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1. Which of the
following country is/are not OPEC+ Country?
a)
Russia
b)
Oman
c)
Sudan
d)
Venezuela
ANSWER: D
EXPLANATION:
·
OPEC: Founded in 1960,
the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) initially
comprised Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela as
its founding members to ‘unify and co-ordinate its member nations’
petroleum policies in order to secure a regular supply of petroleum to
consumers and a fair return to investors.
o Countries
like Qatar, Indonesia, Libya, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Algeria (1969),
Nigeria, Ecuador, Gabon, Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Congo later joined the
group.
o However,
Ecuador, Indonesia and Qatar suspended their membership in 2020, 2016 and 2019
respectively – reducing the strength to thirteen countries currently.
·
OPEC+: In 2016,
OPEC+ was created with the OPEC member nations allying with ten other
oil-producing countries Russia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei,
Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, South Sudan and Sudan – inflating
the group’s strength to twenty-three.
o While the
OPEC Statute states that ‘any country with a substantial net export of crude
petroleum, which has fundamentally similar interests to those of Member
Countries may be admitted under special conditions, the formation of the OPEC+
group was seen as a response to protect their interests amid the rise of the
U.S. shale industry.
·
OPEC countries effectively control more than 79%
of the world’s crude supplies, regulating oil prices as per their interests.
2. Consider the
following statements about Kaziranga National Park:
1)
It is
recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.
2)
It has
the highest density of one-horned rhinos in the world
Which of the above
statements is/are correct?
a)
1 only
b)
2 only
c)
Both 1
and 2
d)
Neither 1
nor 2
ANSWER: A
EXPLANATION:
Kaziranga National Park:
§ Location: It
is located in the State of Assam and covers 42,996 Hectare (ha).
§ It is the single
largest undisturbed and representative area in the Brahmaputra Valley
floodplain.
§ Legal
Status:
o It was
declared as a National Park in 1974.
o It has
been declared a tiger reserve since
2007. It has a total tiger reserve area of 1,030 sq km with a core
area of 430 sq. km.
§ International
Status:
o It was
declared a UNESCO World Heritage
Site in 1985.
o It is
recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.
§ Biodiversity:
o It is the
home of the world's most one-horned rhinos.
·
Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary has
the highest density of one-horned rhinos in the world and second highest number
of Rhinos in Assam after Kaziranga National Park.
o Much of
the focus of conservation efforts in Kaziranga are focused on the 'big
four' species - Rhino, Elephant, Royal Bengal tiger and
Asiatic water buffalo.
o Kaziranga
is also home to 9 of the 14 species of primates found in the
Indian subcontinent.
§ Rivers
and Highways:
o National
Highway 37 passes through the park area.
o The park
also has more than 250 seasonal water bodies, besides the Diphlu River running
through it.
3. Consider the
following statements about Akash missile:
1)
The
missile is supported by the indigenously developed radar called 'Rajendra'.
2)
It can
engage targets at a speed 2.5 times more than the speed of sound.
3)
It can
detect and destroy targets flying at only medium and high altitudes.
Which of the above
statements is/are correct?
a)
1 and 2
only
b)
2 and 3
only
c)
1 and 3
only
d)
1, 2 and
3
ANSWER: A
EXPLANATION:
Akash missile:
·
Akash is
India’s first indigenously produced medium range SAM that can engage multiple
targets from multiple directions and it can be launched from mobile platforms
like battle tanks or wheeled trucks. It has nearly 90% kill probability.
·
The
development of the Akash SAM was started by the DRDO in the late 1980s as part
of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.
·
It is
unique in the way that It can simultaneously engage multiple targets in group
mode or autonomous mode.
·
It has
built-in Electronic Counter-Counter Measures (ECCM) features, which means that
it has mechanisms on-board that can counter the electronic systems that deceive
the detection systems.
·
The
missile is supported by the indigenously developed radar called 'Rajendra'.
·
It can
engage targets at a speed 2.5 times more than the speed of sound and can detect
and destroy targets flying at low, medium and high altitudes.
The missile is reportedly
cheaper and more accurate than US’ Patriot missiles due to its solid-fuel
technology and high-t