Questions:

1.Consider the following statements regarding Project Bal Basera.

1) It is a Crèche facility for the welfare of Children of Construction Workers.
2) The project is supported by Central Public Works Department (CPWD).

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both
d) None

2. Consider the following statements about Real Estate investment Trusts (REITs).

1)REITs are mutual fund like institutions that enable investments mainly in completed and revenue generating real estate assets.
2)REITS are regulated by the securities market regulator in India.
3)A REIT can be launched as an initial public offer (IPO).

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a) 1, 2
b) 1, 3
c) 2, 3
d) 1, 2, 3

3. Consider the following statements regarding Gravitational lensing.

1)Gravitational lensing describes the fact that light is deflected by large masses in the universe.
2)The more massive the object, the stronger its gravitational field and hence the greater the bending of light rays.
3)Lensing has also been used to help verify the existence of dark matter.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a) 1, 2
b) 2, 3
c) 1, 3
d) 1, 2, 3

4. Consider the following statements regarding Malcha Mahal.

1)Malcha Mahal was built by Feroz Shah Tughlaq in Agra.
2)At present it lies in ruin due to decades of neglect.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both
d) None

5. Basel Ban Amendment recently seen in news is related to

a) Banning fire crackers that release dangerous toxins
b) Global ban on single use plastic
c) Regulation of banks
d) Global waste dumping prohibition

6. Project SURE of the Union Government is related to

a) Providing timely information related to disaster warning
b) Innovative Learning Program
c) Sensitize the importance of maintaining oral health
d) None of the above

7. Consider the following statements regarding Planet K2-18b.

1)K2-18b is an exoplanet and is classified as a super Earth.
2)Recently it was discovered that K2-18b has significant amounts of water vapor in its atmosphere, a first for an exoplanet in the habitable zone.
3)A “super-Earth” is a planet which has surface conditions like Earth.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a) 1, 2
b) 1, 3
c) 2, 3
d) 1, 2, 3

8. Consider the following statements.

1)Tashkent Declaration is a peace agreement between India and China signed after the Sino-Indian War that occurred in 1962.
2)Indus Water treaty is the only instance where India and Pakistan have allowed a third-party to help resolve their issues.
3)Shimla Agreement, was signed between India and Pakistan following the Bangladesh Liberation war in 1971.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a) 1, 2
b) 1, 3
c) 3 only
d) 2, 3

9. Consider the following statements regarding Group of Seven (G7) countries.

1)The Group of Seven (G7) is an international intergovernmental economic organization consisting of the seven largest IMF-described advanced economies in the world.
2)India was invited as a non-member country for the 2019 G7 summit.
3)Canada, France, Japan and China are the members of G7 countries.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a) 1, 2
b) 1, 3
c) 2, 3
d) 1, 2, 3

10. Consider the following statements regarding Bioterrorism.

1. Bioterrorism, is the intentional release of viruses, bacteria, or other germs that can kill people, livestock, and crops.
2. Bacillus anthracis, the bacteria that causes anthrax, can be used in a biological attack.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both
d) None

Answers:

1.Consider the following statements regarding Project Bal Basera.

1) It is a Crèche facility for the welfare of Children of Construction Workers.
2) The project is supported by Central Public Works Department (CPWD).

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both
d) None

Solution: c)
A Crèche (Bal Basera) is a project for the welfare of Children of Construction Workers. Bal Basera shall accommodate about 35 Children and shall be run by the CPWD OWA(Officer’s Wives Association).

2. Consider the following statements about Real Estate investment Trusts (REITs).

1)REITs are mutual fund like institutions that enable investments mainly in completed and revenue generating real estate assets.
2)REITS are regulated by the securities market regulator in India.
3)A REIT can be launched as an initial public offer (IPO).

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a) 1, 2
b) 1, 3
c) 2, 3
d) 1, 2, 3

Solution: d)

• REITs are similar to mutual funds. While mutual funds provide for an opportunity to invest in equity stocks, REITs allow one to invest in income-generating real estate assets.
• Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) mandated that all REITS be listed on exchanges and make an initial public offer to raise money.
• A REIT can be launched as an initial public offer (IPO). An investor can apply for investment in the REIT through his demat account, either online or by filling up the IPO form and indicating demat account details. After the issue is closed, the REIT will allot units to eligible investors.

3. Consider the following statements regarding Gravitational lensing.

1)Gravitational lensing describes the fact that light is deflected by large masses in the universe.
2)The more massive the object, the stronger its gravitational field and hence the greater the bending of light rays.
3)Lensing has also been used to help verify the existence of dark matter.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a) 1, 2
b) 2, 3
c) 1, 3
d) 1, 2, 3

Solution: d)

• Gravitational lensing is an effect of Einstein’s theory of general relativity – simply put, mass bends light.
• Gravitational lensing describes the fact that light is deflected by large masses in the universe, just like a glass lens will bend a light right on Earth.
• The more massive the object, the stronger its gravitational field and hence the greater the bending of light rays
• Gravitational lensing is useful to cosmologists because it is directly sensitive to the amount and distribution of dark matter.
• Lensing can help astronomers work out exactly how much dark matter there is in the Universe as a whole and also how it is distributed.
• Lensing has also been used to help verify the existence of dark matter itself.

4. Consider the following statements regarding Malcha Mahal.

1)Malcha Mahal was built by Feroz Shah Tughlaq in Agra.
2)At present it lies in ruin due to decades of neglect.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both
d) None

Solution: b)
Feroz Shah Tuglaq’s 14th century hunting lodge – Malcha Mahal – which lies in ruin due to decades of neglect, is likely to be restored!

The Delhi government has already received a proposal from the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, also known as INTACH, to restore the 14th century Malcha Mahal.

It had been occupied between 1985-2017 by members of a family that claimed lineage to the Awadh royal family.

5. Basel Ban Amendment recently seen in news is related to

a) Banning fire crackers that release dangerous toxins
b) Global ban on single use plastic
c) Regulation of banks
d) Global waste dumping prohibition

Solution: d)

• The 1995 Basel Ban Amendment, a global waste dumping prohibition, has become an international law after Croatia ratified(97th country) it on September 6, 2019.
• It is to protect human health and the environment against the adverse effects of hazardous wastes, according to Basel Action Network (BAN).
• BAN is a Unites States-based charity organisation and is one among the organisations and countries, which created the Basel Ban Amendment
• The Ban Amendment prohibits all export of hazardous wastes, including electronic wastes and obsolete ships from 29 wealthiest countries of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to non-OECD countries.

6. Project SURE of the Union Government is related to

a) Providing timely information related to disaster warning
b) Innovative Learning Program
c) Sensitize the importance of maintaining oral health
d) None of the above

Solution: d)
The Union Minister for Textiles launched Project SURE, a move towards sustainable fashion. The SURE project is a commitment by India’s apparel industry to set a sustainable pathway for the Indian fashion industry. SURE stands for ‘Sustainable Resolution’ – a firm commitment from the industry to move towards fashion that contributes to a clean environment.

7. Consider the following statements regarding Planet K2-18b.

1)K2-18b is an exoplanet and is classified as a super Earth.
2)Recently it was discovered that K2-18b has significant amounts of water vapor in its atmosphere, a first for an exoplanet in the habitable zone.
3)A “super-Earth” is a planet which has surface conditions like Earth.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a) 1, 2
b) 1, 3
c) 2, 3
d) 1, 2, 3

Solution: a)

• K2-18b is an exoplanet orbiting the red dwarf K2-18. The planet, initially discovered through the Kepler space telescope, is about eight times the mass of Earth, and thus is classified as a super Earth.
• In 2019, two independent research studies, combining data from the Kepler space telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope, and the Hubble Space Telescope, concluded that there are significant amounts of water vapor in its atmosphere, a first for an exoplanet in the habitable zone.
• A “super-Earth” is a planet with a mass between that of Earth and Neptune. The term “super-Earth” refers only to the mass of the planet, and so does not imply anything about the surface conditions or habitability.

8. Consider the following statements.

1)Tashkent Declaration is a peace agreement between India and China signed after the Sino-Indian War that occurred in 1962.
2)Indus Water treaty is the only instance where India and Pakistan have allowed a third-party to help resolve their issues.
3)Shimla Agreement, was signed between India and Pakistan following the Bangladesh Liberation war in 1971.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a) 1, 2
b) 1, 3
c) 3 only
d) 2, 3

Solution: c)

• There have been precedents when India and Pakistan have allowed a third-party to help resolve their issues.
  1)Indus Water treaty: Both nations were able to reach agreements through third party mediators in case of the Indus Waters Treaty and the negotiations on the Rann of Kutch dispute.
  2)Rann of Kutch Accord (mediated by British Prime Minister Harold Wilson) persuaded the combatants to end hostilities and establish a tribunal to resolve the dispute.
  3)During the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war, the then USSR led mediation efforts paved the way for India and Pakistan to withdraw forces from each other’s territories while agreeing to discuss all future matters. This was followed by signing of the Tashkent Declaration in Uzbekistan.
• The Shimla Agreement, was signed between India and Pakistan on 2 July 1972 in Shimla. It followed from the Bangladesh Liberation war in 1971 that led to the independence of Bangladesh, which was earlier known as East Pakistan and was part of the territory of Pakistan.
• The Tashkent Declaration was a peace agreement between India and Pakistan signed on 10 January 1966 that resolved the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.

9. Consider the following statements regarding Group of Seven (G7) countries.

1)The Group of Seven (G7) is an international intergovernmental economic organization consisting of the seven largest IMF-described advanced economies in the world.
2)India was invited as a non-member country for the 2019 G7 summit.
3)Canada, France, Japan and China are the members of G7 countries.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a) 1, 2
b) 1, 3
c) 2, 3
d) 1, 2, 3

Solution: a)

• The Group of Seven (G7) is an international intergovernmental economic organization consisting of the seven largest IMF-described advanced economies in the world.
• The G7, originally G8, was set up in 1975 as an informal forum bringing together the leaders of the world’s leading industrial nations.
• The summit gathers leaders from the European Union (EU) and the following countries:
  Canada
  France
  Germany
  Italy
  Japan
  the United Kingdom
  the United States
• France, the host of the G7 summit held in 2019, also invited guest nations include India, Australia, Spain, Chile, South Africa, Senegal, Egypt, Iran and Rwanda.

10. Consider the following statements regarding Bioterrorism.

1. Bioterrorism, is the intentional release of viruses, bacteria, or other germs that can kill people, livestock, and crops.
2. Bacillus anthracis, the bacteria that causes anthrax, can be used in a biological attack.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both
d) None

Solution: c)
A biological attack, or bioterrorism, is the intentional release of viruses, bacteria, or other germs that can sicken or kill people, livestock, or crops. Bacillus anthracis, the bacteria that causes anthrax, is one of the likely agents to be used in a biological attack.