27 September 2024

Q1. Consider the following statements about KAVACH:

1. The KAVACH is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
2. It activates the train’s braking system automatically if the driver fails to control the train as per speed restrictions
3. In India, the KAVACH system has been installed on every railroad track.

How many of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) None

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Only Statement 1 is correct.
• Context: The collision between two passenger trains in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh could have been prevented with the use of Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS), specifically the indigenous TCAS system called ‘Kavach.’
• Kavach is a cab signalling train control system designed to prevent collisions and overspeeding.
• It is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in collaboration with the Indian industry.
• It provides protection by preventing trains from passing the signal at Red and activates the train’s braking system automatically (if the driver jumps the Red signal) and avoids collision.
• The Traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) helps in two-way communication between the station master and loco-pilot to convey any emergency message.
• Both the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express and the Yeshwanthpur-Howrah Express were not fitted with KAVACH-TCAS.

Q2. With reference to Small Modular Reactors(SMRs), consider the following statements:

1. SMRs are advanced nuclear reactors that have a power capacity of more than 3000 MW(e) per unit.
2. SMRs can be sited on locations not suitable for larger nuclear power plants.
3. There are currently four SMRs in advanced stages of construction in India.

How many of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Context: The Indian Government is considering offering incentives, similar to a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, to encourage the manufacturing of small modular reactors (SMRs) with the goal of increasing nuclear power’s share in India’s energy production.
• S3: India is working on new technologies such as the small modular reactors that can be factory-built and help make clean energy transition.
• S1: Small modular reactors (SMRs) are advanced nuclear reactors that have a power capacity of up to 300 MW(e) per unit, which is about one-third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors. SMRs, which can produce a large amount of low-carbon electricity, are:
• Small – physically a fraction of the size of a conventional nuclear power reactor.
• Modular – making it possible for systems and components to be factory-assembled and transported as a unit to a location for installation.
• Reactors – harnessing nuclear fission to generate heat to produce energy.
• S2: Given their smaller footprint, SMRs can be sited on locations not suitable for larger nuclear power plants.

Q3. Consider the following pairs[Wildlife Sanctuary: State:

1. Gundla Brahmeswaram Wildlife Sanctuary: Karnataka
2. Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary: Odisha
3. Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary: Goa

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Only 2 and 3 pairs are correctly matched

Q4. Consider the following statements regarding Jim Corbett National Park:

1. Jim Corbett National Park is India’s and Asia’s first national park.
2. It was the first to come under the Project Tiger initiative.
3. It completely encompasses the Shivaliks, near the foothills of the Himalayas.

How many of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Only statements 1 and 2 are correct.
• Jim Corbett National Park is Located in the Himalayan foothills near the tourist hill station of Nainital.
• With its hills, grasslands, and streams, Corbett is ideal tiger territory. The place from where Project Tiger was launched in 1973, with its tiger population at 163, it boasts of a single largest tiger population in a tiger reserve and one of the highest tiger densities in the country.
• Set up in 1936 as India’s — and Asia’s — first national park, it was named Hailey National Park. Shortly after Independence, it was renamed Ramganga National Park after the river that flows through it, and was rechristened yet again as Corbett National Park in 1956.
• Rajaji National Park is an Indian national park and tiger reserve that encompasses the Shivaliks, near the foothills of the Himalayas.

Q5. Consider the following statements regarding Snow leopard:

1. Spiti valley of Himachal Pradesh provides a good habitat for Snow leopard and its prey species.
2. Siberian ibex and blue sheep are the important prey species for Snow leopards.
3. They are Classified as ‘Critically Endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red list and listed in Schedule-I species of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

How many of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(b) Only two

(d) None

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• The study under National Mission on Himalayan Studies revealed a strong link between habitat use by Snow Leopard and its prey species Siberian ibex and blue sheep.
• Spiti Valley possessed a good habitat in and outside the protected areas which could support a viable population of both snow leopard and its prey species.
• Classified as ‘Vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red list and listed in Schedule-I species of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, snow leopards are elusive mountain cats whose survival depends primarily on wild ungulates.
• Higher up in the mountains, predators such as snow leopards regulated the populations of herbivores such as the blue sheep and Siberian ibex, thereby safeguarding the health of grasslands and a long-term absence of snow leopards could cause trophic cascades as ungulate populations would likely increase, leading to depletion of vegetation cover.
• Snow leopards have a vast but fragmented distribution across the mountainous landscape of central Asia, which covers different parts of the Himalayas such as Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Sikkim.