DAY – 22 ( INSTA REVISION TEST – 22)INSTA REVISION PLAN 3.0, 2021

Solution: C

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved National Policy on Biofuels – 2018.

Salient Features:

1. The Policy categorizes biofuels as “Basic Biofuels” viz. First Generation (1G) bioethanol & biodiesel and “Advanced Biofuels” – Second Generation (2G) ethanol, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to drop-in fuels, Third Generation (3G) biofuels, bio-CNG etc. to enable extension of appropriate financial and fiscal incentives under each category.
2. The Policy expands the scope of raw material for ethanol production by allowing use of Sugarcane Juice, Sugar containing materials like Sugar Beet, Sweet Sorghum, Starch containing materials like Corn, Cassava, Damaged food grains like wheat, broken rice, Rotten Potatoes, unfit for human consumption for ethanol production.
3. Farmers are at a risk of not getting appropriate price for their produce during the surplus production phase. Taking this into account, the Policy allows use of surplus food grains for production of ethanol for blending with petrol with the approval of National Biofuel Coordination Committee.
4. With a thrust on Advanced Biofuels, the Policy indicates a viability gap funding scheme for 2G ethanol Bio refineries of Rs.5000 crore in 6 years in addition to additional tax incentives, higher purchase price as compared to 1G biofuels.
5. The Policy encourages setting up of supply chain mechanisms for biodiesel production from non-edible oilseeds, Used Cooking Oil, short gestation crops..
6. Roles and responsibilities of all the concerned Ministries/Departments with respect to biofuels has been captured in the Policy document to synergize efforts.

Solution: C

ISWA is a non-governmental, independent and non-profit association by statutes. ISWA promotes and develop professional waste management worldwide as a contribution to sustainable development.

ISWA’s vision is an Earth where no waste exists. It focus on Sustainable Waste Management. It is located in Vienna, Austria.

Solution: B

Mini mum frog is found in eastern Madagascar, it lives in the leaf litters of lowland forests.

It is one of the smallest frogs in the world, reaching an adult body size of 9.7 mm in males and 11.3 mm in females, it could sit on a thumbtack.

These frogs belong to the subfamily Cophylinae which is endemic to Madagascar.

Solution: A

Unlike the Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement is not legally-binding and it does not assign any emission cut targets on any country.

The Paris Agreement officially entered into force after 55 parties to the convention accounting for at least 55% of total GHG emissions ratified it.

Solution: B

It is an engagement group of Think Tanks from G20 countries.

The G20 confers with a set of engagement groups, which comprise civil society organizations from the G20 countries that represent different sectors of society.

Each engagement group is independent and chaired by one of its national members, and each group develops a set of policy recommendations that are formally submitted to the G20 ahead of the summit.

Solution: C

Green turtles are named after the greenish colour of their cartilage and the fat deposits around their internal organs. They are black-brown or greenish yellow in colour.  Green turtles are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical waters.

It is listed as endangered species in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list. Green turtles are also included in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) appendix 1.

Solution: C

Vermin Species

• Any animal which poses a threat to human and their livelihood especially farming, can be declared Vermin under Schedule V of Wildlife Protection act 1972.
• As per Section 62 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, States can send a list of wild animals to the Centre requesting it to declare them vermin for selective slaughter.
• The Central Government may by notification, declare any wild animal other than those specified in Schedule I and part 2 of Schedule II of the law to be vermin for any areafor a given period of time.
• As long as the notification is in force such wild animal shall be included in Schedule Vof the law, depriving them of any protection under that law.

Solution: B

Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is a statutory multi-disciplinary body established by the Government of India under the MoEFCC. It’s not an autonomous body.

Under Section 38 (Z) of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, it is mandated:

• To collect and collate intelligence related to organized wildlife crime activities.
• To disseminate the same to State and other enforcement agencies for immediate action so as to apprehend the criminals.
• To establish a centralized wildlife crime data bank.
• Co-ordinate actions by various agencies in connection with the enforcement of the provisions of the Act.
• Assist foreign authorities and international organization concerned to facilitate co-ordination and universal action for wildlife crime control.
• It also assists and advises the Customs authorities in inspection of the consignments of flora & fauna as per the provisions of Wild Life Protection Act, CITES and EXIM Policy governing such an item.

It is to combat organized wildlife crime in the country.

Solution: D

The Indian roofed turtle is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae. It can be distinguished by the distinct “roof” at the topmost part of the shell. It is found in the major rivers of South Asia. It is found in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan.

In India, it is found in Ganges, Brahmaputra and Indus River drainages. The protected areas in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal is known for protecting this species.

It is listed on Appendix I of CITES and as Least Concern in the IUCN list.

Solution: A

Biostasy: A term that was applied by Erhart in 1956 to periods of soil formation, with rhexistasy referring to phases of denudation.

In periods of biostasy, there is normal vegetation, while in phases of rhexistasy there is dying out or lack of vegetation, as a result of soil erosion resulting from climatic changes, tectonic displacement, etc.

Solution: D

Sedimentary cycles are the ones in which the reservoir is the Earth’s crust.

Sedimentary cycles include those of phosphorus, Sulphur, iron, calcium, and other more-earthbound elements.

Nitrogen cycle is a part of gaseous cycle.

Solution: A

Pyramid of Energy is always upright.

Pyramid of numbers

Pyramid of Biomass

Solution: A

The Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) is an intergovernmental treaty dedicated to the conservation of migratory waterbirds and their habitats across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, Greenland and the Canadian Archipelago.

Developed under the framework of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), AEWA brings together countries and the wider international conservation community in an effort to establish coordinated conservation and management of migratory waterbirds throughout their entire migratory range.

Parties to this treaty

India is not a party to this treaty.

Solution: B

Ocean acidification is the ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth’s oceans, caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.

An estimated 30–40% of the carbon dioxide from human activity released into the atmosphere dissolves into oceans, rivers and lakes.

To achieve chemical equilibrium, some of it reacts with the water to form carbonic acid.

The Ocean acidification has increased only after the industrialisation. Pre-Industrialisation pH value of the Ocean water was 8.179 which were coming down to 8.1074 which constituted 19% increase of H+ ions. Presently, the pH value of Ocean water is 8.069.

Solution: D

Artificial Sources of Radioactive pollution

• Accidents in nuclear power plants and nuclear waste.
• Nuclear weapon testing and explosion (Nuclear fallout). The fall Out contains radioactive substances such as strontium-90, caesium-137, iodine-131, etc.
• Uranium mining and mining of other radioactive material like thorium (monazite is the ore of thorium).
• Radiation therapy and direct exposures to radiation for diagnostic purposes (e.g. X-rays), chemotherapy etc.
• The slow nuclear radiations can emanate from a variety of sources viz. nuclear reactors, laboratories, etc.

Natural Sources

They include cosmic rays from space and terrestrial radiations from radio-nuclides present in earth’s crust such as radium-224, uranium-238, thorium-232, potassium-40, carbon-14, etc.

Solution: C

Disqualification on Ground of Defection

The Constitution also lays down that a person shall be disqualifiedfrom being a member of Parliament if he is so disqualified on theground of defection under the provisions of the Tenth Schedule. A member incurs disqualification under the defection law:

1. if he voluntary gives up the membership of the political party on whose ticket he is elected to the House;
2. if he votes or abstains from voting in the House contrary to any direction given by his political party;
3. if any independently elected member joins any political party; and
4. if any nominated member joins any political party after the expiry of six months.

The question of disqualification under the Tenth Schedule is decided by the Chairman in the case of Rajya Sabha and Speaker in the case of Lok Sabha (and not by the president of India). In1992, the Supreme Court ruled that the decision of the Chairman/Speaker in this regard is subject to judicial review.

Solution: A

Article 368 provides for two types of amendments, that is, by a special
majority of Parliament and also through the ratification of half of the states by a simple majority. But, some other articles provide for the amendment of certain provisions of the Constitution by a simple majority of Parliament, that is, a majority of the members of each House present and voting (similar to the ordinary legislative process). Notably, these amendments are not deemed to be amendments of the Constitution for the purposes of Article 368.
Therefore, the Constitution can be amended in three ways:
(a) Amendment by simple majority of the Parliament,
(b) Amendment by special majority of the Parliament, and
(c) Amendment by special majority of the Parliament and the ratification of
half of the state legislatures.

By Special Majority of Parliament and Consent of States

1. Election of the President and its manner.
2. Extent of the executive power of the Union and the states.
3. Supreme Court and high courts.
4. Distribution of legislative powers between the Union and the states.
5. Goods and Services Tax Council.
6. Any of the lists in the Seventh Schedule.
7. Representation of states in Parliament.
8. Power of Parliament to amend the Constitution and its procedure (Article 368 itself).

Solution: D

About the School Education Quality Index (SEQI):

• Developed by NITI Aayog to evaluate the performance of States and Union Territories (UTs) in the school education sector.
• Aim: To bring an ‘outcomes’ focus to education policy by providing States and UTs with a platform to identify their strengths and weaknesses and undertake requisite course corrections or policy interventions.
• The index is developed through a collaborative process, including key stakeholders such as Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD), the World Bank and sector experts.

It consists of 30 critical indicators that assess the delivery of quality education. These indicators are categorized as below:

• Category 1: Outcomes;
• Domain 1: Learning outcomes
• Domain 2: Access outcomes
• Domain 3: Infrastructure and facilities for outcomes
• Domain 4: Equity outcomes
• Category 2: Governance processes aiding outcomes.

Significance of the index:

• Schooling should result in successful learning outcomes. In this regard, SEQI acts as a credible system of assessment and helps to design necessary remedial actions.

Solution: D

Phytoextraction / phytoaccumulation is the process by which plants accumulate contaminants into the roots and above ground shoots or leaves.

Phyto-transformation or phytodegradation refers to the uptake of organic contaminants from soil, sediments, or water and their transformation to more stable, less toxic, less mobile form.

Phyto-stabilization is a technique in which plants reduce the mobility and migration of contaminated soil. Leachable constituents are adsorbed and bound into the plant structure so that they form unstable mass of plant from which the contaminants will not re-enter the environment.

Phytodegradation is the breakdown of contaminants through the activity existing in the rhizosphere. This activity is due to the presence of proteins and enzymes produced by the plants or by soil organisms such as bacteria, yeast, and fungi.

Solution: D

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD):

• OECD stands for Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
• It is an international economic organisation
• Established in 1961
• Secretariat: Paris
• Members: 35
• Aims to stimulate economic progress and world trade
• Its members are committed to Democracy and Market Economy
• Most OECD members are high-income economies with a very high Human Development Index (HDI) and are regarded as developed countries
• India is not a member of OECD

 Publications:

• OECD Economic survey of India
• Government at a Glance
• Education at a Glance
• Multilateral Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information (MCAA) — multilateral convention on administrative assistance in taxation matters
• How migrants can contribute to developing countries’ economies
• Employment Protection Index
• Your Better Life Index

Solution: B

Advisory Board for Banking Frauds (ABBF)

• The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has constituted an ‘Advisory Board for Banking Frauds (ABBF)’ to examine bank fraud of over ₹50 crore and recommend action.
• Headquartered in Delhi, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will provide required secretarial services, logistic and analytical support along with the necessary funding to the board.

Composition:

• Besides the chairman, the Board consists of three other members.
• The tenure of the Chairman and members would be for a period of two years from 21st August, 2019.

Functions:

• The board’s jurisdiction would be confined to those cases involving the level of officers of General Manager and above in the Public Sector Banks in respect of an allegation of fraud in a borrowal account.
• It would function as the first level of examination of all large fraud cases before recommendations or references are made to the investigative agencies by the respective public sector banks (PSBs).
• Lenders would refer all large fraud cases above ₹50 crore to the board and on receipt of its recommendation or advice, the bank concerned would take further action in such matter.
• The Central Bureau of Investigation may also refer any case or matter to the board where it has any issue or difficulty or in technical matters with the PSB concerned.
• It would also periodically carry out frauds analysis in the financial system and give inputs for policy formulation related to the fraud to the RBI.

Solution: C

African Elephants:

• African elephants are the largest land animals on Earth. They are slightly larger than Asian elephants.
• African elephants are keystone species, meaning they play a critical role in their ecosystem. Also known as “ecosystem engineers,” elephants shape their habitat in many ways.
• There are two subspecies of African elephants, the Savanna (or bush) elephant and the Forest elephant. Savanna elephants are the larger of two.
• They are vulnerable as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
• Asian elephants can live up to 48 years whereas African elephants can live up to 70 years.

Solution: D

Global Wage Report

• It is published by The International Labour Organization (ILO).
• It looks at recent trends in wages, the global economic and labour market context, and the impact that the pandemic has had on wages.
• The report also includes a number of policy recommendations to mitigate the negative impact of the crisis.
• The Average wages in two-third countries fell or grew more slowly in the first six months of 2020 due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Solution: A

Kuno National Park is a protected area in Madhya Pradesh that received the status of national park in 2018. The protected area was established in 1981 as a wildlife sanctuary in the Sheopur and Morena districts. It was also known as Kuno-Palpur and Palpur-Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary and it is part of the Kathiawar-Gir dry deciduous forests Eco region.

Correct Answer : B

Answer Justification :

 Explanation:

Statement a is the underlying basis for statement b. However, the passage focuses on how we can  make Rajya Sabha more representative in terms of capturing the diversity in India. Hence b.

Statement c is wrong as the passage talks about nominated members feeling discomfited sometimes which doesn’t necessarily mean that nominated members have no place in Rajya Sabha.

Correct Answer: C

Answer Justification :

Explanation:

Statement 1 and 2 are both directly mentioned in the passage.

Correct Answer : B

Answer Explanation:

Statement a is out rightly wrong as the passage has no stand on the threat that AI poses. Statement      b is correct because the passage mentions that AI performs processes typically  associated  with human brain and thus has wide ranging applications. Statement c is wrong as the passage mentions about digital assistants to explain how AI’s application is quite diverse.

Correct Answer : C

Explanation:

If other costs decrease , scarcity of fish will keep the price high.

Correct Answer :B

Explanation : the  argument assumes that everything a newspaper must be factually verifiable