IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - July 30 & 31, 2016

ANSWER: Atisa

Explanation:

• Atisa, a Buddhist teacher from Bengal lived in Tibet for more than ten years starting in 1038, preaching and translating scriptures.
• The pagoda for him in Bangladesh includes a pedestal, a tower and spire, will stand as tall as a three-storey building.
• He was one of the major figures in the spread of 11th-century Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism in Asia and inspired Buddhist thought from Tibet to Sumatra.
• Atisa's chief deciple Dromtön was the founder of the Kadam School.
• Atisa is also considered to be a key figure in the establishment of the Sarma schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

ANSWER: Galaxy as large as Milky Way but very less luminosity

Explanation:

• An ultra-diffuse galaxy (UDG) is an extremely-low-density galaxy. Such a galaxy may have the same size as the Milky Way but a visible star count of only 1%. Their lack of luminosity is due to the lack of star-forming gas in the galaxy.
• Ultra diffuse galaxies are large like the Milky Way — which is much bigger than most — but they glow as dimly as mere dwarf galaxies. They came to attention only last year.

ANSWER: My Body Back

Explanation:

• A ground breaking maternity clinic dedicated to helping rape survivors through pregnancy opened in London.
• The centre at the Royal London Hospital is the world’s first maternity clinic specifically for rape survivors.
• It is started by Pavan Amara, an Indian origin woman. The initiative is My Body Back.
• The new clinic is currently only open to U.K. citizens but Ms. Amara said she planned to set up a Skype service after receiving an overwhelming global response.
• The new clinic will provide extra antenatal support with specially-trained midwives, psychologists and paediatricians.
• The clinic will also provide antenatal classes and breastfeeding advice, which has been altered for women who have experienced sexual attacks, and offer specialist gynaecological examinations and mental health support after labour.

ANSWER: Jupiter

Explanation:

• Apojove - The point in an orbit around the planet Jupiter where the orbiting body is farthest from the planet.
• Perijove - The point in an orbit around the planet Jupiter where the orbiting body is closest to the planet.
• Juno spacecraft is all set to reach the farthest point in its orbit of Jupiter.
• Known as “apojove”, the orbit is nearly 8.1 million km from Jupiter, and after this point the gravitational grip of solar system’s largest planet on Juno will cause the spacecraft to begin falling back toward it for another pass.

ANSWER: Johannesburg, South Africa

Explanation:

• South Africa is set to reinforce its position as a regional economic hub as it prepares to open a regional office that would channel funding drawn from the New Development Bank (NDB) of the Brazil-Russia-China-India-South Africa (BRICS) grouping.
• South Africa’s role would be initially confined within the boundaries of its neighbourhood.
• NDB’s funding could help reduce Africa’s infrastructure funding gap.
• NDB funding to Africa could increase if more African members join it after it opens up to new members within the next 20 months.

ANSWER: 1, 2

Explanation:

• It flows through Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
• The famous Hirakud dam is on the river Mahanadi.

ANSWER: Both 1 and 2

Explanation:

• The working conditions of adolescents (14 to 18 years of age) allowed to work in non-hazardous occupations regulated for the first time.
• Regulation of working conditions would ensure non exploitation of the adolescents working in non-hazardous occupations.
• Statutory provision of rehabilitation Fund would ensure that child and adolescent is not only rescued but his future is secured by the amount collected in fund for his welfare and education.
• DM or an officer subordinate to him can be made responsible for enforcement of the Act and can be conferred with such powers as decided by appropriate Govt.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:

• Zika virus can spread through various ways.
• There can be transmission through sexual and non-sexual ways.
• The virus can spread through oral sex.
• It can spread through saliva if oral mucus membrane is disrupted.

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:

• The viral load in semen is 100,000 times more than both blood and urine.
• Zika virus has been found in breast milk but no case of infants getting Zika virus through breastfeeding reported.
• Zika virus has also been detected in female genital tract including vaginal fluid.

ANSWER: Plant

Explanation:

• Scientists at the Malabar Botanical Garden and Institute for Plant Sciences, Kozhikode, have taken up a mission to save an endangered aquatic plant facing extinction in its only known natural habitat in Periya village, Kasaragod.
• The plant, Crinum malabaricum and known locally as Kanthanga, is restricted to a population of approximately 1,000 along the shaded stretch of a seasonal stream running through the Periya village.
• The IUCN Red List of Species has classified C. malabaricum as critically endangered. According to IUCN, the trees lining the stream were being cut down for farming and access, pushing the aquatic plant to the verge of extinction.
• Endowed with large, flat, strap-shaped leaves, C. malabaricum resembles a water lily.