UPSC Editorials Quiz : 19 July 2024

Solution: c)

Nalanda mahavihara — one of the greatest centres of knowledge in the ancient world.

What likely began as a small vihara (Buddhist monastery) before the Common Era, became a mahavihara (‘great’ monastery) by 5th century CE. At its peak, it housed thousands of students and teachers engaged in the study of subjects ranging from philosophy and religion, to logic, grammar and medicine.

The history of Nalanda — from comprehensive descriptions of the mahavihara, to its origin story and the rules students had to follow — has primarily been written based on Buddhist manuscripts, and travelogues by Chinese and Tibetan pilgrims.

Most quoted among the literary sources is the travelogue of 7th century Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang (also known as Hsuan Tsang or Mokshadeva), who travelled across India from 629–645 CE in search of Buddhist manuscripts and “correct” teachings. He spent roughly five years in Nalanda, where he studied under the mahavihara’s grand abbot, Silabhadra.

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Solution: c)

Infrastructure projects are enhancing Indo-Bangla connectivity and trade facilitation. The Akhaura-Agartala cross-border rail link, connecting India’s northeast to Bangladesh, and the Khulna-Mongla port rail line are landmark initiatives improving regional transport networks.

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Solution: c)

The Indian government said it would soon sign and ratify the High Seas Treaty, a new international legal architecture for maintaining the ecological health of the oceans. The treaty, negotiated last year, is meant for reducing pollution, and for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and other marine resources in ocean waters.

High seas are areas outside the national jurisdiction of any country because of which the treaty is also known as the agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdictions (BBNJ). It is formally called the Agreement on Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.

India, like most other nations, was a party to the nearly 20 years of negotiation that resulted in the finalisation of the treaty last year.

The High Seas Treaty has often been compared with the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change in its significance and potential impact.

The treaty deals only with oceans that are outside the national jurisdiction of any country. 

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Solution: d)

Olive Ridley turtles are one of the smallest sea turtle species. They are named for the olive-green colour of their heart-shaped shells. They are found primarily in the tropical regions of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans. 

Protection Status:

• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule 1
• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
• CITES: Appendix I

Solution: a)

Only Statement 3 is correct.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has announced that Indian standards on biofuels will significantly support the objectives of the Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA).

BIS has developed nine Indian standards on biofuels, including specifications for anhydrous ethanol, biodiesel, biogas, biodiesel-diesel fuel blends, hydrous ethanol, E85 fuel, E20 fuel, aviation turbine fuel containing synthesized hydrocarbons, and ethanol as a fuel for spark-ignition engine-powered vehicles.

Additionally, BIS is working on a standard for paraffinic (green) diesel derived from 2G feedstock.

The G20 leaders launched the GBA during the 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi, and it aims to facilitate the adoption of biofuels worldwide. India, the USA, and Brazil are major producers and consumers of biofuels, contributing significantly to the global ethanol market.