GK Questions

Answer: NavIC

NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) is India's independent regional satellite navigation system with 7 satellites. Provides positioning accuracy better than 20m over India and 1500 km surrounding area. Used in transportation, disaster management, and mobile devices. GLONASS (Russia), Galileo (EU), BeiDou (China) are other global systems.

Answer: ROM

ROM (Read-Only Memory) is non-volatile memory that stores firmware like BIOS/UEFI. Data is written during manufacturing and generally cannot be modified by users. Unlike RAM which is volatile, ROM retains critical boot instructions even after power loss. Variants include PROM, EPROM, EEPROM.

Answer: PMGDISHA

PMGDISHA (Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan) aims to make 6 crore rural adults digitally literate by training them to operate computers, access internet, use digital payments, and avail e-governance services. Implemented through Common Service Centres (CSCs) across villages.

Answer: False

2FA significantly reduces risk but doesn't eliminate it. Attackers can bypass 2FA via SIM swapping, phishing for OTPs, malware capturing tokens, or social engineering. Best practice: use authenticator apps or hardware tokens instead of SMS, monitor account activity, and use unique passwords.

Answer: Smart Contracts

DeFi protocols use smart contracts to automate financial services: lending (Aave), trading (Uniswap), derivatives, and yield farming. Operate on public blockchains (Ethereum, Solana) with transparent, permissionless access. Risks include smart contract bugs, volatility, and regulatory uncertainty. Critical for fintech innovation questions.

Answer: True

4D printing uses smart materials (shape-memory polymers, hydrogels) that transform when exposed to heat, moisture, light, or magnetic fields. Applications: self-assembling structures, adaptive medical devices, and responsive textiles. Emerging research area with potential in aerospace, healthcare, and soft robotics.

Answer: LIDAR

LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) uses laser pulses to create high-resolution 3D maps of surroundings, enabling object detection, classification, and distance measurement. Combined with cameras, radar, and GPS for robust perception. Critical for self-driving cars, drones, and mobile robots. Important for autonomous systems questions.

Answer: Coherence

Coherence time (T1 for energy relaxation, T2 for phase decoherence) determines how many quantum operations can be performed before errors dominate. Longer coherence enables more complex algorithms. Improved via better materials, shielding, and error correction. Critical metric for comparing quantum hardware platforms.

Answer: NFT Royalties

NFT smart contracts can embed royalty clauses (e.g., 5-10%) that automatically pay creators on each resale in secondary markets. Enables sustainable creator economies in metaverse platforms. Implemented on Ethereum, Polygon, and other chains. Critical for digital ownership and creator monetization questions.

Answer: True

ZK-proofs enable one party to prove knowledge of a secret (e.g., valid transaction) without revealing the secret itself. Applications: privacy-preserving cryptocurrencies (Zcash), identity verification, and confidential smart contracts. Computationally intensive but advancing with zk-SNARKs/zk-STARKs. Critical for privacy and scalability questions.

Answer: Heat Treatment

Heat treatment (annealing, stress relieving) reduces residual stresses from rapid melting/solidification in metal AM, improving dimensional stability and mechanical properties. Other post-processing: support removal, machining, surface finishing. Critical for qualifying AM parts for aerospace/medical applications. Important for manufacturing process questions.

Answer: Closed-loop / Feedback

Closed-loop control continuously compares desired vs actual state (via sensors) and adjusts actuators to minimize error. Contrasts with open-loop (no feedback). Essential for precision tasks: assembly, welding, autonomous navigation. PID controllers are common implementation. Critical for robotics control theory questions.

Answer: Grover's Algorithm

Grover's Algorithm searches an unsorted database of N items in O(√N) queries vs O(N) classically. Applications: optimization, cryptography, and machine learning. Less dramatic than Shor's exponential speedup but broadly applicable. Requires coherent quantum operations; noise limits practical advantage on NISQ devices.

Answer: True

Persistence is a defining feature of metaverse: virtual environments, economies, and social interactions continue evolving independently of individual user presence. Enabled by cloud infrastructure, blockchain state, and server-side simulation. Critical for distinguishing metaverse from ephemeral VR experiences or video games.

Answer: Hyperledger Fabric

Hyperledger Fabric is a permissioned blockchain framework by Linux Foundation, designed for enterprise use: modular architecture, private channels, pluggable consensus, and identity management. Used in supply chain, trade finance, and healthcare. Contrasts with public chains (Bitcoin, Ethereum) which prioritize decentralization over privacy/performance.

Answer: Topology

Topology optimization uses algorithms to distribute material optimally within design constraints (loads, boundaries), creating lightweight, efficient structures often with organic shapes. Enabled by additive manufacturing which can produce complex geometries impossible with subtractive methods. Critical for aerospace, automotive, and biomedical applications.

Answer: Python/C++

ROS supports Python (for rapid prototyping, AI/ML integration) and C++ (for performance-critical components). Provides libraries for perception, planning, control, and simulation. Widely adopted in research and industry. Understanding ROS architecture is valuable for robotics engineering questions in technical exams.

Answer: True

QKD (Quantum Key Distribution) uses quantum properties (no-cloning theorem, measurement disturbance) to detect eavesdropping during key exchange. If intercepted, quantum states change, alerting parties. Provides information-theoretic security, unlike computational security of RSA/ECC. Deployed in limited networks; scaling challenges remain.

Answer: DID (Decentralized Identifiers)

DIDs are self-sovereign identifiers stored on blockchain, giving users control over their digital identity without central authorities. Enable portable profiles, verifiable credentials, and privacy-preserving authentication across metaverse platforms. Part of W3C standards. Critical for user sovereignty and interoperability questions.

Answer: Tokenization

Tokenization represents ownership of physical/digital assets (real estate, art, commodities) as blockchain tokens, enabling fractional ownership, instant settlement, and global liquidity. Requires legal frameworks and oracle services for real-world data. Pilots in India for land records, supply chain, and financial assets. Important for fintech innovation questions.