IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - Mar 27 & 28, 2016

ANSWER: Brussels

Explanation:

• Brussels is capital of Belgium.
• Belgium is surrounded by Germany, France, Netherlands, Luxembourg and North Sea.
• Since the end of the Second World War, Brussels has been a major center for international politics and has become the polyglot home of numerous international organizations, politicians, diplomats and civil servants.
• Brussels is the de facto capital of the European Union as it hosts a number of principal EU institutions (the other administrative centers are Luxembourg and Strasbourg).
• The secretariat of the Benelux and the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are also located in Brussels.

ANSWER: Small intestine

Explanation:

• Once the rotavirus enters the small intestine, it sticks to the glycolipids on villus cells’ lining small intestine.
• It invades the villus tip cells, causing atrophy, loss of digestive enzymes and a dip in absorption.
• Once the villi become blunted, the resulting mal-absorption of carbohydrates results in diarrhea.

ANSWER: Literature Genre

Explanation:

• A new literary genre called Laprek has developed. It has the potential to revitalize Hindi readership.
• Laprek is an acronym for Laghu Prem Katha , or ‘short love story.’
• The genre was born on Facebook, where groups of writers refined the genre to look nostalgically to the past while also considering love in the age of online status updates.
• Laprekars also tweet their works: love stories in 140 Devanagari characters or less.

ANSWER: 16

Explanation:

• Now, a set of 16 genes can be used as biomarkers to know in advance which infected individuals will develop TB disease.
• The genes become more active in those who will develop TB disease in the next one or two years than in people who will continue to stay healthy.
• Since the infected population acts as a huge reservoir and as all infected people across the world cannot be given preventive TB treatment for at least six months, picking out only those who are very likely to develop the disease and providing them preventive treatment will go a long way in reducing the TB burden in the world.
• The ability of the blood-based signatures to predict progression to active tuberculosis disease in healthy individuals can pave the way for the establishment of diagnostic methods that are scalable and inexpensive.

ANSWER: If public places and 10 per cent of its households have access to electricity

Explanation:
It has been decided to revise the definition of village electrification and a new proposed definition of village electrification is as under:

• The basic infrastructure such as distribution transformer and or distribution lines is made available in the inhabited locality within the revenue boundary of the village including at least one hamlet/Dalit Basti as applicable and
• Any of the public places like Schools, Panchayat Office, Health Centres, Dispensaries, Community centers etc. avail power supply on demand and
• The ratings of distribution transformer and LT lines to be provided in the village would be finalized as per the anticipated number of connections decided in consultation with the Panchayat/Zila Parishad/District Administration who will also issue the necessary certificate of village electrification on completion of the works.
• The number of household electrified should be minimum 10% for villages which are un-electrified, before the village is declared electrified. The revision of definition would be prospective.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:

• Medical Value Tourism (MVT) is a broad field and includes Ayurveda, surgeries, super-speciality treatments and recuperation.
• India is considered a famous destination for MVT.
• In India, MVT is popular because there are a number of choices available at international standards without any waiting period in comparison to U.S or U.K where patient has to wait it out.
• There is a shift in this trend with patients coming in from the Middle Eastern, SAARC and ASEAN countries. The specialities which are in demand for MVT include cardiology, orthopaedics (hip and knee replacement surgeries) and nephrology where savings for in-bound patients could range from 30 to 70 per cent.

ANSWER: Kerala

Explanation:

• An emerging trend within India is a shift from traditional medical destinations— Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai — to non-metro cities.
• An example of this is Kerala which is re-positioning itself from just a ‘wellness tourism’ destination offering Ayurveda to a more inclusive concept of ‘medical value tourism’ which also includes surgeries and treatment.
• As a fertile ground for medical education, medical facilities, improving infrastructure and the natural environs that make for tranquil recuperation, the state is an attractive option for medical tourists.

ANSWER: Rangaragini Bhumata Brigade

Explanation:

• The Rangaragini Bhumata Brigade, has vowed to fight gender barriers in the State’s temples.
• They unsuccessfully tried to enter forcibly in the inner sanctum of the Shani Shingnapur temple in Ahmednagar district on Republic Day in 2016 and the Trimbakeshwar temple in Nashik on Mahashivratri.

ANSWER: Anti-Submarine ships

Explanation:

• A huge bow mounted Sonar Dome is designed & developed by Research & Development Establishment (Engineers) [R&DE (E)], a DRDO laboratory based in Pune.
• The Sonar Dome, a first of its kind in the country has been manufactured by a composites manufacturing company in India. This is a huge contribution by Indian Industry to the ‘Make in India’ movement. Only a couple of companies worldwide have the capability of realizing such structures.
• All anti-submarine warfare (ASW) ships have a sonar array fitted to the ship structure below the waterline. The sonar functions as the ship’s underwater eyes and ears.
• The sonar dome is a structure fitted over the sonar array so that its electronics and sensors are not exposed to surrounding hostile environment. The sonar dome has to be structurally sound as well as acoustically transparent.

ANSWER: Both 1 and 2

Explanation:

• This is to make the installation and operation of common treatment facility a viable one.
• The department dealing the allocation of land shall be responsible for providing suitable site for setting up of common biomedical waste treatment and disposal facility in the State Government.
• Bio-medical waste has been classified in to 4 categories instead 10 to improve the segregation of waste at source, channelize proper treatment and disposal.

ANSWER: 2, 3

Explanation:
These rules shall apply to all persons who generate, collect, receive, store, transport, treat, dispose, or handle bio-medical waste in any form and shall not apply to:

1. radioactive wastes,
2. wastes covered under the MSW Rules, 2000,
3. lead acid batteries,
4. hazardous wastes,
5. E- waste,
6. hazardous microorganisms.

The rules will apply to vaccination camps, blood donation camps, surgical camps or any other healthcare activity undertaken outside the healthcare facility.

ANSWER: Only 1

Explanation:

• Phase-out the use of chlorinated plastic bags, gloves and blood bags within two years;
• Pre-treatment of the laboratory waste, microbiological waste, blood samples and blood bags through disinfection or sterilisation on-site in the manner as prescribed by WHO or NACO;
• Provide training to all its health care workers and immunise all health workers regularly;
• Establish a Bar-Code System for bags or containers containing bio-medical waste for disposal
• Report major accidents;
• The new rules prescribe more stringent standards for incinerator to reduce the emission of pollutants in environment;
• Inclusion of emissions limits for Dioxin and furans;
• Operator of a common bio-medical waste treatment and disposal facility to ensure the timely collection of bio-medical waste from the HCFs and assist the HCFs in conduct of training.