Questions & Answers

1. ‘Sukhna Lake’ which was in news recently, is located in

a)Hyderabad
b)Bengaluru
c)Mumbai
d)Chandigarh

Solution (d)

Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh, India, is a reservoir at the foothills (Shivalik hills) of the Himalayas.

2. Consider the following statement about ‘Central Waqf Council’

1)It is a statutory body
2)It is under the Ministry of Minority Affairs
Select the correct statements

a) 1 Only
b) 2 Only
c) Both
d) None

Solution (c)

• Central Waqf Council is a statutory body under the administrative control of the Ministry of Minority Affairs was set up in 1964 as per the provision given in the Waqf Act, 1954 as Advisory Body to the Central Government on matters concerning the working of the Waqf Boards and the due administration of Auqaf.
• However, the role of the Council was expanded significantly under the provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2013.
  • The Council has been empowered to advise the Central Government, State Governments and State Waqf Boards.
  • It will now issue directives to the boards/ State Government to furnish information to the Council on the performance of the board particularly on their financial performance, survey, revenue records, encroachment of Waqf properties, Annual and Audit report etc under section 9 (4) of the act.

3. The ‘Bishkek Declaration’ is concerned with conservation of which of the following species?

a) Riverine Dolphins
b) Whales
c) Sloth Bears
d) Snow Leopards

Solution (d)

12 snow leopard range countries have adopted the Bishkek Declaration on the Conservation of the Snow Leopard.

4. Consider the following statements with respect to ‘Van Allen Belts’

1)The belts are located in the inner region of Earth’s magnetosphere.
2)Earth has two such belts and sometimes others may be temporarily created.
Select the correct statements

a) 1 Only
b) 2 Only
c) Both
d) None

Solution (c)

• A Van Allen radiation belt is a zone of energetic charged particles, most of which originate from the solar wind, that are captured by and held around a planet by that planet’s magnetic field.
• Earth has two such belts and sometimes others may be temporarily created.
• The discovery of the belts is credited to James Van Allen, and as a result, Earth’s belts are known as the Van Allen belts.
• Most of the particles that form the belts are thought to come from solar wind and other particles by cosmic rays.
• By trapping the solar wind, the magnetic field deflects those energetic particles and protects the atmosphere from destruction.

5. Consider the following statements with respect to ‘Minimum Support Price (MSP)’

1)The minimum support prices are announced by the Government of India on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
2)The MSP is mandated for 14 Kharif Crops.
Select the correct statements

a) 1 Only
b) 2 Only
c) Both
d) None

Solution (c)

• Minimum Support Price (MSP) is a form of market intervention by the Government of India to insure agricultural producers against any sharp fall in farm prices.
• The minimum support prices are announced by the Government of India at the beginning of the sowing season for certain crops on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
• MSP is price fixed by Government of India to protect the producer – farmers – against excessive fall in price during bumper production years.
• In case the market price for the commodity falls below the announced minimum price due to bumper production and glut in the market, government agencies purchase the entire quantity offered by the farmers at the announced minimum price.
• Government announces minimum support prices (MSPs) for 22 mandated crops and fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane. The mandated crops are 14 crops of the kharif season, 6 rabi crops and two other commercial crops.

6.‘Nelloptodes gretae’ was in news recently. It is a species of

a) Night frog
b) Beetle
c) Non-venomous snake
d) Orchid

Solution: b)

It was named after the environmental activist Greta Thunberg.

7. Consider the following statements with respect to ‘Pushkaram’

1)It is a festival dedicated to worshiping of rivers.
2)The Pushkaram tradition is mentioned in ‘Yajurveda’.
Select the correct statements

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

Solution: a)

• Pushkaram is an Indian festival dedicated to worshiping of rivers.
• It is celebrated at shrines along the banks of 12 major sacred rivers in India, in the form of ancestor worship, spiritual discourses, devotional music and cultural programmes.
• The Pushkaram tradition is not mentioned in the early Hindu texts; it is part of the medieval Hindu astrological lore. Therefore, the names of 12 rivers may vary depending on the regional traditions.