1. What is Alzheimer’s disease, recently seen in the news?
[A] A progressive brain condition affecting memory and cognitive skills
[B] A disorder primarily affecting the lungs
[C] A contagious viral infection
[D] A type of cancer
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [A progressive brain condition affecting memory and cognitive skills]
Notes:
Alzheimer’s disease is a prevalent brain condition, responsible for 60-80% of dementia cases, affecting memory, thinking, and daily activities. Recent studies suggest rare medical accidents can transmit the disease between humans. Typically impacting those aged 65 and older, with unknown exact causes, it involves genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Symptoms range from forgetting recent events to serious memory loss, and while there’s no cure, certain medications and therapies can temporarily manage the symptoms.
2. Agasthyagama edge, which was seen in the news, belongs to which one of the following species?
[A] Snake
[B] Kangaroo lizard
[C] Wolf spider
[D] Frog
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Kangaroo lizard]
Notes:
Scientists recently discovered a new kangaroo lizard species, Agasthyagama edge, in the Western Ghats. Named after the EDGE program, it’s the second in the Agasthyagama genus. Found in Kulamavu, Idukki, it belongs to the Agamidae family. These terrestrial reptiles, lacking a fifth toe for climbing, prefer leaf-covered areas. Averaging 4.3 cm in length, they are fast runners feeding on small insects, and they hide within dry leaves to avoid predators. The species is significant for its distinctiveness and global endangerment.
3. What is ‘eROSITA’, recently mentioned in the news?
[A] Drone
[B] X-ray telescope
[C] Artificial Intelligence tool
[D] Submarine
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [X-ray telescope]
Notes:
The German eROSITA consortium has released data from the first all-sky survey conducted by the eROSITA X-ray telescope on the Russian-German SRG observatory. eROSITA stands for extended ROentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array and is the main instrument on the Russian spacecraft Spektrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG). Launched in July 2019, it maps the entire celestial sphere every six months, with eight surveys planned until December 2023. The survey aims to provide insights into various astrophysical phenomena, including supermassive black hole evolution and X-ray-emitting solar system bodies.
4. What is the main objective of ‘Ministry of Education-AICTE Investor Network’, recently seen in the news?
[A] Providing infrastructure mainly in rural areas
[B] Digitalize the education sector
[C] Strengthening the support ecosystem for edu-tech innovators
[D] Promoting yoga education to students
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Strengthening the support ecosystem for edu-tech innovators]
Notes:
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the ‘Ministry of Education – AICTE Investor Network,’ a collaborative effort by AICTE and the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell. The initiative aims to boost innovation and entrepreneurship in education by offering financial support, mentoring, and strategic guidance to early-stage student or faculty-led startups. Aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, the network seeks to encourage private investment, empower educational institutions as innovation hubs, and foster a better environment for startup development.
5. What is the theme of ‘World Wetland Day’ 2024?
[A] Wetlands and Human Wellbeing
[B] Wetlands for a Sustainable Urban Future
[C] Wetlands and Climate Change
[D] Wetlands and Water
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Wetlands and Human Wellbeing]
Notes:
The theme for World Wetlands Day 2024 is “Wetlands and Human Wellbeing”. The theme highlights how wetlands and human life are interconnected, and how people gain sustenance, inspiration, and resilience from wetlands. World Wetlands Day is celebrated on February 2nd each year. It’s an international day that promotes the sustainable management and conservation of wetlands.
6. What is Cygnus X-1, recently seen in the news?
[A] Asteroid
[B] Black hole
[C] AI tool
[D] Submarine
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Black hole]
Notes:
Astro Sat, India’s inaugural multi-wavelength astronomy mission, successfully measured the X-ray polarization of the Cygnus X-1 black hole system. Discovered four decades ago, Cygnus X-1 is among the first confirmed black hole systems in our galaxy. The black hole is 20 times the Sun’s mass, with a companion supergiant star (40 times more massive) in a binary system. Located 400 times farther than Earth-Sun distance, the gravitational pull forms an accretion disk, generating soft X-rays.
7. What is the primary focus of the Gamma Ray Astronomy PeV EnergieS phase-3 (GRAPES-3) project, recently seen in news?
[A] To study cosmic rays
[B] To study exoplanet
[C] Investigating dark matter
[D] Measuring Earth’s natural resources
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [To study cosmic rays]
Notes:
The GRAPES-3 experiment, situated in Ooty, India and operated by the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, made a significant discovery in the cosmic-ray proton spectrum, revealing a new feature at 166 TeV. Equipped with air shower detectors and a large muon detector, GRAPES-3 aims to investigate the origin, acceleration, and propagation of cosmic rays, including the existence of the “Knee” in their energy spectrum. It also explores the production of highest-energy cosmic rays, astronomy of multi-TeV γ-rays, and the impact of the Sun on Earth.
8. Which country recently adopted the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing?
[A] Angola
[B] Gabon
[C] Cameroon
[D] Rwanda
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Cameroon ]
Notes:
Cameroon recently adopted the Nagoya Protocol, a global agreement enforcing access and benefit-sharing obligations outlined in the Convention on Biological Diversity. Adopted in 2010 and effective since 2014, the Protocol establishes a legal framework facilitating fair and equitable sharing of benefits from genetic resource utilization. It supports biodiversity-based research, ensuring researchers access resources for biotechnology while indigenous communities receive fair returns, respecting the value of traditional knowledge linked to genetic resources.
9. The term ‘Lupus’, recently seen in the news, is related to which one of the following?
[A] Autoimmune disease
[B] A geological formation
[C] Satellite launched by ISRO
[D] Invasive plant
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Autoimmune disease]
Notes:
Australian researchers recently developed a solution for a lupus defect. Lupus, an autoimmune disease, prompts the immune system to harm organs and tissues, causing inflammation in skin, joints, blood, and vital organs like kidneys and heart. Its origin is unknown, believed to result from a blend of genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors. Lupus predominantly affects women. Variants include Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Discoid lupus, Subacute cutaneous lupus, Drug-induced lupus, and rare Neonatal lupus linked to maternal antibodies in newborns.
10. Recently, which city of Uttar Pradesh received the Centre’s ‘Water Warrior Award’?
[A] Lucknow
[B] Ayodhya
[C] Noida
[D] Saharanpur
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Noida]
Notes:
Noida has been honored as a “water warrior” city by the Union water ministry for outstanding efforts in wastewater treatment and reuse. The city boasts eight sewage treatment plants (STPs) with a total capacity of 411 MLD (million litres daily), treating 260 MLD of sewage. Notably, 70-75 MLD is repurposed for irrigation, construction, firefighting, pond maintenance, and road sprinkling. Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat presented the awards in Delhi.