1.

Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances are used in

1. Water-repellent clothing

2. Stain-resistant fabrics

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

2.

Tetanus Toxoid is used to prevent tetanus (lockjaw). Tetanus is caused by

(a) Bacteria

(b) Virus

(c) Fungi

(d) Protozoans

3.

The Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on e-commerce comes under the aegis of

(a) WEF

(b) WTO

(c) G20

(d) OECD

4.

Tyrosinemia type I classified as rare disease is a/an

(a) inherited metabolic disorder

(b) brain disorder

(c) orthosclerosis condition

(d) Genetic anomaly

5.

W.r.t. the Special Category Status (SCS) to states in India, consider the following statements:

1. It was introduced on the recommendation of the fifth Finance Commission.

2. Jammu & Kashmir, Assam and Nagaland were the first three states to be granted the status.

3. It was discontinued on the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission.

How many of the statements given above are incorrect?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

6.

Which of the below is/are true? 

1. Ixchiq Vaccine contains a live, weakened version of the dengue virus.

2. Dengue is transmitted by Aedes aegypti.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only 

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

7.

Which of the following is/are true w.r.t. Anthrax? 

(i) It is caused by spore-forming fungi.

(ii) It is generally considered to be contagious between humans.

(iii) It affects cattle, sheep and goats.

(iv) It is used as bio-weapon.

Select the correct answer from the codes given below: 

(a)  i and ii

(b)  i and iii 

(c)  iii and iv

(d)  i, ii, and iv

8.

Which of the following statements is/are correct w.r.t. Privileges Committee?.

1. It consists of 25 members drawing 15 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha.

2. A resolution relating to the breach of privilege must be unanimously passed.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

9.

With reference to Asia’s “democratic security diamond”, consider the following statements:

1. It is an informal strategic forum comprising four nations.

2. The group met for the first time in 2007 on the sidelines of the ASEAN.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

10.

Yellow Band Disease that was in news refer to the context of

(a) Rice

(b) Corals

(c) Sugarcane

(d) Arsenic poisoning

11.

‘Risk weight’ seen in banking related news is best explained as

(a)  an indicator of the health of NBFCs.

(b) a borrower''s pledge to secure repayment of a loan.

(c) a risk associated with unsecured loan.

(d) the capital banks keep aside as provisioning to cover any loan defaults.

12.

1. Cervavac Vaccine is based on live virus.

2. Cervavac Vaccine is bivalent.

(a) Only 1 is true.

(b) Only 2 is true.

(c) 1 & 2 are true

o (d) Neither 1 nor 2 is true

13.

W.r.t. the colours of crackers which of the following pair(s) is/are correct?.

1. White – Titanium

2. Yellow - Sodium

3. Red – Strontium

(a) Only 1 and 2

(b) Only 2 and 3

(c) 1, 2 & 3

(d) Only 1

14.

1. With its sharp eye, it can see details on a twenty-five paise coin held at a distance of 40 kilometres.

2. It was designed to detect faint signals from distant stellar objects in the infrared region.

3. It was developed by NASA with the assistance of the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.

The statements given above describe

(a) Hubble Space Telescope

(b) XPoSat Telescope

(c) The Spitzer Space Telescope

(d) The Webb Telescope

15.

Alcanivorax bacteria and Methylocella silvestris are most noted for

(a) Bioremediation of oil spills

(b) Manufacture of Bioplasctics

(c) Gastric ulceration

(d) Arsenic absorption

16.

Consider the following functionaries of NITI Aayog:

1. The Governing Council comprises the Chief Ministers of all the States, Chief Ministers of Union Territories with Legislatures and Lt. Governors of other Union Territories.

2. Regional Councils are formed formedfor a specified tenure.

3. Vice-Chairperson is appointed by the President.

4. There will be a maximum of four Ex-Officio members.

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only

(b) 1, 2 and 4 only

(c) 2 and 4 only

(d) 1, 3 and 4 only

17.

Consider the following statements w.r.t. Creative Cities Network:

1. It was created by UNESCO.

2. Gwalior is designated as the ‘City of Music’ under this.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2 

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

18.

Consider the following w.r.t. components of e-cigarettes:

1. nicotine

2. lead

3. carbon monoxide

Which of these is/are correct?.

(a) 2 and 3 only

(b) 1 and 3 only 

(c) 1 and 2 only

(d) 1, 2, 3

19.

Full Capital Account Convertibility

1. may lead to downfall of domestic companies

2. will lead increased phenomenon of HOT money.

3. will increase Fiscal deficit

4. Cost of capital will Decrease

(a) 1, 2 and 4

(b) 1, 2 and 3

(c) 2 and 4

(d) 1, 3 and 4

20.

In which one of the following States has the President’s Rule been imposed most number of times ?

(a) Bihar

(b) Karnataka

(c) Manipur

(d) Punjab

21.

Meftal, a drug has a constituent, mefenamic acid that triggers severe allergic reactions like the DRESS syndrome. Meftal is commonly used

(a) to treat diaorrhea

(b) as a painkiller

(c) as antipyretic

(d) to treat hepatitis

22.

Staph infections are caused by

(a) Bacteria

(b) Virus

(c) Fungi

(d) Protozoans

23.

The DART Book seen in news refer to the context of

(a) Food safety

(b) Rail safety

(c) Bio Plastics

(d) Safe Plastics

24.

The secession of a state from the Indian Union has been barred by the

(a) Constitution (Sixteenth Amendment) Act, 1963

(b) Constitution (Twenty-Second Amendment) Act, 1969

(c) Constitution (Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Act,1972

(d) Constitution (Thirty-Fifth Amendment) Act, 1974

25.

W.r.t. the new Labour Codes consider the following statements:

1. Weekly and daily working hours are capped at 48 hours and 12 hours, respectively.

2. Maximum overtime hours for workers increased to 70 hours through the new codes.

3. The overtime policy prohibits employers from contacting workers on weekends.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

EXPLANATIONS

1.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-law/what-is-prior-approval-and-why-is-it-needed-before-investigating-public-officials-accused-of-corruption-9112409/

C

2.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/lack-of-awareness-poor-adherence-to-arv-main-cause-of-rabies-deaths-pet-animals-major-source-of-infection/article67699222.ece

A

3.

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/us-withdraws-proposal-on-digital-trade-at-wto/article67460917.ece

B  

4.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/four-generic-made-in-india-drugs-to-treat-rare-diseases-offer-relief-for-patients-more-in-pipeline/article67570839.ece

The Union Health ministry has made available generic drugs for rare diseases for the first time. Presently, they are made available for four rare diseases Tyrosinemia-Type 1, Gauchers Disease, Wilson’s Disease, and the Dravet-Lennox Gastaut Syndrome.

In the next few months, the Ministry also plans to include Phenylketonuria and Hyperammonemia to the list.

It will reduce the cost of these generic medicines and make it more accessible.

Diseases for which generic drugs will be made available

What are rare diseases?

1. There is no universally accepted definition of rare diseases; However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) defines rare disease as often debilitating lifelong disease or disorder condition with a prevalence of one or less per 1,000 population.

2. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) defines rare diseases as a disease with one occurrence in 2,500 people.

3. Nearly 80% of these diseases are genetic in nature.

4. The Central Government has prioritised the manufacturing of drugs to treat 13 extremely rare diseases, in order to bring down the exorbitant cost of these medicines.

Generic drugs

1. A generic drug is a pharmaceutical drug that is equivalent to a brand-name product in dosage, strength, route of administration, quality, performance, and intended use.

2. The Indian government began encouraging more drug manufacturing by Indian companies in the early 1960s, and with the Patents Act in 1970.

3. They are usually cheaper than the name brands and can make healthcare more accessible.

A 

5.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/why-is-bihar-demanding-the-special-category-status-explained/article67577691.ece

D  

6.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/how-was-the-first-vaccine-for-chikungunya-approved-explained/article67541710.ece

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/understanding-the-abcs-of-dengue-for-control-and-better-management/article67353643.ece

B 

7.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/five-countries-in-east-and-southern-africa-have-anthrax-outbreaks-who-says-with-20-deaths-reported/article67628832.ece

C   

8.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/parliamentary-privilege-breach-jagdeep-dhankhar-rajya-sabha-explained/article66548815.ece

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/the-role-of-special-inquiry-committees-of-parliament-explained/article67612267.ece

B  

9.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/everyday-explainers/ministers-india-us-two-plus-two-dialogue-explained-9021601/

Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) is the informal strategic dialogue between India, USA, Japan and Australia with a shared objective to ensure and support a “free, open and prosperous” Indo-Pacific region.

The idea of Quad was first mooted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2007. However, the idea couldn’t move ahead with Australia pulling out of it, apparently due to Chinese pressure.

In December 2012, Shinzo Abe again floated the concept of Asia’s “Democratic Security Diamond” involving Australia, India, Japan and the US to safeguard the maritime commons from the Indian Ocean to the western Pacific.

C

10.

https://phys.org/news/2022-12-dies-yellow-band-disease-ravages-thailand.html

B

11.

https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/what-is-rbis-latest-move-to-increase-risk-weight-for-lending-about-explained/article67553551.ece

D

12.

https://indianexpress.com/article/health-wellness/cervavac-indias-hpv-vaccine-cervical-cancer-rs-2000-8699190/

CERVAVAC is India’s first indigenously developed quadrivalent human papillomavirus (qHPV) vaccine that is said to be effective against four strains of the virus - Type 6, Type 11, Type 16 and Type 18. A quadrivalent vaccine is a vaccine that works by stimulating an immune response against four different antigens, such as four different viruses or other microorganisms. CERVAVAC is based on VLP (Virus-Like Particles), similar to the Hepatitis B vaccination.

Virus-like particles (VLPs) are molecules that resemble viruses but lack infectivity because of the absence of viral genetic material. They are usually protein multimers with structured, repetitive, high-density display of epitopes and thereby able to elicit a strong T- and B-cell–mediated immune response.

Vaccines, such as the measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, and nasal spray flu vaccines contain live, but weakened viruses: Unless a person''s immune system is weakened, it is unlikely that a vaccine will give the person the infection. People with weakened immune systems should not receive these live vaccines.

Inactivated vaccines take a live pathogen and inactivate or kill it. When the vaccine is then introduced to a human through a shot, for example, the inactivated pathogen is strong enough to create an immune response, however, is incapable of causing disease. Examples: Polio vaccine, influenza vaccine

Viral vector vaccines use a harmless virus to deliver to the hosts cells the genetic code of the antigen we want the immune system to fight. Examples: Ebola vaccine, COVID-19 vaccine (AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson).

Subunit vaccines are made from a piece of a pathogen, not the whole organism, so they do not contain any live pathogens. Some important subunit vaccines are polysaccharide vaccines, conjugate vaccines, and protein-based vaccines. Examples: Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) vaccine (conjugate), pneumococcal vaccine (polysaccharide or conjugate), shingles vaccine (recombinant protein), hepatitis B (recombinant protein).

Toxoid vaccines use inactivated toxins to target the toxic activity created by the bacteria, rather than targeting the bacteria itself. The goal of toxoid vaccines is to give people a way to neutralize those toxins with antibodies through vaccination. Examples: Tetanus vaccine, diphtheria vaccine.

C

13.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-health/diwali-fireworks-sc-green-crackers-9019216/

C

14.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/james-webb-space-telescope-spies-precocious-teenage-galaxies/article67565120.ece

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/the-james-webb-space-telescope/article38060591.ece

D

15.

News – Ennore Oil spills

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/natural-disasters/microbes-to-fight-oil-spillage-in-oceans-indian-scientists-devise-new-technology-73828

Bioremediation involves the use of microorganisms, such as Alcanivorax bacteria or Methylocella silvestris, to break down or eliminate oil. Pseudomonas species and Alcanivorax borkumensis are bacteria that can degrade pyridines and other compounds. As a result, these bacteria are employed in the clean-up of oil spills. The hydrocarbons are decomposed by HCB, which causes a carbon-oxygen reaction. However, because of their ability to colonise and destroy oil slicks on the sea surface, microorganisms like Fusobacterium species show promise for future oil disaster remediation.

If done correctly, controlled burning can efficiently minimise the amount of oil in water.

However, it can only be done when there is little wind, and it can pollute the air. Oil slicks can be dispersed with dispersants.

Dredging is used for oils that have been distributed with detergents or other oils that are denser than water.

Solidifiers are made up of dry ice pellets that float and hydrophobic polymers that adsorb and absorb. They clean up oil spills by converting spilled oil from a liquid to a solid, semi-solid, or rubber-like substance that floats on water.

https://ideasforus.org/bioremediation-to-clean-up-oil-spills/

 A

16.

https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=114273

B

17.

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/gwalior-kozhikode-unesco-creative-cities-network-9009592/

C

18.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/e-cigarettes-how-dangerous-is-vaping-the-science-remains-hazy/article29452477.ece

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/e-cigarettes-how-dangerous-is-vaping-the-science-remains-hazy/article29452477.ece

E-cigarettes are devices that heat a liquid into an aerosol that the user inhales. The liquid usually has nicotine and flavoring in it, and other additives. The nicotine in e-cigarettes and regular cigarettes is addictive. E-cigarettes are considered tobacco products because most of them contain nicotine, which comes from tobacco.

Besides nicotine, e-cigarettes can contain harmful and potentially harmful ingredients, including:

ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs

flavorants such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to serious lung disease

volatile organic compounds

heavy metals, such as nickel, tin, and lead

C  

19.

Ø Fiscal deficit will reduce as cost of government borrowing will reduce in light of reduced interest rates.

Ø There is a huge possibility of misallocation of capital inflows which means such capital inflows may fund low-quality domestic investments instead of investing in building up industries which leads to more capacity creation and utilization, and increased level of employment. This can also reduce the potential of country to increase exports and will thus create external imbalances. This can also lead to the export of domestic savings which one would have invested in domestic market otherwise but will now think of investing in foreign markets to reduce the risk.

Ø Entry of foreign banks would result in increased competitiveness in terms of accessing the loan proposals as the foreign banks will shy away from giving loans to farmers and the small scale industrialists as they find them less credit worthy and Indian Banks will also follow the same route to be competitive.

International finance capital is highly volatile as the investor move from country to country in search for higher returns for their investments. This process has led to crisis in numerous developing countries. Such finance capital is referred to as "Hot Money ". FCAC exposes an economy to the risk of volatility on account on "Hot Money" flows in and out of the country.

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/columns/slate/all-you-want-to-know-about/article33215196.ece

A

20.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/how-many-times-has-presidents-rule-been-imposed-across-states/article30017580.ece

https://www.livemint.com/Politics/SJ3mETZ7H1cjKNlodkcM8O/How-Presidents-Rule-in-India-has-been-imposed-over-the-year.html

https://www.business-standard.com/about/what-is-president-s-rule

C

21.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ipc-issues-alert-for-painkiller-mefenamic-acid/article67614705.ece   

B

22.

https://indianexpress.com/article/health-wellness/antibiotics-sick-long-run-8960512/

A

23.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has recently released “The Detect Adulteration with Rapid Test (DART) Book” & Food Safety on Wheels (FSW).

DART booklet is a compilation of common quick tests for detection of food adulterants by the citizens themselves so as to induce awareness among the consumers about food safety.

A mobile food testing van called Food Safety on Wheels (FSW) was launched to reach remote areas and conduct training and awareness activities & to promote awareness campaigns.

A  

24.

A

25.

The new Labour Codes brought the following changes in the working hours in India:

•   Weekly and daily working hours are capped at 48 hours and 12 hours, respectively.

·    4-day work week will be feasible; 12 hour working day for each of the 4 days of the week.

•   Maximum overtime hours for workers increased from 50 hours in the Factories Act to 125 hours through the new codes.

·    The overtime policy also allows employers to contact workers on weekends, as per requirement.

https://iasgoogle.com/n/discuss-the-new-labour-codes-and-their-impact-on-formal-and-informal-labour-in-india-upsc-cse-mains-2020-sociology-paper-1

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/labour-codes-will-take-away-hard-won-rights-of-workers-justice-k-chandru/article67501484.ece

A