IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - Mar 17, 2016

ANSWER: Chalukyan Style

Explanation:

• The Somnath temple located in Prabhas Patan near Veraval in Saurashtra on the western coast of Gujarat, India, is the first among the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva.
• The present temple is built in the Chalukya style of temple architecture or "Kailash Mahameru Prasad" style.
• The temple is situated at such a place that there is no land in a straight line between Somnath seashore until Antarctica.
• The Badami Chalukya Architectur / Chalukya style originated during 450 CE in Aihole and perfected in Pattadakal and Badami.
• This style is sometimes called the Vesara style and Chalukya style.
• The Chalukya artists experimented with different styles, blended the Indo-Aryan Nagara and Dravidian styles, and evolved Chalukya style.
• Their style includes two types of monuments - The rock cut halls (caves) and Structural temples

ANSWER: Jammu and Kashmir

Explanation:

• Asia's largest tulip garden is in Srinagar.
• It was inaugurated in 2008 and attracts thousands of tourists every year.
• It is known as Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip garden, previously Model Floriculture Center.
• It was opened to boost floriculture and tourism in Kashmir Valley.

ANSWER: Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:

• The Zabarwan Range is a short (20 mi (32 km) long) sub-mountain range of the Zanskar Range in the central part of the Kashmir Valley in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India.
• At its foothills is the Asia's largest tulip garden in Srinagar.
• The Dachigam National Park, spread over 141 km2, is the main feature of the range.

ANSWER: Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:

• Sir Creek is a 96 km (60 mi) tidal estuary on the border of India and Pakistan.
• The creek, which opens up into the Arabian Sea, divides the Gujarat state of India from the Sindh province of Pakistan.
• The creek itself is located in uninhabited marshland. During the monsoon season between June and September, the creek floods its banks and envelops the low-lying salty mudflats around it. During the winter season, the area is home to flamingoes and other migratory birds.
• The dispute lies in the interpretation of the maritime boundary line between Pakistan and India.
• The creek holds immense economic gain. Much of the region is rich in oil and gas below the sea bed, and control over the creek would have a huge bearing on the energy potential of each nation.
• Also once the boundaries are defined, it would help in the determination of the maritime boundaries which are drawn as an extension of onshore reference points. Maritime boundaries also help in determining the limits of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and continental shelves. EEZs extend to 200 nautical miles (370 km) and can be subjected to commercial exploitation.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:

• India has abundant quantity of thorium resources contained in the mineral monazite occurring in the beach sand placer deposits along the eastern and western coasts of the country as well as the inland placers in parts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
• Indian Monazite contains about 9-10% of Thorium oxide (ThO2).
• Thorium has to be converted to Uranium-233 in a reactor before it can be used as fuel.

ANSWER: Punjab

Explanation:

• Fazilka is in Punjab.
• The gas available from the project (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline) is expected to boost development of industrial and commercial activities in Fazilka district, including start of CNG and City gas distribution and associated employment generation.
• Earlier in November 2014, the Pipeline Consortium, TAPI Pipeline Company Limited (TPCL) was incorporated in Isle of Man, a British Crown dependency. The Share Holders Agreement of TPCL was also signed on 13th December 2015. The shareholding percentage in the TPCL would be Turkmenistan 85%, India 5%, Pakistan 5% and Afghanistan 5%.
• The pipeline starts from the Galkynysh gas field in Turkmenistan.

ANSWER: Kudos laboratories

Explanation:

• The National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) of the Department of Scientific & Industrial Research, Ministry of Science & Technology signed a License Agreement with Kudos Laboratories India for commercialization of Ayush-82, an Ayurvedic formulation for prevention and management of Diabetes.
• It has been developed by Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), New Delhi, an apex organization for research in Ayurveda under the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy).
• Now Kudos Laboratories India could commercialize this product under their trade name.

ANSWER: SIDBI Startup Mitra

Explanation:

• The President will launch a national portal for start-up entrepreneurs called “SIDBI STARTUP MITRA” developed by SIDBI.
• The platform will enable entrepreneurs in the startup community to get connected with various stake holders namely incubators, mentors, angel investors, venture capital funds, service providers etc.
• SIDBI Mitra – Android Based Mobile App for MSME loan clients.

ANSWER: Differential immuno-capture technology

Explanation:

• Scientists have developed a new highly sensitive biosensor that can quickly and accurately count sub-populations of white blood cells that are a key to diagnose HIV/AIDS.
• The biosensor is based on a differential immuno-capture technology.
• As part of a small, disposable biochip, the microfluidic biosensor can count CD4+/CD8+ T cells quickly and accurately for AIDS diagnosis in the field.
• Scientists have developed a microfluidic biosensor based on a differential immuno-capture electrical cell counting technology to enumerate specific cells in 20 minutes using 10 microlitres of blood.

ANSWER: Dengue Virus

Explanation:

• Results showed that the alcoholic extract of Cissampelos pariera Linn (Cipa extract) was a potent inhibitor of all four DENVs (dengue viruses).
• The project was undertaken jointly by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), under the Ministry of Science and Technology, the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology and Ranbaxy Research Laboratory (now owned by Sun Pharma), and employed Ayurveda in devising the drug.
• Preliminary evaluation on rats of the clinical relevance of Cipa extract showed it had no adverse impact on platelet count and RBC viability. It also showed no evidence of toxicity.

ANSWER: Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:

• Akin to the Richter scale, used to quantify the severity of an earthquake, the International Nuclear and Radiological Event (INES) scale is developed by the International Atomic Energy Authority.
• It has seven-rung classification scheme internationally used to rate the severity of nuclear mishaps.
• It rates a Level 1 as only akin to ‘an anomaly in the plant.’ Levels 1-3 are termed ‘incidents’ and 4-7 as ‘accident.’ By comparison, the nuclear accidents in Fukushima, Japan, in 2011 and Chernobyl, Russia, in 1986 were Level 7 incidents.
• Recently in Kakrapar Nuclear Power plant, one of the pipes carrying heavy water ruptured and led to leakage on the floor of the reactor building. Moreover, the leak occurred in a subsystem that had been refurbished with better quality material in 2011, as part of a planned upgrade.
• The leak has been classified as level 1 incidence.