18 August 2022

Q1. Consider the following statements with respect to Pangong Tso:

1. It is the first trans-boundary wetland in South Asia identified as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
2. It is a brackish water, endorheic lake.
3. The Karakoram Mountain range ends at the north bank of Pangong Tso.

Which of the given statement/s is/are INCORRECT?

1. 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 only
4. None of the above

C – Explanation

• The lake is not a Ramsar site yet. The lake is in the process of being identified under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international importance. This will be the first trans-boundary wetland in South Asia under the convention. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.The lake’s water, while crystal clear, is brackish, making it undrinkable. It is an endorheic lake spanning eastern Ladakh and West Tibet. Hence, statement 2 is correct.The Karakoram Mountain range, which crosses Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and India, with heights of over 6,000 metres including K2, the world’s second-highest peak, ends at the north bank of Pangong Tso. Hence, statement 3 is correct.Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.

Q2. Consider the following statements regarding landlord port model:

1. In the landlord port model, the publicly governed port authority acts as a regulatory body that carry out port operations—mainly cargo-handling activities.
2. Here, the port authority maintains ownership of the port.
3. India has acceded to Hong Kong International Convention for Ship Recycling that is aimed at ensuring that ships recycled after reaching the end of their operational lives do not pose any risks to human health, safety and the environment.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 3 only
4. 1, 2, 3

B – Explanation

• What is landlord model?
• In the landlord port model, the publicly governed port authority acts as a regulatory body and as landlord while private companies carry out port operations—mainly cargo-handling activities. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.Here, the port authority maintains ownership of the port while the infrastructure is leased to private firms that provide and maintain their own superstructure and install own equipment to handle cargo. Hence, statement 2 is correct.In return, the landlord port gets a share of the revenue from the private entity.The role of the landlord port authority would be to carry out all public sector services and operations such as the award of bids for cargo terminals and dredging.
• India’s has acceded to the Hong Kong Convention on Hong Kong International Convention for Ship Recycling, which will help in providing boost to the ship- recycling industry in India. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Q3. The region that is closest to the shores of both the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea is?

1. Rostov
2. Athens
3. Istanbul
4. Beirut

C – Explanation

• Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.

Q4. Global Hunger Index (GHI) scores are calculated each year to assess progress and setbacks in combating hunger. The GHI scores are based on a formula that captures which of these dimensions of hunger?

1. Undernourishment
2. Child wasting
3. Child stunting
4. Child mortality

Select the correct answer code:

1. 1, 2 and 3 only
2. 1, 2, 3 and 4
3. 2, 3 and 4 only
4. 1, 3 and 4 only

B – Explanation

• The GHI scores are calculated each year to assess progress and setbacks in combating hunger. It is calculated on the basis of four indicators — undernourishment, child wasting, the share of children under the age of five who are wasted (that is, who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition); child stunting, children under the age of five who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition; and child mortality, the mortality rate of children under the age of five. Hence, option (b) is the correct answer.

Q5. Consider the following statements about the major Sufi orders:

1. The Chishti order rejected all material goods and abstained from connection with the secular state.
2. The Suhrawardi order did not accept the maintenance grants from the Sultans.
3. The Naqshbandi order was popular in Punjab and supported the Mughals under Akbar.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

C – Explanation

• Chishti Order (Chishtiya):
• Chishtiya Order was founded in India by Khwaja Moin-Uddin Chishti.It emphasised the doctrine of the unity of being with God (wa’dat al-wuj’d) and members of the order were also pacifists.They rejected all material goods as distractions from the contemplation of God.They abstained from connection with the secular state.Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• Suhrawardi Order:
• It was founded by Sheikh Shahabuddin Suharwardi Maqtul.The Suhrawardis, unlike the Chishtis, accepted maintenance grants from the Sultans. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
• Naqshbandi Order:
• It was founded by the Khwaja Baha-ul-din Naqsh band.In India, this order was established by Khwaja Bahauddin Naqshbandi.From the beginning, the mystics of this Order stressed on the observance of the Shariat.
• Qadiriyya Order:
• It was popular in Punjab.Sheikh Abdul Qadir of Badaun founded it in the 14^thThey were supporters of the Mughals under Akbar. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Q6. Consider the following statements about Raja Suheldev:

1. He ruled in present day Gujarat and was a contemporary of Muhammad of Ghor.
2. Mirat-i-Masudi is the biography of Raja Suheldev written by Salar Masud.

Which of the statements given above is/are not correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

C – Explanation

• Raja Suheldev was the erstwhile ruler of Shravasti in Uttar Pradesh’s (UP) Bahraich district, who ruled in the 11^th
• He is known in history for waging guerrilla warfare against Mahmud Ghazni’s large army. Hence, statement 1 is not correct. Mohammad of Ghor was a 12^thcentury ruler.
• Raja Suheldev finds mention in ‘Mirat-i-Masudi’, a 17^thcentury Persian-language historical account.
• ‘Mirat-i-Masudi’ is the biography of Salar Masud, written by Abd-ur-Rahman Chishti during the reign of the Mughal emperor Jahangir (1605–1627). Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Q7. Consider the following statements:

1. Coelacanths is an extinct species under IUCN Red List.
2. The only species of coelacanths lives near the Comoros Islands off the east coast of Africa.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

D – Explanation

• Recently, a group of palaeontologists have discovered fossils of coelacanth, a giant fish regarded as an iconic example of a “living fossil.”Coelacanths are elusive, deep-sea creatures, living in depths up to 2,300 feet below the surface.There areonly two known species of coelacanths: one that lives near the Comoros Islands off the east coast of Africa, and one found in the waters off Sulawesi, Indonesia. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Protection Status:

• IUCN Status:Critically Endangered. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.Sulawesi Coelacanth is listed as ‘vulnerable’.CITES Status: Appendix I

Q8. Consider the following statements regarding Sandes App?

1. It is launched by the National Informatics Centre (NIC).
2. It is an instant messaging platform used only by Government employees.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

A – Explanation

• The National Informatics Centre (NIC) has launched an instant messaging platform called Sandes on the lines of WhatsApp. Hence, statement 1 is correct.NIC is under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. It provides network backbone and e-Governance support to the Central Government, State Governments and UT Administrations.Sandes App is a Government Instant Messaging System (GIMS) that can be used for official or casual use by any Government employee or public user having a valid Mobile No./Email ID. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Q9. Consider the following statements with respect to Lieutenant Governor (LG):

1. The LG is appointed by the President of India for a term of five years.
2. The LG holds office at the pleasure of the President.

Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

C – Explanation

• Both the statements are correct.

Q10. Nainativu and Neduntheevu are located in:

1. Palk Bay
2. Persian Gulf
3. Gulf of Cambay
4. Gulf of Oman

A – Explanation

• Nainativu, Delft or Neduntheevu, and Analaitivu are located in Palk Bay, some 50 km off Tamil Nadu. Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.