QUIZ – 2017: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 15 September 2017

Solution: a.
India has 26 sedimentary basins covering an area of 3.14 million square kilometres. The sedimentary basins of India, onshore and offshore up to the 200m isobath, have an areal extent of about 1.79 million sq. km. In the deepwater beyond the 200m isobath, the sedimentary area has been estimated to be about 1.35 million sq. km. Thus, the total works out to 3.14 million sq. km (India’s land surface area is 3.24 million sq. km.). At the moment, only about 15% area of sedimentary basins have established commercial production.

http://petroleum.nic.in/sites/default/files/basins_0.pdf;
In the news: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=170710;
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Solution: a.
http://www.un.org/en/events/forestsday/: Wood provides the world with more energy than solar, hydroelectric or wind power, accounting for roughly 45 percent of current global renewable energy supply.
http://www.unredd.net/about/what-is-redd-plus.html: REDD+ is a mechanism developed by Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It creates a financial value for the carbon stored in forests by offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development. Developing countries would receive results-based payments for results-based actions. REDD+ goes beyond simply deforestation and forest degradation, and includes the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.

Improvisation and source – http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=170685: The Partnership for Land Use Science (Forest-Plus) is a joint programme by USAID and MoEFCC to strengthen capacity for REDD+ implementation in India.
Additional Source: http://www.moef.nic.in/sites/default/files/JFMC%20Convention%20Report.pdf;
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Solution: d.
As per the Policy, India can enter into ‘Open Sky’ ASA on a reciprocal basis only with SAARC countries and countries located beyond 5000 km from Delhi.

From 2016: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=146238;
Improvisation: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/indojapan-open-sky/article19687123.ece;
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Solution: a.
Inclusive India Initiative is a mass awareness campaign of the National Trust aimed at reducing the barriers for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, by making the workplaces, public zones and educational institutes more inclusive and accessible. Aligned with the goals of the United Nations Convention for the Rights of People with Disabilities (UNCRPD), this initiative aims at full participation by persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (PwIDDs) in their schools, colleges, communities and workplaces.

From June: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=164434;
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=170686;
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Solution: d.
A mains-oriented question.
Based on a study of samples from tiger post-mortems and collection from live tigers, a new study has found that India has three distinct and genetically connected tiger populations. These are in: south India; central India, the Terai and north-east India; and in Ranthambore. The Ranthambore population has the least genetic diversity and may suffer from isolation. There are two issues here: populations require genetic flow to remain robust; securing healthy tiger numbers are not enough for tiger health. Second, we are in an age of active management. When tigers go extinct in an area, they are flown in or carried in from other areas — as was done in the case of Panna (Madhya Pradesh) and Sariska (Rajasthan). It appears, prima facie, that the problem is solved. But are these management devices a suitable proxy for genetic flow through actual habitat corridors?
Genetically isolated or stranded populations can suffer from genetic depression, and subsequently, mutations and ailments. This has already happened to species which have had stranded populations such as the Florida panther and possibly the Great Indian Bustard. Wildness and wildlife conservation also include preserving ecological processes which hold their own evolutionary potential. A robust forest or habitat corridor between tiger reserves is an important means of maintaining these ecological processes and may hold the key to the survival and adaptation of the species.

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/creating-corridors-of-certainty/article19685786.ece;
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