Q81. Consider the following statements :
1. High clouds primarily reflect solar radiation and cool the surface of the Earth.
2. Low clouds have a high absorption of infrared radiation emanating from the Earth’s surface and thus cause a warming effect.
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
Solution D
Low, thick clouds primarily reflect solar radiation and cool the surface of the Earth. Hence Statement 1 is not correct.
High, thin clouds primarily transmit incoming solar radiation; at the same time, they trap some of the outgoing infrared radiation emitted by the Earth and radiate it back downward, thereby warming the surface of the Earth. Hence Statement 2 is not correct.
Q82. Consider the following statements:
1. Bidibidi is a large refugee settlement in north-western Kenya.
2. Some people who fled from the South Sudan civil war live in Bidibidi.
3. Some people who fled from the civil war in Somalia live in the Dadaab refugee complex in Kenya.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3
(d) 3 only
Solution C
The Bidibidi Refugee Settlement is located in the West Nile Area of Uganda, and is home to over 270,000 South Sudanese refugees — the second largest refugee settlement in the world. The Bidibidi area was a small village before becoming a refugee settlement which was opened in August 2016. Since then, the Uganda Government and other NGOs have worked to create a settlement rather than a camp to host and contain the influx of the growing number of the asylum seekers from South Sudan. Hence statement 1 is not correct and statement 2 is correct.
Dadaab Refugee Camp is located in Dadaab, Kenya. The first camp was established in 1991, when refugees fleeing the civil war in Somalia started to cross the border into Kenya. A second large influx occurred in 2011, when some 130,000 refugees arrived, fleeing drought and famine in southern Somalia. Hence statement 3 is correct. Humanitarian assistance at the camp has waned in last few months following Kenya’s announcement that it will close the camps in June 2022.
Q83. Consider the following countries
1. Armenia
2. Azerbaijan
3. Croatia
4. Romania
5. Uzbekistan
Which of the above are members of the Organization of Turkic States?
(a) 1, 2 and 4
(b) 1 and 3
(c) 2 and 5
(d) 3, 4 and 5
Solution C
Organization of Turkic States (then called the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States- Turkic Council) was established in 2009 as an intergovernmental organization, with the overarching aim of promoting comprehensive cooperation among Turkic States. |
Its four founding member states are Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Türkiye. In October 2019, Uzbekistan joined as a full member. Hence option (c) is the correct answer.
Q84. Consider the following statements
1. Gujarat has the largest solar park in India.
2. Kerala has a fully solar powered International Airport.
3. Goa has the largest floating solar photovoltaic project in India.
Which of the statements given below is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3
(d) 3 only
Solution B
Bhadla Solar Park is the world’s largest solar park located in India which is spread over a total area of 14,000 acres in Bhadla, Phalodi tehsil, Jodhpur district, Rajasthan, India. Hence Statement 1 is not correct.
Kerala’s Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) is the first airport in the world that would be running fully on solar power. The Cochin airport became fully powered by solar energy back in 2015 after it started drawing power from a dedicated solar plant – the 15 megawatts (MW) photovoltaic power station built by the Cochin International Airport Limited. The entrepreneurial vision won the airport in 2018 the much-coveted ‘Champion of the Earth’ award, which is the highest environmental honour granted by the United Nations. Hence statement 2 is correct.
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has successfully commissioned India’s largest Floating Solar PV plant. Located at NTPC Simhadri in Andhra Pradesh, the 25 MW floating SPV project covers an area of 100 acres. Hence statement 3 is not correct.
Q85. With reference to the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea, consider the following statements:
1.A coastal state has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles, measured from baseline determined in accordance with the convention.
2. Ships of all states, whether coastal or land-locked, enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea.
3. The Exclusive Economic Zone shall not extend beyond 200 nautical miles from the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Solution D
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is an international agreement that establishes a legal framework for all marine and maritime activities. Every State has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles, measured from baselines determined in accordance with this Convention. Hence statement 1 is correct.
Subject to this Convention, ships of all States, whether coastal or land-locked, enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea. Hence statement 2 is correct.
The exclusive economic zone shall not extend beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured. Hence statement 3 is correct.
Q86. Which one of the following statements best reflects the issue which Senkaku Islands, sometimes mentioned in the news?
(a) It is generally believed that they are artificial islands made by a country around South China Sea.
(b) China and Japan engage in maritime disputes over these islands in East China Sea
(c) A permanent American military base has been set up there to help Taiwan to increase its defence capabilities.
(d) Through International Courts of Justice declared them as no man’s land, some South-East Asian countries claim them.
Solution B
The Senkaku Islands are a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea. They are known in mainland China as the Diaoyu Islands. The islands are the focus of a territorial dispute between Japan and China. China claims the discovery and ownership of the islands from the 14th century, while Japan maintained ownership of the islands from 1895 until its surrender at the end of World War II. Hence option (b) is the correct answer.
Q87. Consider the following pairs
| Country | Important reason for being in the news recently |
| 1. Chad | Setting up of permanent military base by China |
| 2. Guinea | Suspension of Constitution and Government by military |
| 3. Lebanon | Severe and prolonged economic depression |
| 4. Tunisia | Suspension of Parliament by President |
How many pairs given above are correctly matched?
(a) Only one pair
(b) Only two pairs
(c) Only three pairs
(d) All four Pairs
Solution C
Pair 1 is not correctly matched: The correct answer is Equatorial Guinea. There are recurring claims that China is building, or attempting to create, a string of military bases around the world. In early December, 2021, media reports alleged that China was trying to build its first Atlantic military base in Equatorial Guinea.
Pair 2 is correctly matched: On 5 September 2021, President of Guinea was captured by the country’s armed forces in a coup. Military leaders detain president, declaring dissolution of government and suspension of constitution. Also The African Union (AU) declared that it was suspending Guinea’s membership in the bloc after a military junta overthrew the government.
Pair 3 is correctly matched: According to the World Bank Lebanon Economic Monitor (LEM), Lebanon is suffering from a dangerous depletion of resources, including human capital, with brain drain becoming an increasingly desperate option. World Bank also said that Lebanon is in a Deliberate Depression with Unprecedented Consequences for its Human Capital, Stability, and Prosperity.
Pair 4 is correctly matched: In July, 2021, the president of Tunisia had announced the suspension of Tunisia’s parliament and fired Prime Minister Hicham Mechichi and the cabinet. This announcement came one day after protesters had clashed with security forces over how the Tunisian government had handled the health care sector during the COVID-19 pandemic and the deterioration of the economic situation in the country. In December, 2021, the President announced the extension of the suspension and finally in March, 2022, he announced the dissolution of the Parliament.
Q88. Consider the following pairs :
| Region often mentioned, in the news | Country |
| 1. Anatolia | Turkey |
| 2. Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 3. Cabo Delgado | Spain |
| 4. Catalonia | Italy |
How many pairs given above are correctly matched?
(a) Only one pair
(b) Only two pairs
(c) Only three pairs
(d) All four pairs
Solution B
Pair 1 is correctly matched. Anatolia is the peninsula of land that today constitutes the Asian portion of Turkey. Because of its location at the point where the continents of Asia and Europe meet, Anatolia was, from the beginnings of civilization, a crossroads for numerous peoples migrating or conquering from either continent.
Pair 2 is correctly matched. The Amhara Region is located in the northwestern part of Ethiopia. It is the homeland of Amhara people. Amhara is the site of the largest inland body of water in Ethiopia, Lake Tana. Amhara region is often mentioned in the news due to historical conflicts among Oromo Amhara and Tigrayan groups of Ethiopia.
Pair 3 is not correctly matched. Cabo Delgado is the northernmost province of Mozambique. It was in news because Mozambique’s AlShabab extremist group, has been carrying out attacks in the country’s most northern province, Cabo Delgado, since 2017.
Pair 4 is not correctly matched. Catalonia occupies a triangular area in the northeastern corner of Spain. It is bordered by France and Andorra to 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. Recently, mass protests broke out across Spain’s Catalonia region after its former separatist leader Carles Puigdemont was arrested.
Q89. With reference to Indian laws about wildlife protection, consider the following statements:
1. Wild animals are the sole property of the government.
2. When a wild animal is declared protected, such animal is entitled for equal protection whether it is found in protected areas or outside.
3.Apprehension of a protected wild animal becoming a danger to human life is sufficient ground for its capture or killing.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3
(d) 3 only
Solution A
According to the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, wild animals are the property of the Government (State or Central). In 2012, in a significant verdict, the Bombay High Court ruled that wild animals including tigers should be treated as government property for all purposes and any damage caused by them should be compensated by the Government. So, statement 1 is correct.
The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, does not discriminate between animals found in protected areas and outside. It provides for equal protection for wild animals irrespective of where they are found. So, statement 2 is correct.
Just the apprehension of a protected wild animal becoming a danger to human life is not a sufficient ground for its capture or killing. Only if the wild animal becomes a danger to human life or is diseased or disabled beyond recovery can it be allowed to be captured or killed by the competent authority i.e., the Chief Wildlife Warden of the State. So, statement 3 is not correct.
Q90. Certain species of which one of the following organisms are well known as cultivators of fungi?
(a) Ant
(b) Cockroach
(c) Crab
(d) Spider
Solution A
The ant–fungus mutualism is a symbiosis seen between certain ant and fungal species, in which ants actively cultivate fungus much like humans farm crops as a food source. Leafcutter ants use leaves as their fertilizer to grow their crop: fungus.
They cultivate their fungal gardens by providing them with freshly cut leaves, protecting them from pests and molds, and clearing them of decayed material and garbage. In return, the fungus acts as a food source for the ants’ larvae.