11/8/2020 : Daily Prelims Current Affairs MCQ Questions Cum Answer for Civil Services (UPSC/IAS/IPS/PCS) ( Arora IAS)

Q1:

With reference to Sunspots, which of the following is correct?

1. Sunspots are areas that appear dark on the surface of the Sun.
2. They appear dark because they are hotter than other parts of the Sun’s surface.
3. In every solar cycle, the number of Sunspots remains constant.

 

1. 1 Only
2. 1 and 2
3. 1 and 3
4. All of them

 

Answer : a

Explanation

Sunspots are areas that appear dark on the surface of the Sun.

They appear dark because they are cooler than other parts of the Sun’s surface. They are relatively cool because they form at areas where magnetic fields are particularly strong. These magnetic fields are so strong that they keep some of the heat within the Sun from reaching the surface.

Sunspots increase and decrease through an average cycle of 11 years. Dating back to 1749, we have experienced 23 full solar cycles where the number of sunspots have gone from a minimum, to a maximum and back to the next minimum, through approximate 11 year cycles. We are now well into the 24 cycle.

 

Q 2:

Which of the following is the main objective of K.V. Kamath committee appointed by RBI?

1. Refinancing the debt in the agriculture sector.
2. One-time restructuring of corporate loans.
3. Minimising the circulation of printed notes and promoting digital transactions.
4. Accelerating Merger of Public sector banks.

 

Answer : b

Explanation

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set up a committee headed by K.V. Kamath on restructuring of loans impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Objective: The Committee is tasked to recommend parameters for one-time restructuring of corporate loans.

 

Q3:

Which of the following are the constituents of the Balance of Payments?

1. Merchandise Trade
2. Remittances
3. External Commercial Borrowing
4. Special Drawing Rights

 

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 only
4. 1, 2, 3 and 4

 

Answer : d

Explanation

Balance of Payment (BoP) of a country can be defined as a systematic statement of all economic transactions of a country with the rest of the world during a specific period usually one year.

For preparing BoP accounts, economic transactions between a country and rest of the world are grouped under – Current account, Capital account and changes in Foreign Exchange.

Current Account: It shows export and import of visibles (also called merchandise or goods – represent trade balance) and invisibles (also called nonmerchandise) like remittances.

Capital Account: It shows a capital expenditure and income for a country. External Commercial Borrowing (ECB), Foreign Direct Investment, Foreign Portfolio Investment, etc form a part of capital account.

Changes in Foreign Exchange Reserves: Movements in the reserves comprises changes in the foreign currency assets held by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and also in Special Drawing Rights (SDR) balances.

 

Q4:

With reference to BlockChain Technology, consider the following statements and choose the correct option:

1. Blockchain is a database of information that appears on multiple computers at the

same time.

2. It provides tamper-evident record keeping, real-time transaction, transparency and

auditability.

 

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 and 2

 

Answer : c

Explanation

Blockchain is a system in which the database of recordings (a ‘chain’) appears on multiple computers at the same time even as it is updated with any new digital information (‘a block’).

It offers a singular combination of permanent and tamper-evident record keeping, real-time transaction transparency and auditability.

 

Q5:

In reference to World Biofuel day, which of the following is/are NOT correct?

1. It is observed on 10 of August every year.
2. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has started observing World Bio fuel Day since 2015.
3. Its theme for the year 2020 is “Biofuels towards Atmanirbhar Bharat”.

 

1. 1 Only
2. 2 Only
3. 1 and 2 Only
4. 1, 2 and 3

 

Answer : b

Explanation

Every year 10 August is observed as World Bio-Fuel Day in a bid to create awareness about non fossil-fuels (Green Fuels).

The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural gas has started observing World Bio fuel Day since 2015.

Its theme for the year 2020 is “Biofuels towards Atmanirbhar Bharat”.