IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - Jan 23, 2016

1)   What is the purpose of the Skill Vans?

a. Help students enrolled under Skill India to travel
b. Disseminate information on Skill India
c. Disseminate skill development information
d. Provide skill development training
Answer  Explanation  Related Ques

ANSWER: Provide skill development training

Explanation:
Skill Vans would travel to different parts of the country and provide skill development trainings to the youth. These vans would be equipped with facilities to provide skill development on the spot.


2)   As per the first Biennial Update Report (BUR) submitted by India to UNFCCC, which of the following is correct decreasing order of greenhouse gas emission percentage?

a. Energy>Agriculture>Industry>Waste Sector
b. Industry>Energy>Waste Sector>Agriculture
c. Energy>Industry>Agriculture>Waste Sector
d. Energy>Industry> Waste Sector>Agriculture
Answer  Explanation  Related Ques

ANSWER: Energy>Agriculture>Industry>Waste Sector

Explanation:
BUR contains national GHG inventory of India for the year 2010, prepared in accordance with the guidelines of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The inventory covers six greenhouse gases, viz. Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Nitrous Oxide (N2O), Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) and five categories, namely- energy, industrial processes and product use (IPPU), agriculture, waste and Land-use, Land-use, Change and Forestry (LULUCF). As per BUR, energy sector was the prime contributor to emissions and with 71% of total emissions in 2010. Energy sector includes - electricity production, fuel combustion in industries, transport and fugitive emissions. Industrial processes and product use contributed 8%; agriculture and waste sectors contributed 18% and 3% respectively to the national GHG inventory. About 12% of emissions were offset by carbon sink action of forests and croplands.


3)   The theme of Ministry of New & Renewable Energy in the republic day parade will be

a. Mega Watt To Giga Watt – Sustainable Power
b. Mega Watt To Giga Watt – Land of Thousand Suns
c. Mega Watt - Thousand Suns in India
d. Mega Watt To Giga Watt – Making The Sun Brighter, Even At Night
Answer  Explanation  Related Ques

ANSWER: Mega Watt To Giga Watt – Making The Sun Brighter, Even At Night

Explanation:
Ministry of New & Renewable Energy will be showcasing its various activities and initiatives for the first time in Republic Day Parade. The Theme of display is “Mega Watt To Giga Watt – Making The Sun Brighter, Even At Night”. The tableau highlights its ambitious project of renewable energy capacity target of 175 GW to be achieved by the year 2022. All systems on the tableau are being run by the energy produced through the solar panels and energy stored in a device called Eco grid. The new and renewable energy sources have been accepted universally as the foremost choice for being clean, non-polluting and inexhaustible sources of energy. Being environment-friendly, they preserve nature, promote greenery, health, happiness and prosperity for the mankind. India has announced a very ambitious renewable energy capacity target of 175 GW by 2022. We already have an impressing cumulative existing installed capacity of approximately 38 GW of solar, wind, small hydro and bio-energy. The vision 2022 of achieving the installed capacity of 175 GW, aims to transform India through rapid strides in the renewable energy sector, job creation and skill development. To meet these targets, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is spearheading research and technology development in new areas such as ocean, tidal energy, hydrogen, etc.


4)   India’s first High Speed Public Wi - Fi Service has started at

a. Victoria Terminus Railway Station, Mumbai
b. Mumbai Central Railway station
c. New Delhi Metro
d. Kolkata Metro
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: Mumbai Central Railway station

Explanation:
After the inauguration of Wi - Fi service, Mumbai Central station has gained the distinguished status of being the first ever station in India to have high – speed internet facility for its thousands of passengers who travel everyday by trains. It is a part of an ambitious project towards Digital India initiative by Indian Railways with the help of RailTel Corporation in collaboration with Google. Indian Railway’s telecom arm, RailTel Corporation will provide Internet services as RailWire via its extensive fiber network, in partnership with Google. Designed to offer users the best Internet experience, Railwire Wi - Fi will be available to any user who has a working mobile connection on a smartphone. This is all a part of Western Railways continuing endeavors to provide more and better comforts to its esteemed passengers.


5)   What is a Rake?

a. A cupboard
b. Alternative form of medicine
c. A mineral
d. Passenger Train
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: Passenger Train

Explanation:
Rake is a passenger carrying train with 24 coaches. In order to bring about enhanced comfort to all classes of coaches, both air-conditioned as well as non-air-conditioned coaches, progressively, the Indian Railways had planned for a Model Rake Project. Hon’ble Prime Minister of India flagged off the Varanasi-New Delhi Superfast ( Special Train) Mahamana Express with Model Rake through remote control. Mahamana Express is the First Train to have a Seamless Run on Electric Traction from Varanasi to New Delhi via Recently Completed Ghaziabad-Moradabad Route


6)   The word ‘divyang’ is suggested to be used for

a. High IQ children
b. Sports kids
c. Differently abled
d. Aged people
Answer  Explanation  Related Ques

ANSWER: Differently abled

Explanation:
In his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio programme, the last one for this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked about initiatives being taken by the government for the disabled people in terms of accessibility. He coined a new term for them - 'Divyang' (people with extraordinary capabilities) instead of 'viklang' (handicapped) - saying most of the times it has been seen that such people have capabilities which even normal people do not have. This proposed change in nomenclature is being worked out at the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, which handles disability affairs. Also currently the word impaired is being used instead of handicapped.


7)   Who is receiving US Highest honor i.e. the National medal of Science?

a. Sundar Pichhai
b. Amartya Sen
c. Dr. Rakesh Jain
d. Balamurali Ambati
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: Dr. Rakesh Jain

Explanation:
An IIT-Kanpur alumnus, Dr. Jain has been regarded as a pioneer for revealing the barriers to the delivery and worth of molecular and nano-medicines in tumors, evolving new strategies to overcome the barriers. He is a professor of tumor biology at Massachusetts General Hospital in the Harvard Medical School. Awarded annually the Medal of Science appreciates the work of the individuals who have made outstanding contributions to science, engineering and mathematics.


8)   New thrush species found in eastern Himalayas is named after

a. Prime Minister Narendra Modi
b. Dr. Salim Ali
c. APJ Abdul Kalam
d. Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel
Answer  Explanation  Related Ques

ANSWER: Dr. Salim Ali

Explanation:
An international team of scientists have described a new species of the thrush in northeastern India and adjacent parts of China. The species was distinguished by its musical song. The Himalayan Forest Thrush (Zoothera salimalii) is common in the eastern Himalaya range but was overlooked till now because of its similarity in appearance to the plain-backed thrush, now renamed as Alpine thrush. This is the first Indian bird to be named after late Dr. Salim Ali, who was closely associated with Bombay Natural History Society as researcher, honorary secretary and president. The bird has been named after him in recognition of his huge contribution to the development of modern Indian ornithology and wildlife conservation. The Himalayan Forest Thrush is only the fourth new bird species described from India by modern ornithologists since Independence. What first caught the attention of the scientists was the fact that the ones found in forests (Himalayan forest thrush) had a rather musical song, whereas those found in the same region on bare rocky habitats above the tree-line (Alpine thrush) had a much harsher, scratchier and unmusical song. A third species called Sichuan forest thrush is present in , said scientists.


9)   Which of the following is regarded as Asia’s cleanest village?

a. Mawlynnong
b. 12
c. 16
d. 9
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: Mawlynnong

Explanation:
Mawlynnong is high in the mountains of Meghalaya, which had no roads and was accessible only by foot. Home to the Khasi tribal people, Mawlynnong is famous for its exceptional cleanliness, far removed from the noise and dirt of other big cities.


10)   Cetaceans order includes which of the following?

1) Whales
2) Fishes
3) Crabs
4) Dolphins


a. All of the above
b. 2 and 3
c. 1, 2 and 4
d. 1 and 4
Answer  Explanation  Related Ques

ANSWER: 1 and 4

Explanation:
The Cetacea are one of the most distinctive and highly specialized orders of mammals. They include whales, dolphins, belugas and porpoises. A group of cetaceans, known as a pod, usually consists of 10 to 50 animals, but on certain occasions, such as mass occurrence of food or mating season, may also include more than a thousand individuals in the groups. Also, interspecies socialization may occur.


11)   As per a hypothesis, mass stranding of whales along the Tamil Nadu coast is an indication of

a. Impending natural disaster
b. Global Warming
c. Shift in ocean current patterns
d. Destruction of whale habitats
Answer  Explanation  Related Ques

ANSWER: Impending natural disaster

Explanation:
As per observations made by Dr Arunachalam Kumar for about 15 years, his hypothesis that cetaceans (whales and dolphins) get disoriented by shifts in the undersea tectonic plates: Their cerebral magnetic 'compass' that guides their migration and routes, gets disrupted weeks before the plates actually shift or subduct - hence their confusion, as they are unable to orient and the alignment goes awry - the disruption in their route map, manifests as stranding like the one recently seen in the south east coast of India. Stranding or beaching of large pods (more than 60) according to him precedes cataclysmic submarine events. Whales are sensitive to such events weeks earlier than they actually occur. Around two to four weeks after whale deaths and shore breaching, volcanoes, earthquakes on land masses or below the sea occur; If the submarine shift is large, then tsunamis could result. Many animals and birds possess a capacity to stick to known routes - homing pigeons are an example. They have an in-built magnetic radar that guides their path. Change in sub-oceanic magnetic activity is sensed by whales far earlier than other animals. Once stranded, they remain stranded - even pushing a few live ones back - will only bring them back ashore as they have lost their sense of direction and will move only where their cerebral compass tells them to go.


12)   Whales breathe through

a. Blowhole on their back
b. Gills
c. Skin and fins
d. Both a and b
Answer  Explanation  Related Ques

ANSWER: Blowhole on their back

Explanation:
Whales breathe through a 'blow hole' situated on their back, they do not breathe through gills. Opening their mouths (like most dying fish do) really does not help a whale breathe. Only pouring sea water continuously on them when on land can help them stay alive.