DAY – 69 (InstaTest-69): Insta 75 Days Revision Plan-2020: Topic – Environment & Ecology, Previous year UPSC papers – 2011, October 2019 CA

Solution: B

Himalayas is now known as one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, which are areas of extreme species diversity endangered by pressures from humanity. The region holds, for example, 500 species of orchids, more than 100 species of primulas and rhododendrons, as well as rhinos, elephants, tigers, and red pandas.

The appropriate reason is Option B (Confluence of different bio-geographical zones). Please read the below article for more detail.

http://www.cpreec.org/pubbook-ecozone.htm

Solution: B

‘Green wall’ of India

• The Centre is mulling an ambitious plan to create a green wall on North- Western part of India.
• About the proposed wall:
  • It will be a 1,400km long and 5km wide green belt from Gujarat to the Delhi-Haryana border, on the lines of the “Great Green Wall” running through the width of Africa, from Dakar (Senegal) to Djibouti, to combat climate change and desertification. If approved, this may turn out to be a legacy programme in India’s efforts to deal with land degradation and the eastward march of the Thar desert.
  • India seeks replicate the idea as a national priority under its goal to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.
  • The green belt may not be contiguous, but would roughly cover the entire degraded Aravali range through a massive afforestation exercise.

Solution: B

Protected Special Agricultural Zone’ (PSAZ)

• Tamil Nadu CM declares Cauvery Delta as Protected Special Agriculture Zone. A law in this regard will be enacted soon.
• The protected zone will include Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam districts and delta regions of Trichy, Ariyalur, Cuddalore and Pudukkottai.
• Significance:
  • PSAZ is aimed at protecting the Cauvery delta region for the future, fulfilling TN’s food requirements and ensuring the welfare of delta farmers.
  • It has recognised farmer concerns about hydrocarbon exploration and accorded primacy to food security.

Solution: D

A geostationary satellite is an earth-orbiting satellite, placed at an altitude of approximately 35,786 km (22,236 miles) directly over the equator that revolves in the same direction the earth rotates (west to east).

A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit[a] (GEO), is a circular geosynchronous orbit 35,786 kilometres (22,236 miles) above Earth’s equator and following the direction of Earth’s rotation.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/geostationary-satellite

Solution: D

India’s Cooling Action Plan (ICAP)

• India’s Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) has received appreciation from the UN on World Ozone Day.

Significance of ICAP:

o India is the first country in world to develop such a document.

The goals stated in ICAP are:

o Reduction of cooling demand across sectors by 20% to 25 % by year 2037-38.

o Reduction of refrigerant demand by 25% to 30% by year 2037-38.

o Reduction of cooling energy requirements by 25% to 40% by year 2037-38.

o Training and certification of 100,000 servicing sector technicians by the year 2022-23, in synergy with Skill India Mission.

o Recognize “cooling and related areas” as a thrust area of research under the national S&T Programme.

The broad objectives of the India Cooling Action Plan include:

o Assessment of cooling requirements across sectors in next 20 years and the associated refrigerant demand and energy use.

o Map the technologies available to cater the cooling requirement including passive interventions, refrigerant- based technologies and alternative technologies such as not-in-kind technologies.

o Suggest interventions in each sector to provide for sustainable cooling and thermal comfort for all.

o Focus on skilling of RAC service technicians.

o Develop an R&D innovation ecosystem for indigenous development of alternative technologies.

Solution: A

Pangolin

• Pangolins could be responsible for the spread of the deadly coronavirus in China, scientists have said after they found the genome sequence separated from the endangered mammals 99 per cent identical to that from infected people.

About Pangolin:

• It is the only scaly mammal on the planet.
• According to Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), it is also the most illegally traded vertebrate within its class (Mammalia).
• Protection Status: Chinese pangolin has been listed as “critically endangered” by UN affiliated International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List. Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) has been listed as “endangered” in IUCN Red List. It is also a Schedule I category protected animal, under the Wildlife Protection Act (1972).

Solution: C

NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft

NASA’s Voyager 2 has exited heliosphere and has entered interstellar space.
Voyager 2 is the only probe ever to study Neptune and Uranus during planetary flybys. It is the second man-made object to leave our planet.

Voyager 2 is the only spacecraft to have visited all four gas giant planets — Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune — and discovered 16 moons, as well as phenomena like Neptune’s mysteriously transient Great Dark Spot, the cracks in Europa’s ice shell, and ring features at every planet.
Scientists use the heliopause to mark where interstellar space begins. It was launched in the 1970’s, and the probes sent by NASA were only meant to explore the outer planets – but they just kept on going.

Solution: B

Green Skill Development Programme (GSDP):

• GSDP is a recent initiative under the ENVIS scheme for skilling the youth in the country. It is an initiative for skill development in the environment and forest region by the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to develop India’s youth into employable and/or self-employment, making use of the widespread network and experience of ENVIS Hubs/RPs.
• The Green Skill Development programme endeavours to develop green skilled workers having technical knowledge and commitment to sustainable development, which will help in the attainment of the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and National Biodiversity Targets(NBT).

What are Green Skills?

Green skills are those skills required to adapt processes, services and products to climate change and the environmental rules and necessities related to it. They embrace the information, abilities, values and attitudes required to live in, develop and support a sustainable and resource-efficient society. India is the second most populous country in the world is bestowed with a large working population.

Why Green Skills?

• Even though India has an advantage of reaping this demographic dividend but high drop-out rates from school coupled with poor vocational skills may hinder in reaping this dividend. There exists a demand-supply gap of skill sets, both cognitive and practical, at various levels in the Environment/ Forest fields in India.
• Green skilling is crucial for making a transition from energy and emissions – intensive economy to cleaner and greener production and service patterns. It also prepares people for green jobs that contribute to preserving or restoring the quality of the environment, while improving human well being and social equity.
• These skills are needed in areas like sewer water treatment, Climate resilient cities, green construction, Solid waste management etc.

Solution: C

Launched under the Environment Education Awareness and Training (EEAT), the National Green Corps (NGC) popularly known as “a programme of Ecoclubs” is a nationwide initiative of the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India (now Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change).

 Objectives:

• To impart knowledge to school children, through hands-on experience, about their immediate environment, interactions within it and the problems therein.
• To develop requisite skills of observation, experimentation, survey, recording, analysis and reasoning for conserving the environment through various activities.
• To inculcate the proper attitude towards the environment and its conservation through community interactions.
• To sensitize children to issues related to environment and development through field visits and demonstrations.
• To promote logical and independent thinking among children so that they are able to make the right choices in a spirit of scientific inquiry.
• To motivate and stimulate young minds by involving them in action projects related to environmental conservation.

Methodology:

1. The scheme is being operated through Eco-clubs of 50-60 students having interest in environment related issues, formed in member schools.
2. Eco clubs are supervised by a Teacher In-charge, who is selected from among the teachers of the member school.
3. There is District Implementation and Monitoring Committee to supervise, organise training for In-charge teachers, and monitor periodically the implementation of scheme at the District level.
4. There is a State Steering Committee for guidance, direction and to oversee the implementation of the scheme.
5. The State Nodal Agency coordinates the implementation of the scheme in the State and organize related activities like training to Master Trainers.
6. The National Steering Committee will give overall direction to the programme and ensure linkages at all levels.

Environment Education Awareness and Training (EEAT) is an established central sector scheme of the Ministry continuing since 1983-84 and aims to promote environmental awareness and mobilize student’s participation for environment conservation. Under the scheme, National Green Corps (NGC) ‘Ecoclub’ programme was initiated in 2001-2002 with the objective to impart knowledge to school children through hands on experience, about their immediate environment, interactions within it and the problems therein. The programme aims to inculcate proper attitude towards environment and sensitize children on issues related to environment and development.

Solution: A

The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD, also known as the Quad) is an informal strategic dialogue between the United States, Japan, Australia and India that is maintained by talks between member countries.

The idea was first mooted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2007. However, the idea couldn’t move ahead with Australia pulling out of it. It was revived in 2017 and is being viewed as response to increased Chinese economic and military power.

All four countries share a vision of an open and free Indo-Pacific. Each is involved in development and economic projects as well as in promoting maritime domain awareness and maritime security.

Solution: B

• Mount Etna: is an active composite volcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy.
• Mount Sinabung: It is a composite volcano in the Karo plateau of Karo Regency, North Sumatra, Indonesia.
• Indonesia has nearly 130 active volcanoes, more than any other country.

Solution: A

The concept of Earth Overshoot Day was first conceived by Andrew Simms of the UK think tank New Economics Foundation, which partnered with Global Footprint Network in 2006 to launch the first global Earth Overshoot Day campaign. At that time, Earth Overshoot Day fell in October. WWF, the world’s largest conservation organization, has participated in Earth Overshoot Day since 2007.  

Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. We maintain this deficit by liquidating stocks of ecological resources and accumulating waste, primarily carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Earth Overshoot Day is hosted and calculated by Global Footprint Network, an international research organization that provides decision-makers with a menu of tools to help the human economy operate within Earth’s ecological limits.

To determine the date of Earth Overshoot Day for each year, Global Footprint Network calculates the number of days of that year that Earth’s biocapacity suffices to provide for humanity’s Ecological Footprint. The remainder of the year corresponds to global overshoot. Earth Overshoot Day is computed by dividing the planet’s biocapacity (the amount of ecological resources Earth is able to generate that year), by humanity’s Ecological Footprint (humanity’s demand for that year), and multiplying by 365, the number of days in a year:

(Earth’s Biocapacity / Humanity’s Ecological Footprint) x 365 = Earth Overshoot Day

Solution: C

Core investment companies are non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) holding not less than 90% of their net assets in the form of investment in equity shares, preference shares, bonds, debentures, debt or loans in group companies.

Unlike NBFCs which are required to constitute board level committees, no such standards are mandated for CICs. The same director could be part of boards of multiple companies in a group, including CICs.

https://www.livemint.com/industry/banking/rbi-panel-suggests-stronger-corporate-governance-in-core-investment-companies-11573038504883.html

Solution: A

A Fund to support the “Promoting Energy Access through Clean Energy”(PEACE) track of the U.S.-INDIA partnership to Advance Clean Energy (PACE)

Objective

The mission of the PACEsetter Fund is to accelerate the commercialization of innovative off-grid clean energy access solutions by providing early-stage grant funding that would allow businesses to develop and test innovative products, business models and systems. The Fund’s main purpose is toimprove the viability of off-grid renewable energy businesses that sell small scale (under 1 megawatt) clean energy systems to individuals and communities without access to grid connected power or with limited/intermittent access. (less than 8 hours per day)

PACEsetter fund:

• Constituted by India and the USA in 2015.
• It is a INR 50 crore (USD 7.9 million) fund jointly capitalized by the Governments of the Republic of India and the United States of America.
• It is a joint fund to provide early-stage grant funding to accelerate the commercialization of innovative off-grid clean energy products, systems, and business models.
• The Fund will award grants for direct support of innovative technology, business models, and programs including but not limited to: rural energy services companies (full scale integrated operators); rural distribution companies/franchisees; operations/maintenance companies; technology implementers/ system integrators; and enterprises.

Eligibility:

To be eligible, projects must be focused on improving the viability of off grid renewable energy businesses and organizations, under served individuals and communities in India without access to grid connected power or with limited or intermittent access less than 8 hours per day using small scale (under 1 megawatt) clean energy systems.

Background:

Energy access is crucial for improving the quality of life for India’s citizens and their economic conditions, and 24/7 energy availability remains a priority for the Indian government.

Off-grid, clean energy technologies, combined with innovative financing models, market-based solutions, and policy alignment, have tremendous potential to become a transformative agent of economic opportunity and rural development.

Solution: C

National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR) has launched a training programme- a certificate course for Sustainable Livelihoods and Adaptation to Climate Change (SLACC).

About the SLACC

• SLACC is funded by the Special Climate Change Fund, which was set up under the UNFCC for adaptation and capacity building projects.
• It is being implemented in convergence with the Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and other Centrally-sponsored schemes.
• The objective of SLACC is to create a cadre of over 200 certified ‘climate-smart’ Community Resource Persons (CRPs) including progressive farmers and over 100 young professionals in villages to secure their livelihood through climate-proof planning and adaptations.

Solution: B

Acceptance Development Fund

• The Reserve Bank of India recently came out with a concept paper to encourage card transactions and move towards ‘less-cash’ society by developing a card acceptance infrastructure.
• it proposed to  setting up of Acceptance Development Fund (AFD), which are market-driven initiatives where different stakeholders in the card payment value chain come together to set up a program to encourage wider deployment of card acceptance infrastructure.
• The fund will be used to ensure the growth of card acceptance infrastructure such as swipe machines, particularly in Tier III and Tier IV cities.
• Once infrastructure becomes widely available even in smaller towns, it will become easier to adopt digital payments.

Solution: D

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has launched the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evem Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) Scheme for farmers for installation of solar pumps and grid connected solar and other renewable power plants in the country.

The scheme aims to add solar and other renewable capacity of 25,750 MW by 2022 with total central financial support of Rs. 34,422 Crore including service charges to the implementing agencies.

• It would encourage farmers to generate solar power in their farms and use the clean energy to replace their diesel water pumps.

Scheme Components

The Scheme consists of three components:

1. Component A: 10,000 MW of Decentralized Ground Mounted Grid Connected Renewable Power Plants of individual plant size up to 2 MW.
2. Component B: Installation of 17.50 lakh standalone Solar Powered Agriculture Pumps of individual pump capacity up to 7.5 HP.
3. Component C: Solarisation of 10 Lakh Grid-connected Agriculture Pumps of individual pump capacity up to 7.5 HP.

Scheme implementation

State Nodal Agencies(SNAs) of MNRE will coordinate with States/UTs, Discoms and farmers for implementation of the scheme.

Components A and C of the Scheme will be implemented in Pilot mode till 31st December 2019. The Component B, which is a ongoing sub-programme, will be implemented in entirety without going through pilot mode.

The capacities to be implemented under pilot mode for the Components A and C are as follows:

• Component A: Commissioning of 1000 MW capacity of ground/ stilt mounted solar or other renewable energy source based power projects
• Component C: Solarization of 1,00,000 grid connected agriculture pumps

On successful implementation of pilot run of Components A and C of the Scheme, these components would be scaled-up, after getting necessary approval.

Scheme benefits

The scheme will open a stable and continuous source of income to the rural land owners for a period of 25 years by utilisation of their dry/uncultivable land. Further, in case cultivated fields are chosen for setting up solar power project, the farmers could continue to grow crops as the solar panels are to be set up above a minimum height.

The proposed scheme would ensure that sufficient local solar/ other renewable energy based power is available for feeding rural load centres and agriculture pump-set loads, which require power mostly during the day time. As these power plants will be located closer to the agriculture loads or to electrical substations in a decentralized manner, it will result in reduced Transmission losses for STUs and Discoms. Moreover, the scheme will also help the Discoms to achieve the RPO target

The solar pumps will save the expenditure incurred on diesel for running diesel pump and provide the farmers a reliable source of irrigation through solar pump apart from preventing harmful pollution from running diesel pump. In light of the long waiting list for electric grid connection, this scheme will benefit 17.5 lakh farmers over a period of four years, without adding to the grid load.

Solution: B

Gogabeel is Bihar’s first community reserve:

Gogabeel, an ox-bow lake in Bihar’s Katihar district, has been declared as the state’s first ‘Community Reserve’.

Gogabeel is formed from the flow of the rivers Mahananda and Kankhar in the north and the Ganga in the south and east. It is the fifteenth Protected Area (PA) in Bihar.

Solution: D

Railways ministry has constituted a five-member committee in the chairmanship of NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant to look into the matter of privatization of railway stations and trains on various routes. The committee has to look into the matter of developing 50 stations across the country as world class besides handing over 150 trains to private operators for better service.

Solution: D

The Ramsar Convention works closely with six other organisations known as International Organization Partners (IOPs). These are:

• Birdlife International
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
• International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
• Wetlands International
• WWF International
• Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT)

These organizations support the work of the Convention by providing expert technical advice, helping implement field studies, and providing financial support. The IOPs also participate regularly as observers in all meetings of the Conference of the Parties and as full members of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel.

Solution: C

Sarayu River:

Why in News? 5.50 crore earthen lamps on the banks of Saryu River has helped Uttar Pradesh enter into the Guinness Books of World Records for lightening of record number of diyas on any occasion.

Key facts:

• Sarayu flows through Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. This river is of ancient significance, finding mentions in the Vedas and the Ramayana.
• The Sarayu originates from Lake Mansarovar in the Himalayas and is also known as the Ghaghra and the ManasNandini. It merges with the Ganga in Bihar’s Saran district.
• It forms at the confluence of the Karnali and Mahakali in Bahraich District.
• Ayodhya is situated on the banks of this river.
• It flows through the Kumaonhimalayas.

Solution: B

Mobile App “mHariyali”:

• Launched by the Ministry of housing and Urban Affairs to encourage public engagement in planting trees and Green drives. The application provides automatic geo – tagging of plants. It will hence enable the nodal officers to periodically monitor the plantation.
• The app is aimed to encourage Public engagement in planting trees and other such Green drives.
• The Mahotsav is a mass plantation drive that was conducted in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi. Under the program around 500 plants were planted by 150 people. Under this mass initiative till date, 25 rain water harvesting structures have been constructed, 21,756 plants have been planted and more than 3800 people participated.

Solution: B

Curriculum for Life Skills (Jeevan Kaushal):

• Designed by University Grants Commission (UGC).
• The University Grants Commission (UGC) has developed life skills (Jeevan Kaushal) curriculum for undergraduate students at Universities and Colleges.
• It covers the courses on communication skills, professional skills, leadership & management skills and universal human values
• Objectives: The curriculum is designed to impart and strengthen the knowledge, skills and dispositions believed to be the best requisites of the current Industry and thereby empower the talent inherent in each learner.
• The program has been framed for Undergraduate courses across the country.

Solution: D

Critically Endangered Mammals

1. Pygmy Hog (Porcula salvania).
2. Andaman White-toothed Shrew (Crocidura andamanensis)
3. Jenkin’s Andaman Spiny Shrew (Crocidura jenkinsi)
4. Nicobar White-tailed Shrew (Crocidura nicobarica)
5. Kondana Rat (Millardia kondana)
6. Large Rock Rat or Elvira Rat (Cremnomys elvira)
7. Namdapha Flying Squirrel (Biswamoyopterus biswasi)
8. Malabar Civet (Viverra civettina)
9. Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis)
10. Javan Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus)

Critically endangered birds in India:

1. Migratory Wetland Species – Baer’s Pochard (Aythya baeri), Siberian Crane (Leucogeranus leucogeranus), Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Eurynorhynchus pygmeus)
2. Non-migratory Wetland Species – White-bellied Heron (Ardea insignis)
3. Grassland Species – Bengal Florican (Houbaropsis bengalensis), Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps), Jerdon’s Courser(Rhinoptilus bitorquatus), Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius)
4. Forest Species – Forest Owlet (Heteroglaux blewitti)
5. Scavengers – Indian Vulture (Gyps indicus), Red-headed Vulture (Sarcogyps calvus), Slender-billed Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris), White-backed Vulture (Gyps bengalensis).
6. Practically extinct – Himalayan Quail (Ophrysia superciliosa), Pink-headed Duck (Rhodonessa caryophyllacea)

Critically Endangered Fishes

1. Pondicherry Shark (Carcharhinus hemiodon)
2. Ganges Shark (Glyphis gangeticus)
3. Knife-tooth Sawfish (Anoxypristis cuspidata)
4. Large-tooth Sawfish (Pristis microdon)
5. Long-comb Sawfish or Narrow-snout Sawfish (Pristis zijsron)

Solution: B

Einstein Challenge:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has thrown an “Einstein Challenge” to propagate the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi through innovations.
• He recalled Albert Einstein’s famous words on Gandhi: “Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth,”
• PM Modi called upon thinkers, entrepreneurs and tech leaders to take forward Gandhi’s idea of innovation for future generations to remember.
• He said that from uniting those who believe in humanity to furthering sustainable development and ensuring economic self-reliance, Gandhi offers solutions to every problem.

Solution: B

As per the given information, we can derive following information:

A family consists of six members P, Q, R, X, Y and Z.

Q (male) is the son of R but R is not the mother of Q.

Therefore, R (male) must be father of Q.

P and R are married couple.

Therefore, P (female) is mother of Q.

Y (male) is the brother of R.

Therefore, Y is uncle of Q.

X (female) is the daughter of P.

Therefore, P is mother X (daughter) and Q (Son).

Z (male) is the brother of P.

Therefore, Z is uncle of X and Q; and Z is brother-in-law of R.

Hence, option (b) is correct.

Solution: B

As already solved in previous question, it is clear that there are two female members (P and X) in the family and remaining four (Q, R, Y and Z) are male members of the family.

Hence, option (b) is correct.

Solution: D

As per the given information, it is clear that R and Y are brothers.

Solution: B

From the given data,

Asha has worked five night shifts in a row.

Minty has worked fifteen night shifts in a row.

Since, Minty has worked more night shifts in a row than Usha and Asha (5) combined. Thus, night shifts in a row has Nurse Usha worked should be less than or equal to nine.

Monica has worked eight night shifts in a row. Since it is given that she has worked less night outs than Usha, Usha must have worked nine night shifts in a row.

Solution: B