September 28-2024 Prelims Practice Questions (PPQs)

Correct

Explanation

All the options are correct

• Cloud seeding: Artificial manipulation of weather patterns could lead to droughts in areas which would have received rainfall due to the water diverted for precipitation. Accumulating chemicals (silver iodide) in soil and water could impact agriculture and ecosystems.
• Smog towers: Their effectiveness is limited to the immediate vicinity. Further, the energy required to operate these towers can contribute to emissions, rendering them counterproductive.
• Odd-even formula: It primarily focuses on car emissions, neglecting other major contributors to air pollution like industrial emissions, burning crop residue, and dust from construction sites.
• Dust suppressants/Anti-smog guns: Dust suppressants are usually made from calcium or magnesium salts that absorb moisture from the air. When mixed with water and sprayed on roads, they can help keep dust down longer.
• Suppressants can adhere to soil particles and be resuspended in the air. The volatile organic compounds can contribute to ozone formation, causing respiratory illnesses. Chemicals used (magnesium and chlorides) can adversely impact plant growth.

Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3; Difficulty Level: Easy

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme is a Central Sector scheme, earlier known as the National Land Record Modernisation Programme (NLRMP).
• It is implemented by the Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development.

Statement 2 is correct

• Objectives of the scheme include:
  • To develop a modern, comprehensive, and transparent land record management system.
  • To develop an Integrated Land Information Management System (ILIMS) across India.

Answer: (b) 2 only; Difficulty Level: Easy

Correct

Explanation

• The China shock disrupted Western markets and adversely impacted Indian manufacturing and trade. It refers to the significant economic disruption that followed China’s entry into the WTO in 2001, leading to a surge of low-cost goods that overwhelmed global markets.
• China Shock 2.0 is the renewed surge in Chinese exports amid a domestic economic slowdown, which poses new challenges for global markets and industries.
• This influx is expected to displace workers and exacerbate trade tensions, particularly affecting countries like India that rely heavily on Chinese goods.
• Impact on Indian Manufacturing and Trade
  • Increased Import Dependency: India’s imports from China surged from $10.87 billion in 2005-06 to over $100 billion in 2023-24, affecting local industries.
  • Job Losses: Cheaper Chinese products have led to job losses in textile sectors, where Indian manufac-turers struggle to compete.
  • Challenges in Renewable Energy: India’s goal of 500 GW renewable capacity by 2030 is hindered by its reliance on China for 80% of solar components, which limits domestic growth.
  • Steel Industry Pressure: Rising Chinese steel imports have led local producers to call for anti-dumping duties to mitigate financial strain.
  • Electronics Vulnerability: India imports over $12 billion in electronic components from China, showing a limited reduction in dependency despite local manufacturing efforts.

Answer: (a) The renewed surge in Chinese exports, negatively impacting India’s economy; Difficulty Level: Easy

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) is a statutory body established through the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act 2021.
• The Act also dissolved the Environment Pollution Prevention and Control Authority (EPCA) established in the NCR in 1998.
• The chairperson of the Commission will be a government official of the rank of Secretary to the Government of India or Chief Secretary to the State government.

Statement 2 is correct

• The Commission has exclusive jurisdiction over the National Capital Region (NCR), including areas in Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, in matters of air pollution.
• It supersedes bodies such as the central and state pollution control boards of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
• The Commission has the authority to issue directions to these state governments on matters related to air pollution.

Answer: (a) 1 only; Difficulty Level: Easy

Correct

Explanation

Information 1 is correct

• The Russian Army is advancing in Pokrovsk, aiming to conquer the entire Donetsk region.

• Pokrovsk is referred to as the “gateway to Donetsk” by Russia; control over the city would disrupt Ukrainian supply lines on the eastern front.
• Capturing Pokrovsk would enhance Russia’s campaign to take Chasiv Yar, strategically located on higher ground for wider control.
• The city lies on a crucial road used by the Ukrainian military to supply other embattled outposts, including Chasiv Yar and Kostiantynivka.
• Pokrovsk has become a significant coking coal producer and a vital logistical hub in the region.

Information 2 is incorrect

• Research on Rapa Nui genomes debunk harmful stereotypes about Indigenous communities, showcasing how science can counter derogatory myths.

• Rapa Nui, or Easter Island, is one of the world’s most isolated inhabited islands, with a population of about 7,000.
• It is located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean and is of volcanic origin, consisting mainly of three extinct volcanoes: Terevaka, Poike, and Rano Kau.
• The island experiences a temperate climate with relatively cool temperatures year-round.
• The decline of Rapa Nui civilization was due to deforestation, overpopulation, and resource depletion, further exacerbated by European contact, which introduced diseases and the slave trade.

Information 3 is correct

• A recent team of oceanographers identified and charted a new seamount on the Nazca Ridge, located 900 miles off the coast of Chile in international waters.

• The Nazca Ridge is a prominent submarine geological feature in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, extending over 1,100 kilometers (about 680 miles) from Peru’s coast westward.
• It is part of the Nazca Plate, an oceanic tectonic plate underlying much of the southeastern Pacific Ocean.
• The ridge formed over a hotspot where rising magma created volcanic islands and underwater mountains primarily composed of basalt.
• Geologically, the Nazca Ridge is notable for its interaction with the South American Plate, as the Nazca Plate moves eastward and subducts beneath the South American Plate along the Peru-Chile Trench.

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

Correct

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Convinced that untouchables had to fight for their dignity, Periyar founded the Self-Respect Movement in 1925. The Self-Respect Movement aimed to uplift the Dravidians and expose the control of Brahmins over all aspects of Hindu life through tyrannical and deceptive methods.
• The movement being called ‘Suyamariyathai’ or Self-Respect symbolises that ‘Maanam’ or honour is a basic human instinct distinguishing human from other animals.
• Periyar identified the notion of self-respect with three other important concepts:
  • ‘Samathuvam’ (Equality)
  • ‘Suthanthiram’ (Freedom)
  • ‘Samadharmam’ (Communism)

Statement 2 is correct

• The movement challenged the ideological hegemony of the Indian Independence struggle by demanding that equality between sexes and eradicating caste be put on an equal footing with national liberation.
• The movement introduced and popularised self-respect marriages, which removed the necessity for Brahmin priests and religious rituals that were not conducted in Sanskrit.
• Self-respect marriages were enacted into law in 1967.
• The movement advocated for women’s liberation from oppressive social norms by championing causes such as widow remarriage, the right to divorce, the right to property, and even abortion. It granted women autonomy, equality and dignity, symbolising a break from tradition.
• It criticised ancient texts that degraded women and actively promoted contraception as a means of empowering women to control their bodies.
• It was pivotal in its promotion of inter-caste marriages, which was seen as a push-back to the patriarchal forces controlling the choice of partner and marriage.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• The movement prioritised social reform over political independence. Though it was not opposed to independence, it warned of a replacement of British rulers with elite Hindu caste groups.

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