DAY – 21 (InstaTest-21): Insta 75 Days Revision Plan-2022: Topic – Environment & Ecology, Subject-wise Revision of Tests 14, 15 & 26, Textbook based Revision of Tests 15,16 and 17 and November 2021 CA

Solution: b

Justification:  In addition to the CBD, a number of international bodies, instruments and initiatives are of particular relevance to traditional knowledge. They include but are not limited to the following:

• Agenda 21: Principle 22 of the main document that came out of the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro recognizes that indigenous peoples have a vital role to play in environmental management and development because of their traditional knowledge and practices;
• The International Labour Organization’s Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples : This Convention calls for action to protect the rights of indigenous peoples;
• The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
• The Inter-American Development Bank and its Strategy and Policy on Indigenous Peoples, approved by the IDB in 2006;
• The Inter-American Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ;
• The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues;
• The World Intellectual Property Organization, wherein a patents or related rights based on TK have been addressed;
• The United Nations Education, Scientific and cultural Organization;
• The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development , the Asian Development Bank and the African Development Bank: These Banks are committed to ensuring that the development process promotes indigenous peoples’ participation;
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank : Both organizations have launched programmes to promote indigenous peoples’ development and to ensure that the development process fosters the full respect for the dignity, human rights and uniqueness of indigenous peoples;
• United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD): Protecting and Promoting Traditional Knowledge: Systems, National Experiences and International Dimensions.

Q Source: https://www.cbd.int/traditional/intro.shtml

Solution: c

Justification: AOSIS is a coalition of 44 small island and low-lying coastal developing states, including five observers. It is an ad hoc coalition of nations that are particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels and share common positions on climate change.

Some of the members and observers are American Samoa, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cape Verde, Comoros, Cook Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Netherlands Antilles, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, US Virgin Islands, and Vanuatu.

To achieve its goals, AOSIS often draws on partnerships, including with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the European Commission, to bolster its capacity to effectively influence climate negotiations, some of the most complex and difficult in the world. AOSIS also makes vital contributions by helping its members to pool their resources and amplify their collective voice in climate talks. This goes beyond just speaking up to securing ambitious agreements with tangible benefits for vulnerable communities.

Q Source: https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-convention/glossary-of-climate-change-acronyms-and-terms

https://www.aosis.org/about/

Solution: b

Justification:  Climate Neutral Now is an initiative launched by UN Climate Change in 2015 to encourage everyone in society to take action to help achieve a climate neutral world by mid-century, as enshrined in the Paris Agreement.

Climate Neutral Now invites organizations, governments and citizens to work towards global climate neutrality by addressing their own climate footprint through a 3-step method:

• Measure their greenhouse gas emissions. also called the carbon footprint;
• Reduce them as much as possible through their own actions; and
• Compensate those which cannot be currently avoided by using UN certified emission reductions (CERs), a type of carbon credit.

CERs are carbon credits generated by climate-friendly projects vetted by the UNFCCC following rules approved at intergovernmental level and with international oversight, providing a high level of credibility. By buying credits to compensate one’s unavoidable emissions, one:

• Rewards these projects located in developing countries and encourages the development of new ones;
• Helps bring sustainable development benefits to communities, such as improved air and water quality, improved income, improved health, reduced energy consumption and much more;
• Contributes to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);

To avoid the worst effects of climate change, science tells us that we must limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, or a maximum of 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, which is also the central goal of the Paris Agreement. To achieve this objective, relying solely on governmental action will not be sufficient. We all have a role to play.

We have already reached 1.1 degrees Celsius of global warming. We could reach 1.5 by 2030.

Q Source: https://unfccc.int/climate-action/climate-neutral-now

Solution: d

Justification: UNEP’s flagship scientific publications such as the Global Environment Outlook, the Global Chemicals Outlook and the Emissions Gap Report are made possible by the Environment Fund. It then translates the best available scientific knowledge into information relevant for decision makers, who then can turn policy into action.

The Environment Fund is UNEP’s core source of flexible funds, provided by its Member States. The Fund provides the bedrock for its work worldwide, as it supports countries to deliver on the environmental dimensions of the 2030 Agenda.

The Environment Fund is also used for (as quoted by UNEP):

• Implementation of our seven thematic sub-programmes;
• Identification of new emerging environmental issues (such as through our Frontiers-series);
• Our work on several science-policy platforms that bring together scientists, governments, industrial and international organizations, and civil society;
• Innovation for addressing environmental challenges;
• Advocacy and awareness raising on environmental issues;
• Capacity building and transfer of technological innovations;
• Results-based planning and management;
• Bringing together governments, the private sector and civil society in advancing the global environmental agenda, for example through the UN Environment Assembly;
• Robust oversight.

Of the Fund, 85 per cent is used for the seven thematic sub-programmes. The rest supports strategic direction, management and programme support, which are critical for implementing the organisation’s vision and ensuring robust oversight and delivery.

Q Source: https://www.unenvironment.org/about-un-environment-programme/funding-and-partnerships/funding-facts/environment-fund

Solution: a

Justification: To facilitate the provision of climate finance, the Convention (UNFCCC) established a financial mechanism to provide financial resources to developing country Parties. The financial mechanism also serves the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement.

The Convention states that the operation of the financial mechanism can be entrusted to one or more existing international entities. The Global Environment Facility (GEF- see link for details) has served as an operating entity of the financial mechanism since the Convention’s entry into force in 1994. At COP 16, in 2010, Parties established the Green Climate Fund (GCF- see link for details) and in 2011 also designated it as an operating entity of the financial mechanism. The financial mechanism is accountable to the COP, which decides on its policies, programme priorities and eligibility criteria for funding.

In addition to providing guidance to the GEF and the GCF, Parties have established two special funds—the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) and the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), both managed by the GEF—and the Adaptation Fund (AF) established under the Kyoto Protocol in 2001.

At the Paris Climate Change Conference in 2015, the Parties agreed that the operating entities of the financial mechanism – GCD and GEF – as well as the SCCF and the LDCF shall serve the Paris Agreement.

Global Environment Facility (GEF)
The GEF is an independent financial organization that provides grants to developing countries for projects that benefit the global environment and promote sustainable livelihoods in local communities. The Parties to the Convention assigned operation of the financial mechanism to the GEF on an on-going basis, subject to review every four years. The financial mechanism is accountable to the COP.

Green Climate Fund (GCF)
At COP 16 in Cancun in 2010, Governments established a Green Climate Fund as an operating entity of the financial mechanism of the Convention under Article 11. The GCF will support projects, programmes, policies and other activities in developing country Parties. The Fund will be governed by the GCF Board.

Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF)
The SCCF was established to finance projects relating to adaptation; technology transfer and capacity building; energy, transport, industry, agriculture, forestry and waste management; and economic diversification. This fund should complement other funding mechanisms for the implementation of the Convention. The Global Environment Facility (GEF), as the entity that operates the financial mechanism of the Convention, has been entrusted to operate this fund.

Q Source: https://unfccc.int/topics/climate-finance/the-big-picture/introduction-to-climate-finance

Solution: B

Project Elephant was launched by the Government of India in the year 1992 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with following objectives:

1. To protect elephants, their habitat & corridors
2. To address issues of man-animal conflict
3. Welfare of captive elephants

The Project is being mainly implemented in 16 States / UTs , viz. Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change provides the financial and technical support to major elephant range states in the country through Project Elephant.

Asian Elephant is listed as endangered under IUCN redlist.

Solution: a

Why are biodiversity hotspots important?

There are places on Earth that are both biologically rich — and deeply threatened. For our own sake, we must work to protect them.

Species are the building blocks of Earth’s life-support systems. We all depend on them.

But our planet’s “biodiversity,” the vast array of life on Earth, faces a crisis of historic proportions. Development, urbanization, pollution, disease — they’re all wreaking havoc on the tree of life. Today, species are going extinct at the fastest rate since the mass extinction of the dinosaurs.

To stem this crisis, we must protect the places where biodiversity lives. But species aren’t evenly distributed around the planet. Certain areas have large numbers of endemic species — those found nowhere else. Many of these are heavily threatened by habitat loss and other human activities. These areas are the biodiversity hotspots, 36 regions where success in conserving species can have an enormous impact in securing our global biodiversity.

The forests and other remnant habitats in hotspots represent just 2.4% of Earth’s land surface. But you’d be hard-pressed to find another 2.4% of the planet that’s more important.

To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot, a region must meet two strict criteria:

• It must have at least 1,500 vascular plants as endemics — which is to say, it must have a high percentage of plant life found nowhere else on the planet. A hotspot, in other words, is irreplaceable.
• It must have 30% or less of its original natural vegetation. In other words, it must be threatened.

https://www.conservation.org/priorities/biodiversity-hotspots

Solution: d

The world’s sea floor is littered with an estimated 14 million tonnes of microplastics, according to Australia’s national science agency CSIRO.

Microplastics are tiny plastic particles with an upper size limit of 5mm in diameter. The term ‘microplastics’ was introduced in the mid-2000s. They occur in the environment as a consequence of plastic pollution.

Every year, several million tonnes of plastic litter course through rivers and out to the oceans, where they are gradually broken down into smaller fragments through the motion of waves and the ultraviolet light of the sun.

Marine organisms such as fish, crabs and prawns consume these microplastics by misidentification as food. Humans consume this seafood which leads to several health complications.

Microplastics are divided into two categories: 

Primary microplastics

Primary microplastics which enter the environment directly, are tiny particles designed for commercial use, as well as microfibers shed from clothing and other textiles, such as fishing nets.

Examples of primary microplastics include microbeads found in personal care products, plastic pellets used in industrial manufacturing, and plastic fibres used in synthetic textiles.

Secondary microplastics 

Secondary microplastics form from the breakdown of larger plastics such as water bottles.

This typically happens when larger plastics undergo weathering, through exposure to conditions like wave action, wind abrasion, and ultraviolet radiation from sunlight.

Microplastics contribute to over 80% of the ocean debris. In the last four decades, concentrations of these particles appear to have increased significantly in the surface waters of the ocean, according to the UN Environment Programme.

Although a global problem, only 43% of the countries are actively involved in studies on microplastics.

About half the global population lives within 100 km of a coastline, and population growth is greatest in that zone. This means the amount of plastic debris entering the ocean from land-based sources is likely to increase unless significant changes are made to waste management practices on land.

Solution: b

National Ambient Air Quality Standards

(NAAQS)

• National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) were notified in the year 1982, duly revised in 1994 based on health criteria and land uses.
• The NAAQS have been revisited and revised in November 2009 for 12 pollutants, which include

1. sulphur dioxide (SO2),
2. nitrogen dioxide (NO2),
3. particulate matter having size less than 10 micron (PM10), 
4. particulate matter having size less than 2.5 micron (PM2.5),
5. ozone,
6. lead,
7. carbon monoxide (CO),
8. arsenic,
9. nickel,
10. benzene,
11. ammonia, and
12. benzopyrene.

Solution: C

Acts related to Air as a natural resource

• • 1948 – The Factories Act and Amendment in 1987 was the first to express concern for the working environment of the workers. The amendment of 1987 has sharpened its environmental focus and expanded its application to hazardous processes.
  • 1981 – The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act provides for the control and abatement of air pollution. It entrusts the power of enforcing this act to the CPCB.
  • 1982 – The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Rules defines the procedures of the meetings of the Boards and the powers entrusted to them.
  • 1982 – The Atomic Energy Act deals with the radioactive waste.
  • 1987 – The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Act empowers the central and state pollution control boards to meet with grave emergencies of air pollution.
  • 1988 – The Motor Vehicles Act states that all hazardous waste is to be properly packaged, labelled, and transported. 

https://vikaspedia.in/energy/policy-support/environment-1/air-1/air

Solution: A

The higher amounts of waste increases the rates of decomposition and O2 consumption, thereby decreases the DO content of water. The demand for O2 is directly related to increasing input of organic wastes and is empressed as biological oxygen demand (BOD) of water.

• Water pollution by organic wastes is measured in terms of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD). BOD is the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by bacteria in decomposing the organic wastes present in water. It is expressed in milligrams of oxygen per litre of water.
• The higher value of BOD indicates low DO content of water. Since BOD is limited to biodegradable materials only. Therefore, it is not a reliable method of measuring pollution load in water.
• Chemical oxygen demand (COD) is a slightly better mode used to measure pollution load in water.

It is the measure of oxygen equivalent of the requirement of oxidation of total organic matter (i.e. biodegradable

and non-biodegradable) present in water.

Solution: C

Radioactivity:

Radioactivity is a property of certain elements (radium, thorium, uranium etc.) to spontaneously emit protons (alpha particles) electrons (beta particles) and gamma rays (short-wave electromagnetic wave) by disintegration of their atomic nuclei (nuclides).

Types of Radiations

1. Non-ionising radiations affect only those components which absorb them and have low penetrability.
2. Ionising radiations have high penetration power and cause breakage of macro molecules.

Types of radiation particles

1. Alpha particles, can be blocked by a piece of paper and human skin.
2. Beta particles can penetrate through skin, while can be blocked by some pieces of glass and metal.
3. Gamma rays can penetrate easily to human skin and damage cells on its way through, reaching far, and can only be blocked by a very thick, strong, massive piece of concrete.

Solution: D

Categories and criteria for categorisation

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has developed the criteria of categorization of industrial sectors based on the Pollution Index which is a function of the emissions (air pollutants), effluents (water pollutants), hazardous wastes generated and consumption of resources.

For this purpose the references are taken from the the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution ) Cess (Amendment) Act, 2003, Standards so far prescribed for various pollutants under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and Doon Valley Notification, 1989 issued by MoEFCC. The Pollution Index PI of any industrial sector is a number from 0 to 100 and the increasing value of PI denotes the increasing degree of pollution load from the industrial sector. The following are the criteria on ‘Range of Pollution Index’ for the purpose of categorization of industrial sectors.

• Industrial Sectors having Pollution Index score of 60 and above – Red category
• Industrial Sectors having Pollution Index score of 41 to 59 – Orange category
• Industrial Sectors having Pollution Index score of 21 to 40 – Green category
• Industrial Sectors having Pollution Index score incl.& upto 20 – White category

Implications of categorisation

• There shall be no necessity of obtaining the Consent to Operate for White category of industries. An intimation to concerned SPCB / PCC shall suffice.
• No Red category of industries shall normally be permitted in the ecologically fragile area / protected area.

Solution: D

All the above statements are correct.

In situ bioremediation techniques

• It involves treatment of the contaminated material at the site.
• Bioventing – supply of air and nutrients through wells to contaminated soil to stimulate the growth of indigenous bacteria. It is used for simple hydrocarbons and can be used where the contamination is deep under the surface.
• Biosparging – Injection of air under pressure below the water table to increase groundwater oxygen concentrations and enhance the rate of biological degradation of contaminants by naturally occurring bacteria
• Bioaugmentation – Microorganisms are imported to a contaminated site to enhance degradation process.

Solution: C

Joint Forest Management Committee (JFMC) is an agency formed at a village level or a cluster of villages situated adjacent to Reserved Forests (RF) registered with the Territorial Divisional Forest Office.

JFMC is responsible for selecting the plant species to be planted in the forest, suggesting physical and financial targets, conducting awareness programs. The JFMC objectives are to ensure sustainable management of forest resources, to improve forest cover via afforestation, to restore degraded forest land, to promote conservation awareness through environmental education, restore watershed capability in catchment areas and to assure employment opportunities to the tribal communities.

Solution: B

• Lowering Share of States in divisible pool: Due to over-reliance of Centre on Cess and Surcharges, the share of states in the Centre’s gross tax revenue (GTR) fell sharply from 36.6% in FY19 to 32.4% in FY20.
• Raised Borrowing Limits: The Centre has raised borrowing limits for states for the current fiscal to 5%of gross state domestic product (GSDP) from 3% at present, allowing them fiscal headroom of around Rs. 4 trillion, subject to their carrying out specific reforms.

Solution: B

Solution : D

• Women Reservation Bill in Indian- 108 th Constitutional Amendment Bill.
• NCBC- 123rd Constitutional Amendment Bill, 102 nd Constitutional Amendment Act.

Solution : A

• INO will observe neutrinos produced in the atmosphere of the Earth. The site identified is in Bodi West Hills, in Theni district, Tamil Nadu.
• INO has no strategic or defence applications.
• Its operation involves no radioactivity release or toxic emissions.

Solution: D

Recently, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs released State of the world’s indigenous peoples: Rights to Land, territories and resources report.

Findings in the report

• Report mentions the recognition and protection of land titles and tenure of indigenous people is crucial to attaining SDGs to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development by 2030.
• Report calls on the UN to include indigenous peoples and their organizations in the sustainable development framework.

Answer C

Constraints in sugarcane cultivation

• a) Sub-tropical Region: Long winters, low Sun shine hours, high temperature disparity,

lack of early maturing high sucrose varieties, poor ratoon management, late planting,

water logging, imbalance use of fertilizer, incidence of disease and pests, inadequate

availability of quality seed, etc.

• b) Tropical Region: Lack of irrigation in many states, inadequate availability of quality

seed, incidence of disease and pests, poor ratoon management, etc.

For every sugar season, the Central Government fixes the Fair and Remunerative

Price (FRP) of sugarcane (earlier called Statutory Minimum Price) having regard to

the factors mentioned in clause 3(1) of the Sugarcane (control) Order, 1966, based

on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices

(CACP) and after consultations with State Governments and other stake-holders.

The FRP is a benchmark guaranteed price of sugarcane determined by the Central

Government below which no sugar mill can purchase sugarcane from cane growers.

However, the State Governments of States viz. Punjab, Haryana, U.P, Uttarakhand,

and Tamil Nadu announce the State Advised Prices (SAP) which is normally higher

than the FRP.

Fixing of SAP at a price higher than FRP compounds the problem of cane price

Arrears.

Answer C

Cotton is semi tolerant to salinity

Gujarat is the leading cotton growing State followed by Maharashtra.

Maharashtra has the largest area under cotton cultivation followed by Gujarat.

India is world’s largest producer of cotton

Black soil is more suitable because it can hold moisture

conditions

Hard-frost is injurious to cotton cultivation and it requires at least 210 frost-free days.

Only light-rainfall (50 to 100 centimetres) is preferred. Cotton can also be cultivated under irrigated conditions.so Egypt is one of the leading state

It requires high temperatures and bright sunshine for its growth.

Answer D

Answer b

The Blue Shield network, often referred to as the cultural equivalent of the Red Cross, was formed in response to the changes in international law and today works globally to protect cultural heritage in emergency situations. We are a non-governmental, non-profit, international organisation committed to the protection of heritage across the world. This includes museums, monuments, archaeological sites, archives, libraries and audio-visual material, and significant natural areas, as well as intangible heritage. We have national committees operating across the world, with more under construction. The national committees are coordinated by an international committee – the Blue Shield International Board.

Answer A

(Egypt, North Korea and South Sudan) are three nations
India is a signatory and party to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
Israel signed and did not ratify

Solution : b

100 → 130 → 100 (A→B→A )
∴Answer = 30/130 = 23.07%

We have assumed initial expenditure to be 100, in the above figure. Then the final expenditure is 120. The percentage change in consumption can be n to be 45/75 x 100= 60%

Solution : d

If the price of rice has fallen by 20% the quantity would be increased by 25% (if we keep the expenditure constant.)
This means that 20 kgs would increase by 25% to 25kgs.

Solution : c

91 – 0.3N = N → 1.3 N= 91 → N = 70.

Solution : d

B+ 60% of A = 175% of B → 60% of A = 75% of B.
0.6A = 0.75B
A/B = 5/4
Apparently it seems that A is bigger, but if you consider A and B to be negative the opposite would be true.
Hence, option (d) is correct