Advanced Quiz – 9 October 2026 | General Studies

Correct Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 3 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs), particularly within polar craters, receive little or no direct sunlight. Their extremely low temperatures allow water ice and other volatile substances to remain preserved over long periods.
• Statement 2 is correct: Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) convert heat released through radioactive decay into electricity using thermoelectric devices. Unlike nuclear fission reactors, they do not operate through a sustained nuclear chain reaction.
• Statement 3 is correct: Convection requires a fluid medium. Because the Moon lacks a substantial atmosphere, lunar nuclear systems must primarily reject waste heat through thermal radiation, commonly using radiator surfaces.
• Statement 4 is incorrect: A complete lunar solar day, from one sunrise to the next at a typical equatorial location, lasts approximately 29.5 Earth days. This includes roughly 14–15 Earth days of daylight followed by a similar period of darkness.

Additional Information:

• NASA’s SNAP-10A, launched in 1965, was the first nuclear fission reactor operated in space.
• Apollo 12 deployed the SNAP-27 RTG on the Moon in 1969.
• The Moon’s south polar region is strategically important because of its potential water-ice resources and implications for long-duration lunar missions.

Correct Answer: (a) 1 and 3 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: The IUCN Red List evaluates the extinction risk of species using standardised criteria. Vulnerable (VU), Endangered (EN) and Critically Endangered (CR) are collectively classified as threatened categories.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: Data Deficient (DD) means that available information is insufficient to assess extinction risk. It does not establish that the species faces a lower risk of extinction.
• Statement 3 is correct: A species may have a relatively secure global population while facing significant extinction risk within a particular country or region. Consequently, national and global assessments can differ.
• Statement 4 is incorrect: The two indices measure different aspects of biodiversity:
  • Red List Index (RLI): Changes in aggregate extinction risk of species.
  • Living Planet Index (LPI): Average trends in relative population abundance of monitored vertebrate populations.

Additional Information:

• The Living Planet Index is maintained by the Zoological Society of London in collaboration with WWF.
• A reported 73% decline in the Living Planet Index does not mean that 73% of all wildlife individuals or species have disappeared.

Correct Answer: (b) 1, 2 and 4 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: Article II of the Outer Space Treaty prohibits national appropriation of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, through claims of sovereignty, use, occupation or other means.
• Statement 2 is correct: Article IV prohibits establishing military bases, installations and fortifications, testing weapons, and conducting military manoeuvres on celestial bodies. However, the use of military personnel and equipment for peaceful purposes is permitted.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: The Treaty does not impose a blanket prohibition on nuclear reactors used for peaceful electricity generation. It prohibits placing nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in orbit or stationing them in outer space.
• Statement 4 is correct: Article IX requires States Parties to conduct activities with due regard to the corresponding interests of other States Parties and establishes consultation requirements concerning potentially harmful interference.

Additional Information:

• The Outer Space Treaty entered into force in 1967.
• The Artemis Accords are non-binding principles for cooperation in civil space exploration.
• The 1992 UN Principles Relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space were adopted through UN General Assembly Resolution 47/68.

Correct Answer: (c) 1, 2 and 3 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: The DRSC system was established in 1993 with 17 committees and expanded to 24 in 2004.
• Statement 2 is correct: Following the general discussion on the Union Budget, Demands for Grants of Ministries are referred to the respective DRSCs for detailed examination. However, these committees do not vote on the Demands for Grants.
• Statement 3 is correct: DRSCs examine Bills referred to them by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha or the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, as applicable.
• Statement 4 is incorrect: Recommendations of DRSCs are advisory and are not legally binding on the government.

Additional Information:

• Each DRSC comprises 31 members: 21 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha.
• Ministers cannot be members of DRSCs.
• Members are appointed for a term not exceeding one year.
• Committees cannot ordinarily examine the day-to-day administration of Ministries.

Correct Answer: (b) 1, 2 and 4 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: The KMGBF was adopted at COP15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), held in Montreal, Canada, in December 2022.
• Statement 2 is correct: Target 3, popularly known as the 30×30 Target, aims to ensure that at least 30% of terrestrial, inland water, coastal and marine areas are effectively conserved and managed by 2030.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: Although adopted under the legally binding CBD, the KMGBF is not itself a separate legally binding treaty with an independent enforcement mechanism.
• Statement 4 is correct: The framework establishes four long-term goals for 2050 and 23 action-oriented targets for 2030.