QUIZ – 2017: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 04 JANUARY 2018

Solution: c.

Major non-NATO ally (MNNA) is a designation given by the United States government to close allies who have strategic working relationships with US armed forces but are not members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. While the MNNA status does not automatically include a mutual defense pact with the United States, it does confer a variety of military and financial advantages that otherwise are not obtainable by non-NATO countries.

The MNNA status provides a range of privileges, such as eligibility to participate in cooperative research and development programmes, expanded bilateral training opportunities and eligibility for priority delivery of defence articles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_non-NATO_ally;

https://www.gktoday.in/major-non-nato-ally-status-to-afghanistan/;

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/22/120.32;

Improvisation: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/money-talks/article22360932.ece;

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Solution: c.

MedGenome, is a founding member of the GenomeAsia 100K (a non-profit consortium), is a genomics-based diagnostics and research company from India with global offices in California.

About GenomeAsia100K (http://www.genomeasia100k.com): “We are a mission driven non-profit consortium collaborating to sequence and analyze 100,000 Asian individuals genomes to help accelerate Asian population specific (both, South and East Asian, therefore statement 1 is correct) medical advances and precision medicine.”

http://www.genomeasia100k.com/partners/;

Improvisation: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/towards-a-genomics-revolution/article22361004.ece;

Solution: c.

Knowledge-based Economy: Knowledge is now recognised as the driver of productivity and economic growth, leading to a new focus on the role of information, technology and learning in economic performance. The term “knowledge-based economy” stems from this fuller recognition of the place of knowledge and technology in modern economies.

To gain fully from the genomics revolution, India needs to collect information about the genetics of its population and train manpower capable of interpreting it. The information that is needed has to come from a large and sustained collection of data — fully sequenced individual genomes along with medical histories for the individuals who volunteer for this effort. This knowledge could then also be quickly applied to the task of managing diseases as well as be used for genetic counselling that could reduce their incidence in future generations. As an example elsewhere, the founder group of Ashkenazi Jews have almost eliminated Tay-Sachs disease from their population by such means.

Q45, CS(P) 2017: http://www.insightsonindia.com/2017/06/19/answer-key-upsc-civil-services-prelims-exam-2017-general-studies-paper-1/;

We are just providing the source for definition of KBE, no need to refer to it: https://www.oecd.org/sti/sci-tech/1913021.pdf;

Source/improvisation: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/towards-a-genomics-revolution/article22361004.ece;

Solution: c.

There are six official languages of the UN.  These are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. The correct interpretation and translation of these six languages, in both spoken and written form, is very important to the work of the Organization, because this enables clear and concise communication on issues of global importance.

• A delegate may speak in any official UN language. The speech is interpreted simultaneously into the other official languages of the UN.
• At times, a delegate may choose to make a statement using a non-official language. In such cases, the delegation must provide either an interpretation or a written text of the statement in one of the official languages.
• Most UN documents are issued in all six official languages, requiring translation from the original document.

Additional Information:

• Minister Sushma Swaraj said the process required a two-thirds majority vote, and that other countries using Hindi should share the expenditure incurred in making the language an official one.
• Though there are six official languages in the U.N., only two — English and French — were working languages.

http://www.un.org/en/sections/about-un/official-languages/;
Improvisation: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/what-is-the-purpose-of-hindi-as-an-official-language-in-un-asks-tharoor/article22357862.ece;

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Solution: b.

The Cabinet recently gave its approval for the construction, operation and maintenance of 2-lane bi-directional Zojila Tunnel connecting NH-1A at Km 95.00 and at Km 118.00 in Jammu & Kashmir on Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) mode. The construction of this tunnel will provide all weather connectivity between Srinagar, Kargil and Leh and will bring about all round economic and socio-cultural integration of these regions. The project has strategic and socio-economic importance and shall be an instrument for the development of the economically backward districts in Jammu & Kashmir.

http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1515174;

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ccea-approves-over-6800-cr-zojila-tunnel-project/article22360209.ece;

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