1. Consider the following statements regarding asteroids: 1. Asteroids are rocky debris of varying sizes orbiting the Sun. 2. Most of the asteroids are small but some have diameter as large as 1000 km. 3. The orbit of asteroids lies between orbits of Jupiter and Saturn. 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 (a) Asteroids are rocky debris of varying sizes orbiting the Sun. They are generally small but some has the diameter of 1000 km. Asteroids are minor planets whose orbits lie between Jupiter and Mars. These are said to be the fragments of a larger planet disrupted long ago. Their number is estimated to be 30,000 pieces of rocky debris out of which more than half are known. 2. Which one of the following statements is correct with reference to our solar system? (a) The earth is the densest of all the planets in our solar system. (b) The predominant element in the composition of Earth is silicon. (c) The Sun contains 75 percent of the mass of the solar system. (d) The diameter of the sun is 190 times that of the Earth. (a) The Earth is the densest planet in the solar system. The density of Earth is 5.513g/cm3. This is an average of all the material on the planet. 3.Diamond Ring is a phenomenon observed (a) at the start of a total solar eclipse. (b) at the end of a total solar eclipse. (c) only along the peripheral regions of the totality trail. (d) only in the central regions of the totality trail. (c) Diamond Ring is the phenomenon which occurs along the peripheral regions of the totality tail. As the last bits of sunlight pass through the valleys on the moon’s limb, and the faint corona around the sun is just becoming visible, it looks like a ring with glittering diamonds on it. 4. The tail of a comet is directed away from the sun because (a) the comet rotates around the sun, the lighter mass of the comet is pushed away due to the centrifugal force alone. (b) the comet rotates, the lighter mass of the comet is attracted by some star situated in the direction of its tail. (c) The radiation emitted by the sun exerts a radial pressure on the comet throwing its tail away from the Sun. (d) The tail of the comet always exists in the same orientation. (a) The tail of the comet is always away from the Sun because the comet rotates around the Sun, the lighter mass of the comet is pushed away due to the centrifugal force alone. The tail of a comet is made up of gas and tiny particles that are carried away from the sun by the solar wind. Comets are formed mostly from ice and dust, and their tails only form when they are close enough to be melted by heat from the sun. As the nucleus of a comet begins to melt, it forms a cloud of gas and small particles known as the coma. When comets travel close enough into the center of our solar system, pressure from sunlight causes the coma to form a tail that stretches away from the sun. 5. Consider the following two statements, one labeled as the Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R). Examine these two statements carefully and select the correct answer using the codes given below: Assertion (A): The same face of the Moon is always presented to the Earth. Reason (R): The Moon rotates about its own axis in days which is about the same time that it takes to orbit the earth. Codes: (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. (b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A. (c) A is true, but R is false. (d) A is false, but R is true. (a) The same side of the Moon is always faces the Earth because the Moon spins once on its axis in exactly the same amount of time that the Moon revolves around the Earth.

1. According to the National Human Rights Commission Act, 1993, who amongst the following can be its Chairman? (a) Any serving Judge of the Supreme Court (b) Any serving Judge of the High Court (c) Only a retired Chief Justice of India (d) Only a retired Chief Justice of a High Court (c) According to NHRC Act 1993, only a retired CJI can become chairman of NHRC, appointed by President on the recommendation of a committee comprising of PM, Speaker of Lok Sabha, Home Minister, Leader of Opposition of both Houses of Parliament and Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha 2. Which one of the following is the correct sequence in the descending order of precedence in the warrant of precedence? (a) Attorney General of India–Judges of the Supreme Court–Members the of Parliament–Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha (b) Judges of the Supreme Court–Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha–Attorney General of India– Members of the Parliament (c) Attorney General of India–Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha–Judges of the Supreme Court– Members of Parliament (d) Judges of the Supreme Court–Attorney General of India–Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha– Members of Parliament (b) President comes first, Vice-President second, Prime Minister third and Governors of states with in their respective State comes fourth in the Warrant of Precedence. According to Indian order of precedence, Judges of the Supreme Court – Rank 9 Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha – Rank 10 Attorney General of India – Rank 11 Members of Parliament – Rank 21 3. Consider the following statements: 1. There are 25 High Courts in India. 2. Punjab, Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh have a common High Court. 3. National Capital Territory of Delhi has a High Court of its own. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 2 and 3 (b) 1 and 2 (c) 1, 2 and 3 (d) 3 only (a) There were 21 High Courts in India with three new states created in 2000, having their own High Courts (Chattisgarh at Bilaspur, Uttarakhand at Nainital and Jharkhand at Ranchi). Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh have a common HC at Chandigarh. In the year 2013, three new High Courts in the northeast - Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura were created taking the total number of High Courts in the country from 21 to 24. National Capital Territory of Delhi has a High Court of its own which was established in the year 1966. As if 2018. There are 24 High courts in India. 4. Consider the following statements : 1. The Parliament cannot enlarge the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of India as its jurisdiction is limited to that conferred by the Constitution. 2. The officers and servants of the Supreme Court and High Courts are appointed by the concerned Chief Justice and the administrative expenses are charged on the Consolidated fund of India. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (b) Statement (1) is not correct as according to Article 138(1) of the Constitution, Parliament can enlarge the jurisdiction and powers of the SC w.r.t. to any of the matters in the Union List. Whereas SC’s jurisdiction w.r.t. to any other matter can be enlarged by a special agreement between Government of India and government of the concerned State. 5. Assertion (A): In India, every State has a High Court in its territory. Reason (R) : The Constitution of India provides a High Court in each State. Codes: (a) Both ‘A’ and ‘R’ are individually true and ‘R’ is the correct explanation of’ A’. (b) Both’ A’ and ‘R’ are individually true but’ R’ is not the correct explanation of’ A’. (c) ‘A’ is true but ‘R’ is false. (d) ‘A’ is false but ‘R’ is true. (d) Article 214 of the Constitution says–There shall be a High Court for each State. Therefore, Reason (R) is correct. But for twenty-nine states and seven union territories we have only 24 High Courts.

1. Which of the following statements correctly describes NEONs, which was in the news recently? (a) Computationally created virtual humans. (b) Air balloons meant to provide internet services over vast areas. (c) Distributed computer network over multiple decentralised systems. (d) Kinetically powered bodysuit for heavy lifting work. Answer : (a) Explanation : Recently the idea of NEONs was unveiled by India-born scientist Pranav Mistry who heads Star labs. NEONs are the worlds first artificial humans who look and behave like real humans and who could one day develop memories and emotions behind a digital screen. Hence, option (a) is correct. Therefore the correct answer is (a). Additional information on NEONs: There are two core technologies behind virtual humans. • First, there is the CORE R3 technology that drives the reali , real-time and re pon i ene behind NEONs. It is the front-end reality that can give you real expression. • Then we have the SPECTRA which will complement CORE R3 with the spectrum of intelligence, learning, emotions and memory NEONs are the interface between services and technology. In the future, they may answer queries at organisations, read out news, welcome at a restaurant etc. 2. Consider the following statements with reference to the India based Neutrino Observatory (INO) project: (1) It proposes to build the orld s most massive magnet to detect neutrinos. (2) Neutrinos are the smallest part that forms the universe and are the most widely occurring particles in the universe. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Answer: (a) Explanation: India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) is a particle physics research project under construction to primarily study atmospheric neutrinos at Bodi Hills, Tamil Nadu. The project is being jointly funded by the Department of Atomic Energy and the Department of Science & Technology. When completed, the main magnetised Iron Calorimeter (ICAL) experiment will include the world's most massive magnet, four times larger than the 12,500-tonne magnet in the Compact Muon Solenoid detector at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. Hence, statement (1) is correct . Neutrinos are electrically neutral, elementary weakly interacting subatomic particles with 1/2 spin. They belong to the lepton family. They are the second most widely occurring particle in the universe, only second to photons, the particle which makes up light. Hence, statement (2) is not correct . Therefore the correct answer is (a). Additional information: Neutrinos are similar to electrons, with one crucial difference: neutrinos do not carry an electric charge. Because neutrinos are electrically neutral, they are not affected by the electromagnetic forces which act on electrons. Reasons for choosing the location are : • The location is closer to the equator and permits access to neutrinos covering the whole celestial sky and also allows for the study of solar neutrinos passing through the Ear h core. • The mountain consists of 1km of solid rock that filters away most of the charged particles from the cosmic rays thus allowing for unfettered access to Neutrinos and lesser number of disturbances from cosmic muons. 3. Consider the following statements with reference to 5G technology being rolled out for wireless communication in India: (1) It provides faster and reliable communication with very high latency. (2) Users do not have to change their devices to avail these services. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Answer: (d) Explanation: Features of 5G: Recently, the Department of Telecommunications announced the 5G spectrum sale. • Faster Data Speed - With 5G the download speed could be increased up to 10Gbps. • Ultra-low Latency - Latency refers to the time taken for one device to send out a packet to another device. 5G reduces this to 1 millisecond. Hence, statement (1) is not correct . Once 5G becomes commercial, users will be required to change their current devices in favour of 5G enabled ones along with the carriers upgrading their infrastructure also. Hence, statement (2) is not correct. 5G requires a backhaul invested in optical fibre. Backhaul is a network that connects cells sites/cell towers to central exchange. India lacks a reliable backhaul to transition to 5G. As of now, 80% of cell sites are connected through microwaves, while under 20% of sites are connected through fibre. Therefore the correct answer is (d). Additional information: Other features of 5G are: • 5G technology will provide for low battery consumption and offer more security features compared to that of 4G. • 5G networks as planned will operate in a high-frequency band (between 30GHz and 300 GHz) that enables data transfer at a very high speed. 4. Consider the following statements regarding the enzyme - New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) which was in the news recently: (1) It is an enzyme that was first identified in New Delhi from where it spread to other parts of the world. (2) It makes bacteria resistant to a class of antibiotics that are used as a last resort. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Answer: (c) Explanation: Soil samples which were recently taken in Svalbard - a Norwegian archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole - have now confirmed the spread of blaNDM-1 (New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase-1) into the High Arctic. This Antibiotic-Resistant Gene (ARG), initially found in Indian clinical settings, conditionally provides multi-drug resistance (MDR) in microorganisms. NDM-1 was first identified in New Delhi and coded by the resistant gene blaNDM-1. Strains that carry blaNDM-1 were first found only in clinical settings but later on blaNDM-1 came to be found on water surfaces in Delhi. Hence, statement (1) is correct. This gene makes bacteria resistant to a class of antibiotics known as Carbapenems, which doctors generally use as a last resort to treat bacterial infections. Hence, statement (2) is correct. Therefore, the correct answer is (c). Additional information: The resistant gene has been found in over 100 countries, including new variants. The blaNDM-1 and other Antibiotic-Resistant Genes (ARGs) were found in Arctic soils that were likely spread through the faecal matter of birds, other wildlife and human visitors to the area. An Initiative to Provide Free Materials for UPSC without watermark Join https://t.me/UPSC_PDF 5. Consider the following statements regarding the IndiGen Genome Project: (1) It deals with genome sequencing, which is ordering the DNA nucleotides such as Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine and Uracil. (2) It is being implemented by the World Health Organization (WHO) in India with funding support from the World Bank. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Answer: (d) Explanation: Under the Indigen Genome Project the CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) plans to undertake genome sequencing of a sample of nearly 1000 Indian rural youth to determine unique genetic traits, susceptibility, resilience to disease etc. Such a considerable sample size of people is a representative of the co n r population diversity. Hence, statement (2) is not correct. The Genome sequencing means figuring out the order of DNA nucleotides, or bases, in a genome - the order of Adenine, Cytosine, Guanines, and Thymine that make up an organism's DNA. Uracil is a part of the RNA nucleotides. Hence, statement (1) is not correct. Therefore, the correct answer is (d). Additional information : The human genome: 7 Prelim Test Series (2020) GS Test 11 (16.02.2020) Current Affairs (Sep to Dec 2019) • It is made up of 23 chromosome pairs with a total of about 3 billion DNA base pairs. • There are 24 distinct human chromosomes: 22 autosomal chromosomes, plus the sex- determining X and Y chromosomes. Human Genome Project: • The Human Genome Project was an international research effort to determine the sequence of the human genome. The Project was coordinated by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Energy. • It was a publicly funded project initiated in 1990 to determine the DNA sequence. It was a huge success and helped usher in a new era of medicine