Let's start our Mega Quiz

Q1. With reference to Project NEXUS coordinated by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Hub, consider the following statements:
1. Project NEXUS is an initiative conceived by the Bank for International Settlements Innovation Hub to connect domestic instant payment systems.
2. India's Reserve Bank of India joined Project NEXUS to link the Unified Payments Interface with the fast payment systems of ASEAN economies.
3. The project operates by creating a single global cryptocurrency token that replaces national fiat currencies in cross-border settlements.

Q2. With reference to the BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) Policy approved by the Union Cabinet, consider the following statements:
1. The BioE3 Policy was approved by the Union Cabinet to promote high-performance biomanufacturing and accelerate India's bio-economy.
2. The policy envisions setting up Bio-foundries and Bio-manufacturing hubs across sectors like precision biotherapeutics and bio-plastics.
3. The implementation of the policy is placed under the direct statutory control of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.

Q3. Consider the following statements regarding the provision of a Joint Sitting of Parliament under Article 108 of the Constitution:
1. A joint sitting of Parliament can be summoned by the President to resolve a legislative deadlock between the two Houses on an Ordinary Bill.
2. The joint sitting is presided over by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, or in their absence, by the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
3. The provision of a joint sitting is explicitly unavailable for Money Bills and Constitutional Amendment Bills.

Q4. With reference to Ecological Pyramids in marine and aquatic ecosystems, consider the following statements:
1. The pyramid of biomass in deep open ocean ecosystems is typically inverted because the standing crop of phytoplankton is smaller than that of zooplankton.
2. The rapid reproductive rate and short lifespan of phytoplankton generate high biological turnover that sustains larger consumer biomass.
3. The pyramid of energy in open ocean ecosystems becomes inverted whenever apex predatory sharks exceed secondary consumers.

Q5. With reference to CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing and advanced precision genetic tools, consider the following statements:
1. The CRISPR-Cas9 system utilizes a synthetic guide RNA to direct the Cas9 endonuclease to introduce double-strand breaks at specific DNA sequences.
2. The Cas9 enzyme requires a specific short sequence adjacent to the target site, known as the Protospacer Adjacent Motif (PAM), to initiate cleavage.
3. Base editing enzymes induce double-strand DNA breaks to randomly excise multi-gene segments without guide RNA mediation.