UPSC Weekly Quiz is a current affairs-based quiz on relevant topics from the past week, curated for the aspirants of competitive examinations. Attempt the weekly quiz every Saturday and find answers to the MCQs with explanations at the end of the article.
With reference to the hydrographic survey pact, consider the following statements:
1. These are carried out by ships which use SONAR to understand a water body’s various features.
2. It ensures the efficiency and safety of maritime transportation.
Advertisement
3. These surveys determine the shape of the seafloor and coastline.
4. India signed the first hydrographic survey pact with Bangladesh in 2019.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
QUESTION 2
Consider the following:
1. Food insecurity
2. Wildfires
3. Flooding
4. Thawing of Permafrost
How many of the above are consequences of the soaring temperatures in the Arctic?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
QUESTION 3
With reference to the Kidney transplants in India, consider the following statements:
Advertisement
1. The Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994 allows living donations.
2. Altruistic donations from distant relatives are not allowed.
3. Transplantation cannot be done from a pool of organs of deceased person.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
QUESTION 4
With reference to the Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge, consider the following statements:
Advertisement
1. The member countries have to “double the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements from around 2% to over 4% every year until 2030”.
2. The pledge is legally binding.
3. The pledge was spearheaded by the EU, the US and the UAE.
4. India have supported this pledge and calls for phasing down of coal.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
QUESTION 5
With reference to the India and Italy ties, consider the following statements:
1. Indian troops, serving with the British Indian Army, were deployed in Italy during World War II, fighting against the Germans and Mussolini’s forces.
Advertisement
2. Both the countries have elevated their bilateral relationship to the level of Strategic Partnership.
3. Italy is India’s 4th largest trading partner in the EU.
Advertisement
4. Both the countries are part of the India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
QUESTION 6
With reference to the Nicobar Pigeon, consider the following statements:
1. It is found only in the Islands of Nicobar.
Advertisement
2. The Nicobar pigeon’s primordial germ cells (PGCs) will now be edited to express the physical traits of a dodo.
3. It can easily be distinguished by its glistening mane-like neck hackles.
4. Males are smaller in size than females with shorter neck hackles and brown under parts.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
QUESTION 7
Which of the following organisation has reached a provisional deal on the world’s first set of comprehensive laws to regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI)?
(a) World Trade Organisation
(b) United Nations
(c) NITI Aayog
(d) European Union
QUESTION 8
Consider the following pairs with reference to the special status provision:
(Article) (State)
1. 371-B Arunachal Pradesh
2. 371-C Mizoram
3. 371-F Sikkim
4. 371-G Manipur
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
QUESTION 9
With reference to the Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator, consider the following statements:
1. It is a high-speed UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) developed by DRDO.
2. It comes with a tail configuration.
3. India has joined an elite group of countries to have mastered the controls for the flying wing technology.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
QUESTION 10
Consider the following pairs:
(Place) (Location)
1. Aden Oman
2. Jabalia Israel
3. Kherson Hungary
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
ANSWERS TO THE MCQs
1. (c)
FYI:
— The Maldives government has decided to not renew an agreement with India that allowed India to conduct hydrographic surveys in Maldivian waters.
— The agreement, signed on June 8, 2019 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Maldives at the invitation of then President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, allowed India to conduct a hydrographic survey of the Maldivian territorial waters. Hence, statement 4 is not correct.
— Hydrographic surveys are carried out by ships, which use methods such as sonar to understand the various features of a water body. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— It ensures the efficiency and safety of maritime transportation. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
— These surveys, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), help “map out water depth, the shape of the seafloor and coastline, the location of possible obstructions, and physical features of water bodies. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
2. (d)
FYI:
— The 2023 summer was the warmest on record in the Arctic, which, due to climate change, has warmed nearly four times faster than the globe since 1979.
— According to the study, rising temperatures in the northern polar region contributed to unprecedented wildfires that forced communities to evacuate, a decline in sea ice extent, devastating floods, food insecurity, and sea level rise.
— The most severe consequences of the soaring temperatures in the Arctic are:
1. Thawing of Subsea Permafrost
— Subsea permafrost is frozen soil beneath the seafloor that contains organic matter. While it has been gradually thawing for thousands of years, (now) warmer ocean temperatures are hastening the process, causing scientists to be concerned.
2. Food Insecurity
— Due to the impact of climate change on freshwater bodies and marine ecosystems, Western Alaska recorded another year of extremely low Chinook and chum salmon numbers — 81% and 92% lower than the 30-year mean, respectively. According to the report, adult salmon have also shrunk in size.
3. Raging Wildfires
— Canada — 40% of its land mass is considered Arctic and Northern — was among the worst affected regions when it comes to wildfires.
4. Severe Flooding
— Rising temperatures have resulted in dramatic thinning of Alaska’s Mendenhall Glacier over the last 20 years, according to the NOAA report.
5. Greenland Ice Sheet Melting
— The NOAA report noted that the highest point on Greenland’s ice sheet experienced melting for only the fifth time in the 34-year record.
Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.
3. (a)
FYI:
— A transplant can be either from a pool of organs of deceased persons donated by their relatives, or from a living person the recipient knows. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
— The Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994 allows living donations, in most cases, from close relatives such as parents, siblings, children, spouse, grandparents, grandchildren. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— Altruistic donations from distant relatives, in-laws, or long-time friends are permitted after additional scrutiny to ensure that no financial exchange takes place. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
— Documents establishing their identities, family tree, documents and pictures proving the donor-recipient relationship, and documents demonstrating the donor’s financial standing must be submitted for living donations from close relatives involving Indians or foreigners. To establish the relationship, donors and recipients are interviewed.
— Every year, an estimated 2 lakh Indians reach end-stage kidney failure. All of them need either a transplant or regular dialysis, but only around 12,000 kidney transplants take place in the country every year due to:
(i) It is the transplant with the least risk to the donor.
(ii) It is the cheapest and most accessible.
(iii) The kidney is the organ that can survive the longest outside the body — 24-36 hours. In comparison, lungs remain viable only for 4-6 hours, and the liver for 8-12 hours.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
4. (b)
FYI:
— According to the “Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge”, countries have to “double the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements from around 2% to over 4% every year until 2030”. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— The pledge is neither legally binding nor a part of the official COP28 calendar. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
— The pledge was spearheaded by the EU, the US and the UAE and supported by Brazil, Nigeria, Australia, Japan, Canada, Chile and Barbados. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
— India and China have stayed away as the initiative calls for phasing down of coal and “ending the continued investment in unabated new coal-fired power plants”. Hence, statement 4 is not correct.
— Last year, India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy said that the country was the world’s third-largest producer of renewable energy, with 40% of its installed energy capacity coming from non-fossil fuel sources.
— India has announced its aim to meet 50% of its electricity demands from renewable energy sources by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2070.
— According to the pledge, the tripling of renewable energy is expected to practically eliminate fossil fuels as energy sources by 2050.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
5. (d)
FYI:
— The hashtag #Melodi trended widely on social media, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded to a post on X by his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni.
— India and Italy are ancient civilisations with links going back 2,000 years. Italian port cities were important trading posts on the spice route.
— In the 13th century, Venetian merchant Marco Polo travelled to India and wrote about his experiences.
— Rabindranath Tagore, a Nobel Laureate, visited Italy in May-June 1926, arranged by Carlo Formichi, a Professor of Sanskrit at the University of Rome.
— On his way back from the Round Table Conference in London, Mahatma Gandhi stopped in Rome in December 1931. The works of the Italian revolutionary Mazzini were read by leaders of the Indian freedom struggle.
— During World War II, Indian troops with the British Indian Army fought against the Germans and Mussolini’s forces in Italy. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— After Independence, political relations between India and Italy were established in 1947. Since then, there has been a regular exchange of visits at political and official levels between both countries, including several visits by Heads of States.
— The bilateral relationship between the two countries has been elevated to level of Strategic Partnership. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
— A startup bridge between Indian and Italian startup companies was also established. She was also the Chief Guest and Keynote Speaker at the Raisina Dialogue 2023.
— Italy is India’s 4th largest trading partner in the EU. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
— India and the Italy are on the same page for the India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor. Hence, statement 4 is correct.
Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.
6. (b)
FYI:
— The Nicobar Pigeon is one of the most beautiful of the many species of pigeons or doves and is the only living member of the genus Caloenus.
— It is found in the Islands of Nicobar, south west peninsular Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Solomans and palau. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
— It can easily be distinguished by its glistening mane-like neck hackles and sharply contrasting white tail coverts and tail. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
— Females are smaller in size than males with shorter neck hackles and brown under parts. Hence, statement 4 is not correct.
— Colossal has also sequenced the genome of the Nicobar pigeon, the dodo’s closest extant relative, and found its primordial germ cells (PGCs). PGCs are basically embryonic precursors of a species’ sperm and egg.
— The Nicobar pigeon’s PGCs will now be edited to express the physical traits of a dodo, with the help of the insight gathered from the comparison of the genomes of all three birds. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
— These edited PGCs will then be inserted into the embryos of a sterile chicken and rooster, who will act as ‘interspecies surrogates’.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
(Other Source: http://www.wwfindia.org)
7. (d)
FYI:
— The EU becomes the very first continent to set clear rules for the use of AI. It has reached a provisional deal on the world’s first set of comprehensive laws to regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
— The European Parliament will now vote on the proposed AI Act early next year, and a legislation is likely to come into force by 2025.
— The European Union’s legislative framework is significant because the United States, the United Kingdom, and China are also competing to set the template for AI regulations and publish their own set of guidelines.
Therefore, option (d) is the correct
8. (a)
FYI:
Article Provision for State 371-B Assam 371-C Manipur 371-F Sikkim 371-G Mizoram
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
9. (b)
FYI:
— India advanced its aerial capabilities by successfully conducting a flight trial of the Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator — a high-speed UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) from the Aeronautical Test Range in Chitradurga, Karnataka.
— The trial was conducted by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— It comes with a tailless configuration. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
— India has joined an elite group of countries to have mastered the controls for the flying wing technology. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
— The successful development of such critical technologies indigenously will further strengthen the Armed Forces.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
10. (d)
FYI:
Place Location Aden Yemen Jabaliya Gaza Kherson Ukraine
Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.
Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.

This data comes from MediaIntel.Asia's Media Intelligence and Media Monitoring Platform.