UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : Environment and Geography MCQs on gharial, Tea Horse Road and more (Week 99)

QUESTION 1

With reference to the gharial, consider the following statements:

1. Odisha hosts over 80 per cent of India’s gharials.

2. It is classified as vulnerable.

3. They are important for a river’s ecosystem as they clean up carrion.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav released ten gharials, a critically endangered species, into the Chambal River at the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary in Morena. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— Madhya Pradesh’s decades-long conservation efforts have earned it the label of “gharial state,” home to more than 80% of India’s gharials. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— The gharial is a long-snouted, fish-eating crocodile known as Gavialis gangeticus. The name ‘gharial’ is derived from the Hindi word ghara, which means pot or vessel, and refers to adult males’ bulbous snout tips, which resemble an inverted pot. In Indian mythology, gharials are revered as the divine mount of the goddess Ganga. Their narrow snouts, lined with numerous sharp, interlocking teeth, are designed to trap fish, which are the primary source of their nutrition.

— Gharials are crucial to a river’s ecosystem because they clean up carrion. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— Madhya Pradesh has the most gharials in India, with a 2024 census revealing 2,456 individuals in the sanctuary. This achievement is owed to decades of conservation work, following a nationwide decline of more than 80 percent in gharial population between the 1950s and 1960s.

— Historical hazards included overhunting for skins, trophies, eggs, and traditional medicine. Modern difficulties, such as dam development, irrigation canals, siltation, river course modifications, embankments, sand mining, pollution, and fishing, continue to harm people. Gill nets, in particular, kill gharials of all sizes, including in protected regions.

— Between 1975 and 1982, India constructed 16 captive breeding and release centres, as well as five gharial sanctuaries. Today, the species is predominantly found in five refuges: the National Chambal Sanctuary (NCS), the Katerniaghat Sanctuary, Chitwan National Park, the Son River Sanctuary, and the Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary.

— Captive breeding operations to rear and release hatchlings back into the river, population monitoring, active danger management such as sand mining, and community engagement in habitat preservation and awareness campaigns are all part of conservation efforts.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

A 5th century wooden ‘stitched ship’ – recreated using ancient stitching techniques and constructed using coconut fiber stitching, traditional wooden joinery, coir rope and natural resins and powered by cotton sails – was launched at Divar island. The island is situated in:

(a) Tamil Nadu

(b) Maharashtra

(c) Kerala

(d) Goa

Explanation

— A 5th century wooden ‘stitched ship’ – recreated using ancient stitching techniques and constructed using coconut fiber stitching, traditional wooden joinery, coir rope and natural resins and powered by cotton sails – was ‘launched’ at Goa’s Divar island.

— The ‘ancient’ ship, based on a painting of a stitched ship from the Ajanta caves in Maharashtra, has been “put in the water” or “transferred from land to water” for the first time, according to officials. The vessel, which will carry a 15-member Indian Navy crew, is anticipated to set sail on a historic voyage to Oman, recreating historical trading routes, by the end of 2025.

— The project, which is part of an endeavour to resuscitate India’s rich nautical legacy, is being carried out under a tripartite arrangement between the Indian Navy, the Ministry of Culture, and the Goa-based shipbuilding company Hodi Innovations (OPC) Private Ltd.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

With reference to the WildLife Protection Act of 1972, consider the following statements:

1. Venomous snakes such as king cobra and Russell’s viper are protected under Schedule I.

2. Non-venomous snakes, such as the Indian python, are protected under Schedule II.

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

Explanation

— Congress Member of Parliament Priyanka Gandhi has written to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, requesting more cash to address man-animal conflict in her constituency, Wayanad.

— Recurrent incidences of human fatalities as a result of wildlife assaults have sparked outrage in many rural Kerala communities. Interestingly, government records show that snakebites outside the forest have caused 66% of deaths from wildlife assaults in Kerala in recent years. Here’s a look at the situation and the causes for it.

— As per the WildLife Protection Act of 1972, venomous snakes such as king cobra and Russell’s viper are protected under Schedule II. Non-venomous snakes such as the Indian python are protected under Schedule I. Other species are protected under Schedule IV. Hence, statements 1 and 2 are not correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

The Tea Horse Road was in the news recently. It connects:

(a) India-China

(b) India-Afghanistan

(c) India-Bhutan

(d) India-Myanmar

Explanation

— China’s Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, tweeted on X about the old Tea Horse Road, which stretched over 2,000 kilometres and connected China to India via Tibet.

— Although less well-known than the Silk Road, which connected China and Europe, the Tea Horse Road was an important trading route for centuries.

— The term “Tea Horse Road” refers to a network of branching paths that began in southwest China and finished in the Indian subcontinent.

— The two main routes crossed via cities such as Dali and Lijiang in Yunnan province, as well as Lhasa in Tibet, before crossing the Indian subcontinent and branching out into modern-day India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. These roads were dangerous to travel on, passing through harsh terrain and reaching elevations of up to 10,000 feet.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

With reference to the whale stranding, consider the following statements:

1. It is a phenomenon in which whales are stuck on land, usually on a beach.

2. Stranding events involve single animals and do not involve mass strandings.

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

Explanation

— Australian authorities announced that they would euthanise approximately 90 fake killer whales that survived a major stranding on a remote Tasmanian beach. The decision came after scientists determined that saving the whales was difficult owing to the challenging conditions.

— Whale stranding is the phenomenon in which whales become stuck on land, usually on a beach. Dolphins and porpoises are among the other aquatic creatures that have been observed beaching. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The majority of stranding episodes involve individual creatures, although mass strandings involving hundreds of marine animals at once are possible. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— Mass strandings have occurred since Aristotle’s time, and they were regarded as a gift from the gods since stranded whales and dolphins provided a plentiful source of food and oil. However, experts do not know why they occur.

— Vanessa Pirotta, a wildlife scientist at Macquarie University (Australia) who specialises in marine animals, told The Indian Express in 2023 that whale strandings are a mystery. We don’t know why they happen. Mass strandings can be caused by a variety of factors, including the region’s terrain, disease, human activity, and increased ocean noise pollution.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 99)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 99)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 99)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 99)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 96, 97 and 98)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 96, 97 and 98)

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