1) Consider the following statements with respect to Hornbill Festival
It is a festival celebrated in the North Eastern state of Nagaland annually.
It is being organised by the Ministry of tribal affairs to encourage inter-tribal interaction and to promote cultural heritage of the state.
All the tribes of Nagaland take part in this festival.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : b
To encourage inter-tribal interaction and to promote cultural heritage of Nagaland, the Government of Nagaland organizes the Hornbill Festival every year in the first week of December.
Organized by the State Tourism and Art & Culture Departments, Hornbill Festival showcases a mélange of cultural displays under one roof.
This festival usually takes place between the 1st and the 7th of December every year in Kohima.
All the tribes of Nagaland take part in this festival.
The aim of the festival is to revive and protect the rich culture of Nagaland and display its extravaganza and traditions.
2) “Seismic Airgun blasting” is sometimes seen in the news recently. It is a
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : c
Seismic airgun blasting is used to locate oil and gas deposits deep below the ocean floor.
Vessels tow large arrays of seismic airguns which shoot extremely loud blasts of compressed air through the ocean and miles under the seafloor, which reflect back information about buried oil and gas deposits.
Airguns are so loud that they disturb, injure or kill marine life, harm commercial fisheries, and disrupt coastal economies.
Recently, the US government took a big step toward opening oil and gas drilling in the Atlantic Ocean by approving seismic airgun tests that experts warn is harmful to dolphins and whales.
3) Consider the following statements with respect to NITI forum for North East
It will be chaired by the Prime Minister and co-chaired by the Vice-chairman of NITI Aayog.
All North eastern states take part in this forum except Sikkim.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : d
NITI forum for North East was constituted to periodically review development status in the North Eastern region.
It will be Chaired by the Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog and co-chaired by the Minister of state (Independent charge), Ministry, of Development of North Eastern Region.
All North Eastern states including Sikkim will take part in this forum.
Second meeting of NITI Forum for North East will be held on Dec 4 in Guwahati, Assam.
4) “Cope India-2018” is sometimes seen in the news recently. It is a
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : d
Ex Cope India-18 is the fourth edition in the series of Bilateral Joint exercise held between Indian Air Force and United States Air Force, which is conducted in India.
This is the first time, the exercise is being planned at two Air Force bases, Kalaikunda and Panagarh in India.
The aim of exercise is to provide operational exposure and undertake mutual exchange of best practices towards enhancing operational capability.
The Cope India exercise is being held after a gap of eight years, with the last one having taken place in 2010.
5) Consider the following statements
Antibiotic resistance encompasses resistance to drugs that treat infections caused by bacteria and parasites.
Antimicrobial resistance is a broader term encompasses resistance to drugs that treat infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : b
Antibiotics are medicines used to prevent and treat bacterial infections.
Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change in response to the use of these medicines. Bacteria, not humans, become antibiotic resistant.
These bacteria may then infect humans and are harder to treat than non-resistant bacteria.
Antimicrobial resistance is a broader term, encompassing resistance to drugs to treat infections caused by other microbes as well, such as parasites (e.g. malaria), viruses (e.g. HIV) and fungi (e.g. Candida).
6) “Digital Sky Platform” is sometimes seen in the news recently. It is an/the
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : c
Ministry of civil aviation has started an online portal Digital Sky for the purpose of registration of drones, pilots, and operators in India.
Digital Sky platform is an online IT platform developed for handling Unique Identification Numbers (UIN), Unmanned Aerial Operator’s Permit (UAOP) applications, permission to fly drones in India.
7) Consider the following statements with respect to Wildlife Institute of India (WII)
It is a statutory organization constituted under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
It is headed by the Prime Minister.
It works under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : b
WII was established as an attached office in May, 1982 and has become an Autonomous Institute since 1986.
Its mandate is to build capacity through training, education and research in the field of wildlife conservation.
WII-society will be chaired by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change.
National Board for Wild Life (NBWL) is a “Statutory Organization” constituted under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
NBWL is chaired by India’s Prime Minister and its vice chairman is Minister of Environment.
8) “VISIONS-2” mission is sometimes seen in the news recently. It is a/the
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : a
Visualizing Ion Outflow via Neutral Atom Sensing-2 (VISIONS-2)
It is the mission of NASA to launch a sounding rocket to get a closer look at how the Earth's atmosphere is slowly leaking into space.
Understanding atmospheric escape on Earth has applications all over the Universe – from predicting which far off planets might be habitable, to piecing together how Mars became the desolate, exposed landscape it is today.
A sounding rocket makes brief, targeted flights into space before falling back to Earth just a few minutes later.
9) Consider the following statements with respect to Mekedatu dam project
The dam is planned to be built across the river Cauvery.
The dam is planned to be built by the Karnataka Government.
This project has created a dispute between Karnataka and the Maharashtra Government.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are incorrect?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : a
‘Mekedatu’, literally ‘Goat’s leap’ in Kannada, is at the confluence of Cauvery and Arkavathi rivers, near Kanakapura which is at a distance of 110 km from Bengaluru.
It is being set up by the Karnataka government.
The dam is planned to be built across the river Cauvery.
A multi-purpose balancing reservoir project over Mekedatu, was aimed at solving the drinking water problems of Bengaluru and Ramnagar district.
The Tamil Nadu government has decided to move the Supreme Court against the approval given by the Central Water Commission (CWC) to build a project at Mekedatu, across the river Cauvery.
10) “Hodeidah port” is sometimes seen in the news recently, which is located in which of the following countries?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : b
Hodeidah is a red sea port city located in Yemen held by the rebels.
Rebel held Hodeidah port is a key entry point for imports and vital for the flow of humanitarian aid.
UN aid chief Mark Lowcock has recently warned that Yemen was “on the brink of a major catastrophe”, as the world body pushes for peace talks in the country.
His comments came after renewed deadly clashes between Houthi rebels and pro-government forces in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, vital for the flow of humanitarian aid.
