Consider the following statements regarding Fly ash
- It is a by-product of burning pulverized coal in coal based thermal power plants.
- Plant nutrients resources are not available in fly ash
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (a) 1 only
Explanation:
In NEWS:CSE praises NTPC’s fly ash transfer move from its Rihand plant
Power giant National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Ltd’s move to transfer fly ash from its 3,000-megawatt Rihand Super Thermal Power Station in Uttar Pradesh’s Sonbhadra to cement plants
About Fly Ash:
- Fly ash or pulverized fuel ash is a by-product of burning pulverized coal in coal based thermal power plants. Hence statement 1 is correct
- It is normally produced from burning anthracite or bituminous coal.
- Depending upon source and composition of coal being burned, components of fly ash vary considerably.But all fly ash includes substantial amounts of Silicon dioxide (SiO2), Aluminium oxide (Al2O3) and calcium oxide (CaO).
- It is also a valuable resource of important plant nutrients – Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Phosphorus, Sulphur, Boron, Iron, Copper and Zinc. Hence statement 2 is incorrect
- Fly ash is a proven resource material for construction industries.
- Its most relevant characteristics for use in concrete are loss of ignition, fineness, chemical composition and uniformity.
- Utilization of fly ash in replacing cement in concrete mixture decreases both energy and CO2 emitted during production.
- Net reduction in energy use and greenhouse gas when fly ash is used to replace or displace manufactured cement.
Bhadbhut project is built over which of the following river in india?
- Narmada River
- Tapi River
- Godavari River
- Ganga River
Answer: (a) Narmada River
Explanation:
In NEWS:Barrage across Narmada: promise of sweet water, worries about hilsa
- Bhadbhut project in Bharuch is meant to solve freshwater problems in this region of Gujarat
- The Gujarat government recently awarded the contract for a barrage project to a joint venture of DilipBuildcon Ltd and Hindustan Construction Company Ltd.
What is the Bhadbhut project?
- It is planned to be a 1.7-km causeway-cum-weir barrage with 90 gates, across the river Narmada, 5 km from Bhadbhut village, and 25 km from the mouth of the river, where it flows into the Gulf of Khambhat. Hence option (a) is correct
- The barrage will stop most of the excess water flowing out of the Sardar Sarovar Dam from reaching the sea and thus create a “sweet water lake” of 600 mcm (million cubic metres) on the river.
- The barrage will also have a six-lane road that will connect the left and right banks of the river and provide shorten the land distance between two large industrial estates in Surat and Bharuch.
- The project also aims to prevent flooding in years when rainfall is higher than normal. Embankments 22 km long will be made and will extend upstream towards Bharuch, from either side of the river.
- The main purpose of the project is to prevent salinity ingress. At the beginning of the 21st century, an estimated 16.30 million acre feet (MAF) of water used to be released from the dam.
- By 2017, when the height of the dam rose, flow into the river reduced to 4.7 MAF. Due to the reduced flow of fresh water, saline seawater gushes into the Narmada estuary during high tide, thus increasing salinity along the banks.
Which of the following statements with respect to ‘Hilsa’?
- It is a marine fish
- It is a sea grass
- It is the state animal of Odisha
- It was a joint navy operation between India and Myanmar.
Answer: (a) It is a marine fish
Explanation:
In NEWS:Barrage across Narmada: promise of sweet water, worries about hilsa
The project is part of larger Kalpasar Project (which entails construction of a 30-km dam across Gulf of Khambhat between Bharuch and Bhavnagar districts, meant to tap waters of the Narmada, Mahisagar and Sabarmati.)
Why are fishermen upset?
- The barrage is expected to interfere with the migration and breeding cycle of hilsa.
- Hilsais a marine fish that migrates upstream and arrives in the brackish water of Narmada estuary near Bharuch for spawning usually during monsoon (July and August) and continue doing so till November.Hence option (a) is correct
- Once the barrage is built, it is expected to block their natural entry.
- According to a study by Kolkata-based Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI),thefish production from Narmada estuary has fallen from 15,889 tonnes in 2006-07 to just 1,618 tonnes in 2014-15.
- The reduced outflow of water from the dam, industrial effluents flowing into the river and salinity ingress are believed to be the major causes of this decline.
- Part of Aliya Bet, and island in delta of Narmada, known for shrimp farming, is likely to get submerged due to the accumulation of water in Bhadbhut reservoir.
Consider the following statements regarding Narmada River
- It is a major river in peninsular India which flows in West –East direction
- It originates in the Amarkantak hills in Madhya Pradesh.
- This river traverses through Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
- 1 and 2only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1,2 and 3
Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only
Explanation:
In NEWS:Barrage across Narmada
About Narmada River:
- It is a major river in peninsular Indiawhich flows in east-west direction, along with two other rivers Tapti and Mahi. Hence statement 1 is incorrect
- The Narmada or Reva originates in the Amarkantak hills in Madhya Pradesh.Hence statement 2 is correct
- It is the fifth largest river in the country, largest west flowing river and largest river in Gujarat.
- It flows towards the west in a rift valley between Satpura range in the South and the Vindhyan range in the North formed due to faulting.
- It is known as life Line of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
- After flowing a distance of about 1,312 km, it meets Arabian sea south of Bharuch, Gujarat forming a broad 27 km long estuary.
- Four important tributaries: Hallon, Banjar, Tawa and Barna.
- This river traverses through Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra andHence statement 3 is correct
- Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) is social movement spearheaded by native tribals, farmers, environmentalists and human rights activists against a number of large dam projects across river Narmada, particularly Sardar Sarovar Project.
Consider the following statements regarding Mulanthuruthy church
- It is one of the ancient Churches in Kerala.
- The church is a fine example of Gothic architecture
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: Why the Kerala govt has taken control of an 800-year-old church
- The Kerala government took control of Marthoman Jacobite Syrian Cathedral Church at Mulanthuruthy in Ernakulam district, which has been in the focus of a dispute between Jacobite and Orthodox factions of the Malankara Church, a prominent non-Catholic Christian community.
- The Church has been managed by Jacobite faction, but as per a Supreme Court verdict of July 3, 2017, its ownership should go to the rival Orthodox Church.
- The Supreme Court upheld validity of 1934 constitution of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and gave a clear upper hand for the Orthodox faction.
About Mulanthuruthy church:
- Established in 1200 A.D., the Marthoman Jacobite Syrian Cathedral Church at Mulanthuruthy is one of the ancient Churches in Kerala. Hence statement 1 is correct
- The church is a fine example of Gothic architecture (European style of architecture).Hence statement 2 is correct
- The carvings, sculptures, symbolic icons and wall paintings, are a blend of Indian, West-Asian and European architecture.
- Most of the parishioners (regular churchgoers) belong to the Jacobite faction.
Consider the following statements regarding Positive Pay Mechanism
- It is a fraud detection tool adopted by banks to protect customers against forged, altered or counterfeit cheques.
- It is launched by the Reserve Bank of India
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:RBI secures cheque payments via ‘positive pay’ feature: All you need to know
- The new ‘Positive Pay’ mechanism introduced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will make cheque payments safer and reduce instances of frauds. Issuers will be able to send all details to their bank, thereby ensuring faster clearance of cheques above Rs 50,000.Hence statement 2 is correct
What is Positive Pay mechanism?
- Positive Pay is a fraud detection tool adopted by banks to protect customers against forged, altered or counterfeit cheques. Hence statement 1 is correct
- It cross verifies all details of the cheque issued before funds are encashed by the beneficiary. In case of a mismatch, the cheque is sent back to the issuer for examination.
- Under Positive Pay feature, the issuer will first share the details of the issued cheque like cheque number, date, name of payee, account number, amount and the likes through his/her net banking account
- When the beneficiary submits the cheque for encashment, the details are compared with those provided to the bank through Positive Pay. If the details match, the cheque is honoured
Kudremukh National Parkis located in which of the following state in india?
- Karnataka
- Andhra Pradesh
- Kerala
- Tamil Nadu
Answer: (a) Karnataka
Explanation:
In NEWS:ESZ around Kudremukh National park will not affect life
Karnataka administration has said that declaring areas within 1 km from the border of Kudremukh National Park as Eco Sensitive Zone (ESZ) will not affect the life of residents inside the identified areas.
About Kudremukh National Park
- It is a beautiful place, located in the Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Chikmagalur districtsof the state of Karnataka.Hence option (a) is correct
- It stretches between Narasimha Parvatha (in Sringeri Taluk) in the north to the Jamalabad Fort (in Belthangady Taluk) in the south.
- It began its existence as a Reserved Forest in the year of 1916, and was declared as a National Park in the year of 1987.
- There are highly dense forests rich in varieties of wild life like as tiger, leopard, wild dog, Malabar giant squirrel, common langur, sloth bear, gaur, sambar, spotted deer, barking deer and the sloth bear.
- Three important rivers i.e. the Tunga, the Bhadra and the Nethravathi are said to have their origin in the park.
- The Park is divided into four ranges i.e. Kudremukh, Kerekatte, Kalasa and Shimoga.
- The Kadambi Waterfalls lies in the Kudremukh National Park.
Consider the following statements regarding tornado
- It is a rapidly rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud
- It is generally accompanied by extreme weather such as heavy downpours, hail storms, and lightning
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:California residents share videos of ‘fire tornadoes’ as heat and storm worsen wildfires
- The state of California in the US is witnessing severe wildfires this year, but residents have to suffer an additional unique phenomenon called a ‘fire tornado’ due to an extreme heatwave.
- This is a rotating smoke plume being ingested into a pyrocumulonimbus cloud that could produce a bonafide fire-induced tornado. Tornadic wind speeds.
- A warning released by a local weather station said that clouds from a wildfire was “capable of producing a fire included tornado and outflow of winds in excess of 60 ”
About Tornado
- A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud.Hence statement 1 is correct
- The windstorm is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone winds blow counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern.
- Tornadoes come in many shapes and sizes, and they are often visible in the form of a condensation funnel originating from the base of a cumulonimbus cloud, with a cloud of rotating debris and dust beneath it.
- It is generally accompanied by extreme weather such as heavy downpours, hail storms, and lightning.Hence statement 2 is correct
Consider the following statements regarding Digital Quality of Life (DQL) Index 2020
- It has been released by SurfShark
- According to this index, India ranks among the highest in the world in terms of Internet quality
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (a) 1 only
Explanation:
In NEWS:India ranks among lowest in terms of Internet quality
- India ranks among the lowest in the world in terms of Internet quality, according to a global research released by online privacy solutions providerSurfShark. Hence statement 1 is correct and Hence statement 2 is incorrect
- As per the “Digital Quality of Life Index 2020”, which researches on the quality of a digital wellbeing in 85 countries (81% of the global population), in terms of e-infrastructure, India occupies 79th place, ranking below countries including Guatemala and Sri Lanka.
- The study indexes the countries by looking at five fundamental pillars that define the digital quality of life namely, internet affordability, internet quality, electronic infrastructure, electronic security and electronic government
- India makes it into the top 10 in terms of Internet affordability. With a ranking of nine, it outperforms countries such as the U.K., the U.S. and China. Additionally, when it comes to e-government, India occupies the 15th place globally, just below countries like New Zealand and Italy.
- India’s Internet quality is one of the lowest across 85 countries analysed in the research. In position 78, India is at the bottom of the pillar with unstable and slow mobile Internet dragging it down in the overall Internet quality index
- This year’s Digital Quality of Life Index found that seven of the 10 countries with the highest digital quality of life are in Europe, with Denmark leading among 85 countries.
Who of the following was/were economic critic/critics of colonialism in India?
- Dadabhai Naoroji
- Subramania Iyer
- C. Dutt
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
- 1 only
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (d) 1,2 and 3
Explanation:
- Dadabhai Naoroji, R. C. Dutt, Ranade, Gokhale, G.Subramania Iyer, were among those who groundedIndian nationalism firmly on the foundation of anti- imperialism by highlighting economic critique ofcolonialism.Hence option (d) is correct
