Current Affairs MCQ for UPSC Exams - 07 January 2020

Q1. Which of the following statements regarding the Hindu-Kush region stands true ?

1) It runs northeast to southwest and divides the valley of the Amu Darya (the ancient Oxus River) to the south from the Indus River valley in the north.
2) It contains vast cryospheric zones, is also the world’s largest store of snow and ice outside the polar region, and the source of 10 major rivers.
3) It was through the high passes of the Hindu Kush in about 1500 BC that invaders from Central Asia brought their Indo-European language—a forerunner of the Indo-Iranian languages spoken throughout the region today.

a) 1 & 2 only
b) 2 & 3 only
c) 1 & 3 only
d) all of the above

Q2. Which of the following pairs of food/cash crops and their largest production states in India are correctly matched ?

1) Rice : Punjab
2) Spices : West Bengal
3) Cotton : Gujarat
4) Sugarcane :Uttarpradesh
5) Pulses : Madhya Pradesh

a) 1,2& 4 only
b) 3,4 & 5 only
c) 2 ,4 & 5 only
d) all of the above

Q3. Scientists have developed a new method for detecting oxygen in exoplanet atmospheres that may accelerate the search for life. Which of the following statements regarding the same stands true ?

1) If an exoplanet is too close to its host star or receives too much star light, the atmosphere becomes very warm and saturated with water vapor from evaporating oceans.
2) When oxygen molecules collide with each other, they block parts of the infrared light spectrum from being seen by a telescope. By examining patterns in that light, they can determine the composition of the planet's atmosphere.
3) Around 90% of the exoplanets contains oxygen and nitrogen gases only.

a) 1 & 2 only
b) 2 & 3 only
c) 1 & 3 only
d) all of the above

Q4. With respect to the newly formed National Stock Exchange (NSE) Knowledge Hub, which of the following statements stands true ?

1) The NSE Knowledge Hub will enhance skills and help academic institutions in preparing future-ready talent for the financial service industry.
2) AI and Machine Learning will contribute USD 1 trillion by 2035 and this is a good beginning by NSE to tap the potential of AI and use it as a tool to create a workforce in the BFSI sector in India.
3) India has developed itself as the second largest fintech hub in the world.

a) 1 & 2 only
b) 2 & 3 only
c) 1 & 3 only
d) all of the above

Q5. A 5.8-magnitude quake hit Puerto Rico recently, unleashing small landslides, causing power outages and severely cracking some homes. The country is part of which of the following islands groups ?

a) Samaon islands
b) Carribean islands
c) Hawaiian islands
d) Mariana islands

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Answer :

1. (b) 2. (b) 3. (a) 4. (d) 5.(b)