Q. With references to organic farming in India, consider the following statements:

  1. ‘The National Programme for Organic Production’ (NPOP) is operated under the guidelines and directions of the Union Ministry of Rural Development.
  2. ‘The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority’ (APEDA) functions as the Secretariat for the implementation of NPOP.
  3. Sikkim has become India’s first fully organic State.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only

Notes:
  • Ministry of Commerce has implemented the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) since 2001. The objectives of NPOP are as under:
    • To provide the means of evaluation of certification programme for organic agriculture and products (including wild harvest, aquaculture, livestock products) as per the approved criteria.
    • To accredit certification programmes of Certification Bodies seeking accreditation.
    • To facilitate certification of organic products in conformity with the prescribed standards.
    • To facilitate certification of organic products in conformity with the importing countries organic standards as per equivalence agreement between the two countries or as per importing country requirements.
    • To encourage the development of organic farming and organic processing.
  • The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority’ (APEDA) is the implementation agency of NPOP.
  • Sikkim has become India’s first fully organic State.

Q. Consider the following pairs:

Regions sometimes mentioned in the news – Country

  1. Catalonia             —       Spain
  2. Crimea                —       Hungary
  3. Mindanao           —       Philippines
  4. Oromia                —       Nigeria

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 3 and 4 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 2 and 4 only

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only

Notes:
  • Catalonia:
    • It is located in Spain.
    • It is bordered by France and Andorra in the north, the Mediterranean Sea to the east, the autonomous community of Valencia to the south, and the autonomous community of Aragon to the west.
  • The Republic of Crimea, officially part of Ukraine, lies on a peninsula stretching from the south of Ukraine between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
    • It is separated from Russia by the narrow Kerch Strait.
  • Mindanao:
    • It is an island located in the Philippines.
    • It is surrounded by the Bohol, Philippine, Celebes, and Sulu seas.
  • Oromia:
    • It is a regional state of Ethiopia.
    • Ethiopia is a landlocked country located in Eastern Africa.

Must Read: Historical Region and Disputed Regions (in News)

Q. With reference to agricultural soils, consider the following statements:

  1. A high content of organic matter in soil drastically reduces its water holding capacity.
  2. Soil does not play any role in the sulphur cycle.
  3. Irrigation over a period of time can contribute to the salinization of some agricultural lands.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (b) 3 only

Notes:
  • Soil water-holding capacity is the amount of water that a soil can hold for crop use.
    • Soil texture and organic matter are the key components that determine soil water holding capacity.
  • Sulpur is one of three nutrients that are cycled between the soil, plant matter and the atmosphere.
    • Although sulphur is primarily found in sedimentary rocks, it is particularly important to living things as it is a component of many proteins.
    • Sulphur is released by the weathering of rocks and minerals.
  • Soil salinity is an enormous problem for agriculture under irrigation.
    • Irrigation over a period of time can contribute to the salinization of some agricultural lands as deposits of salts build up in the soil and can cause harm to crops.

Q. With reference to solar power production in India, consider the following statements:

  1. India is the third-largest in the world in the manufacture of silicon wafers used in photovoltaic units.
  2. The solar power tariffs are determined by the Solar Energy Corporation of India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Notes:
  • Not a single silicon chip for solar energy is manufactured in India.
  • Every solar panel which is made in India is assembled while all the material comes other countries.
  • India is yet to develop semiconductor clusters.
  • India plans to invest $480 million to set up its first unit for manufacturing solar silicon cells that will feed a project to build the world’s largest solar power plant.
  • Central Electricity Regulatory Commission regulate the tariff of generating companies owned or controlled by the Central Government.
  • Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) has a power trading license.
Central Electricity Regulatory Commission
  • Central Electricity Regulatory Commission is the Central Commission for the Electricity Act, 2003 which has repealed the ERC Act, 1998 which works under the Ministry of Power.
  • Composition:
    • A chairperson
    • Four other members
    • The Chairperson of the Central Electricity Authority(CEA) is the ex-officio Member of the Commission.
  • Functions: 
    • To regulate the tariff of generating companies owned or controlled by the Central Government;
    • To regulate the inter-State transmission of electricity;
    • To determine tariff for such transmission of electricity.
  • CERC also advises the Central Government on the formulation of the National Electricity Policy and Tariff Policy.

Q. As per the NSSO 70th Round “Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households”, consider the following statements:

  1. Rajasthan has the highest percentage share of agricultural households among its rural households.
  2. Out of the total agricultural households in the country, a little over 60 percent belong to OBCs.
  3. In Kerala, a little over 60 percent of agricultural households reported to have received maximum income from sources other than agricultural activities.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 2 and 3 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only

Notes:
  • According to the NSSO 70th Round “Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households”, Rajasthan had the highest percentage of agricultural households (78.4 percent) among its rural households followed by Uttar Pradesh (74.8 percent) and Madhya Pradesh (70.8 percent).
  • As per the survey, about 45 percent out of the total agricultural households in the country belonged to Other Backward Classes (OBC). About 16 percent of agricultural households were from Scheduled Castes (SC) and 13 percent were from Scheduled Tribes (ST).
  • Agricultural activity (cultivation, livestock, and other agricultural activities) was reported to be the principal source of income for the majority of the households in all the major States, except Kerala where about 61 percent of the agricultural households reported to have earned maximum income from sources other than agricultural activities.

Q. Consider the following statements:

  1. In India, State Governments do not have the power to auction non-coal mines.
  2. Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand do not have gold mines.
  3. Rajasthan has iron ore mines.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 3 only

Answer: (d) 3 only

Notes:
  • As per the new mining law — Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2015 — which came into effect from January 2015, the non-coal mines have to be auctioned by the respective state governments.
  • In Rajasthan, the Iron-Ore Deposits are located in the district of Jaipur, Udaipur, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Bhilwara, Alwar, Bharatpur, Dausa and Banswara.
  • In Andhra Pradesh gold mines are found in Ramagiri in Anantapur district. 
  • Jharkhand has both alluvial and native gold.
    • Alluvial gold is obtained from the sands of the Subarnarekha (gold streak) river, Sona Nadi in Singhbhum district, and the streams draining the Sonapat valley. Native gold is found near Lowa in Singhbhum district.

Also Read: Gold Distribution in India

Q. Among the following cities, which one lies on a longitude closest to that of Delhi?

(a) Bengaluru
(b) Hyderabad
(c) Nagpur
(d) Pune

Answer: (a) Bengaluru

Notes:
  • The longitude of Delhi is 77.2167210 E.
  • The longitude of Bangalore is  77.59450 E.
  • The longitude of Nagpur is 79.08880 E.
  • The longitude of Pune is 73.84740 E.
  • Therefore among the following cities, Bengaluru is the city that lies on a longitude closest to that of Delhi.
cities

Q. Which one of the following is an artificial lake?

(a) Kodaikanal (Tamil Nadu)
(b) Kolleru (Andhra Pradesh)
(c) Nainital (Uttarakhand)
(d) Renuka (Himachal Pradesh)

Answer: (a) Kodaikanal (Tamil Nadu)

Notes:
  • Kodaikanal (Tamil Nadu):  it is a manmade/artificial lake located in the Kodaikanal city in Dindigul district in Tamil Nadu.
    • Kodaikanal Lake was created in the year 1863 by Sir Vere Henry Levinge, the former Collector of Madurai.
  • Kolleru (Andhra Pradesh): Kolleru Lake is one of the largest freshwater lakes in India located in the state of Andhra Pradesh and forms the largest shallow freshwater lake in Asia.The lake is located between Krishna and Godavari Deltas.
  • Nainital (Uttarakhand): It is a natural fresh water lake and is of tectonic origin, located amidst the Nainital city of Uttarakhand.
  • Renuka (Himachal Pradesh): It is the largest natural lake in Himachal Pradesh, this lake is named after the goddess Renuka.

Q. Consider the following statements:

  1. The Barren Island volcano is an active volcano located in the Indian territory.
  2. Barren Island lies about 140 km east of Great Nicobar.
  3. The last time the Barren Island volcano erupted was in 1991 and it has remained inactive since then.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 3 only
(d) 1 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 only

Notes:
  • Barren Island is located in the Andaman Sea, about 140 km from Port Blair.
  • Barren Island volcano is the only active volcano located in the Indian territory, Andaman Islands.
  • It is along a volcanic arc connecting Sumatra and Myanmar.
  • The last time the Barren Island volcano erupted was in 2017.

Also Read: Islands of India: Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep

Q. Consider the following statements:

  1. The Earth’s magnetic field has reversed every few hundred thousand years.
  2. When the Earth was created more than 4000 million years ago, there was 54% oxygen and no carbon dioxide.
  3. When living organisms orginated, they modified the early atmosphere of the Earth.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only

Notes:
  • Scientists estimate reversals have happened at least hundreds of times over the past three billion years.
  • Over the last 20 million years, magnetic north and south have flipped roughly every 200,000 to 300,000 years.
  • The last of these major reversals occurred about 780,000 years ago.
  • Between 4.5 and 2.5 billion years (the Archaean and Proterozoic time), the earliest secondary atmosphere contained carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), water vapor (H2O), carbon monoxide (CO), a little nitrogen (N), and hydrogen (H). So Carbon dioxide is present.

Also Read: Origin of Atmosphere