DAY – 17 (InstaTest-17): Insta 75 Days Revision Plan-2022: Topic – Agriculture, Subject-wise Revision of Tests 16 & 27, Textbook based Test 17 and February 2022 CA

Solution: a

Panama disease, also called banana wilt, a devastating disease of bananas caused by the soil-inhabiting fungus species Fusarium oxysporum forma specialis cubense.

Solution: d

Rice-Wheat system is the most widely adopted cropping system in the country and has become main stay of cereal production. The states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh are now the heart land of rice-wheat cropping system with an estimated area of 10.5 million hectares. Despite enormous growth of this cropping system in the country during the past few years, reports of stagnation in the productivity of these crops, with possible decline in production in future, have raised doubts on its sustainability. Important issues emerging as a threat to the sustainability of rice-wheat system are:

• Over mining of nutrients from soil,
• Disturbed soil aggregates due to puddling in rice
• Decreasing response to nutrients
• Declining ground water table
• Buildup of diseases/pests
• Buildup of Phalaris minor
• Low input use efficiency in north western plains
• Low use of fertilizer in eastern and central India
• Lack of appropriate varietal combination.
• Shortage of labour during optimum period for transplanting paddy in Punjab.

Solution: c

India’s food ecosystem offers huge opportunities for investments with stimulating growth in the food retail sector, favourable economic policies and attractive fiscal incentives. The Food & Grocery market in India is the sixth largest in the world. Food & Grocery retail market in India further constitutes almost 65% of the total retail market in India.

The Government of India through the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) is also taking all necessary steps to boost investments in the food processing industry. The government has sanctioned 37 food parks funded under the Mega Food Parks Scheme, 20 are operational and 17 are under implementation as on 29th Oct 2020.

• 32% Share in India’s food market

• 11.6% Share in total employment

• 10.7% Share in India’s exports
• 142% Cropping intensity

• By 2024, the Food Processing industry will potentially attract $33 bn investments and generate employment for 9 million people
• By 2025, India’s food processing sector is expected to be worth over half a trillion dollars
• By 2030, Indian annual household consumption to treble, making India 5th largest consumer

100% FDI is permitted under the automatic route in Food processing industries.

Solution: d

Current Bioprocess Technology, Products, and Opportunities

Products and services that depend on bioprocessing can be grouped broadly into

• Biopharmaceuticals. Therapeutic proteins, polysaccharides, vaccines, and diagnostics.
• Specialty products and industrial chemicals. Antibiotics, value-added food and agricultural products, and fuels, chemicals, and fiber from renewable resources.
• Environmental-management aids. Bioprocessing products and services used to control or remediate toxic wastes.

Bioprocess engineering is concerned with translating biological science into biologically based manufacturing. To be prepared for the biological manufacturing systems of the future, it is important to identify the fields of science and technology that have reached or will soon reach early prototypes and to begin to develop engineering systems to deal with them. The lead time in development of any new technology is long. Biological science is so prolific that any present list of future developments of technology must be incomplete. It is, however, straightforward to identify subjects in which new engineering techniques must be developed now, if the technologies are to be available when they are needed in large-scale manufacturing 5–15 years from now.

Solution: d

Auxin, any of a group of plant hormones that regulate growth, particularly by stimulating cell elongation in stems. Auxins also play a role in cell division and differentiation, in fruit development, in the formation of roots from cuttings, in the inhibition of lateral branching (apical dominance), and in leaf fall (abscission).

In addition to promoting normal growth in plant length, auxins influence the growth of stems toward the light (phototropism) and against the force of gravity (geotropism). The phototropic response occurs because greater quantities of auxin are distributed to the side away from the light than to the side toward it, causing the shaded side to elongate more strongly and thus curve the stem toward the light. Similarly, the geotropic response occurs because more auxin accumulates along the lower side of the growing stem than along the upper side, generating an upward curvature. The downward growth of roots is also associated with a greater quantity of auxin in their lower halves. This effect is attributed to an inhibitory action of auxins on root growth, but this aspect of auxin action is not yet fully understood.

Both natural and synthetic auxins are used in horticulture, agriculture, home gardening, and plant science for the promotion of rooting, fruit setting, fruit thinning, and fruit-drop control. Other auxinlike compounds are used as selective weed killers (e.g., to disturb the leaf growth of dicotyledonous plants either in fields containing monocotyledonous cereal crops or in lawns) and as agents that remove leaves from dicotyledonous plants (defoliating agents).

Solution: c

NAHEP has been formulated by ICAR with a total cost of US$ 165 million (Rupees 1100 crores at the exchange rate of Rs. 66.75 = 1US$) for five years starting from 2017-18. The project is proposed on 50:50 cost sharing basis between the World Bank and the Government of India, implemented at the Education Division, ICAR, New Delhi. 

Overall, the project aims to develop resources and mechanism for supporting infrastructure, faculty and student advancement, and providing means for better governance and management of agricultural universities, so that a holistic model can be developed to raise the standard of current agricultural education system that provides more jobs and is entrepreneurship oriented and on par with the global agriculture education standards. The mandate of ICAR/DARE includes promotion and coordination of education in agriculture, agro-forestry, animal husbandry, fisheries, home science and allied sciences in the country. ICAR is now embarking upon an ambitious step in further strengthening the National Agricultural Education system in the country through National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP) with financial assistance of the World Bank by investing on infrastructure, competency and commitment of faculty, and attracting talented students to agriculture.

The objective of the NAHEP for India is to support participating agricultural universities and ICAR in providing more relevant and higher quality education to Agricultural University students. In addition, a four-year degree in Agriculture, Horticulture, Fisheries and Forestry has been declared a professional degree.

Solution: a

The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) functions in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).

As per Rules, 1989, it is responsible for appraisal of activities involving large scale use of hazardous microorganisms and recombinants in research and industrial production from the environmental angle. The committee is also responsible for appraisal of proposals relating to release of genetically engineered (GE) organisms and products into the enviornment including experimental field trials.

GEAC is chaired by the Special Secretary/Additional Secretary of MoEF&CC and co-chaired by a representative from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT). Presently, it has 24 members and meets every month to review the applications in the areas indicated above.

Solution: b

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is the world’s premier research organization dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger through rice science; improving the health and welfare of rice farmers and consumers; and protecting the rice-growing environment for future generations. IRRI is an independent, nonprofit, research and educational institute, founded in 1960 by the Ford and Rockefeller foundations with support from the Philippine government.

The institute, headquartered in Los Baños, Philippines, has offices in 17 rice-growing countries in Asia and Africa, and more than 1,000 staff.

IRRI is a member of CGIAR , a global research partnership committed to a food-secure future.

CGIAR is a global research partnership for a food secure future dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources.

Solution: b

National Beekeeping & Honey Mission

The National Beekeeping and Honey Mission was announced by the Union Government as part of the Atma Nirbhar Bharat package in 2020.

• The scheme is implemented by the National Bee Board (NBB) and is approved for three years from 2020 to 2023.
• The scheme is aimed at the overall development and promotion of scientific beekeeping in India to achieve the objectives of the Sweet Revolution.
• The scheme is under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, GOI.
• It is a central sector scheme (100% central government funding).
• The scheme will work in tandem with the various other schemes related to beekeeping such as KVIC’s Honey Mission, Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), and the ministries of rural development, MSME, AYUSH, commerce and industry, tribal affairs, etc.

Solution: c

Aureofungin, Kasugamycin, Validamycin and Streptomycin+ Tetracycline combination are antibiotics which are registered under the Insecticide Act 1968 for use as pesticides to combat certain fungal and bacterial diseases in plants

Solution: d

Justification:  The release of transgenic crops is governed by the Indian Environment Protection Act (EPA) – 1986 which came into force from May 1986.  The act provides a framework for the protection and improvement of environment. Later, the rules and regulations for the manufacture, use, import, export and storage of hazardous microorganisms, genetically engineered organisms or cells were notified under EPA 1986 on 5th December 1989.

A mechanism based on interaction between committees and different departments of Government of India has been set up. Such materials will have to meet with the approval of the following Committees: Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBSC), Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM) and Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC). Under the EPA 1986, the GEAC examines from the viewpoint of environmental safety and issues clearance or the release of genetically engineered organisms/transgenic crops and products into the environment. The GEAC also grants permits to conduct experimental and large-scale field trials which are beyond the limit of 20 acres. In case of transgenic crops, applicants are also required to seek clearance from the Ministry of Agriculture.

Q Source: GM Regulation in India

Solution: d

Justification: Single-cell protein (SCP) refers to edible unicellular microorganisms.

The biomass or protein extract from pure or mixed cultures of algae, yeasts, fungi or bacteria may be used as an ingredient or a substitute for protein-rich foods, and is suitable for human consumption or as animal feeds.

Whereas industrial agriculture is marked by a high water footprint, high land use, biodiversity destruction, general environmental degradation and contributes to climate change by emission of a third of all greenhouse gases, production of SCP does not necessarily exhibit any of these serious drawbacks.

Learning: As of today, SCP is commonly grown on agricultural waste products, and as such inherits the ecological footprint and water footprint of industrial agriculture.

However, SCP may also be produced entirely independent of agricultural waste products through autotrophic growth.

Q Source: From previous Insights tests

Solution: d

Learning: The FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) is a measure of the monthly change in international prices of a basket of food commodities.

It consists of the average of five commodity group price indices weighted by the average export shares of each of the groups over 2014-2016. A feature article published in the June 2020 edition of the Food Outlook presents the revision of the base period for the calculation of the FFPI and the expansion of its price coverage, to be introduced from July 2020.

It is a major policy tool to understand the impact of global food prices on farmer’s income (export competitiveness) and domestic inflation.

Q Source: Major reports and indices: FAO https://www.fao.org/worldfoodsituation/foodpricesindex/en/

Solution: c

Justification:  Salinity is a major factor affects crop growth and productivity at global level. Salt stress in plants is developed due to excess salt in the soil, which reduces the water potential of the soil and making the soil solution unavailable to the plants. This effect is termed as physiological drought.

According to the estimates, about one third of the irrigated land on the earth is affected by salt stress. Out of 1.5 billion ha of cultivable land at global level, 23% are affected due to salinity and 37% by sodicity.

Salinity: It is caused due to high accumulation of Ca, Mg as well as sodium and then anions such as SO4, NO3, CO3 and HCO3, Cl, etc.

Sodicity: it is due to high accumulation or high concentration of sodium in the soil.

Causes for soil salinity

Salt stress mainly occurs due to two factors

1. Irrigation water

• • Continuous usage of underground water for irrigation which brings excess salt from the underground region

2. Types of soil

• • Under rainfed condition, because of high evapotranspiration, water moves upward through the soil profile and forming salt crusts on the surface of the soil

Q Source: Agritech TNAU

Solution: a

Learning: Fallow is the stage of crop rotation in which the land is deliberately not used to raise a crop.

Ground may be fallowed as part of a larger crop rotation plan or as a method to conserve moisture as in the summer fallow technique used in dryland farming.

The practice of leaving fields fallow dates back to ancient times when farmers realized that using soil over and over again depleted its nutrients.

If the duration of fallow is substantially reduced owing to multiple cropping, the soil does not get enough time to recuperate and allow natural fertilization like nitrogen fixation. If fallow is increased, it will help in nutrient replenishment.

Q Source: From previous Insights tests

Solution: b

Vigyan Jyoti’ program: Under the DST, this programme aims to inspire girls from grades 9 to 12 to pursue STEM in their higher education.

Solution : c

Shukrayaan:

• Shukrayaan, mission to Venus, is to study the planet for more than four years and will be launched either in 2024 or 2026 during the optimal launch window (Venus is closest to the Earth), which comes about every 19 months.
• The payload capability of the proposed 2500-kg satellite is likely to be 175 kg with 500W of power.
• It is planned to be launched onboard a GSLV Mk II rocket or GSLV Mk III rocket to carry more instruments or fuel.

Solution : a

Neo-bank is a term for ‘fintech firms’ with only a digital presence and no physical branches. They provide banking services such as savings accounts, instant loans, credit cards, mutual funds, and fixed deposits.

• • They do this via tie-ups with Reserve Bank of India (RBI)-licensed banks.
  • In the case of products such as wealth management, neo-banks generally get investment adviser licenses. Usually, tie-ups are with small finance banks or small scheduled commercial banks.
  • Some countries such as the UK have a formal regulatory license for neo-banks, but that is not the case in India.
  • There is no such category of banks under the RBI rules.

Solution: d

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD):     Established in 1994, it is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management.

• Global Land Outlook (GLO) is a strategic communications platform and associated publications of the UNCCD secretariat that demonstrates the central importance of land quality to human well-being.

Solution: a

• Question Hour: This is the first hour of sitting. It is during this time MPs ask questions to ministers and hold them accountable for functioning of their ministries.

• Short Notice Questions: These questions are asked orally in the House after the Question Hour or as the first item in the agenda where there is no Question Hour at a notice shorter than that prescribed for Starred and Unstarred Questions

Solution: b

Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC)

Dadri, U.P to Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Mumbai-1,468 km

It is being funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC)

Ludhiana Punjab to Dankuni West Bengal-1,760 km

EDFC is being funded by the World Bank.

Solution: b

National Pension System (NPS) is a pension cum investment scheme launched by Government of India to provide old age security to Citizens of India. It brings an attractive long term saving avenue to effectively plan your retirement through safe and regulated market-based return.

The Scheme is regulated by Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)

Eligibility under National Pension System: Any individual citizen of India (both resident and Non-resident) in the age group of 18-65 years can join NPS.

Solution: d

Statements reversed

Solution: b

National Statistical Office (NSO) launched Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) in April 2017.

Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): LFPR is defined as the percentage of persons in labour force (i.e. working or seeking or available for work) in the population.

Worker Population Ratio (WPR): WPR is defined as the percentage of employed persons in the population.

Unemployment Rate (UR): UR is defined as the percentage of persons unemployed among the persons in the labour force.

Activity Status- Current Weekly Status (CWS): The activity status determined on the basis of a reference period of last 7 days preceding the date of survey is known as the current weekly status (CWS) of the person.

Solution: b

The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MoSJ&E), caters for empowerment of the socially, educationally and economically marginalized sections of the society including SCs, OBCs, De-notified Tribes (DNTs), EBCs, Safai Karamcharies including Waste Pickers. Most of the persons of target group are having minimal economic assets; therefore, provision of training and enhancing their competencies is essential for economic empowerment/ upliftment of these marginalized target groups

Solution: d

Given that, (x+y) : (x-y) = 3:5
(x+y)/(x-y) = 3/5
Applying componendo and dividend rule, we get
[(x+y)+(x-y)]/[(x+y)-(x-y)] = (3+5)/(3-5)
2x/2y = 8/-2
x/y = -4
∴x= -4y
But it is given, xy = Positive
∴-4y×y = Positive
-4y2 = Poitive, which is not possible.
Hence, no real solution for x and y exist.

Solution: a

Given, A:B = 2:3, B:C = 5:7 and C:D = 3:10
(A/D)= (A/B)× (B/C) = (2/3) ×(5/7)× (3/10) = 1/7
A:D = 1:7

Solution : b

Since, a, b, c, d and e are in continued proportion

∴a/b = b/c = c/d = d/e 

e/d = d/c = c/b = b/a

∴c= b2/a                                                                                                                        [because c/b = b/a]

∴d = c2/b = (b4/a2).(1/b = b3/a3

∴e = d2/c =( b6/a4).(a/b2) = b4/a3

a/e = a/(b4/a3) =  a4/b4

Solution: d

Let the number of boys and girls be 7x and 5x, respectively.
Given, total number of students = 2400
7x + 5x = 2400
12x = 2400
x=200
Required number of girls = 5x = 5× 200 = 100

Solution : c

‘But the magnificent here and now of life in the flesh is ours, and ours alone and ours only for a time. ‘hence, living beings’ life is temporary. Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.