March 2023: Week-4 (Date : 26-03-2023)

Question 1:

This closure motion is used to curtail debate on a specific matter before the House, and if approved, it ends the discussion immediately and puts the matter to a vote. This Closure Motion is often used when there is limited time available for debate and the House needs to move forward with the legislative process. Which of the following motion is related to the condition described above?

Simple Closure
Closure by Compartments
Kangaroo Closure
Guillotine Closure

Correct Answer : D

Explanation

Closure Motion:

It is a motion moved by a member to cut short the debate on a matter before the House. If the motion is approved by the House, debate is stopped forthwith and the matter is put to vote.
There are four kinds of closure motions:
- Simple Closure: It is one when a member moves that the ‘matter having been sufficiently discussed be now put to vote’.
- Closure by Compartments: In this case, the clauses of a bill or a lengthy resolution are grouped into parts before the commencement of the debate. The debate covers the part as a whole and the entire part is put to vote.
- Kangaroo Closure: Under this type, only important clauses are taken up for debate and voting and the intervening clauses are skipped over and taken as passed.
- Guillotine Closure: It is one when the undiscussed clauses of a bill or a resolution are also put to vote along with the discussed ones due to want of time (as the time allotted for the discussion is over). Hence, option D is correct.

Question 2:

With reference to the Aviation Sector of India, consider the following statements:

It is currently the world's 5th-largest civil aviation market.
Over the past few years, India’s international passenger traffic had remained stagnant.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer : D

Explanation

About India’s Aviation Sector:
- India's Civil Aviation is among the fastest-growing aviation markets globally and will be a major growth engine to make India a USD 5 trillion economy by 2024.
  - India is currently the world's 3^rd-largest civil aviation market. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
- Over the past 6 years, India's domestic passenger traffic has grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 14.5% and international passenger traffic at around 6.5%. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
- India's domestic passenger traffic is projected to rise to 16 crores in the 2023-24 fiscal year and to 35 crores by 2029-30.

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Question 3:

With reference to New year festival in India, Consider the following pairs:

	Match 1	Match 2
1.	Ugadi	Andhra Pradesh
2.	Gudi	Padwa Maharashtra
3.	Navreh	Tamil Nadu

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

1 only
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer : B

Explanation

Ugadi is a Hindu festival that marks the New Year’s Day for the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka in India. The festival is celebrated on the first day of the Hindu lunar calendar. The word “Ugadi” is derived from the Sanskrit words “yuga” and “adi,” which mean “age” and “beginning” respectively. Hence statement 1 is correct.
Gudi Padwa is a spring-time festival that marks the traditional New Year in Maharashtra Gudi is a doll prepared in Maharashtrian homes. Hence statement 2 is correct.
Navreh is the Kashmiri New Year's Day, the day is marked by performing various rituals, decorating houses with flowers, preparing traditional dishes, and offering prayers to the deities. Hence statement 3 is not correct.

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Question 4:

Which one of the following operations best describes the removal of militants led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale from the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar.

Operation Meghdoot
Operation Blue Star
Operation Thunderstorm
Operation Finale

Correct Answer : B

Explanation

Operation Bluestar:
- Operation Blue Star began on 1^st June 1984, but due to fierce resistance from Bhindranwale and his heavily armed supporters, the Army’s operation became larger and more violent than had been originally intended, with the use of tanks and air support.
- Bhindranwale was killed and the Golden Temple was freed of militants, however, it gravely wounded the Sikh community around the world.
- It also galvanised the demand for Khalistan. Hence, option B is correct.

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Question 5:

With reference to Artificial intelligence, consider the following statements:

It describes the action of machines accomplishing tasks that have historically required human intelligence.
It is a hardware driven robotic automation.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer : A

Explanation

Artificial Intelligence (AI):
- It describes the action of machines accomplishing tasks that have historically required human intelligence.
- It includes technologies like machine learning, pattern recognition, big data, neural networks, self-algorithms etc. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
- The origin of the concept can be traced back to the greek mythology, although it is only during modern history when stored program electronic computers were developed.
  - Example: Millions of algorithms and codes are there around the humans to understand their commands and perform human-like tasks. Facebook’s list of suggested friends for its users, a pop-up page, talking about an upcoming sale of the favourite brand of shoes and clothes, that comes on screen while browsing the internet, are the work of artificial intelligence.
- A Complex Technology: AI involves complex things such as feeding a particular data into the machine and making it react as per the different situations. It is basically about creating self-learning patterns where the machine can give answers to the never answered questions like a human would ever do.
- AI is a Different Technology
  - AI is different from hardware driven robotic automation. Instead of automating manual tasks, AI performs frequent high volume computerised tasks reliably. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
  - AI is often misunderstood for machine learning. AI is a broader concept with a bunch of technologies that include machine learning and other technologies like natural language processing, inference algorithms, neutron networks etc.

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Question 6:

With reference to the Maritime India Vision 2030, consider the following statements:

It is a ten-year blueprint for the maritime sector which was released by the Prime Minister at the Maritime India Summit.
It will supersede the Sagarmala initiative.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer : C

Explanation

Maritime India Vision 2030 is a ten-year blueprint for the maritime sector which was released by the Prime Minister at the Maritime India Summit in November 2020. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
It will supersede the Sagarmala initiative and aims to boost waterways, give a fillip to the shipbuilding industry and encourage cruise tourism in India. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

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Question 7:

With reference to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), consider the following statements:

It is the international body for assessing the science related to climate change.
It was set up in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer : C

Explanation

It is the international body for assessing the science related to climate change. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
It was set up in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to provide policymakers with regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
IPCC assessments provide a scientific basis for governments at all levels to develop climate related policies, and they underlie negotiations at the UN Climate Conference – the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

Question 8:

Regarding GPT-4, consider the following statements:

It is more advanced than its predecessors when it comes to creativity, visual comprehension and context.
It can process up to 50,000 words of text and facilitate extended conversations.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer : A

Explanation

About GPT-4:
- According to OpenAI, GPT-4 is more advanced than its predecessors when it comes to creativity, visual comprehension and context. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
- It also possesses the ability to collaborate with users on various creative projects, including music, screenplays, technical writing, etc.
  - It can process up to 25,000 words of text and facilitate extended conversations. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
  - GPT-4 can encompass more than just text – it also accepts images as input.
- On the contrary, GPT-3 and GPT-3.5 only operated in one modality, text, allowing users only to ask questions by typing them out.
  - GPT-4 is more multilingual and OpenAI has demonstrated that it outperforms GPT-3.5 and other Large Language Models (LLMs) by accurately answering thousands of multiple-choice across 26 languages.
- It handles English best with an 85.5% accuracy, but Indian languages like Telugu aren’t too far behind either, at 71.4%.

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Question 9:

Consider the following statements:

Waste-to-energy projects use non-recyclable dry waste to generate electricity.
Pyrolysis and plasma gasification are thermal processes that use high temperatures to break down waste.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer : C

Explanation

Waste-to-energy projects use non-recyclable dry waste to generate electricity and ease the Solid Waste Management (SWM) burden. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
Solid waste in India is 55-60% biodegradable organic waste, which can be converted into organic compost or biogas; 25-30% non-biodegradable dry waste; and around 15% silt, stones, and drain waste.
Of the non-biodegradable dry waste, only 2-3% – including hard plastics, metals, and e-waste – is recyclable.
The remainder consists of low-grade plastic, rags, and cloth that can’t be recycled.
Pyrolysis and plasma gasification are thermal processes that use high temperatures to break down waste. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

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Question 10:

Consider the following statements regarding QS World University Rankings 2023:

QS is the world’s leading provider of services, analytics, and insight to the global higher education sector.
India is the second-most improved nation in Asia.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer : C

Explanation

QS is the world’s leading provider of services, analytics, and insight to the global higher education sector. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
The QS World University Rankings by Subject are compiled annually to help prospective students identify the leading universities in a particular subject.
India is the second-most improved nation in Asia with its overall performance improving by 17.2% year on year, after Mainland China which improved by 21.9%. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

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