DAY – 14(InstaTest-14): Insta 75 Days Revision Plan-2020: Topic – Geography, Subject-wise Tests 5, 6 & 17 Revision, Textbook based Test 12 and Revision of August & September – 2019 CA

Solution: B

From the north to the south, Northern Plains can be divided into three major zones: the Bhabar, the Tarai and the alluvial plains. The alluvial plains can be further divided into the Khadar and the Bhangar.

Bhabar is a narrow belt ranging between 8-10 km parallel to the Shiwalik foothills at the break-up of the slope. As a result of this, the streams and rivers coming from the mountains deposit heavy materials of rocks and boulders, and at times, disappear in this zone.

South of the Bhabar is the Tarai belt, with an approximate width of 10-20 km where most of the streams and rivers re-emerge without having any properly demarcated channel, thereby, creating marshy and swampy conditions known as the Tarai.

This has a luxurious growth of natural vegetation and houses a varied wildlife. The south of Tarai is a belt consisting of old and new alluvial deposits known as the Bhangar and Khadar respectively.

Solution: A

Srinagar, capital city of the state of Jammu and Kashmir is located on the banks of Jhelum river. Dal Lake in Srinagar presents an interesting physical feature.

Jhelum in the valley of Kashmir is still in its youth stage and yet forms meanders – a typical feature associated with the mature stage in the evolution of fluvial land form.

Solution: C

About Oxytocin:

• Oxytocin has also been dubbed the hug hormone, cuddle chemical, moral molecule, and the bliss hormone due to its effects on behavior, including its role in love and in female reproductive biological functions in reproduction.
• Oxytocin is a hormone that is made in the brain, in the hypothalamus. It is transported to, and secreted by, the pituitary gland, which is located at the base of the brain.
• It acts both as a hormone and as a brain neurotransmitter.
• The release of oxytocin by the pituitary gland acts to regulate two female reproductive functions: Childbirth and Breast-feeding.

Extra Reading:

Indian Medical Association has said Karnataka Antibiotics and Pharmaceuticals Ltd (KAPL) neither has the experience nor the capacity to handle Oxytocin production.

What’s the issue?

•  The Delhi high court had quashed the Centre’s December 14, 2018 notification, which had banned its sale by private manufacturers and retail chemists, saying the sale was allowed. Essentially, this meant that only KAPL could produce the drug as there is no other public sector enterprise doing so. However, Delhi high court quashed the amended order too. The central government moved Supreme Court against the Delhi high court order.

What’s the concern now?

• KAPL has said bulk production of the drug would take three-four years. This would put lives of many pregnant women at risk as it would lead to acute shortages.
• With the ban, the government did not adequately weigh in the danger of its order to the users of oxytocin, nor consider the deleterious effect of possible restricted supply if manufacture is confined to one unit on pregnant women and young mothers.

Solution: B

Duar formations

As compared to the other sections of the Himalayas, these along with the Arunachal Himalayas are conspicuous by the absence of the Shiwalik formations.

In place of the Shiwaliks here, the ‘duar formations’ are important, which have also been used for the development of tea gardens.

The Dooars or Duars are the alluvial floodplains in northeastern India that lie south of the outer foothills of the Himalayas and north of the Brahmaputra River basin.

The Duars are found in northeastern India.

Solution: D

Solution: A

The western coastal plains are an example of submerged coastal plain. It is believed that the city of Dwaraka which was once a part of the Indian mainland situated along the west coast is submerged under water. Because of this submergence it is a narrow belt and provides natural conditions for the development of ports and harbours.

As compared to the western coastal plain, the eastern coastal plain is broader and is an example of an emergent coast. There are well developed deltas here, formed by the rivers flowing eastward in to the Bay of Bengal. These include the deltas of the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri. Because of its emergent nature, it has less number of ports and harbours. The continental shelf extends up to 500 km into the sea, which makes it difficult for the development of good ports and harbours.

Solution: C

The islands of the Arabian sea include Lakshadweep and Minicoy. These are scattered between 8°N-12°N and 71°E -74°E longitude. The entire island group is built of coral deposits. There are approximately 36 islands of which 11 are inhabited.

The entire group of islands is broadly divided by the Elevene-degree channel, north of which is the Amini Island and to the south of the Canannore Island.

The Islands of this archipelago have storm beaches consisting of unconsolidated pebbles, shingles, cobbles and boulders on the eastern seaboard.

Solution: D

The Indus receives a number of Himalayan tributaries such as the Shyok, the Gilgit, the Zaskar, the Hunza, the Nubra, the Shigar, the Gasting and the Dras.

It finally emerges out of the hills near Attock where it receives the Kabul river on its right bank. The other important tributaries joining the right bank of the Indus are the Khurram, the Tochi, the Gomal, the Viboa and the Sangar. They all originate in the Sulaiman ranges.

Solution: C

Rural forestry lays emphasis on promotion of agro-forestry and community-forestry. Agro-forestry is the raising of trees and agriculture crops on the same land inclusive of the waste patches.

It combines forestry with agriculture, thus, altering the simultaneous production of food, fodder, fuel, timber and fruit.

Community forestry involves the raising of trees on public or community land such as the village pasture and temple land, roadside, canal bank, strips along railway lines, and schools etc.

Farm forestry is a term applied to the process under which farmers grow trees for commercial and non-commercial purposes on their farm lands.

Solution: C

Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV)

• Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV) is a rare viral disease that causes fatal disease in young Asian Elephants.
• When it is triggered, the elephant dies of massive internal bleeding and symptoms which are hardly visible.
• Some elephants show symptoms such as reduced appetite, nasal discharge and swollen glands.
• The disease is usually fatal, with a short course of 28-35 hours.
• It is lethal for young elephants between the ages of 1 and 12.
• There is no true cure for herpesviruses in animals or in humans.
• If a young elephant dies before reproducing, it affects the population of the species in the concerned geography.
• It has killed five elephants in Nandan Kanan Zoo &Chandaka forest in Odisha.

Solution: A

Solution: A

The western cyclonic disturbances which enter the Indian subcontinent from the west and the northwest during the winter months, originate over the Mediterranean Sea and are brought into India by the westerly jet stream.

An increase in the prevailing night temperature generally indicates an advance in the arrival of these cyclones’ disturbances.

In northwestern India, some weak temperate cyclones from the Mediterranean Sea cause rainfall in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh. Although the amount is meagre, it is highly beneficial for rabi crops.

Solution: C

El-Nino is a complex weather system that appears once every three to seven years, bringing drought, floods and other weather extremes to different parts of the world.

The system involves oceanic and atmospheric phenomena with the appearance of warm currents off the coast of Peru in the Eastern Pacific and affects weather in many places including India.

El-Nino is merely an extension of the warm equatorial current which gets replaced temporarily by cold Peruvian current or Humbolt current (locate these currents in your atlas). This current increases the temperature of water on the Peruvian coast by 10°C.

This results in:

(i) the distortion of equatorial atmospheric circulation;

(ii) irregularities in the evaporation of sea water;

(iii) reduction in the amount of planktons which further reduces the number of fish in the sea.

Solution: B

SFAC is an Autonomous Society promoted by Ministry of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India.

It is registered under Societies Registration Act 1860. The Society is also registered as Non-Banking Financial Institution by Reserve Bank of India.

The role of State SFACs is to aggressively promote agribusiness project development in their respective States.

Solution: D

Red soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks in areas of low rainfall in the eastern and southern part of the Deccan Plateau. Along the piedmont zone of the Western Ghat, long stretch of area is occupied by red loamy soil. Yellow and red soils are also found in parts of Odisha and Chhattisgarh and in the southern parts of the middle Ganga plain.

The soil develops a reddish colour due to a wide diffusion of iron in crystalline and metamorphic rocks. It looks yellow when it occurs in a hydrated form.

The fine-grained red and yellow soils are normally fertile, whereas coarse-grained soils found in dry upland areas are poor in fertility. They are generally poor in nitrogen, phosphorous and humus.

Solution: C

In the heart of the ITCZ in the northwest, the dry and hot winds known as ‘Loo’, blow in the afternoon, and very often, they continue to well into midnight.

Dust storms in the evening are very common during May in Punjab, Haryana, Eastern Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

These temporary storms bring a welcome respite from the oppressing heat since they bring with them light rains and a pleasant cool breeze.

Solution: C

MANI App:

• Reserve Bank of India, RBI has launched a mobile app, MANI, Mobile Aided Note Identifier.
• It aims to help visually challenged people to identify denomination of currency notes.
• Through the downloaded app, users can scan the notes using the camera.
• The audio output will give the result in Hindi and English.
• The mobile application does not authenticate a note as being either genuine or counterfeit.

Solution: D

The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has developed a Management Information System (MIS) for stakeholders of Accessible India Campaign (AIC).

The portal will bring all the nodal ministries, and States/UTs on a single platform for monitoring the progress being made against each target of AIC.

About Accessible India Campaign:

• What is it? Accessible India Campaign (AIC) is the nationwide flagship campaign of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• Aim: The aim of the Campaign is to make a barrier free and conducive environment for Divyangjans all over the country. The campaign has the vision to build an inclusive society in which equal opportunities are provided for the growth and development of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) so that they can lead productive, safe and dignified lives.
• Implementation: For creating universal accessibility for Persons with Disabilities, the campaign has been divided into three verticals: Built Environment; Transport and Information & Communication Technology (ICT) ecosystem.

Targets:

• Completing accessibility audit of at least 25-50 most important government buildings in 50 cities and making them fully accessible by the end of this year.
• Making 50% of all the government buildings of NCT and all the State capitals fully accessible by December 2018.
• Completing accessibility audit of 50% of government buildings and making them fully accessible in 10 most important cities/towns of States not covered in targets (i) and (ii) by December 2019.
• Accessible India Campaign is in line with the Article 9 of UNCRPD(UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) to which India is a signatory since 2007.

https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/09/19/accessible-india-campaign/

Solution: C

Solution: C

The High Biodiversity Wilderness Areas (HBWA) approach has been developed by Conservation International (CI). HBWAs consist of 5 of the 24 major wilderness areas that hold globally significant levels of biodiversity, as identified by Mittermeier et al (2002).

The 5 HBWAs are Amazonia, the Congo forests of Central Africa, New Guinea, the Miombo-Mopane woodlands of Southern Africa (including the Okavango Delta), and the North American desert complex of northern Mexico and the Southwestern part of United States of America.

The intact portion of these areas covers 8,981,000 km2 (76% of their original extent), and 6.1% of the planet’s land area. 2 The geographic boundaries of the HBWAs coincide with the boundaries of several amalgamated WWF ecoregions.

Criteria:

Wilderness areas are classified as areas ≥10,000 km2 that are based on the world’s terrestrial ecoregions, with a human population density outside urban areas of ≤5 people per km2 that retain at least 70% of their historical habitat extent (500 years ago). This analysis yielded 24 wilderness areas. 2 The HBWA are the top five wilderness areas based on endemic biodiversity (at least 0.5% of the world’s plants).

India has no High-Biodiversity Wilderness Areas

http://www.biodiversitya-z.org/content/high-biodiversity-wilderness-areas-hbwa

Solution: D

India has contributed USD 5 million in 2019 to UN Palestine refugee agency. The contribution was provided in support of UNRWA’s core programmes and services, including education, health care, and relief and social services.

Background:

India has increased its annual financial contribution fourfold to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) core budget, from USD 1.25 million in 2016 to USD 5 million in 2018.

UNRWA:

• It is a relief and human development agency that was established in 8 December 1949.
• Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict, UNRWA was established by United Nations General Assembly to carry out direct relief and works programmes for Palestine refugees. The Agency began operations on 1 May 1950.
• UNRWA is the only UN agency dedicated to helping refugees from a specific region or conflict and is separate from UNHCR.
• Funding: UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN Member States. UNRWA also receives some funding from the Regular Budget of the United Nations, which is used mostly for international staffing costs.
• Aid is provided in five areas of operation:Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem; aid for Palestinian refugees outside these five areas is provided by UNHCR.

Functions:

• UNRWA has been providing health, education, relief and social services, as well as emergency humanitarian assistance, across its five fields of operation Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip since 1950.
• The Agency currently serves 5.4 million Palestinian refugees 20% of the world’s refugees.

Challenges before UNRWA:

• The UN agency is going through a difficult financial situation due to voluntary contributions from a limited donor base.
• There is a projected shortfall of more than USD 200 million against a funding requirement of approximately USD 1.2 billion for UNRWA this year.
• The shortfall may impact the agency’s ability to provide essential services to the Palestine refugees, notably in the fields of education, health, and assistance to the most vulnerable refugees.
• Besides, a corruption scandal involving sexual misconduct, nepotism, retaliation against whistleblowers and lots of business-class travel has gripped the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/08/08/un-palestine-refugee-agency-2/

Solution: D

Government has launched One Nation-One Ration Card scheme on pilot basis in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharastra and Gujarat. Families who have food security cards can buy subsidized rice and wheat from any ration shop in these states but their ration cards should be linked with Aadhar Number to avail this service.

About the scheme:

• One Nation One Ration Card (RC) will ensure all beneficiaries especially migrants can access PDS across the nation from any PDS shop of their own choice.
• Benefits: no poor person is deprived of getting subsidized food grains under the food security scheme when they shift from one place to another. It also aims to remove the chance of anyone holding more than one ration card to avail benefits from different states.
• Significance: This will provide freedom to the beneficiaries as they will not be tied to any one PDS shop and reduce their dependence on shop owners and curtail instances of corruption.
• It is launched by Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
• It would integrate the existing PDS systems/portals of States/UTs with the Central systems/portals.

Challenges:

• Prone to corruption: Every state has its own rules for Public Distribution System (PDS). If ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ is implemented, it will further boost corruption in an already corrupted Public Distribution System.
• The scheme will increase the woes of the common man and, the middlemen and corrupt PDS shop owners will exploit them.
• Tamil Nadu has opposed the proposal of the Centre, saying it would result in undesirable consequences and is against federalism.

https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/08/02/one-nation-one-ration-card-2/

Solution: C

About Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES):

• It is an International agreement to regulate worldwide commercial trade in wild animal and plant species.
• It restricts trade in items made from such plants and animals, such as food, clothing, medicine, and souvenirs.
• It was signed on March 3, 1973 (Hence world wildlife day is celebrated on march 3).
• It is administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
• Secretariat— Geneva (Switzerland).
• It is legally binding on the Parties, but it does not take the place of national laws.

Classifications:

It classifies plants and animals according to three categories, or appendices, based on how threatened. They are.

• Appendix I: It lists species that are in danger of extinction. It prohibits commercial trade of these plants and animals except in extraordinary situations for scientific or educational reasons.
• Appendix II species: They are those that are not threatened with extinction but that might suffer a serious decline in number if trade is not restricted. Their trade is regulated by permit.
• Appendix III species: They are protected in at least one country that is a CITES member states and that has petitioned others for help in controlling international trade in that species.

https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/08/22/cites-washington-convention-3/

Solution: A

September 4, 2019 was the 194th birth anniversary of Dadabhai Naoroji, the “Grand Old Man of India”, who was among the first leaders who stirred national consciousness in the country. Born in 1825 at Navsari, in present-day Gujarat.

Key contributions:

• He was closely involved with the Indian National Congress in its early phase.
• He served as the first Indian member of the British parliament.
• His first agitation, in 1859, concerned recruitment to the Indian Civil Service.
• In 1865 and 1866, Naoroji helped found the London Indian Society and the East India Association The two organisations sought to bring nationalist Indians and sympathetic Britons on one platform.
• As the secretary of the East India Association, Naoroji travelled in India to gather funds and raise national awareness.
• In 1885, Naoroji became a vice-president of the Bombay Presidency Association, was nominated to the Bombay legislative council by Governor Lord Reay, and helped form the Indian National Congress.
• He was Congress president thrice, in 1886, 1893, and 1906.
• In 1893, he helped form an Indian parliamentary committee to attend to Indian interests.
• In 1895, he became a member of the royal commission on Indian expenditure.
• Dadabhai Naoroji was among the key proponents of the ‘Drain Theory’, disseminating it in his 1901 book ‘Poverty and Un-British Rule in India’.

https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/09/05/dadabhai-naoroji/

Solution: D

The temperate forests are called Sholas in the Nilgiris, Anaimalai and Palani hills. Some of the other trees of this forest of economic significance include, magnolia, laurel, cinchona and wattle. Such forests are also found in the Satpura and the Maikal ranges.

Solution: A

Milk contains 25% water and 75% milk.
Therefore, 1 liter milk contains only 750 ml of milk.
Cost of 750 ml milk = 40 * (750/1000) = 40 * 3/4 = Rs. 30
Since, 750 ml of milk is diluted to one liter and sold at the rate of Rs. 50 per liter.

Selling price of 1 Liter milk = Rs. 50.
Profit per liter = Rs. 50 – Rs. 30 = Rs. 20.

Solution: B

Let the number of boys = x
Then, the number of girls (20% more than that of boys) =x+(20/100)x =(120/100)x =(6/5)x
Total number of boys and girls in class is 66.
Therefore, x + (6/5)x = 66

x= 30
The number of girls = 66 – 30 = 36
Now, the number of total girls after 4 new girls are admitted to the class = 36 + 4 = 40
New ratio of the number of boys to that of the girls = 30 : 40 = 3 : 4

Solution: C

Let the marked price of the article be Rs. x

Discount = 10%

Then, the selling price = – 10% of = (9x/10)

Now,= (9x/10)= 6750 Or x = Rs. 7,500

As per the question, if the selling price is Rs. 7,500, then the profit earned by the Ramesh is 50%.

So, the cost price = Rs. 5,000

Therefore, the actual percentage of profit earned by selling the article for Rs. 6,750 = (Profit/CP) × 100 =(1750/5000)× 100 = 35%

Solution: A

Unconventional Method:

Let’s assume actual value of article is Rs. 100.

Therefore, buying price is 100-20 = Rs. 80 (As man bought with 20% less than actual value).

Selling price of article is 100 + 20 = Rs. 120 (As man sold with 20% more than actual value).

Therefore, gain in percentage = [(120-80)/80] * 100

(40/80) * 100 = 50 %

Hence, option (a) is correct

Formula Method:

Let the original price of the article be ‘x’.

Buying price will be (80/100)x = 0.8x.

Selling price will be (120/100)x = 1.2x

Therefore, gain in percentage =(profit/buying price) * 100

[(1.2x-0.8x)/0.8 x]* 100

0.5x * 100 = 50 %

Solution: D

Hard work is a challenge that the author throws to the public in the very first line. The passage also highlights the importance of national unity and not be divided on the lines of religion etc. Hence D is the correct answer.