Daily Quiz

Solution (c)
Explanation:
• The Navy has begun the process of converting the propulsion systems of its warships from steam to diesel in a major upgrade aimed at significantly enhancing their life, maintenance support and capability.
• The steam propulsion system has several auxiliary equipment and systems associated with it, making it more cumbersome and maintenance-intensive. (Statement 1 is incorrect)
• Several issues crop up in ships with steam propulsion, more so as they age. There are issues such as steam leaks and high temperatures in the boiler and engine rooms of these ships which contribute to uncomfortable working conditions for the crew. (Statement 2 is correct)
• Ships powered by diesel, on the other hand, are easier to maintain.
• Over the centuries, propulsion systems have evolved from wind to steam, gas turbines, diesel, nuclear and electricity.
• The Indian Navy is among the few in the world to have ships and submarines powered by steam, diesel, nuclear as well as electric. (Statement 3 is correct)
• A majority of the Indian Navy’s 150 ships and submarines are powered by diesel engines or gas turbines, or a combination of both. India has one indigenous nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, INS Arihant. (Statement 4 is correct)

Source: With INS Beas, Navy begins converting steam-powered warships to diesel (indianexpress.com)

Solution (a)

Explanation:

• Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) has filmed the passing of the moon in front of star Antares. Star Antares (Jyeshtha), which is the brightest red star in the constellation of Scorpius.
• While moving in its orbit roughly once a month, the moon will occasionally occult, or hide, bright stars that are behind, and sometimes even planets. (Statement 1 is correct)
• Since the moon is relatively close to the Earth, such occultations will be visible only from some locations on the globe. (Statement 2 is incorrect)
• IIA said this event was visible only from southern India. IIA filmed the event from its Bengaluru campus using a camera on an eight-inch telescope.

Source: Indian Institute of Astrophysics releases video of moon occulting Antares – The Hindu

Solution (a)

Explanation:

• The Global Plastics Treaty negotiations that concluded in Ottawa, Canada, were termed as disappointing. Nearly 192 member countries deliberated for nearly a week to iron out a legally binding agreement to “end plastic pollution”.  (Statement 1 is incorrect)
• This was the fourth round of talks since countries resolved in 2022 to eliminate plastics and formed an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC), which consisted of government representatives tasked with drawing up a timeline for countries to not only eliminate plastic use but also halt production.
• The close connection between plastics and the oil economies of prominent countries, the vast manufacturing businesses that revolve around making and supplying different grades of plastics, the near ubiquity of the polymer’s use in a variety of applications and the paucity of affordable, equivalent alternatives constitute the biggest roadblocks to its elimination. (Statement 2 is correct)
• India opposed restrictions on producing so called primary plastic polymers or virgin plastics, arguing that production reductions exceed the scope of UNEA [United Nations Environment Assembly] resolutions. (Statement 3 is incorrect)
• While acknowledging the chemicals used in plastic manufacturing, India highlighted that some are already subject to prohibition or regulation.

Source: Plastic treaty talks conclude in Ottawa with little progress – The Hindu

Solution (a)

Explanation:

• Unlike electrons, protons and neutrons are composite particles because they are further made up of quarks.
• Quarks can’t exist in isolation. They can only be found in groups of two or three, if not more. Such clumps of quarks are called hadrons.
• Protons and neutrons are common examples. Physicists have mostly studied quarks based on the behaviour of hadrons, and are also interested in how quarks clump together.
• A popular way of calculating the bulk properties of any material is to use an equation of state — an equation that, when solved with data about some of a material’s physical properties, reveals the values of other properties.
• For neutron stars, the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equation is very complex but it assigns a probability to the presence of quarks within neutron stars. Hence option (a) is correct.

Source: Particles called quarks hold the key to the final fate of some stars – The Hindu

Solution (c)

Explanation:

• A deep-dive research report from Goldman Sachs, evocatively titled ‘India’s rise as the emerging services factory of the world’, has captured India’s recent success in providing global services and sought to forecast growth prospects and risks in the medium term.
• The take-off trajectory of the country’s IT services sector, unleashed after critical economic reforms in 1991, is well known.
• The country’s share in global services outflows has risen from under 2% in 2005 to 4.6% in 2023. (Statement 1 is correct)
• India’s export growth has been the third fastest globally since 2005, behind Singapore and Ireland. (Statement 2 is incorrect)
• India’s services exports will be worth $800 billion by 2030, up from $340 billion last year as the growth strengthens the external sector against supply-side shocks and reduces rupee volatility. (Statement 3 is correct)

Source: The services story: On India’s success – The Hindu