(Prelims) IAS General Studies – 2005 (Part 2)
16. Consider the following statements :
1. Anhydrous sodium carbonate is commonly known as baking soda
2. Baking soda is used in fire extinguishers
3. Bleaching powder is manufactured in Hasenclever plant
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2 and 3
(c) 3 only (d) 1 and 2
Ans: b
- Sodium carbonate is commonly known as washing soda. The anhydrous (without water; especially without water of crystallization) mineral form of sodium carbonate is quite rare and called natrite.
- Sodium bicarbonate is called baking soda. Sodium bicarbonate can be used to extinguish small grease or electrical fires by being thrown over the fire.Sodium bicarbonate is used as dry chemical fire extinguishers as an alternative to the more corrosive ammonium phosphate. The alkali nature of sodium bicarbonate makes it the only dry chemical agent, besides Purple-K, that was used in large-scale fire suppression systems installed in commercial kitchens.
- HasenClever’s plant is used in which calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)2] reacts with chlorine gas [Cl2] to form bleaching powder and water. The equation for the above mentioned reaction: Ca(OH)2 + Cl2 ——> CaOCl2 +H2O
17. Consider the following statements :
1. A geostationary satellite is at an approximate height of 10,000 km
2. FM transmission of music is of very good quality because the atmospheric or manmade noises which are generally frequency variations can do little harm.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans: b
- A geostationary satellite is an earth-orbiting satellite, placed at an altitude of approximately 35,800 kilometers (22,300 miles) directly over the equator, that revolves in the same direction the earth rotates (west to east).
- FM broadcasting is a VHF (Very high frequency) broadcasting technology, pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong, which uses frequency modulation (FM) to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term “FM band” describes the frequency band in a given country which is dedicated to FM broadcasting.
18. What is the order of magnitude of electric resistance of the human body (dry)?
(a) 100 ohm (b) 10000 ohm
(c) 1000000 ohm (d) 100000000 ohm
Ans: b
- Under dry conditions, the resistance offered by the human body may be as high as 100,000 Ohms. Wet or broken skin may drop the body’s resistance to 1,000 Ohms
19. Consider the following statements :
1. The axis of the earth’s magnetic field is inclined at 23 ½° to the geographic axis of the earth.
2. The earth’s magnetic pole in the northern hemisphere is located on a peninsula in northern Canada.
3. Earth’s magnetic equator passes through Thumba in South India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2 and 3
(c) 2 only (d) 3 only
Ans: b
- Earth’s magnetic field, also known as the geomagnetic field, is the magnetic field that extends from the Earth’s interior to where it meets the solar wind, a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun. Its magnitude at the Earth’s surface ranges from 25 to 65 microtesla (0.25 to 0.65 gauss). Roughly speaking it is the field of a magnetic dipole currently tilted at an angle of about 10 degrees with respect to Earth’s rotational axis, as if there were a bar magnet placed at that angle at the center of the Earth. Unlike a bar magnet, however, Earth’s magnetic field changes over time because it is generated by a geodynamo (in Earth’s case, the motion of molten iron alloys in its outer core).
20. Which one of the following is the landmark performance of Dr. V.Mohan Reddy, an Indian born doctor working in USA, during February, 2005
(a) Research on human stem cell which is likely to revolutionise treatment of deadly disease like cancer
(b) Successful open heart procedure called arterial switch performed on an infant
(c) Research on genetic engineering which can help in treatment of deadly disease like AIDS
(d) Successful brain surgery to revive the function of nearly dead brain of a premature born infant
- Old news. Not important
21. Pneumoconiosis afflicts the workers who work mainly in
(a) Tanneries (b) Coal mining industry
(c) Distilleries (d) Glass industry
Ans: b
- Pneumoconiosis is an occupational lung disease and a restrictive lung disease caused by the inhalation of dust, often in mines.
22. Who among the following was not a contemporary of the other three?
(a) Bimbsara (b) Gautama Buddha
(c) Milinda (d) Prasenjit
Ans: c
23. Consider the following statements :
The Government of India Act, 1935 provided for
1. the provincial autonomy
2. the establishment of Federal Court
3. All India Federation at the centre
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
Ans: d
24. Consider the following statements :
1. Warren Hastings was the first Governor General who established a regular police force in India on the British pattern
2. A Supreme Court was established at Calcutta by the Regulating Act, 1773.
3. The Indian Penal Code came into effect in the year 1860.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
Ans: b
25. Which one of the following is the correct chronological order of the battle fought in India in the 18th Century?
(a) Battle of Wandiwash – Battle of Buxar – Battle of Ambur – Battle of Plassey.
(b) Battle of Ambur – Battle of Plassey – Battle of Wandiwash – Battle of Buxar.
(c) Battle of Wandiwash – Battle of Plassey – Battle of Ambur – Battle of Buxar.
(d) Battle of Ambur – Battle of Buxar – Battle of Wandiwash – Battle of Plassey.
Ans: b
- Battle of Ambur: The Battle of Ambur (3 August 1749) was the first major battle of the Second Carnatic War between the French and the British. . It marked the end of Mughal centralized power and the initiation of European influenced powers.
- Battle of Plassey was a decisive victory of the British East India Company over the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies on 23 June 1757.
- Battle of Wandiwash: This was the Third Carnatic War fought between the French and the British. The Battle of Wandiwash was a decisive battle in India during the Seven Years’ War. The Count de Lally’s army, burdened by a lack of naval support and funds, attempted to regain the fort at Vandavasi, now in Tamil Nadu. He was attacked by Sir Eyre Coote’s forces and decisively defeated. The French general Bussy and the French were then restricted to Pondichéry, where they surrendered on 16 January 1761
- Battle of Buxar was fought on 23 October 1764 between the forces under the command of the British East India Company led by Hector Munro and the combined army of Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal: the Nawab of Awadh and the Mughal King Shah Alam II. The battle fought at Buxar, then within the territory of Bengal, was a decisive victory for the British East India Company.
26. Which countries played in the Lawn Tennis Davis Cup Final in the year 2004?
(a) Switzerland and United States of America
(b) Spain and United States of America
(c) Australia and Argentina (d) Sweden and Belgium
- Old news. Not imp
27. Where do the Sahariya tribals, who were recently in the news, live?
(a) Andhra Pradesh (b) Assam
(c) Rajasthan (d) Orissa
Ans: c
- Saharia or Sahariya is an indigenous Munda-speaking tribe in the Madhya Pradesh and Baran district of Rajasthan.
28. Whose autobiography is the book My Music, My Life?
(a) Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma (b) Ustad Amjad Ali Khan
(c) Pandit Ravi Shankar (d) Ustad Zakir Hussain
Ans: c
- Ravi Shankar, his name often preceded by the title Pandit, was an Indian musician who was one of the best-known exponents of the sitar in the second half of the 20th century as well as a composer of Hindustani classical music
29. Consider the following statements :
1. India is the only country in the world producing all the five known commercial varieties of silk.
2. India is the largest producer of sugar in the world.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans: a
- There are four types of natural silk which are commercially known and produced in the world. Among them mulberry silk is the most important and contributes as much as 90 per cent of world production, therefore, the term “silk” in general refers to the silk of the mulberry silkworm. Three other commercially important types fall into the category of non-mulberry silks namely: Eri silk; Tasar silk; and Muga silk. Fifth type of non-mulberry silk, which are mostly wild (Vanya Silk) and exploited in Africa and Asia, are Anaphe silk, Fagara silk, Coan silk, Mussel silk and Spider silk.
- Mulberry Silk: Mulberry silk comes from the silkworm, Bombyx mori L which solely feeds on the leaves of mulberry plant. These silkworms are completely domesticated and reared indoors. In India, about 97% of the raw silk is produced in the five Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir. The North Bangalore regions of Muddenahalli and Kanivenarayanapura, the upcoming sites of a $20 million “Silk City” and Mysore contribute to a majority of silk production. Another emerging silk producer is Tamil Nadu where mulberry cultivation is concentrated in Salem, Erode and Dharmapuri districts.
- Tropical Tasar: Tasar (Tussah) is copperish colour, coarse silk mainly used for furnishings and interiors. It is less lustrous than mulberry silk. Tasar silk is generated by the silkworm, Antheraea mylitta which mainly thrive on the food plants Asan and Arjun. In India, tasar silk is mainly produced in the states of Jharkhand, Chattisgarh and Orissa, besides Maharashtra, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. Tasar culture is the main stay for many a tribal community in India.
- Oak Tasar: It is a finer variety of tasar generated by the silkworm, Antheraea proyeli J. in India which feed on natural food plants of oak, found in abundance in the sub-Himalayan belt of India covering the states of Manipur, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya and Jammu & Kashmir. China is the major producer of oak tasar in the world and this comes from another silkworm which is known as Antheraea pernyi.
- Eri Silk: Eri is a multivoltine silk spun from open-ended cocoons, unlike other varieties of silk. Eri silk is the product of the domesticated silkworm, Philosamia ricini that feeds mainly on castor leaves. Ericulture is a household activity practiced mainly for protein rich pupae, a delicacy for the tribal. The silk is used indigenously for preparation of chaddars (wraps) for own use by these tribals. In India, this culture is practiced mainly in the north-eastern states and Assam. It is also found in Bihar, West Bengal and Orissa.
- Muga Silk : This golden yellow colour silk is prerogative of India and the pride of Assam state. It is obtained from semi-domesticated multivoltine silkworm, Antheraea assamensis. These silkworms feed on the aromatic leaves of Som and Soalu plants and are reared on trees similar to that of tasar. Muga culture is specific to the state of Assam and an integral part of the tradition and culture of that state.
30. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
(a) Arjun — Indigenously produced Main Battle Tank (MBT)
(b) Phalcon — Cruise missile supplied by Russia to India
(c) Saras — Indigenously developed civilian passenger aircraft
(d) Operation Seabird — New Indian Naval Base at Karwar
Ans: b
- Phalcon is aquired from Israel
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