Prelims Practice Question

1. Consider the following statements about West Nile Fever

1. It is caused by the West Nile Virus, a member of the flavivirus genus.

2. Birds are the natural hosts of West Nile Virus.

3. WNV spread through the air from one person to another.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

• a) Only one

• b) Only two

• c) All three

• d) None of the above

There is no evidence that WNV can be spread directly from one person to another.

·       But there have been a few cases where it has spread through organ transplants.

Consider the following statements about Pyrenees Mountains

1. The Pyrenees are a chain of mountains in Northeast of North America.

2. It is a fold mountain chain that forms a natural border between the USA and Canada.

Choose the correct statements:

• a) 1 only

• b) 2 only

• c) Both 1 and 2

• d) Neither 1 nor 2

The Pyrenees are a chain of mountains in southwestern Europe that form a natural border between Spain and France.

·       It is a fold mountain chain created by the continental collision of the microcontinent of Iberia with the massive Eurasian plate.

·       They are quite old mountains in comparison to the Alps.

·       It extends for about 500 km from the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea in the east to the Bay of Biscay (Atlantic Ocean) in the west.

3. Consider the following wetlands

1. Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary

2. Palla village in Haryana

3. Sariska Tiger Reserve

How many of the above mentioned wetlands are Constructed wetlands?

• a) Only one

• b) Only two

• c) All three

• d) None

Philippines Accuses China of Building Artificial Island in South China Sea

• The Philippines deployed ships to a disputed area in the South China Sea where it accuses China of building an artificial island.

• The Philippine Coast Guard sent a ship to monitor the activity and two other vessels are in rotational deployment in the area.

• Tensions are high between the Philippines and China over competing claims in the South China Sea.

• China claims almost all of the South China Sea, despite an international court ruling against its claims.

• The Philippines is concerned about China's presence at Sabina Shoal, including dozens of ships and piles of dead coral.

DigiLocker: A secure platform for storing digital documents in India

What is DigiLocker and who uses it?

Launched in 2015, DigiLocker is a government of India app that allows users to store and access their digital documents. This app is part of a paper-free initiative and aims to make it easier for people to:

• Apply for passports

• Review marksheets

• Prove their identity while travelling

As of May 2024, over 270 million users have registered on DigiLocker and nearly 6.7 billion documents have been retrieved through the platform.

Benefits of using DigiLocker

• Paperless solution: Provides access to the latest versions of documents online.

• Convenience: Eliminates the need to carry physical documents.

• Faster service delivery: Streamlines document verification for officials.

• Security: Uses high-grade encryption and multi-factor authentication.

Security concerns

• As with any government database, DigiLocker is a target for hackers.

• The app experienced a vulnerability in 2020 but was patched quickly.

Challenges with DigiLocker

• Accessibility: People unfamiliar with smartphones or those who cannot read may struggle to use the app.

• Data inconsistency: Mismatched information between DigiLocker and issuing authorities can cause retrieval problems.

• Lack of uniformity: Acceptance of DigiLocker documents varies across government agencies.

Do I need DigiLocker?

While not mandatory for all services, DigiLocker can simplify many administrative processes. It's recommended to keep your original documents, physical copies, and DigiLocker credentials updated for a hassle-free experience.

Google Wallet vs Google Pay: Understanding the key differences

Google Wallet was launched in India on Wednesday. The platform allows users to securely store their private documents such as IDs, movie tickets, boarding passes and more. At launch, the company confirmed that the launch of Google Wallet will not be affecting Google Pay’s presence in India.

The Google Wallet version which has been released in India cannot store bank cards or be used to make digital payments, unlike the international version of the app. But, how is Google Wallet different from Google Pay?

The Google Wallet app for India will allow you to securely store various items such as gift cards, gym memberships, event tickets, and flight tickets.

At launch, Google has partnered with over 20 brands including PVR & INOX, Air India, Indigo, Flipkart, Pine Labs and more. The company has confirmed that it aims to partner with more brands in the coming months.

On the other hand, Google Pay is one of the most popular UPI services in India. It allows users to conduct transactions, check their account balance and get insights about their spending habits. The company has confirmed that Google Wallet will complement Google Pay, which will continue to serve as the payment app for India.

The magpies of the Himalayas

Magpies belong to the Corvidae family of birds that includes crows, jays and ravens.

Birds of this family are generally considered to be noisy, inquisitive birds that in folklore from around the world have often been associated with omens, good or bad.

In some European cultures, they accompany witches.

From Kashmir to Myanmar, a few closely related blue magpie species are a common sight. The gold-billed magpie, Urocissa flavirostris, also called the yellow-billed blue magpie, has mischief in its eyes and occupies the high altitude zone between 2000 and 3000 meters above sea level.

At slightly lower heights we find the red-billed magpie, and the blue magpie is found at lower altitudes where humans live in larger numbers.

12 May 2024 The Hindu Newspaper Analysis

12 May 2024 The Hindu Newspaper Analysis