UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : Environment and Geography MCQs on chrysanthemum garden, rare earth elements and more (Week 133)

QUESTION 1

Which of the following are among the rare earth elements?

1. Lutetium

2. Scandium

3. Yttrium

4. Cobalt

5. Lithium

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1, 2 and 3

(b) 2, 3 and 4

(c) 3 and 4 only

(d) 2 and 3 only

Explanation

— Rare earths are a subset of the critical minerals grouping that includes 17 metallic elements nestled lower down in the periodic table, from lanthanum (atomic number 57) to lutetium (71), as well as plus scandium (21) and yttrium (39).

— These elements are characterised by their high density, high melting point, high conductivity and high thermal conductance. They are classified as heavy or light, based on atomic weight.

— Rare earths form crucial inputs, although often in trace volumes, across a range of products, from weapons platforms and electronics, including flat screen TVs and smartphones, to wind turbines, robotics, electric vehicles, MRI scanners and cancer treatment devices.

— Lithium and Cobalt are not rare earth elements.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

With reference to the Asian elephant, consider the following statements:

1. It is a critically endangered species.

2. India accounts for the second-largest population of Asian elephants after Thailand.

3. According to the Synchronous All India Elephant Estimation (SAIEE) 2021-25, Bihar does not have an Asian elephant population.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— According to the Synchronous All India Elephant Estimation (SAIEE) 2021-25, 2,446 elephants have been reported in the country, primarily concentrated across the Western Ghats in the southern states, and the hills and plains of the Northeast.

— The endangered Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) is an endangered species. It has been on the IUCN Red List, which details the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species, since 1986. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— As per official data, India accounts for the largest population, over 60%, of the endangered species. The largest mammal found in India’s forests, elephants have been counted every five years since the launch of Project Elephant in 1992. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— According to the report, Central India & Eastern Ghats boast 1,891 elephants with Uttarakhand (1,792), Uttar Pradesh (257) and Bihar (13). Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

(To read more: What the delayed elephant census says about India’s 22,446 jumbos and their future)

QUESTION 3

The chrysanthemum garden was recently in the news. It is located in:

(a) Kerala

(b) Sikkim

(c) Meghalaya

(d) Jammu and Kashmir

Explanation

— On Saturday (October 24), Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will officially open Kashmir’s latest tourist spot – the Bagh-e-Gul Dawood at Cheshma Shahi. Cradled between the bluish Zabarwan mountains and the shimmering Dal Lake, the terraced Bagh-e-Gul Dawood – or Chrysanthemum Garden – stands next to Srinagar’s other main attraction, the Tulip Garden.

— The garden boasts over 60 varieties of chrysanthemums. “This is the first year of this theme garden, and we have planted 1,00,000 chrysanthemum plants here,” Javaid Masood, floriculture officer at the Botanical Garden, said. “Around 30 lakh flowers have bloomed in the garden.”

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

With reference to the Mosquitoes, consider the following statements:

1. They are warm-blooded creatures and can regulate their body temperature in response to the surrounding environment.

2. Global warming has enabled the insect to proliferate.

3. Lower temperatures have extended the length of the season when mosquitoes are active.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— Iceland, one of the few places in the world to be free of mosquitoes, recorded its first sighting of the insect this month. Scientists have announced the discovery of three mosquitoes, two females and one male.

— Mosquitoes, like all arthropods, are cold-blooded creatures and cannot regulate their body temperature in response to the surrounding environment. As a result, temperature is one of the biggest drivers of mosquito activity, and most of their species thrive in warmer weather. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— That is why global warming has enabled the insect to proliferate. Several studies have shown that with rising temperatures, mosquitoes can invade and thrive in habitats which once represented hostile environments. Global warming does not just help mosquitoes proliferate or survive for longer; it also impacts their reproductive capacity. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Also, scientists suggest that higher temperatures have extended the length of the season when mosquitoes are active, allowing a longer time period for the transmission of vector-borne diseases. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

The Saranda/Sasangada Sanctuary was recently in the news. It is located in:

(a) Assam

(b) Manipur

(c) Jharkhand

(d) Chhattisgarh

Explanation

— A Supreme Court Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) ordered the Jharkhand government to give an undertaking to notify a new wildlife sanctuary in Saranda, home to one of the most verdant Sal forests in the country.

— The Supreme Court’s verdict has put a spotlight on this forested habitat, which has seen illegal mining in the past, and is a biodiversity hotspot at the junction of south-west Jharkhand and Odisha.

— The Supreme Court directed the Jharkhand government to notify an area of 314 sq km as a wildlife sanctuary while hearing a plea, which sought compliance with a July 2022 judgment of the National Green Tribunal’s eastern zone Bench. The plea before the NGT sought a declaration of an eco-sensitive zone in Saranda/Sasangada Sanctuary in West Singhbhum district.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 128)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 133)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 133)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 133)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 132)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 132)

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