Article 1: STAR Supersonic Target Missile.
What is the main aim of STAR supersonic target missile?
a) To act as the main air-to-air strike missile of India.
b) To model the modern cruise and anti-ship missiles in order to simulate real-life military training.
c) To substitute missiles made by foreign countries in the Indian strategic arsenal.
d) To show the neighbors the offensive potential of India.
Purpose: b) To train modern cruise and anti-ship missiles in real military simulation.
Explanation: According to the article, STAR was intended to replicate the modern cruise- and anti-ship missile signature to provide the armed forces with the high-stress training conditions and sharpen their detection and intercept capabilities.
What is the propulsion system of the STAR missile in the supersonic cruise phase?
a) Solid Rocket Booster
b) Turbojet Engine
c) Liquid-Fuel Ramjet (LFRJ)
d) Scramjet Engine
Response: c) Liquid-Fuel Ramjet (LFRJ).
Rationale: The article indicates quite plainly a two-stage propulsion plan: a solid rocket booster to achieve the initial launch, and a liquid-fuel ramjet (LFRJ) to sustain supersonic cruise.
What is the major benefit of the modular design of the STAR missile?
a) It augments its offensive destructive might.
b) It renders missile radar invisible.
c) It saves training costs, as well as dependency on foreign systems.
d) It enables launching of missile under water.
Reason: c) It lowers the cost of training and minimizes the reliance on external systems.
Explanation: The Strategic implications section indicates that the design is reusable and modular, which reduces the training cost and reliance on external target systems.
Article 2: Manki-Munda System
What does the Manki-Munda system mean? It is a kind of the traditional structure of government of which tribe?
a) Santhal
b) Munda
c) Ho
d) Oraon
Answer: c) Ho
Elaboration: The article opens by saying that it is a centuries old system of governance of Ho tribe in the Kolhan region of Jharkhand.
Who made the Manki-Munda system a part of the colonial government by the Wilkinson Rules of 1833?
a) Lord Dalhousie
b) Captain Thomas Wilkinson
c) Warren Hastings
d) James Wilkinson
Response: b) Captain Thomas Wilkinson.
Explanation: The historical section describes the fact that tribal government became institutionalized through the transformation of the Captain Thomas Wilkinson with the Wilkinson Rules 1833.
What is one of the main requirements of the young generation towards this system?
a) The full abolition of the system and its replacement by the state rule.
b) Election or appointment of hereditary leaders.
c) Making the Manki the absolute power of the region.
d) A retrogression towards some pre-colonial form of the system without any reforms.
Reason being: b) Replacing the positions of hereditary leaders with elected or merit-based posts.
Explanation This section is labeled "Modern Problems" and says that the younger generation believes that hereditary leadership should be substituted with elective or merit-based.
Article 3: Sarnath Archaeology.
Who then is given the first, though accidentallyal, turned up discovery of Buddhist relics at Sarnath in 1787-88?
a) Alexander Cunningham
b) Babu Jagat Singh
c) Colonel Mackenzie
d) Sir John Marshall
Answer: b) Babu Jagat Singh
Explanation: The article updates the historical account of the event, saying that Babu Jagat Singh commissioned the excavations in 1787-88 and Hispania Buddhist relics were accidentally discovered.
What was the recent discovery that elongated the history of Buddhist activity at Sarnath?
a) Evidence to show that Emperor Ashoka never came to Sarnath.
b) Signs of the activity before the reign of Emperor Ashoka.
c) A Jain temple complex that was previously unknown.
d) the original copy of the first sermon of Buddha.
Response: b) Signs of operations earlier than during the reign of Emperor Ashoka.
Explanation: The New Research section states that in 2013- 14, the excavations discovered that Buddhist activity existed before the reign of emperor Ashoka.
Why is the history of the Sarnath historical plaque important to the strategy?
a) To weaken the efforts of British archaeologists.
b) To enhance the nomination of Sarnath by India to the UNESCO World Heritage.
c) To generate increased tourist attraction on Japan.
d) To remove small grammatical mistakes on the old plaque.
Rationale: b) To reinforce the nomination of Sarnath to the UNESCO World Heritage by India.
Rationale: The article explicitly connects the revision to the nomination by the UNESCO, in that it is a part of that nomination of Sarnath by India to the UNESCO World Heritage List and will make Sarnath a better case.
Article 4: Sirarakhong Hattei Chilli Festival.
What is the legal label of the unusual identity and origin of the Hathei Chilli?
a) ISO Certification
b) Geographical Indication (GI) Tag.
c) Food safety and standards authority of India (FSSAI) license.
d) Organic Certification
Response: b) Geographical Indication (GI) Tag.
Elaboration: The article explains that the chilli possesses a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, and this is the symbol of the uniqueness of the product and guarantees authenticity.
In addition to economic and cultural celebration, what is an environmental initiative that is incorporated in the festival?
a) An initiative on the prohibition of plastic wrapping of the chilli.
b) An underground tree plantation drive under Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam.
c) Organic farming practices workshops.
d) A demonstration on the issue of deforestation in the Ukhrul district.
Response: b) Tree plantation drive within Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam.
Elucidation: Environmental Integration, this part explains the tree plantation campaign which was done as part of the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam initiative as being a special feature of the festival.
Article 5: Red Dragonfly Discovery.
What made it unusual that naturalists were surprised at the discovering of the Scarlet Dragonfly (Crocothemis erythraea) in Munnar?
a) Since it was before thought extinct.
b) It is typically situated in lowlands of warm areas, not mountain high temperatures.
c) It is not an Asian species, but African.
d) Since it was observed in an open forest rather than in open wetlands.
Answer: b) Since it can usually be found in warm lowlands and not cool highlands.
Explanation: The article highlights that the species is normally present in warmer and low land places and the