UPSC Quiz – 2023 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 29th July 2023

IASbaba Daily Prelims Quiz

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The Current Affairs questions are based on sources like ‘The Hindu’, ‘Indian Express’ and ‘PIB’, which are very important sources for UPSC Prelims Exam. The questions are focused on both the concepts and facts. The topics covered here are generally different from what is being covered under ‘Daily Current Affairs/Daily News Analysis (DNA) and Daily Static Quiz’ to avoid duplication. The questions would be published from Monday to Saturday before 2 PM. One should not spend more than 10 minutes on this initiative.

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Question 1 of 5

1. Question

Consider the following statements about INDIAai

It is the National artificial intelligence Portal of India.
It is a joint initiative by the Ministry of Electronics and IT, National e-Governance Division and NASSCOM.

Choose the correct statements:

a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2

Correct

Solution (c)

Statement Analysis

Statement 1

Statement 2

Correct

· It is the National artificial intelligence Portal of India which was launched on 28th May 2020.

· It is a knowledge portal, research organisation, and an ecosystem-building initiative.

· It stands to unite and promote collaborations with various entities in India’s AI ecosystem

· It is a joint initiative by the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), National e-Governance Division (NeGD) and NASSCOM.

· NeGD: It was created in 2009 as an Independent Business Division under the Digital India Corporation (a not-for-profit company set up by MeitY).

· NASSCOM: It is a not-for-profit industry association and the apex body for the IT and IT-enabled products and services sector in India.

· It is the single central knowledge hub on artificial intelligence and allied fields for aspiring entrepreneurs, students, professionals, academics, and everyone else.

Context: Recently, the INDIAai and Meta India signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a framework for collaboration and cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies.

Incorrect

Solution (c)

Statement Analysis

Statement 1

Statement 2

Correct

· It is the National artificial intelligence Portal of India which was launched on 28th May 2020.

· It is a knowledge portal, research organisation, and an ecosystem-building initiative.

· It stands to unite and promote collaborations with various entities in India’s AI ecosystem

· It is a joint initiative by the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), National e-Governance Division (NeGD) and NASSCOM.

· NeGD: It was created in 2009 as an Independent Business Division under the Digital India Corporation (a not-for-profit company set up by MeitY).

· NASSCOM: It is a not-for-profit industry association and the apex body for the IT and IT-enabled products and services sector in India.

· It is the single central knowledge hub on artificial intelligence and allied fields for aspiring entrepreneurs, students, professionals, academics, and everyone else.

Question 2 of 5

2. Question

Consider the following statements

The Kiel Canal, one of the world’s busiest artificial waterways, connects the North Sea with the Baltic.
The Rhine and the Thames rivers drain into the North Sea.

Choose the incorrect statements:

a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2

Correct

Solution (d)

Statement Analysis

Statement 1

Statement 2

Correct

· It is a sea in northern Europe and is part of the Atlantic ocean.

· Borders: It is bordered by the United Kingdom and Norway to the west, Denmark to the south, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France to the east, and the Faroe Islands and Norway’s Svalbard archipelago to the north.

· The North Sea connects to the Atlantic Ocean via the English Channel in the southwest and the Baltic Sea in the east via the Kattegat and Skagerrak straits.

· The Kiel Canal, one of the world’s busiest artificial waterways, connects the North Sea with the Baltic.

· Area: It covers an area of approximately 570,000 square kilometres (220,000 square miles).

Depth:

· It is a relatively shallow sea with an average depth of 90 meters.

· The sea’s deepest part is the Norwegian trench which is 725 meters deep.

· The shallowest area is the Dogger Bank, which is only 12 metres deep.

Climate:

· It experiences an oceanic temperate maritime climate characterized by slightly high temperatures.

· Winters are long but cool, while summers are short and mild.

· Rivers: Major rivers that drain into the North Sea include the Forth, Elbe, the Weser, the Ems, the Rhine and Meuse, the Scheldt, the Thames, and the Humber.

· Ports: It has several major ports located along its coasts, such as Rotterdam, the busiest port in Europe, Antwerp, Hamburg, Bremerhaven and Felixstowe, all busy container seaports, as well as the Port of Bruges-Zeebrugge, Europe’s leading RoRo port.

Context: An Indian crew member was killed, and several others injured after a freight ship carrying nearly 3,000 cars in the North Sea caught fire recently.

Incorrect

Solution (d)

Statement Analysis

Statement 1

Statement 2

Correct

· It is a sea in northern Europe and is part of the Atlantic ocean.

· The North Sea connects to the Atlantic Ocean via the English Channel in the southwest and the Baltic Sea in the east via the Kattegat and Skagerrak straits.

· The Kiel Canal, one of the world’s busiest artificial waterways, connects the North Sea with the Baltic.

· Area: It covers an area of approximately 570,000 square kilometres (220,000 square miles).

Depth:

· It is a relatively shallow sea with an average depth of 90 meters.

· The sea’s deepest part is the Norwegian trench which is 725 meters deep.

· The shallowest area is the Dogger Bank, which is only 12 metres deep.

Climate:

· It experiences an oceanic temperate maritime climate characterized by slightly high temperatures.

· Winters are long but cool, while summers are short and mild.

· Rivers: Major rivers that drain into the North Sea include the Forth, Elbe, the Weser, the Ems, the Rhine and Meuse, the Scheldt, the Thames, and the Humber.

Context: An Indian crew member was killed, and several others injured after a freight ship carrying nearly 3,000 cars in the North Sea caught fire recently.

Question 3 of 5

3. Question

Consider the following statements about Urea Gold

It is a new variety of Urea coated with Sulphur.
Sulphur-coated urea facilitates a gradual release of nitrogen, thereby enhancing its availability and uptake by crops.
The inclusion of humic acid in Urea Gold extends its lifespan as a fertilizer.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

a) Only one
b) Only two
c) All Three
d) None

Correct

Solution (c)

Option c

Correct

· It is a new variety of Urea coated with Sulphur.

· It is being introduced to address the Sulphur deficiency in soil and save input costs for the farmers.

· Urea Gold surpasses the existing Neem-coated urea in terms of both economic viability and efficiency.

· How Urea Gold Is Better Than Others?

· Sulphur-coated urea facilitates a gradual release of nitrogen, thereby enhancing its availability and uptake by crops.

· The inclusion of humic acid in Urea Gold further extends its lifespan as a fertilizer.

· This product not only substitutes traditional urea consumption but also reduces overall fertilizer usage.

· According to the report, 15 kg of Urea Gold provides comparable benefits to 20 kg of conventional urea, making it a more efficient and effective choice for farmers.

What is Neem-coated urea?

· Urea is a commonly used nitrogen-based fertilizer that provides essential nutrients to plants to promote healthy growth.

· Neem-coated urea is a specialized form of urea fertilizer that has been coated with neem oil.

Benefits:

· The neem coating on urea slows down the release of nitrogen into the soil. This controlled release helps reduce nitrogen leaching and volatilization, leading to improved nitrogen use efficiency by plants.

· It would bring down the quantity of urea per acre and consequent reduction in input cost to farmers.

· The emission of nitrous oxide is also brought down significantly.

· Neem oil, derived from the neem tree (Azadirachta indica), has natural pesticidal properties.

Context: Prime Minister recently launched “Urea Gold”, a new variety of Urea, during an event in Rajasthan’s Sikar.

Incorrect

Solution (c)

Option c

Correct

· It is a new variety of Urea coated with Sulphur.

· It is being introduced to address the Sulphur deficiency in soil and save input costs for the farmers.

· Urea Gold surpasses the existing Neem-coated urea in terms of both economic viability and efficiency.

· How Urea Gold Is Better Than Others?

· Sulphur-coated urea facilitates a gradual release of nitrogen, thereby enhancing its availability and uptake by crops.

· The inclusion of humic acid in Urea Gold further extends its lifespan as a fertilizer.

· This product not only substitutes traditional urea consumption but also reduces overall fertilizer usage.

· According to the report, 15 kg of Urea Gold provides comparable benefits to 20 kg of conventional urea, making it a more efficient and effective choice for farmers.

What is Neem-coated urea?

· Urea is a commonly used nitrogen-based fertilizer that provides essential nutrients to plants to promote healthy growth.

· Neem-coated urea is a specialized form of urea fertilizer that has been coated with neem oil.

Benefits:

· It would bring down the quantity of urea per acre and consequent reduction in input cost to farmers.

· The emission of nitrous oxide is also brought down significantly.

· Neem oil, derived from the neem tree (Azadirachta indica), has natural pesticidal properties.

Context: Prime Minister recently launched “Urea Gold”, a new variety of Urea, during an event in Rajasthan’s Sikar.

Question 4 of 5

4. Question

Consider the following statements about Corporate Debt Market Development Fund

It is an Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) under the aegis of Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
The CDMDF will purchase investment grade corporate bonds from fund houses in distress to help them meet redemption requests.

Choose the incorrect statements:

a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2

Correct

Solution (a)

Statement Analysis

Statement 1

Statement 2

Correct

· The CDMDF aids to help stabilize the Indian corporate bond market in times of stress.

· Corporate bonds are debt security which is issued by a corporation and issued to bondholders/investors.

· CDMDF is an Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) under Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

· The mutual funds will have to contribute 25 basis points (bps) of the specified debt asset under management to the CDMDF.

· The initial contribution of mutual funds to CDMDF will be based on Asset Under Management of the specified Mutual Fund schemes as of last December-end.

· The CDMDF will purchase investment grade corporate bonds from fund houses in distress to help them meet redemption requests.

· CDMDF shall purchase listed corporate debt securities from the specified debt-oriented Mutual Fund schemes.

· The fund aims to avert Franklin Templeton-type debt fund crisis.

· Franklin Templeton debt fund crisis occurred aftermath of the covid-19, since it couldn’t sell most of its underlying lower-rated securities.

Context: SEBI has recently created framework for CDMDF to protect the investors investing in mutual funds.