GK Quiz | 17 August 2020

Q1. Consider the following statements about Golan Heights:

1. It is a rocky plateau on the border between Israel and Syria.
2. It was permanently acquired by Israel in 1981.
3. India recognized Golan Heights as Israel territory.

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

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

Solution: B)

Explanation:

Statements 1,2 and 3: Golan Heights is a rocky plateau on the border between Israel and Syria. The area was permanently acquired by Israel in 1981.

The European Union and India did not recognize Golan Heights as Israel territory.

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

 

Q2. SRIJAN, recently seen in the news, is a portal of which ministry?

1. Ministry of Defence
2. Ministry of Communications
3. Ministry of Science and Technology
4. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting

Solution: A)

Explanation:

SRIJAN is a portal of the Ministry of Defence. It acts as a one-stop-shop online portal that provides access to the vendors to take up items that can be taken up for indigenization.

Hence, option A is correct.

 

Q3. Consider the following statements about T-cell:

1. It is an important part of the immune system.
2. It is a type of lymphocyte which develops in the thymus gland.
3. It can only recognise viral antigens outside the infected cells.

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

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

Solution: C)

Explanation:

Statements 1,2 and 3: A paper recently published in Cell found that  T-cell immunity prevents recurrent severe COVID-19 disease.

About T-cell:

• It is a type of lymphocyte which develops in the thymus gland.
• It is generated in the bone marrow.
• T-cells is an important part of the immune system.
• The helper T-cell and the cytotoxic T-cell are the two major types of T-cells.
• Both B-cells and T-cells are involved in recognising pathogens and other harmful, foreign materials inside the body. The main difference between the two cells is that the B-cells can recognise the surface antigens of bacteria and viruses and T-cells can only recognise viral antigens outside the infected cells.

So, all statements are correct. Hence, option C is correct.

 

Q4. Which of the following is/are the symptoms of Hypothermia?

1. Shivering
2. Paradoxical undressing
3. Mental confusion
4. Cardiac arrest

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

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

Solution: D)

Explanation:

About Hypothermia:

• Hypothermia is a medical condition is which body temperature drops below normal levels (35.0 °C or 95.0 °F) in humans.
• Symptoms:
• Mild Hypothermia: Shivering, mental confusion
• Moderate Hypothermia: increased confusion, no shivering
• Severe Hypothermia: Paradoxical undressing (in which a person removes their clothing) and cardiac arrest.
• Causes:
• Exposure to extreme cold.
• Any condition that decreases heat production or increases heat loss.
• Alcohol intoxication, low blood sugar, advanced age, and anorexia.

Hence, option D is correct.

 

Q5. Consider the following statements about Navroz festival:

1. It is the new year celebrations for Jains and Buddhists.
2. It is inscribed in the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of India.

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: B)

Explanation:

Statements 1 and 2:  About Navroz festival:

• It is observed on 21^st March every year in India.
• It is a Parsi (Zoroastrians) New Year festival celebrated to mark the beginning of the new Iranian calendar
• It is known as Jamshed Navroz in India.
• It is inscribed in the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of India.

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

 

Q6. Consider the following statements regarding the National Cadet Corps:

1. It is the youth wing of Armed Forces.
2. It comprises only of Army wing.
3. It is headed by a Director General with the rank of Lieutenant General.

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

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

Solution: C)

Explanation:

Statements 1,2 and 3: About National Cadet Corps:

• It is the youth wing of Armed Forces.
• It is headquartered in New Delhi, India.
• National Cadet Corps is a Tri-Services Organisation, comprising the Army, Navy and Air Wing
• Motto: Unity and discipline
• It is a voluntary organisation which recruits cadets from high schools, higher secondary, colleges and universities all over India.
• The NCC is headed by a Director General with the rank of Lieutenant General who is assisted by two Additional Director Generals (A and B) of two-star rank, five Brigadier level officers and other civil officials.

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

 

Q7. Consider the following statements regarding fly ash:

1. It is a major source of PM 2.5.
2. Coal fly ash is considered hazardous by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
3. It can be used in manufacturing of Portland Cement.

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

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

Solution: A)

Explanation:

Statements 1,2 and 3: NTPC has recently developed infrastructure at Rihand for increasing the use of Fly Ash Utilization.

About Fly ash:

• It is a coal combustion product  and a major source of PM 2.5
• It contains heavy metals from coal, a large amount of black carbon (BC) and PM 2.5.
• It is used in bricks/blocks/tiles manufacturing, manufacturing of Portland Cement, low-lying area development, and road embankment construction, etc.
• Coal fly ash contains volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, and radioactive solids. It is not considered hazardous by United States Environmental Protection Agency.

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

 

Q8. Consider the following statement about SalivaDirect:

1. It is a new rapid detection test for COVID-19.
2. It was developed by researchers from Yale School of Public Health in partnership with National Basketball Association (NBA).
3. It is highly expensive in comparison to other tests.

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

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

Solution: A)

Explanation:

Statements 1,2 and 3: Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted an emergency use authorisation to a new, rapid diagnostic test “SalivaDirect” for the novel coronavirus that uses saliva samples.

About SalivaDirect:

• It was developed by a team from the Yale School of Public Health in partnership with National Basketball Association (NBA).
• It can detect the virus even when the number of virus copies in the saliva sample is as low as 6-12 copies per microlitre.
• It is inexpensive and has the highest sensitivity compared to other tests approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
• According to a preprint posted on medRxiv, the sensitivity of the new test was about 93%.
• It would increase efficiency and avoid shortage of crucial test components such as reagents.
• Collecting and testing saliva samples involves three steps
• collecting saliva without preservative buffers,
• proteinase K treatmentand heat inactivation, and
• duplex RT-qPCR virus detection.

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

 

Q9. Which of the following states is/are drained by Godavari?

1. Maharashtra
2. Madhya Pradesh
3. Andhra Pradesh
4. Chhattisgarh
5. Kerala
6. Odisha

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

1. 1,2 and 4 only
2. 3,4,5 and 6 only
3. 1,2,3, 4 and 6 only
4. 2,3, 4 and 5 only

Solution: C)

Explanation:

About Godavari River:

• It is the second longest river of India after the Ganga.
• It rises from Triambakeshwar, Maharashtra and flows for 1,465 km (910 mi) eastwards and finally flows into the Bay of Bengal.
• The Godavari basin extends over states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha in addition to smaller parts in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Union territory of Puducherry.
• Tributaries:
• Left Bank Tributaries: Banganga, Shivana, Kadam, Purna, Kadva, Pranahita, Sabari, Taliperu, Indravati.
• Right Bank Tributaries: Darna, Sindphana, Nasardi, Pravara, Manair,  Kinnerasani, Manjira.

Hence, option C is correct.

 

Q10. Arrange the following islands from North to South:

1. Seychelles
2. Mauritius
3. Comoros
4. Reunion

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

1. 1-3-2-4
2. 1-3-4-2
3. 3-1-2-4
4. 2-1-4-3

Solution: A)

Explanation:

Seychelles is an archipelagic island country in the Indian Ocean. Following are its nearby island countries and territories:

• Maldives and Chagos Archipelago to the east
• Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, the French territories of Mayotte and Réunion to the south.

Comoros is an island country in the Indian Ocean. It shares maritime borders with Tanzania to the northwest, Madagascar and the French region of Mayotte to the southeast, the Seychelles to the northeast, and Mozambique to the west.

Mauritius is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the south-east coast of the African continent.

Reunion is an island in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Mauritius and east of Madagascar.

Hence, option A is correct.