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Past Questions — 2023
The Environment (Protection) Act was enacted in
A)
1952
B)
1972
C)
1986
D)
1991
The Environment (Protection) Act was enacted by the Parliament of India in 1986 under Article 253 of the Constitution in the aftermath of the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy, providing an umbrella framework for environmental protection and coordination.
Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa was granted to the East India Company after their victory in the
A)
Third Battle of Panipat 1761
B)
Battle of Plassey 1757
C)
Battle of Buxar 1764
D)
Battle of Wandiwash 1760
The Diwani rights (the right to collect revenues) of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa were granted to the East India Company by the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II in 1765. This grant was a direct consequence of the Company's victory in the Battle of Buxar (1764), where the combined forces of Mir Qasim (Nawab of Bengal), Shuja-ud-Daulah (Nawab of Awadh), and Shah Alam II (Mughal Emperor) were defeated. The subsequent Treaty of Allahabad (1765) formalized this arrangement.
Why other options are incorrect:
- a. Third Battle of Panipat (1761): This was fought between the Marathas and Ahmad Shah Abdali; it did not involve the East India Company's acquisition of Diwani rights.
- b. Battle of Plassey (1757): While this battle established the Company's political influence in Bengal and made Mir Jafar the Nawab, it did not grant the legal Diwani rights to the Company.
- d. Battle of Wandiwash (1760): This was a decisive victory for the British over the French in India, focusing on European rivalry rather than administrative rights over Indian provinces.
Increase in concentration of a toxicant at successive trophic level is called
A)
Bio-magnification
B)
Succession
C)
Eutrophication
D)
Biotransformation
Step-by-step reasoning:
1. **Analysis of the Question**: The question asks for the term describing the increase in the concentration of a toxicant (such as heavy metals or pesticides) as it moves up the food chain from one trophic level to the next.
2. **Evaluating Option (a) Bio-magnification**: Bio-magnification (or biomagnification) occurs when persistent, fat-soluble toxins are ingested by organisms. Because these toxins are not easily metabolized or excreted, they accumulate in the tissues. When a predator eats many prey items, it consumes all the toxins stored in those prey, leading to a higher concentration of the toxicant at each successive trophic level. This is the correct definition.
3. **Evaluating Option (b) Succession**: Ecological succession is the process by which the structure of a biological community evolves over time (e.g., primary or secondary succession). It is unrelated to toxicant concentration.
4. **Evaluating Option (c) Eutrophication**: Eutrophication is the process where a body of water becomes overly enriched with minerals and nutrients (like nitrogen and phosphorus), leading to excessive growth of algae and depletion of oxygen. It is a water quality issue, not a trophic level concentration process.
5. **Evaluating Option (d) Biotransformation**: Biotransformation is the chemical modification made by an organism on a chemical compound (usually via enzymes in the liver) to make it easier to excrete. This is the opposite of magnification, as it often helps the body remove toxins.
Who has been recently appointed as the new Vice-Chancellor of Mizoram University?
A)
Prof. Samba Shiva Rao
B)
Prof. Ghanashyam Deka
C)
Prof. Dibakar Chandra Deka
D)
Prof. Mukesh Kumar Yadav
Prof. Dibakar Chandra Deka was appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of Mizoram University (MZU) by the Ministry of Education in early 2023.
Maximum reservoir of carbon dioxide is found in
A)
Atmosphere
B)
Landmass
C)
Oceans
D)
Forest
The global oceans are the largest active reservoir of carbon dioxide / carbon in the Earth's carbon cycle, holding approximately 38,000 to 40,000 gigatons of carbon, vastly exceeding the atmosphere and terrestrial vegetation.
The tenure of every Panchayat in India is five years from:
A)
the scheduled date of its first meeting
B)
the date of notification of the election
C)
the date of declaration of election results
D)
the date of oath of office by members
Under Article 243E(1) of the Indian Constitution, every Panchayat continues for five years from the date appointed for its first meeting and no longer.
A polymer which is coated as a thin layer on the inner side of non-sticking pans is
A)
Bakelite
B)
Teflon
C)
PVC
D)
Polypropylenes
Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE) is a synthetic fluoropolymer used as a non-stick coating for cookware and pans due to its high thermal stability and extremely low friction coefficient.
What is the name of the NASA spacecraft launched on April 14, 2023?
A)
Ganymede
B)
Callisto
C)
Juice
D)
Europa
The spacecraft launched on April 14, 2023, is JUICE (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer). It is important to note that while the question attributes the launch to NASA, JUICE is actually a mission led by the European Space Agency (ESA), though it involves international cooperation. The mission's primary goal is to study Jupiter and its three large ocean-bearing moons: Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa.
Analysis of options:
- a. Ganymede: This is one of the moons JUICE is designed to study (and will eventually orbit), not the name of the spacecraft.
- b. Callisto: This is another moon of Jupiter that JUICE will investigate.
- d. Europa: This is the third major moon JUICE will study. (Note: NASA has a separate mission called 'Europa Clipper' specifically for this moon).
- c. Juice: This is the correct name of the spacecraft launched on April 14, 2023.
The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution which proclaimed the 30th March 2023 as
A)
International Day of Education
B)
International Day of Zero Waste
C)
World Mental Health Day
D)
International Day of Persons with Disability
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 30 March as the International Day of Zero Waste, observed globally starting in 2023.
The mahajanapadas were;
A)
Ten Kingdoms
B)
Twelve Kingdoms
C)
Fifteen Kingdoms
D)
Sixteen Kingdoms
In ancient Indian history (c. 6th to 4th centuries BCE), the major monarchical states and oligarchic republics across Northern and Central India were known as the 16 Mahajanapadas (Sixteen Kingdoms).
Which is the smallest constituent of matter?
A)
Atom
B)
Quark
C)
Electron
D)
Proton
Among the options listed, the quark is the most fundamental (smallest) constituent of matter, as atoms are made of protons/neutrons which are made of quarks.
Which of the following acts as photosensitizer during photosynthesis?
A)
Haemin
B)
Pyruvic acid
C)
Chlorogen
D)
Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll molecules absorb photon energy from sunlight and act as photosensitizers to initiate the light reactions in photosynthesis.
Atacama desert in Chile is famous for
A)
Corundum
B)
Copper
C)
Aluminium
D)
Diamond
The Atacama Desert in Chile is world-renowned for its vast copper deposits, hosting some of the largest copper mines globally.
Basel Convention is related to-
A)
Ozone Layer Depletion
B)
Earth Summit
C)
Sustainable Development
D)
Trans Boundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes
The Basel Convention (1989) is an international treaty designed to control and reduce the transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and prevent their transfer from developed to developing countries.
India is an example of __________ state.
A)
Federal
B)
Unitary
C)
Quasi-Federal
D)
Quasi-Unit
Because the Indian Constitution blends federal structure with strong unitary features, constitutional scholars such as K.C. Wheare characterized India as a 'Quasi-Federal' state.
What is the validity of job card in MGNREGS?
A)
2 years
B)
3 years
C)
5 years
D)
8 years
Under the MGNREGS guidelines, a Job Card issued to a registered rural household is valid for a period of 5 years.
‘Moho Discontinuity in the interior layers of the earth is in between:
A)
Crust and Mantle
B)
Outer and Inner crust
C)
Mantle and Core
D)
Outer and Inner core
The Mohorovičić discontinuity (Moho) is the boundary layer separating the Earth's crust from the underlying mantle.
Which one is not a Local Self Government?
A)
Panchayati Raj Institution
B)
Municipal Council
C)
Municipal Corporation
D)
Autonomous District Council
Panchayati Raj Institutions, Municipal Councils, and Municipal Corporations are constitutionally recognized Local Self Government bodies under Parts IX and IX-A. Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) are constitutional bodies established under the Sixth Schedule (Article 244(2)/275(1)) with specific autonomous legislative and judicial powers for designated tribal areas.
On an average the temperature decreases with altitude at the rate of:
A)
5°C per 1000 meters
B)
5.5°C per 1000 meters
C)
6°C per 1000 meters
D)
6.5°C per 1000 meters
The normal lapse rate, which is the average rate at which atmospheric temperature decreases with an increase in altitude, is approximately 6.5°C per 1000 meters.
The number of Biosphere Reserved in India is amounting to
A)
15
B)
21
C)
18
D)
14
As per the official data provided by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves, India has a total of 18 Biosphere Reserves. These reserves are established to promote sustainable development and conserve biodiversity. Out of these 18, 12 have been recognized by UNESCO under the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR). The 18 reserves are distributed across various states, including the Nilgiris, Sundarbans, Nanda Devi, Gulf of Mannar, Pachmarhi, Similipal, Achanakmar-Amarkantak, Nokrek, Great Nicobar, Agasthyamala, Khangchendzonga, Seshachalam Hills, Manas, Simlipal, Cold Desert, Panna, Kaimur, and the newest additions. Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
Which one of the following is not ionizing in nature?
A)
Microwave
B)
UV rays
C)
Beta rays
D)
Gamma rays
Microwaves are non-ionizing electromagnetic waves with photon energies too low to ionize atoms or molecules. Gamma rays, beta particles, and high-energy UV rays are ionizing.
Which of the following is not associated with the Kanpur conspiracy case?
A)
S.A. Dange
B)
Muzaffar Ahmed
C)
Nalini Gupta
D)
Ashfaqulla Khan
The Kanpur Bolshevik Conspiracy Case (1924) targeted communists like S.A. Dange, Muzaffar Ahmed, and Nalini Gupta. Ashfaqulla Khan was a revolutionary associated with the Kakori Train Action (1925).
Which of the following banks has recently launched India’s first pocket-sized swipe machine for accepting digital payments called “MicroPay”?
A)
Axis Bank
B)
State Bank of India
C)
HDFC
D)
United Bank of India
Axis Bank launched 'MicroPay', which is India's first pocket-sized swipe machine designed specifically for small merchants and micro-entrepreneurs to accept digital payments. This device is a compact Point of Sale (PoS) terminal that allows merchants to accept card payments without needing bulky hardware, thereby promoting digitalization in the retail sector.
- Option b (State Bank of India), Option c (HDFC), and Option d (United Bank of India) are incorrect as they did not launch the specific 'MicroPay' product described in the question.
Which of the following greenhouse gases has the highest atmospheric lifetime?
A)
CO
B)
N2O
C)
CH4
D)
CF4
Carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), a perfluorocarbon, has an extraordinarily long atmospheric lifetime of approximately 50,000 years, far exceeding those of N2O (~114 years), CH4 (~12 years), and CO (months).
The function of mammary glands is regulated by a hormone known as
A)
Oxytocin
B)
Prolactin
C)
Thyroxine
D)
Vasopressin
Prolactin, secreted by the anterior pituitary gland, is the primary hormone responsible for the growth and secretory function (milk production) of mammary glands.