Q.1 With reference to the Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC), consider the following statements:
- It is India’s first association of women journalists.
- The Foreign Correspondents’ Club (FCC) and Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC) were founded in 1972.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
| A. | 1 only | ||
| B. | 2 only | ||
| C. | Both 1 and 2 | ||
| D. | Neither 1 nor 2 |
Explanation :
The Directorate of Estates under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has sent notices to two journalists’ clubs, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club (FCC) and Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC) to vacate the bungalows allotted to them in New Delhi as their lease tenures are about to end.
- The Foreign Correspondents’ Club (FCC) was founded in 1958 by overseas correspondents posted in India to cover the country and the region — including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, etc — for their publications.
- In 1990, the FCC was allotted premises on Mathura Road.
- The Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC) is India’s first association of women journalists.
- It came up on 5 Windsor Place in 1994 after 18 women journalists pooled in Rs 1,000 each, set up a trust and organised themselves as a support group to help their colleagues meet challenges that were unique to women, and ensure women’s bylines were respected and heard.
Hence only statement 1 is correct.
Q2.With reference to the monkeypox virus, consider the following statements:
- It is an orthopoxvirus.
- It is not transmitted from infected animals to humans.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
| A. | 1 only | ||
| B. | 2 only | ||
| C. | Both 1 and 2 | ||
| D. | Neither 1 nor 2 |
Explanation :
Health authorities in the United Kingdom have confirmed a case of monkeypox, a rare viral infection similar to smallpox, in an individual who recently travelled to that country from Nigeria.
- The monkeypox virus is an orthopoxvirus, which is a genus of viruses that also includes the variola virus, which causes smallpox, and vaccinia virus, which was used in the smallpox vaccine.
- Monkeypox causes symptoms similar to smallpox, although they are less severe.
- While vaccination eradicated smallpox worldwide in 1980, monkeypox continues to occur in a swathe of countries in Central and West Africa, and has on occasion showed up elsewhere.
- According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), two distinct clade are identified: the West African clade and the Congo Basin clade, also known as the Central African clade.
- Monkeypox is a zoonosis, that is, a disease that is transmitted from infected animals to humans.
- Cases occur close to tropical rainforests inhabited by animals that carry the virus. Monkeypox virus infection has been detected in squirrels, Gambian poached rats, dormice, and some species of monkeys.
- Human-to-human transmission is, however, limited. Transmission, when it occurs, can be through contact with bodily fluids, lesions on the skin or on internal mucosal surfaces, such as in the mouth or throat, respiratory droplets and contaminated objects.
Hence only statement 1 is correct.
Q3.What is Mastodon, recently seen in news?
| A. | Micro blogging site | ||
| B. | New Cryptocurrency | ||
| C. | Cruise missile developed by Russia | ||
| D. | None of the above |
Explanation :
Elon Musk acquiring Twitter prompted many users to look for alternatives to the microblogging platform and one, in particular, has received a lot of attention: Mastodon.
- Dubbed as an open-source and distributed or federated social network, Mastodon allows users to create their own networks or ‘instances’, essentially handing control and ownership of data back to the user.
- Each instance has its own policies related to content moderation, code of conduct, terms of service and privacy etc. Users can select which instance they want to be part of, based on which policies align best with what they want from the social media platform.
- But even if you are part of a certain instance, you can still communicate with users who are part of other instances.
- This is intended at giving users the flexibility to select an instance whose policies they prefer while still giving them the benefit of access to a wider social network.
- social is the flagship server of the service and it is run by a Mastodon gGmbH, a non-profit that is crowdfunded by Patreon donations.
- Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.
Q4.With reference to the Wet bulb temperature, consider the following statements:
- It has been used to measure exposure to extreme heat.
- The recent IPCC report AR6 mentions that sustained exposures to wet bulb temperatures above 35°C are fatal.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
| A. | 1 only | ||
| B. | 2 only | ||
| C. | Both 1 and 2 | ||
| D. | Neither 1 nor 2 |
Explanation :
The recent IPCC report AR6 has emphasised that humidity is also very important while estimating the physiological stress that extreme heat puts on the human body.
- Humans lose heat generated within their body by producing sweat that evaporates on the skin.
- The cooling effect of this evaporation is essential in maintaining a stable body temperature.
- As humidity rises, sweat does not evaporate —just like clothes take a long time to dry in humid locations – and makes it difficult to regulate body temperature. This is why we feel more discomfort in humid places.
- The humidity required to reach wet bulb temperatures in excess of 35°C over land is exceedingly difficult to achieve for a variety of reasons.
Wet bulb temperature
- In the recent IPCC report AR6, instead of the “dry bulb” temperature that is usually measured using a regular thermometer, an alternative metric known as the “wet bulb temperature” has been used to measure exposure to extreme heat.
- The report mentions that sustained exposures to wet bulb temperatures above 35°C are fatal, while sustained exposures to wet bulb temperatures above 32°C are dangerous for intense physical activity.
- Hence both statements are correct.
Q5.With reference to the Foreign exchange reserves, consider the following statements:
- India’s Foreign exchange reserves hit a record high of $642.45 billion in September 2021.
- A major reason for the increase in India’s forex reserves is that US Federal Reserve started monetary policy tightening and interest rate hikes.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
| A. | 1 only | ||
| B. | 2 only | ||
| C. | Both 1 and 2 | ||
| D. | Neither 1 nor 2 |
Explanation :
Eight months after hitting a record high of $642.45 billion in September 2021, India’s foreign exchange reserves have now fallen below the $600 billion mark amid capital outflows and strengthening dollar.
- Foreign exchange reserves declined by $ 2.69 billion to $ 597.72 billion during the week ended April 29.
- With this fall, forex reserves have declined $ 44.73 billion from $ 642.45 billion recorded on September 3, 2021, according to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data.
- The decline was on account of a fall in foreign currency assets (FCAs), a major component of the overall reserves. The foreign currency assets also include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of non-US units like the euro, pound and yen held in the reserves.
- A major reason for the decline in forex reserves is capital outflows by foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) who pulled out $ 21.43 billion since September 2021 as the US Federal Reserve started monetary policy tightening and interest rate hikes.
Hence only statement 1 is correct.
Q6. With reference to the Establishment & Strengthening of Veterinary Hospitals & Dispensaries – Mobile Veterinary Units (ESVHD-MVUs), consider the following statements:
- It is under centrally sponsored Scheme “Livestock Health & Disease Control”.
- It provides veterinary health services at farmers’ door-steps through Mobile Veterinary Units.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
| A. | 1 only | ||
| B. | 2 only | ||
| C. | Both 1 and 2 | ||
| D. | Neither 1 nor 2 |
Explanation :
Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying inaugurated Mobile Veterinary Units (MVUs) in Karnataka to provide veterinary services at the farmer’s doorstep based on the phone calls received at the Call Centre from the farmers.
Establishment & Strengthening of Veterinary Hospitals & Dispensaries – Mobile Veterinary Units (ESVHD-MVUs):
- The component “ESVHFD-MVU” under Central Sector Scheme “Livestock Health & Disease Control” provides veterinary health services at farmers’ door-steps through Mobile Veterinary Units.
- The services are to be operated through Call Centers in the State/UTs, the farmers in case of any emergency will make call to these call centers and after prioritizing the emergencies, the services for diagnosis and treatment will be provided by a team of Veterinarian & Para-veterinarian in these Mobile Veterinary Units.
Hence only statement 2 is correct.
Q7.Who was Rajat Kumar Kar?
| A. | Eminent Odia litterateur | ||
| B. | Indian Athlete | ||
| C. | ISRO Scientist | ||
| D. | None of the above |
Explanation :
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the passing away of eminent Odia litterateur Rajat Kumar Kar.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was a doyen of the cultural world whose multifaceted persona was seen in the manner in which he chronicled the Rath Yatra, wrote on diverse topics and worked to revive Pala art.
- Kar, a Padma Shri awardee, was 88-years-old and had heart-related ailments.
- Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.
Q8.With reference to the Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited (RFCL), consider the following statements:
- It is a joint venture between National Fertilizers Limited, Engineers India Limited and ONGC.
- Ramagundam is located in Tamil Nadu.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
| A. | 1 only | ||
| B. | 2 only | ||
| C. | Both 1 and 2 | ||
| D. | Neither 1 nor 2 |
Explanation :
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to dedicate to the nation the prestigious gas-based urea manufacturing plant of Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited (RFCL) at Ramagundam this month-end.
- The RFCL is a joint venture between National Fertilizers Limited, Engineers India Limited and Fertilizer Corporation of India, which operated the unit until it stopped production on March 31, 1999.
- By a 2015 revival package, the plant was commissioned with an investment of ₹6,180 crore.
- It was targeted to complete the works by 2018 but quite a few deadlines were jumped since.
Hence both statements are incorrect.
Q9. The State of the World’s Birds, an annual review of environmental resources was published by:
| A. | Green peace International | ||
| B. | WWF | ||
| C. | UNEP | ||
| D. | None of the above |
Explanation :
The State of the World’s Birds, an annual review of environmental resources was published on May 5, 2022.
- Humans eat 14% of the world’s surviving species of birds. However, this is not the only reason why 48% of the extant bird species are undergoing population decline, a study led by the Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) says.
- The report has attributed the threat to almost half of the 10,994 recognised extant species of birds to the expanding human footprint on the natural world and climate change.
- The degradation and loss of natural habitats as well as direct overexploitation of many species are the key threats to avian biodiversity, the study
- The use of 37% of the surviving bird species as common or exotic pets and 14% as food are examples of direct overexploitation.
- The review found that 5,245 or about 48% of the existing bird species worldwide were known or suspected to be undergoing population decline.
- While 4,295 or 39% of the species had stable trends, about 7% or 778 species had increasing population trends. The trend of 37 species was unknown.
- Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.
Q10. Rakhigarhi archaeological site is located in:
| A. | Uttar Pradesh | ||
| B. | Bihar | ||
| C. | Gujarat | ||
| D. | Haryana |
Explanation :
DNA samples collected from two human skeletons unearthed at a necropolis of a Harappan-era city site in Haryana have been sent for scientific examination, the outcome of which might tell about the ancestry and food habits of people who lived in the Rakhigarhi region thousands of years ago.
- The skeletons of two women were found a couple of months ago at mound number 7 (named RGR 7 by the Archaeological Survey of India or ASI), believed to be nearly 5,000 years old.
- Pots and other artefacts were also found buried next to them in a pit, part of the funerary rituals back in the Harappan Civilisation era.
- Seven mounds scattered around two villages (Rakhi Khas and Rakhi Shahpur) in Hisar district are part of the Rakhigarhi archaeological site.
- RGR 7 is a cemetery site of the Harappan period when this was a well-organised city.
- At present RGR 1, RGR 3 and RGR 7 have been taken up for investigation.
- Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.