2. Consider the following statements about the James Webb Space telescope.
1. It is the largest and most powerful telescope ever built on Earth.
2. It was built in cooperation between NASA, European and Canadian Space agencies.
3. It is positioned at the Earth-Sun L2 Lagrange point.
1. It is the largest and most powerful telescope ever built on Earth.
2. It was built in cooperation between NASA, European and Canadian Space agencies.
3. It is positioned at the Earth-Sun L2 Lagrange point.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Anonymous Quiz
13%
A. Only one
44%
B. Only two
41%
C. All the three
1%
D. None of the above
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Anonymous Quiz
32%
A. 1 only
9%
B. 2 only
43%
C. Both 1 and 2
17%
D. Neither 1 nor 2
3. Consider the following statements with respect to State Emergency
1. A state emergency can be declared by the President in case of an administrative breakdown
in a state.
2. The proclamation of President's Rule, must be approved and ratified by both the Houses of
Parliament within 2 months from the date of its issue by a special majority.
1. A state emergency can be declared by the President in case of an administrative breakdown
in a state.
2. The proclamation of President's Rule, must be approved and ratified by both the Houses of
Parliament within 2 months from the date of its issue by a special majority.
Answer: C
Soln:
James Webb Space Telescope
About JWST:
● In 2021, NASA launched its James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the largest, most
powerful space telescope ever built. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
● The telescope, optimised for infrared wavelengths, is an international collaboration
led by NASA in partnership with the European and Canadian space agencies. Hence,
statement 3 is correct.
● The science goals for the Webb can be grouped into four themes.
○ The first is to look back around 13.5 billion years to see the first stars and
galaxies forming out of the darkness of the early universe.
○ Second, to compare the faintest, earliest galaxies to today’s grand spirals and
understand how galaxies assemble over billions of years.
○ Third, to see where stars and planetary systems are being born.
○ And fourth, to observe the atmospheres of extrasolar planets (beyond our solar
system), and perhaps find the building blocks of life elsewhere in the universe.
Orbit
● Hubble orbits the Earth at an altitude of ~570 km. Webb does not orbit the Earth, instead
it sits at the Earth-Sun L2 Lagrange point, 1.5 million km away. Hence, statement 3 is
correct.
● This means that Webb orbits the Sun along with the Earth, but will stay fixed at the
same spot in relation to the Earth and the Sun.
○ At the L2 point, Webb’s solar shield will block the light from the Sun, Earth, and
Moon, which will help it stay cool — important for an infrared telescope.
Significance
● JWST is 100x more powerful than its predecessor the Hubble telescope, NASA’s
flagship telescope that has been in service for more than three decades now.
● It has longer wavelength coverage and greatly improved sensitivity. The longer
wavelengths enable Webb to look further back in time to find the first galaxies that formed
in the early Universe.
● Hubble was designed to look mainly into the ultraviolet and visible regions of the
electromagnetic spectrum. JWST is primarily an infrared telescope, allowing it to peer
through much deeper into the universe, and see through obstructions such as gas clouds.
● Webb’s mirror is much larger than Hubble’s; it can, therefore, look farther back into
time than Hubble. Webb’s primary mirror is approximately 6.5 metres in diameter
compared to Hubble’s mirror has a diameter of 2.4 metres, which means Webb’s collecting
area is around 6.25 times that of Hubble’s.
Soln:
James Webb Space Telescope
About JWST:
● In 2021, NASA launched its James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the largest, most
powerful space telescope ever built. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
● The telescope, optimised for infrared wavelengths, is an international collaboration
led by NASA in partnership with the European and Canadian space agencies. Hence,
statement 3 is correct.
● The science goals for the Webb can be grouped into four themes.
○ The first is to look back around 13.5 billion years to see the first stars and
galaxies forming out of the darkness of the early universe.
○ Second, to compare the faintest, earliest galaxies to today’s grand spirals and
understand how galaxies assemble over billions of years.
○ Third, to see where stars and planetary systems are being born.
○ And fourth, to observe the atmospheres of extrasolar planets (beyond our solar
system), and perhaps find the building blocks of life elsewhere in the universe.
Orbit
● Hubble orbits the Earth at an altitude of ~570 km. Webb does not orbit the Earth, instead
it sits at the Earth-Sun L2 Lagrange point, 1.5 million km away. Hence, statement 3 is
correct.
● This means that Webb orbits the Sun along with the Earth, but will stay fixed at the
same spot in relation to the Earth and the Sun.
○ At the L2 point, Webb’s solar shield will block the light from the Sun, Earth, and
Moon, which will help it stay cool — important for an infrared telescope.
Significance
● JWST is 100x more powerful than its predecessor the Hubble telescope, NASA’s
flagship telescope that has been in service for more than three decades now.
● It has longer wavelength coverage and greatly improved sensitivity. The longer
wavelengths enable Webb to look further back in time to find the first galaxies that formed
in the early Universe.
● Hubble was designed to look mainly into the ultraviolet and visible regions of the
electromagnetic spectrum. JWST is primarily an infrared telescope, allowing it to peer
through much deeper into the universe, and see through obstructions such as gas clouds.
● Webb’s mirror is much larger than Hubble’s; it can, therefore, look farther back into
time than Hubble. Webb’s primary mirror is approximately 6.5 metres in diameter
compared to Hubble’s mirror has a diameter of 2.4 metres, which means Webb’s collecting
area is around 6.25 times that of Hubble’s.
Answer: D
Soln:
● The President can declare a State emergency, when the government of a state cannot be
carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. This is also known as
breakdown of Constitutional machinery. Administrative breakdown cannot be the reason
for declaration of State emergency. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
● The proclamation of Presidents Rule, must be approved and ratified by both the Houses of
Parliament within 2 months from the date of its issue by a simple majority. Hence,
statement 2 is incorrect.
● The President's Rule cannot extend beyond a period of 3 years in total.
Soln:
● The President can declare a State emergency, when the government of a state cannot be
carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. This is also known as
breakdown of Constitutional machinery. Administrative breakdown cannot be the reason
for declaration of State emergency. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
● The proclamation of Presidents Rule, must be approved and ratified by both the Houses of
Parliament within 2 months from the date of its issue by a simple majority. Hence,
statement 2 is incorrect.
● The President's Rule cannot extend beyond a period of 3 years in total.
4. The ‘Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS)’ is related to
choose the correct answer
Anonymous Quiz
68%
A) Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
19%
B) Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
4%
C) Heart of Asia
9%
D) NATO
Answer: A
Explanation
● The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was built on the ‘Shanghai Five’ grouping of
Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, which had come together in the
post-Soviet era in 1996, in order to work on regional security, reduction of border troops,
and terrorism. In 2001, the Shanghai Five inducted Uzbekistan into the group and named it
the SCO.
● India and Pakistan joined the SCO as observers in 2005, and were admitted as full
members in 2017.
● Iran has joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as its ninth member.
● Iran has been an observer in the SCO since 2005, and almost after 15 years, its bid for full
and permanent membership in the organization was approved at the 2021 Summit in
Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
● Afghanistan, Belarus and Mongolia enjoy Observer status in the SCO, while six other
countries — Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey and Sri Lanka — have
Dialogue Partner status.
● The organization has two permanent bodies — the SCO Secretariat based in Beijing and
the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure in Tashkent.
● The Heads of State Council is the supreme decision-making body in the SCO. It meets once
a year and adopts decisions and guidelines on all important matters of the organization.
What are the main goals of the SCO?
● The SCO describes its main goals as:
○ strengthening mutual trust and neighborliness among the member states;
○ promoting their effective cooperation in politics, trade, economy, research and
technology and culture as well as in education, energy, transport, tourism,
environmental protection, and other areas;
○ making joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the
region; and
○ moving towards the establishment of a democratic, fair and rational new
international political and economic order.
Explanation
● The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was built on the ‘Shanghai Five’ grouping of
Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, which had come together in the
post-Soviet era in 1996, in order to work on regional security, reduction of border troops,
and terrorism. In 2001, the Shanghai Five inducted Uzbekistan into the group and named it
the SCO.
● India and Pakistan joined the SCO as observers in 2005, and were admitted as full
members in 2017.
● Iran has joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as its ninth member.
● Iran has been an observer in the SCO since 2005, and almost after 15 years, its bid for full
and permanent membership in the organization was approved at the 2021 Summit in
Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
● Afghanistan, Belarus and Mongolia enjoy Observer status in the SCO, while six other
countries — Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey and Sri Lanka — have
Dialogue Partner status.
● The organization has two permanent bodies — the SCO Secretariat based in Beijing and
the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure in Tashkent.
● The Heads of State Council is the supreme decision-making body in the SCO. It meets once
a year and adopts decisions and guidelines on all important matters of the organization.
What are the main goals of the SCO?
● The SCO describes its main goals as:
○ strengthening mutual trust and neighborliness among the member states;
○ promoting their effective cooperation in politics, trade, economy, research and
technology and culture as well as in education, energy, transport, tourism,
environmental protection, and other areas;
○ making joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the
region; and
○ moving towards the establishment of a democratic, fair and rational new
international political and economic order.
5. Rafah is a city that straddles the border between which two regions?
choose the best answer
Anonymous Quiz
64%
A) Gaza Strip and Egypt
18%
B) West Bank and Jordan
9%
C) Lebanon and Syria
9%
D) Israel and Lebanon
Answer: A
Explanation
● Rafah is a city that is uniquely positioned along the border between the Gaza Strip and
Egypt. This strategic location makes it a significant point of transit for people and goods
moving between these two regions.
● The Rafah border crossing is the only entry and exit point for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip
that is not controlled by Israel, making it crucial for travel and trade.
Explanation
● Rafah is a city that is uniquely positioned along the border between the Gaza Strip and
Egypt. This strategic location makes it a significant point of transit for people and goods
moving between these two regions.
● The Rafah border crossing is the only entry and exit point for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip
that is not controlled by Israel, making it crucial for travel and trade.
1. With reference to the SATAT initiative, consider the following statements.
1. It aims at boosting production and availability of Compressed BioGas (CBG) as an alternative and affordable clean fuel for the transportation sector.
2. It was launched by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
1. It aims at boosting production and availability of Compressed BioGas (CBG) as an alternative and affordable clean fuel for the transportation sector.
2. It was launched by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Anonymous Quiz
33%
A. 1 only
13%
B. 2 only
52%
C. Both 1 and 2
3%
D. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: A
Explanation
● Statement 2 is incorrect: SATAT (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable
Transportation) initiative was launched by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in
2018 for boosting production and availability of Compressed BioGas (CBG) as an
alternative and affordable clean fuel for the transportation sector. Hence, statement 1 is
correct.
About CBG
● Bio-gas is produced naturally through a process of anaerobic decomposition from waste /
bio-mass sources like agriculture residue, cattle dung, sugarcane press mud, municipal solid
waste, sewage treatment plant waste, etc. After purification, it is compressed and called
CBG, which has pure methane content of over 95%.
● Compressed Bio-Gas can be produced from various bio-mass/waste sources, including
agricultural residue, municipal solid waste, sugarcane press mud, distillery spent wash,
cattle dung and sewage treatment plant waste.
● The other waste streams, i.e, rotten potatoes from cold storages, rotten vegetables, dairy plants, chicken/poultry litter, food waste, horticulture waste, forestry residues and treated organic waste from industrial effluent treatment plants (ETPs) can be used to generate
biogas.
Significance
● The initiative has the potential to boost availability of more affordable transport fuels,
better use of agricultural residue, cattle dung and municipal solid waste, as well as to
provide an additional revenue source to farmers.
● This initiative holds great promise for efficient municipal solid waste management and in
tackling the problem of polluted urban air due to farm stubble-burning and carbon emissions.
● Use of CBG will also help bring down dependency on crude oil imports and in realizing the Prime Minister’s vision of enhancing farmers’ income, rural employment and entrepreneurship.
● The scheme envisages setting up of 5000 CBG plants by FY 2023-24.
Explanation
● Statement 2 is incorrect: SATAT (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable
Transportation) initiative was launched by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in
2018 for boosting production and availability of Compressed BioGas (CBG) as an
alternative and affordable clean fuel for the transportation sector. Hence, statement 1 is
correct.
About CBG
● Bio-gas is produced naturally through a process of anaerobic decomposition from waste /
bio-mass sources like agriculture residue, cattle dung, sugarcane press mud, municipal solid
waste, sewage treatment plant waste, etc. After purification, it is compressed and called
CBG, which has pure methane content of over 95%.
● Compressed Bio-Gas can be produced from various bio-mass/waste sources, including
agricultural residue, municipal solid waste, sugarcane press mud, distillery spent wash,
cattle dung and sewage treatment plant waste.
● The other waste streams, i.e, rotten potatoes from cold storages, rotten vegetables, dairy plants, chicken/poultry litter, food waste, horticulture waste, forestry residues and treated organic waste from industrial effluent treatment plants (ETPs) can be used to generate
biogas.
Significance
● The initiative has the potential to boost availability of more affordable transport fuels,
better use of agricultural residue, cattle dung and municipal solid waste, as well as to
provide an additional revenue source to farmers.
● This initiative holds great promise for efficient municipal solid waste management and in
tackling the problem of polluted urban air due to farm stubble-burning and carbon emissions.
● Use of CBG will also help bring down dependency on crude oil imports and in realizing the Prime Minister’s vision of enhancing farmers’ income, rural employment and entrepreneurship.
● The scheme envisages setting up of 5000 CBG plants by FY 2023-24.
2. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is
3. Net metering; is sometimes seen in the news in the context of promoting the
Answer: B
Explanation
● Established in 1951, International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the leading inter-
governmental organization in the field of migration.
● IOM works to ensure the orderly and humane management of migration, to promote
international cooperation on migration issues, to assist in the search for practical solutions
to the challenges of migration and to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants in need,
including refugees and internally displaced people.
● In 2016, IOM entered into an agreement with the United Nations, becoming a related
organization. (not part of the UN system). Hence option B is correct.
● IOM serves as coordinator of the United Nations network on migration, established by
the Secretary-General in 2018.
● According to IOM’s latest strategic plan, the organization’s three main objectives for 2024-
2028 are: to save lives and protect people on the move, drive solutions to displacement and facilitate pathways for regular migration.
Explanation
● Established in 1951, International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the leading inter-
governmental organization in the field of migration.
● IOM works to ensure the orderly and humane management of migration, to promote
international cooperation on migration issues, to assist in the search for practical solutions
to the challenges of migration and to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants in need,
including refugees and internally displaced people.
● In 2016, IOM entered into an agreement with the United Nations, becoming a related
organization. (not part of the UN system). Hence option B is correct.
● IOM serves as coordinator of the United Nations network on migration, established by
the Secretary-General in 2018.
● According to IOM’s latest strategic plan, the organization’s three main objectives for 2024-
2028 are: to save lives and protect people on the move, drive solutions to displacement and facilitate pathways for regular migration.
4. The term mercenary is most closely associated with which of the following
characteristics?
characteristics?