INSIGHT UPSC QUIZ

Desirable characteristics of a crop variety helps in easy adoption of that crop by the farmers. In this context, consider the following statements:

1. Incorporating desirable characters into crop varieties can be done through fertilisation.

2. Dwarfness is desired in cereals, so that less nutrients are consumed by these crops. 

3. Hybridisation refers to crossing between genetically similar plants.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

In the question given below, there are two statements marked as Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Read the statements given below carefully:

Assertion (A): The Sun at the sunrise or the sunset appears red whereas at noon, the Sun appears white.

Reason (R): Light from the Sun near the horizon passes through larger distance in the earth’s atmosphere than the light from the Sun overhead.

Choose the correct answer using the codes given below:

 Manure contains large quantities of organic matter and also supplies small quantities of nutrients to the soil. In this context, consider the following statements:

1. The organic matter in manure helps in improving the soil structure.

2. It increases the water holding capacity in sandy soils.

3. It causes water logging in clayey soils.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Consider the following statements: 

1. The ‘danger’ signal lights are red in colour as the red is least scattered by fog or smoke.

2. The sky appears dark to passengers flying at very high altitudes because of scattering of light. 

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Which of the following phenomena are caused due to ‘atmospheric refraction’?

1. Flickering of objects seen through a turbulent stream of hot air rising above a fire.

2. The reddening of the sun at sunrise and the sunset.

3. The apparent flattening of the Sun’s disc at sunrise and sunset.

4. The Sun is visible to us about 2 minutes before the actual sunrise, and about 2 minutes after the actual sunset.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Match the following pairs with reference to common air pollutants and its effect/impact on plants and animals:

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

 Some countries now use alcohol as an additive in petrol. In context of this, consider the following statements: 

1. Addition of alcohol increases the burning efficiency of petrol and reduces knocking.

2. Petrol added with small quantities of alcohol becomes more stable and doesn’t become too hot in warm areas or too cold in freezing temperatures.

3. Alcohol is a cleaner fuel which gives rise to only carbon dioxide and water on burning in sufficient oxygen.

Which of the statements given above is the correct reason for using alcohol as an additive in petrol?

 In the context of nature of light, read the following statements carefully: 

1. Light does not travel in the same direction in all mediums. 

2. Light propagates with different speeds in different mediums. 

3. Light travels fastest in air with speed of 3×10⁸ m/s. 

4. Speed of light reduces considerably in glass or water.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Unicellular organism are unique because they are made up of a single cell only. Which of the following is/are examples of unicellular organisms?

1. Amoeba

2. Yeast

3. Bacteria

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Read the following statements carefully and select the correct answer from codes given below:

1. The phenomenon of splitting of white light into its seven component colours by a prism is called dispersion.

2. While passing through a prism, the violet light bends the least while the red the most.

3. Isaac Newton was the first to use a glass prism to obtain the spectrum of sunlight.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?