30 May 2023

Q. Take into consideration the following statements about LT-LEDS:

1. Every member to the Paris Agreement (2015) is required to make this commitment document by the year 2022.
2. It includes that nation’s short-term development and emission reduction plans.
3. India’s approach is mostly built on boosting nuclear power capacity, creating green hydrogen, and raising the percentage of ethanol in gasoline.

Which of the aforementioned statements is true?

• 1 and 2 only
• 2 and 3 only
• 1 and 3 only
• 1, 2 and 3

C – Explanation

• The first statement is true.
• Every signatory to the Paris Agreement (2015) is required to submit the LT-LEDS by the year 2022.
• Only 57 nations, including India, have so far filed their documents.
• The second claim is untrue.
• The Long Term-Low Emission Development Strategy is known as LT-LEDS.
• India revealed its long-term plan to go to a “low emissions” pathway at the present COP27.
• The third statement is true.
• In addition to becoming a global centre for the production of green hydrogen and raising the percentage of ethanol in gasoline, India’s goal primarily centres on increasing its nuclear power capacity by at least three times over the course of the next ten years.
• This approach is in accordance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pledge at Glasgow, UK, where the 26th COP was held last year, for India to achieve carbon neutrality by 2070.

Q. Take into account the following statements on Sea Vigil-22:

1. The Indian Coast Guard is conducting a “Pan-India” coastal defence exercise.
2. The whole 7,516 kilometres of India’s coastline and exclusive economic zone would be used for the exercise.

Which of the aforementioned statements is true?

• 1 Only
• 2 Only
• Both 1 and 2
• Neither 1 nor 2

B – Explanation

• The first claim is untrue.
• The third iteration of the pan-Indian coastal defence exercise is called Sea Vigil-22.
• The Indian Navy is coordinating the exercise with the Coast Guard and other departments tasked with overseeing marine operations.
• The second claim is true.
• All of the Coastal States and Union territories will participate in the exercise, together with other marine stakeholders like fishing and coastal communities, throughout India’s full 7516 km of coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone.
• In order to validate the many steps taken since “26/11” to improve marine security, this national-level coastal defence exercise was conceptualised in 2018.
• The idea behind “Sea Vigil” is to activate the coastal security system throughout India and evaluate the main Coastal Defence system.

Q. Take into account the following statements regarding the Net Zero Emissions target:

1. By 2040, India wants to be net-zero.
2. Net zero refers to the total cessation of atmospheric emissions of greenhouse gases.

Which of the aforementioned statements is true?

• 1 Only
• 2 Only
• Both 1 and 2
• Neither 1 nor 2

D – Explanation

• Both of the statements are untrue.
• By 2070, India wants to be net-zero.
• India’s net zero goal was stated by the Prime Minister during an address at COP26 (Ministry of External Affairs, 2021).
• Carbon neutrality, often known as net zero emissions, does not imply that a nation will reduce its emissions to zero.
• Instead, it refers to a situation when a nation’s emissions are balanced out by the removal and absorption of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
• Net zero, in its simplest form, refers to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as feasible, with any leftover emissions being reabsorbed from the atmosphere, for instance by oceans and forests.
• The science is very clear that the increase in global temperature must be kept to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels in order to prevent the worst effects of climate change and maintain a livable planet. The Earth has already warmed by 1.1°C since the late 1800s, and emissions are still rising. Emissions must be cut by 45% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050 if the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C is to be met.

Q. Take into account the following statements about the “In Our LIFEtime” campaign:

1. At the COP 27, it was jointly introduced by UNEP and the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH).
2. Its goal is to inspire young people between the ages of 18 and 23 to spread the word about sustainable living.

Which of the aforementioned statements is true?

• 1 Only
• 2 Only
• Both 1 and 2
• Neither 1 nor 2

B – Explanation

• The first claim is untrue.
• The “In Our LIFEtime” Campaign was jointly launched by the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), the Ministry of the Environment, Forests and Climate Change, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
• At COP 27, Sharm El-Sheikh, this was introduced in a side event at the India Pavilion.
• The second claim is true.
• The goal of the campaign is to persuade young people between the ages of 18 and 23 to promote sustainable lifestyles. The goal of this campaign is to honour young people pursuing climate action around the world who share the idea of LiFE.
• Youth from all around the world who are passionate about leading environmentally conscious lives are invited to submit ideas as part of the campaign. The young will be urged to submit their climate initiatives that support environmentally friendly lifestyles within their means, which are scalable and sustainable, and which serve as best practises that may be disseminated internationally.

Q. Take into account the following statements made about Grid Controller of India Limited:

1. It is a fully owned subsidiary of the central government and is governed by the Ministry of Power.
2. Currently, it serves as the focal point for significant power sector reforms.

Which of the aforementioned statements is true?

• 1 Only
• 2 Only
• Both 1 and 2
• Neither 1 nor 2

C – Explanation

• Both of the statements are true.
• Power System Operation Corporation Limited (POSOCO), India’s national grid operator, was renamed Grid Controller of India Limited.
• Under the direction of the Ministry of Power, The Grid Controller of India Limited (Grid-India) is a fully owned central government corporation.
• It used to be a completely owned subsidiary of the central public sector enterprise (PSU) operated by the Union Power Ministry, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (Powergrid).
• It was established in March 2009 to handle the PGCIL’s power management duties.
• Later, it became an independent business, with PGCIL merely helping to set up the changeover link.
• The load despatch responsibilities were assigned to Grid-India as a distinct corporation. The National Load Despatch Center (NLDC) and five regional load despatch centres are under its control (RLDCs). The NLDC is the supreme body responsible for ensuring the seamless running of the country’s power system.
• The Power System Development Fund (PSDF), the Green Energy Open Access Portal, the Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) Mechanism, transmission pricing, short-term open access in transmission, the Deviation Settlement Mechanism, and other significant power sector reforms are currently coordinated by Grid-India.

Q. Take into account the following statements about mangrove species:

1. Extremely unfavourable situations, such as those with high salt content and low oxygen levels, are not a problem for them.
2. The root system of the mangroves takes in oxygen from the atmosphere.
3. Oviparous describes them.
4. Gujarat has India’s highest proportion of land covered by mangroves.

Which of the aforementioned statements is true?

• 1 and 2 only
• 2, 3 and 4
• 1, 3 and 4
• 1, 2, 3 and 4

A – Explanation

• The first and second statements are true.
• A mangrove is a tiny tree or shrub that grows along coasts and establishes itself in saline sediments, frequently beneath water.
• Extremely unfavourable situations, such as those with high salt content and low oxygen levels, are not a problem for them.
• Any plant’s underground tissue needs oxygen to breathe. But in a mangrove environment, there is little to no oxygen in the soil. As a result, the mangrove root system takes in oxygen from the surrounding air.
• Mangroves develop unique roots termed pneumatophores, or breathing roots, for this purpose.
• The underground tissues of these roots can receive oxygen because to their many apertures.
• The third and fourth statements are untrue.
• Viviparous mangroves are found.
• While still linked to the parent tree, their seeds begin to grow. The seedling develops into a propagule once it has germination.
• Once in the water, the adult propagule is then carried to a new location where it eventually takes root in a solid surface.
• West Bengal, Gujarat, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are in order of highest proportion of total area covered by mangroves.

Q. Take into account the following statements about the National Hydrogen Mission:

1. It focuses on producing green hydrogen and connects the hydrogen industry with India’s expanding renewable energy capability.
2. The Ministry of Power is in charge of the mission.
3. Green hydrogen is defined as hydrogen produced using renewable electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

Which of the aforementioned statements is true?

1 Only

1, 2 only

1 and 3 only

1, 2 and 3

C – Explanation

• The first statement is true.
• A National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHM) has been declared in the Union Budget for 2021–2022 with the goal of developing a roadmap for the use of hydrogen as an energy source.
• The Mission will provide equal attention to the long term and the near term (10 years and more).
• A framework to assist manufacturing through incentives and facilitation will be designed in order to achieve the goal of creating a worldwide hub for the manufacture of hydrogen technology.
• The NHM will concentrate on producing hydrogen from renewable energy sources and connecting India’s expanding capacity for renewable energy with the hydrogen industry.
• The second claim is untrue.
• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy oversees the mission.
• The third statement is true.
• If driven by renewable energy, the electrolyzers that are used to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen can produce hydrogen without emitting any greenhouse gases.
• This type of hydrogen production is frequently referred to as green hydrogen.
• Green power can be converted into a transportation fuel or used as a feedstock in industrial operations where there are currently no climate-neutral alternatives by using green hydrogen as a bridge.
• We will be able to fuel container ships with wind energy thanks to green hydrogen and its derivative fuels, including green ammonia. In this approach, hydrogen considerably increases the capacity of renewable energy sources to reduce carbon emissions.

Q. Which of the ensuing statements makes reference to the Nastaliq script?

1. A mediaeval Indian script in Perso-Arabic
2. A prehistoric South Asian alphabet that first emerged as a fully formed writing system in the third century BCE.
3. Several Indo-European languages used an antiquated Indo-Iranian script.
4. Script in Northern Brahmic

A – Explanation

• One of the primary calligraphic hands for writing the Persian alphabet is the nastalq, which has historically been the most common style in Persian calligraphy.
• Nastaliq is still widely used in Iran, India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other nations for written poetry and as a form of art. It evolved from naskh in Iran beginning in the 13th century.
• Nearly all Safavid writers, including Dust Muhammad and Qadi Ahmad, credited Mir Ali Tabrizi, a man who lived between the end of the 14th and the beginning of the 15th century, with creating the nastaliq.

Q. Take into account the following statements in relation to the ministerial conference on “No Money for Terror”:

1. The maiden meeting of the “No Money for Terror” Ministerial Conference is being held in India.
2. It intends to establish a forum for international debates on preventing the financing of terrorism.
3. The Ministry of Finance will be in charge of organising it.

Which of the aforementioned statements is true?

• 1, 2, only
• 2 Only
• 2 and 3 only
• 1,2 and 3

B – Explanation

• The first claim is untrue.
• This conference’s first iteration took place in 2018 in Paris, France. Melbourne, Australia hosted the NMFT’s second iteration in 2019.
• The COVID-19 epidemic, which resulted in the global travel restrictions, forced the cancellation of the third edition, which was scheduled to take place in India in 2020.
• The second claim is true.
• The goal of the Ministerial No Money for Terror (NMFT) Conference is to provide a forum for worldwide dialogue on preventing the financing of terrorism.
• Discussions of the technical, legal, regulatory, and cooperative elements of financing terrorism are part of the conference.
• It attempts to set the tone for other top-level political and official conversations about financing terrorism.
• The third statement is untrue.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs will oversee the third edition.
• More than 75 nations will participate in the tournament.

Q. The following organisations released the paper, “Financing India’s Urban Infrastructure Needs: Constraints to Commercial Financing and Prospects for Policy Action”:

1. Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry
2. World Bank
3. NITI Aayog
4. IMF

B – Explanation

• A report titled “Financing India’s Infrastructure Needs: Constraints to Commercial Financing and Prospects for Policy Action” was recently published by the World Bank.
• In order to close growing financial gaps, the research emphasises the urgent need to leverage more private and commercial contributions.
• In India, metropolitan cities will be home to 600 million people by 2036, accounting for 40% of the country’s population. Additional pressure will result from this, including increased need for clean drinking water, dependable power, and effective and secure road transportation, among other things.
• At the moment, the federal and state governments pay for more than 75% of municipal infrastructure, with urban local bodies (ULB) paying for 15% out of their own surplus funds.
• Currently, just 5% of the infrastructure requirements of Indian cities are being funded by private sources. The government’s current (2018) yearly investment in urban infrastructure is $16 billion, therefore a large portion of the funding deficit will come from private sources.
• The new report suggests increasing city agencies’ capabilities to deliver large-scale infrastructure projects.
• Only two-thirds of the capital budget for the ten largest ULBs over the last three fiscal years could be spent. Cities’ difficulty in gaining access to more private financing is also exacerbated by a lax regulatory environment and poor revenue collection.
• Urban property tax was 0.15 percent of GDP between 2011 and 2018, which is lower than the average of 0.3 to 0.6 percent for low- and middle-income countries. Low service fees for municipal services also jeopardise their ability to make a profit and appeal to outside investment.