January 12 2024 Prelims Practice Questions (PPQs)

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The BIMSTEC is a regional organisation comprising seven Member States: five deriving from South Asia, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and two from Southeast Asia, including Myanmar and Thailand.

  

• This sub-regional organisation came into being on 6th June 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration.

Statement 2 is correct

• Bangladesh is an essential component of BIMSTEC and BBIN initiatives.
• Dhaka hosts the secretariat of The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), which connects Myanmar and Thailand.

Statement 3 is correct

• Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka are part of SAARC as well as BIMSTEC.

  

Statement 4 is correct

• The first-ever Foreign Ministers’ meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) happened in Bangkok, Thailand, in July 2023.
• Areas of coordination challenges were discussed, including food, health and energy security.

Answer: (d) All; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• Objective: To uplift the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
• Funding: Centre and States to share in the ratio of 64:36.
• The scheme is in line with PM-PVTG Development Mission to improve the socio-economic conditions of the PVTGs.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• The scheme focuses on 11 critical interventions through 9 Ministries:
  1. Housing
  2. Drinking water and sanitation: Mission (JJM) and Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G)
  3. Education
  4. Health and nutrition
  5. Road connectivity
  6. Telecom connectivity
  7. Livelihood opportunities
  8. Land rights
  9. Social security
  10. Cultural preservation
  11. Institutional support

Statement 3 is incorrect

• The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) is the Nodal Ministry for overall policy planning and coordination of this scheme.

Answer: (d) None; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• PMFBY is in line with One Nation – One Scheme theme; incorporates the best features of all previous schemes & removes their shortcomings.
• It was formulated in line with the One Nation-One Scheme theme by replacing:
  • National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS) and
  • Modified National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (MNAIS).
• Expansive coverage: Largest crop insurance scheme in terms of farmer participation and the third largest in terms of the premium.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• The scheme is optional for all farmers. (Before 2020, it was mandatory for farmers who have taken institutional loans).

Statement 3 is incorrect

• If the premium rate quoted by the Insurance Company is higher than the above rates, the difference will be paid by the State and GoI at 50% each in the form of premium subsidy.
• GoI’s share in premium subsidy is 90% for the North Eastern States.
• GoI’s premium subsidy is limited up to 30% for unirrigated areas/crops and 25% for irrigated areas/crops (Before 2020, there was no upper limit for central subsidy).

Statement 4 is incorrect

• One of its major drawbacks is that it covers only weather–based risks and not Price risks (Market shocks).

Answer: (d) All; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• The Pong Dam is the highest earth-fill dam in India located in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh.
• It is a “Ramsar site“, “a wetland of national importance”, and a “wildlife sanctuary”.
• Pong Dam is significant as a resting place for migratory birds.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• It is an artificial reservoir on the Beas River, also known as Maharana Pratap Sagar Dam.
• Beas River originates near the Rohtang Pass on the southern end of the Pir Panjal Range.
• It is a comparatively small river lying entirely within the Indian territory.

Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) stipulated that state governments should declare land falling within 10 km of the boundaries of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries as eco-fragile zones or Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) under the Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986.

Statement 2 is correct

• While the 10-km rule is implemented as a general principle, the extent of its application can vary.
• Areas beyond 10 km can also be notified by the Union government as ESZs, if they hold larger ecologically important “sensitive corridors”.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• Prohibited Activities: Commercial mining, saw mills, industries causing pollution (air, water, soil, noise etc), establishment of major hydroelectric projects (HEP), commercial use of wood.
  • Tourism activities like hot-air balloons over the National Park, discharge of effluents or any solid waste or production of hazardous substances.

Statement 4 is incorrect

• ESZ is declared under the Environmental (Protection) Act of 1986.

Answer: (b) Only two; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Fine soil-like materials (FSLM) are produced during the Biomining (bioremediation technique) of waste dumpsites.
• FSLM, comprises particles smaller than 6 mm.
• Fine materials in 4-6 millimetres are called ‘bio-earth’ or ‘good earth’ materials.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• FSLM is the largest component obtained from landfill mining.
• It has little or no economic value.

Statement 3 is correct

• Application of FSLM
  • Soil enricher.
  • Filler material for low-lying areas.
  • Used in road construction.
  • Brick making.

Statement 4 is incorrect

• Bio Leaching is the process of extracting metals from ores or waste by using microorganisms to oxidize the metals, producing soluble compounds.
• Copper has been the most common base metal extracted with bioleaching.

Answer: (b) Only two; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

• Humboldt’s Enigma is one of many puzzles of mountain biodiversity proposed by the modern bio-geographers.
• Humboldt suggested there was a relationship between temperature, altitude and humidity on one hand and the occurrence patterns of species or their biodiversity on the other hand.
• The proponents of Humboldt’s enigma have held that the earth’s tropical areas by themselves don’t contain all the bio-diverse regions, that many areas outside the tropics are highly bio-diverse. These places are mountains.
• The essence of Humboldt’s enigma is that as one move away from the tropics, the biodiversity decreases with mountains being exception.
• The modern geographers used modern tools to establish a link between biodiversity and mountains.
• Based on their findings, they proposed their own version of the link between biodiversity and mountains and called it Humboldt’s enigma.
• But that is not true and that can be seen in the few areas of the Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh which lie south of the Tropic of Cancer.
• As we move away from them the eastern Himalaya the biodiversity is much more diverse than them which questions the Humboldt theory.

Answer: (d) It is one of many puzzles of mountain biodiversity proposed by the modern bio-geographers; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• Chandubi Festival is organised every year for five days starting from the first day of the New Year along the Chandubi lake, which is situated in the state of Assam.
• The main attractions of the Chandubi festival are the local folk culture, ethnic cuisine, local handloom and dresses, boating, etc.

Statement 2 is correct

• Preserving the Chandubi Lake, the water level of which has rapidly been lowering over the years, has been the main motive for organising the festival every year.
• The major aim of the Chandubi Festival is to promote eco-tourism in this biodiversity hotspot of Assam.

Statement 3 is correct

• The festival has been providing an opportunity to generate livelihood to different tribes – Rabhas, Garos, Gorkhas and tea tribes – living in the area by selling different food items and homemade beverages, and traditionally woven attire.

Statement 4 is correct

• Chandubi Lake was created during a massive earthquake in the year 1897.
• The name Chandubi is derived from two words where Chand means moon and Dubi means sinking in Khasi language.
• This freshwater lake was turned into an economically viable water body that would sustain different communities living around the lake.
• It is a very prosperous wetland of the state that houses numerous species of aquatic flora and fauna.

Answer: (c) Only three; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• Lead is a bluish-white lustrous metal naturally found in the Earth’s crust.
• It is also found in small amounts in air, soil and water.
• Native lead is rare in nature. Currently, lead is usually found in ore with zinc, silver and copper and it is extracted together with these metals.

Statement 2 is correct

• It is very soft, highly malleable, ductile, and a relatively poor conductor of electricity compared to copper, gold, etc.
• It has a relatively low melting point compared to most metals.
• It has good resistance to corrosion, especially in non-acidic environments.
• It is a non-radioactive metal, which makes it invaluable for applications requiring high weight with small volumes.

Statement 3 is correct

• Lead poisoning, also known as plumbism and saturnism, is a type of metal poisoning caused by lead in the body. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, constipation, headaches, irritability, memory problems, infertility, and tingling in the hands and feet.

  

Statement 4 is correct

• WHO has identified lead as one of 10 chemicals of major public health concern needing action by Member States to protect the health of workers, children and women of reproductive age.
• WHO has made available through its website a range of information on lead, including information for policymakers, technical guidance, training materials and advocacy materials.
• WHO has developed guidelines on clinical management of lead exposure and recommends that for an individual with a blood lead concentration ≥ 5 µg/dL, the source(s) of lead exposure should be identified, and appropriate action taken to reduce and terminate exposure.

Answer: (c) 2, 3 and 4; Difficulty Level: Medium

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The Peregrine Mission One is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative to involve the private space sector in its ambitious Artemis programme.
• The Artemis programme seeks to establish a permanent base camp on the Moon and send astronauts and robots for longer stays for more comprehensive exploration and scientific studies of the lunar surface and atmosphere.

Statement 2 is correct

• No US spacecraft has landed on the Moon since Apollo 17 in December 1972.

Statement 3 is correct

• If successful, this mission would also involve the first landing of a private spacecraft on the Moon.
• The Peregrine lander module & Vulcan rocket were built by private space companies in the US.
• Earlier, the Hakuto-R mission by a private Japanese company failed the lunar landing.

Statement 4 is correct

• The payloads are meant to carry out various exploratory activities, including water detection.
• One of the payloads, the Laser Retroreflector Array, would remain permanently deployed on the Moon’s surface and act as a marker for the Moon’s distance.

Answer: (d) All; Difficulty Level: Medium