Daily UPSC Prelims Current Affairs – January 13, 2023 [Mock Test]
January 20, 2023 January 20, 2023
1. Which of the following pairs are correct?
- 17th Parallel – North and South Vietnam
- 20th Parallel – Sudan and Egypt
- 22nd Parallel – Sudan and Libya
- 25th Parallel – Mali- Mauritania
- 31st Parallel – Iraq and Iran
Choose the correct answer using the codes given below:
[A] Only 1 & 3
[B] Only 2, 3 & 4
[C] Only 1, 4 & 5
[D] 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Only 1, 4 & 5]
Notes:- The 17th latitude from the equator divided erstwhile North and South Vietnam. It was demarcated based on the 1954 Geneva Accords. The 17th parallel became irrelevant after the unification of Vietnam in 1976.
- 20th parallel is located at the 20th northern latitude which is used as the border between Sudan and Libya.
- The 22nd parallel marks a major portion of the Sudan-Egypt border.
- 25th Parallel is the northernmost section of the Mali-Mauritania border is marked using this line.
- The 31st parallel marks the border between Iraq and Iran. It also demarcates the border between the US states of Louisiana and Mississippi.
2. Terms, ‘phosgene oxime’, ‘sarin’, ‘vx’ pertain to which of the following?
[A] Programming language
[B] Humanoid robot
[C] Chemical weapon
[D] Vaccines
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Chemical weapon]
Notes:- Phosgene oxime is a manufactured chemical warfare agent. Phosgene oxime is a type of agent called an urticant or nettle agent. This is because on contact with the skin, it produces intense itching and a rash similar to hives.
- Sarin (military designation GB) is a nerve agent that is one of the most toxic of the known chemical warfare agents. It is generally odorless and tasteless. Exposure to sarin can cause death in minutes.
- VX is a human-made chemical warfare agent classified as a nerve agent. Nerve agents are the most toxic and rapidly acting of the known chemical warfare agents.
- Sulfur mustard is a type of chemical warfare agent. These kinds of agents cause blistering of the skin and mucous membranes on contact. They are called vesicants or blistering agents. Sulfur mustard is also known as mustard gas.
3. Consider the following statements:
- Methane’s lifetime in the atmosphere is much longer than carbon dioxide.
- It is more efficient in trapping radiation than CO2.
- Natural wetlands are the largest source, emitting CH4from bacteria that decompose organic materials in the absence of oxygen.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 2 & 3
[C] Only 1 & 3
[D] 1, 2 & 3
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Only 2 & 3]
Notes:- Methane’s lifetime in the atmosphere is much shorter than carbon dioxide (CO2), but CH4is more efficient at trapping radiation than CO2. The comparative impact of CH4 is 25 times greater than CO2 over a 100-year period.
- Domestic livestock such as cattle, swine, sheep, and goats produce CH4as part of their normal digestive process.
- Methane is the primary component of natural gas. Methane is emitted to the atmosphere during the production, processing, storage, transmission, and distribution of natural gas and the production, refinement, transportation, and storage of crude oil.
- Methane is also emitted from a number of natural sources. Natural wetlands are the largest source, emitting CH4from bacteria that decompose organic materials in the absence of oxygen. Smaller sources include termites, oceans, sediments, volcanoes, and wildfires.
