UPSC Daily Prelims General Studies Quiz – 9

1. A LED lamp produces 300 lumens of light per watt, which makes it about 20 times as efficient as an incandescent lamp and four times as efficient as the fluorescent tube. What is the reason for this?
[A] Electricity is directly converted to light particles in LED
[B] The resistance of the filaments used in LED is very small
[C] Presence of mercury in LED lamp makes it efficient
[D] Materials used for LED production have very high refractive indices
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[A] Electricity is directly converted to light particles in LED
A light-emitting diode consists of a number of layered semiconductor materials. In the LED, electricity is directly converted into light particles, photons, leading to efficiency gains compared to other light sources where most of the electricity is converted to heat and only a small amount into light. In incandescent bulbs, as well as in halogen lamps, electric current is used to heat a wire filament, making it glow. In fluorescent lamps (previously referred to as low-energy lamps, but with the advent of LED lamps that label has lost its meaning) a gas discharge is produced creating both heat and light.

2. A linguistic minority for the purpose of Article 30(1) is one which __:
1. has a separate spoken language
2. has a distinct script
3. has distinct literature
Select the correct option from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 1 & 2
[C] Only 2 & 3
[D] 1, 2 & 3
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[A] Only 1
The term ‘Linguistic Minority’ has not been defined in the Constitution. A group or groups of people whose mother languages are different from the principal language(s) of the State/U. T. broadly constitute the linguistic minority. The Supreme Court in DAV College Vs. State of Punjab (1971) said, “A linguistic minority for the purpose of Article 30(1) is one which must at least have a separate spoken language. It is not necessary that the language should also have distinct script for those who speak it so as to be a linguistic minority. ”

3. A member of parliament can not be arrested in Civil cases if _:
1. Parliament is in session
2. Parliament will commence session within 40 days
3. Parliament had commenced a session within 40 days
Choose the correct option:
[A] Only 1
[B] 1 & 2
[C] 2 & 3
[D] 1, 2 & 3
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[D] 1, 2 & 3
Some of the more important privileges of each House of Parliament and of its members and Committees are freedom of speech in Parliament, immunity to a member from any proceedings in any court in respect of anything said or any vote given by him in Parliament or any Committee thereof, immunity to a person from proceedings in any court in respect of the publication by or under the authority of either House of Parliament of any report, paper, votes or proceedings, prohibition on the courts to inquire into proceedings of Parliament and freedom from arrest of members in civil cases during the continuance of the session of the House and forty days before its commencement and forty days after its conclusion. The privilege of freedom from arrest does not, however, extend to preventive arrest or detention under statutory authority by executive order and in criminal cases. Intimation regarding arrest, detention, imprisonment and release etc. of members under such cases has to be immediately communicated to the Speaker, Lok Sabha by the concerned authorities in the prescribed form.

4. A member of Parliament will disqualify to remain so if __:
1. his party merges with another party
2. voluntarily gives up membership of political party which gave him ticket to win election
3. abstains from voting in contrary to the direction of party
Choose the correct option from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1 & 2
[B] Only 2 & 3
[C] Only 3
[D] None of them
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[B] Only 2 & 3
Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India provides that a member of Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha or Legislative Assembly of Legislative Council is disqualified for being a member of the House if 1. He voluntarily gives up the membership of the political party that gave him the ticket (‘original political party’) to contest the election; OR
2. if he votes or abstains from voting in the House contrary to any direction issued by the original political party without obtaining the prior permission of the original political party and such voting has not been condoned by the original political party with in fifteen days from the date of voting or abstention. Thus, a member of Legislature is bound to follow the instructions of his original political party in all matters that are put to vote in the House and will be disqualified if he does not follow these instructions. However, he will be saved from disqualification if his original political party condones his action in violation of the direction within fifteen days of voting.

5. A motorboat directed upstream is seen to be at rest from the bank of a river. Which among the following is / are correct statement in this context?
1. In terms of Physics, the engine of the boat is doing work
2. In terms of Physics, the engine of the boat is not doing any work
3. If the engine stops, no work will be done
4. If engine stops, boat will gain kinetic energy
Select the correct option from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1 & 3
[B] Only 1, 3 & 4
[C] Only 2, 3 & 4
[D] Only 2 & 4
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[D] Only 2 & 4
Work is said to be done, when a force or its component causes displacement in the direction of force. The conditions for doing work include:

  1. There must be a force or component of force acting on a body.
  2. The force or its component must produce displacement in its own direction.

The mathematical expression for work when displacement is produced in its own direction is W = F × S, where, W is the work done, F is the force applied and ‘S’ is the displacement in the direction of force. When the force acts at an angle to the direction of displacement of body, this expression becomes W = F cos ? × S, where W is the work done, F cos ? is the component of force acting in the direction of displacement and ‘S’ is the displacement of the body. Since the boat is stationary, work , which is a product of a force and the distance an object moves as a result of the force; is not being done by Engine. The third statement is not correct. If the engine stops, water will do work by taking the boat along with it. The fourth statement is correct because the boat will move along with water which has kinetic energy.

6. A Pendulum Clock, whose pendulum is made up of a steel rod, will become slow if __:
1. Temperature rises
2. Taken to moon
3. Taken from equator to pole
Choose the correct option from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 1 & 2
[C] Only 2 & 3
[D] 1, 2 & 3
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[B] Only 1 & 2

7. A perpetual bond:
1. has no fixed interest rates
2. has no fixed maturity
3. has no fixed underlying assets Which among the above is / are correct?
[A] Only 1 & 2
[B] Only 2
[C] Only 2 & 3
[D] 1, 2 & 3
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[B] Only 2
Perpetual Bonds do not have any maturity date and are hence perpetual. Since they are never redeemed, such debt instruments give the issuers the comfort that equity capital offers in their capital base. Hence treated as equity by issuers, particularly the banks. Even regulators allow them to treat such bonds as a part of a bank’s tier-I capital, which traditionally comprise equity instruments. (While tier-II capital of a bank comprises debt instruments). But on the flip side, unlike equity, they have to be serviced perpetually by way of paying interest to the subscribers of such bond.

8. A person can approach to the court with a petition for a writ of mandamus nature in which among the following circumstances?
1. Restraining a police officer from abusing his powers
2. Enforcing a voluntary resolution passed by MLAs of Legislative Assembly
3. Set municipality in action for local sanitation matters
Choose the correct option from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1 & 2
[B] Only 2 & 3
[C] Only 1 & 3
[D] 1, 2 & 3
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[C] Only 1 & 3

9. A person is counted as literate for the purpose of Census in India if he / she is__:
[A] Above 5 years of age and can read in any language
[B] Above 7 years of age and can read as well as write in any language
[C] Above 7 years of age and can read in any language
[D] Above 6 years of age and can write in mother tongue
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[B] Above 7 years of age and can read as well as write in any language
For the purpose of census 2011, a person aged seven and above, who can both read and write with understanding in any language, is treated as literate. A person, who can only read but cannot write, is not literate. In the censuses prior to 1991, children below five years of age were necessarily treated as illiterates.

10. A person runs up two flights of stairs instead of walking up. The person feels more tired because ___?
[A] He does more work when he runs in comparison to when he walks
[B] His power output is greater when he runs in comparison to when he walks
[C] His gravitational force is greater when he runs in comparison to when he walks
[D] He has more inertia when he runs in comparison to when he walks
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[B] His power output is greater when he runs in comparison to when he walks


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