GK Quiz | 10 October 2020

Q1. Which of the following is/are the members of the Arctic Council?

1. Canada
2. Russia
3. Germany
4. The United States
5. India

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

1. 1,2 and 4 only
2. 2,3 and 5 only
3. 1,2,3 and 4 only
4. 3,4 and 5 only

Solution: A)

Explanation:

About Arctic Council:

• It is an intergovernmental forum which addresses issues faced by the Arctic governments and people living in the Arctic region, set up in 1996 by the Ottawa declaration
• Its decisions, recommendations or guidelines are non-enforceable and strictly the prerogative of the individual state
• It is not a treaty-based international organization but rather an international forum that operates on the basis of consensus.
• Members of the Arctic Council: Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden and the United States.
• It is open to non-Arctic states, along with inter-governmental, inter-parliamentary, global, regional and non-governmental organizations that the Council determines can contribute to its work.
• As of 2019, thirteen non-Arctic states have Observer status, namely, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, 1998, United Kingdom, France, Spain, China, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Switzerland.

Hence, option A is correct.

 

Q2. High Flow Rate Fluoride & Iron Removal technology uses which of the following process?

1. Oxidation
2. Chemisorption
3. Gravity settling
4. All of the above

Solution: D)

Explanation:

About High Flow Rate Fluoride & Iron Removal technology:

• It is a community Level water purification system.
• It comprises a three-stage purification process that purifies water within permissible limits.
• It uses a combination of Oxidation, gravity settling and Chemisorption process in an Affordable Package.

• Gravity settling means settling down of heavier impurities under gravity.
• Chemisorption is a kind of adsorption which involves a chemical reaction between the surface and the adsorbate. New chemical bonds are generated at the adsorbent surface.

• It uses commonly available raw materials such as sand, gravel and adsorbent materials.

Hence, option D is correct.

  

Q3. Consider the following statements about the New Development Bank (NDB)

1. It was established at the 5^th BRICS summit at Durban, South Africa.
2. In NDB, each participant country will be assigned votes based on its capital share.
3. Only China and Russia have veto power in NDB.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 3 only
2. 2 only
3. 1,2 and 3
4. None

Solution: D)

Explanation:

Statement 1, 2 and 3: New Development Bank has recently approved infrastructure projects worth 741 million dollars in India.

About New Development Bank (NDB):

• It is a multilateral development bank operated by the BRICS states namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
• It was agreed to by BRICS leaders at the 5^th BRICS summit held in Durban, South Africa in 2013 and established at the 6^th BRICS Summit at Fortaleza, Brazil in 2014.
• It assigns each participant country one vote, and none of the countries will have veto power in NDB.

So, all statements are incorrect and hence, option D is correct.

  

Q4. Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct regarding Gyan Circle Ventures?

1. They are Technology Business Incubators (TBI).
2. They are funded by Ministry of Science and Technology.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Solution: A)

Explanation:

Statement 1 and 2: About Gyan Circle Ventures:

• They are Technology Business Incubators (TBI) and would function as a Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs (TIDE 2.0) incubation center.
• They are led by the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Sri City (Chittoor), Andhra Pradesh and funded by the Ministry of Information Technology (MeitY).
• They will serve as a hub for innovation and startups by providing support, in various phases, via investments, infrastructure and mentoring.

So, statement 1 is correct and statement 2 is incorrect. Hence, option A is correct.

 

 Q5. Consider the following statements with reference to the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)

1. It was formulated in 2016 for Mumbai, Maharashtra.
2. It is prepared by NITI Ayog.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Solution: D)

Explanation:

Statement 1 and 2: About Graded Response Action Plan:

• It was formulated in 2016 for Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) and prepared by Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA).
• It requires action and coordination among 13 different agencies in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan (NCR areas).
• It works only as an emergency measure.
• It includes the measures which will be taken by different government agencies to prevent worsening of Air Quality of Delhi-NCR and prevent PM10 and PM2.5 levels to go beyond the ‘moderate’ national Air Quality Index (AQI) category.

So, both statements are incorrect and hence, option D is correct.

  

Q6. Consider the following statements about foreigners tribunals

1. Only the centre has the power to constitute these tribunals.
2. Individuals cannot approach these tribunals.
3. Only these tribunals are empowered to declare a person as a foreigner under the provisions of Foreigners Act 1946 and Foreigners (Tribunals) Order 1964.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 3 only
2. 1 and 2 only
3. 3 only
4. 1,2 and 3

Solution: C)

Explanation:

Statement 1, 2 and 3: About foreigners tribunals:

• These are quasi-judicial bodies established as per the Foreigners' Tribunal Order, 1964 and the Foreigners' Act, 1946.
• Composition:

• A member can be a retired judicial officer of the Assam Judicial Service, a retired civil servant not below the rank of secretary and additional secretary with judicial experience, or a practising advocate not below the age of 35 years and with at least seven years of practice.
• A member is also required to have a fair knowledge of the official languages of Assam (Assamese, Bengali, Bodo and English) as well as be conversant with the historical background to the foreigners’ issue.

• Only these tribunals are empowered to declare a person as a foreigner under the provisions of Foreigners Act 1946 and Foreigners (Tribunals) Order 1964.
• Earlier, only the centre has the powers to constitute these tribunals. The Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964 has been amended by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to empower district magistrates in all States and Union Territories to set up tribunals to decide whether a person staying illegally in India is a foreigner or not.

• Earlier, only the State administration could move the Tribunal against a suspect. Now the individuals are also empowered to approach the Tribunals as per the amended order (Foreigners (Tribunal) Order, 2019).

So, statement 1 and 2 are incorrect and statement 3 is correct. Hence, option C is correct.

 

Q7. Which of the following country is/are included in the Cotton- 4 Countries?

1. Chad
2. Sudan
3. India
4. Burkina Faso

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 3 and 4 only
3. 1 and 4 only
4. 2 and 3 only

Solution: C)

Explanation:

Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali are the four cotton producers in sub-Saharan Africa. These countries are known as the Cotton Four or C4. They are leaders in an industry that is essential to each country’s economic and social development and well-being.

Hence, option C is correct.

  

Q8. With reference to the World Food Programme (WFP), consider the following statements

1. It is the food assistance branch of the United Nations founded in 1961.
2. Its operations are funded by voluntary donations from world governments, corporations and private donors.
3. It is a member of the United Nations Development Group.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 3 only
2. 2 only
3. 1,2 and 3
4. None

Solution: C)

Explanation:

Statement 1,2 and 3: The United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) has recently won the Nobel Peace Prize.

About the World Food Programme:

• It is the food assistance branch of the United Nations, founded in 1961.
• It is the world’s largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger and promoting food security.
• It is a member of the United Nations Development Group and part of its Executive Committee
• It strives to eradicate hunger and malnutrition, with the ultimate goal in mind of eliminating the need for food aid itself.
• Its operation are funded by voluntary donations from world governments, corporations and private donors and governed by an Executive Board which consists of representatives from member states.

So, all statements are correct and hence, option C is correct.

 

Q9: Which of the following countries does not share a border with Kyrgyzstan?

1. Uzbekistan
2. India
3. Afghanistan
4. Kazakhstan
5. Turkmenistan

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

1. 2, 3 and 5 only
2. 1,2 and 4 only
3. 2, 4 and 5 only
4. 1,3 and 4 only

Solution: A)

Explanation:

About Kyrgyzstan:

• It is a country in Central Asia
• It is bordered by the following four countries

• Kazakhstan to the north,
• Uzbekistan to the west and southwest,
• Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east

Hence, option A is correct.