4. Consider the following statements about Super-Absorbent Polymers (SAP).
1. It is a type of macro molecular synthetic water absorbing polymer material.
2. SAPs are always of synthetic origin.

Answer: A
Soln:
Super-Absorbent Polymers:

● Super Absorbent Polymers (SAP) is a type of macro molecular synthetic water absorbing
polymer material. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
● It is a whitish powder.
● SAP can absorb a large amount of water, at times more than its own weight.
● According to their source of origin, SAPs can be classified as natural (polysaccharide and
polypeptide based) and synthetic polymers (chemical based). Hence, statement 2 is
incorrect.
● The molecular structure of this compound resembles the complicated mesh.
● When it comes in contact with water the oxygen atoms of water are attracted to the mesh
due to the presence of Sodium ions in SAP.
● As the water molecules attach themselves to the sodium ions in the SAP a strong network
is formed. The whole network swells, trapping the water molecules within, to form a
gel.
Applications
● Due to its superabsorbent nature, it is ideally suited for personal hygiene and
incontinence applications as diapers and pads.
● They can be used to improve and prolong soil water holding capacity, decrease drought
stress, and increase time between irrigation events.

5. Consider the following statement about the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT).
1. It is being established in the Hawaii state of the United States of America (USA).
2. India is a Founder-Member Partner in this project.
3. Study of exoplanets is an important objective of this project.

Answer: D
Soln:
Thirty Meter Telescope
● Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) is a 30-meter diameter primary mirror optical and
infrared telescope being established at Mauna Kea, Hawaii, USA. Hence, statement 1 is
correct.
● TMT is a new class of extremely large telescopes that will allow us to see deeper into
space and observe cosmic objects with unprecedented sensitivity.
● At the heart of the telescope is the segmented mirror, made up of 492 individual segments.
Precisely aligned, these segments will work as a single reflective surface of 30m diameter.

● This will provide unparalleled resolution with TMT images more than 12 times sharper than
those from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope (launched in 1990 into a low-Earth orbit).
● Once it is built, the TMT will become the world's largest ground-based telescope
operating at optical and infrared wavelengths, allowing astronomers to study the outer
reaches of the universe and study distant stars and exoplanets in much greater detail than is
currently possible.
o An exoplanet, or extrasolar planet, is a planet outside of our solar system that usually
orbits another star in our galaxy.

Who is building TMT?
● The Thirty Meter Telescope is being designed and developed by the TMT International
Observatory LLC (TIO), an international collaboration of research institutions and
national governments including the USA, Japan, China, India and Canada.
● India is a Founder-Member Partner in this project which aims to open new windows to
the universe through optical and infrared astronomy. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
Benefits of TMT
● It will allow astronomers to explore the mysterious period in the life of the universe
when the first stars and galaxies were formed.
● One of its key uses will be the study of exoplanets, many of which have been detected in
the last few years, and whether their atmospheres contain water vapour or methane — the
signatures of possible life. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
● TMT will also observe the formation and development of the large-scale structures by
looking at faint distant galaxies and the intergalactic medium.
● It has the capability to detect and investigate black holes that reside in the center of many
distant galaxies, as well as study in detail the black hole in the center of our own Milky Way.

1. Consider the following statements about the Financial Stability Report.
1. It is a periodic exercise for reviewing the risks that may affect the macroeconomic
environment, financial institutions, markets and infrastructure of the country.
2. It is published by NITI Aayog.
3. It is an annual exercise.

2. Consider the following statements.
1. Sultan Jalaluddin Khalji bestowed upon him the title of ‘Amir’.
2. He was the first writer to use Urdu as a medium of poetic expression.
3. He is credited with popularizing several poetic forms such as the ghazal and the qawwali.

Answer: A
Soln:
Financial Stability Report:
● The Financial Stability Report is published by Reserve Bank of India taking inputs from
financial sector regulators i.e. RBI, SEBI, PFRDA, IRDAI. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
● It is published biannually. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.
● It is a periodic exercise for reviewing the nature, magnitude and implications of risks
that may have a bearing on the macroeconomic environment, financial institutions, markets
and infrastructure. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
● The International Monetary Fund (IMF) releases the Global Financial Stability Report
which provides an assessment of the global financial system and markets, and addresses
emerging market financing in a global context.

Answer: C
Soln:
Amir Khusrau:
● Amir Khusrau was a 13th century poet who lived in India during the Delhi Sultanate
period.
● He initially served princes and nobles before becoming a permanent fixture in the court of
the Delhi Sultan.
● He is known as Tuti-yi-Hind, the ‘Parrot of India’.
● Sultan Jalaluddin Khalji bestowed upon Khusrau the title of ‘Amir’

● Amir Khusrau is regarded as a father figure of North India’s syncretic Ganga-Jamuni
culture which symbolizes the harmonious coexistence of Hindu and Muslim traditions in
India.
● He made lasting contributions to Indian classical music, Sufi qawwali, and Persian
literature, and is also credited for developing Hindavi, a precursor to modern Hindi and
Urdu.
● Khusrau was the first writer to use Urdu as a medium of poetic expression.
● Khusrau is credited with popularizing several poetic forms such as the ghazal and the
qawwali.
● Amir Khusrau was also the originator in India of the early form of the musical style known
as Qawali.
● He is also credited with crafting dozens of ragas, creating the Khayal form of Hindustani
music, and is believed to have invented the sitar and tabla.
● Amir Khusrau served at least five Sultans — Muiz ud din Qaiqabad, Jalaluddin Khalji,
Alauddin Khalji, Qutbuddin Mubarak Shah, and Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq and many other
powerful patrons over five decades.
● Khusrau was the most beloved disciple of the Chishti Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya.

4. The “iDEX” initiative aims at

5. Consider the following statements.
1. The term ‘Minority’ has been defined in clear terms in the Constitution.
2. Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Zoroastrians (Parsis) and Jains have been notified as
Minority Communities under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.

3. Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) aims to address development gaps in identified
Minority Concentration Areas.