GK Quiz | 29 October 2020

Q1. Consider the following statements:

1. A suture zone is a linear belt of intense deformation.
2. Indus-Tsangpo Suture Zone (ITSZ) is a suture zone in the Ladakh region.

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

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

Solution: D)

Explanation:

Statements 1 and 2: Recently, a group of scientists from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), Dehradun have found that the Indus-Tsangpo Suture Zone (ITSZ) of Himalaya is tectonically active.

About ITSZ:

• It is a suture zone in the Ladakh region.
• Till now, it was conventionally believed to be a locked zone.
• It marks the limit of the Indian Plate where it collides with the Eurasian plate and is subducted below the latter.
• It can be traced for more than 200 km and a wide variety of rock association along the ITSZ indicates that the collision at the plate boundary was of very complex nature.

About Suture Zones:

• A suture zone is a linear belt of intense deformation, where distinct terranes, or tectonic units with different plate tectonic, metamorphic, and paleogeographic histories join together.
• It is often represented on the surface by a mountain range comprising intensely deformed rocks.
• Suture Zones also provide the only record of deep oceanic crust and of ancient seafloor processes for roughly the first 90% of Earth’s history.

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

 

Q2. Feni bridge connects India with which of the following countries?

1. Nepal
2. Sri Lanka
3. Afghanistan
4. Bangladesh

Solution: D)

Explanation:

Feni bridge will be completed by December this year. It connects Sabrum (Tripura) in India with Ramgarh in Bangladesh. It will ease the transportation of goods from Chattogram and Kolkata ports.

Hence, option D is correct.

 

Q3. Which of the following statement(s) given above is/are correct?

1. IndiGenomes Resource Database enables the identification of markers for carrier screening.
2. Mendelian disorder is a type of genetic disorder.

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:

Statements 1 and 2: About IndiGenomes Resource Database:

• It was launched in April 2019.

• It encompasses the genomic data from over 1000 whole genome sequences sequenced from across India as part of the IndiGen programme and represents diverse geographies and ethnicities.
• It enables the identification of markers for carrier screening, variations causing genetic diseases, prevention of adverse events and provides better diagnosis and optimal therapy through mining data.
• Under this, genome sequencing of 1029 self-declared healthy Indians drawn from across the country has been completed.
• It provides access to over 55 million genetic variants representing the contemporary Indian population with an objective to classify variants involved in mendelian disorders and improve precision medicine outcomes.

Mendelian disorder is a type of genetic disorder. It primarily results due to alterations in one gene or as a result of abnormalities in the genome.

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

 

Q4. Consider the following statements:

1. Convalescent plasma is a source of antibodies against the infection.
2. Plasma is the liquid part of the blood.
3. The first Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was given to Emil von Behring in 1901.

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

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

Solution: D)

Explanation:

Statements 1,2 and 3: About Plasma Therapy:

• Plasma is the liquid part of the blood.
• It this, the blood of a recovered patient is used to create antibodies on infected individuals.

Convalescent plasma is extracted from the blood of patients recovering from an infection. It is a source of antibodies against the infection.

The first Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was given to Emil von Behring in 1901 for his work on serum therapy.

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

 

Q5. Consider the following statements with reference to the Annual State of Education Report (ASER) survey conducted in September 2020:

1. It is a nationwide survey conducted by the NITI Ayog.
2. Around 50% of rural children had no textbooks at home.
3. About one in three rural chil­dren had done no learning activity at all.

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

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

Solution: D)

Explanation:

Annual State of Education Report (ASER) is a nationwide sur­vey of rural education and learning outcomes in terms of reading and arithmetic skills conducted by the NGO Pratham for the last 15 years.

Key highlights of the Annual State of Education Report (ASER) survey conducted in September, 2020:

• In Rajasthan, only 60% had textbooks, and less than 35% of children had text­books in Andhra Pradesh. More than 98% had text­books in Naga­land, West Bengal and Assam.
• About one in three rural chil­dren had done no learning activity at all.
• About two in three had no learning mate­rial or activity given by their school that week, and only one in 10 had access to live online classes.
• In comparison to just 1.8% in 2018, 5.3% of rural children aged 6-10 years are not enrolled in schools this year.
• About 70% of rural children did some learning activity and out of these, only 11% had live online classes.
• Around 20% of rural children did not have textbooks at home by September 2020.
• Stu­dents in rural India are suffering, with varying levels of access to school, technology and family resources. It results in a digital divide in education.

So, both statements are incorrect. Hence, option D is correct.

 

Q6. Which of the following is/are the application areas of earth observation satellite EOS-­01?

1. Agriculture
2. For­estry
3. Disaster manage­ment support

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

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

Solution: D)

Explanation:

EOS-­01 is an earth observation satellite that will be launched by India along with nine interna­tional customer spacecraft onboard its Polar rocket PSLV­C49 from the space­port of Sriharikota on 7^th November, 2020.

EOS-­01 has applications in agriculture, for­estry and disaster manage­ment support. This is the first launch by ISRO since the COVID­-19 lockdown came into force in March.

Hence, option D is correct.

 

Q7. Which of the following countries does not share their border with Bolivia?

1. Uruguay
2. Paraguay
3. Argentina

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

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

Solution: B)

Explanation:

In Bolivia, several hundred right­ wing protesters demanded that a “military junta” replace socialist President­-elect Luis Arce.

About Bolivia:

• It is a landlocked country located in western-central South America.
• It is bordered by Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay.

Hence, option B is correct.