GK Quiz | 11 November 2020

Q1: Which of the following countries is/are included in the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) plus countries?

1. Kazakhstan
2. Russia
3. Saudi Arabia
4. Libya

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

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

Solution: A)

Explanation:

Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) plus countries refers to the alliance of crude producers, who have been undertaking corrections in supply in the oil markets since 2017.

OPEC + countries include Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Russia, Sudan and South Sudan.

Hence, option A is correct.

 

Q2: With reference to the Polavaram project, consider the following statements:

1. It is located in Karnataka on the river Krishna.
2. Its reservoir spreads in parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu States also.

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, 2 and 3: About Polavaram project:

• It is a multi-purpose irrigation project, located in Andhra Pradesh on the river Godavari.
• Its reservoir spreads in parts of Chhattisgarh and Orissa States also.
• It will facilitate an inter-basin transfer to the Krishna river basin through its Right canal.
• In 2014, the Project has been accorded national project status by the union government.

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

 

Q3: Consider the following statements:

1. BNT162b2 is a single nucleoside-modified messenger RNA vaccine.
2. Unlike traditional vaccines, messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine work by training the body to recognise and kill proteins produced by pathogens.

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: A)

Explanation:

Statements 1 and 2: Recently, American pharma company Pfizer has claimed that its vaccine candidate BNT162b2 is more than 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 in participants without evidence of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection.

BNT162b2 is a single nucleoside-modified messenger RNA (modRNA) vaccine. Unlike traditional vaccines, which work by training the body to recognise and kill proteins produced by pathogens, mRNA vaccine tricks the patient's immune system to produce viral proteins itself. The proteins are harmless, but sufficient to provoke a robust immune response.

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

 

Q4: Which of the following statement(s) is/are incorrect regarding Pampore region?

1. It is the main contributor to saffron production in India.
2. It is located in Arunachal Pradesh.

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: B)

Explanation:

Statement 1 and 2: Pampore region, commonly known as Saffron bowl of Kashmir, is the main contributor to saffron production, followed by Budgam, Srinagar, and Kishtiwar districts. It is located in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

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

 

Q5: Consider the following statements about Minks:

1. They are dark-coloured herbivores mammals from the Mustelidae family.
2. The European mink is listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

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:

Statements 1 and 2:  Recently, Denmark has recorded over 200 human cases infected with SARS-CoV-2 variants that are associated with farmed minks.

About Minks:

• They are dark-coloured carnivorous mammals from the Mustelidae family, which also includes weasels, otters and ferrets.
• The American mink and the European mink are two extant species referred to as “mink”.
• Due to an ongoing reduction in numbers of European mink, it is listed by the IUCN as Critically Endangered.
• More than 50 million mink a year are bred for their fur, mainly in China, Denmark, Poland and the Netherlands. Mink oil is used in some medical products and cosmetics, as well as to treat, preserve and waterproof leather.

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

 

Q6: With reference to Darknet, consider the following statements:

1. It is an encrypted network on the Internet that is indexed by Bing search engine.
2. It is the second layer of Internet.
3. It is a layer of the Internet accessible only by using special software like Tor.

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

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

Solution: C)

Explanation:

Statements 1, 2 and 3: Internet consists of three layers, namely, the first layer which is public, the second layer also called the deep web, and the third layer which is darknet.

About Darknet:

• It is also known as a part of the ‘Deep Web’.
• It is an encrypted network on the Internet that is not indexed by search engines such as Google, Bing or Yahoo.
• It is a layer of the Internet accessible only by using special software like Tor (The Onion Router), or I2P (Invisible Internet Project).
• It offers a high degree of anonymity.
• It helps people to maintain privacy and freely express their views, especially used by whistle blowers.

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

 

Q7: Recently, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)–Sirius Innovation Programme 3.0 has been launched for the school children of India and –

1. Canada
2. Australia
3. Russia
4. Germany

Solution: C)

Explanation: Recently, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), India and Sirius, Russia have launched ‘AIM–Sirius Innovation Programme 3.0’.

About Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)–Sirius Innovation Programme 3.0:

• It is the first Indo-Russian bilateral youth innovation initiative.
• It is a 14-day virtual programme for Indian and Russian school children.
• It seeks to develop technological solutions, both web- and mobile-based, for the two countries.
• In this programme, 48 students and 16 educators and mentors will create 8 virtual products and mobile applications addressing global challenges in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic.

Hence, option C is correct.