SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY TEST - 14 – SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY & INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS - ANSWER KEY 1. Ans (b) Explanation: Geo- Beaconing Geo-Beacons send out messages via Bluetooth connection to app users that enter a specified range. It is perfect for in-store and micro-locations. Thus Beacons rely on one of the simplest and less-costly Bluetooth technologies for its operation. All messages are extremely, time and place appropriate and allow customers to be informed about what goes on in the store and that they might be interested in without even asking for it. 2. Ans (c) Explanation: Maglev Trains Maglev Technology is a transport method that uses magnetic levitation to move vehicles without making contact with the ground. With maglev, a vehicle travels along a guide way by using electro or permanent or superconducting magnets to create both lift and propulsion, thereby reducing friction by a great extent and allowing very high speeds. Trains can be levitated either by repulsive or attractive or combination of both the properties of the magnets employed. 3. Ans (a) Explanation: Project Alloy Project alloy is a Merged reality project launched by Intel. The merged reality is more dynamic and natural, and allows people to do things that are now impossible. It goes beyond virtual reality, in that it digitizes the real world and allows people to experience the virtual world without coming into conflict with the real world. 4. Ans (d) Explanation: Indian Military Operations • Operation Maitri was a rescue and relief operation in Nepal by the government of India and Indian armed forces in the aftermath of the April 2015 Nepal earthquake. India's response was started within 15 minutes of the quake. • Operation Raahat was an operation of the Indian Armed Forces to evacuate Indian citizens and other foreign nationals from Yemen during the 2015 military intervention by Saudi Arabia and its allies in that country during the Yemeni Crisis. • On 26 December,2014 the Government of India declared the launch of Operation All Out to eliminate the Bodo militants and deployed as many as 9,000 soldiers of the Indian Army and the Central Reserve Police Force in the state of Assam. 5. Ans (c) Explanation: Magneto Electric Technology Magnetoelectrics get their name from the fact that their magnetic and electric properties are coupled to each other. Because this physical link potentially allows control of their magnetic behavior with an electrical signal or vice versa, recently scientists have taken a special interest in developing magnetoelectric materials which plays a significant role in the semiconductor industry. This new approach to cross-coupling magnetoelectricity could prove a key step toward the development of next-generation memory storage, improved magnetic field sensors, and many other applications long dreamed about. 6. Ans (c) Explanation: Indian Community welfare Fund The Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) is aimed at providing ‘on site' welfare services on a means tested basis in the most deserving cases including: 1) Boarding and lodging for distressed overseas Indian workers in Household / domestic sectors and unskilled labourers 2) Extending emergency medical care to the overseas Indians in need 3) Providing air passage to stranded overseas Indians in need SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY 4) Providing initial legal assistance to the overseas Indians in deserving cases 5) Expenditure on incidentals and for airlifting the mortal remains to India or local cremation/burial of the deceased overseas Indian in such cases where a sponsor is unable or unwilling to do so as per the contract and the family is unable to meet the cost. 7. Ans (c) Explanation: • The Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam (CDHRI) is a declaration of the member states of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference adopted in Cairo, Egypt, on 5 August 1990 which provides an overview on the Islamic perspective on human rights, and affirms Islamic sharia as its sole source. CDHRI declares its purpose to be "general guidance for Member States [of the OIC] in the field of human rights". • This declaration is widely acknowledged as an Islamic response to the United Nations's Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), adopted in 1948. It guarantees many of the same rights as the UDHR, while at the same time reaffirming the inequalities inherent in Islamic law and tradition in terms of religion, religious conversion, gender, sexuality, political rights, and other aspects of contemporary society at odds with various interpretations of the Islamic law and traditions. • Various Muslim countries had criticized the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights for its failure to take into account the cultural and religious context of non-Western countries. In 1981, Said Rajaie-Khorassani—the post-revolutionary Iranian representative to the UN—articulated the position of his country regarding the UDHR, by saying that it was a relativistic "secular understanding of the Judeo-Christian tradition", which could not be implemented by Muslims without trespassing Islamic law. • The CDHRI was adopted in 1990 by members of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference. It has been signed by 45 states so far. In 1992, the CDHRI was presented to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, where it was strongly condemned by the International Commission of Jurists. 8. Ans (d) Explanation: Geospatial information Bill The word geospatial is used to indicate that data that has a geographic component to it. This means that the records in a dataset have locational information tied to them such as geographic data in the form of coordinates, address, city, or ZIP code. These data’s can be obtained from an umbrella network which encompasses GIS, GPS, LIDAR, RADAR, Remote sensing satellites and other modern analytical tools. 9. Ans (a) Explanation: Ballast Water Ballast water carried by ships could transport fish, viruses, bacteria, algae, zooplankton and benthonic invertebrates to harbours at a faster pace. Recently International Maritime organization had came out with the ballast water convention for implementing effective handling mechanism for Ballast waters. The Convention requires all new ships to implement an approved Ballast Water and Sediments Management Plan. All new ships will also have to carry a Ballast Water Record Book and follow ballast water management procedures to a given standard. Ballast waters will be treated with ultra violet rays and it will be discharged by without carrying out any recycling activities. Existing ships will be required to do the same but after a phase-in period. Ships are required to be surveyed and certified and may also be inspected by Port State Control officers who can verify that the ship has a valid certificate. 10. Ans (b) Explanation: Yeti Project Yeti Project is used to create an “alternative root” for the Internet - Splinternet, driven by technical considerations. The problem of connecting the next generation of Internet users, which will mostly come from developing countries.IPv4 addresses, used by the majority of devices connected to the Internet today, are fast running out. In contrast, the IPv6 protocol allows for a lot more addresses, but relatively few devices use it. Adding to the problem, an IPv6 address cannot connect directly with an IPv4 address and vice versa, raising the costs of interoperability. To solve this problem, computer SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY scientists are faced with two alternatives: one, create an inefficient method to first translate IPv6 addresses of devices to IPv4 addresses, which can then connect freely with the root servers; or two, create an alternative root zone that relies exclusively on IPv6 addresses. The Yeti project adopts the latter approach. A “pure” IPv6 environment will remove the ceiling on the number of root servers. 11. Ans (a) Explanation: Bharat QR code Quick Response Code (QRCode) is a two-dimensional machine-readable unique pattern that contains information on a specific task. Codes were scanned by a QR reader which is completely different from the conventional barcode reader which uses monocoherent source for reading. A common example is QR codes in newspaper advertisements or billboards. When scanned using a smartphone, it will direct you to the advertiser's website. India has reached a new milestone in cashless transaction by launching BharatQR, the world's first interoperable payment acceptance solution. This is the second big ticket initiative from the Centre, after BHIM, towards pushing digital transactions. Multivariate QR codes are available based upon the clients requirements. 12. Ans (d) Explanation: MIGS • Now, it is easier for the middle and relatively lower income group to avail and enjoy the legal services of the country. The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India has introduced the Middle Income Group Scheme. It is a self supporting scheme which provides legal services to the middle income group citizens i.e. citizens whose gross income is not exceeding Rs.60, 000 per month or Rs. 7, 50, 000 per annum. A sum of 500 shall be payable to the Supreme Court Middle Income Group (MIG) Legal Aid Society as service charges. • Under the scheme, middle class people who can`t afford the expensive litigation in the Supreme Court can avail the services of the society for a nominal amount. The person desirous of availing the benefit of the Scheme shall have to fill up the form prescribed and accept all the terms and conditions contained therein. • As per the scheme, contingent fund will be created to meet the miscellaneous expenditure in connection with the case under the Scheme by requiring the applicant to deposit upto the stage of admission, a sum of Rs.750/- in addition to the charges required to be deposited with the Society, out of this contingent fund. 13. Ans (a) Explanation: Moscow Conference It is the Conference on Afghanistan issues. India and Afghanistan took a hard line at the six-nation talks in Moscow, opposing the dominant view from Russia, China and Pakistan to involve the Taliban in reconciliation efforts.