1. With reference to biosimilar medicines, consider the following statements:
(1) It is an almost identical copy of the original medicine with nearly the same safety,
purity and potency.
(2) Biosimilar medicines are the same as generic medicines both in terms of
components and quality.
(3) It contains active substances from biological sources such as living cells or
organisms.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 2 and 3 only
Answer: (c)
Explanation: WHO recently prequalified the first biosimilar medicine trastuzumab. Biosimilarity means that the biological product is highly similar to the reference medicine, notwithstanding minor differences in clinically inactive components and has almost the same therapeutic effects. So, statement (1) is correct. It is an officially approved version of the original innovator product that can be manufactured after the original product patent expires. Biological medicines contain active substances from a biological source, such as living cells or organisms (human, animals and microorganisms such as bacteria or yeast). So, statement (3) is correct. Biosimilars are very different from generic medicines though they have similar roles. Please refer the additional information. Hence, statement (2) is not correct. Therefore the correct answer is (c).
Additional information While both biosimilars and generics are available when drug companies' exclusive patents on expensive new drugs expire and both are designed to have the same clinical effect as their pricier counterparts there are significant differences between generics and biosimilars;
• While generic drugs are identical to the original drug in chemical composition, biosimilar drugs are highl imilar, but close enough in duplication to accomplish the same therapeutic and clinical result.
• Another difference is that generics are copies of synthetic drugs, while biosimilars are modelled after drugs that use living organisms as essential ingredients. Taking a cue from the World Health Organi a ion re i ed li of e en ial medicines, popular biosimilars for cancer cure like bevacizumab or trastuzumab are going o ge incorpora ed in India revised National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM). It will bring a whole
new set of oncology medicines and treatments under price control
2. Consider the following statements with reference to the fuel cell electric vehicles:
(1) It creates electricity through an electrochemical process of combining hydrogen and
oxygen where water is the only byproduct.
(2) It is always combined with a conventional internal combustion engine running on
petrol/diesel.
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: Recently, the Supreme Court gave directions to the Government to explore the option of hydrogen-based technology to deal with pollution in the NCR region. The fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) is a device that uses a source of fuel, such as hydrogen, and an oxidant to create electricity by an electrochemical process, the fuel cell combines hydrogen and oxygen to generate electric current, water being the only byproduct. So, statement (1) is correct. While the fuel cells generate electricity through an electrochemical process, but unlike a battery-electricity vehicle, it does not store energy and, instead, relies on a constant supply of fuel and oxygen. It works in the same way that an internal combustion engine relies on a constant supply of petrol or diesel, and oxygen. So, In that sense, it may be seen as being similar to a conventional internal combustion engine. However, it is not necessarily combined with an internal combustion engine. It uses a fuel cell, instead of a battery, or in combination with a battery or supercapacitor, to power its on-board electric motor. So, statement (2) is not correct. Therefore the correct answer is (a).
Additional information: The other electric vehicles are battery electric vehicle which have no internal combustion and run entirely on rechargeable batteries, Conventional hybrid electric vehicles that combine a conventional internal combustion engine system with an electric propulsion system, Plug-in hybrid vehicles that use both an internal combustion engine and electric power for motive power from batteries that can be plugged into a power source.
3. Which of the following statements is not correct regarding LASER technology?
(a) It generates an intense beam of monochromatic light. -
(b) It is based on the spontaneous emission of radiation.
(c) It is coherent in nature, resulting in focused beams.
(d) LIDAR technology works through laser pulses.
Answer: (b) Explanation: LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) is a device which produces an intense, monochromatic, coherent, directional beam of light by causing electron transitions to lower energy levels releasing energy in the form of photons. Monochromatic means it contains one specific wavelength of light, meaning one specific colour also. The wavelength is determined by the amount of energy released when the electron drops to a lower orbit. Coherent means that the emitted light waves are in phase with one another, for long-distance and travel parallel to each other without spreading. In contrast, light from conventional light sources such as incandescent bulb diffuses in all directions. Thus coherence leads to high precision. So, statement (a) is correct, and statement (c) is correct.
The laser works through stimulated emission of radiation and not spontaneous emission. So, statement (b) is not correct. One important application of laser light is in LIDAR (Light, Detection and Ranging or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) which is a technology that determines the distance of an object/surface using laser pulses. It is similar to radar technology, but it uses light as against radio-waves used in radar. The range of an object is determined by measuring the time delay, between transmission of a pulse and detection of the reflected signal. So, statement (d) is correct. Therefore the correct answer is (b).
Additional Information: India recently announced a survey and map all the springs in the Himalayan region of the country to form a national registry. This is part of the go ernmen plan to revive natural sources of water in the hilly region. Drones would be deployed to assess the number of springs and their existing capacity. The plan is to use the LiDAR technology with drones to assess the exact number of springs and their existing capacity based on which a concrete policy roadmap will be laid out.
4. Which of the following statements is/are correct with reference to quark, a fundamental
particle?
(1) Quarks are held together by weak forces within the nucleus of an atom.
(2) Three quarks club together to form a proton.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (b) Explanation: A quark is a tiny fundamental particle which makes up protons and neutrons. Quarks are held together by strong nuclear force within the nucleus. When quarks are held together, the particle formed is called a hadron. Thus the two most common hadrons are protons and neutrons. Among hadrons, two further families exist baryons (made of three quarks) and mesons (made of quarks and antiquarks). Hence, statement (1) is not correct. There are six types of quarks. The types are up, down, strange, charm, top, and bottom. While up, charm and top quarks have a charge of +2/3 while down, strange and bottom quarks have a charge of -1/3. Each quark has a matching antiquark. Antiquarks have a charge opposite to that of their quarks meaning that up, charm and top antiquarks have a charge of -2/3 and that down, strange and bottom antiquarks have a charge of +1/3. The proton is made of two up quarks and one down quark which gives it a charge of +1. Hence, statement (2) is correct. Therefore the correct answer is (b)
Additional information:
• The standard model of particle physics says all material around is made up of two main categories of elementary particles: fermions and bosons
• Fermions are the matter carrying particles and are of two types quarks and leptons. While Quarks are essential building blocks of protons and neutrons, some types of leptons are electrons, muon, tau etc.
• Bosons are the force-carrying particles. Thus they are made up of tiny bundles of energy. Photon and Gluons are types of Bosons. Murray Gell-Mann was an American physicist who recently passed away. He had received the 1969 Nobel Prize in Physics for the work on the theory of elementary particles. He is called the father of quark for his seminal contribution to its theory and experimentation.
5. Consider the following statements with reference to the project Netra that has been
recently launched by ISRO:
(1) It is an early warning system in space to detect long-range enemy missiles targeting
the Indian mainland.
(2) It will give India an indigenous capacity in space situational awareness.
Which of the statements given above is/are not correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (a) Explanation: ISRO had recently started Projec NETRA - an early warning system in space to detect debris and other hazards to Indian satellites operating in LEO (low earth orbit) and eventually the GEO (geostationary orbit). Hence, statement (1) is not correct. Currently, India depends on NORAD, or the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which is an initiative of the U.S. and Canada that shares selective debris data with many countries. Thus Netra is a drive towards indigenisation in space situational awareness. Hence, statement (2) is correct. Therefore the answer is (a).
Additional information:
• Under NETRA the ISRO plans to put up many observational facilities: connected radars, telescopes, data processing units and a control centre. These would spot, track and catalogue objects as small as 10 cm, up to a range of 3,400 km
• Also, there are plans for a high- precision, long-range telescope in Leh and a radar in the North East. Along with these the Multi-Object Tracking Radar (MOTR) that has been put up at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, telescopes at Ponmudi and Mount Abu will be used to get a broad SSA picture.