Question : With reference to the Solar Decathlon India, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. It is a unique initiative that is building a network of young professionals who can innovate and implement resilient net- zero energy buildings to combat climate change.
2. It is conducted by the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) and the Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE) under the aegis of the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF).

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

• The Solar Decathlon India Awards Ceremony commenced recently.

Statement 1 is correct:

• Solar Decathlon India is a unique, annual challenge for undergraduate and postgraduate students from Indian colleges and universities to address Climate Change by developing innovative, net-zero energy and climate resilient solutions for the building sector in India. It is a unique initiative that is building a network of young professionals who can innovate and implement resilient net- zero energy buildings to combat climate change, as well as a network of faculty instructors who can guide innovation and mentor multi-disciplinary projects. Student teams develop affordable and industry-ready solutions for real projects with the help of online Self-Learning Modules and expert mentorship provided during this year-long challenge. It is a hands-on, practical, innovation-based challenge that moves the construction and real estate industry towards implementing net-zero solutions developed by students.

Statement 2 is correct:

• Solar Decathlon India is conducted by the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) and the Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE) under the aegis of the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF). It is supported by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, MacArthur Foundation and DesignBuilder.

Source:
PIB
Solar Decathlon India

Question : Which one of the following pairs of countries are in news recently due to the ‘Hermit’ spyware targets?
Iran and UAE
Germany and Sweden
Japan and South Korea
Italy and Kazakhstan

Hermit, a sophisticated spyware, is believed to have targeted iPhone and Android devices in Italy and Kazakhstan. Hermit’s deployment – the spyware has been developed by an Italian vendor called RCS Lab – was first reported by cyber security researchers at the Lookout, a San-Francisco-based cybersecurity firm.
Hermit is a spyware on the lines of Pegasus by NSO Group. Once installed on a device, it can record audio on the device, carry out unauthorised calls, and carry out many unauthorised activities. Once Hermit has been deployed to a phone, it can control and track data from all key applications.

Source: Indian Express

Question : Which of the following submarines of the Project-75 Scorpene programme have already been commissioned into the Indian Navy?

1. Kalvari
2. Khanderi
3. Karanj
4. Vagir
5. Vagsheer
6. Vela

Select the correct answer from the codes given above
1, 2, 3 and 4
2, 3, 4 and 5
1, 2, 3 and 6
1, 2, 5 and 6

Project-75 Scorpene programme

• Presently, four submarines of the Project-75 Scorpene programme, namely Kalvari, Khanderi, Karanj and Vela have been commissioned into the Indian Navy
• The fifth submarine in the Kalvari-class, started its maiden sea trials on 2 February, 2022. The ship is expected to be commissioned by Q4 2022
• The sixth and the last of the Scorpene-class submarines of Project-75, INS Vagsheer, was launched in Mumbai on 20th April 2022. It will now commence setting to work of various equipment and their harbour trials. The crew will thereafter sail the submarine for the rigorous Sea Acceptance Trials after which the submarine would be delivered to the Indian Navy by late next year.

More Details: Project-75 Scorpene programme

Question : Consider the following statements regarding the NASA’s Artemis mission:

1. Artemis I will be the first integrated flight test of NASA’s Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS) rocket
2. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will be an uncrewed flight that will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration 
3. Artemis I was formerly known as Exploration Mission-1, 

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

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

• Artemis I, formerly Exploration Mission-1, will be the first integrated test of NASA’s deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the ground systems at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
• The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will be an uncrewed flight test that will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration, and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human existence to the Moon and beyond.
• During this flight, the spacecraft will launch on the most powerful rocket in the world and fly farther than any spacecraft built for humans has ever flown.
• It will travel 280,000 miles from Earth, thousands of miles beyond the Moon over the course of about a four to six-week mission.
• Orion will stay in space longer than any ship for astronauts has done without docking to a space station and return home faster and hotter than ever before.

Question :

1. Russian force used phosphorus gas.
2. International law prohibits the use of white phosphorus shells in heavily populated civilian areas. 
3. International law allows them in open spaces to be used as cover for troops.

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

Question : Consider the following statements regarding the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP):

1. KKNPP is the largest nuclear power station in India, situated in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu
2. KKNPP have six reactors built in collaboration with Atomstroyexport, the Russian state company and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL)
3. Nuclear Power is the third-largest source of generating electricity in India

Which of the statement/s given above is/are not correct?

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

• Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant is the largest nuclear power station in India, situated in Kudankulam in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu
• Hence, Statement 1 is correct
• KKNPP have six VVER-1000 reactors built in collaboration with Atomstroyexport, the Russian state company and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL)
• Hence, Statement 2 is correct
• Nuclear Power is the fifth-largest source of generating electricity in India after coal, gas, wind power, and hydroelectricity.
• Hence, Statement 3 is incorrect

Question : Consider the following statements with regards to PARAM GANGA Super Computer deployed at IIT Roorkee:

1. With a supercomputing capacity of 1.66 Petaflops, the system PARAM GANGA is designed and commissioned by C-DAC under Phase 2 of the build approach of the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), 
2. Infrastructure, Applications, R&D, HRD are the four major pillars of the NSM
3. As of January 2018, Pratyush and Mihir are the fastest supercomputer in India with a maximum speed of 6.8 PetaFlops

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

• The National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) has deployed Param Ganga, a supercomputer at IIT Roorkee, with a supercomputing capacity of 1.66 Petaflops
• The system is designed and commissioned by C-DAC under Phase 2 of the build approach of the NSM.
• The National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) is being steered jointly by Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeiTY) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and implemented by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore.
• The four major pillars of the NSM are, namely, Infrastructure, Applications, R&D, HRD.
• C-DAC has been entrusted the responsibility to design, development, deployment and commissioning of the supercomputing systems under the build approach of Mission
• As of January 2018, Pratyush and Mihir are the fastest supercomputers in India with a maximum speed of Peta Flops

Question :

1. It is an electronic tag that can exchange data with an RFID reader through radio waves.
2. RFID technology has Long-distance reading and high-storage capacity
3. RFID technology can also work in harsh environments

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

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology:

• It is an electronic tag that can exchange data with an RFID reader through radio waves.
• ​Therefore, statement 1 is correct.
• RFID has attracted much attention because of its long-distance reading and high-storage capacity. It can not only help enterprises to improve the efficiency of controlling goods management and labour cost, but also connect sales and manufacturing enterprises, so that they can receive feedback information and control demand information more accurately, and optimize the entire supply chain. RFID must be widely used in many fields in the future.
• Therefore, statement 2 is correct.
• RFID technology can work in a variety of harsh environments without human intervention. Therefore, statement 3 is correct.

Question : Consider the following statements about the KAVACH, an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection System:

1. KAVACH is meant to provide protection by preventing trains to pass the signal at Danger (Red) and avoid collision. 
2. It activates the train braking system automatically if the driver fails to control the train as per the speed restrictions. 
3. It prevents collision between two Locomotives equipped with functional KAVACH system.

Which of the statement/s given above is/are correct?
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
3 only
1, 2 and 3

KAVACH

• The KAVACH is an indigenously developed ATP system by Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in collaboration with Indian industry and trials facilitated by South Central Railway to achieve the corporate objective of safety in train operations across Indian Railways.
• It is a state of the art electronic system of Safety Integrity Level - 4 standards.
• KAVACH is meant to provide protection by preventing trains to pass the signal at Danger (Red) and avoid collision.
• It activates the train braking system automatically if the driver fails to control the train as per the speed restrictions. In addition, it prevents collision between two Locomotives equipped with functional KAVACH system.
• ‘Kavach’ is one of the cheapest, Safety Integrity Level 4 (SIL-4) certified technologies with the probability of error is 1 in 10,000 years.
• Also, it opens avenues of export of this indigenous technology for Railways.

Question : Consider the following statements with regards to the Facility for Low Carbon Technology Deployment (FLCTD):

1. FLCTD Project was launched in 2016 with an objective to identify innovative energy efficiency and low carbon technology solutions that address the existing technology gaps in Indian industrial and commercial sectors. 
2. FLCTD project is financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in collaboration with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).

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

1 only
2 only
both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

• FLCTD Project was launched in 2016 with an objective to identify innovative energy efficiency and low carbon technology solutions that address the existing technology gaps in Indian industrial and commercial sectors. 
• FLCTD project is financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in collaboration with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).

Question : Consider the following statements with regards to the International Monsoons Project Office (IMPO): 

1. It would encompass activities and connections related to international monsoon research
2. It is being set up to expand an integrated scientific approach to solve the seasonal variability of monsoons, enhancing the prediction skill of monsoons and cyclones, strengthening monsoon research for better support operations and services

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

International Monsoons Project Office (IMPO)

• The International Monsoons Project Office (IMPO) will be hosted at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, an institution under the Ministry of Earth Sciences
• Setting up the IMPO reiterates the importance of monsoons for the national economy.
• It would encompass activities and connections related to international monsoon research that would be identified and fostered under the leadership of the World Climate Research Programme and the World Weather Research Programme.
• Setting up the IMPO in India would mean expanding an integrated scientific approach to solve the seasonal variability of monsoons, enhancing the prediction skill of monsoons and cyclones, strengthening monsoon research for better support operations and services, thereby promoting knowledge sharing and capacity building in areas of monsoon research crucial for agriculture, water resources and disaster management, hydropower and climate-sensitive socio-economic sectors.

Question :
Fluoroscopy and MRI scans only
MRI scans and Ultrasonography only
Fluoroscopy, MRI scans and Ultrasonography only
PET scans, MRI scans , Ultrasonography  and Fluoroscopy

• Fluoroscopy for guiding surgery uses higher doses of radiation than other imaging procedures and may cause skin reddening and hair loss.
• MRI procedures use magnetic fields and radio waves to produce images of specific parts of the body. 
• Ultrasound imaging uses high-frequency sound waves to see inside the body.
• In a type of nuclear medicine called positron emission tomography (PET), the tracer is used to show the natural activity of cells, providing more detailed information on how organs are working and if there is damage to the cells. PET scans are often combined with computed tomography (CT) scans or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) which provide three-dimensional images of the organ.
• Since PET is a type of nuclear medicine procedure, this means that a tiny amount of a radioactive substance, called a radiopharmaceutical (radionuclide or radioactive tracer), is used during the procedure to assist in the examination of the tissue under study.

Question :

1. CRISPR — Cas9 is an example of application of synthetic biology.
2. India had set up a task force on systems biology and synthetic biology research in 2017, as part of the first three-year action agenda of NITI Aayog.

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

• As part of the 12th Five-Year Plan, India had set up a task force on systems biology and synthetic biology research in 2011.

Question :

1. It is an autonomous organization for fundamental research in mathematics only.
2. It is funded mainly by the Department of Atomic Energy.

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

About the institute

• It was founded by Alladi Ramakrishnan in 1962.
• It is an autonomous national institution for fundamental research in the areas of Theoretical Physics, Mathematics, Theoretical Computer Science, and Computational Biology. 
• Hence the first statement is incorrect.
• IMSc is located in South Chennai, in the Adyar-Taramani area.
• It is funded mainly by the Department of Atomic Energy.
• Hence the second statement is correct.
• The institute operates the Kabru supercomputer.

Question :

1. The state-of-the-art cruise missiles are designed and produced by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture between India and Russia.
2. It is the world’s fastest anti-ship cruise missile and is a part of the arsenal of all three arms of the Indian defense forces - Army, Navy, and Air Force.
3. It is a two-stage missile with the first stage as a solid propellant booster while the second is a liquid ramjet.

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

About the BrahMos Missile

• The state-of-the-art cruise missiles are designed and produced by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia's NPO Mashinostroeyenia.
• Hence the 1^st statement is correct.
• The name BrahMos is comes from combining the names of India’s Brahmaputra and Russia’s Moskva rivers.
• The world’s fastest anti-ship cruise missile, BrahMos is a part of the arsenal of all three arms of the Indian defense forces - Army, Navy, and Air Force.
• Hence the 2^ndstatement is correct.
• Different versions of BrahMos exist which can be fired from land, from the water via warships and submarines, and from the air via the Sukhoi-30 fighter jets.
• The Indian Navy and Army have had BrahMos capabilities since 2005 and 2007 respectively. In 2019, version entered service with the Air Force.
• It is a two-stage missile with ranges 290 kilometers in the earliest versions to around 400 kilometers with the newer versions.  
• The first stage is a solid propellant booster while the second is a liquid ramjet.
• Hence the third statement is also correct.

Question : According to the 2021 Global TB report released recently by the World Health Organization (WHO), which country topped the list of countries which contributed most to the global reduction in TB notifications between 2019 and 2020?
India
Indonesia
Philippines
China

Question : Consider the following statements regarding Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

1. Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a non-profit corporation working to promote the stability and integrity of the Internet.
2. Making rules for online financial transactions and Internet content control are the core functions of ICANN.
3. ICANN implemented a Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP), which has been used to resolve disputes over the rights to domain names.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?
1 and 2
1 and 3
2 and 3
1, 2 and 3

About Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
Statement 1 is correct: The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is an internationally organized, non-profit corporation that has responsibility for Internet Protocol (IP) address space allocation, protocol identifier assignment, generic (gTLD) and country code (ccTLD) Top-Level Domain name system management, and root server system management functions. These services were originally performed under U.S. Government contract by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) and other entities. ICANN now performs the IANA function.
As a private-public partnership, ICANN is dedicated to preserving the operational stability of the Internet; to promoting competition; to achieving broad representation of global Internet communities; and to developing policy appropriate to its mission through bottom-up, consensus-based processes.
ICANN is responsible for coordinating the management of the technical elements of the DNS to ensure universal resolvability so that all users of the Internet can find all valid addresses. It does this by overseeing the distribution of unique technical identifiers used in the Internet’s operations, and delegation of Top-Level Domain names (such as .com, .info, etc.).
Statement 2 is incorrect: Other issues of concern to Internet users, such as the rules for financial transactions, Internet content control, unsolicited commercial email (spam), and data protection are outside the range of ICANN’s mission of technical coordination.
Among ICANN’s recent accomplishments:
ICANN established market competition for generic domain name (gTLD) registrations resulting in a lowering of domain name costs by 80%.
Statement 3 is correct: ICANN implemented a Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP), which has been used to resolve more than 5000 disputes over the rights to domain names. The UDRP is designed to be efficient and cost effective.
ICANN adopted guidelines for the deployment of Internationalized Domain Names (IDN), opening the way for registration of domains in hundreds of the world’s languages.

Question :
Solid waxy substance that floats around the surface of the water body.
Type of ‘Irwin’ mangoes known for their unique ruby red colour.
Highly infectious viral disease that invades nervous system.
Fully automated, high-end machine for performing RT-PCR testing for COVID-19.