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The first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, was launched by _______.
- USA
- USSR (Soviet Union)
- China
- India
Answer: USSR (Soviet Union)
Sputnik 1 was launched by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957, marking the beginning of the Space Age.
The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), the lead center of ISRO for launch vehicle development, is located in _______.
- Bengaluru
- Sriharikota
- Thiruvananthapuram
- Hyderabad
Answer: Thiruvananthapuram
VSSC is located in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. It is the main center for the design and development of launch vehicle technology for ISRO.
The Hubble Space Telescope was launched into low Earth orbit in _______.
- 1980
- 1990
- 2000
- 2010
Answer: 1990
The Hubble Space Telescope was launched by NASA in April 1990. It has provided some of the most detailed images of the universe, revolutionizing astronomy.
A satellite that remains fixed over a specific point on the Earth's equator is in a _______ orbit.
- Polar
- Geostationary
- Low Earth
- Sun-synchronous
Answer: Geostationary
A Geostationary Orbit (GEO) is a circular orbit 35,786 km above the Earth's equator, following the direction of Earth's rotation. An object in such an orbit has an orbital period equal to the Earth's rotational period, appearing stationary to ground observers.
The heaviest launch vehicle developed by ISRO, capable of lifting heavy payloads to geostationary transfer orbit, is _______.
- PSLV
- GSLV Mk III (LVM3)
- SSLV
- ASLV
Answer: GSLV Mk III (LVM3)
GSLV Mk III, now renamed LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3), is ISRO's heaviest operational launch vehicle, used for launching heavy satellites like Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3, and OneWeb satellites.
The first human to travel into space was _______.
- Neil Armstrong
- Yuri Gagarin
- Buzz Aldrin
- Rakesh Sharma
Answer: Yuri Gagarin
Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to journey into outer space on April 12, 1961, aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft.
INSAT series of satellites are primarily used for _______ purposes.
- Interplanetary exploration
- Communication and Meteorology
- Military surveillance only
- Lunar mapping
Answer: Communication and Meteorology
The Indian National Satellite (INSAT) system is one of the largest domestic communication satellite systems in the Asia-Pacific region, used for telecommunications, television broadcasting, and meteorology.
The headquarters of ISRO is located in _______.
- Sriharikota
- Thiruvananthapuram
- Bengaluru
- Ahmedabad
Answer: Bengaluru
ISRO headquarters is in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Sriharikota is the launch site (SDSC SHAR), and Thiruvananthapuram houses VSSC (Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre).
The full form of PSLV, a reliable launch vehicle of ISRO, is _______.
- Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
- Planetary Satellite Launch Vehicle
- Polar Space Launch Vehicle
- Private Satellite Launch Vehicle
Answer: Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
PSLV stands for Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. It is known as the 'Workhorse of ISRO' for its ability to launch satellites into polar orbits.
The first satellite launched by India was named _______.
- Bhaskara
- Aryabhata
- Rohini
- INSAT
Answer: Aryabhata
Aryabhata was India's first satellite, launched on April 19, 1975, from the Soviet Union using a Kosmos-3M rocket. It was named after the ancient Indian mathematician Aryabhata.
Integrated disease surveillance under One Health monitors pathogens at the ________ interface to prevent spillover events.
- Human-Animal-Environment
- Urban-Rural
- Land-Water
- Local-Global
Answer: Human-Animal-Environment
One Health surveillance links human health, veterinary, wildlife, environmental data to detect zoonotic threats early (e.g., Nipah, avian flu). India's IDSP incorporates animal health components. [[MoHFW, MoEFCC Reports]]
The National Digital Literacy Mission measures competency in using digital devices, internet, and ________ services.
- Banking
- Government
- Healthcare
- All of these
Answer: All of these
Digital literacy includes accessing e-governance (DigiLocker, UMANG), digital payments (UPI), teleconsultations. PMGDISHA curriculum covers these practical skills for rural empowerment. [[MeitY Reports]]
Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) can be produced from ________ via Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.
- Coal
- Natural gas
- Biomass/waste
- All of these
Answer: Biomass/waste
SAF from agricultural residues, municipal waste, algae via thermochemical/biochemical routes. Drop-in fuels compatible with existing aircraft; reduce lifecycle emissions by up to 80%. India's SAF policy under development. [[MoCA, MNRE Reports]]
Effective climate communication tailors messages to audience values, using ________ to motivate action.
- Fear appeals
- Hope-based narratives
- Local examples
- All of these
Answer: All of these
Evidence-based communication: balance urgency with agency, use trusted messengers, connect to local impacts/solutions. Critical for public engagement, policy support. India's climate outreach leverages cultural narratives. [[MoEFCC, NITI Aayog Reports]]
Exascale computing systems perform at least ________ floating-point operations per second.
- 10¹⁵
- 10¹⁸
- 10²¹
- 10²⁴
Answer: 10¹⁸
Exascale = 10¹⁸ FLOPS; enables complex simulations: climate modeling, drug discovery, fusion research. India's National Supercomputing Mission aims for exascale capability by 2028. [[MeitY, DST Reports]]
Deep learning models like DeepVariant improve the accuracy of ________ calling from next-generation sequencing data.
- Gene
- Variant
- Expression
- Methylation
Answer: Variant
DeepVariant uses CNNs to interpret sequencing reads, reducing false positives/negatives in SNP/indel detection. Critical for clinical genomics, population studies. IndiGen project leverages such tools for Indian genome diversity. [[ICMR, DBT Reports]]
India contributes to the Digital Public Goods Alliance by open-sourcing platforms like ________ for global adoption.
- Aadhaar
- UPI
- CoWIN
- All of these
Answer: All of these
DPGA recognizes open-source solutions that advance SDGs. India shares CoWIN (vaccination), UPI (payments), MOSIP (identity) as digital public goods. Promotes South-South cooperation in digital transformation. [[MeitY, NITI Aayog Reports]]
Edible films made from ________ proteins or polysaccharides offer biodegradable alternatives to plastic packaging.
- Synthetic
- Plant/Animal
- Petroleum-based
- Metallic
Answer: Plant/Animal
Biopolymers: zein (corn), whey (milk), chitosan (crustacean), alginate (seaweed) form edible/biodegradable films. Reduce plastic waste; challenges: mechanical strength, moisture barrier. Research at Indian food tech institutes. [[MoFPI Reports, NCERT Chemistry Class 12]]
India's National Climate Data Centre (NCDC) under IMD archives and disseminates ________ data for research and policy.
- Weather
- Climate
- Ocean
- All of these
Answer: All of these
NCDC maintains long-term records of temperature, rainfall, cyclones, sea surface temperature, etc. Essential for climate monitoring, attribution studies, adaptation planning. Open data policy supports scientific community. [[IMD, MoES Reports]]
Quantum sensors exploit quantum ________ to achieve unprecedented precision in measuring gravity, magnetic fields, and time.
- Entanglement
- Superposition
- Interference
- All of these
Answer: All of these
Quantum metrology uses entangled states, superposition, interference to surpass classical limits. Applications: mineral exploration (gravimetry), brain imaging (magnetometry), navigation (atomic clocks). India's quantum mission prioritizes sensor development. [[DST Reports]]