(Prelims) IAS General Studies – 2000 (Part 1)

1. Insect-resistant cotton plants have been genetically engineered by inserting a gene from a/an
(a) virus         (b) bacterium
(c) insect        (d) plant

Ans: b

• Bt cotton is a genetically modified variety of cotton producing an insecticide.  The bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a family of over 200 different proteins which naturally produce chemicals harmful to selective insects, most notably the larvae of moths and butterflies, beetles, cotton bollworms and flies, and harmless to other forms of life (Umt.edu, 2013). The gene coding for Bt toxin has been inserted into cotton, causing cotton to produce this natural insecticide in its tissues. In many regions, the main pests in commercial cotton are lepidopteran larvae, which are killed by the Bt protein in the transgenic cotton they eat. This eliminates the need to use large amounts of broad-spectrum insecticides to kill lepidopteran pests
• GM cotton has become widespread, covering a total of 15 million hectares in 2007, or 43 percent of the world’s cotton. Most GM cotton is grown in India and the US.
• Cottonseed oil is a high-value cooking or frying oil and is sometimes used to make margarine. The oil is also a source of vitamin E. Protein-rich cottonseed meal is mostly used as animal feed. Leftover fibres that are too short to be spun into textiles consist almost completely of cellulose and can be used as food additives

2. The Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana which came into operation from 1-12-1997 aims to provide gainful employment to the urban unemployed or underemployed poor but does not include
(a) Nehru Rozgar Yojana
(b) Urban Basic Services Programme
(c) Prime Minister’s Integrated Urban Poverty Eradication Programme
(d) Prime Minister’s Rozgar Yojana

Ans:d

• Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY) in India is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme which came into effect on 1 December 1997. The scheme strives to provide gainful employment to the urban unemployed and underemployed poor, through encouraging the setting up of self-employment ventures by the urban poor living below the poverty line.
• Government of India have launched a rationalised poverty alleviation scheme Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana replacing three existing schemes, viz.

1. Nehru Rozgar Yojana (NRY),
2. Urban Basic Services for the Poor (UBSP), and
3. Prime Minister’s Integrated Urban Poverty Eradication Programme (PMI UPEP)

3. Soft drinks such as colas contain significant quantities of
(a) caffeine         (b) nicotine
(c) tannin            (d) renin

Ans: a

• A soft drink is a beverage that typically contains carbonated water, a sweetener and a flavoring. The sweetener may be sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, sugar substitutes etc. Soft drinks may also contain caffeine, colorings, preservatives and other ingredients.

4. Consider the following statements regarding the Chakiarkoothu form of dance :
1. It is performed by Chakiar caste.
2. It cannot be traditionally witnessed by the higher caste Hindus.
3. Mizhavu is the accompanying instrument.
4. Its theatre form is called koothambalam.
Which of these statements are, correct ?
(a) 1, 3 and 4           (b) 1, 2 and 3
(c) 2, 3 and 4           (d) 1, 2 and 4

Ans: a

• Chakiarkoothu : This dance form is believed to have been introduced to Kerala by the early Aryan immigrants & is performed only by the members of the Chakiar caste. A highly orthodox type of entertainment, it can be staged inside temples only & witnessed by the Hindus of the higher castes. The theatre is known as Koothambalam. The story is recited in a quasi-dramatic style with emphasis on eloquent declarations with appropriately suggestive facial expressions & hand gestures. The only accompaniments are the cymbals & the drum known as the mizhavu, made of copper with a narrow mouth on which is stretched a piece of parchment.

5. Consider the following pictures of a dice

What is the number opposite 3 ?
(a) 1              (b) 4       (c) 5              (d) Data insufficient

6. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer
List I (Minerals)                        List II (Major producer)
A. Mineral Oil                                 1. Zambia
B. Copper                                       2. Guyana
C. Manganese                                 3. Venezuela
D. Bauxite                                       4. Gabon
      A      B     C      D          A      B     C      D
(a) 3       1     4       2    (b)   3      1      2      4
(c) 1       3     2       4    (d)   1      3      4      2

Ans: a

7. Which one of the following does a TV remote control unit use to operate a TV set ?
(a) Light waves         (b) Sound waves
(c) Microwaves        (d) Radio waves

Ans: d

• Commonly, remote controls are Consumer IR devices which send digitally-coded pulses of infrared radiation to control functions such as power, volume, tuning, temperature set point, fan speed, or other features.
• The earliest example of remote control by radio waves was developed in 1898 by Nikola Tesla

8. Consider the following statements :
The Indian rupee is fully convertible
1. in respect of Current Account of Balance of Payment
2. in respect of Capital Account of Balance of Payment
3. into gold
Which of these statements is/are correct ?
(a) 1 alone           (b) 3 alone
(c) 1 and 2           (d) 1, 2 and 3

Ans: a

• Convertibility: The ease with which a country’s currency can be converted into gold or another currency. Convertibility is extremely important for international commerce. When a currency in inconvertible, it poses a risk and barrier to trade with foreigners who have no need for the domestic currency.
• Government restrictions can often result in a currency with a low convertibility. For example, a government with low reserves of hard foreign currency often restrict currency convertibility because the government would not be in a position to intervene in the foreign exchange market (i.e. revalue, devalue) to support their own currency if and when necessary.

9. Who among the following streamlined the Maratha administration after Sambhaji ?
(a) Raja Ram          (b) Balaji Viswanath
(c) Ganga Bai         (d) Nanaji Deshmukh

Ans: a

10. Hybridoma technology is a new biotechnological approach for commercial production of
(a) monoclonal antibodies           (b) interferon
(c) antibiotics                               (d) alcohol

Ans: a

• Hybridoma technology is a technology of forming hybrid cell lines (called hybridomas) by fusing an antibody-producing B cell with a myeloma (B cell cancer) cell that is selected for its ability to grow in tissue culture and for an absence of antibody chain synthesis. . The antibodies produced by the hybridoma are all of a single specificity and are therefore monoclonal antibodies.
  
• The production of monoclonal antibodies was invented by Cesar Milstein and Georges Kohler in 1975. They shared the Nobel Prize of 1984 for Medicine and Physiology The term hybridoma was coined by Leonard Herzenberg.
• The use of monoclonal antibodies is numerous and includes the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. For example, monoclonal antibodies can distinguish subsets of B cells and T cells, which is helpful in identifying different types of leukaemias.

11. Match List I (Books) with List II (Authors) and select the correct answer
      List I                                                  List II
A. My Music, My Life                      1. Laxman Gaikwad
B. Adha Gaon                                   2. Rahi Masoom Raza
C. Radha                                          3. Ramakanta Rath
D. The Pilferer                                   4. Ravi Shankar
     A      B      C     D         A      B     C     D
(a) 3       2       4     1   (b)   4      2      3     1
(c) 4       1       3     2   (d)   3      1      4     2

Ans: b

12. Examine the following relationships among members of a family of six persons A, B, C, D, E and F
1. The number of males equals that of females.
2. A and E are sons of F
3. D is the. mother of two, one boy and one girl.
4. B is the son of A.
5. There is only one married couple in the family at present.
Which one of the following inferences can be drawn from the above ?
(a) A, B and C are all females             (b) A is the husband of D
(c) E and F are children of D               (d) D is the granddaughter of F

Ans: b

13. Which one of the following is knows as the “Coffee port” of the world ?
(a) Sao Paulo             (b) Santos
(c) Rio de Janeiro       (d) Buenos Aires

Ans: b

• Santos known as ‘Coffee port’ of the world . It is in Brazil. The Port of Santos is located in the city of Santos, state of São Paulo, Brazil.It is the busiest container port in Latin America.

15. The given diagram shows the number of students who failed in an examination comprising papers in English, Hindi and Mathematics. The total number of students who took the test is 500. What is the percentage of students who failed in atleast two subjects ?
(a) 6.8      (b) 7.8
(c) 34       (d) 39

15. Resurgent India Bonds were issues in US dollar, Pound Sterling and
(a) Japanese Yen           (b) Deutsche Mark
(c) Euro                          (d) French Franc

Ans: b

• Finance Minister had announced a scheme of Resurgent India Bonds. State Bank of India has announced the scheme, effective from 5th August 98.

• Tenure : 5 years and Currencies : US Dollar, Pound Sterling and Deutsche Mark.

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