GK Quiz | 5 September 2020

Q1. With reference to the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendra, consider the following statements:

1. Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) is the implementing agency of PMBJP.
2. One of its mission is to creates awareness about generic medicines through education and publicity.

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:

Statements 1 and 2: About Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Priyojana (PMBJP)

• Initially, the ‘Jan Aushadhi Scheme’ was launched in 2008. In September 2015, it was revamped as ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojana’ (PMJAY). To give further impetus to the scheme, it was again renamed as Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) in November 2016.
• It is a campaign launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals to provide quality medicines at affordable prices to the masses.
• Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI), which is working under the administrative control of the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India, is the implementing agency of PMBJP.
• Mission:
• Create awareness among the public regarding generic medicines.
• Create demand for generic medicines through medical practitioners.
• Create awareness through education and awareness program that high price need not be synonymous with high quality.
• Provide all the commonly used generic medicines covering all the therapeutic groups.
• Provide all the related health care products too under the scheme.

So, both statements 1 and 2 are correct and hence, option C is correct.

 

Q2. Consider the following statements about UNSC 1267 committee:

1. It was first set up in 2005.
2. It comprises only permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

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: Pakistan made an attempt to list two Indians as designated terrorists under UNSC 1267 list. 

About UNSC 1267 committee:

• It is also known as the Da’esh and Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee.
• It was first set up in 1999 and strengthened after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
• Its list of terrorists is a global list, with a UNSC stamp.
• It comprises all permanent and non-permanent members of the UNSC.

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

 

Q3. Which of the following countries have neither signed nor ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)?

1. Egypt
2. North Korea
3. Israel
4. South Sudan

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

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

Solution: C)

Explanation:

About the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC):

• It is an arms control treaty that outlaws the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons and their precursors, implemented by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
• It is headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands.
• Currently, it has 193 states-parties and it is open to all nations.
• Egypt, North Korea and South Sudan are the three states that have neither signed nor ratified the convention
• Israel has signed but has yet to ratify the convention.

Hence, option C is correct.

 

Q4. Novichok, recently seen in news, is

1. A Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) of Arunachal Pradesh
2. The world’s most endangered snake
3. A nerve agent
4. A French submarine-launched ballistic missile

Solution: C)

Explanation:

Recently, Germany said the Novichok had sickened Russian dissident Alexei A. Navalny who is a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

About Novichok:

• It was developed in the Soviet Union in the 1980s and 1990s.
• It is used for a family of highly toxic nerve agents.
• It can be delivered as a liquid, powder or aerosol, and is said to be more lethal than nerve agents that are better known in the West, like VX and sarin.
• It causes muscle spasms that can stop the heart, fluid buildup in the lungs that can also be deadly, and damage to other organs and nerve cells.
• Novichok was added to the Chemical Weapons Convention’s list of controlled substances in 2019.

Hence, option C is correct.

 

Q5. Consider the following statements about Assam Rifles:

1. It is the oldest paramilitary force of India.
2. It was formed as a single unit called Cachar Levy in 1835.
3. Its administrative control lies with the Defence Ministry.

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: About Assam Rifles:

• It is the oldest paramilitary force of India
• It was formed as a single unit called Cachar Levy in 1835
• It served in both the World Wars.
• At present, the operational control of Assam Rifles lies with the Defence Ministry, while the administrative control is with the Ministry of Home Affairs.

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

 

Q6. Consider the following statements about Asteroids:

1. These are rocky objects that orbit the Sun.
2. Trojans are also asteroids that share an orbit with a larger planet.
3. All asteroids with a minimum orbit intersection distance (MOID) of 0.05 au or less are considered potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs).

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

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

Solution: C)

Explanation:

Statements 1,2 and 3: About Asteroids:

• These are rocky objects that orbit the Sun.
• They are much smaller than planets and thus, known as minor planets.
• Most of the asteroids can be found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter
• Trojans and Near-Earth Asteroids (NEA) are the other types of asteroids. Trojans are asteroids that share an orbit with a larger planet. Near-Earth Asteroids are those that cross the Earth’s orbit are called Earth-crossers.
• According to NASA, “Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) are currently defined based on parameters that measure the asteroid’s potential to make threatening close approaches to the Earth”. Specifically, all asteroids with a minimum orbit intersection distance (MOID) of 0.05 au or less are considered PHAs.

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

 

Q7. Consider the following statements about Black hole:

1. The concept of black hole was theorized by Albert Einstein in 1915
2. Gravitational waves are created when two black holes orbit each other and merge.
3. The boundary at the edge of a black hole is called the event horizon.

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

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

Solution: D)

Explanation:

Statements 1,2 and 3: About Black Hole

• Black Hole refers to a point in space where the matter is so compressed as to create a gravity field from which even light cannot escape.
• The concept of black hole was theorized by Albert Einstein in 1915, while the term ‘black hole’ was coined in the mid-1960s by American physicist John Archibald Wheeler.
• Gravitational waves are created when two black holes orbit each other and merge.
• There is a boundary at the edge of a black hole known as the event horizon, while it refers to a gravitational boundary beyond which neither light nor matter can escape.

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

 

Q8.  Which of the following countries is/are the members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)?

1. Azerbaijan
2. Belarus
3. India
4. Russia
5. Ukraine
6. Australia

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

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

Solution: A)

Explanation:

About Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS):

• It is an intergovernmental organization created in 1991.
• The founding states of the CIS include Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.
• At present, it has 12 members - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
• It is headquartered in Minsk, Belarus.
• CIS meets periodically on a rotating basis at the capitals of the Member Countries.
• It performs its activities based on the CIS Charter, which was signed in 1993 in order to set up various institutions of the CIS and their rules and functions.

Hence, option A is correct.

 

Q9. With reference to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), consider the following statements:

1. It is an intergovernmental military alliance that was signed in 1992.
2. All the current full member countries of CSTO are also the members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

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: About Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO):

• It is an intergovernmental military alliance that was signed in 1992.
• It was signed by six countries: Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Azerbaijan, Georgia and Belarus joined it later.
• In 1999, only six members of the CST signed a protocol renewing the treaty for another five-year period. Azerbaijan, Georgia and Uzbekistan refused to sign and withdrew from the treaty.
• Currently, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Belarus are full member countries of CSTO.

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

 

Q10. Consider the following statements about Kaziranga National Park:

1. It is located in the State of Assam.
2. It was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
3. The National Highway 37 passes through the park area.

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

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

Solution: C)

Explanation:

Statements 1,2 and 3: The Assam government has approved the addition of 30.53 sq. km to the 884 sq. km Kaziranga National Park.

About Kaziranga National Park:

• It is a national park in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam, India.
• It was declared as a National Park in 1974, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 and a Tiger Reserve in 2006
• It is recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.
• The National Highway 37 passes through the park area and Diphlu River running through it.
• It hosts two-thirds of the world’s great one-horned rhinoceroses and home to the highest density of tigers among protected areas in the world.

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