1) Consider the following statements with respect to Brown Blotched Bengal Tree Frog
It is commonly found in the deep jungles of the state of West Bengal.
It belonged to the genus Polypedates and its body colour is yellowish-brown to greenish-brown.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are incorrect?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : a
Bengal’s cities yield new species of tree frog.
These tree frogs were found commonly in urban habitats of West Bengal.
Specimens were not discovered from deep jungles but from residential areas in two districts of West Bengal.
It was established that the mid-sized tree frog as the 26th species under the genus Polypedates, found throughout south and southeast Asia.
The new species has been named Brown Blotched Bengal Tree Frog ( Polypedates bengalensis) from the series of six to nine dark brown blotches that extend laterally from behind the frog’s eye to the vent.
The frog’s body colour is yellowish-brown to greenish-brown.
2) Consider the following statements with respect to Drukpa Order
Drukpa Lineage is a Buddhist tradition that began in the Himalayas.
The founder of the Drukpa order flouted centuries of Buddhist tradition that barred nuns from physical exercise.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : c
Recently, Union Minister of State for Tourism and Culture congratulates the Kung Fu Nuns for receiving Asia Society’s ‘Game Changer Award’ for their heroic human rights activism
The Kung Fu Nuns of the Drukpa Orderare the fearless daughters of India who represent a new generation of Buddhists using spirituality to inspire real-life action & impact.
They are a strong community of 700 nuns and growing, with a thousand year-old Drukpa legacy.
They belong to the Drukpa Lineage, a thousand-year-old Buddhist tradition that began in the Himalayas.
The Gyalwang Drukpa, the spiritual leader and founder of the Drukpa order, encouraged his nuns to train in Kung Fu to build confidence as leaders.
In doing so, he flouted centuries of Buddhist tradition that barred nuns from physical exercise.
They are the “only Buddhist nuns” in the world to practice KungFu.
The nuns use their martial arts expertise to challenge gender roles in India’s conservative culture.
3) Consider the following statements with respect to Gaofen-7which was in news recently
It is an optical satellite for mapping purposes, surveying, and Geoinformation.
It was launched by The Roscosmos.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : a
Gaofen 7 is a a new remote sensing satellite for mapping purposes for National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation of China (NASMG).
It was launched by China National Space Administration (CNSA).
The new satellite was developed by the ‘Chinese Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Group’.
The development of the Gaofen-7 has achieved a breakthrough in sub-meter level 3D mapping camera technology, meeting the highest mapping accuracy requirement among the Gaofen series Earth observation satellites.
4) ICEDASH and ATITHI which was in news is related to?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : c
Finance Minister Launches two new IT Initiatives, ICEDASH & ATITHI.
It is for improved monitoring and pace of Customs clearanceof imported goods and facilitating arriving international passengers
ICEDASH, Ease of Doing Business monitoring dashboard of the Indian Customs helping public see the daily Customs clearance times of import cargo
ATITHI, Easy to use mobile app for international travelers to file the Customs declaration in advance.
Passengers can use this app to file declaration of dutiable items and currency with the Indian Customs even before boarding the flight to India.
This dashboard has been developed by CBIC in collaboration with NIC.
5) Consider the following statements with respect to Aadi Mahotsav
It is a joint initiative of Ministry of Tribal Affairs and TRIFED.
The theme of the festival is “A Celebration of the Spirit of Tribal Crafts, Culture and Commerce”.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/arenot correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : d
The Delhi Aadi Mahotsav will be organised at Dilli Haat, INA, New Delhi between 16th to 30th November, 2019.
It is a joint initiative of Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED)..
The theme of the festival is “A Celebration of the Spirit of Tribal Crafts, Culture and Commerce”, which represents the basic ethos of tribal life.
The festival, will feature exhibition-cum-sale of tribal handicrafts, art, paintings, fabric, jewellery and much more.
6) Danakil Depressionwhich was in news recently is located in?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : a
The Danakil Depression in northeastern Ethiopia is one of the world’s hottest places, as well as one of its lowest, at 100 metres below sea level.
A new study published in ‘Nature Ecology & Evolution’, says that active and naturally occurring life cannot be sustained at Danakil.
It identifies two barriers for life,
Magnesium-dominated brines that cause cells to break down
An environment having simultaneously very low pH and high salt, a combination that makes adaptation highly difficult.
At the northern end of the Great Rift Valley, and separated by live volcanoes from the Red Sea, the plain was formed by the evaporation of an inland water body.
All the water entering Danakil evaporates, and no streams flow out from its extreme environment. It is covered with more than 10 lakh tonnes of salt.
7) Consider the following statements with respect to South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP)
It is an inter-governmental organization aims to promote and support protection, management and enhancement of the environment in the region.
Its member countries include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The 14th meeting of the SACEP Governing Council was held in March 2018 in Colombo.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : d
It is an inter-governmental organization which was established in 1982.
Its member countries Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
It aims to promote and support protection, management and enhancement of the environment in the region.
The 14th meeting of the SACEP Governing Council was held in March last year in Colombo.
8) Consider the following statements with respect to Dark Matter
The presence of dark matter is indicated by its gravitational effects on visible bodies.
Ninety per cent of our Milky Way galaxy is made up of this visible dark matter.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are incorrect?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : b
It is now believed that there exists more matter in the Universe than is visible to us as stars, nebulae, galaxies etc.
The matter that astronomers believe exists but which they have not been able to detect is known as dark matter.
The presence of dark matter is indicated by its gravitational effects on visible bodies so though it has mass, nobody yet knows what it is made up of.
Ninety per cent of our own galaxy, the Milky Way is believed to be made up of this invisible matter.
9) With respect to Virus, consider the following statements:
By itself, the virus is a lifeless particle.
It reproduces very fast in the cell it has invaded.
It consists of an outer coat of protein and an inner core of either DNA or RNA or both.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : d
By itself, the virus is a lifeless particle consisting of an outer coat of protein and an inner core of either DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) or RNA (ribonucleic acid) or both.
It lacks some of the substances needed by an organism to live and reproduce on its own.
So in that sense it is not a living thing.
However, when it enters a living cell it uses the genes of the cell it has invaded to reproduce.
It comes alive, so to say when it has parasitized a living cell.
It reproduces very fast in the cell it has invaded.
In less than half an hour it produces about 200 copies of itself.
These new viruses break out of the cell and each of them latch on to an adjoining cell and reproduce and in a short while there are thousands of the viruses of that particular kind in that part of the host’s body.
10) Consider the following statements with respect to Predatory Pricing
It is specifically defined as sale or goods or services at a price below the cost of production, with a view to reduce or eliminate competition.
India does not have any legislation on what constitutes predatory pricing.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer : a
Predatory pricing is a strategy whereby a Goliath in an industry with deep pockets prices its goods or services at rock-bottom levels, so that no rivals can compete with it.
Once everyone else runs up huge losses and is forced out of the business, the Goliath makes hay by withdrawing the freebies and fleecing consumers.
In India, the Competition Act of 2002 lays down the ground-rules on what constitutes predatory pricing.
‘Predatory pricing’ figures in the section on abuse of dominant position by a market player.
It expressly forbids any enterprise or group from ‘abusing its dominant position’ in the market, either by imposing unfair conditions or an unfair and discriminatory price — including predatory price — resulting in denial of market access.
Predatory price is specifically defined as sale or goods or services at a price below the cost of production, with a view to reduce or eliminate competition.
