[Mission 2022] QUIZ – 2022: INSIGHTS STATIC QUIZ, 12 April 2022 – Science & Technology and IR – INSIGHTSIAS

Solution: b)

Superconductivity is a phenomenon that, so far, has been possible only at extremely low temperatures, in the range of 100°C below zero. The search for a material that exhibits superconductivity at room temperature, or at least manageable low temperatures, has been going on for decades.

Superconductivity is a state in which a material shows absolutely zero electrical resistance. While resistance is a property that restricts the flow of electricity, superconductivity allows unhindered flow. Because of zero resistance, superconducting materials can save huge amounts of energy, and be used to make highly efficient electrical appliances.

Solution: c)

Darknet refers to the deep hidden internet platform that is used for narcotics sale, exchange of pornographic content and other illegal activities by using the secret alleys of the onion router (ToR) to stay away from the surveillance of law enforcement agencies. Owing to its end-to-end encryption, darknet is considered very tough to crack when it comes to investigating criminal activities being rendered over it.

Darknets in general may be used for various reasons, such as:

• Computer crime (cracking, file corruption, etc.)
• Protecting dissidents from political reprisal
• File sharing (warez, personal files, pornography, confidential files, illegal or counterfeit software, etc.)
• To better protect the privacy rights of citizens from targeted and mass surveillance
• Sale of restricted goods on darknet markets
• Whistleblowing and news leaks
• Purchase or sale of illicit or illegal goods or services^[18]
• Circumventing network censorship and content-filtering systems, or bypassing restrictive firewall policies

Solution: c)

In physics, the Archimedes Principle refers to the law of buoyancy (the ability or tendency of something to float in water or other fluids).

According to the principle, when an object is completely or partially submerged in a fluid, whether gas or liquid, it is acted upon by an upward force (buoyancy) equal to the weight of the fluid it has displaced.

The force acting downward on the object is the weight of the object. The upward force is the one given by the Archimedes Principle. The difference between the two forces is the net force acting on the object.

If the buoyant force is more than the weight, the object rises; if it is less, the object sinks. If the net force is zero, the object remains in place, and neither rises nor sinks.

Solution: d)

Cord blood banking involves taking the umbilical cord blood, which is a rich source of stem cells, and preserving it for future use. 

Using the stem cells in cord blood to treat a disease has the following benefits compared with using those in bone marrow:

• Stem cells from cord blood can be given to more people than those from bone marrow. More matches are possible when a cord blood transplant is used than when a bone marrow transplant is used. In addition, the stem cells in cord blood are less likely to cause rejectionthan those in bone marrow.
• It is harder to collect bone marrow than it is to collect cord blood. Collecting bone marrow poses some risks and can be painful for the donor.
• Cord blood can be frozen and stored. It is ready for anyone who needs it. Bone marrow must be used soon after it is collected.
• Stem cells in cord blood can be used to strengthen the immune system during cancer treatments. Bone marrow stem cells do not have this capability.

Solution: c)

The Gujral Doctrine is a milestone in India’s foreign policy propounded and initiated in 1996 by I.K. Gujral, the then Foreign Minister.

The doctrine is a five-point roadmap to guide the conduct of India’s foreign relations with its immediate neighbours. These five principles are as follows:

• With the neighbours like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, India should not ask for reciprocity, but give to them what it can in good faith.
• No South Asian country should allow its territory to be used against the interest of another country of the region.
• No country should interfere in the internal affairs of another country.
• All South Asian countries should respect each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
• All South Asian countries should settle all their disputes through peaceful bilateral negotiations.

The doctrine advocates that India, being the biggest country in South Asia, should extend unilateral concessions to the smaller neighbours.