30 September 2024

Q1. Consider the following statements about ‘Loss and damage’ fund:

1. The fund aims to provide financial assistance to nations most vulnerable and impacted by the effects of climate change.
2. During the 2013 COP 19 in Warsaw, Poland, member nations of UNFCCC formally established the ‘Loss and damage’ fund.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

Origin of L&D fund:

• For over 30 years, there has been a call for affluent nations to acknowledge their historical pollution accountability.
• At COP 19 in Warsaw, Poland, in 2013, member countries formalized the creation of the L&D fund. It aimed to provide financial and technical support to economically developing nations grappling with L&D due to climate change.
• COP 25 introduced the Santiago Network for L&D, and COP 26 established the Glasgow Dialogue on finance for L&D. COP 27 in November 2022 saw the creation of the L&D fund and a Transitional Committee (TC) tasked with operationalizing the fund.

Q2. Consider the following statements:

1. The epic Mahabharata mentions puppet traditions.
2. Leather puppets are not used in India for religious reasons.
3. Tholu bommalata is a shadow puppet theatre tradition practised in Andhra Pradesh.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Statements 1 and 3 are correct.
• The best-known leather puppets in our country are those used in the Tholu Bomalatta of Andhra Pradesh. Its performers are part of a group of wandering entertainers and peddlers who pass through villages during the course of a year and offer to sing ballads, tell fortunes, sell amulets, perform acrobatics, charm snakes, weave fishnets, tattoo local people and mend pots.
• Tholu bommalata literally means “the dance of leather puppets” (tholu – “leather” and bommalata – “puppet dance”). Leather puppets are made out of the hides of goat, deer and buffalo.
• The puppeteers comprise some of the various entertainers who perform all night and usually reenact various stories from Hindu epics such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
• The origins of these puppets can be traced back to about 2000 BCE, as they are mentioned in the Mahabharata.

Q3. Consider the following:

1. Bommalattam
2. Ravanchaya
3. Pavakoothu
4. Yampuri

How many of the above are forms of glove puppetry?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Only option 3 i.e Pavakoothu is correct.

Q4. Consider the following statements regarding Tholpavakkoothu:

1. It is also called shadow puppetry, a traditional temple art in Kerala.
2. Speciality of Tholpavakkoothu is the complete absence of any instruments in the performance.
3. It narrates the tales from the Ramayana.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Ans: (b)

Explanation: Tholpavakkoothu:

• Only statement 1 and 3 are correct.
• It is also called shadow puppetry, Nizhalkkoothu and Olakkoothu.
• It is a traditional temple art in Kerala having its roots in Palakkad and neighbouring regions.
• It used to be performed in the Bhadrakali temples of Palakkad, telling tales from the Ramayana.
• Accompanying instruments include Ezhupara, Chenda and Maddalam.
• The artists have to undergo several years of rigorous training to master this art form.
• The puppetry is staged on a special structure in temple premises called Koothumadam.

Q5. What characterizes phreatomagmatic eruptions?

(a) They involve the eruption of molten rock and ash from a volcano’s vent.

(b) These eruptions result from the sudden release of gas and steam due to water interacting with magma.

(c) They produce lava flows and pyroclastic flows.

(d) Phreatomagmatic eruptions occur due to the build-up of pressure within the volcano’s magma chamber.

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Context: A new island has emerged near Japan’s Ogasawara island chain following an underwater volcano eruption in late October 2023.
• The island formed through phreatomagmatic eruptions triggered by the interaction of magma with seawater.

What are phreatomagmatic eruptions?

• Phreatomagmatic eruptions are volcanic events triggered by the interaction of magma with water, typically seawater. These interactions lead to explosive releases of ash and steam. The term “phreatomagmatic” combines “phreatic,” relating to water, and “magmatic,” referring to magma. These eruptions often occur underwater and are characterized by the explosive nature of the ash and steam release.