GK Quiz | 26 September 2020

Q1. With reference to the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), consider the following statements

1. It is a multi-national forum for enhancing cooperation towards promoting peace, security and stability in Asia.
2. It was proposed by the First President of Afghanistan at the 47^th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
3. India is a member of CICA.

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: A)

Explanation:

Statements 1,2 and 3: About the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA):

• It is a multi-national forum for enhancing cooperation towards promoting peace, security and stability in Asia.
• It was proposed by the Nursultan Nazarbayev, First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, at the 47^th session of the United Nations General Assembly on 5^th October 1992.
• Currently, it has 27 members, including India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Egypt, etc
• The First Ministerial Meeting of CICA took place in September 1999 and the first CICA summit was held on 4^th June 2002
• For the period 2018-2020, the Republic of Tajikistan is the CICA Chairman

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

 

Q2. Consider the following statements:

1. Lok Adalats have been given statutory status under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
2. Any dispute which has not been brought before any court and is likely to be filed before the court cannot be referred to Lok Adalats.
3. The decision made by the Lok Adalats is final and binding on all the parties.

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

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

Solution: C)

Explanation:

Statements 1,2 and 3:

About Lok Adalat:

• It is one of the alternative dispute redressal mechanisms.
• It is a forum where disputes/cases pending in the court of law or at the pre-litigation stage are settled/ compromised amicably.
• Decision made by the Lok Adalat is considered to be a verdict of a civil court and is final and binding on all parties.
• Under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, Lok Adalats have been given statutory status.
• No appeal against such an award lies before any court of law, but they are free to initiate litigation by approaching the court of appropriate jurisdiction by filing a case by following the required procedure, in exercise of their right to litigate.
• There is no court fee payable when a matter is filed in a Lok Adalat.
• Any case pending before any court and any dispute which has not been brought before any court and is likely to be filed before the court can be referred to Lok Adalat and provided that any matter relating to an offence not compoundable under the law shall not be settled in Lok Adalat.

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

 

Q3. The Galactic Centre contains-

1. A supermassive black hole
2. Clouds of dust and gas
3. Neutron stars and white dwarf stars

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

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

Solution: D)

Explanation:

The Galactic Centre is the rotational centre of the Milky Way galaxy. It contains a collection of objects, including

• A supermassive black hole called Sagittarius A
• Clouds of dust and gas
• Neutron stars and white dwarf stars

Hence, option D is correct.

 

Q4. Consider the following statements:

1. Unlike the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope, Chandra X-ray Observatory is not a part of NASA’s fleet of “Great Observatories”.
2. Chandrasekhar limit is the theoretical minimum mass a white dwarf star can have and still remain a white dwarf.

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: About the Chandra X-ray Observatory:

• It was launched by Space Shuttle Columbia in 1999.
• Along with the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope, it is also a part of NASA’s fleet of “Great Observatories”.
• It is named after the Nobel Prize-winning Indian astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar.
• Chandrasekhar limit is the theoretical maximum mass a white dwarf star can have and still remain a white dwarf and the work of Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar implied that stars more massive than the so-called Chandrasekhar limit would eventually collapse to become objects so dense that not even light could escape it.

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

 

Q5. Who has the power to set up the Board for Regulation and Supervision of Payment and Settlement Systems (BPSS)?

1. Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
2. Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
3. NITI Ayog
4. Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI)

Solution: A)

Explanation:

Under the Payment and Settlement Systems (PSS) Act, 2007, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is authorized to constitute a Committee of its Central Board known as the Board for Regulation and Supervision of Payment and Settlement Systems (BPSS), to exercise its powers and perform its functions and discharge its duties under this statute.

Hence, option A is correct.

 

Q6. Which of the following statement(s) is/are incorrect about the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)?

1. It is an international human rights governmental organization.
2. It works to develop national and international human rights standards through the law.

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:

Statements 1 and 2: About the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)

• It is an international human rights non- governmental organization.
• It was established following the 1952 ‘International Congress of Jurists’ in West Berlin
• It is a standing group of 60 eminent jurists—including senior judges, attorneys and academics.
• It works to develop national and international human rights standards through the law.

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

 

Q7. RAISE summit is related to-

1. Artificial intelligence
2. Software engineering
3. Cyber security
4. Fake news detection

Solution: A)

Explanation:

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and NITI Ayog will organize RAISE 2020- ‘Responsible AI for Social Empowerment 2020’ in October 2020.

RAISE 2020 stands for ‘Responsible AI for Social Empowerment 2020.’ It is a first of its kind, global meeting of minds on Artificial Intelligence to drive India’s vision and roadmap for social transformation, inclusion and empowerment through responsible AI.

Hence, option A is correct.

 

Q8. With reference to the Public Accounts Committee, consider the following statements

1. It was first set up in 1921 in the wake of the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms.
2. It has 30 members from Lok Sabha.
3. A Minister is allowed to be a member of this panel.

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

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

Solution: B)

Explanation:

Statement 1,2 and 3: About Public Accounts Committee:

• It was first set up in 1921 in the wake of the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms
• It has 22 members of which 15 are from Lok Sabha, and 7 from Rajya Sabha
• No Minister is allowed to be a member of this panel.
• The term of office of the members is one year.
• It main role is to assess whether the government has judiciously spent the money.
• Its chairman is appointed by the Speaker from among the Members of Lok Sabha elected to the Committee.

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

 

Q9. Consider the following pairs

1. F-1 visas: Exchange students on a relevant exchange program
2. M-1 visas: Students engaging in vocational or non-academic studies
3. J visas: Full-time students

Which of the pair(s) given above is/are correctly matched?

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

Solution: C)

Explanation: Following are types of Student Visa to study in the U.S:

• F-1 visas for full-time students.
• M-1 visas for students engaging in vocational or non-academic studies.
• J visas for exchange students on a relevant exchange program.
• F-1 and M-1 students share the same primary purpose for going to the US. However, M-1 students enroll in vocational programmes, while F-1 students enroll in more traditional academic programmes.
• The only difference between M-1 and F-1 visa is that on entering, the M-1 visa is time-stamped and student cannot overstay in the US.

 Hence, option C is correct.