Current Affairs Quiz 14 September 2022
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Current Affairs Quiz 14 September 2022 for UPSC Prelims
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- Question 1 of 5
1. Question
Which of the following statements regarding Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags are correct?
1. It’s a wireless tracking system that consists of tags and readers.
2. The tags can carry encrypted information, serial numbers and short descriptions.CorrectAns;- C
What is RFID tags?
• It’s a wireless tracking system that consists of tags and readers.
• Radio waves are used to communicate information/identity of objects or people to nearby readers – devices that can be hand-held or built into fixed positions like poles or buildings.
• The tags can carry encrypted information, serial numbers and short descriptions.
• There are also high-memory tags like the ones designed for use in the aviation industry.Types of RFID tags:
• Active RFID tags
• Passive RFID tagsActive RFID tags
• Active RFIDs use their own power source, mostly batteries.
• Active tags can ping information every few seconds like beacons, or they can get activated when a reader is in the proximity.
• Active tags have a longer read range, around 300 ft, compared to passive tags.Passive RFID tags
• Passive RFIDs, on the other hand, are activated through the reader using the electromagnetic energy it transmits.
• This is enough power for the tag to transmit information back to the reader.IncorrectAns;- C
What is RFID tags?
• It’s a wireless tracking system that consists of tags and readers.
• Radio waves are used to communicate information/identity of objects or people to nearby readers – devices that can be hand-held or built into fixed positions like poles or buildings.
• The tags can carry encrypted information, serial numbers and short descriptions.
• There are also high-memory tags like the ones designed for use in the aviation industry.Types of RFID tags:
• Active RFID tags
• Passive RFID tagsActive RFID tags
• Active RFIDs use their own power source, mostly batteries.
• Active tags can ping information every few seconds like beacons, or they can get activated when a reader is in the proximity.
• Active tags have a longer read range, around 300 ft, compared to passive tags.Passive RFID tags
• Passive RFIDs, on the other hand, are activated through the reader using the electromagnetic energy it transmits.
• This is enough power for the tag to transmit information back to the reader. - Question 2 of 5
2. Question
Which of the following statements regarding FASTag are correct?
1. It is operated by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
2. The device employs Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for payments directly from the prepaid or savings account linked to it.CorrectAns;-C
About FASTag
• FASTag is an electronic toll collection system in India, operated by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
• It employs Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for making toll payments directly from the prepaid or savings account linked to it or directly toll owner.
• As per NHAI, FASTag has unlimited validity. 7.5% cashback offers were also provided to promote the use of FASTag.
• Dedicated Lanes at some Toll plazas have been built for FASTag.Advantages of Using FASTag
• Digital transaction makes it easier to collect toll fees.
• Congestion in Toll plazas will reduce.
• Non-stop movement at the highways will reduce Fuel consumption and even pollution.
• The Effort in Managing toll gates is reduced as the system is more automated.
• There will also be reduced paper wastage (in the form of tokens/receipts)
• This will be a unifying system as FASTags are not specific to the state or region and work all over India.IncorrectAns;-C
About FASTag
• FASTag is an electronic toll collection system in India, operated by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
• It employs Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for making toll payments directly from the prepaid or savings account linked to it or directly toll owner.
• As per NHAI, FASTag has unlimited validity. 7.5% cashback offers were also provided to promote the use of FASTag.
• Dedicated Lanes at some Toll plazas have been built for FASTag.Advantages of Using FASTag
• Digital transaction makes it easier to collect toll fees.
• Congestion in Toll plazas will reduce.
• Non-stop movement at the highways will reduce Fuel consumption and even pollution.
• The Effort in Managing toll gates is reduced as the system is more automated.
• There will also be reduced paper wastage (in the form of tokens/receipts)
• This will be a unifying system as FASTags are not specific to the state or region and work all over India. - Question 3 of 5
3. Question
Consider the following statements with respect to CRISPR technology
1. It does not involve the introduction of any new gene from the outside.
2. A special protein called Cas9, which is often described as ‘genetic scissors’, is used to break the DNA strand at specific points, and remove the bad sequence.Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
CorrectAnswer : C
What is CRISPR technology?
• CRISPR is short for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, which is a reference to the clustered and repetitive sequences of DNA found in bacteria, whose natural mechanism to fight some viral diseases is replicated in this gene-editing tool.
• Editing, or modification, of gene sequences to eliminate — or introduce — specific properties in an organism is not a new development.
• It has been happening for several decades now, particularly in the field of agriculture, where genetically modified variants, with specific desirable traits, are regularly developed.
• It usually involves the introduction of a new gene, or suppression of an existing gene, through a process described as genetic engineering.‘Cut-copy-paste’, or ‘find-replace’ functionalities
• It does not involve the introduction of any new gene from the outside.
• Its mechanism is often compared to the ‘cut-copy-paste’, or ‘find-replace’ functionalities in common computer programmes.
• A bad stretch in the DNA sequence, which is the cause of disease or disorder, is located, cut, and removed — and then replaced with a ‘correct’ sequence. And the tools used to achieve this are not mechanical, but biochemical — specific protein and RNA molecules.
• The technology replicates a natural defence mechanism in some bacteria that uses a similar method to protect itself from virus attacks.Technology in action
• The first task is to identify the particular sequence of genes that is the cause of the trouble. Once that is done, an RNA molecule is programmed to locate this sequence on the DNA strand, just like the ‘find’ or ‘search’ function on a computer.
• After this, a special protein called Cas9, which is often described as ‘genetic scissors’, is used to break the DNA strand at specific points, and remove the bad sequence.
• A DNA strand, when broken, has a natural tendency to re-attach and heal itself. But if the auto-repair mechanism is allowed to continue, the bad sequence can regrow.
• So, scientists intervene during the auto-repair process by supplying the correct sequence of genetic codes, which attaches to the broken DNA strand. It is like cutting out the damaged part of a long zipper, and replacing it with a normally functioning part.
The entire process is programmable, and has remarkable efficiency, though chances of error are not entirely ruled out.IncorrectAnswer : C
What is CRISPR technology?
• CRISPR is short for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, which is a reference to the clustered and repetitive sequences of DNA found in bacteria, whose natural mechanism to fight some viral diseases is replicated in this gene-editing tool.
• Editing, or modification, of gene sequences to eliminate — or introduce — specific properties in an organism is not a new development.
• It has been happening for several decades now, particularly in the field of agriculture, where genetically modified variants, with specific desirable traits, are regularly developed.
• It usually involves the introduction of a new gene, or suppression of an existing gene, through a process described as genetic engineering.‘Cut-copy-paste’, or ‘find-replace’ functionalities
• It does not involve the introduction of any new gene from the outside.
• Its mechanism is often compared to the ‘cut-copy-paste’, or ‘find-replace’ functionalities in common computer programmes.
• A bad stretch in the DNA sequence, which is the cause of disease or disorder, is located, cut, and removed — and then replaced with a ‘correct’ sequence. And the tools used to achieve this are not mechanical, but biochemical — specific protein and RNA molecules.
• The technology replicates a natural defence mechanism in some bacteria that uses a similar method to protect itself from virus attacks.Technology in action
• The first task is to identify the particular sequence of genes that is the cause of the trouble. Once that is done, an RNA molecule is programmed to locate this sequence on the DNA strand, just like the ‘find’ or ‘search’ function on a computer.
• After this, a special protein called Cas9, which is often described as ‘genetic scissors’, is used to break the DNA strand at specific points, and remove the bad sequence.
• A DNA strand, when broken, has a natural tendency to re-attach and heal itself. But if the auto-repair mechanism is allowed to continue, the bad sequence can regrow.
• So, scientists intervene during the auto-repair process by supplying the correct sequence of genetic codes, which attaches to the broken DNA strand. It is like cutting out the damaged part of a long zipper, and replacing it with a normally functioning part.
The entire process is programmable, and has remarkable efficiency, though chances of error are not entirely ruled out. - Question 4 of 5
4. Question
Consider the following statements with respect to 103rd Amendment
1. The amendment empowered state governments to provide reservation on the basis of economic backwardness.
2. The EWS reservation was granted based on the recommendations of a Sinho commissionWhich of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
CorrectAnswer : C
What is the 103rd Amendment?
• The 103rd Amendment inserted Articles 15(6) and 16(6) in the Constitution to provide up to 10 per cent reservation to EWS other than backward classes, SCs, and STs in higher educational institutions and initial recruitment in government jobs.
• The amendment empowered state governments to provide reservation on the basis of economic backwardness.
○ Article 15 prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth.
○ Article 16 guarantees equal opportunity in matters of public employment.
• The additional clauses gave Parliament the power to make special laws for EWS like it does for SCs, STs, and OBCs.Sinho Commission:
• The EWS reservation was granted based on the recommendations of a commission headed by Major General (retd) S R Sinho. The commission, which was constituted by the UPA government in March 2005, submitted its report in July 2010.
• The Sinho Commission recommended that all below-poverty-line (BPL) families within the general category as notified from time to time, and also all families whose annual family income from all sources is below the taxable limit, should be identified as EBCs (economically backward classes).IncorrectAnswer : C
What is the 103rd Amendment?
• The 103rd Amendment inserted Articles 15(6) and 16(6) in the Constitution to provide up to 10 per cent reservation to EWS other than backward classes, SCs, and STs in higher educational institutions and initial recruitment in government jobs.
• The amendment empowered state governments to provide reservation on the basis of economic backwardness.
○ Article 15 prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth.
○ Article 16 guarantees equal opportunity in matters of public employment.
• The additional clauses gave Parliament the power to make special laws for EWS like it does for SCs, STs, and OBCs.Sinho Commission:
• The EWS reservation was granted based on the recommendations of a commission headed by Major General (retd) S R Sinho. The commission, which was constituted by the UPA government in March 2005, submitted its report in July 2010.
• The Sinho Commission recommended that all below-poverty-line (BPL) families within the general category as notified from time to time, and also all families whose annual family income from all sources is below the taxable limit, should be identified as EBCs (economically backward classes). - Question 5 of 5
5. Question
Which of the following statements about Sundarbans are correct?
1. It is a vast contiguous mangrove forest ecosystem in the coastal region of Bay of Bengal spread over India and Bangladesh.
2. It is on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra only.
3. The Sunderbans Delta is the only mangrove forest in the world inhabited by tigers.CorrectAns;- c) Only 1 and 3
Explanation;-
• The 2nd statement is incorrect because it includes meghana river.
About Sunderbans
• It is a vast contiguous mangrove forest ecosystem in the coastal region of Bay of Bengal spread over India and Bangladesh on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers.
• The site is intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests and presents an excellent example of ongoing ecological processes.
• It constitutes over 60% of the country’s total mangrove forest area.
• Indian Sundarbans was recognised as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, ‘Wetland of International Importance’ under the Ramsar Convention in January 2019 and also a Biosphere Reserve in 1989. The area is known for its wide range of fauna, including 260 bird species and is home to many rare and globally threatened wildlife species such as the Estuarine Crocodile, Royal Bengal Tiger, Water Monitor Lizard, Gangetic Dolphin and Olive Ridley Turtles.
• The Sunderbans Delta is the only mangrove forest in the world inhabited by tigers.
• For its preservation, Discovery India and World Wide Fund (WWF) India partnered with the Government of West Bengal and local communities in the Sundarbans in 2019.IncorrectAns;- c) Only 1 and 3
Explanation;-
• The 2nd statement is incorrect because it includes meghana river.
About Sunderbans
• It is a vast contiguous mangrove forest ecosystem in the coastal region of Bay of Bengal spread over India and Bangladesh on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers.
• The site is intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests and presents an excellent example of ongoing ecological processes.
• It constitutes over 60% of the country’s total mangrove forest area.
• Indian Sundarbans was recognised as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, ‘Wetland of International Importance’ under the Ramsar Convention in January 2019 and also a Biosphere Reserve in 1989. The area is known for its wide range of fauna, including 260 bird species and is home to many rare and globally threatened wildlife species such as the Estuarine Crocodile, Royal Bengal Tiger, Water Monitor Lizard, Gangetic Dolphin and Olive Ridley Turtles.
• The Sunderbans Delta is the only mangrove forest in the world inhabited by tigers.
• For its preservation, Discovery India and World Wide Fund (WWF) India partnered with the Government of West Bengal and local communities in the Sundarbans in 2019.
