UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 28)

1. The Indian rhino is listed as endangered in the IUCN Red List.

2. Manas National Park has the highest number of Indian rhinos.

3. Indian Rhinos have been poached for their horn.

4. Rhino horn is used in traditional Chinese medicine to cure a range of ailments.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

QUESTION 2

With reference to fuel cell vehicles, consider the following statements:

1. Fuel cell vehicles have advantage of long range and lower refuelling compared to battery vehicles.

2. Fuel cell vehicles are less efficient than regular battery-powered electric vehicles.

Which of the statement(s) given above are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

QUESTION 3

Consider the following pairs:

   (Place)                                       (Location)

1. Muskoh Valley                       Uttarakhand

2. Kaimur Tiger Reserve         Madhya Pradesh

3. Durgawati Tiger Reserve    Rajasthan

How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 4

Consider the following statements:

1. Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees and shrubs typical of estuarine and intertidal regions.

2. The Sundarbans, the largest contiguous mangrove forest in the world completely lies in India.

3. Mangroves represent a Boreal forest ecosystem.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 5

With reference to the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA), consider the following statements:

1. GBA is a France-led initiative towards the goal of sustainability and clean energy.

2. The alliance is aimed at facilitating international cooperation and intensifying the use of sustainable biofuels.

3. All the member countries are members of G20.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

ANSWERS TO THE MCQs

1. (b)

FYI:

— The Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is found only in the Brahmaputra valley, parts of North Bengal, and parts of southern Nepal.

— It has a single black horn that may grow to be 60 cm long and a strong, grey-brown hide with skin wrinkles that gives the animal its armour-plated appearance.

— The Indian rhino is listed as vulnerable (better than endangered, worse than near threatened) in the IUCN Red List. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— The WWF says the “recovery of the greater one-horned rhino is among the greatest conservation success stories in Asia”.

— According to the WWF, there are around 3,700 Indian rhinos in the wild today. Assam’s Kaziranga National Park (KNP) alone has 2,613 animals, according to a census carried out in March 2022. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— Rhinos have been poached for their horn, which is prized in some cultures. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— Rhino horn is used in traditional Chinese medicine to cure a range of ailments, from cancer to hangovers, and also as an aphrodisiac. In Vietnam, a rhino horn is considered a status symbol. Hence, statement 4 is correct.

— The expected number of greater one-horned rhinos is 4014, according to the State of the Rhino 2023, and the trend is growing.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

2. (a)

FYI:

— The country’s largest fuel retailer Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) started the operational trial of green hydrogen-fuelled buses in Delhi and the nearby areas of the National Capital Region (NCR).

— The trial, which was launched by Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri in the capital with two hydrogen fuel cell buses manufactured by Tata Motors, will include 15 buses by the end of the year.

— Fuel cell vehicles are also considered superior to regular battery-powered electric vehicles. Fuel cells are highly efficient as compared to other mobility options. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— Fuel cell vehicles have inherent advantages of long range and lower refuelling time as compared to battery vehicles. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Speaking at the launch of the trial, Puri termed green hydrogen-powered fuel cell automobiles as “game-changing technology” in mobility, adding that the trial marks the beginning of a journey that is likely to “ultimately culminate in green mobility”.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

3. (d)

FYI:

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: ntca.gov.in)

4. (a)

FYI:

— Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees and shrubs typical of estuarine and intertidal regions, meaning they grow in areas where freshwater and saltwater meet. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Mangroves typically have aerial, breathing roots and waxy, succulent leaves, and are flowering plants. Mangroves represent a littoral forest ecosystem, which means they thrive in saline or brackish waters in coastal regions. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— The Sundarbans (spread across India and Bangladesh) is the largest contiguous mangrove forest in the world. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— Many regions in India boast of these lush, tranquil havens. Some magnificent areas include the Godavari Krishna delta in Andhra Pradesh, Bhitarkanika in Odisha, and mangrove forests in the Andamans, Kerala, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu, among others.

— Mangrove forests are ecologically significant. The trees and shrubs act as natural coastal guards and protectors.

— They are also referred to as ‘bio-shields’ as they mitigate the impact of strong waves and winds while guarding against coastal and soil erosion, primarily because of their roots.

— Mangroves act as essential carbon sinks (absorb more carbon than they release), are helpful in mitigating global warming and work as natural water filters.

— The World Wildlife Fund’s ‘natural mangrove honey’ project in the Sundarbans has been successful in empowering rural communities in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

5. (a)

FYI:

— The Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) was formally launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the presence of leaders of a number of partner countries on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi.

— GBA is an India-led initiative towards the goal of sustainability and clean energy. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— The alliance is aimed at facilitating international cooperation and intensifying the use of sustainable biofuels, along with facilitating global biofuels trade and technical support for national biofuel programmes. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— The GBA, the effort for which was spearheaded by India, the United States, and Brazil, has been launched with nine initiating members–India, the US, Brazil, Argentina, Bangladesh, Italy, Mauritius, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates–while Canada and Singapore are observer countries.

— Seven of the 19 countries are from the G20, four are among the G20 invitee countries, while eight are neither G20 members nor invitees. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— The World Bank, Asian Development Bank, World Economic Forum, International Energy Agency, International Energy Forum, International Renewable Energy Agency, and International Civil Aviation Organization are among the organisations that have agreed to join the alliance.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: pib.gov.in)

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 28)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 28)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 27)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 27)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 27)

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JApGG3Nh6qQ?si=t7HxcaFhoq9D275o