanation:
In NEWS: FM Nirmala Sitharaman releases the ‘Smuggling in India Report 2019-20’
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday inaugurated the 63rd Founding Day Celebrations of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). On the occasion, Mrs Sitharaman released the Smuggling in India Report 2019-20 which analyses organised smuggling trends on Gold and Foreign Currency, Narcotic Drugs, Security, Environment and Commercial Frauds.
- The Finance Minister congratulated DRI and its officers on their performance and commendable service, especially in times of the prevalent pandemic. She encouraged the officers to continue working hard as the cases booked and arrests affected by DRI, while large, are just the tip of the iceberg and urged DRI and Indian Customs to ensure that every offender of India’s economic frontiers is taken to task.
- The agency cracked down on smugglers and seized50 metric tonne of red sanders apart from rescuing endangered animals and birds.
- The DRI also busted an international drug smuggling racketwith the seizure of 3.3 kg of cocaine under the ‘Operation Calypso’.
About Directorate of Revenue Intelligence
- The DRI is the apex anti-smuggling agency of India, working under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India. Hence statement 1 is correct
- The DRI has contributed to the economic and physical economy of India by actively bringing to light some significant cases of commercial frauds and cross-border smuggling. Hence statement 2 is correct
- It has acquired a position of eminence amongst the other law enforcement agencies.
- The DRI has also been designated as the lead agency for Anti-Smuggling National Coordination Centre (SCord).
- It was constituted on 4th December, 1957.
Consider the following statements regarding the KUSUM Scheme
- It is a farmer-oriented solar power scheme that will allow setting up grid-connected solar plants in rural areas and off-grid solar pumps.
- It has a target to set up 25,750 megawatts (MW) solar capacity by 2022 to power irrigation pumps.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
Explanation:
In NEWS: MNRE issues Guidelines for Implementation of Feeder Level Solarisation under Component-C of PM-KUSUM Scheme
- Ministry of New and Renewable (MNRE), after consultation with state governments, has decided to issue Guidelines for Implementation of Feeder Level Solarisation under Component-C of PM-KUSUM Scheme
- The Scheme consists of three components. The Component-A includes installation of Decentralized Ground Mounted Grid Connected Renewable Power Plants, Component-B includes installation of standalone Solar Powered Agriculture Pumps and Component-C includes Solarisation of Grid-connected Agriculture Pumps.
- After consultation with states, it was decided to also allow feeder-level solarisation where instead of putting solar panels at each individual agriculture pump, a single solar power plant of capacity adequate to supply power to an agriculture feeder or multiple feeders will be installed.
- This feeder-level solarisation would ensure economies of scale and better efficiency.
- The Distribution Company (DISCOM)/Power Department will be the implementing agency for feeder level solarisation in their respective areas.
- The objective of Component-C of PM-KUSUM Scheme is to provide reliable day-time power to farmers, enhancing their income by purchasing surplus solar power and thus incentivising them for saving water.
About PM-KUSUM Scheme
- Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has launched the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evem Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) Scheme for farmers for installation of solar pumps and grid connected solar and other renewable power plants in the country. Hence statement 1 is correct
- The scheme aims to add solar and other renewable capacity of 25,750 MW by 2022 with total central financial support of Rs. 34,422 Crore including service charges to the implementing agencies. Hence statement 2 is correct
- Under the scheme, the government plans to incentivise farmers to run solar farm, water pumps and use barren land for generating power for extra income up to Rs 60,000 per acre every year.
- It aims at boosting farmers‘ income by allowing them to sell additional power to the grid through solar plants.
Source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1678286
Consider the following statements regarding the Legislative Councils (LC)
- Under Article 171, a Council cannot have more than a third of the number of MLAs in the state, and not less than 40 members.
- Each Member of the State LC serves for a six-year term
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
Explanation:
In NEWS: Explained: Results of the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections, in perspective
- The significance of the outcome is mainly on account of this being the first state-level election after the MVA came to power at the end of last year keeping the single largest party BJP from ruling the state.
- Elections were held for three graduate seats of Nagpur, Pune, and Aurangabad; two teachers’ seats of Pune and Amravati; and one local body seat from Dhule-Nandurbar.
- This was the first state-level election after the MVA formed the government, keeping the BJP, the single largest party in the Legislative Assembly, out of power. The MVA’s victories are important also because each of these Council seats represents electors in a large geographical area of the state.
About Legislative Councils
- The LC or Vidhan Parishad is the upper house in those states that have a bicameral legislature; the lower house being the State Legislative Assembly.
- Its establishment is defined in Article 169 of the Constitution of India.
- Each Member of the State LC serves for a six-year term, with terms staggered so that the terms of one third of a State Legislative Council’s membership expire every two years. Hence statement 2 is correct
- This arrangement parallels that for the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India.
- Each member of LC must be a citizen of India, at least 30 years old, mentally sound, not an insolvent, and must be enrolled on the voters’ list of the state for which he or she is contesting an election.
- Under Article 171, a Council cannot have more than a third of the number of MLAs in the state, and not less than 40 members. Hence statement 1 is correct
MLCs are chosen in the following manner:
- One third are elected by the members of local bodies such as municipalities, Gram panchayats, Panchayat samitis and district councils.
- One third are elected by the members of Legislative Assembly of the State from among the persons who are not members of the State Legislative Assembly.
- One sixth are nominated by the governor from persons having knowledge or practical experience in fields such as literature, science, arts, the co-operative movement and social service.
- One twelfth are elected by persons who are graduates of three years’ standing residing in that state.
- One twelfth are elected by persons engaged for at least three years in teaching in educational institutions within the state not lower than secondary schools, including colleges and universities.
Australian square kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP), recently seen in news, which is related to?
- Discover evidence of water molecules on the moon
- Map the structure and evolution of the universe
- Spacecraft which seeks to become the first to be propelled solely by sunlight
- Study Electrodynamics of Moon’s Interaction with the sun
Answer: b) Map the structure and evolution of the universe
Explanation:
In News: How a telescope in Australia is creating a google map of the universe
- The Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP), a powerful telescope developed and operated by the country’s science agency CSIRO, has mapped over three million galaxies in a record 300 hours during its first all-sky survey.
- ASKAP surveys are designed to map the structure and evolution of the Universe, which it does by observing galaxies and the hydrogen gas that they contain. Hence option (b) is the correct answer
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/australia-telescope-creates-google-map-of-the-universe-7091233/
Operation Trident, which frequently appeared in the news, which is?
- It was an offensive operation launched by the Indian Navy on Pakistan’s port city of Karachi during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
- It was successful counter-terrorist hostage-rescue mission carried out by commandos of the Israel Defense Forces
- It is the operation by the Military of India that led to the capture of Goa, Daman and Diu and Anjediva Islands.
It aims to rescue people in flood-hit Kerala
Answer: a) It was an offensive operation launched by the Indian Navy on Pakistan’s port city of Karachi during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
Explanation:
In NEWS: Navy day 2020: why India remembers operation trident every year on december 4
- Every year, India celebrates December 4 as Navy Day to commemorate Operation Trident – a key offensive during the 1971 India-Pakistan War, when the Indian Navy inflicted heavy damage on Pakistani vessels in Karachi harbor. Hence option (a) is the correct answer.
- The India-Pakistan War of 1971 had begun on December 3, when the Pakistan Air Force launched pre-emptive strikes on airfields in Western India. India responded by formally declaring war in the wee hours of December 4.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/navy-day-2020-why-india-remembers-operation-trident-every-year-on-december-4-7092063/
Consider the following statements regarding Hayabusa 2 mission
- The mission was launched when the spacecraft was sent on a six-year-long voyage to study the asteroid Ryugu and collect samples that it is now bringing back to the Earth.
- The mission is similar to NASA’s OSIRIS-REX mission that brought back samples from asteroid Bennu.
- It is the first time that a probe has visited a celestial body that is under 100 metres in diameter.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Explanation:
In NEWS: What is Japan’s Hayabusa 2 mission?
- The Hayabasu2 mission was launched in December 2014 when the spacecraft was sent on a six-year-long voyage to study the asteroid Ryugu and collect samples that it is now bringing back to the Earth. Hence statement 1 is correct.
- The mission is similar to NASA’s OSIRIS-REX mission that brought back samples from asteroid Bennu late in October. Hence statement 2 is correct.
- According to the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), this is the first time that a probe has visited a celestial body that is under 100 metres in diameter. Hence statement 3 is correct.
- Six years after Japan’s Hayabusa2 mission was launched, it is set to return back to Earth on December 6 carrying with it samples from the one-kilometre wide Ryugu asteroid that orbits the Sun.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-what-is-japans-hayabusa2-mission-7092921/
Consider the following statements
- The plant based meat is made from plant sources such as soy or pea protein, while cultured meat is grown directly from cells in a laboratory.
- Both cultural and plant based meat aims to offer alternatives to traditional meat products that could feed a lot more people, reduce the threat of zoonotic diseases, and mitigate the environmental impact of meat consumption.
- Singapore food agency is the first time cultured meat has been cleared for sale anywhere in the world.
Select the correct answer using the code given below
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Explanation:
In NEWS: Lab grown meat cleared in singapore, emerging alternative worldwide
- The plant based meat is made from plant sources such as soy or pea protein, while cultured meat is grown directly from cells in a laboratory. Hence statement 1 is correct.
- Both have the same objective: to offer alternatives to traditional meat products that could feed a lot more people, reduce the threat of zoonotic diseases, and mitigate the environmental impact of meat consumption. Hence statement 2 is correct
- In terms of cellular structure, cultured or cultivated meat is the same as conventional meat — except that cultured meat does not come directly from animals.
- The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) approved this week the sale of a lab-grown meat product. This is the first time cultured meat has been cleared for sale anywhere in the world. The product approved by the SFA is cultured chicken, produced by US-based East Just. Hence statement 3 is correct.
Source https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/lab-grown-meat-cleared-in-singapore-emerging-alternative-worldwide-7092214/
Consider the following statements regarding Houbara bustard
- The Houbara bustard, which lives in arid climate.
- The population of the Asian houbara bustards extends from northeast Asia, across central Asia, the Middle East, and the Arabian Peninsula to reach the Sinai desert.
- It is listed as Endangered under the IUCN Red list status
Select the correct answer using the code given below
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only
Explanation:
In News: Pakistan issues special permit to Saudi Crown Prince, two others to hunt rare houbara bustards: Report
- The houbara bustard, which lives in arid climates, comes in two distinct species as recognised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, hence statement 1 is correct.
- one residing in North Africa (Chlamydotis undulata) and the other in Asia (Chlamydotis macqueenii), commonly known as MacQueen’s bustard.
- The population of the Asian houbara bustards extends from northeast Asia, across central Asia, the Middle East, and the Arabian Peninsula to reach the Sinai desert. Hence statement 2 is correct.
- According to the International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC), roughly 33,000 Asian houbara bustards remain today.
- After breeding in the spring, the Asian bustards migrate south to spend the winter in Pakistan, the Arabian Peninsula and nearby Southwest Asia. Some Asian houbara bustards live and breed in the southern part of their ranges including parts of Iran, Pakistan and Turkmenistan.
- It is listed as Vulnerable under IUCN Red List Status. Hence statement 3 is not correct.
- Pakistan has issued special permits to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and two other members of the royal family to hunt the internationally protected houbara bustards during the hunting season 2020-21.
Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/pakistan-issues-special-permit-to-saudi-crown-prince-two-others-to-hunt-rare-houbara-bustards-report/articleshow/79568399.cms?from=mdr
In India, the term “Public Key Infrastructure” is used in the context of
- Digital security infrastructure
- Food security infrastructure
- Health care and education infrastructure
- Telecommunication and transportation infrastructure
Answer: (a) Digital security infrastructure
Explanation:
- Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is a technology for authenticating users and devices in the digital world. The basic idea is to have one or more trusted parties digitally sign documents certifying that a particular cryptographic key belongs to a particular user or device. Hence option (a) is the correct answer. Hence option (a) is the correct answer.
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