Civils Prelims
2024 Model Questions
ASPSC GROUP – 1
MAINS EXAM , 2024
SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY TEST 13
(Prepared on 18.5.2024
)
Prepared by :
Praturi Potayya
Sarma MA(OU),LLB)OU),PGDIRP
GENERAL STUDIES / Model
Questions based on (Current Affairs)
TOPICS: SCIENCE
& TECHNOLOGY,ENVIRONMENT
1)Consider the following about Avian influenza (bird flu
) :
1)Avian influenza (bird flu) is a highly contagious
viral infection that primarily affects birds.
2)An emerging new lineage 2.3.4.4b of avian influenza has
been spreading across the globe since late 2020, carried by migratory birds
following specific routes.
3)This panzootic has a significant effect on the avian
population with disastrous consequences to the ecology and significant economic
loss affecting poultry across the world. In rare instances, the virus can
infect mammals from birds causing spillovers, and in recent years, several such
instances of spillovers spanning over 200 species have been noted, the most
recent being polar bears in Antarctica. Close contact with infected animals
could mean the virus could spill over infecting humans and this comes with a
significantly large fatality rate.
4)
Researchers sequenced the H5N1 virus from both the infected Texas cows and the
human case and found that both viruses belonged to clade 2.3.4.4b of H5N1, with
the human strain having one minor mutation potentially linked to adaptation in
mammals. However, this change has not led to increased transmissibility among
humans, and the overall public health risk remains low according to the CDC.
Since late 2021, H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b has circulated in wild birds in the U.S
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4
(c ) 1 and 2
(d ) Either 1 or 3
Ans : b
2) Consider the following about rat hole mining :
1) Rat-hole mining involves digging small
tunnels large enough for a person to crawl through to extract coal.
2) A one-member panel appointed by the High Court of Meghalaya to
handle coal-related issues has flagged the lack of progress in restoring the
environment damaged by rat-hole coal mining in the northeastern State.
3) The High Court appointed Justice Katakey in April 2022 to
recommend measures to the Meghalaya government in compliance with the directions
issued by the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which had
banned the hazardous rat-hole coal mining in April 2014.
4) It said that the people living in areas around the mines — most
of them abandoned — continue to suffer due to continued acid mine drainage from
the mine pits that have not been closed yet.
5)The
committee also said that auditing the source of coal used in the coke oven,
ferroalloy, and captive power plants of cement factories was under way and
expected to be completed within three weeks
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4,5
(c ) 1 and 2
(d ) Either 1 or 3
Ans : b
3)Consider the following about ‘doxxing’ :
1)The act of digitally publicising a person’s private details is
called doxxing, or doxing.
2)Doxxers generally publicise highly personal data such as other
people’s home addresses, phone numbers, private email IDs, medical conditions,
government documents, social security numbers, live locations, insurance
information, private employment details, etc.
3)Such information is usually obtained through illegal methods
such as hacking or theft.
4)However, publicising private or semi-public content that an
individual did not intend to share for public consumption can also result in doxxing
and harassment.
5) Doxxing does not end with bringing the perpetrator to
justice. These users often share details that easily allow others worldwide to
launch their own attacks against the victim, making it harder for the police to
take action against all those who are responsible
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4,5
(c ) 1 and 2
(d ) Either 1 or 3
Ans : b
4) Consider the following about Soloman islands :
1)Solomon Islanders
headed to the polls , voting in an election that promises to bolster or
blunt China’s regional ambitions, with security consequences that will ripple
far beyond the Pacific nation’s palm-fringed shores.
2)The archipelago, one of the world’s least-developed countries,
is the unlikely focal point of a diplomatic scramble pitting China against
Western rivals.
3)Solomon Islands has veered into China’s orbit under Prime
Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who inked a security pact with Beijing in 2022.
4) The former British colony gained independence in 1978, establishing
diplomatic relations with Taiwan as one of its earliest foreign partners
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4
(c ) 1 and 2
(d ) Either 1 or 3
Ans : b
5) Consider the following about IMD forecast :
1)While several States reel under heatwaves, the India
Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a bountiful monsoon for the year.
The agency has forecast that the rainfall in June-September,2024 will be 6%
more than the annual average of 87 cm during these months.
2)Last year, El Nino phenomenon dented India’s monsoon by 6%.
3)This year, the El Nino has not yet fully faded but is expected
to do so by June and progress to La Nina, a converse cooling effect that is
usually linked to surplus rainfall by the second half of the monsoon , said IMD
Director-General.
4)The IMD uses multiple approaches to forecast the monsoon:
i)One is to use statistical associations and draw upon its vast
historical database to correlate certain global meteorological parameters to
the performance of the monsoon.
ii)The other way is simulating the weather across the globe on a
particular day, and having powerful computers crunch the numbers to extrapolate
this weather into any future day or time period desired.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4,5
(c ) 1 and 2
(d ) Either 1 or 3
Ans : b
5) Consider the following about Summary of the Forecast of Rainfall during Southwest
Monsoon Season, 2024:
1) there will be 106% of the
Long Period Average (LPA) with a model error of ± 5%. The LPA of the
season rainfall over the country as a whole is 87 cm based on data of
1971-2020.
2) the
expected La Nina, positive IOD and below normal snow cover over northern
hemisphere would be favourable for rainfall during southwest monsoon season
2024.
3) moderate
El Niño conditions are prevailing over the equatorial Pacific region and the
Climate model forecasts indicate neutral condition by the beginning of monsoon
season and La Niña conditions during second half of monsoon season.
4) at
present neutral Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) conditions are prevailing and Climate
model forecast indicate positive IOD conditions likely to develop during the
monsoon season.
5) since
Sea Surface temperature conditions over the pacific and the Indian Ocean are
known to have a strong influence on the Indian Monsoon, IMD is carefully
monitoring the evolution of sea surface conditions over these ocean basins.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4,5
(c ) 1 and 2
(d ) Either 1 or 3
Ans : b
6)Consider the following about El Nino affecting Indian monsoon
rains :
The
India Meteorological Department’s prediction of an above normal monsoon this
year 2024 , the first such forecast in eight years, bodes well for the
economy’s growth and inflation outlook but the projection of below-par rainfall
in parts of eastern, northeastern and northwestern India highlights the risks.
1) The
warming phase of (El Nino Southern Oscillaion) ENSO cycle is known as El Nino
and its cooling phase as La Nina. It is characterised by the unusual cooling of
the central and east-central equatorial Pacific Ocean.
2) “La Nina conditions are likely to develop during second half of
monsoon season. At present, neutral IOD conditions are prevailing over the
Indian Ocean and the latest climate model forecasts indicate that the positive
IOD conditions are likely to develop during the later part of the southwest
monsoon season,
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c ) Both 1 and 2
(d ) Neither 1 nor
2
Ans : c
7)Consider the following :
1)
National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO)
2)
Transplantation of Human Organs & Tissues Act (THOTA), 1994
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c ) Both 1 and 2
(d ) Neither 1 nor
2
Ans : c
8) Consider the following about Sovereign Green Bonds :
1)Reserve Bank of India (RBI) green lighted investments in the
country’s Sovereign Green Bonds (SGrBs) by Foreign Institutional Investors
(FIIS) — investors such as insurance companies, pension funds and
nation-states’ sovereign wealth funds.
2) SGrBs are a kind of government debt that specifically
funds projects attempting to accelerate India’s transition to a low carbon
economy.
3)
SGrBs yield lower interest than conventional G-Secs, and the amount foregone by
a bank by investing in them is called a greenium
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c ) 1,2,3
(d ) Neither 1 nor
2
Ans : c
9) Consider the following :
1)In the 2022-23 Union Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman announced the government’s decision to issue SGrBs to accelerate
funding government projects such as harnessing offshore wind, grid-scale solar
power production, or encouraging the transition to battery operated Electric
Vehicles (EVs).
2)But the RBI had not created a green taxonomy, or a way to
assess an investment’s environmental, or emissions credentials to ensure the
project is not an attempt at greenwashing, that is, faking green credentials to
secure funding.
3)To address this gap, the Finance Ministry released India’s
first SGrB Framework on November 9, 2022 detailing the kind of projects that
would receive funding through this class of G-Secs.
4)These included “investments in solar/wind/biomass/hydropower
energy projects (under 25 MW) that integrate energy generation and storage;
supporting public lighting improvements (e.g. replacement with LEDs);
supporting construction of new low-carbon buildings as well as
energy-efficiency retrofits to existing buildings; projects to reduce
electricity grid losses.”
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4
(c ) 1 and 2
(d ) Either 1 or 3
Ans : b
10) Consider the following :
1)In December 2023, four
Indian climate scientists arrived in Oslo to begin acclimatisation for India’s
maiden winter expedition at the Arctic
2)Himadri, India’s research station in the International Arctic
Research Base at Svalbard in Norway, had until then hosted missions only in the summer.
3)A winter expedition entails living in the intense cold (as low
as -15 degrees Celsius) after a period of rigorous acclimatisation. More
concerning for Indian researchers was the daunting prospect of polar nights.
4) Its involvement in the region goes back to 1920, with the
signing of the Svalbard Treaty in Paris.
5) In 2007, India undertook its first research mission to
investigate Arctic microbiology, atmospheric sciences, and geology. A year
later, India became the only developing country, aside from China, to establish
an Arctic research base. After being granted ‘observer’ status by the Arctic
Council in 2013, India commissioned a multi-sensor moored observatory in
Svalbard in 2014 and an atmospheric laboratory in 2016.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4,5
(c ) 1 and 2
(d ) Either 1 or 3
Ans : b
11) Consider the following about Siachen glacier :
1)Siachen, in Balti language means “land of roses’ — ‘Sia’ is a
kind of rose species that grows in the region and ‘Chen’ means “in abundance
2) India claims the area based on the Jammu and Kashmir Accession
Agreement of 1947 and the Karachi Agreement of 1949, which define the ceasefire
line beyond NJ-9842 as running “Northwards to the glaciers”.
3) April 13, 2024 marks four decades since the Indian Army
pre-empted Pakistan and occupied the glacier on the Saltoro ridge,
overlooking the Nubra valley in the Karakoram ranges. Extreme weather is the
biggest enemy on the glacier. Around 1,150 soldiers have lost their lives,
majority of them to the vagaries of extreme weather.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3
(c ) 1 and 2
(d ) Either 1 or 3
Ans : b
12) Consider the following about coral bleaching :
1)National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Coral Reef Watch (CRW) of the
United States and the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) have confirmed
the fourth global mass coral bleaching event in 2023-2024. CRW and ICRI have
recorded bleaching of corals in 53 countries, territories and local economies
across five different ocean/sea basins between February 2023 and April 2024.
2)This is
the second such event in the last 10 years and comes at a time when global
oceans have also recorded unprecedented heat in 2023 and 2024. The earlier
event had lasted from 2014 to 2017. The CRW declares a global mass coral
bleaching event only when it records or gets inputs from all ocean basins of
coral bleaching.
3) Hard corals (different from soft corals which do not have a
shell) are marine animals with a tough shell covering them. Single-celled algae
grow on the shell in a symbiotic relationship with the corals, giving them
their characteristic colour. They usually band together to form colonies and
structures known as coral reefs which become home to millions of marine animals
and plants
4) Around
25 per cent of all marine species are dependent on coral reefs during some part
of their life cycle. When sea surface temperatures and ocean heat in general
rise, the algae on the hard corals die-off. This makes the corals white. This
process is known as ‘bleaching’. Once bleached, the corals can become
vulnerable to diseases and eventually die. If other stressors such as marine
pollution and ocean acidification are kept under check and certain adaptation
measures taken, corals can recover back to their original health.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4
(c ) 1 and 2
(d ) Either 1 or 3
Ans : b
13)
Consider the following :
1)The sea
surface temperature records for July, August and September 2023 were broken by
a wide margin. The El Nino conditions in the equatorial Pacific Ocean that
began in July, added onto the general trend of warming over land and oceans
that has been happening in the past decade due to accumulated greenhouse gases
in the atmosphere. The warming trend of the oceans has also continued into
2024.
2)El Nino
is the warmer-than-normal phase of the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
phenomenon in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. It is generally responsible for
higher-than-normal temperatures on the surface of seas in most of the global
ocean basins. During La Nina, which is the colder-than-normal phase of the
ENSO, the exact opposite happens.
3)Among
long-term patterns, ocean heating and mass coral bleaching are closely tied to
the occurrence of El Nino events. Since 1950, an El Nino event that has
occurred in the last six months of the first year and the first three months of
the following year, happened seven times. Six of these seven times, the second
year was warmer of the two and since 1997, each of these pairs of El Nino years
has also witnessed mass bleaching of corals.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3
(c ) 1 and 2
(d ) Either 1 or 3
Ans : b
14) Consider the following :
1)With thousands of islands and islets and one of the
Mediterranean’s longest coastlines, Greece has said it will create one
new marine park in the Ionian Sea and one in the Aegean Sea, bringing
the total of marine protected areas to over 30% of its waters.
2) Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Fund and other organisations
have levelled particular criticism at Greece for allowing deep-sea seismic
exploration for energy and mineral resources in the Hellenic Trench,
which includes the deepest waters in the Mediterranean at more than 5,200
metre.
3)The Hellenic Trench, which stretches from southwestern Greece to Crete, is a vital habitat for
the Mediterranean’s few hundred sperm whales and other marine mammals already
threatened by fishing, ship collisions and plastic pollution
4) Greece aims at creating two large marine parks as part of a
780-million-euro programme to protect biodiversity and marine ecosystems, with
the plans to be announced at an international oceans conference starting in
Athens in 2024.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4
(c ) 1 and 2
(d ) Either 1 or 3
Ans : b
15) Consider the following :
1)Storms are a norm in West Bengal during summer.
2)But
this election season, a ‘mini-tornado’ has taken centre stage in the State’s
political theatre. On April 2,2024 a storm, termed a ‘mini-tornado’ by the
Regional Meteorological Centre in Kolkata, ravaged Barnish village in
Jalpaiguri’s Maynaguri, killing five people and leaving hundreds homeless.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c ) Both 1 and 2
(d ) Neither 1
nor 2
Ans : c
16)Consider the following about agroforestry ?
1)Agriculture
in India has historically been a diversified land-use practice, integrating
crops, trees, and livestock. This technique, broadly called agroforestry, can
enhance farmer livelihoods and the environment and is slowly gaining in
popularity after decades of the modus operandus of
monocropping inspired by the Green Revolution
2)
Nearly 10 years ago with the establishment of the National
Agroforestry Policy (2014) was established . But it was also built on significant investments in
research over a longer 40-year span. Yet the uptake of agroforestry remains
restricted to farmers with medium or large landholdings
3)
This pattern is unsurprising since smallholder farmers seldom grow trees
because of their long gestation, a lack of incentive or investment-based
capital, and weak market linkages.
4) The five-year ‘Trees Outside of Forests India’ (TOFI)
initiative is one such attempt to assess comprehensive ways to stimulate a
change in the status quo. It’s a joint initiative of the U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID) and India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest
and Climate Change. TOFI seeks to enhance tree cover in seven Indian states by
identifying promising expansion opportunities and engaging the right levers.
5)
Mango plantations don’t compete with kharif crops in the central Karnataka
plateau whereas coconut trees in Tamil Nadu’s uplands demand more water than
crops throughout the year
6)The adoption of agroforestry at scale in India must include
smallholders, who hold most of India’s agricultural land. Yet this is currently
stymied by both ecological and socio-economic factors. Although secure land
tenure is a prerequisite for agroforestry uptake, ensuring economic viability
through market linkages while meeting the criteria of sustainable agroforestry
is crucial to empower these farmers.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4,5,6
(c ) 1 and 2
(d ) Either 1 or 3
Ans : b
17) Consider the following :
1) A child’s learning begins at month zero, emphasises the
National Framework of Early Childhood Stimulation, 2024, which lays down
month-by-month activities to be conducted by parents, anganwadi staff and ASHA
workers for children from birth to the age of three.
2)The framework document has been finalised by an internal
committee comprising representatives from the Ministries of Women and Child
Development, Health and Family Welfare and Education, the Department of School
Education and Literacy, the National Council of Educational Research and
Training, the Institute of Home Economics, the University of Delhi and civil
society organisations.
3) Titled ‘Navchetana’, the activity-based curriculum follows
the National Education Policy, 2020 that calls for a continuum of learning.
Staff in 14 lakh anganwadis will be given training in the curriculum.
4)The curriculum involves talking, playing, moving, listening to
music and sounds, and stimulation of all the senses — particularly sight and
touch in order to reach developmental milestones across domains, and develop
“early language, and emergent literacy and numeracy”.
5)As much as 75% of the brain develops in the first three years
of a child’s life, says a member of the internal committee and founder of
Rocket Learning. The national framework provides detailed information on the
importance of brain development in the first three years, and step by step
instructions for caregivers and frontline workers on conducting early
stimulation activities, she said.
6)This involves getting the child’s attention, communicating
with and responding to the child, introducing age and skill appropriate
activities for play, and following the child’s lead during the activities.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4,5,6
(c ) 1 and 2
(d ) Either 1 or 3
Ans : b
18) Consider the following :
1)For
the first time, the Union government has released a curriculum advisable to be
taught to children aged three to six years, thus giving an impetus to
pre-school learning in 14 lakh anganwadis across the country.
2)The
Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) has released the National
Curriculum for Early Childhood Care and Education 2024 titled ‘Aadharshila’, on
the lines of the National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum
Framework. Aadharshila (translated as foundation stone) is a detailed 48-week
curriculum meant for learning in the age group of three to six years in
anganwadis.
3)There
are 14 lakh anganwadis in India which serve as nodal points in villages for the
health and nutrition needs of pregnant mothers and children.
4)“Concern
in the policy is that children are going up school ladder without learning to
read and write [which may lead them to lack in achieving age-appropriate
learning levels like math and language skills].”
5) This framework will
serve as a base for States to develop their own culturally appropriate
curriculums seen as a solution to tackle challenges of children.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4,5
(c ) 1 and 2
(d ) Either 1 or 3
Ans : b
19)Consider the following :
1)The
United Arab Emirates struggled in April, 2024 to recover from the heaviest
recorded rainfall ever to hit the desert nation, as its main airport worked to
restore normal operations even as floodwater still covered portions of major
highways and roads.
2) The
UAE’s drainage systems quickly became overwhelmed, flooding out neighbourhoods,
business districts and even portions of the 12-lane Sheikh Zayed Road highway
running through Dubai.
3) The
flooding sparked speculation that the UAE’s aggressive campaign of cloud seeding — flying small planes through
clouds dispersing chemicals aimed at getting rain to fall — may have
contributed to the deluge.
But experts said the storm systems that produced the rain were forecast well in
advance and that cloud seeding alone would not have caused such flooding.
4)A
meteorologist for Yale Climate Connections, said the flooding in Dubai was
caused by an unusually strong low pressure system that drove many rounds of
heavy thunderstorms.
5)Scientists
also say climate change is responsible for more intense and more frequent
extreme storms, droughts, floods and wildfires around the world.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4,5
(c ) 1 and 2
(d ) Either 1 or 3
Ans : b
20)Consider the following about Taiwan Strait :
1) TheTaiwan strait is 160 kilometres wide and divides China
from the self-governing island democracy.
2)Although it lies in international waters, China considers the
passage of foreign military aircraft and ships through it a challenge to its
sovereignty
3) The U.S. 7th Fleet said a Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the
Taiwan Strait in April, 2024, a day after U.S. and Chinese defence chiefs held
their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions.
4)The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan
Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By
operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the
United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations”
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4
(c ) 1 and 2
(d ) Either 1 or 3
Ans : b
21)Consider the following :
1)Since 1988, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) has produced six assessment reports, three special reports, and
methodology reports that provide guidelines for estimating greenhouse gas
emissions and removal.
2)Three reports from the IPCC’s sixth assessment cycle (AR6)
were published in 2021-2022. These documents — prepared by scientists from the
195 countries that are part of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
(FCCC) — examine the science, consequences, adaptation, and vulnerability as
well as the mitigation aspects of climate change. Over the years, these reports
have substantiated the fact that the planet is warming and that humans bear
primary responsibility.
2) The Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) warned that the time to
limit the rise of the world’s average surface temperature to 1.5 degrees
Celsius from the pre-industrial era — as agreed in the Paris Agreement — is
running out and that we are close to breaching adaptation limits. It also
suggested some options and strategies to slow warming, and to adapt and build
resilience in natural systems, in human-made systems, and in communities.
3) After the AR6 synthesis report, the IPCC initiated its
seventh cycle (AR7) by electing an IPCC bureau. In January 2024, bureau members
met for the first time in Turkey to discuss budgeting issues, timelines for the
various reports, and the work programme. Before this meeting, the co-chairs and
rapporteurs of the Informal Group on Lessons Learned had produced a paper
consolidating the learnings from the AR6 cycle and submissions from 66 of the
195 member countries regarding the types of reports, the need for special
reports, and the value of ‘full assessment reports
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c ) 1,2,3
(d ) Neither 1 nor
2
Ans : c
22)Consider the following about ‘Global stocktake’ (GST) :
1)To assess the world’s progress towards the goals of the Paris
Agreement, UNFCCC countries conduct a ‘global stocktake’ (GST) every five years.
2)The GST is a mechanism to measure collective progress,
identify gaps, and chart a better course of climate action.
3)The first GST started in 2022 and ended at the 28th session of
the Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the UNFCCC in 2023. The first GST
text, to which member countries agreed to at the COP28 in Dubai last year,
requested the IPCC to consider ways in which its work can be aligned with
subsequent stocktakes.
4)The second GST is due in 2028; and member countries have requested
the IPCC to publish its AR7 assessment reports before so that countries could
measure their progress against the state of the planet.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4
(c ) 1 and 2
(d ) Either 1 or 3
Ans : b
23)Consider the following :
1)The year 2023
smashed multiple climate records with greenhouse gas levels, surface
temperatures, ocean heat and acidification, sea level rise, Antarctic sea ice
cover and glacier retreat reaching new highs, according to the World Meteorological
Organization’s (WMO) State of the Global Climate 2023 report.
2) The WMO confirmed
that the global mean near-surface temperature in 2023 was
1.45 ± 0.12°C above the 1850-1900 average.
3) This rapid rise in
temperature from 2022 to 2023 can be partly explained by the shift from La Nina
to El Nino conditions in the middle of 2023.
4) The total amount of
heat stored by the oceans (ocean heat content) was the highest on record in
2023, the WMO highlighted
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4
(c ) 1 and 2
(d ) Either 1 or 3
Ans : b
24)Consider the following about WMO report :
1)The Arctic sea ice
extent stayed below normal in 2023, with the annual maximum and annual minimum
extents being the fifth and sixth lowest in the 45-year satellite record,
respectively.
2)At the South Pole, the Antarctic sea ice extent reached an
absolute record low for the satellite era (1979 to present) in February
3)Preliminary data
showed that the amount of mass gained or lost by global glaciers for the
hydrological year 2022-2023 or the annual mass balance was negative 1.2 metres
of water equivalent (mwe).
4)This is nominally
the largest loss since 1950. The WMO said this was likely driven by the
extremely negative mass balance in both western North America and Europe. In
Switzerland, glaciers lost around 10 per cent of their remaining volume in the
past two years.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4
(c ) 1 and 2
(d ) Either 1 or 3
Ans : b
25)Consider the following about heatwave ?
1)According to the IMD, the definition of a heatwave depends on
the physiography of regions.
2)The IMD will declare a heatwave if the maximum temperature
recorded at a station is 40 degrees Celsius or more in the plains, 37 degrees
Celsius or more in the coast, and 30 degrees Celsius or more in the hills.
3) Heat Action Plans (HAPs): HAPs aim to increase preparedness
and lower the adverse impacts of extreme heat by outlining strategies and
measures to prepare for, address, and recover from heatwaves.
4) HAPs provide directives for hospitals to be well equipped
with supplies and an adequate number of trained healthcare workers to recognise
and treat a large influx of patients with heat-related illnesses. HAPs also
suggest long-term measures such as adopting urban planning strategies that
promote tree planting, using heat-resistant building materials to reduce urban
heat island effect, and using cool roofing technologies to reduce solar
absorption, thereby decreasing indoor temperatures. In addition, HAPs push for
effective coordination among stakeholders, including government agencies, healthcare
providers, community organisations, and emergency services.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4
(c ) 1 and 2
(d ) Either 1 or 3
Ans : b
26) Consider the following :
1)With the storage at the Mettur dam in Tamil Nadu being around
18 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft), there appears to be little possibility
of the authorities even considering opening the dam’s shutters for irrigation
on the scheduled date of June 12.
2)Given the situation, agricultural specialists have openly
called upon farmers, who are dependent on the Cauvery, to skip raising paddy
during the short-term kuruvai cultivation
season and go for the long-term samba crop
only.
3)The current situation can change only if there is a very heavy
rainfall in the Cauvery catchment in Kerala and Karnataka in the coming weeks
to an extent that Mettur dam witnesses a huge increase in water level and
realises 50 tmc ft more
4) With the present storage at Mettur, it would not be advisable
to go for kuruvai. Instead, it would be
beneficial for agriculturists if they start raising the samba crop between the middle of August and the
first week of September as they will have the benefit of northeast monsoon
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4
(c ) 1 and 2
(d ) Either 1 or 3
Ans : b
27) Consider the following about unclassed or
deemed forests :
1)With the enactment of Forest (Conservation) Act Amendment
(FCAA) 2023 , unclassed forests — which have legal protection under the
landmark T.N. Godavarman Thirumalpad (1996)
case — would lose this protection, leading to their inevitable diversion.
2)The State Expert Committee (SEC) reports were to be prepared
in pursuance of the order, which specified that ‘forests’ as per their
dictionary meaning and all categories of forests irrespective of ownership and
notification status would be included under the ambit of the Forest
(Conservation) Act, 1980.
3)As a result, unclassed forests, also known as deemed forests,
would require the Central government’s approval in case a project proponent
sought to divert that land for non-forest use.
4)Unclassed or deemed forests may belong to forests, revenue,
railways and other government entities, community forests or those under
private ownership, but are not notified.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4
(c ) 1 and 2
(d ) Either 1 or 3
Ans : b
28) Consider the following about BrahMos :
In January 2022, the Philippines concluded a $375-million deal
with India for three batteries of a shore-based, anti-ship variant of the
BrahMos becoming the first export customer for the joint venture missile
between India and Russia
1) BrahMos is a joint venture between the DRDO and Russia’s NPO
Mashinostroyeniya and the missile derives its name from Brahmaputra and Moskva
rivers.
2) The missile is capable of being launched from land, sea,
sub-sea and air against surface and sea-based targets and has been long
inducted by the Indian armed forces
3) India delivered the first batch of BrahMos supersonic cruise
missiles to the Philippines on 19.4.2024.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3
(c ) 1 and 2
(d ) Either 1 or 3
Ans : b
29) Consider the following Disposal Goods :
1)Disposal Goods:These are defined as disposable goods that are
made with plastic but are generally use-and-throw after a single use and
include plastic cups, spoons, earbuds, decorative thermocol, wrapping or
packaging film used to cover sweet boxes and cigarette packets, and plastic
cutlery.
2)It, however, does not include plastic bottles – even those
less than 200 ml— and multi-layered packaging boxes (such as milk cartons).
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c ) Both 1 and 2
(d ) Neither 1 nor
2
Ans : c
30) Consider the following Green Credit Programme
(GCP):
1) On April 12,2024 the
Environment Ministry issued further guidelines on its Green
Credit Programme (GCP), two months after it had prescribed rules governing the first
initiative, afforestation. Modifying the rules, an official said, will
prioritise the restoration of ecosystems over mere planting of trees.
2) This programme was officially unveiled in October 2023 and
has its provenance in Mission Life, a principle frequently articulated by Prime
Minister .
3)Its goal is to lay an emphasis on sustainability, reduce waste
and improve the natural environment.
4)The GCP programme presents itself as an “innovative,
market-based mechanism” to incentivise “voluntary actions” for environmental
conservation, according to a document of the Environment Ministry.
5)Under this, individuals, organisations and companies — public
and private — would be encouraged to invest in sectors ranging from
afforestation, water conservation, stemming air-pollution, waste management,
mangrove conservation and in return be eligible to receive ‘green credits.’
6)An autonomous body of the Ministry, the Indian Council of
Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), is in charge of administering the
programme. They will define methodologies to calculate ‘green credits’ that
result from the activities prescribed. They will also manage a trading platform
whereby such credits could be traded
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4,5,6
(c ) Both 1 and 2
(d ) Neither 1 nor
2
Ans : b
31) Consider the following :
1) In its Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims)
Regulations 2018, the FSSAI said that only if total sugar is less than 5g per
100g in a product, it can claim to be ‘low on sugar.’
2)Any product which is ‘low on sugar,’ can potentially be
‘healthy.’ But when products do not fulfil this requirement, and still
advertise or market their products as ‘health drinks,’ it is problematic, the
FSSAI scientific panel member added. “This is because if a child, for instance,
takes four servings of this so-called drink, he or she will end up consuming 40
grams of sugar, which is higher than the World Health Organization’s advised
threshold of consuming 25 grams or six teaspoons of sugar per day.
3)In Indian households, one often adds extra teaspoons of sugar
to a chocolate-powder drink too.”
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3
(c ) Both 1 and 2
(d ) Neither 1 nor
2
Ans : b
32)Consider the following :
1)The concept of ‘Glycemic Index’ was first proposed by Prof.
David Jenkins of the University of Toronto in 1981.
2)The glycemic index (GI) of a food refers to the property of
the food to increase the blood glucose level and is a measure of the ‘quality’
of carbohydrates. Glucose or white bread is used as the comparator.
3)The GI of glucose is taken as 100 and the GI of other foods is
given as a percentage of this. Thus, the GI of foods is classified as low GI
(less than 55), medium GI (56- 69) and high GI (over 70).
4)The GI multiplied by the amount of the carbohydrate consumed,
determines the glycemic load (GL).
5)Many nutritionists strongly believe in the deleterious effect
of consuming diets with high GI and conversely the beneficial effects of taking
diets with low GI.There are others who believe that this is too simplistic an
approach. Their argument is that carbohydrate is only one of the macronutrients
of food and the quality of protein and fat are ignored if only GI is used to
assess the quality of a diet.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4,5
(c ) Both 1 and 2
(d ) Neither 1 nor
2
Ans : b
33)
In May 2022, in complete disregard of the indigenous land
ownership and management systems, the Andaman and Nicobar (A&N)
administration issued three public notices, announcing its intention to create
three wildlife sanctuaries:
Consider the following :
1) a coral
sanctuary : at Meroë Island,
2) a
megapode sanctuary: at Menchal Island
3) a
leatherback turtle sanctuary : on Little Nicobar Island.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3
(c ) Both 1 and 2
(d ) Neither 1 nor
2
Ans : b
34) Consider the following :
1)Mpox, like all poxviruses, are DNA viruses.
2)The mpox genome has about 197 kilobases (kb). The core genes
are those closely conserved (i.e. preserved during evolution) by various
poxviruses plus two sections about 6.4 kb long, one at each end of the genome.
3) Poxviruses have long been a cause of fear as well as
curiosity for humankind. One particularly infamous poxvirus, smallpox, alone
may have killed more than 500 million people in the last century
4) Another poxvirus, mpox, was recently in the headlines after a
rapidly expanding global outbreak in 2022-2023. The virus was previously called
‘monkeypox’ after a spillover event in a research facility involving
monkeys in 1958; the name is considered both wrong and inappropriate today:
since then, researchers have identified mpox in many sporadic outbreaks among
humans. They have also found multiple mpox lineages have been circulating in
humans, adapting by accumulating mutations modulated largely by the APOBEC
proteins.
5)But it wasn’t until 2022 that the disease became widely known,
thanks to outbreaks in more than 118 countries and the World Health
Organisation (WHO) quickly declaring it a public health emergency. To date,
this outbreak has infected almost 100,000 people. Based on WHO data, infections
have a mortality rate of 1-10%.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4,5
(c ) Both 1 and 2
(d ) Neither 1 nor
2
Ans : b
35) Consider the following :
1)Water is also a key component of the world’s clean
energy transition.
2)Green hydrogen, seen as a crucial pillar for decarbonising industry and
long-distance transport sectors, is produced using water and electricity
sourced from renewables.
3)Pumped storage hydropower — which acts as a natural battery and is
essential to balance the power grid load — is an important component of a clean
but reliable power system.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3
(c ) Both 1 and 2
(d ) Neither 1 nor
2
Ans : b
36)Consider the following:
1)Zealandia is Earth’s forgotten and submerged eighth
continent.
2)Scientists had long
predicted the existence of this bonus southern landmass that remained missing
for 375 years, largely because it’s submerged 1-2 kilometres under water. An
international team of geologists and seismologists have now created a new map
of Zealandia.
2)Approximately 83 million years ago, the supercontinent Gondwana
was pulled apart resulting in the beginning of the present-day continents.
3)It also resulted in the creation of Zealandia. It is 94 per cent
under the sea and the remaining six per cent is what we identify as New
Zealand and neighboring islands
4) Zealandia is also
substantially larger than the Arabian Peninsula, the world’s largest peninsula,
and the Indian subcontinent. Due to various geological considerations, such as
crustal thickness and density, some geologists from New Zealand and Australia
have concluded that Zealandia fulfills all the requirements to be considered as
a continent rather than a microcontinent.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4
(c ) Both 1 and 2
(d ) Neither 1 nor
2
Ans : b
37) Consider the following :
1) Large-scale solar parks : a key pillar of India’s mitigation
strategy.
2)We have 214 sq. km of land under solar parks, but some studies
estimate that we may need 50,000-75,000 sq. km, which is about half the size of
Tamil Nadu, to achieve our Net Zero targets.
3)At the local level, farmers in villages near India’s two
largest solar parks – in Bhadla in Rajasthan and Pavagada in Karnataka – report
different experiences.
4)In Bhadla, farmers have lost sacred common lands called Orans
and pastoralists are faced with shrinking grazing lands, forcing some to sell
their livestock at throwaway prices. Such losses have led to protests demanding
recognition of common land under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006.
5)On the other hand, many farmers in Pavagada were content with
the steady annual income they received by leasing out land for solar parks.
This land was drought-stricken and did not yield significant agricultural
income. All the same, water security issues and economic disparity between
large and small landowners are challenges for the region.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4,5
(c ) Both 1 and 2
(d ) Neither 1 nor
2
Ans : b
38)Consider the following :
1)India’s
largest solar parks are located in the north-west of the country, particularly
Gujarat and Rajasthan, and cities in both these States are also showing a
decrease in SPV potential.
2)As
of today, India’s installed solar power capacity is about 81 GW (1 GW is 1,000
megawatt), or roughly 17% of the total installed electricity.
3)India
has ambitious plans of sourcing about 500 GW, nearly half its requirement of
electricity, from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030.
4)This
would mean at least 280 GW from solar power by that year or at least 40 GW of
solar capacity being annually added until 2030. In the last five years, this
has barely crossed 13 GW though the government has claimed that COVID-19
affected this trajectory and the country was on track to add between 25-40 GW
annually in the coming years.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4
(c ) Both 1 and 2
(d ) Neither 1 nor
2
Ans : b
39)Consider the following :
1)The Rome Declaration on Nutrition underscores the challenges
existing food systems face in providing sufficient, safe, diverse, and
nutrient-rich food for everyone. Approximately 800 million people worldwide
don’t have reliable access to food. Two billion people suffer from iron and
zinc deficiencies. Food systems today are also responsible for a third of the
world’s greenhouse gas emissions.
2)Climate change impacts food value chains and affects
agricultural yields, nutritional quality, food access, and energy-intensive
processes. While a balanced diet is recommended, populations are often unable
to have one thanks to disparities in production systems as well as individual
dietary choices.
3)India itself suffers from many forms of malnutrition: 32% of
children under five are underweight and 74% of the population can’t afford a
healthy diet. Unhealthy diets are leading to a surge in the prevalence of non-communicable
diseases
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3
(c ) Both 1 and 2
(d ) Neither 1 nor
2
Ans : b
40)Consider the following :
1)The death toll from floods and mudslides triggered by
torrential storms in southern Brazil climbed to 39 in May 2024.
2)As the rain kept beating down, rescuers in boats and planes
searched for scores of people reported missing among the ruins of collapsed
homes, bridges and roads.
3)Rising water levels in the state of Rio Grande do Sul were
straining dams and threatening the metropolis of Porto Alegre with
“unprecedented” flooding, authorities warned.
4)“Forget everything you have seen, it’s going to be much worse
in the metropolitan region,” as the
streets of the state capital, with a population of some 1.5 million, started
flooding after days of heavy downpours in the region.
5)The state’s civil defence department said at least 265
municipalities had suffered storm damage in Rio Grande do Sul , injuring 74
people and displacing more than 24,000.
6)And there was no end in sight, with officials reporting an
“emergency situation, presenting a risk of collapse” at four dams in the state.
7)The level of the State’s main Guiaba river, meanwhile, was
estimated to have risen 4.2 - 4.6m, but could not be measured as the gauges
have washed away, the Mayor said.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4,5,6,7
(c ) Both 1 and 2
(d ) Neither 1 nor
2
Ans : b
41) Consider the following :
1) The Pulicat Lake, the second largest brackish water lagoon
in India after Chilika, sprawling across Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu
2) Encompassing 720 square kilometres, most of the lake falls in
Andhra Pradesh and less than 20% in Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu.
3)About 60 kilometres north of Chennai, the lagoon is separated
from the Bay of Bengal by the Sriharikota island.
4)It is a unique ecotone that supports rich biodiversity — from
aquatic life such as mudskippers, seagrass beds, and oyster reefs to more than
200 avian species, including migratory birds such as Eurasian curlews,
oystercatchers, bar-tailed godwits, sand plovers, and greater flamingos
5) the lake and its surroundings support not just 10,000
traditional fisher families but also small-time fisherfolk who are not part of
the paadu system (a customary
routine whereby eligible fishing groups take turns to do specified activities
on an allotted fishing ground), women who engage in hand fishing,
shell-pickers, Irulars who catch mud crabs, and agricultural labourers of
Avurivakkam, Kanavanthurai, Pakkam, and other villages.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4,5
(c ) Both 1 and 2
(d ) Neither 1 nor
2
Ans : b
42) Consider the following :
1)In the last two decades, major earthquakes have occurred in
many parts of the world including Indonesia, Japan, China, Italy, Nepal,
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Ecuador, Mexico, Morocco, and the Turkey-Syria border.
2)On April 3, 2024 Taiwan was struck by an earthquake of 7.4
magnitude. These earthquakes cannot be treated as random occurrences, as
earthquake-prone regions share some tectonic similarities.
3)Earthquakes occur in certain regional bands.
4)The spatial distribution is explained by the theory of plate
tectonics, which explains how the Earth’s outermost layer, the lithosphere, is
broken into 15 major fragments or plates which are constantly moving relative
to each other.
5)This is why powerful earthquakes are concentrated along
convergent plate boundaries like the Himalayas, a tectonic product of the
convergence of the Indian and Eurasian plates.
6)The earthquake in Nepal in 2015 caused severe devastation in
central Nepal, but spared India. This was an example of an earthquake
originating from under the Himalayas.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4,5,6
(c ) Both 1 and 2
(d ) Neither 1 nor
2
Ans : b
43) Consider the following :
1)In the Taiwan region, the Philippine Sea plate is moving
northwest towards the Eurasian plate at a velocity of about 7.8 cm per year,
which is faster than the motion of the Indian plate.
2)Lying 160 km off the coast of China, Taiwan was formed at a
convergent boundary of the Philippine and Eurasian plates in the western
Pacific Ocean. It is a country of strong earthquakes. The latest one occurred
near the city of Hualien on the eastern coast. In 1999, the Chi-Chi earthquake
of magnitude 7.7 occurred in the central part of Taiwan and impacted the
western region. It killed more than 2,430 people and left 11,305 wounded. It
caused more than 50,000 buildings to collapse and partially damaged as many.
3)The Hualien earthquake killed at least 13 people and injured about
1,000. Most of the deaths were caused by earthquake-triggered rockfalls and not
by toppled buildings.
4)Despite being of nearly comparable magnitude, the 2024
earthquake has caused minimal damage compared to the 1999 earthquake.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4
(c ) Both 1 and 2
(d ) Neither 1 nor
2
Ans : b
44) Consider the following about Bricks, Beads and Bones -
The Harappan Civilisation’ :
1)Roughly 150 km from Delhi, the national capital, down the
Delhi-Sirsa highway, a meandering road leads to the twin villages of Rakhi
Shahpur and Rakhi Khas in Haryana’s Hissar district. The narrow, dusty road,
typical of small-town India, belies the importance of the place to which it
leads — the archaeological site of Rakhigarhi. A plaque here reads that it is
the largest site of the Harappan culture. Ninety-nine years after it was
discovered, the findings have raised questions about history and identity.
2)Mound 7 of the excavation site, that extends across 3.5 sq km
or 350 hectares, has been identified as a burial plot from which 56 skeletons
were recovered. Of these, a woman’s, roughly 4,600 years old, has created a
buzz among those who work in history, anthropology, genomics, and linguistics.
3)The DNA analysis of the skeleton says “the individual sequenced fits as a mixture of people related
to ancient Iranians (the largest component) and Southeast Asian
hunter-gatherers”, as per Cell. It also
says that there was no Steppe Pastoral gene (from people in Central Asia) in
the Rakhigarhi woman.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3
(c ) Both 1 and 2
(d ) Neither 1 nor
2
Ans : b
45) Consider the following :
1)The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) long-term
satellite imagery covering the catchments of Indian Himalayan river basins from
1984 to 2023 have shown significant changes in glacial lakes.
2)According to the ISRO, of the 2,431 lakes larger than 10
hectares identified during 2016-17, 676 glacial lakes have notably expanded
since 1984. “Specifically, 130 of these lakes are situated within India, with
65, seven, and 58 lakes located in the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra River
basins, respectively. Of the 676 lakes, 601 lakes (89%) have expanded more than
twice, 10 lakes have grown between 1.5 to 2 times and 65 lakes 1.5 times,” the
ISRO said. It said the elevation-based analysis reveals that 314 lakes are
located in the 4,000 to 5,000 m range and 296 lakes are above 5,000 m
elevation.
3)The glacial lakes are categorised based on their formation
process into four broad categories, namely Moraine-dammed (water dammed by
moraine), Ice-dammed (water dammed by ice), Erosion (water dammed in
depressions formed by erosion), and other glacial lakes.
4)“Among the 676 expanding lakes, the majority of them are
Moraine-dammed [307] followed by Erosion [265], other [96], and Ice-dammed [8]
glacial lakes, respectively,” the space agency said.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4
(c ) Both 1 and 2
(d ) Neither 1 nor
2
Ans : b
46)Consider the following about Quarks :
1)We know that all matter is composed of atoms, and atoms are
made of protons and neutrons inside the nucleus and electrons outside. But
unlike electrons, protons and neutrons are composite particles because they are
further made up of quarks.
2)Quarks can’t exist in isolation. They can only be found in
groups of two or three, if not more. Such clumps of quarks are called hadrons.
Protons and neutrons are common examples. Physicists have mostly studied quarks
based on the behaviour of hadrons, and are also interested in how quarks clump
together.
3) There are six types of quarks: up, down, top, bottom, strange,
and charm. Each quark can have one of three types of colour charge. Then there
are also antiquarks, their antimatter versions. A quark-antiquark clump is
called a meson (they don’t annihilate each other because they are of different
types, e.g. up + anti-down). Three-quark clumps are called baryons and they
form the normal matter surrounding us.
4)Quarks are further held together by another set of particles
called gluons. Because nuclear forces are very strong, quarks are always
tightly bound to each other and are not free, even in the vacuum of empty space
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4
(c ) Both 1 and 2
(d ) Neither 1 nor
2
Ans : b
47) Consider the following about Project Nilgiri Tahr :
1)Five months after the launch of Project Nilgiri Tahr, Tamil
Nadu is all set to estimate the population of its State animal.
2)Forest Departments of Tamil Nadu and Kerala will jointly count
the population of the mountain ungulate in a three-day synchronised census
starting from April 29,2024
3) Nilgiri tahrs prefer montane grasslands, with steep and rocky
terrains at an altitude between 300 and 2,600 metres above sea level.
4)A little over 3,100 Nilgiri tahrs were believed to be living
in highly fragmented habitats in the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu and Kerala,
ranging between the Nilgiris in the north and the Kanniyakumari hills in the south,
as per a 2015 study by WWF-India.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,2,3,4
(c ) Both 1 and 2
(d ) Neither 1 nor
2
Ans : b
48)Consider the following:
1)Activist and environmentalist groups have termed the Global
Plastics Treaty negotiations that concluded in Ottawa, Canada, in April, 2024
as “disappointing”. Nearly 192 member countries deliberated for nearly a week
to iron out a legally binding agreement to “end plastic pollution”. This was
the fourth round of talks since countries resolved in 2022 to eliminate
plastics and formed an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC), which
consisted of government representatives tasked with drawing up a timeline for
countries to not only eliminate plastic use but also halt production
2)“India opposed restrictions on producing so called primary
plastic polymers or virgin plastics, arguing that production reductions exceed
the scope of UNEA [United Nations Environment Assembly] resolutions. While
acknowledging the chemicals used in plastic manufacturing, India highlighted
that some are already subject to prohibition or regulation.
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c ) Both 1 and 2
(d ) Neither 1 nor
2
Ans : c
49) Consider the following :
1)The mere presence of a virus in a bodily fluid doesn’t mean it
is transmitted via that route.
2)Zika, dengue, and chikungunya viruses are present in fluids
like saliva and semen but don’t spread orally or sexually. This fact has
puzzled scientists for years, and now a research team has finally explained
why.
3) Zika virus can be detected in semen, saliva, and breast milk
but rarely spreads through these means despite the presence of target cells in
the oral and genital cavities. Zika transmits mainly via mosquitoes
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c ) 1,2,3
(d ) Neither 1 nor
2
Ans : c
50) Consider the following :
The Union government on March 15 approved a policy to promote
India as a manufacturing hub for Electric Vehicles (EVs). The minimum
investment cap has been set at ₹4,150 crore.
2)The policy broadly clears the path for global EV makers like
Tesla and Chinese EV maker BYD to foray into the Indian markets. The central
goal of this policy is to enable transitioning to localised production in a
commercially viable manner and plan as per local market conditions and demand.
3)The most significant provision is the reduction of import duty
on electric vehicles imported as a
Completely Built Unit (CBU) with a minimum cost, insurance and
freight (CIF) value of $35,000 to 15% (for a five-year period) from the present
70%-100%. This is provided the maker sets up a manufacturing unit within three
years.
3)The policy also stipulates that a total duty of ₹6,484 crore
or an amount proportional to
the investment made — whichever is lower— would be waived on the total number
of EVs imported. It must be noted that, a maximum of 40,000 EVs can be imported
under the scheme at not more than 8,000 units a year, provided the minimum
investment made is $800 million. Another important aspect of the scheme is
localisation targets. Manufacturers have three years to set up their
manufacturing facilities in India. They are expected to attain 25% localisation
by the third year of incentivised operation and 50% by the fifth year. Should
the localisation targets not be achieved, and if the minimum investment
criteria as defined under the scheme is not meet , the bank guarantees of the manufacturers would
be revoked
Which of the above
is / are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c ) 1,2,3
(d ) Neither 1 nor
2
Ans : c
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