The Prayas ePathshala

Exams आसान है !

21 September 2022

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Q1. Consider the following statements regarding Arctic Council:

  1. It is a high-level intergovernmental body set up by the Ottawa declaration in 1996.
  2. Among the members, observer countries and ‘permanent participants’, only the observer status is open to non-arctic nations.

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

C: Explanation

Arctic Council:

  • The Arctic Council is a high-level intergovernmental body set up in 1996 by the Ottawa declaration to promote cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States together with the indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • The Council has the eight circumpolar countries as member states and is mandated to protect the Arctic environment and promote the economies and social and cultural well-being of the indigenous people whose organisations are permanent participants in the council.
  • The Council has members, ad hoc observer countries and “permanent participants”
  • Members of the Arctic Council:Ottawa Declaration declares Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden and the United States of America as a member of the Arctic Council.Permanent participants: In 1998, the number of Permanent Participants doubled to make up the present six, as,the Aleut International Association (AIA), and then, in 2000, the Arctic Athabaskan Council (AAC) and the Gwich’in Council International (GGI) were appointed Permanent Participants.Observer status: It is open to non-Arctic states, along with inter-governmental, inter-parliamentary, global, regional and non-governmental organisations that the Council determines can contribute to its work. As of May 2019, thirteen non-Arctic states have Observer status. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Q2. With respect to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which of the following statements is/are correct?

  1. It is the second-largest organization after the United Nations.
  2. Iran was suspended from OIC after the Yemen crisis.
  3. The OIC has permanent delegations to the United Nations and the European Union.
  1. 1 and 2 Only
  2. 1 and 3 Only
  3. 2 and 3 Only
  4. 1, 2 and 3

B – Explanation:

  • Statement 1 is correct, it is the second-largest intergovernmental body next to the United Nations. Statement 2 is not correct, Iran has not been suspended from OIC.Statement 3 is correct, the OIC has permanent delegations to the United Nations and the European Union.

Q3. Consider the following statements with respect to P-Waves and S-Waves:

  1. P-Waves create troughs and crests in the material through which they pass, S-waves create density differences in the material leading to stretching and squeezing of the material.
  2. P-Waves can travel through solid, liquid, and gas, S-Waves can only travel through solids and liquids.

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

  • Statement 1 is not correct.
  • P-wavescreate density differences in the material leading to stretching (rarefaction) and squeezing (compression) of the material.S-waves travel perpendicular to wave direction in a vertical plane, hence they create troughs and crests in the material through which they pass.
  • Statement 2 is not correct.
  • P waves are the fastest seismic waves and can move through solid, liquid, or gas.S waves are slower and can travel only through solids.

Q4. Which of the following has/have been accorded the Geographical Indication (GI) Tag?

  1. Darjeeling Tea
  2. Basmati Rice
  3. Nagpur Oranges
  4. Naga Mircha
  5. Jalgaon Banana
  1.  1 and 2 only
  2. 2, 3, 4, and 5 only
  3. 1, 3, and 4 only
  4. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

D: Explanation

  • All of the above have been accorded Geographical Indication (GI) Tag.Hence option d is correct.

Q5. Consider the following statements with respect to Sawfish:

  1. Sawfish are elasmobranchs.
  2. Largetooth Sawfish is listed as Critically Endangered on IUCN.
  3. Sawfishes are a protected species in India under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 and 2 Only
  2. 1 and 3 Only
  3. 2 and 3 Only
  4. 1, 2 and 3

D: Explanation

  • Statement 1 is correct, Sawfish belong to a group of fishes called elasmobranchs that include sharks and rays.
  • Elasmobranchs refer to members of the subclass Elasmobranchii.The term elasmobranch is derived from the Greek term elasmos, meaning ‘metal plate’, and branchia, meaning  ‘gills’.Elasmobranchs have cartilaginous skeletons and gill openings.Statement 2 is correct, Largetooth Sawfish is listed as Critically Endangeredon IUCN.Statement 3 is correct, Sawfishes are protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 in India.

Q6. Consider the following statements with respect to the Qutb Shahi dynasty:

  1. Badi Baoli was built by Jamsheed Quli Qutb Shah, of the Qutb Shahi dynasty.
  2. The dynasty came to an end when the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb arrested and jailed Sultan Abul Hasan Qutb Shah for the rest of his life

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

 B – Explanation:

  •  The Badi Baoli (step well), was built more than 400 years ago by Sultan Qutb-ul-Mulk,the first ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. Hence statement 1 is not correct.The Qutb Shahi dynasty or the Golconda Sultanate was known as the ruling family of the sultanate of Golkonda.Situated in South India, the Qutb Shahi dynasty was ruled by the Shia Muslims who belonged to the Turkmen tribe from the Turkmenistan-Armenia region.This dynasty was founded by Sultan Quli Qutub-ul-Mulk in 1518.The dynasty ruled for 171 years until the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s army conquered Golconda in 1687. The dynasty came to an end in 1687 during the reign of its seventh Sultan Abul Hasan Qutb Shah, when the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb arrested and jailed him for the rest of his life in Daulatabad, absorbed Golconda into the Mughal empire. Hence statement 2 is correct.

Q7. With respect to Golden Langur, which of the following statements is/are correct?

  1. It is endemic to the Western Ghats.
  2. Its IUCN status is Endangered.
  3. Golden Langur easily recognised by the colour of their fur, changes according to the seasons.
  1. 1 and 2 Only
  2. 1 and 3 Only
  3. 2 and 3 Only
  4. 1, 2 and 3

C : Explanation

  • Gee’s golden langur (Trachypithecus geei)is an Old World monkey found in a small region of western Assam, India and in the neighbouring foothills of the Black Mountains of Bhutan. Hence statement 1 is not correct.It is considered sacred by many Himalayan people. IUCN conservation status: Endangered. Hence statement 2 is correct.Golden langurs are easily recognised by the colour of their fur and are distributed in forested habitats, fragmented and isolated areas. Hence statement 3 is correct.

Q8. The first concrete step towards modern education in India was laid by:

  1. Charter Act of 1813
  2. Wood’s Despatch
  3. Macaulay’s Minute on Education
  4. Hunter Education Commission

A: Explanation

  • The Charter Act of 1813 passed by the British Parliament renewed the East India Company’s charter for another 20 years. This is also called the East India Company Act, 1813. This act is important in that it defined for the first time the constitutional position of British Indian territories.Hence option A is correct.

Q9. Which of the following is/are correctly matched?

Name of the Pass – Region

  1.  Zoji La – Great Himalayas
  2. Banihal – Pir Panjal
  3. Photu La – Zaskar
  4. Khardung La – Ladakh Range
  1. 1, 2 and 3 only
  2. 2 and 4 only
  3. 1, 3 and 4 only
  4. 1, 2, 3 and 4

D : Explanation

  • Zoji Lais a high mountain pass in the Great Himalayas in the Indian union territory of Ladakh. Located in the Dras, the pass connects the Kashmir Valley to its west with the Dras and Suru valleys to its northeast and the Indus valley further east.Banihal pass is a popular pass in Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated in the Pir- Panjal Range.Photu La is a mountain pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway in the Zanskar Range of the Himalayas in India.Khardung La is the gateway to the Nubra and Shyok Valleys in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir. It is the highest motorable pass in the world.

Q10. What is common to the places called Idukki, Parambikulam and Aliyar:

  1. Pre-historic cave painting
  2. Buddhist archaeological sites
  3. Underground cave system
  4. Water reservoirs

D : Explanation

  • Parambikulam Dam is an embankment dam on the Parambikulam River.The Idukki Dam is a double curvature Arch dam constructed across the Periyar River. Aliyar Reservoir is a reservoir located in Aliyar village in Tamil Nadu. Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

 

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