01. Consider the following statements:
- Polar Vortex is a phenomenon of the North Pole.
- Polar vortex weakens in winter and strengthens in summer
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2
In News: What’s causing Antarctica’s deep-winter heatwave, what could be its fallout?
Explanation:
- For the second time in two years, a record-breaking heatwave is sweeping through Antarctica at the height of its winter season. Ground temperatures have been 10 degrees Celsius higher than normal on average since mid-July, and up to 28 degrees higher on certain days.
- The higher temperatures are mainly a consequence of the weakening of the polar vortex, the band of cold air and low pressure systems that spins around the poles of the Earth in the stratosphere.
- The vortex usually remains strong and stable during winter in the southern hemisphere — keeping cold air trapped over Antarctica and not letting hot air come in — but it has been disturbed this year by large-scale atmospheric waves (periodic disturbances in the fields of atmospheric variables).
- The polar vortex is a large area of low pressure and cold air surrounding both of the Earth’s poles. It was also known as the Polar Pig. Hence statement 1 is incorrect
- The term “vortex” refers to the counterclockwise flow of air that helps keep the colder air near the Poles. It always exists near the poles, but weakens in summer and strengthens in winter. Hence statement 2 is incorrect
- However, many times during winter in the northern hemisphere, the polar vortex will expand, sending cold air southward. This occurs fairly regularly during wintertime and is often associated with large outbreaks of Arctic air in the United States and portions of Europe and Asia.
- It is also not a feature that exists at the Earth’s surface, rather it exists tens of thousands of feet up in the atmosphere.
- By itself, the only danger to humans is the magnitude of how cold temperatures will get when the polar vortex expands, sending Arctic air southward into areas that are not typically that cold.
Source:
02. With reference to Monetary policy,consider the following statements:
- RBI Governor acts as the ex-officio chairperson of the Monetary policy committee
- The decision of the Monetary Policy Committee shall be binding on the Reserve Bank of India.
- The Inflation targeting in India is fixed at 4% (+/-2%)
How many of the above statements are correct?
- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
Answer: (c) All three
In News: On monetary policy and financial markets
Explanation:
- In May 2016, the RBI Act was amended to provide a legislative mandate to the central bank to operate the country’s monetary policy framework.
- The framework aims at setting the policy (repo) rate based on an assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic situation, and modulation of liquidity conditions to anchor money market rates at or around the repo rate.
- Reason for Repo Rate as Policy Rate: Repo rate changes transmit through the money market to the entire financial system, which, in turn, influences aggregate demand. Thus, it is a key determinant of inflation and growth.
- Under Section 45ZB of the amended (in 2016) RBI Act, 1934, the central government is empowered to constitute a six-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).
- The decision of the Monetary Policy Committee shall be binding on the Reserve Bank of India.
- MPC shall consist of 6 members:
- RBI Governor as its ex officio chairperson,
- Deputy Governor in charge of monetary policy,
- An officer of the Bank to be nominated by the Central Board,
- Three persons to be appointed by the central government.
- This category of appointments must be from “persons of ability, integrity and standing, having knowledge and experience in the field of economics or banking or finance or monetary policy”.
- These elevated levels of inflation remained the key concern for the MPC as the inflation target of Government of India according to RBI is (4%+/- 2%) .Hence option(c) is correct.
Source:
03. With reference to the Green Climate Fund,consider the following statements:
- It was set up under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at the 16th Conference of the Parties in 2010.
- The objective is to support developing countries in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and strengthening capacity to adapt to climate change
- All developing country Parties to UNFCCC are eligible to receive resources from the Green Climate Fund in the form of grants, loans, equity, and guarantees.
How many of the above statements are correct?
- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
Answer: (c)All three
In News:Grants from Green Climate Fund
Explanation:
- The Green Climate Fund (GCF) was set up under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP-16) in 2010 to support developing countries in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and strengthening capacity to adapt to climate change. Hence statement 1 and 2 is correct
- The Fund aims to mobilise funding at scale to invest in low-emission and climate-resilient development. Hence statement 3 is correct
- All developing country Parties to UNFCCC are eligible to receive resources from the GCF in the form of grants, loans, equity, and guarantees. The GCF has started approving projects/programmes to developing countries from 2015 onwards.
- The Government of India has been engaging with the GCF and so far, eleven (11) projects/ programmes have been approved to India with a total allocation of USD 782.4 million to mitigate and adapt to climate change in sectors including water, clean energy, coastal, livelihood, transport, medium and small enterprises and climate start-ups.
- There is a shrinking window of opportunity to address the climate crisis. Average global temperature is currently estimated to be 1.1°C above pre-industrial times. Based on existing trends, the world could cross the 1.5°C threshold within the next two decades and 2°C threshold early during the second half of the century. Limiting global warming to 1.5°C is still narrowly possible and will be determined by the investment decisions we make over the next decade.
- The Green Climate Fund (GCF) – a critical element of the historic Paris Agreement – is the world’s largest climate fund, mandated to support developing countries raise and realise their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) ambitions towards low-emissions, climate-resilient pathways.
Source:
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2043003
04. Consider the following statements:
Statement -I:
India is a signatory to the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees
Statement -II:
The government of India can declare any set of refugees as illegal immigrants and decide to deal with them as trespassers under the Foreigners Act.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
- Both Statement – I and Statement – II are correct and Statement – II is the correct explanation for Statement – I
- Both Statement – I and Statement – II are correct and Statement – II is not the correct explanation for Statement – I
- Statement – I is correct but Statement – II is incorrect
- Statement – I is incorrect but Statement – II is correct
Answer: (d)Statement – I is incorrect but Statement – II is correct
In News:Sheikh Hasina in India amid UK asylum roadblock: What is India’s policy on refugees?
Explanation:
- Under the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees and the subsequent 1967 Protocol, the word refugee pertains to any person who is outside their country of origin and unable or unwilling to return owing to well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.
- Stateless persons may also be refugees in this sense, where the country of origin (citizenship) is understood as ‘country of former habitual residence’. (Oxford Handbook of Refugee and Forced Migration Studies)
- The UN has said the flight of the Rohingya following the Myanmar military crackdown in Rakhine state in 2017 had created the world’s biggest refugee crisis.
- Cox’s Bazaar in Bangladesh is the biggest refugee camp in the world today. Myanmar maintains that the Rohingya, who are predominantly Muslim, are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
- India has welcomed refugees in the past, with nearly 300,000 people categorised as refugees.
- This includes the Tibetans, Chakmas from Bangladesh, and refugees from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, etc.
- But India is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Convention or the 1967 Protocol. Nor does India have a refugee policy or a refugee law.Hence statement 1 is incorrect
- This has allowed India to keep its options open on the question of refugees. The government can declare any set of refugees as illegal immigrants — as has happened with Rohingya despite the UNHCR verification — and decide to deal with them as trespassers under the Foreigners Act or the Indian Passport Act.Hence statement 2 is correct .
- The closest India has come to a refugee policy in recent years is the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, which discriminates between refugees based on religion in offering them Indian citizenship
Source:
05. Consider the following statements:
- Teesta river originates from the Tso Lhamo Lake in north Sikkim is a tributary of the Brahmaputra
- Teesta river travels through Sikkim and West Bengal before entering Bangladesh.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (c)Both 1 and 2
In News:Will wait for new Bangla govt for talks on rivers: Minister
Explanation:
- The Teesta treaty has been a long-standing demand of Bangladesh, which wants equitable distribution of Teesta water with India—on the lines of the Ganga Water Treaty of 1996. As West Bengal and Sikkim opposed it, the proposal by Bangladesh was turned into a conservation and management of Teesta water project, which is worth billions of dollars.
- Teesta has remained an outstanding issue even as relations between the two countries warned to their best ever in recent years
- The 414-km-long Teesta flows through Sikkim and West Bengal before merging into the Meghna in Bangladesh.
- It is one of the largest transboundary rivers shared between India and Bangladesh.
- It is also one of the main sources of irrigation for North Bengal and Rangpur region of Bangladesh and the main hydroelectric power source for Sikkim.
- A tributary of the Brahmaputra, the Teesta river originates from the Tso Lhamo Lake at an elevation of about 5,280 metres in north Sikkim.Hence statement 1 is correct
- The river travels for about 150 km in Sikkim and 123 km in West Bengal, before entering Bangladesh from Mekhligunj in Cooch Behar district; it flows another 140 km in Bangladesh and joins the Bay of Bengal. statement 2 is correct
- Teesta is Bangladesh’s fourth largest trans-boundary river and its floodplain covers an area of 2,750 square kilometres in Bangladesh.Hence
- But 83% of the river’s catchment area lies in India and the remaining 17% is in Bangladesh, supporting 8.5% of its population and 14% of its crop production
Source: Livemint
06. Consider the following statements with respect to coffee production in india:
1.Kerala is the largest producer in India.
2.It is traditionally grown in the rainforest area of the Western Ghats only.
3.Coffee plants grow better in the alluvial soils.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a)1 only
b)1and2 only
c)All three
d)None of the above
Answer: (d) None of the above
In News:Coffee output may be ‘significantly lower.
Explanation:
- Karnataka is the largest producer in India.Hence statement 1 is incorrect.
- Climatic conditions required for coffee productionIt requires a hot and humid climate for its growth.Coffee plants grow better in the laterite soils.Hence statement 3 is incorrect.
- Temperatures ranging between 15°C and 28 °C
- Rainfall is 150 to 250 cm.It is generally grown under shady trees.
- Dry weather is necessary at the time of ripening of the berries.
- It is grown on hill slopes at elevations from 600 to 1,600 metres above sea level.
- It is traditionally grown in the rainforest area of the Western Ghats and some parts of eastern ghats.Hence statement 2 is incorrect.
07. Consider the following statements with respect to Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India(IBBI):
1.It was established under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016.
2.Members of the board are appointed by the president of India.
3.The term of office of the Chairperson and members is three years.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 1and2 only
- All three
- None of the above
Answer: (a) 1 only
In News: IBBI introduces self-regulatory guidelines for the committee of creditors.
Explanation:
- It was established under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016.Hence statement 1 is correct.
- It is responsible for the implementation of the IBC. The IBC amends and consolidates the laws relating to insolvency resolution of individuals, partnership firms and corporate persons in a time-bound manner.
- It specifies the minimum eligibility requirements for registration of insolvency professional agencies, insolvency professionals and information utilities and curriculum for the qualifying examination of the insolvency professionals for their enrolment.
- The Board members who are appointed by the Central Government,Three members from among the officers of the Central Government equivalent or not below the rank of a Joint Secretary. Out of the three members, each will represent the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Corporate Affairs and Ministry of Law, ex -officio. One member nominated by the RBI..Hence statement 2 is incorrect.
- Five other members nominated by the Central Government, out of which at least three should be whole-time members.
- The term of office of the Chairperson and members (other than ex-officio members) is five years or until they attain sixty-five years, whichever is earlier, and they are eligible for re-appointment..Hence statement 3 is incorrect.
08. Consider the following statements with respect to Landslides:
- Landslides can occur on both natural and man-made slopes.
- Landslide Atlas of India prepared by ISRO.
- India has not as yet witnessed a comprehensive hands-on technological approach to landslide mitigation.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 1and2 only
c) All three
d) None of the above
Answer: (c) All three
In News: Stemming the landslide: GSI is working on early warning systems in India.
Explanation:
Landslide:
- Landslide is a phenomenon which can occur on both natural and man-made slopes.Hence statement 1 is correct.
- It is usually observed in steep mountainous regions where large quantities of material, composed of rock, boulders, loose mud, soil and debris, are driven down the slope with force.
- According to ISRO’s Landslide Atlas of India, India is among the top four countries with highest landslide risk.Hence statement 2 is correct.
- India has not as yet witnessed a comprehensive hands-on technological approach to landslide mitigation.Hence statement 3 is correct.
09. Intense wildfires create clouds that can trigger new fires and thunderstorms, forming when extreme heat causes rising air to cool. These clouds can reach over 16 km and cause strong winds and lightning.
Which among the following is referred to in the above description ?
(a) cumulus clouds
(b) cumulonimbus clouds
(c) Pyrocumulonimbus clouds
(d) stratus clouds
Answer:(c) Pyrocumulonimbus clouds
In News: How Pyrocumulonimbus clouds are formed when wildfires spit storms, lightning.
Explanation:
- Intense wildfires in the U.S. and Canada are generating more pyrocumulonimbus clouds, which can spark new fires and create thunderstorms, with their frequency increasing due to climate change.
- It is created by intense wildfires or volcanic eruptions. Not all wildfires produce these clouds.Extreme heat from fires warms surrounding air, which rises and cools, forming a pyrocumulus cloud. If conditions persist, these clouds evolve into pyrocumulonimbus clouds.
- Develop to altitudes over 16 km.Spread fires through lightning, embers, and severe wind outflows.Similar to normal thunderstorms with anvil-shaped clouds reaching high into the atmosphere.Underneath, strong winds and erratic “downbursts” occur.
Source:10.Consider the following activities :
1. Spraying pesticides on a crop field.
2. Inspecting the craters of active volcanoes.
3. Collecting breath samples from spouting whales for
DNA analysis.
At the present level of technology, which of the above activities can be successfully carried out by using drones?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer:(d) 1, 2 and 3
In News: Previous year question (2020)
Explanation:
• Drone used for spraying pesticides on a crop field
says the Hindu. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• Drone can be used for monitoring active volcanoes,
says Science USA news. Hence statement 2 is correct.
• Collecting breath samples from spouting whales for
DNA analysis. Hence statement 3 is correct.