Daily Quiz

Solution (c)
Explanation:
• The executive and governing boards of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) — a high-level body conceived to give strategic direction to scientific research in India — have no representation from Indian industry, suggests a perusal of the list of members made public by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) earlier this week.
• The ANRF has been established under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) 2023 Act. This Act provides the legal framework for the foundation’s establishment and operation. (Option (a) is correct)
• The ANRF is designed to act as an apex body that provides high-level strategic direction for scientific research in India, in line with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP). (Option (b) is correct)
• The ANRF aims to promote R&D and foster a culture of research and innovation across India’s universities, colleges, research institutions, and R&D laboratories. Therefore, it does not focus only on research institutions and R&D laboratories but also includes colleges and universities within its ambit. The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) has been subsumed into the ANRF, broadening its scope to cover a wide range of educational and research entities. (Option (c) is incorrect)
• The ANRF is intended to forge collaborations among industry, academia, and government departments and research institutions, and create an interface mechanism for the participation and contribution of industries and State governments, in addition to the scientific and line ministries. (Option (d) is correct)

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/no-indian-industry-in-board-of-revamped-national-research-foundation/article68364162.ece#:~:text=The%20absence%20of%20Indian%20industry,as%20outside%20sources%E2%80%9D%2C%20Science%20Minister

Solution (a)

Explanation:

• The Milky Way is a spiral galaxy. Spiral galaxies are characterized by their flat, rotating disk shape with a central bulge and spiral arms. The Milky Way has prominent spiral arms that contain stars, gas, and dust. Other examples of spiral galaxies include the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) and the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51). (Option (a) is correct)
• Elliptical galaxies have an ellipsoidal shape and generally contain older, red stars with little gas and dust, meaning they have minimal new star formation. Examples of elliptical galaxies include M87 and M60. (Option (b) is incorrect)
• Lenticular galaxies are an intermediate type between spiral and elliptical galaxies. They have a central bulge and a disk like spiral galaxies but lack spiral arms and have less interstellar matter. Examples include NGC 2787 and NGC 1023. (Option (c) is incorrect)
• Irregular galaxies do not have a distinct regular shape like spiral or elliptical galaxies. They often have chaotic appearances without a central bulge or spiral arms. Examples include the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Small Magellanic Cloud. (Option (d) is incorrect)

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/universe-spiral-galaxies-4-billion-years-sooner-than-expected-jwst-data/article68362237.ece#:~:text=A%20new%20study%20has%20revealed,those%20with%20or%20without%20bulges.

Solution (b)
Explanation:
• The statement ‘They utilize the wave-particle duality of photons to achieve high-speed internet’ describes the concept behind optical communications, which uses light (photons) for high-speed data transmission but does not encompass the full scope of quantum technologies. (Option (a) is incorrect)
• Quantum technologies, particularly quantum computing, utilize the principles of superposition (a quantum system can exist in multiple states simultaneously) and entanglement (particles can be correlated with each other instantaneously over distance) to perform computations that are exponentially faster than classical computers. (Option (b) is correct)
• Nanophotonics or optoelectronics involves the use of semiconductor materials to manipulate light at a very small scale, but it does not fully capture the essence of quantum technologies. (Option (c) is incorrect)
• Classical mechanics is not used to describe particle behavior at microscopic scales; quantum mechanics is. Classical mechanics applies to macroscopic scales and does not account for quantum phenomena like superposition and entanglement. (Option (d) is incorrect)

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/science/india-gap-bridge-quantum-capabilities-report-9429549/#:~:text=USD%202.35%20billion).-,India%20was%20far%20behind%20of%20the%20United%20States%20and%20China,in%20terms%20of%20committed%20investments.

Solution (c)

Explanation:

• IndiaAI Compute Capacity is a component of the IndiaAI mission aimed at building a high-end scalable AI computing ecosystem to cater to the demands of AI start-ups and research. The ecosystem will include AI compute infrastructure of 10,000 or more GPUs. (Statement 1 is correct)
• IndiaAI Innovation Centre component focuses on the development and deployment of indigenous Large Multimodal Models (LMMs) and domain-specific foundational models in critical sectors. (Statement 2 is correct)
• IndiaAI Startup Financing component is designed to support and accelerate deep-tech AI startups by providing them access to funding for futuristic AI projects. (Statement 3 is correct)
• IndiaAI Standup Centre does not exist within the scope of the IndiaAI mission. (Statement 4 is incorrect)

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/business/india-ai-gpu-ashwini-vaishnaw-9429880/#:~:text=The%20Centre%20will%20roll%20out,Minister%20Ashwini%20Vaishnaw%20said%20Wednesday.

Solution (d)

Explanation:

• The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is a military alliance of 31 countries from North America and Europe, established in 1949 to promote mutual defense and security against aggression.
• The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) was established with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty, also known as the Washington Treaty, on April 4, 1949. The treaty was signed in Washington, D.C., hence the name. (Statement 1 is correct)
• Article 51 of the United Nations Charter recognizes the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs against a member of the United Nations. NATO bases its collective defense principle on this article, which allows member states to come to each other’s defense. (Statement 2 is correct)
• Article 5 of the Washington Treaty states that an armed attack against one or more of the NATO members is considered an attack against all members. This principle of collective defense has been a cornerstone of NATO since its founding. (Statement 3 is correct)

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/books/till-russia-do-us-part-nato-at-75-an-enduring-alliance/article68362937.ece#:~:text=The%20North%20Atlantic%20Treaty%20Organisation,alliance%2C%20making%20it%20feel%20relevant