UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : Environment, Geography, Sci-Tech MCQs on Fluoride in groundwater, typhoons and more (Week 76)

1. The average concentration of fluoride in groundwater is higher in eastern Indian regions.

2. Excess fluoride increases the rate of dental decay.

3. The geomorphology of the region does not affect fluorine contamination in the groundwater.

4. The nationally permissible limit for fluorine is 1.50 milligrams/litre.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

Explanation

— A pan-India analysis of fluoride contamination in groundwater found above-permissible levels of the mineral across the states of Rajasthan, Telangana, western Andhra Pradesh, and eastern Karnataka, as well as parts of Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh.

— Excess fluoride increases the risks of disease conditions like skeletal fluorosis, accelerates the rate of dental decay and can cause other human health hazards, especially among children. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Even though fluoride is among the many minerals found naturally in groundwater, the nationally permissible limit is 1.50 milligrams/litre. Contamination over 1.50mg/litre is deemed unfit for drinking purposes. Hence, statement 4 is correct.

— Fluoride is discharged and mixed with groundwater as a result of the leaching and dissolving of fluoride-bearing minerals in the host water aquifers.

— The average fluoride concentration in groundwater was greater in dry, western Indian areas. Rajasthan topped the charts, with pre-monsoon concentrations of 1.41mg/litre and post-monsoon concentrations of 1.44mg/litre, both of which were near to India’s maximum allowable limit. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— According to the study, “Lithology, soil type, geomorphology and lineaments control played a crucial role in the fluorine contamination in the groundwater.” Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

With reference to the Astra Missile, consider the following statements:

1. It is a Beyond Visual Range (BVR) class of surface-to-air missile.

2. The range of the Astra Mk-1 missile is more than 500 km.

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

— Astra is a Beyond Visual Range (BVR) class of Air-to-Air Missile (AAM) system designed to be mounted on fighter aircraft. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— The missile is designed to engage and destroy highly manoeuvring supersonic aircraft. The missile has all-weather day and night capability.

— The missile has been designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for deployment on fighter jets like Sukhoi-30 MKI and Tejas of the IAF and the Mig-29K of the Navy.

— Several successful tests have been conducted since 2017 from Sukhoi-30 MKIs. While the range for Astra Mk-1 is around 110 km, the Mk-2 with a range over 150 km is under development and Mk-3 version with a longer range is being envisaged. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

With reference to the Axiom-4 mission, consider the following statements:

1. The mission is responsible for taking the Indian astronauts to the International Space Station.

2. It is the astronaut mission of NASA and ISRO.

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

— The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has shortlisted two of its four trained Gaganyaan astronauts for a mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in collaboration with United States’ NASA. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The Axiom-4 mission, which will take the Indian astronauts to the ISS, is the fourth private astronaut mission of NASA and a private US company Axiom Space. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— NASA, in a release, said: “The Ax-4 crew members will train with NASA, international partners, and SpaceX for their flight. Axiom Space has contracted SpaceX as launch provider for transportation to and from the space station and to familiarise the private astronauts with systems, procedures, and emergency preparedness for the Dragon spacecraft.”

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

With reference to the dyslexia, consider the following statements:

1. It is the most common learning disorder which occurs in about 5-10 per cent of people worldwide.

2. Females are more affected by dyslexia as compared to males.

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

— Dyslexia occurs in about 5-10 per cent of people worldwide, making it the most common learning disorder. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The symptoms might occur as early as infancy. Boys are impacted two to three times as frequently as girls. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— At school, children with dyslexia may struggle to reproduce or describe the content of texts in a language class, such as one they have just read. The challenges might arise in any school topic that requires reading and writing, including mathematics, or when an activity is delivered as text.

— Dyslexia reveals nothing about the intellectual (or creative) abilities of those who have it.

— Famous dyslexic individuals include Albert Einstein, Ludwig van Beethoven, Charles Darwin, Ernest Hemingway, Agatha Christie, and Whoopi Goldberg. There are many more.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

The term “typhoons” is associated with:

(a) Eastern Indian Ocean

(b) South China Sea

(c) North-Western Pacific Ocean

(d) Southern Pacific Ocean

Explanation

— Millions of people in Southeast Asia continue to struggle with torrential rains, floods, and landslides triggered by Typhoon Yagi — the strongest tropical cyclone Asia has seen this year and the second most powerful storm in the world so far this year after Hurricane Beryl.

— Typhoon Yagi has severely impacted multiple countries, including the Philippines, China, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand, but it has hit Vietnam the hardest, where the death toll stands at around 233.

— Tropical cyclones occur above warm ocean waters near the equator. When warm, wet air rises from the ocean’s surface, it creates a lower air pressure area below. Air from higher-pressure locations flows into this low-pressure area, eventually rising as it warms and gets moist.

— When a tropical cyclone reaches maximum sustained winds of 74 miles per hour or above, it is categorised as a hurricane, typhoon, or tropical cyclone, depending on where the storm formed.

Hurricane: North Atlantic, central North Pacific, and eastern North Pacific

Typhoons: Northwest Pacific

Tropical Cyclone: South Pacific and Indian Ocean

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: oceanservice.noaa.gov)

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 76)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 76)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 75)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 75)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 75)

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