Daily UPSC Prelims Current Affairs – March 17, 2023 [Mock Test]
April 2, 2023 April 2, 2023
1. Consider the following statements about Eco-sensitive zones:
- These can be declared by the state government under the biological diversity act, 2002.
- They are a type in-situ conservation.
- Commercial use of natural water and erection of electrical cables are the prohibited activities.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 2
[C] Only 1 & 2
[D] 1. 2 & 3
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Only 2]
Notes:- The National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)stipulated that state governments should declare land falling within 10 km of the boundaries of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries as eco-fragile zones or Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) under the Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986.
- Commercial mining, saw mills, industries causing pollution (air, water, soil, noise etc), establishment of major hydroelectric projects (HEP) commercial use of wood etc are prohibited.
- Felling of trees, establishment of hotels and resorts, commercial use of natural water, erection of electrical cables, drastic change of agriculture system, e.g., adoption of heavy technology, pesticides etc, widening of roads are restricted.
- Ongoing agricultural or horticultural practices, rainwater harvesting, organic farming, use of renewable energy sources, adoption of green technology for all activities are permitted.
- ESZs help in in-situ conservation, which deals with conservation of an endangered species in its natural habitat.
2. Which of the following are the members of the Association of Asian Election Authorities (AAEA)?
- India
- Philippines
- Taiwan
- Sri Lanka
- Maldives
Choose the correct answer using the codes given below:
[A] Only 1, 2 & 3
[B] Only 2, 3 & 4
[C] Only 1, 4 & 5
[D] 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [1, 2, 3, 4 & 5]
Notes:- Recently in May 2022, India has been unanimously elected as the new Chair of the Association of Asian Election Authorities (AAEA)for 2022-2024.
- The newly added members to the Executive board include Russia, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Taiwan and Philippines.
- AAEA was established in 1998 in pursuance of the resolution passed by participants of the Symposium on Asian Elections in the 21st century held from January 26-29, 1997 in Manila, Philippines.
- Currently 20 Asian Election Monitoring Bodies are members of AAEA.
- AAEA is also an Associate Member of the 118-memberAssociation of World Election Bodies (A-WEB).
- Election commission of India (ECI) is a founder member EMB of the AAEA and also served on the Executive Board of the AAEA as the Vice Chair during 2011-13 and Chair during 2014-16.
- Its objective is to provide a non-partisan forum in the Asian region for sharing experiences and best practices among election authorities.
3. Consider the following statements:
- A cloning vector is a small DNA fragment that should be capable of working under the prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems.
- Plasmids are the vectors that encode proteins which are necessary for their own replication.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 2
[C] Both 1 & 2
[D] Neither 1 nor 2
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Both 1 & 2]
Notes:- A cloning vector is a small DNA fragment that has the stability to act as a vector for cloning purposes. Usually, foreign DNA (gene of interest) is inserted into the cloning vector. After reaching the target cell, they can replicate and integrate with the target or host. These vectors can be of a virus cell, bacterial cell or even plasmid of a bacterial cell. The vector has features like origin of replication, a selectable marker and cloning sites to facilitate replication in the vector. It should be capable of working under the prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems.
- Plasmids were the first vectors used in gene cloning. These are found in bacteria, eukaryotes and archaea. These are natural, extrachromosomal, self-replicating DNA molecules. They have a high copy number and possess antibiotic-resistant genes. They encode proteins which are necessary for their own replication.
- Bacteriophage are more efficient than plasmids for cloning large DNA inserts. Phage λ and M13 phage are commonly used bacteriophages in gene cloning.
