GK Quiz | 4 November 2020

Q1: Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct about ammonia?

1. It is a colourless gas.
2. As per the Bureau of Indian Standards, the acceptable maximum limit of ammonia in drinking water is 1 ppm.
3. Water having ammonia levels above 1ppm is toxic for fishes.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

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

Solution: A)

Explanation:

Statement 1,2 and 3:  Recently, ammonia levels in the river, flowing into Delhi from Haryana, had reached nearly 3 parts per million (ppm), almost six times above the acceptable limit of 0.5ppm.

About Ammonia:

• It is a colourless gas, consists of hydrogen and nitrogen.
• In its aqueous form, it is called ammonium hydroxide.
• It is used as an industrial chemical in the production of fertilisers, plastics, synthetic fibres, dyes and other products.
• It is lighter than air.
• It occurs naturally in the environment from the breakdown of organic waste matter.
• As per the Bureau of Indian Standards, the acceptable maximum limit of ammonia in drinking water is 0.5 ppm.
• In humans, long term ingestion of water having ammonia levels of 1 ppm or above may cause damage to internal organs.
• If the concentration of ammonia in water is above 1 ppm, it is toxic to fishes.

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

 

Q2: Consider the following statement(s) regarding Liquidity trap

1. It is a situation when expansionary monetary policy does not increase interest rates.
2. High interest rate is one of the indicators of liquidity trap.

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: About Liquidity trap:

• It is a contradictory economic situation in which the saving rates are high, interest rates are low, and rendering monetary policy ineffective.
• It is caused when people hoard cash because they expect an adverse event such as deflation, insufficient aggregate demand, or war.
• Some measures to overcome liquidity trap are: global rebalancing, raising interest rates, and fiscal stimulus.

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

 

Q3: Consider the following statements

1. Panna has become the first biosphere reserve included in World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) from Madhya Pradesh.
2. No human activity is allowed in the core zone of biosphere reserve.

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:

Statement 1 and 2: Recently, Panna Tiger Reserve has been declared as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

About Panna Tiger Reserve:

• It is situated in the Vindhyan mountain range in the northern part of Madhya Pradesh.
• It was formed in 1981, and was notified a biosphere reserve by the Union ministry of environment and forests in 2011.
• It has become the third biosphere reserve included in World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) from Madhya Pradesh after Panchmarhi and Amarkantak.

Following are three main zones of biosphere reserve:

• Core Areas: It is the most protected area of a biosphere reserve. No human activity is allowed in this zone. It may contain endemic plants and animals.
• Buffer Zone: it surrounds the core zone and its activities are managed in this area in the ways that help in the protection of the core zone in its natural condition. It allowed for tourism, education, research, and crop cultivation purposes with very few human settlements and activities.
• Transition Zone: It is the outermost part of the biosphere reserve. It includes settlements, croplands, managed forests and areas for intensive recreation and other economic uses characteristics of the region. It is the zone of cooperation where human ventures and conservation are done in harmony.

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

 

Q4: Which of the following statement(s) is/are incorrect about Kawasaki Disease?

1. It is an acute inflammatory disease of the blood vessels.
2. It primarily affects the persons above the age of 60 years.
3. It is one of the leading causes of kidney disease in kids.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

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

Solution: D)

Explanation:

Statement 1,2 and 3: About Kawasaki disease:

• It is an acute inflammatory disease of the blood vessels
• It usually occurs in children below the age of five.
• The inflammation in the coronary arteries that is responsible for supplying blood to the heart results in enlargement or in the formation of aneurysms (swelling of the wall of an artery), leading to heart attacks.
• Symptoms: Fever, rashes, red and cracked lips, a red tongue, redness of the cornea, and lymph node enlargement of the neck.
• It is one of the leading causes of heart disease in kids.

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

 

Q5: Consider the following statements about ‘Travancore Tortoise’

1. It is restricted to the Eastern Ghats.
2. It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

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 and 2: About Tranvancore Tortoise:

• It was first described by George Albert Boulenger in 1907
• It is a large forest tortoise growing up to 330 millimetres in length.
• It primarily feeds on grasses and herbs and also feeds on molluscs, insects, animal carcass, fungi and fruits.
• It is restricted to the Western Ghats, in the Indian states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• It is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, and listed in Schedule IV in Wild Life Protection Act, 1972.

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