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UPSC 2022 (Prelims) Questions
1 .
Consider the following :
 
1. Aarogya Setu
2. CoWIN
3. DigiLocker
4. DIKSHA
Which of the above are built on top of open-source digital platforms?
A)
1 and 2 only
B)
2, 3 and 4 only
C)
1, 3 and 4 only
D)
1, 2, 3 and 4

Correct Answer : Option (D) - 1, 2, 3 and 4

Note :

An open source platform is any platform that allows access to its source code to any other users or developers. An open source platform is one aspect of a wide availability of open source products. In contrast with closed source software, which is a type of proprietary software that reserves rights only to authorized individuals, open source software aims to allow equal access to anyone and everyone. Open source products are oftentimes part of the free software movement, and the associated Free Software Foundation founded by Richard Stallman in 1985. Rather than being concerned with the cost of the software, the free software movement, and associated foundation, aim to ensure that software users are free to run software, study the software, modify the software, and share such modifications. However, not all open source platforms are part of the free software movement, but they are almost always part of the open source software movement.
 
* Aarogya Setu , India’s coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) contact-tracing and self-assessment app is now open source . 
 
* DigiLocker is an initiative by the government to offer Indian citizens a free platform to store and access important documents. The platform uses several open source technologies to deliver a mass solution and contributes back to the ever-growing community.
 
* DIKSHA is built using Sunbird ED, a fully functional solution building block available as open-source software under MIT license and is part of Sunbird, a “Made in India, Made for the World” digital public good (DPG).
 
* Co-WIN, which is owned by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, was developed using open source software. This type of software allows users to modify the source code and distribute it.

Source : Hindustantimes , Thehindu

Year : 2022
Category : General Studies
2 .
With reference to Web 3.0, consider the following statements :
 
1. Web 3.0 technology enables people to control their own data.
2. In Web 3.0 world, there can be blockchain based social networks.
3. Web 3.0 is operated by users collectively rather than a corporation.

Which of the statements given above are correct?
A)
1 and 2 only
B)
2 and 3 only
C)
1 and 3 only
D)
1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer : Option (D) - 1, 2 and 3

Note :

* Web 3.0 is the next version of the internet, where services will run on blockchain. It is a decentralised internet that runs on a public blockchain, which is also used for cryptocurrency transactions.

* It will be permissionless and democratic. For instance: Twitter will not be able to censor posts and Facebook will not be able to maintain a database of billions of users that can be potentially used to influence elections.

* In a Web 3.0 universe, people will control their own data and will be able to move around from social media to email to shopping using a single personalized account, creating a public record on the blockchain of all of that activity.

* All data will be interconnected in a decentralized way, unlike the current generation of the internet (Web 2.0), where data is mostly stored in centralized repositories. 

* Three key features of Web 3.0 are: Ubiquity, Semantic Web, Artificial Intelligence and 3D Graphics.

Examples of Web 3.0 : The most recent example of Web 3.0 are the NFTs or non-fungible tokens.
 
hence , all the statements are correct.

Year : 2022
Category : General Studies
3 .
With reference to "Software as a Service (SaaS)”, consider the following statements :
 
1. SaaS buyers can customise the user interface and can change data fields.
2. SaaS users can access their data through their mobile devices.
3. Outlook, Hotmail and Yahoo! Mail are forms of SaaS.
 
Which of the statements given above are correct?
A)
1 and 2 only
B)
2 and 3 only
C)
1 and 3 only
D)
1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer : Option (D) - 1, 2 and 3

Note :

* Software as a service (SaaS) allows users to connect to and use cloud-based apps over the Internet. Common examples are email, calendaring and office tools (such as Microsoft Office 365). 

* 2. SaaS provides a complete software solution which you purchase on a pay-as-you-go basis from a cloud service provider. You rent the use of an app for your organisation and your users connect to it over the Internet, usually with a web browser. Statement 1 is incorrect.

* Access app data from anywhere. With data stored in the cloud, users can access their information from any Internet-connected computer or mobile device. And when app data is stored in the cloud, no data is lost if a user’s computer or device fails. Statement 2 is correct.

* If you have used a web-based email service such as Outlook, Hotmail or Yahoo! Mail, then you have already used a form of SaaS. With these services, you log into your account over the Internet, often from a web browser. The email software is located on the service provider’s network and your messages are stored there as well. You can access your email and stored messages from a web browser on any computer or Internet-connected device. Statement 3 is correct.

Source : azure.microsoft

Year : 2022
Category : General Studies
A)
A hypersonic missile is -launched into space to counter the asteroid approaching the Earth and explode it in space.
B)
A spacecraft lands on another planet after making several orbital motions.
C)
A missile is put into a stable orbit around the Earth and deorbits over a target on the Earth.
D)
A spacecraft moves along a comet with the same speed and places a probe on its surface.

Correct Answer : Option (C) - A missile is put into a stable orbit around the Earth and deorbits over a target on the Earth.

Note :

A Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS) is a warhead delivery system that uses a low earth orbit towards its target destination. Just before reaching the target, it deorbits through a retrograde engine burn.
 
The idea behind FOBS is, a warhead is put into a stable orbit and it deorbits over the target.
 
If the target and the launch position is lined up and the warhead keeps going round, it will complete a circle.Obviously, with the earth moving during this, it is more of a spiral than a ring, but the horizontal movement is countered in such a way that the warhead still goes over the target.

Source : Financial Express

Year : 2022
Category : General Studies
A)
Cloud Services
B)
Quantum Computing
C)
Visible Light Communication Technologies
D)
Wireless Communication Technologies

Correct Answer : Option (B) - Quantum Computing

Note :

The phrase ‘quantum supremacy’ was coined in the year 2011 by John Preskill, Professor of Theoretical Physics at the California Institute of Technology.
 
* Quantum supremacy refers to a problem-solving process by the quantum computer that cannot be solved by a classical computer in its normal lifetime.
* The concept is related to the speed at which a quantum computer performs.
* Quantum computers are different from binary digital electronic computers that are based on transistors (a semiconductor device used to amplify or switch electronic signals and electrical power).
* The common digital computing requires the data to be encoded into binary digits (bits), each of which is always in one of two definite states (0 or 1).
* Quantum computation uses quantum bits (qubits).

Quantum Bit (Qubit)
 
* A quantum bit (qubit) is the smallest unit of quantum information, which is the quantum analog of the regular computer bit, used in the field of quantum computing.
* They operate according to two key principles of quantum physics: superposition and entanglement.? Superposition means that each qubit can represent both a ‘1’ and a ‘0’ at the same time.

* Entanglement means that qubits in a superposition state can be correlated with each other; that is, the state of one qubit (whether it is a 1 or a 0) can depend on the state of another qubit. It means that particles remain connected so that actions performed on one affect the other, even when separated by great distances. The phenomenon so riled Albert Einstein that he called it "spooky action at a distance."

* Using these two principles, qubits can act as more sophisticated switches, enabling quantum computers to function in ways that allow them to solve difficult problems that are unmanageable using today’s computers.

Year : 2022
Category : General Studies
6 .
Consider the following communication technologies :
 
1. Closed-circuit Television
2. Radio Frequency Identification
3. Wireless Local Area Network
 
Which of the above are considered Short-Range devices/technologies ?
A)
1 and 2 only
B)
2 and 3 only
C)
1 and 3 only
D)
1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer : Option (D) - 1, 2 and 3

Note :

Short Range Devices (SRD) are radio devices that offer a low risk of interference with other radio services, usually because their transmitted power, and hence their range, is low. The definition 'Short Range Device' may be applied to many different types of wireless equipment, including various forms of:
 
* Access control (including door and gate openers)
* Alarms and movement detectors
* Closed-circuit television (CCTV)
* Cordless audio devices, including wireless microphones
* Industrial control
* Local Area Networks
* Medical implants
* Metering devices
* Remote control
* Radio frequency identification (RFID)
* Road Transport Telematics
* Telemetry.

Short range devices often benefit from a relaxed regulatory regime compared with other radio communications equipment.  As a general principle, a user is licence free to operate such equipment, some specific cases may require an individual licence.

Source : ETSI

Year : 2022
Category : General Studies
7 .
Consider the following statements :
 
1. Biofilms can form on medical implants within human tissues.
2. Biofilms can form on food and food processing surfaces.
3. Biofilms can exhibit antibiotic resistance.
 
Which of the statements given above are correct ?
A)
1 and 2 only
B)
2 and 3 only
C)
1 and 3 only
D)
1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer : Option (D) - 1, 2 and 3

Note :

* Biofilm is an association of micro-organisms in which microbial cells adhere to each other on living or non-living surfaces within a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substance.

* Biofilm formation is a multi-step process starting with attachment to a surface then formation of micro-colony that leads to the formation of three dimensional structure and finally ending with maturation followed by detachment.

* During biofilm formation many species of bacteria are able to communicate with one another through a specific mechanism called quorum sensing. It is a system of stimulus to coordinate different gene expression.

* Biofilms may form on living or non-living surfaces and can be prevalent in natural, industrial and hospital settings.

* Biofilms can be present on the teeth of most animals as dental plaque, where they may cause tooth decay and gum disease. Statement 1 is correct

* A combination of several pathogens can synergistically interact to form biofilms in the food industry. In food-processing environments, bacteria are able to exist as multispecies biofilms, from where both spoilage and pathogenic bacteria can contaminate food. For instance in the fishing industry, fresh fish products can suffer from biofilm formation by mixed pathogenic species (Aeromonashydrophila, L. monocytogenes, S. enterica, or Vibrio spp.), which can imply significant health and economic issues. Synergistic interactions have been observed in a fresh-cut produce processing plant, where E. coli interacted with Burkholderiacaryophylli and Ralstoniainsidiosa to form mixed biofilms. Statement 2 is correct.

* Bacterial biofilm is less accessible to antibiotics and the human immune system and thus poses a big threat to public health because of its involvement in a variety of infectious diseases. Statement 3 is correct.

Source : Livescience

Year : 2022
Category : General Studies
8 .
Consider the following statements in respect of probiotics :
 
1. Probiotics are made of both bacteria and yeast.
2. The organisms in probiotics are found in foods we ingest but they do not "naturally occur in our gut.
3. Probiotics help in the digestion of milk sugars.
 
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
A)
1 only
B)
2 only
C)
1 and 3
D)
2 and 3

Correct Answer : Option (C) - 1 and 3

Note :

1. Probiotics are foods that are made up of good live bacteria or yeasts that naturally stay in the human body. Human body is a host to good and bad bacteria. Whenever one gets an infection, there is more bacteria that is bad. 

Probiotic supplements add good bacteria to the human body.
 
2. These are a combination of beneficial bacteria and yeasts that naturally stay in the human body. Bacteria is not always a negative addition to the body, it is positive too. 

Probiotics are part of a larger picture concerning bacteria and your body which is called your microbiome. These microbes are a combination of:
 
* Bacteria.
* Fungi (including yeasts)
* Viruses
* Protozoa
Statement 1 is correct.
 
 Benefits of Probiotics in a Nutshell
 
* Help the digestive system of the body
* Keeping bad bacteria from getting out of control and making one ill
* Create vitamins in the body
* Help support the cells that line your gut to prevent bad bacteria that you may have consumed from entering your blood.
* Breakdown and absorption of medications

Statement 2 is incorrect. And statement 3 is correct.

Source : Healthline

Year : 2022
Category : General Studies
9 .
In the context of vaccines manufactured to prevent COVID-19 pandemic, consider the following statements:
 
1. The Serum Institute of India produced COVID-19 vaccine named Covishield using mRNA platform.
2. Sputnik V vaccine is manufactured using vector based platform.
2. COVAXIN is an inactivated pathogen based vaccine.
 
Which of the statements given above are correct?
A)
1 and 2 only
B)
2 and 3 only
C)
1 and 3 only
D)
1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer : Option (B) - 2 and 3 only

Note :

* COVISHIELD vaccine is based on the platform which uses a recombinant, replication-deficient chimpanzee adenovirus vector encoding the SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) glycoprotein. Following administration, the genetic material of part of coronavirus is expressed which stimulates an immune response. Hence the statement is incorrect.

* Sputnik V is the world's first registered vaccine based on a well-studied human adenovirus vector platform. It has been approved for use in 71 countries with a total population of 4 billion people. The vaccine is named after the first Soviet space satellite. The launch of Sputnik-1 in 1957 reinvigorated space research around the world, creating a so-called “Sputnik moment” for the global community. The vaccine’s efficacy is 97.6%, based on the analysis of data on the incidence of coronavirus among Russians vaccinated with both vaccine components between December 5, 2020 and March 31, 2021. Statement 2 is correct.

* Covaxin is an inactivated viral vaccine. This vaccine is developed with Whole-Virion Inactivated Vero Cell-derived technology. They contain inactivated viruses, which cannot infect a person but still can teach the immune system to prepare a defence mechanism against the active virus. Statement 3 is correct.

Year : 2022
Category : General Studies
10 .
If a major solar storm (solar-flare) reaches the Earth, which of the following are the possible. effects on the Earth ?
 
1. GPS and navigation systems could fail.
2. Tsunamis could occur at equatorial regions.
3. Power grids could be damaged.
4. Intense auroras could occur over much of the Earth.
5. Forest fires could take place over much of the planet.
6. Orbits of the satellites could be disturbed.
7. Shortwave radio communication of the aircraft flying over polar regions could be interrupted.
 
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
A)
1, 2, 4 and 5 only
B)
2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 only
C)
1,3, 4, 6 and 7 only
D)
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.

Correct Answer : Option (C) - 1,3, 4, 6 and 7 only

Note :

Impact of Solar Flares and CMEs on Earth
 
Space-dependent services: Solar storms can hit operations of space-dependent services like global positioning systems (GPS), radio, and satellite communications.

Radio communication: Geomagnetic storms interfere with high-frequency radio communications and GPS navigation systems.

Magnetosphere: CMEs, with ejectiles loaded with matter travelling at millions of miles an hour, can potentially create disturbances in the magnetosphere, the protective shield surrounding the Earth.

Astronauts: Astronauts on spacewalks face health risks from possible exposure to solar radiation outside the Earth’s protective atmosphere.

Other: Aircraft flights, power grids, and space exploration programmes are vulnerable.

Source : Space

Year : 2022
Category : General Studies