[MISSION 2024] RTM(Revision through MCQs)- 06 October 2023

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Solar geoengineering is a set of proposed techniques for deliberately modifying the climate system in order to mitigate the effects of global warming. It is not a substitute for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but it could be used as a temporary measure to limit warming while emissions are reduced.
• While solar geoengineering has the potential to provide some benefits, it also has a number of potential risks. For example, it could disrupt regional climate patterns, lead to unintended consequences for ecosystems, and make it more difficult to adapt to climate change in the long term.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/10/06/solar-geo-engineering/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• The ability of stratospheric sulfate aerosols to create a global dimming effect has made them a possible candidate for use in solar radiation management climate engineering projects to limit the effect and impact of climate change due to rising levels of greenhouse gases. Delivery of precursor sulfide gases such as sulfuric acid, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) or sulfur dioxide (SO2) by artillery, aircraft and balloons has been proposed.
• Cirrus cloud thinning is a proposed form of climate engineering. Cirrus clouds are high cold ice that, like other clouds, both reflect sunlight and absorb warming infrared radiation. However, they differ from other types of clouds in that, on average, infrared absorption outweighs sunlight reflection, resulting in a net warming effect on the climate. Therefore, thinning or removing these clouds would reduce their heat trapping capacity, resulting in a cooling effect on Earth’s climate.
• See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirrus_cloud_thinning and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratospheric_aerosol_injection

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/10/06/solar-geo-engineering/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• B) This statement is correct. Nobel Prizes are prestigious international awards presented annually in recognition of significant achievements in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine or physiology, literature, and peace. The prizes are awarded to individuals and, in the case of the Peace Prize, to organizations that have made substantial contributions to humanity in these areas.
• A) This statement is incorrect. Nobel Prizes are not awarded by politicians and government officials. They are administered by various committees and institutions in Sweden and Norway, in accordance with the wishes of Alfred Nobel, the founder of the Nobel Prizes.
• C) This statement is incorrect. Nobel Prizes are not awarded to individuals who nominate themselves. Nominees for Nobel Prizes are typically proposed and selected by qualified individuals and organizations in the respective fields.
• D) This statement is incorrect. Nobel Prizes are not awarded solely based on a person’s age and academic qualifications. They are awarded based on the significant contributions and achievements of the nominees in their respective fields. Age and qualifications are not the primary criteria for selection.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/10/06/why-nobel-peace-prize-is-awarded-by-norway/

Ans: (c )

Explanation:

• Statement 4 is incorrect.
• An old pension scheme (OPS), commonly known as the PAYG scheme, is defined as an unfunded pension scheme where current revenues fund pension benefits. Under this scheme, the contribution of the current generation of workers was explicitly used to pay the pensions of existing pensioners. OPS involved a direct transfer of resources from the current generation of taxpayers to fund the pensioners.
• NPS is a defined contribution pension scheme. NPS enables an individual to undertake retirement planning while in employment. With systematic savings and investments,
• NPS facilitates the accumulation of a pension corpus during their working life. NPS is designed to deliver a sustainable solution of having adequate retirement income in old age or upon superannuation.
• NPS is mandatory for central government employees joining services on or after January 1, 2004, and almost all state governments have adopted it for their employees. NPS, regulated by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), is a contributory pension scheme under which employees contribute 10 per cent of their salary (Basic + Dearness Allowance).

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/10/06/andhra-pradesh-new-guaranteed-pension-scheme-gps/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• It is a government-backed Category-II Alternate Investment Fund, created to offer long-term financial support to India’s infrastructure sector. The Indian government holds a 49% stake in NIIF, while the remaining shares are owned by both foreign and domestic investors. Due to the substantial government ownership, NIIF is often regarded as India’s quasi-sovereign wealth fund.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/10/06/india-japan-fund-ijf/

Ans: (c )

Explanation:

• Nanozymes are nanomaterials that possess enzyme-like properties. Unlike natural enzymes, which are typically proteins, nanozymes are typically made of inorganic materials such as nanoparticles. These nanostructures can catalyze chemical reactions in a manner similar to enzymes

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/10/06/nanozyme-can-degrade-pollutants-in-wastewater/

Ans: (c )

Explanation: About Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary:

• It lies within the Kali Tiger Reserve (KTR) (Uttara Kannada District of Karnataka) along with Anshi National Park.
• KTR is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and global biodiversity hotspot. The reserve derives its name from the Kali River, which flows through the region. The ecoregions found here, namely the North Western Ghats montane rainforests and North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/10/06/dandeli-forest/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Kali Tiger Reserve is located in Uttara Kannada District of Karnataka State. Covering the taluks of Dandeli, Haliyal, Karwar and Joida.
• The Tiger Reserve comprises of two important protected areas of the region viz., Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary and Anshi National Park. Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary (475.018 sq km) and Anshi National Park (339.866 sq km) are contiguous to each other and form a single tract of protected area located in biologically sensitive Western Ghats.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/10/06/dandeli-forest/

Ans: (c )

Explanation:

• Context: A global assessment conducted by conservationists reveals that Earth’s amphibian species are facing a critical threat of extinction.
• Option B This statement is correct. Amphibians are vertebrates, meaning they have a backbone or vertebral column. This characteristic places them in the same category as other vertebrates like fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
• Option A This statement is incorrect. While many amphibians do spend part of their lives in aquatic environments, such as tadpoles living in water, they are not exclusively aquatic. Adult amphibians often live on land, although they require access to water for breeding and moisture.
• Option C This statement is incorrect. Amphibians are ectothermic or cold-blooded animals, meaning their body temperature fluctuates with the temperature of their environment. They do not maintain a constant internal body temperature like warm-blooded (endothermic) animals.
• Option D This statement is incorrect. Amphibians typically lay eggs with soft, jelly-like membranes, not hard shells like reptiles. These eggs need to be laid in moist environments because they lack the protective hard shell that reptile eggs have.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/10/06/amphibian-crisis/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Water can dissolve more substances than any other liquid because it is dipolar in nature. This means that water molecules have a positive end and a negative end, which allows them to form hydrogen bonds with other polar molecules and ions.

Refer: UPSC CSE 2021