Q.1. Consider the following statements:
- Statement-I: Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted in January 2022, sending a large plume of water vapor into the stratosphere.
- Statement-II: In 2023, the Antarctic ozone hole made an untimely appearance, opening earlier than expected.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
- (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
- (b) Both Statement-1 and Statement-II are correct and statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
- (c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
- (d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement is correct
Answer: (a)
Source: ‘Modest’ 2023 Antarctic ozone hole ranks 12th overall but still sign of recovery (November 2, Down To Earth)
Explanation
- The size of the Antarctic ozone hole in 2023 was 10 million square miles at its peak on September 21. These measurements were provided by the US NOAA and NASA.
- Ranking 12th largest since 1979, the maximum annual size was noteworthy.
- The definition of the Antarctic ozone hole is the area with ozone levels below 220 Dobson units.
- Between September 7 and October 13 in 2023, the ozone hole averaged 8.9 million square miles in size, similar to the size of North America.
- Compared to previous years, the ozone hole’s average sizes were 8.91 million square miles in 2022 and 8.99 million square miles in 2021.
- Ozone layer depletion was first reported in 1985.
- Ozone depletion happens when chemical substances, especially those with chlorine and bromine, rise to the stratosphere.
- These chemicals break down and attack ozone molecules.
- Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), once commonly used in consumer products, are among these harmful substances.
- International agreements have led to a phase-out of CFCs.
- The Montreal Protocol of 1987 is a key treaty that has helped reduce CFCs and other dangerous chemicals emissions.
- As these substances decrease in the atmosphere, the ozone layer shows signs of healing.
- The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted in January 2022.
- This event may have greatly affected ozone depletion in 2023.
- The eruption caused a massive water vapor plume to enter the stratosphere.
- This could speed up the chemical reactions that lead to ozone reduction.
Read More about The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai Eruption
Q.2. Consider the following statements:
- Alan Turing is remembered as the ‘Father of Computer Science’
- ‘Colossus’ is regarded as the world’s first programmable, electronic digital computer
- During the World War-II, ‘Colossus’ broke the ‘Enigma codes’, developed by Germany
- Alan Turing developed ‘Bombe’, an electro-mechanical device
- ‘Bombs’ broke the ‘Lorenz cipher’ messages, used by the German High Command
How many of the above statements are correct?
- (a) Only 1
- (b) Only 2
- (c) 1, 4 and 5
- (d) 1, 2 and 4
Answer: d
Source: The Indian Express (Bletchley Park: Birthplace of modern computing, November 3)
Explanation
- Bletchley Park is often referred to as the birthplace of modern computing.
- When World War II began in 1939, to avoid German bombers, the Government code and Cypher School (GC&CS) of Britain moved out of London.
- During the war, Bletchley Park employed around 10,000 people, 70% of whom were women.
- These employees worked in absolute secrecy.
- Their main goal was to decode enemy messages, particularly the ‘unbreakable’ Enigma code.
- The Nazis used Enigma machines to encrypt radio messages.
- These machines scrambled the alphabet’s 26 letters into over 150 quintillion combinations.
- Because the settings were changed daily, breaking the code manually was impossible due to time constraints.
- British mathematician Alan Turing invented the ‘Bombe’, an electro-mechanical device that mimicked the actions of Enigma machines.
- The Bombe quickly identified the cipher, allowing the Allies to gain actionable intelligence.
- Another significant machine developed at Bletchley Park was the Colossus, designed by Tommy Flowers under Max Newman, to break the Lorenz cipher used by the German High Command.
- The Turing Bombe is considered the precursor to modern computers, and Alan Turing is often hailed as the ‘Father of Computer Science’.
- Many view the Colossus as the first programmable, electronic, digital computer in the world, and it was extremely advanced for its time.
Q.3. Match the following. Column-1 represents the Indian cities that have been included in the UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network in 2023. Column-II represents the categories they have been chosen for.
Indian Cities
- (a) Kozhikode
- (b) Gwalior
- (c) Srinagar
- (d) Chennai
Categories
- Literature
- Crafts & Folk Arts
- Music
- Film
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
- (a) Only one
- (b) Only two
- (c) Only three
- (d) Only four
Answer: (a)
Source: The Hindustan Times (Gwalior, Kozhikode among 55 new cities to join UNESCO Creative Cities Network, November 3); The Indian Express (UNESCO Names Kozhikode ‘City of Literature’: What This Tag Means, November 3)
Explanation:
- The United Nations’ World Cities Day takes place on October 31.
- On this day, UNESCO added 55 new cities to its Creative Cities Network (UCCN). These include Bukhara – Crafts and Folk Art, Casablanca – Media Arts, Chongqing – Design, Kathmandu – Film, Rio de Janeiro – Literature, and Ulaanbaatar – Crafts and Folk Art.
- Gwalior and Kozhikode from India are among the 55 new cities which have joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
- Kozhikode was included in the category of literature, and Gwalior in the category of music.
- Apart from Kozhikode and Gwalior, Varanasi (music), Srinagar (crafts and folk) and Chennai (music) are part of the network.
- Kozhikode, a city in North Kerala, is known for its rich literary and cultural heritage. It is home to many famous individuals from these fields.
- Many renowned writers such as SK Pottekkatt, Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, Uroob, Thikkodiyan, NN Kakkad, P Valsala, Akbar Kakkattil, Punathil Kunjabdulla, and MT Vasudevan Nair, have contributed to Kozhikode’s literary reputation.
- The city is the birthplace of the first Malayalam novel, Khundalatha, written by Appu Nedungadi in 1987.
- Kozhikode is also the headquarters of several leading media houses.
- The UCCN was launched in 2004 to encourage mutual cooperation among cities that focus on creativity as a key strategy for sustainable urban development.
- The theme of the 2024 conference is “Bringing Youth to the table for the next decade”.
- The new additions to the UCCN have been invited to join the Annual Conference in 2024, set to be held in Braga, Portugal.
- The UCCN now includes 350 cities in over a hundred countries. These cities represent seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts, and Music.