Question 16: Consider the following statements:
- A heat dome occurs when an area of high-pressure traps warm air over a region.
- The jet stream is believed to have a wave-like pattern that keeps moving from north to south and then north again.
- With the rising temperatures, it is expected that the jet stream will become more wavy and will have larger deviations, causing more frequent extreme heat events.
Which of the following statements is/are true?
A) 1 and 2
B) 2 and 3
C) 1 and 3
D) 1, 2, and 3
Correct Answer: D
Explanation
What is heat domes?
- A heat dome occurs when an area of high-pressure traps warm air over a region, just like a lid on a pot, for an extended period of time.
- The longer that air remains trapped, the more the sun works to heat the air, producing warmer conditions with every passing day. Heat domes generally stay for a few days but sometimes they can extend up to weeks, which might cause deadly heat waves.
- Scientists suggest that any region of high pressure, whether a heat dome or not, forces air to sink and once it reaches the ground, it gets compressed and becomes even warmer. Moreover, when air sinks, it gets drier and further raises the temperature of the area.
What is the relationship between heat domes and the jet stream?
- The heat dome’s formation is related to the behavior of the jet stream — an area of fast-moving air high in the atmosphere. The jet stream is believed to have a wave-like pattern that keeps moving from north to south and then north again.
- When these waves get bigger and elongated, they move slowly and sometimes can become stationary. This is when a high-pressure system gets stuck and leads to the occurrence of a heat dome.
- Although heat domes are likely to have always existed, researchers say that climate change may be making them more intense and longer. They suggest with the rising temperatures, it is expected that the jet stream will become wavier and will have larger deviations, causing more frequent extreme heat events.
Question 17: Consider the following statements with respect to key proposals in the draft rules for online gaming:
- Online games will have to register with a self-regulatory body, and only games cleared by the body will be allowed to legally operate in India.
- Online gaming companies will not be allowed to engage in betting on the outcome of games.
- Like an intermediary, online gaming firms will be required to undertake additional due diligence, including KYC of users.
- For KYC, they will have to follow norms laid down for entities regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Which of the following statements is/are true?
A) 1, 2 and 3
B) 2, 3 and 4
C) 1, 2 and 4
D) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Correct Answer: D
Explanation
Key proposals in the draft rules for online gaming, released by the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY)
- Online games will have to register with a self-regulatory body, and only games cleared by the body will be allowed to legally operate in India.
- Online gaming companies will not be allowed to engage in betting on the outcome of games, the proposed rules say.
- The self-regulatory body will have a board of directors with five members from diverse fields, including online gaming, public policy, IT, psychology and medicine.
- It must ensure that the registered games don’t have anything “which is not in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, defense of India, security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states or public order, or incites the commission of any cognizable offence relating to the aforesaid.”
- Like an intermediary, online gaming firms will be required to undertake additional due diligence, including KYC of users, transparent withdrawal and refund of money, and a fair distribution of winnings.
- For KYC, they will have to follow norms laid down for entities regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
- Gaming companies will also have to secure a random number generation certificate, which is typically used by platforms that offer card games to ensure that game outputs are statistically random and unpredictable.
- They will also have to get a “no bot certificate” from a reputed certifying body.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/draft-rules-for-online-gaming-released-8358527/
Question 18: Consider the following statements:
- The Indian rhinoceros is found only in the Brahmaputra valley, parts of North Bengal, and parts of southern Nepal.
- The Indian rhino is listed as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List.
- As per the wildlife protection act, rhino horns cannot be burnt publicly.
Which of the following statements is/are true?
A) 1 and 2
B) 2 and 3
C) 1 and 3
D) 1, 2, and 3
Correct Answer: A
Explanation
- The Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicorns) is found only in the Brahmaputra valley, parts of North Bengal, and parts of southern Nepal.
- It has a single black horn that can grow up to 60 cm, and a tough, grey-brown hide with skin folds, which gives the animal its characteristic armor-plated look.
- The Indian rhino is listed as vulnerable (better than endangered, worse than near threatened) in the IUCN Red List; it was earlier placed in the endangered category.
- On September 22, World Rhino Day, in 2021, almost 2,500 rhino horns were burnt publicly in Bokakhat in KNP to “bust myths about rhino horns”, and to send “a loud and clear message to the poachers and smugglers that such items have no value”.
Question 19: Consider the following statements:
- The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act (AMASR Act) protects monuments and sites that are more than 1000 years old.
- The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham.
- A comprehensive physical survey of all monuments has never been conducted after Independence.
Which of the following statements is/are true?
A) 1 and 2
B) 2 and 3
C) 1 and 3
D) 1, 2, and 3
Correct Answer: B
Explanation
- The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act (AMASR Act) regulates the preservation of monuments and archaeological sites of national importance.
- The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which is under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Culture, functions under this Act. The Act protects monuments and sites that are more than 100 years old, including temples, cemeteries, inscriptions, tombs, forts, palaces, stepwells, rock-cut caves, and even objects like cannons and mile pillars that may be of historical significance.
- The ASI was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham, when he realised the need for a permanent body to oversee archaeological excavations and conservation.
- While ASI officials said a comprehensive physical survey of all monuments has never been conducted after Independence, in 2013, a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report said that at least 92 centrally protected monuments across the country had gone missing.
- The Parliamentary panel said it was perturbed to find that the Barakhamba Cemetery in the very heart of Delhi was among the untraceable monuments.
- Other missing monuments include the Guns of Emperor Sher Shah, Tinsukia (Assam); the Ruins of Copper Temple, Paya, Lohit (Arunachal Pradesh); Kos Minar, Mujesar, Faridabad (Haryana); Kutumbari Temple, Dwarahat, Almora (Uttarakhand); Rock Inscription, Satna (Madhya Pradesh); Old European Tomb, Pune (Maharashtra); 12th Century Temple, Baran (Rajasthan); and Telia Nala Buddhist ruins, Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh).
Question 20: Consider the following statements:
- The right to travel abroad is part of the fundamental right to life and personal liberty under Article 21.
- It is the responsibility on the state to follow “due procedure” and not just “any procedure laid down” in the law to encroach upon personal liberty.
Which of the following statements is/are true?
A) 1 only
B) 2 only
C) 1 and 2 only
D) Neither 1 nor 2
Correct Answer: C
Explanation
- In several landmark cases, the Supreme Court has held that the right to travel abroad is part of the fundamental right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution.
- In the 1978 Menaka Gandhi v Union of India case, in which Gandhi’s passport was impounded, the Supreme Court held that personal liberty can be curtailed only under “just, fair and reasonable” grounds and not “arbitrary” and “vague” grounds.
- Menaka Gandhi’s active passport was impounded under Section 10(3)(c) of the Passport Act in “public interest” without giving Gandhi an opportunity to present her case.
- The seven-judge unanimous verdict put a greater responsibility on the state to follow “due procedure” and not just “any procedure laid down” in the law to encroach upon personal liberty.
