6 & 7 DEC CURRENT AFFAIRS (MCQ)

Q1. Hayabusa2 mission, recently in news, was launched in 2014 to study
a) Asteroid Ryugu
b) Saturn
c) Jupiter
d) Asteroid Bennu

Solution : a)
Explanation :-
About the Hayabusa2 mission:
• Launched in 2014: When the spacecraft was sent on a six-year-long voyage to study the asteroid Ryugu and collect samples that it is now bringing back to the Earth.
o The spacecraft will drop a landing capsule, which contains the asteroid sample back to the Earth.
o After dropping off the capsule containing the sample, the spacecraft will continue to move further to another asteroid called 1998 KY26 where it will reach by 2031.
• Arrived at the asteroid in mid-2018: After which it deployed two rovers and a small lander onto the surface.
o In 2019, the spacecraft fired an impactor into the asteroid’s surface to create an artificial crater, which allowed it to collect the samples.
• Significance: Asteroids like Ryugu are interesting because they are near the Earth and might pose an impact threat, one day in the far future.

Q2. Consider the following statements with reference to Poona Pact

1. It was signed between B.R.Ambedkar and then Governor general of India.
2. It increased the number of seats for depressed classes in the legislature. Which of the above statement/s is /are correct?
   a) 1 only
   b) 2 only
   c) Both 1 and 2
   d) Neither 1 nor 2

Solution : b)
Explanation :-
In line with the status of communal award, in late September 1932, B.R. Ambedkar negotiated the Poona Pact with Mahatma Gandhi.
Provisions in Poona Pact,1932
• Joint Electorate for depressed classes:In a settlement negotiated with Gandhi, Ambedkar agreed for depressed class candidates to be elected by a joint electorate.
• Increased number of seats for depressed classes in legislature:Slightly over twice as many seats (147) were reserved for the depressed classes in the legislature than what had been allotted under the Communal Award.
• Fair representation in the public services:The Pact also assured a fair representation of the depressed classes in the public services while earmarking a portion of the educational grant for their uplift.

Q3. Consider the following statements in context of Hampi Chariot:

1. It is located in the Cauvery basin in Central Karnataka.
2. The chariot is a shrine dedicated to Garuda.
   Which of the above statements is/are correct?
   a) 1 only
   b) 2 only
   c) Both 1 & 2
   d) Neither 1 nor 2

Solution : b)
Explanation :- Hampi
• The austere and grandiose site of Hampi comprise mainly the remnants of the Capital City of Vijayanagara Empire (14th-16th Cent CE), the last great Hindu Kingdom.
• The property is located in the Tungabhadra basin in Central Karnataka, Bellary
District.
• Hampi’s spectacular setting is dominated by river Tungabhadra, craggy hill ranges and open plains, with widespread physical remains.
• Dravidian architecture flourished under the Vijayanagara Empire and its ultimate form is characterised by their massive dimensions, cloistered enclosures, and lofty towers over the entrances encased by decorated pillars.
• The Vitthla temple is the most exquisitely ornate structure on the site and represents the culmination of Vijayanagara temple architecture.

The Hampi Chariot
• The chariot inside the temple complex is a shrine dedicated to Garuda, but the sculpture of Garuda is now missing.
• The Hampi chariot is among three famous stone chariots in India, the other two being in Konark, Odisha, and Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu.
• It reflects the skill of temple architecture under the patronage of the Vijayanagara rulers who reigned from 14th to 17th century CE.

Q4. Consider the following statements:

1. Honey is primarily a complex of the fructose, glucose and sucrose sugars.
2. It has a relatively high sucrose content. Which of the above statements is/are correct?
   a) 1 only
   b) 2 only
   c) Both 1 & 2
   d) Neither 1 nor 2

Solution : a)
Explanation :-
What is honey?
• Honey is primarily a complex of the fructose, glucose and sucrose sugars.
• It has a relatively high fructose content, which is why it is sweeter than commercial sugar, which is heavier on sucrose. The latter also breaks down less easily.
• ‘Honey’ is what bees made from plant nectar and people only just squeezed out the contents of honey combs, scrubbed it clean of bees, pollen and other visible residues.
• This is honey that is either sourced from wild bees or domesticated bees in apiaries.

Q5. With reference to the 2nd Cancer Genome Atlas, 2020, consider the following statements:

1. TCGA is a landmark cancer genomics program that molecularly characterized over 20,000 primary cancer and matched normal samples spanning 33 cancer types.
2. This joint effort between the France- National Cancer Institute and the National Human Genome Research Institute began in 2006.
   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

Solution : c)
Explanation :-
The Minister of Science and Technology and Vice President of Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Dr Harsh Vardhan virtually inaugurated the 2nd TCGA 2020 conference in New Delhi.
• TCGA is a landmark cancer genomics program that molecularly characterized over 20,000 primary cancer and matched normal samples spanning 33 cancer types.
• This joint effort between the US- National Cancer Institute and the National Human Genome Research Institute began in 2006, bringing together researchers from diverse disciplines and multiple institutions.
• Over the years, TCGA generated over 2.5 petabytes of genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data. The data, which has already led to improvements in the ability to diagnose, treat, and prevent cancer, will remain publicly available for anyone in the research community to use.
• On similar lines, the establishment of an ‘Indian Cancer Genomics Atlas (ICGA)’ has been initiated by a consortium of key stakeholders in India led by CSIR, Government of India.
• Hence both statements are correct.

Q6. With respect to “HL-2M Tokamak reactor”, consider the following statements:

1. It is Russia’s largest and most advanced nuclear fusion experimental research device.
2. Unlike fission, fusion reaction emits no greenhouse gases.
   Which of the above given statements is/are correct? a) 1 only
   b) 2 only
   c) Both 1 and 2
   d) Neither 1 nor 2

Solution : b)
Explanation :-
China successfully powered up its “artificial sun” nuclear fusion reactor for the first time, marking a great advance in the country’s nuclear power research capabilities.
Hence Statement 1 is incorrect: The HL-2M Tokamak reactor is China’s largest and most advanced nuclear fusion experimental research device, and scientists hope that the device can potentially unlock a powerful clean energy source.
It uses a powerful magnetic field to fuse hot plasma and can reach temperatures of over 150 million degrees Celsius, approximately ten times hotter than the core of the sun. Located in Sichuan province and completed late last year, the reactor is often called an “artificial sun” on account of the enormous heat and power it produces. Chinese scientists have been working on developing smaller versions of the nuclear fusion reactor since 2006.
Fusion reaction is what powers our sun. It merges atomic nuclei to create massive amounts of energy — the opposite of the fission process used in atomic weapons and nuclear power plants, which splits them into fragments.
Hence Statement 2 is correct: Unlike fission, fusion emits no greenhouse gases and carries less risk of accidents or the theft of atomic material.

Q7. With respect to “IIT Bombay-urban quality of life index”, consider the following statements:

1. The gap in literacy rate between men and women is the widest in Patna (13.2%) and lowest in Jaipur (5.4%).
2. Chennai is the most women- friendly city and Patna is the least.
   Which of the above given statements is/are correct?
   a) 1 only
   b) 2 only
   c) Both 1 and 2
   d) Neither 1 nor 2

Solution : b)
Explanation :-
IIT-Bombay researchers have come up with an urban quality of life index tailored to the reality of life in India.
Overall, Mumbai tops the list of 14, followed closely by Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai. Statement 2 is correct: For the first time, they have factored in gender parity. Chennai, it turns out, is the most women- friendly and Patna the least.
“Women experience cities differently; meeting women’s needs becomes essential in promoting sustainable urban development,” the paper, in press to be published in Elsevier journal ‘Transport Policy’, said. The study found that Jaipur has the highest crime rate against women, Chennai has the lowest .
Hence Statement 1 is incorrect: The gap in literacy rate between men and women is the widest in Jaipur (13.2%) and lowest in Kolkata (5.4%). Literacy was the highest in Pune (91%) and, surprisingly, the lowest in Hyderabad (83%).
The unemployment rate for women is the highest in Patna — at 346, it is more than four times the urban average of 73. Another often overlooked factor are the basics — power, water, education. Only 36% urban households in Patna have access to treated tap water.

Q8. Which of the following best describes “Operation Trident”?
a) Against 2008 Mumbai terror attacks
b) India’s Military capture of majority of Siachen glacier
c) Operation for Liberation of Goa
d) Operation on Pakistan’s port of Karachi during the 1971 India-Pakistan War

Solution : d)
Explanation :-
Every year, India celebrates December 4 as Navy Day to commemorate Operation Trident – a key offensive during the 1971 India-Pakistan War, when the Indian Navy inflicted heavy damage on Pakistani vessels in Karachi harbour. Hence option (d) is correct.
The India-Pakistan War of 1971 had begun on December 3, when the Pakistan Air Force launched pre-emptive strikes on airfields in Western India. India responded by formally declaring war in the wee hours of December 4. On December 4, under Operation Trident, the Indian Navy sank three vessels near the Pakistani port city of Karachi. The stars of the mission were the then-recently acquired Soviet Osa missile boats, fitted with 4 SS-N-2 (P-15) Styx missiles. The Indian Air Force also played a crucial role during Operation Trident, when Karachi’s Kemari oil tanks were strafed by the IAF on the same day in an independent operation which it did not claim.

Q9. Bhasan Char, often mentioned in news, is located in:
a) Bay of Bengal
b) Mediterranean Sea
c) Bering Sea
d) Arabian Sea

Solution : a)
Explanation :-
Bhasan Char, the site where Bangladesh has begun sending Rohingya refugees from the overcrowded camps at Cox’s Bazar, is an island formed by sedimentation (char is Bengali for sediment) close to the coast.
• It is estimated that more than 8 lakh Rohingya, who fled an army crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine Province in 2016 , live in the camps at Cox’s Bazar in unhygienic conditions.
• Bangladesh’s plan is to move some 1 lakh refugees to Bhasan Char, 39 km from Naokhali on the mainland.
• Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said it would be a temporary measure. One of her ministers said those relocated to the island would not be allowed to leave from there unless they are going back to Myanmar. The decision has evoked international concern.
• Bhasan Char is less an island and more mud flat, and is vulnerable to going under water from tides and flooding. Much of it is submerged during the monsoon.
• Located near the mouth of the river Meghna where it flows into the Bay of Bengal, Bhasan Char surfaced only in 2006 from the sediment deposited by the river.
• Located close to the much larger Sandwip, Bhasan Char spans 40 sq km.
• Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

Q10. With reference to the AYUSH Export Promotion Council, consider the following statements:

1. Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of External Affairs have decided to set up an AYUSH Export Promotion Council to boost AYUSH exports.
2. Ministry of AYUSH will work in collaboration with Bureau of Indian standards to develop international standards for AYUSH products as well as services.
   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

Solution : b)
Explanation :-
Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Ministry of AYUSH have decided to set up an AYUSH Export Promotion Council to boost AYUSH exports.
This decision was taken recently in a joint review of AYUSH trade and Industry by Minister of Commerce and Industry and Minister of AYUSH. The following are the action points that emerged from the meeting:
• Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Commerce and Industry will work together for establishing an AYUSH Export Promotion Council (AEPC). The proposed AEPC can be housed at Ministry of AYUSH.
• Standardisation of HS code for AYUSH will be expedited.
• Ministry of AYUSH will work in collaboration with Bureau of Indian standards to develop international standards for AYUSH products as well as services.
• AYUSH industry will work on ensuring quality and standards of AYUSH products as well as to become price-competitive.
• AYUSH will figure in the Brand India activities.
Hence only statement 2 is correct.

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