UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | November 05 to November 11, 2023 | UPSC Current Affairs News

1. These are extremely fine particles, with the digits accompanying them referring to their diameter.

2. Particulate matters are easily dispersed and do not stay suspended in the air.

3. Prolonged rain can help to reduce particulate matter.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 2

With reference to the 2+2 meetings, consider the following statements:

1. It signifies the participation of two high-level representatives holding Foreign and Defence portfolios.

2. Japan is India’s oldest and most important 2+2 talks partner.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

QUESTION 3

Consider the following:

1. Eye movement

2. Facial movements

3. Audio quality

4. Body Movement

How many of the above are used to identify deepfakes?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

QUESTION 4

With reference to the Cloud Seeding, consider the following statements:

1. In cloud seeding, clouds are usually injected with silver iodide.

2. It accelerates cloud microphysical processes.

3. It can also be done during the clear skies.

4. It is done to decrease the radius of the cloud droplets.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

QUESTION 5

With reference to the timed out rule in Cricket, consider the following statements:

1. The new batsman should be ready to receive the next ball within 5 minutes of the dismissal or retirement of previous player.

2. The bowler, who is bowling the over, gets the wicket’s credit.

3. Anglo Mathews became the first player in the International Cricket to get timed out.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 6

Consider the following pairs:

(Place)                                                      (Location)

1. Negev Desert                                      Iran

2. Reykjanes Peninsula                     Denmark

3. Beit Lahia                                          Gaza Strip

How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 7

The city was added to UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network (UCCN) for its “strong commitment to harnessing culture and creativity”. The gharana of this city is the oldest musical gharana and a significant chapter of Hindustani classical music’s history flourished under the aegis of Raja Man Singh Tomar during the 15th century. Abul Fazl’s Ain-i-Akbari mentions 36 imperial musicians, out of which 15 were from this city.

The above-mentioned lines refer to which city?

(a) Lucknow

(b) Hyderabad

(c) Maihar

(d) Gwalior

QUESTION 8

Which of the following countries have agreed to co-produce an infantry combat vehicle as part of defence industrial cooperation?

(a) India and Israel

(b) India and Russia

(c) India and USA

(d) India and France

QUESTION 9

An India Institute of Technology (IIT) campus has opened in which of the following countries, making it the first IIT campus to open abroad??

(a) Dubai

(b) Nairobi

(c) Kathmandu

(d) Zanzibar

QUESTION 10

Consider the following pairs:

(Place)                      (Location)

1. Kangpokpi          Sikkim

2. Sonauli                Uttar Pradesh

3. Jaigaon                West Bengal

How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

ANSWERS TO THE MCQs

1. (b)

FYI:

— After several days of high levels of air pollution in Delhi, light rain showers resulted in clearer skies and better air quality.

— In early November, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the region rose to as high as 471, coming under the category of ‘Severe’.

— The AQI measures the quantity of eight pollutants in the atmosphere and converts it into a number for ease of understanding.

— Some AQI constituent pollutants, such as ozone, sulphur dioxide, and other pollutants, are not easily washed away. However, PM 2.5 and PM 10 can be washed out to a significant extent if it rains for an extended time.

— Therefore, prolonged rain can help reduce air pollution in a limited sense, with its impact focused on particulate matter. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— PM 2.5 and PM 10 are extremely fine particulate matter (PM) particles, with the digits accompanying them referring to their diameter. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The source of these pollutants is vehicular pollution, emissions from factories, construction activities and road dust.

— Such particles are not dispersed and stay suspended in the air that we breathe. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

2. (a)

FYI:

— Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met their counterparts from the US government, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken respectively, for the fifth 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue held in New Delhi.

— The 2+2 meetings represent the participation of two high-level representatives from each country, Ministers with Foreign and Defence portfolios, who aim to broaden the scope of dialogue between them. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— It enables the partners to better understand and appreciate each other’s strategic concerns and sensitivities taking into account political factors on both sides, in order to build a stronger, more integrated strategic relationship in a rapidly changing global environment.

— The US is India’s oldest and most important 2+2 talks partner. The first 2+2 dialogue between the two countries was held during the Trump Administration. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— Additionally, India has held 2+2 meetings with ministers from Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom and Russia.

— The talks with Japan via this platform began in 2019, with the aim that it would “further enhance the strategic depth of bilateral security and defence cooperation.” In October 2023, the first such meeting with the UK took place.

— India and the US have signed a troika of “foundational pacts” for deep military cooperation, beginning with the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016, followed by the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) after the first 2+2 dialogue in 2018, and then the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) in 2020.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

3. (d)

FYI:

— A video that supposedly shows actress Rashmika Mandanna entering an elevator has ignited a firestorm of controversy on the internet. The original video features a British Indian girl, Zara Patel, and her face was morphed to insert Mandana’s face instead.

— Here’s how such deepfakes can be spotted:

Unnatural Eye Movements

— Deepfake videos often exhibit unnatural eye movements or gaze patterns. In genuine videos, eye movements are typically smooth and coordinated with the person’s speech and actions.

Mismatches in Color and Lighting

— Deepfake creators may struggle to reproduce accurate colour tones and lighting conditions.

Compare and Contrast Audio Quality

— Deepfake videos often use AI-generated audio that may have subtle imperfections.

Strange Body Shape or Movement

— Deepfakes may sometimes result in unusual body shapes or movements. Legs, for example, may appear excessively long or short, or the body may move in an unusual or distorted manner.

Artificial Facial Movements

— Deepfake software may not always accurately replicate genuine facial expressions.

Unnatural Positioning of Facial Features

— Deepfakes may occasionally exhibit distortions or misalignments in these features, which can be a sign of manipulation.

Awkward Posture or Physique

— Deepfakes may struggle to maintain a natural posture or physique.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

4. (b)

FYI:

— The droplets that make up a cloud are formed when water vapour condenses around small particles. These droplets collide and grow in size; as they become heavy and the cloud becomes saturated, rain falls.

— With cloud seeding, clouds are usually injected with salts like silver iodide, potassium iodide, or sodium chloride, which is the ‘seed’. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— These salts are expected to provide additional nuclei for the formation of more cloud droplets. They are dispersed into the cloud by aircraft or by generators on the ground.

— Seeding accelerates cloud microphysical processes. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Cloud seeding can only happen if there is a sufficient number of clouds and a particular depth to these clouds. Inside, there needs to be an adequate number of cloud droplets.

— It is done to increase the radius of the cloud droplets so that they will grow bigger and because of gravity, they will come down as rainfall. Hence, statement 4 is not correct.

— Cloud seeding can’t be done during the clear skies. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

5. (a)

FYI:

— Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews was timed out in a first for international cricket during the World Cup clash against Bangladesh. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— According to the men’s cricket World Cup 2023 playing conditions, “After the fall of a wicket or the retirement of a batter, the incoming batter must, unless Time has been called, be ready to receive the ball or for the other batter to be ready to receive the next ball within 2 minutes of the dismissal or retirement.” Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— If the batsman fails to do so, he will be considered out.

— The bowler doesn’t get credit for timed out. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

6. (a)

FYI:

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

7. (d)

FYI:

— The city of Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh was added to UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network (UCCN) for its “strong commitment to harnessing culture and creativity”. Kozikodhe from Kerala was also among the 55 new cities to join the network.

— These new cities were acknowledged for “their strong commitment to harnessing culture and creativity as part of their development strategies, and displaying innovative practices in human-centred urban planning”.

— Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh has made it to the coveted list in the ‘Music’ category while Kozhikode in Kerala has earned the place in the ‘Literature’ category.

— Gwalior gharana, the oldest musical gharana and a significant chapter of Hindustani classical music’s history flourished under the aegis of Raja Man Singh Tomar during the 15th century.

— Abul Fazl’s Ain-i-Akbari mentions 36 imperial musicians, out of which 15 were from Gwalior. Akbar’s admiration for Tansen has found much place in popular culture and much of it comes from the writings about the musician.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

8. (c)

FYI:

— India and the US will co-produce an infantry combat vehicle as part of defence industrial cooperation.

— It was announced during the 2+2 meeting, the US delegation comprised Secretary of State Antony Blinken while the Indian side was headed by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

9. (d)

FYI:

— An IIT-Madras campus was inaugurated in Zanzibar on Monday, becoming the first campus of an IIT to be opened abroad.

— Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi, President of Zanzibar, inaugurated the new campus in a ceremony attended by Tanzanian and Indian officials, as well as academics.

— Zanzibar is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Tanzania, and is a semi-autonomous province of Tanzania.

— The pioneering venture is part of the central government’s initiative to project India’s education system onto the global stage. The campus is located in Bweleo district, a short distance from Zanzibar Town.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

10. (b)

FYI:

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.