GK Quiz | 17 October 2020

Q1. Consider the following statements regarding Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)

1. It is a type of molecule found on the surface of most cells in the body.
2. It is an important part of the immune system.

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: C)

Explanation:

Statement 1 and 2: About Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA):

• It is a type of molecule found on the surface of most cells in the body and an important part of immune system.
• It encodes cell surface molecules specialized to present antigenic peptides to the T-cell receptor (TCR) on T cells.
• They determine the likelihood of rejection and thus, HLA typing is important in organ transplantation protocols.
• These make up a person’s tissue type which varies from person to person.

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

 

 Q2. Which of the following statement(s) given above is/are incorrect about In vitro Fertilisation (IVF)?

1. It is one of the more widely known types of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART).
2. In IVF, experimentation is done in a living organism.

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: About In vitro Fertilisation (IVF):

• It is one of the more widely known types of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART).
• It is a process of fertilisation where an egg is combined with sperm outside the body.
• It is opposite to In-vivo which refers to experimentation being done in a living organism.

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

 

 Q3. Biplab Kumar Sharma committee, frequently seen in news, is related to-

1. Clause 6 of Assam Accord
2. Restructuring of loans impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic
3. Scrapping of the AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Power Act)
4. Logistics Development

Solution: A)

Explanation:

Biplab Kumar Sharma committee was constituted by the Union Home Ministry on Clause 6 of Assam Accord.

Following are some recommendation of the committee:

• It proposes 1^st January 1951 as the cut-off date for any Indian citizen residing in Assam to be defined as an Assamese for the purpose of implementing Clause 6.
• It seeks reservation for Assamese in Parliament, state assembly, local bodies. It recommended creating an Upper House (Legislative Council of Assam) whose seats will be reserved for the ‘Assamese people’.
• It recommends regulation of entry of people from other states into Assam

Hence, option A is correct.

 

 Q4. With reference to the Non-Aligned Movement, consider the following statements

1. It was formed as an organization of States that seek to formally align themselves with the USA.
2. It was established twenty years after the Bandung Conference.

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

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

Solution: D)

Explanation:

Statement 1 and 2: About Non-Aligned Movement (NAM):

• It was established in 1961 in Belgrade, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia.
• The basic concept for NAM originated during discussions that took place at the Asia-Africa Bandung Conference held in Indonesia in 1955.
• It was formed as an organisation of States that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc (USA and Russia).
• It was held through an initiative of Jawaharlal Nehru of India, Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia, Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, and Sukarno of Indonesia.
• As of April 2018, it has 120 members comprising 53 countries from Africa, 39 from Asia, 26 from Latin America and the Caribbean and 2 from Europe.
• It does not have a formal constitution or permanent secretariat, and its administration is non-hierarchical and rotational.

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

  

Q5. Which of the following statement(s) is/are incorrect about the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC)?

1. It is a United Nations body.
2. It does not take voluntary donations from governments.

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: C)

Explanation:

Statement 1 and 2: About International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC):

• It is an international humanitarian organization, established in 1863.
• It is an independent and neutral organization, based in Geneva, Switzerland
• It has the mandate to monitor that signatories follow the rules in situations of conflict.
• It helps people affected by conflict and armed violence and promoting the laws that protect victims of war.
• It funded mainly by voluntary donations from governments and from National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

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

  

Q6. Consider the following statements with reference to Saral Jeevan Bima

1. It is restricted to the street vendors.
2. Exclusion for suicide will be the only one exclusion under the policy.
3. It will offer optional Accident Benefit and Permanent Disability Rider.

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

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

Solution: D)

Explanation:

Statement 1, 2 and 3: Recently, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDAI) has unveiled a standard individual term life insurance product “Saral Jeevan Bima”.

Following are some key features of the product:

• It will be a non-linked, non-participating individual pure risk premium life insurance plan providing for payment of the sum assured in lump sum to the nominee in case of the insured’s death during the policy term.
• It shall be offered to individuals without restrictions on gender, place of residence, travel, occupation or educational qualifications
• It will be for those in the 18-65 years age group and the policy term will be 5-40 years.
• It will also offer optional Accident Benefit and Permanent Disability Rider.
• Sum assured will be a minimum of Rs 5 lakh and a maximum of Rs 25 lakh.  However, Insurers can offer sum assured beyond Rs 25 lakh.
• It allows for a maximum maturity age of 70 years and there will be no maturity benefit.
• There will be only one exclusion under the policy i.e. exclusion for suicide.

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

 

 Q7. Hong Kong Convention, recently seen in news, is related to-

1. Conservation of wetlands
2. Protection of ozone layer
3. Desertification
4. Ship Recycling

Solution: D)

Explanation:

About Hong Kong Convention:

• It is for the safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships, adopted in 2009
• International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships in 2009.
• It is yet to come into force because it has not been ratified by 15 nations, representing 40 per cent of the world merchant shipping by gross tonnage (capacity) and a maximum annual ship recycling volume of not less than 3 per cent of the combined tonnage of the countries.

Hence, option D is correct.

 

 Q8. Consider the following statements

1. In India, the directorate general of shipping is the National authority for recycling of ships.
2. China is the largest ship-breaking player in the world.

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:

Statement 1 and 2:  The Centre has notified the directorate general of shipping as the National authority for recycling of ships.

The directorate general of shipping is authorized to administer, supervise and monitor all activities relating to ship recycling in the country and it will also be the final authority for the various approvals required by the ship-recycling yard owners and state governments.

India is the largest ship-breaking player in the world, followed closely by Bangladesh, Pakistan and China.

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

 

 Q9. With reference to the Global Hunger Index 2020, consider the following statements

1. India has the highest preva­lence of wasted children un­der five years in the world.
2. India ranked lower than Pakistan in the Index 2020.
3. It is a peer-­reviewed re­port released annually by World Economic forum.

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

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

Solution: D)

Explanation:

Statement 1, 2 and 3: About Global Hunger Index 2020:

It is a peer-­reviewed re­port released annually by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe.

Key findings:

• India has the highest preva­lence of wasted children un­der five years in the world.
• Out of 107 countries, India ranks 94 in the Index lower than neighbours such as Bangladesh (75) and Pakis­tan (88).
• It uses four parameters to determine its scores. India fares worst in child wasting (low weight for height) and child stunting (low height for age), which together make up a third of the total score. Undernourishment and child mortality are other two parameters.
• India has improved in both child mortality rates, which are now at 3.7%, and in terms of undernourish­ment, with about 14% of the total population which gets an insufficient caloric intake.
• In the region of south, east and south­eastern Asia, Timor­Leste, Afghanistan and North Korea are the only countries which fare worse than India.
• The world is not on track to achieve the second Sus­tainable Development Goal which is known as Zero Hunger for short — by 2030
• According to the report, globally, nearly 690 million people are undernourished.

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

  

Q10. Consider the following statements with reference to the Drug repurposing

1. It refers to the usage of an approved drug for the treatment of a disease or medical condition other than what it is approved for.
2. It has abilities to save time and millions of dollars in drug research.
3. One exception of this method is that it cannot be used in the treatment of rare diseases.

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

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

Solution: A)

Explanation:

Statement 1, 2 and 3: Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) has coordinated Soli­darity Therapeutics Trial and its interim results have indicated that remdesi­vir, hydroxychloroquine, lo­pinavir/ritonavir and interfe­ron regimens appeared to have little or no effect on 28 day mortality or the in­-hos­pital course of COVID­19 among hospitalised pa­tients. In short, repurposed drugs did not cut down mortality.

About Repurposed drugs:

• It refers to the usage of an approved drug for the treatment of a disease or medical condition other than what it is approved for.
• It has priceless abilities to save time and millions of dollars in drug research and thus, it has become an integral constituent of the global pharma and healthcare industry.
• With this method, pharma companies can create blanket drugs or all-rounder drugs that can be applied to a number of different diseases.
• It is especially effective in the treatment of rare diseases.

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

 

 Q11. Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct about New START treaty?

1. It is a nuclear arms reduction treaty between France and the Russian Federation 
2. It entered into force on 5 February 2011.
3. Under the treaty, the number of strategic nuclear missile launchers will be reduced by half.
4. It replaced the Treaty of Moscow (SORT).

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

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

Solution: B)

Explanation:

Statement 1, 2, 3 and 4: About New START treaty:

• It is a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation.
• It was signed on 8^th April 2010 in Prague, and entered into force on 5 February 2011.
• It replaced the Treaty of Moscow (SORT), which was due to expire in December 2012

Following are some terms under the treaty:

• A new inspection and verification regime will be established, replacing the SORT mechanism and the number of strategic nuclear missile launchers will be reduced by half.
• Limit the number of deployed and non-deployed inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) launchers, submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) launchers, and heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments to 800. The number of deployed ICBMs, SLBMs, and heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments is limited to 700.
• The number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads is limited to 1,550, which is down nearly two-thirds from the original START treaty, as well as 10% lower than the deployed strategic warhead limit of the 2002 Moscow Treaty.

So, statement 1 is incorrect and statement 2, 3 and 4 are correct. Hence, option B is correct.