DAY – 50 (InstaTest-50): Insta 75 Days Revision Plan-2022: Topic – ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY and AGRICULTURE, Tests 32& 33, August 2021 CA

Solution: B

Environmental Relief Fund (ERF)

The ERF was established under the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 in the wake of the Bhopal Gas tragedy to ensure immediate compensation to the victims of industrial accidents. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.

Under the Act, every person who owns or has control over any hazardous substances is mandated to take out insurance and deposit its premium in the Fund, which is then used by the Collector to award immediate relief to the claimants. The Fund also draws its authority from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) Act, 2010 (and its predecessor, the National Environment Tribunal Act, 1995), under Section 24 of which the amount of damages or relief awarded by the NGT is to be remitted to the Fund.

Solution: B

Indian Forest Act of 1927: This Act impacted the life of forest-dependent communities. The penalties and procedures given in this Act aimed to extend the state’s control over forests as well as diminishing the status of people’s rights to forest use.

• • The village communities were alienated from their age-old symbiotic association with forests. Further amendments were also made to restrain the local use of forests mainly by forest-dependent communities.
  • It was enacted to make forest laws more effective and to improve the previous forest laws.

Types of Forests

• Reserved Forests: Reserve forests are the most restricted forests and are constituted by the State Government on any forest land or wasteland which is the property of the Government. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
  • In reserved forests, local people are prohibited, unless specifically allowed by a Forest Officer in the course of the settlement.
• Protected Forests: The State Government is empowered to constitute any land other than reserved forests as protected forests over which the Government has proprietary rights and the power to issue rules regarding the use of such forests.
  • This power has been used to establish State control over trees, whose timber, fruit or other non-wood products have revenue-raising potential.
• Village forest: Village forests are the one in which the State Government may assign to ‘any village community the rights of Government to or over any land which has been constituted a reserved forest’.
• Degree of protection
  • Reserved forests > Protected forests > Village forests
• Forest Settlement Officer
  • The Forest Settlement Office is appointed, by the State government, to inquire into and determine the existence, nature and extent of any rights alleged to exist in favour of any person in or over any land comprising a Reserved forest.
  • He/she is empowered even to acquire land over which right is claimed.

Solution: B

CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species.

CITES was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of IUCN (The World Conservation Union).

The text of the Convention was finally agreed at a meeting of representatives of 80 countries in Washington, D.C., United States of America, on 3 March 1973, and on 1 July 1975 CITES entered in force. The original of the Convention was deposited with the Depositary Government in the English, French and Spanish languages, each version being equally authentic. The Convention is also available in Chinese and Russian.

CITES is an international agreement to which States and regional economic integration organizations adhere voluntarily. States that have agreed to be bound by the Convention (‘joined’ CITES) are known as Parties. Although CITES is legally binding on the Parties – in other words they have to implement the Convention – it does not take the place of national laws. Rather it provides a framework to be respected by each Party, which has to adopt its own domestic legislation to ensure that CITES is implemented at the national level.

Solution: B

Project title: Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE)

Location: South Asia – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka
Southeast Asia – Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam

Duration: May 2017 – December 2019

Project background:

The Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) programme is an international collaboration that measures the levels, trends and causes of elephant mortality, thereby providing an information base to support international decision-making related to conservation of elephants in Asia and Africa. The MIKE Programme was established by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) by Resolution 10.10 adopted at the tenth Conference of the Parties in 1997.

Solution: C

Types of Community

On the basis of size and degree of relative independence communities may be divided into two types:

(a) Major Community

These are large-sized, well organized and relatively independent. They depend only on the suns energy from outside and are independent of the inputs and outputs from adjacent communities.

E.g: tropical ever green forest in the North-East

(b) Minor Communities

These are dependent on neighbouring communities and are often called societies. They are secondary aggregations within a major community and are not therefore completely independent units as far as energy and nutrient dynamics are concerned,

e.g: A mat of lichen on a cow dung pad.

Structure of a community

In a community the number of species and size of their population vary greatly. A community may have one or several species.

The environmental factors determine the characteristic of the community as well as the pattern of organization of the members in the community.

The characteristic pattern of the community is termed as structure which is reflected in the roles played by various population, their range, the type of area they inhabit, the diversity of species in the community and the spectrum of interactions between them.

Solution: D

Goods and Services provided by ecosystems include:

• Provision of food, fuel and fibre
• Provision of shelter and building materials
• Purification of air and water
• Detoxification and decomposition of wastes
• Stabilization and moderation of the Earth’s climate
• Moderation of floods, droughts, temperature extremes and the forces of wind.
• Generation and renewal of soil fertility, including nutrient cycling.
• Pollination of plants, including many crops Control of pests and diseases
• Maintenance of genetic resources as key inputs to crop varieties and livestock breeds, medicines, and other products
• Cultural and aesthetic benefits

Solution: D

POLLUTANTS AND TROPHIC LEVEL

Pollutants especially nondegradable ones move through the various trophic levels in an ecosystem. Nondegradable pollutants mean materials, which cannot be metabolized by the living organisms.

Example: chlorinated hydrocarbons.

Movement of these pollutants involves two main processes:

1. i) Bioaccumulation
2. ii) Biomagnification.

Bioaccumulation

• It refers to how pollutants enter a food chain.
• In bioaccumulation there is an increase in concentration of a pollutant from the environment to the first organism in a food chain.

Biomagnification

• Biomagnification refers to the tendency of pollutants to concentrate as they move from one trophic level to the next.
• Thus, in biomagnification there is an increase in concentration of a pollutant from one link in a food chain to another.

Solution: D

Succession is a universal process of directional change in vegetation, on an ecological time scale.

Succession occurs when a series of communities replace one another due to large scale destruction either natural or manmade. This process continues – one community replacing another community, until a stable, mature community develops.

Succession is a progressive series of changes which leads to the establishment of a relatively stable climax community.

The first plant to colonise an area is called the pioneer community. The final stage of succession is called the climax community. The stage leading to the climax community are called successional stages or seres.

Succession is characterized by the following: increased productivity, the shift of nutrients from’ the reservoirs, increased diversity of organisms with increased niche development, and a gradual increase in the complexity of food webs.

Solution: D

EUTROPHICATION

• Greek word – Eutrophia means adequate & healthy nutrition.
• Eutrophication is a syndrome of ecosystem, response to the addition of artificial or natural nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates through fertilizer, sewage, etc that fertilize the aquatic ecosystem.

Effects

Change in ecosystem:

• Eutrophication eventually creates detritus layer in the ponds & lakes and produces successively shallower depth of surface water.
• Eventually the water body is reduced into marsh whose plant community is transformed from an aquatic environment to recognizable terrestrial ecosystem.

Decreased biodiversity

• Algal blooms restrict the sunlight to penetrate & affects the photosynthesizing plants. It causes death of plants.
• Bacteria consumes all the oxygen on decomposition & results in devoid of oxygen. Eventually it leads to death of all living organism in aquatic ecosystem.

New species invasion

• Eutrophication may cause the ecosystem competitive by transforming the normal limiting nutrient to abundant level. This cause shifting in species composition of ecosystem

Toxicity

• Some algal blooms when die or eaten, release neuro & hepatotoxins which can kill aquatic organism & pose threat to humans. (e.g) Shellfish poisoning.
• Depletion of dissolved oxygen level.
• Increased incidences of fish kills & loss of desirable fish species & reduction in harvesting
• Loss of coral reefs.

Solution: B

MANGROVES

• Mangroves are the characteristic littoral plant formation of tropical and subtropical sheltered coastlines.

Mangroves are trees and bushes growing below the high water level of spring tides which exhibits remarkable capacity for salt water tolerance. – FAO.

Characteristics of mangroves

• They are basically evergreen land plants growing on sheltered shores, typically on tidal flats, deltas, estuaries, bays, creeks and the barrier islands.
• The best locations are where abundant silt is brought down by rivers or on the backshore of accreting sandy beaches.
• Their physiological adaptation to salinity stress and to water logged anaerobic mud is high.
• They require high solar radiation and have the ability to absorb fresh water from saline/brackish water.
• It produces pneumatophores (blind roots) to overcome respiration problem in the anaerobic soil conditions.
• Mangroves occur in variety of configurations. Some species (e.g. Rhizophora) send arching prop roots down into the water. While other (e.g. Avicennia) send vertical “Pneumatophores” or air roots up from the mud.
• Most mangrove vegetation has lenticellated bank which facilitates more water loss, produces coppices. Leaves are thick and contain salt secreting glands.
• Mangroves exhibit Viviparity mode of reproduction. i.e. seeds germinate in the tree itself (before falling to the ground). This is an adaptative mechanism to overcome the problem of germination in saline water.
• Some secrete excess salt through their leaves as if you look closely, you can see crystals of salt on the back of the leaves; others block absorption of salt at their roots.
• Adventitious roots which emerged from the main trunk of a tree above ground level are called stilt roots.

Solution: C

The government has launched a Global Environment Facility (GEF) assisted project namely, “Green – Ag: Transforming Indian Agriculture for global environment benefits and the conservation of critical biodiversity and forest landscapes” in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) during September, 2018 in high-conservation-value landscapes of five States namely (i) Madhya Pradesh : Chambal Landscape, (ii) Mizoram: Dampa Landscape, (iii) Odisha: Similipal Landscape, (iv) Rajasthan: Desert National Park Landscape and v) Uttarakhand: Corbett-Rajaji Landscape. The project seeks to mainstream biodiversity, climate change and sustainable land management objectives and practices into Indian agriculture.

Solution: C

The Global Carbon Project is a Global Research Project of Future Earth and a research partner of the World Climate Research Programme. It was formed to work with the international science community to establish a common and mutually agreed knowledge base to support policy debate and action to slow down and ultimately stop the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

The overwhelming realization that anthropogenic climate change is a reality has focused the attention of the scientific community, policymakers and the general public on the rising atmospheric concentrations of the main greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide (CO₂₎, methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). The GCP has approached this challenge by focusing comprehensively on the global biogeochemical cycles which govern these three greenhouse gases, including their natural and human drivers, and opportunities for low carbon pathways.

Attempts through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, first with its Kyoto Protocol and now with the Paris Agreement, are underway to stabilize the climate system which requires achieving a balance between sources and sinks of greenhouse gases.

The Global Carbon Project was established in 2001 by a shared partnership between the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP), the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and Diversitas. This partnership constituted the Earth Systems Science Partnership (ESSP) which subsequently evolved into Future Earth.

Solution: C

Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN):

The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) was set up in 2012 under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General. SDSN mobilizes global scientific and technological expertise to promote practical solutions for sustainable development, including the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement. SDSN works closely with United Nations agencies, multilateral financing institutions, the private sector, and civil society.

SDSN is guided by a Leadership Council, which brings together global sustainable development leaders from all regions and all sectors, including civil society, public, and private sectors. The Leadership Council acts as the board of SDSN. Much of SDSN’s work is led by National or Regional SDSNs, which mobilize knowledge institutions around the SDGs. Our research & policy work mobilizes experts from around the world on the technical challenges of implementing the SDGs and the Paris Climate Agreement. The SDG Academy leads the education work of the SDSN.

Until 2016, the SDSN Secretariat was hosted by the Earth Institute at Columbia University. Since July 2016, the SDSN Secretariat and the SDG Academy have been hosted by the SDSN Association, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. SDSN has offices in New York, Paris, and Kuala Lumpur.

Solution: A

The World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved the following project: South Asia – Climate Adaptation and Resilience for South Asia (CARE) Project

The Climate Adaptation and Resilience for South Asia (CARE) Project will help develop a public platform to inform climate planning and investments, and fund innovative and disruptive technology to support resilience in South Asia. It will also assess climate impacts in districts across Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan to support agriculture, livestock, water, and transport.

Solution: B

Microplastics are small plastic pieces less than five millimeters long which can be harmful to our ocean and aquatic life.

Microplastics come from a variety of sources, including from larger plastic debris that degrades into smaller and smaller pieces. In addition, microbeads, a type of microplastic, are very tiny pieces of manufactured polyethylene plastic that are added as exfoliants to health and beauty products, such as some cleansers and toothpastes. These tiny particles easily pass-through water filtration systems and end up in the ocean and Great Lakes, posing a potential threat to aquatic life.

Microbeads are not a recent problem. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, plastic microbeads first appeared in personal care products about fifty years ago, with plastics increasingly replacing natural ingredients.

Solution: C

Solution:

• One half of the prize was awarded to Syukuro Manabe and Klaus Hasselmann for their work in the physical modeling of Earth’s climate, quantifying variability and reliably predicting global warming.
• Second half was awarded to Giorgio Parisi for the discovery of the interplay of disorder and fluctuations in physical systems from atomic to planetary scales.
• Syukuro Manabe demonstrated how increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere lead to increased temperatures at the surface of the Earth.

Solution: B

Solution:

• As SARS-CoV-2 spreads around the globe, it is mutating, in other words it is acquiring genetic changes.
• As a virus replicates, its genes undergo random “copying errors” (i.e. genetic mutations). Over time, these genetic copying errors can, among other changes to the virus, lead to alterations in the virus’ surface proteins or antigens.

Solution: C

Solution:

• In the simplest terms, deficit spending is when a government’s expenditures exceed its revenues during a fiscal period, causing it to run a budget deficit. The phrase “deficit spending” often implies a Keynesian approach to economic stimulus, in which the government takes on debt while using its spending power to create demand and stimulate the economy.
• British economist John Maynard Keynes is the most well-known proponent of deficit spending as a form of economic stimulus.

Solution: D

Solution:

Kautilya enumerated seven prakritis or essential organs of the state. They are as follow

• (i) Swami (The Ruler)
• (ii) Amatya (The Minister)
• (iii) Janapada (The Population)
• (iv) Durga (The Fortified Capital)
• (v) Kosha (The Treasury)
• (vi) Danda (The Army)
• (vii) Mitra (Ally and Friend).

Solution: B

Solution:

• Solar energy is not exhaustible.
• Water in usable condition is exhaustible but renews through regular precipitation.

Solution: A

Solution: Pangong Tso literally translates into a ―conclave lake‖.  The Karakoram Mountain range ends at the north bank of Pangong Tso. Its southern bank too has high broken mountains sloping towards Spangur Lake; it is an endorheic/Terminal lake (bodies of water that do not flow into the sea) spanning eastern Ladakh and West. In Tibet – 50%, In Ladakh – 40% rest is disputed but controlled by China.

Solution:  B

Solution: IFSC is offshore financial centre as it deals with flow of finance, financial products and services across borders.  IFSC comes with a number of relaxed tax regimes for 10 years, tax holiday with no securities transaction tax, commodities transaction tax, or tax on long term capital gains.IFSC are established under Special Economic Zone Act 2005 &  GIFT City, Gujrat is among the top 15 globally.

Solution : B

Solution: The Union government plans to open the villages along the Chinese border for tourists under the Vibrant Village programme.The concept of the Vibrant villages programme (VVP) is to improve the living conditions for the people living close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC). 

Solution: A

ISI Mark                    –                    Bureau of Indian Standards

Food Products Order   –           Ministry of Food processing Industries

Indian Organic Certification     –           APEDA

Agricultural Marketing       –             Directorate of Marketing & Inspection.

Solution: D

Solution: PMN are also known as manganese nodules are potato-shaped, largely porous nodules found in abundance carpeting the sea floor of world oceans in deep sea.UN International Sea Bed Authority, in Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) India has been allotted 75,000 square kilometres in the for exploration of Poly-Metallic Nodules.  

Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) reserves contain deposits of metals like iron, manganese, nickel and cobalt. 

Correct Answer : C

Explanation:

Number of alterations required in 1 shirt

= (2/3 + 3/4 + 4/5)

= 133/60

Number of alterations required in 60 shirts (133/60*60) = 133

Correct Answer : B

Explanation:

L.C.M. of 6, 5, 7, 10 and 12 is 420.

So, the bells will toll together after every 420 seconds i.e. 7 minutes.

Now, 7 × 8 = 56 and 7 × 9 = 63.

Thus, in 1-hour (or 60 minutes), the bells will toll together 8 times, excluding the one at the start.

Correct Answer : D

Explanation:

The passage raises a question that using others may mean use them as means but it raises a question will all such use be wrong?

It gives two-test for it:

1. Using them
2. Using just as an instrument

In this way we can decide morality of such use.

1 and 2 clearly shows violation of a person’s sanctity and using them as pure instrument. But in case of 3 the sanctity of the person is upheld, not used as a tool

Hence, 3 is correct

And D is the answer.

Correct Answer : C

Explanation :

G = 660

B = 540

660:540= 66:54 = 11:9

Correct Answer : D

Explanation:

Delhi+Varanasi = 108+57 = 165 Kolkata+Jodhpur = 44+132 = 176 Difference = 176-165 =11