SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY TEST 18 - GEOGRAPHY - FULL TEST - ANSWER KEY

1. Ans (a) Explanation: Soil found in Tropical deciduous forest rich in nutrients.

2. Ans (b) Explanation: Sea breeze is caused due to the heating of land and it occurs in the day time

3. Ans (c) Explanation: • Days are hot, and during the hot season, noon temperatures of over 100°F. are quite frequent. When night falls the clear sky which promotes intense heating during the day also causes rapid radiation in the night. Temperatures drop to well below 50°F. and night frosts are not uncommon at this time of the year. This extreme diurnal range of temperature is another characteristic feature of the Sudan type of . • The savanna, particularly in Africa, is the home of wild animals. It is known as the ‘big game country. • The leaf and grass-eating animals include the zebra, antelope, giraffe, deer, gazelle, elephant and okapi. • Many are well camouflaged species and their presence amongst the tall greenish-brown grass cannot be easily detected. The giraffe with such a long neck can locate its enemies a great distance away, while the elephant is so huge and strong that few animals will venture to come near it. It is well equipped will tusks and trunk for defence. • The carnivorous animals like the lion, , leopard, hyaena, panther, jaguar, jackal, lynx and puma have powerful jaws and teeth for attacking other animals.

4. Ans (b) Explanation: Rivers of Tamilnadu • The (Porunai) is a perennial river that originates from the famous Agastyarkoodam peak of hills of the , above in the taluk. • The is a small river in Western , and a tributary of River. It rises from the Vellingiri hills in the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu, very close to border, and flows through many villages and the cities of and Tirupur, finally draining into the Kaveri River at Noyyal, a village in district named after the river itself. • Palar is a river of southern . It rises in Hills, India in Kolar district of state and flows 93 kilometres (58 mi) in Karnataka, 33 kilometres (21 mi) in and 222 kilometres (138 mi) in Tamil Nadu before its confluence into the at Vayalur about 100 kilometres (62 mi) south of . The cities of Ramanaickenpet, Vaniyambadi, Ambur, Gudiyatham, Vellore, Melvisharam, Arcot, Ranipet, Walajapet (Anaicut), Kanchipuram, and are located on banks of . Of all the total of seven tributaries, the chief tributary is River.

5. Ans (c) Explanation: Biosphere reserves • The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is an International Biosphere Reserve in the Western Ghats and Nilgiri Hills ranges of . The Western Ghats, Nilgiri Sub-Cluster (6,000+ km²), conjoining the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, is a World Heritage Site declared by UNESCO in 2012. It includes the Mudumalai, Mukurthi, Sathyamangalam, Nagarhole, Wayanad, and Bandipur national parks. • The reserve encompasses 5,520 km² in the states of Tamil Nadu (2537.6 km²), Karnataka (1527.4 km²) and Kerala (1455.4 km²). It forms an almost complete ring around the Nilgiri Plateau. • The Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve was established in 2001 and includes 3,500.36 km2 (1,351.50 sq mi) of which 1828 km² is in Kerala and 1672.36 km² is in Tamil Nadu. • Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve became part of World Network of Biosphere Reserves in 2016.

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY 6. Ans (c) Explanation: • The Westerlies, anti-trades, or Prevailing Westerlies, are prevailing winds from the west toward the east in the middle latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees latitude. • They originate from the high pressure areas in the horse latitudes and tend towards the poles and steer extra tropical cyclones in this general manner. • Tropical cyclones which cross the subtropical ridge axis into the Westerlies recurve due to the increased westerly flow. • The winds are predominantly from the southwest in the Northern Hemisphere and from the northwest in the Southern Hemisphere. • The Westerlies are strongest in the winter hemisphere and at times when the pressure is lower over the poles, while they are weakest in the summer hemisphere and when pressures are higher over the poles. • The Westerlies are particularly strong, especially in the southern hemisphere, where there is less land in the middle southern latitudes to cause the flow pattern to amplify, or become more north- south oriented, which would slow the Westerlies. • The strongest westerly winds in the middle latitudes can come in the Roaring Forties, between 40 and 50 degrees latitude. • The Westerlies play an important role in carrying the warm, equatorial waters and winds to the western coasts of continents, especially in the southern hemisphere because of its vast oceanic expanse (Source: Wiki and G.C.Leong)

7. Ans (c) Explanation: • Humidity is a measure of the dampness of the atmosphere which varies greatly from place to place at different times of day. The actual amount of water vapour present in the air, which is expressed in grams per cubic metre, is called the absolute humidity. But more important from the point of view of weather studies is the relative humidity. This is the ratio between the actual amount of water vapour and the total amount the air can hold at a given temperature, expressed as a percentage. Warm air can hold more water vapour than cold air, so if it contains only half the amount it could carry, the relative humidity is 50 percent. • A device used to measure humidity is called a psychrometer or hygrometer

8. Ans (d) Explanation: • The planetary winds are probably the dominant influence on the flow of ocean currents. The strongest evidence of prevailing winds on current flows is seen in the North . Here the direction of the currents changes completely with the direction of the winds which come from the north-east in winter and south-west in summer. • There is much difference in the temperature of ocean waters at the equator and at the poles. As warm water is lighter and rises, and cold water is denser and sinks, warm equatorial waters move slowly along the surface pole wards, while the heavier cold waters of the Polar Regions creep slowly along the bottom of the sea equator wards. • The Salinity of ocean water varies from place to place. Waters of high salinity are denser than waters of low salinity. Hence waters of low salinity flow on the surface of waters of high salinity while waters of high salinity flow at the bottom towards waters of low salinity. • The earth’s rotation deflects freely moving objects, including ocean currents, to the right. In the northern hemisphere this is a clockwise direction (e.g. the circulation of the Gulf Stream Drift and the Canaries Current). In the southern hemisphere it is an anti-clockwise direction (e.g. the Brazilian Current and the West Wind Drift).

9. Ans (d) Explanation: Cities • Also knows as Little Japan, The economy of Sivakasi is dependent on three major industries: fire crackers, match manufacturing and printing. The major issues in the fireworks industry in Sivakasi is child labour and frequent accidents. SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY • Bhavani is also known as the city, as the leading business of the town is known for its carpet industry. Bhavani Jamakkalam refers to blankets and manufactured in Bhavani. It has been recognized as a Geographical indication by the . • Tuticorin, also known as Thoothukudi, lies in the off Bay of Bengal. Thoothukudi is known as "Pearl City" due to the pearl fishing carried out in the town. It is a commercial seaport which serves the inland cities of Southern India and is one of the sea gateways of Tamil Nadu. The 21 islands between Thoothukudi and Rameswaram shores in the are noted as the first Marine Biosphere Reserve of India, and have around 36,000 species of flora and fauna. This protected area is called Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park. • The majority of the people of the city are employed in salt pans, sea-borne trading, fishing, and tourism. Salt Capital of Tamil Nadu is Tutucorin. • Namakkal is famous for its Lorry body building industries and Poultry farms. It is India's 2nd biggest egg producing region (producing 3 crore eggs per day). Nationwide Namakkal is known for body building for truck, trailer, tanker and rig unit. ∗ Karur - Bus Body Building, ∗ Vellore - Tannery or Leather exports, ∗ Coimbatore - Manchester of south India, Pump City, Wet grinder and "Kovai Cora " - GI Tag ∗ Kanchipuram - - GI Tag ∗ - Knitwear Industry

10. Ans (a) Explanation: Hills of South India

11. Ans (a) Explanation: The Chilean and the Peruvian coasts are rainless because of the effect of the cold Humboldt current. The cold current contributes to atmospheric stability and does not help in the formation of clouds.

12. Ans (c) Explanation: This type of rainfall is independent of relief or convection. It is purely associated with cyclonic activity whether in the temperate regions (depressions) or tropical regions (cyclones). Basically it is due to the convergence (meeting) of two different air masses with different SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY temperatures and other physical properties. As cold air is denser, it tends to remain close to the ground. The warm air is lighter and tends to rise over the cold air as shown in figure. In ascent, pressure decreases the air expands and cools, condensation takes place and light showers called cyclonic or frontal rain occur. The heavier and colder air masses eventually pushes up the warmer and lighter air and the sky is clear again.

13. Ans (b) Explanation: A fringing reef is a coralline platform lying close to the shore extending outwards from the mainland. It is sometimes separated from the shore by a shallow lagoon. It is widest when fringing a protruding headland but completely absent when facing the mouth of a stream. (Source: G.C.Leong-Page no:81)

14. Ans (d) Explanation: Chennai • Fort St George (or historically, White Town) is the name of the first English (later British) fortress in India, founded in 1644 at the coastal city of Madras, the modern city of Chennai. • Chennai is nicknamed the Detroit of due to the presence of major automobile manufacturing units and allied industries around the city. The city is base to around 40 percent of India's automobile industry and 45 percent of auto components industry. • A large number of automotive companies including Hyundai, Renault, Robert Bosch, Motors, , Daimler AG, Caterpillar Inc., Komatsu Limited, Ford, BMW and Mitsubishi have manufacturing plants in Chennai. • Besides the commercial industry, the (HVF) has been established in to produce military related vehicles. • The city is served by two major ports, , one of the largest artificial ports in India, and Port. Chennai Port, formerly known as Madras Port, is the second largest container port of India, behind the Nhava Sheva Port, and the largest port in the Bay of Bengal. It is an artificial and all-weather port with wet docks. It is due of the existence of the port that the city of Chennai eventually became known as the Gateway of South India. • Ennore Port, officially renamed , is located on the Coromandel Coast about 24 km north of Chennai Port, Chennai, it is the 12th major port of India, and the first port in India which is a public company. The Kamarajar Port Limited is the only corporatised major port and is registered as a company. The Centre holds a stake of about 68 per cent in the Kamarajar Port Limited and the remaining 32 per cent is held by the Chennai Port Trust. • Chennai attracts about 45 percent of health tourists from abroad and 30 percent to 40 percent of domestic health tourists. The city has been termed India's health capital.

15. Ans (b) Explanation: Kirat Desh - An ancient name of is Kirat Desh probably referring to the Kirata Kingdoms or the more generic term Kirata.

16. Ans (a) Explanation: The whole coastline of India is vulnerable to cyclones, particularly the east coast. The west coast of India is less vulnerable to cyclonic storms both in terms of intensity and frequency of the cyclones. SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY 17. Ans (a) Explanation: Cumulonimbus, from the Latin cumulus ("heap") and nimbus ("rainstorm", "storm cloud"), is a dense towering vertical cloud associated with thunderstorms and atmospheric instability, forming from water vapour carried by powerful upward air currents. If observed during a storm, these clouds may be referred to as thunderheads. Cumulonimbus can form alone, in clusters, or along cold front squall lines. These clouds are capable of producing lightning and other dangerous severe weather, such as tornadoes. Source: Wiki

18. Ans (a) Explanation: • This is, in fact, the seaward extension of the continent from the shoreline to the continental edge marked, approximately, by the 100 fathom (600 feet) isobath (isobaths are contours marking depths below sea level). The continental shelf is thus a shallow platform whose width varies greatly, from a few miles in the North Pacific off the continent of North America, to over 100 miles off north-west Europe. In some places where the coasts are extremely mountainous, such as the Rocky Mountain and Andean coasts, the continental shelf may be entirely absent. • Their shallowness enables sunlight to penetrate through the water which encourages the growth of minute plants and other microscopic organisms. They are thus rich in plankton on which millions of surface and bottom-feeding fishes thrive.

19. Ans (d) Explanation: Tripura Tropic of cancer passing through Indian states are as follows: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Tripura 8. Mizoram

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY 20. Ans (d) Explanation: Protected areas of Tripura - There is no Tiger Reserve, UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the state of Tripura.

21. Ans (b) Explanation: Lakes are temporary features as they will be eliminated eventually by silting and draining. (Source: G.C.Leong-Page No:66)

22. Ans (d) Explanation: • Fold Mountains: They are caused by large-scale earth movements, when stresses are set up in the earth’s crust. Such stresses may be due to the increased load of the overlying rocks, flow movements in the mantle, magmatic intrusions into the crust, or the expansion or contraction of some part of the earth. When such stresses are initiated, the rocks are subjected to compressive forces that produce wrinkling or folding along the lines of weakness. • Block Mountains: When the earth’s crust bends folding occurs, but when it cracks, faulting takes place. Faulting may be caused by tension or compression, forces which lengthen or shorten the earth’s crust, causing a section of it to subside or to rise above the surrounding level.

23. Ans (a) Explanation: • Most rivers in Africa are not navigable due to waterfalls, weeds and being seasonal. Africa need to combine forces to utilise this rivers for irrigation, hydro electric power and combat the big problem of transport by overcoming weeds and waterfalls. • Navigation can be done only in Zambeji and Nile River. (Source:wiki)

24. Ans (b) Explanation: Protected Areas • Gumti Wildlife Sanctuary is a Wildlife Sanctuary in Tripura, India • Nameri National Park is a national park in the foothills of the eastern in the Sonitpur District of Assam, India, about 35 km from Tezpur. Nameri shares its northern boundary with the Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary of Arunachal Pradesh. • Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary is a Wildlife Sanctuary in Tripura, India. Indian (Bison) is an attraction of this sanctuary.

25. Ans (a) Explanation: Wetlands of India • The Sambhar Salt Lake, India's largest inland salt lake located 96 km south west of the city of Jaipur (Northwest India) and 64 km north east of Ajmer along National Highway 8 in Rajasthan. • Sambhar has been designated as a Ramsar site (recognized wetland of international importance) because the wetland is a key wintering area for tens of thousands of flamingos and other birds that migrate from northern Asia. • Wular Lake (also spelt Wullar) is one of the largest fresh water lakes in Asia. It is sited in Bandipora district in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The lake basin was formed as a result of tectonic activity and is fed by the Jhelum River. • Rudrasagar Lake, also known as Rudijala, is a lake located in Melaghar, Tripura, India. Among the rarer species recorded are the endangared Baer's Pochard and near-threatened Ferruginous Duck. SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY 26. Ans (d) Explanation: • India and have recently signed five agreements in various sectors focusing on strategic, economic and trade cooperation between both nations. • Kazakhstan the world’s largest producer of will supply a total of 5,000 tonnes of the natural uranium to India during the 2015-19. Thus it will play important role in India’s energy requirement and energy security. • Apart from signing these agreements, India has also shown interest in sector in Kazakhstan due to abundance availability of Natural Gas; and hydro carbon sectors of Kazakhstan for drilling and production of crude oil.

27. Ans (a) Explanation: • These are the hottest lavas, about 1000OC. (1830 OF.) and are highly fluid. They are dark coloured like hasalt, rich in iron and magnesium but poor in silica. As they are poured out of the volcano, they flow quietly and are not very explosive. Due to their high fluidity, they flow readily. • These lavas are highly viscous with a high melting point. They are light-coloured of low density, and have a high percentage of silica. They flow slowly and seldom travel far before solidifying. The resultant cone is therefore steep sided. The rapid congealing of lava in the vent obstructs the flow of the out-pouring lava, resulting in loud explosions, throwing out many volcanic bombs or pyraclasts.

28. Ans (c) Explanation: • An anti-cyclone -- also known as a high pressure area -- is a large atmospheric circulation system with the wind flowing clockwise around it in the Northern Hemisphere, and counter-clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. • Anticyclones form from air masses cooling more than their surroundings, which causes the air to contract slightly making the air denser. Since dense air weighs more, the weight of the atmosphere overlying a location increases, causing increased surface air pressure. • The air mass cooling that results in an anticyclone forming can be caused by either conduction as the air flows over a relatively cool ocean surface, or through the loss of infrared radiation over land during the fall, winter, or spring when little sunlight is available to warm the air mass. • The strongest anticyclones occur over snow-covered portions of Asia and North America in the winter when clear, dry air masses cool from a loss of infrared radiation, while little sunlight is absorbed to offset that infrared cooling.

29. Ans (d) Explanation: Uttarkhand • is often referred to as the Devbhumi (literally: "Land of the Gods") due to many Hindu temples and pilgrimage centres found throughout the state. • is the sole official language of Uttarakhand and is spoken by 87.95% of the population (figure includes the Pahari languages; Garhwali, Kumaoni and Jaunsari as variants of Hindi). is given the status of second official language. • It borders Tibet to the north; the Mahakali Zone of the Far-Western Region, Nepal to the east; and the Indian states of to the south and Himachal Pradesh to the west and north-west as well as on its south-western corner.

30. Ans (d) Explanation: Rivers of Uttarakhand • The Alaknanda is a Himalayan river in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and one of the two headstreams of the Ganga. • The Alaknanda is considered to rise at the confluence and foot of the Satopanth and Bhagirath Kharak glaciers in Uttarakhand, though the River tributary flowing from Mana Pass is longer; the two meet at Mana, India, 21 km from Tibet. . Its main tributaries are the Mandakini, SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY Nandakini, and Pindar rivers.Three km below Mana the Alaknanda flows past pilgrimage centre of . • Mandakini originates from the Chorabari Glacier near in Uttarakhand, India. Mandakini is fed by Vasukiganga River at Sonprayag. Mandakini joins Alaknanda at Rudraprayag. • The headwaters of the Bhagirathi are formed at Gaumukh (elevation 3,892 metres (12,769 ft)), at the foot of the glacier and Khatling glaciers in the . • West River originates from Doodhatoli ranges in the district of Garhwal, Uttarakhand state of India. The Ramganga River flows to south west from Kumaun Himalaya. It is a tributary of the river , originates from the high altitude zone of 800m-900m. Ramganga flows by the Corbett National Park near Ramnagar of district from where it descends upon the . • The main stem of the Ganges begins at the confluence of the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda rivers in the town of Devprayag in the of the Indian state of Uttarakhand.

31. Ans (b) Explanation: Self-Explanatory

32. Ans (c) Explanation: • The was an endorheic lake lying between Kazakhstan (Aktobe and Kyzylorda Regions) in the north and (Karakalpakstan autonomous region) in the south. The name roughly translates as "Sea of Islands", referring to over 1,100 islands that once dotted its waters; in the Turkic languages aral means "island, archipelago". The Aral Sea drainage basin encompasses Uzbekistan and parts of , , , Kazakhstan, and Pakistan. • Formerly one of the four largest lakes in the world with an area of 68,000 km2 (26,300 sq mi), the Aral Sea has been steadily shrinking since the 1960s after the rivers that fed it were diverted by Soviet irrigation projects

33. Ans (d) Explanation: • Due to the curvature of the earth, the amount of solar energy received varies according to latitude. As a result, air temperature decreases from the equator towards the poles. As one goes from the surface of the earth to higher altitudes, the atmosphere becomes less dense and temperature decreases. The hills are therefore cooler during summers. • The pressure and wind system of any area depend on the latitude and altitude of the place. Thus it influences the temperature and rainfall pattern. • The sea exerts a moderating influence on climate: As the distance from the sea increases, its moderating influence decreases and the people experience extreme weather conditions. This condition is known as continentality (i.e. very hot during summers and very cold during winters). • Ocean currents along with onshore winds affect the climate of the coastal areas, For example, any coastal area with warm or cold currents flowing past it, will be warmed or cooled if the winds are onshore.

34. Ans (b) Explanation: Jim Corbett National Park • It is located in of Uttarakhand and was named after Jim Corbett who played a key role in its establishment. • Jim Corbett was a British-Indian hunter and tracker-turned-conservationist, author and naturalist, who hunted a large number of man-eating and leopards in India. Corbett held the rank of colonel in the British and was frequently called upon by the government of the United Provinces, now the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, to kill man-eating tigers and leopards that were preying on people in the nearby villages of the Garhwal and Kumaon regions. SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY • He authored Man-Eaters of Kumaon, Jungle Lore, and other books recounting his hunts and experiences, which enjoyed critical acclaim and commercial success. Later on in life, Corbett became an avid photographer and spoke out for the need to protect India's wildlife from extermination and played a key role in creating a national reserve for the endangered by using his influence to persuade the provincial government to establish what was called Hailey National Park. In 1957 the park was renamed Jim Corbett National Park in his honour.

35. Ans (d) Explanation: Religious places of Uttarakhand • Hemkund Sahib formally known as Gurudwara Sri Hemkund Sahib Ji, is a Sikh place of worship and pilgrimage site in , Uttarakhand, India. It is devoted to Guru Gobind Singh (1666– 1708), the tenth Sikh Guru, and finds mention in Dasam Granth, a work dictated by Guruji himself. • Kēdārnāth Mandir () is a dedicated to Lord . It is on the Garhwal Himalayan range near the Mandakini river in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand in India. Due to extreme weather conditions, the temple is open only between the end of April (Akshaya Tritriya) to Kartik Purnima (the autumn full moon, usually November). • Badrinath or Badrinarayan Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu which is situated in the town of Badrinath in Uttarakhand, India. The temple and town form one of the four Char Dham and pilgrimage sites. • is known as the 'Gateway to the Garhwal Himalayas and 'Yoga Capital of the World'. • is an ancient city and municipality in the of Uttarakhand, India. The River Ganga, after flowing for 253 kilometres (157 mi) from its source at Gaumukh at the edge of the Gangotri Glacier, enters the Indo-Gangetic Plains of for the first time at Haridwar, which gave the city its ancient name, Gangadwára. Haridwar along with Ujjain, Nashik and Prayag (Allahabad) is known for Kumbh Mela. • Char Dham comprises Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri and Rameswaram. It is considered highly sacred by to visit Char Dham during one's lifetime. The Char Dham defined by Adi Shankaracharya consists of four Vaishnavite pilgrimages. • The ancient pilgrimages sites in the Indian state of Uttarakhand viz. , Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath were known as Chota Char Dham.

36. Ans (d) Explanation: Marmagao is an important port of located at the entrance of Zuvari estuary.

37. Ans (d) Explanation: • The asthenosphere is the highly viscous, mechanically weak and ductilely deforming region of the upper mantle of the Earth. It lies below the lithosphere, at depths between approximately 80 and 200 km (50 and 120 miles) below the surface. • The Lithosphere is part of the earth’s crust and lies above the Astheosphere. It is more solid than the Asthenosphere and the mid-oceanic ridges are part of the lithosphere.

38. Ans (a) Explanation: (All those cities are seen in recent news) • Marrakesh- The COP22 to the UNFCC, 12th session of COP of Parties to Kyoto Protocol (CMP 12), and first session of COP of Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA 1) were held in Marrakech, . • Accra- Capital city of Ghana. In 2016, the first Indian president to visit Republic of Ghana and Republic of Cote d’Ivoire after both countries established diplomatic relations. • Abuja- Capital city of Nigeria. In 2016, the Indian Vice-president visited Nigeria. Lagos is the largest city of Nigeria. • Kigali- In the 28th meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol, negotiators from 197 nations have signed a historic agreement to amend the Montreal Protocol in Kigali, a capital city of Rwanda. • Durban-In 2016, the Indian Prime Minister visited South Africa. • Maputo-Capital city of Mozambique. In 2016, the Indian Prime Minister visited Mozambique.

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY 39. Ans (d) Explanation: • It is located in Northern hemisphere at Pacific Ocean. • It is situated on the slightly west of International Date Line. • The country is part of the larger island group of Micronesia. (Recent news about Marshall news: The Un’s Highest court ICJ has rejected nuclear disarmament cases filed by the pacific nation of the marshall islands against Britain, India and Pakistan. )

40. Ans (c) Explanation: Nanda • It is part of the Garhwal Himalayas, and is located in the state of Uttarakhand. • The , established in 1982, is a national park situated around the peak of Nanda Devi (7816 m) in the state of Uttarakhand in northern India. The entire park lies at an elevation of more than 3,500 m (11,500 ft) above mean sea level. • The National Park was inscribed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988.The latter was expanded and renamed to Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks in 2005. • In 2004 it got UNESCO MAB recognition.

41. Ans (d) Explanation: Religious Places • The town (as well as the mandal) of Srisailam is reputed for the shrine of Lord Mallikarjuna on the flat top of . The epigraphical evidence reveals that the history of Srisailam began with the Satavahanas who were the first empire builders in South India. It is on the banks of the about 212 km south of Hyderabad and 179 km from Kurnool. • The Nallamalas (also called the Nallamalla Range) are a section of the which stretch primarily over Kurnool, Nellore, Guntur, Prakasam, Kadapa and Chittoor districts of the state of Andhra Pradesh and Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda districts of the state of , in India. • Mantralayam is a pilgrim village located in Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh, India. It lies on the banks of the on the border with neighbouring Karnataka state. The village is known for the brindavan of Raghavendra Swami, a saint who lived in 17th Century and believed to have entered samadhi alive in front of his disciples. • The Bhadrachalam Temple is a historic Hindu temple of Lord Sree Sita Ramachandra Swamy located in Bhadradri Kothagudem District of Telangana, India. It is an important Hindu pilgrimage town situated on the banks of .

42. Ans (a) Explanation: The canyons have been discovered in the of Andhra Pradesh.

43. Ans (c) Explanation: • The Central Government has given in principle approval to a grant of Rs. 515 crores to make the development of the proposed Sagar Port project in West Bengal financially viable • A road-cum-rail bridge is proposed over the river Muriganga to connect the Sagar island to the mainland.

44. Ans (b) Explanation: The Scarp of the Western Ghats was built by the Deccan lava eruption of the Eocene age. Faulting led the subsidence of the Western segment allowing the sea to reach the scarp foot.

45. Ans (b) Explanation: Submarine canyons are deep gorges on the ocean floor. They are strikingly deep valleys with steep slopes that form long concave profiles. They occur around all the coasts of the world and are mainly restricted to the continental shelf, slope and rise.

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY 46. Ans (a) Explanation: Tiger Reserves • Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve is the largest tiger reserve in India . The reserve spreads over five districts, Nalgonda District, Mahbubnagar district, Kurnool District, Prakasam District and Guntur District. The reservoirs and temples of Srisailam are major attraction for many tourists and pilgrims • Nagarjuna Sagar Dam was built across the Krishna river at Nagarjuna Sagar where the river forms the boundary between Nalgonda District in Telangana and Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh states in India. • The dam provides irrigation water to the Prakasam, Guntur, Krishna, Khammam, West Godavari and Nalgonda districts along with hydro electricity generation. • Kawal Tiger Reserve is located at Jannaram mandal of Mancherial District (Old Adilabad district) in Telangana state of India.

47. Ans (b) Explanation: Rivers of Telangana • The Godavari is the second longest river in India after the river Ganges having its source at Tryambakeshwar, . It starts in Maharashtra and flows east for 1,465 kilometres (910 mi) emptying into Bay of Bengal draining the Indian states Maharashtra (48.6%), Telangana( 18.8%), Andhra Pradesh (4.5%), Chhattisgarh (10.9%), Madhya Pradesh (10.0%), (5.7%), Karnataka (1.4%) and Puducherry (Yanam). • Krishna river originates in the western ghats near at an elevation of about 1,300 metres, in the state of Maharashtra in .The river is also called Krishnaveni. It is a major source of irrigation for Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. • is a tributary of the Godavari River, in central India. Its starting point is found to be the Ghats of Dandakaranya range.The river Indravati rises in the of Odisha on the western slopes of the Eastern Ghats. It flows west-ward through the Kalahandi, Nabarangapur and Koraput districts and after forming the boundary between Odisha and Chhattisgarh states, enters the of Chhattisgarh. After flowing) in Chhattisgarh, it turns south and flows along the boundary of Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra and joins Godavari River at the junction of the boundaries of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Telangana states. • The Indravati is sometimes known as the "lifeline" of the Kalahandi, Nabarangapur, of Odisha & Bastar district of Chhattisgarh, one of the greenest districts in India. • The s a natural waterfall located to the west of , in Bastar district in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh on the Indravati River. • Musi River is a tributary of the Krishna River in the flowing through Telangana state in India. Hyderabad stands on the banks of Musi river, which divides the historic old city with the new city. Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar are dams built on it which used to act as source of water for Hyderabad.

48. Ans (b) Explanation: • These soils are red to reddish yellow in color and low in N, P, K, lime and magnesia. • These soils are formed in-situ under conditions of high rainfall with alternation dry and wet periods. • On account of heavy rainfall there is an excessive leaching of soil colloids and silica hence the soils are porous. • Due to high rainfalls, the organic matter created humic acid which aids the process of Desilication.

49. Ans (c) Explanation: • Tropical rainforests of India are found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Western Ghats,which fringe the , the coastline of peninsular India, and the greater Assam region in the north-east. Small remnants of rainforest are found in Odisha state. • The tropical evergreen forests are usually found in areas receiving more than 200 cm of rainfall and having a temperature of 15-30 degrees Celsius. They occupy about 7% of the earth’s surface. SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY They are found mostly near the equator. These forests are dense and multi-layered. They harbour many types of plants and animals. The trees are evergreen as there is no period of drought. They are mostly tall and hardwood.

50. Ans (b) Explanation: The Luni is an endorheic river of western Rajasthan state, India. It originates in the Pushkar valley of the , near Ajmer, passes through the south-eastern portion of the , and ends in the marshy lands of in Gujarat, after travelling a distance of 495 km. It is first known as Sagarmati, then after passing Govindgarh, it meets its tributary Sarsuti, which originates from Pushkar Lake, and from then on it gets its name Luni.

51. Ans (a) Explanation: Hyderabad • The Charminar, constructed in 1591, is a monument and mosque located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It is widely accepted that Charminar was built at the centre of the city, to commemorate the eradication of plague", a deadly disease which was wide spread at that time.as Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah had prayed for the end of a plague that was ravaging his city and vowed to build a Mosque at the very place where he prayed. • Mecca Masjid is one of the oldest mosques in Hyderabad, Telangana in India, and it is one of the largest masajids in India. Makkah Masjid is a listed heritage building in the old city of Hyderabad, close to the historic landmarks of Chowmahalla Palace, Laad Bazaar, and Charminar. • Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, commissioned bricks to be made from the soil brought from Mecca, the holiest site of Islam, and used them in the construction of the central arch of the mosque, thus giving the mosque its name. It formed the centerpiece around which the city was planned by Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah • Himayat Sagar is an artificial lake about 20 km from Hyderabad in Telangana, India. It lies parallel to a larger artificial lake Osman Sagar. The construction of reservoir on Esi a tributary of Musi River was completed in 1927, for providing drinking water source for Hyderabad and saving the city from , which Hyderabad suffered in 1908. It was built during the reign of the last Nizam of Hyderabad, Nizam VII and is named after his youngest son Himayat Ali Khan. • The Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar reservoirs provided continuous water supply to the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad until recently. • The Qutb Shahi Tombs are located in the Ibrahim Bagh (garden precinct), close to the famous Golkonda Fort in Hyderabad, India. They contain the tombs and mosques built by the various kings of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. • Golkonda is a citadel and fort in Southern India and was the capital of the medieval sultanate of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, situated 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) west of Hyderabad. The region is known for the mines that have produced some of the world's most famous gems, including the Koh-i- Noor, the Hope Diamond and the Nassak Diamond. • Warangal Fort, in Warangal in the Indian state of Telangana, appears to have existed since at least the 12th century when it was the capital of the . The fort has four ornamental gates, known as Kakatiya Kala Thoranam, that originally formed the entrances to a now ruined great Shiva temple. The Kakatiyan arch has been adopted and officially incorporated into the Emblem of Telangana after the state bifurcation.

52. Ans (b) Explanation: Tamilnadu Heritage Sites • UNESCO has a list of 29 World Heritage sites in India out of which four of them are in Tamil Nadu. They are as follows: 1. Airavateswara Temple near . 2. Brihadeeswarar Temple (Big Temple) at 3. Monuments at Mahabalipuram near Chennai 4. Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple at Jayakondam. • The Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur, the Temple of Gangaikonda Cholesvaram and the Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram stands as an example of the best architectural style of the Great Living Cholas and are thus called as the Chola temples. SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY • Mahabalipuram, also known as is located about 60 km from Chennai city. It is one of the beautiful tourist places of South India. It acted as a port city of the Pallava dynasty in Tamil Nadu in the 7th century. Mahabalipuram's archaeological remains stands as a very good example of the Dravidian architecture. The Pallavas constructed seven temples called as The Seven Pagodas. Six temples were washed off by the sea and now only one temple remains. The place is Mamallapuram. The name Mamallapuram was derived from the Great Pallava King Narasimhavarman I, who was popularly called as Mamallan. Some of the important structures in Mahabalipuram are as follows: ∗ Thirukadalmallai ∗ Descent of the Ganges ∗ Arjuna's Penance ∗ Varaha Cave Temple ∗ The Shore Temple ∗ Pancha Rathas

53. Ans (b) Explanation: • Subduction is responsible for high rates of volcanism, , and mountain building. • When the large pieces of material on the subducting plate are pressed into the overriding plate, it results in the Orogeny or Mountain formation. These areas are subject to many earthquakes. • In the ocean bed, can to a s tsunami because of displacement of a large quantity of water in a very short period of time.

54. Ans (b) Explanation: • North America is the third largest continent of the world. It is linked to South America by a very narrow strip of land called the Isthmus of Panama. • The continent lies completely in the Northern and Western Hemisphere. • Australia (smallest continent) and Antarctica lies entirely in the Southern Hemisphere.

55. Ans (d) Explanation: The northern plains are formed by the alluvial deposits brought by the rivers – the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra. . From the north to the south, these can be divided into three major zones: the Bhabar, the Tarai and the alluvial plains. The alluvial plains can be further divided into the Khadar and the Bhangar.

56. Ans (c) Explanation: WWF • It is the world's largest conservation organization with over five million supporters worldwide, working in more than 100 countries, supporting around 1,300 conservation and environmental projects. WWF is a foundation, with 55% of funding from individuals and bequests, 19% from government sources (such as the World Bank, DFID, USAID) and 8% from corporations in 2014. • Earth Hour is a worldwide movement organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The event is held annually encouraging individuals, communities, households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. towards the end of March. • WWF publishes the Living Planet Index in collaboration with the Zoological Society of London. Along with ecological footprint calculations, the Index is used to produce a bi-yearly Living Planet Report giving an overview of the impact of human activity on the world.

57. Ans (d) Explanation: Transparency International It is an international non-governmental organization which is based in Berlin, , and was founded in 1993. Its non-profit purpose is to take action to combat corruption and prevent criminal activities arising from corruption. It publishes for example the Global Corruption Barometer and the Corruption Perceptions Index. SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY 58. Ans (d) Explanation: Agro based industries use plant and animal based products as their raw materials.

59. Ans (c) Explanation: • Straits-A narrow stretch of water connecting to large bodies of water or seas. • Isthmus- A neck of land separating two seas. • Gulf- A small area of the sea penetrating into the land, usually larger than bay. • Cape- A prominent headland projecting into the sea.

60. Ans (d) Explanation: • Red soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks in areas of low rainfall in the eastern and southern part of the Deccan Plateau. Along the piedmont zone of the Western Ghats, long stretch of area is occupied by red loamy soil. • Yellow and red soils are also found in parts of Orissa and Chhattisgarh and in the southern parts of the middle Ganga . • The soil develops a reddish colour due to a wide diffusion of iron in crystalline and metamorphic rocks. It looks yellow when it occurs in a hydrated form. • The fine-grained red and yellow soils are normally fertile, whereas coarse-grained soils found in dry upland areas are poor in fertility. • They are generally poor in nitrogen, phosphorous and humus. 61. Ans (c) Explanation: The Dead Sea, is a salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and Palestine to the west. Its surface and shores are 430.5 metres below sea level, Earth's lowest elevation on land. The Dead Sea is 304 m deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. With 34.2% salinity, it is 9.6 times as salty as the ocean, and one of the world's saltiest bodies of water.

62. Ans (a) Explanation: Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana • Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana is scheme for providing Physical Aids and Assisted-living Devices for Senior citizens belonging to BPL category. This is a Central Sector Scheme, fully funded by the Central Government. The expenditure for implementation of the scheme will be met from the "Senior Citizens' Welfare Fund". The Scheme will be implemented through the sole implementing agency - Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation (ALIMCO), a PSU under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. • Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment is the implementing agency for this programme.

63. Ans (d) Explanation: World Food Programme • According to the WFP, it provides food assistance to an average of 80 million people in 75 countries each year. From its headquarters in Rome and from more than 80 country offices around the world, the WFP works to help people who cannot produce or obtain enough food for themselves and their families. It is a member of the United Nations Development Group and part of its Executive Committee. • In February 2017, Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley nominated David Beasley to be the next Executive Director of the World Food Programme. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization José Graziano da Silva appointed Beasley to the post in March 2017.

64. Ans (b) Explanation: • The Pir Panjal Range is a group of mountains in the Inner Himalayan region, running from east- southeast (ESE) to west-northwest (WNW) across the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh and Indian administered Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan administered Kashmir, where the average SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY elevation varies from 1,400 m (4,600 ft) to 4,100 m (13,500 ft). The Himalayas show a gradual elevation towards the Dhauldhar and Pir Panjal ranges. Pir Panjal is the largest range of the lower Himalayas. • The Zanskar Range is a mountain range in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir that separates Zanskar from . Geologically, the Zanskar Range is part of the Tethys Himalaya, an approximately 100-km-wide synclinorium formed by strongly folded and imbricated, weakly metamorphosed sedimentary series. The average height of the Zanskar Range is about 6,000 m (19,700 ft). • The , or Karakorum is a large mountain range spanning the borders of Pakistan, India, and , with the northwest extremity of the range extending to Afghanistan and Tajikistan. It is located in the regions of Gilgit–Baltistan (Pakistan), Ladakh (India), and southern Xinjiang (China), and reaches the Wakhan Corridor (Afghanistan). A part of the complex of ranges from the to the Himalayan Range, it is one of the Greater Ranges of Asia • The Ladakh Range is a segment of the Karakoram mountain range that extends to the southeast for 230 miles (370 km) from the mouth of the Shyok River in the Ladakh region to the Tibetan border. With a crest line of about 20,000 feet (6,100 m), the range parallels the northeast bank of the .

65. Ans (c) Explanation: • The Vindhyan Mountains form a dividing line between the Ganges plain and Deccan Plateau. • This system rocks are extensively distributed in India from Chittorgarh in Rajasthan to Sasaram in Bihar. • The well known Panna and Golconda diamonds are found in this formation. The important series of this system are Bhander series, Bijwar series and Kaimur series. All are rich sources of Building material. • The rock systems of India (dharwar, archean, cuddapah, vindhyan, tertiary) are very important. You should read their major features from a credible source.

66. Ans (b) Explanation: Taiga • Taiga also known as boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruces and larches. The taiga is the world's largest terrestrial biome. • The boreal forest, or taiga, supports a relatively small range of animals due to the harshness of the climate. • Insects play a critical role as pollinators, decomposers, and as a part of the food web. Many nesting birds rely on them for food in the summer months. The cold winters and short summers make the taiga a challenging biome for reptiles and , which depend on environmental conditions to regulate their body temperatures. • Most hibernate underground in winter. Fish of the taiga must be able to withstand cold water conditions and be able to adapt to life under ice-covered water.

67. Ans (b) Explanation: International Energy Agency • The International Energy Agency (IEA) is a Paris-based autonomous intergovernmental organization established in the framework of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1974 in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis. The IEA has a broad role in promoting alternate energy sources (including renewable energy), rational energy policies, and multinational energy technology co-operation. • The IEA acts as a policy adviser to its member states, but also works with non-member countries, especially China, India, and Russia. • Only the OECD member states can become members of the IEA. Except for Chile, Iceland, Israel, Mexico, and Slovenia, all OECD member states are members of the IEA. In 2014, Estonia joined the IEA and became its 29th member. In 2017, India joined as the associate member of IEA. SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY 68. Ans (a) Explanation: First Largest Artificial Sun • Scientists in Germany now have 'sunlight' at the touch of a button having successfully turned on the world's biggest solar simulator for the first time. • The artificial light, which has been created from 149 powerful short-arc lamps, has just been tested out at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) near Cologne. • Researchers say the aim of the experiment is to improve the production processes for solar fuels, including hydrogen, which they believe will be an important renewable energy source in the future. • The giant honeycomb-like setup of 149 spotlights — officially known as "Synlight" — in Juelich, about 30 kilometres west of Cologne, uses xenon short-arc lamps normally found in cinemas to simulate natural sunlight that's often in short supply in Germany at this time of year. • By focusing the entire array on a single 20-by-20 centimetre spot, scientists from the German Aerospace Centre, or DLR, will be able to produce the equivalent of 10,000 times the amount of solar radiation that would normally shine on the same surface. • Creating such furnace-like conditions — with temperatures of up to 3,000 degrees Celsius — is key to testing novel ways of making hydrogen, • Many consider hydrogen to be the fuel of the future because it produces no carbon emissions when burned, meaning it does not add to global warming. • But while hydrogen is the most common element in the universe, it is rare on Earth. • One way to manufacture it is to split water into its two components — the other being oxygen — using electricity in a process called electrolysis. • But the Synlight researchers hope to bypass the electricity stage and instead use the immense heat generated by the experiment to set off a reaction to produce hydrogen fuel.

69. Ans (b) Explanation: Orographic rain is formed when moist air is forced to ascend over a mountain barrier. (Source: Goh Cheng Leong-Page no: 109)

70. Ans (d) Explanation: The Mid-latitude deserts are influenced by the phenomenon of continentality especially the Gobi desert as they are located far away from the sea. During winters, when sunlight is absent for a long period of time, high pressure builds up as land cools easily. The Patagonia desert of the mid-latitudes is located in the rain shadow region of the Andes Mountains.

71. Ans (b) Explanation: The trade winds are the prevailing pattern of easterly surface winds found in the tropics, within the lower portion of the Earth's atmosphere, in the lower section of the troposphere near the Earth's equator. The trade winds blow predominantly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisphere, strengthening during the winter and when the Arctic oscillation is in its warm phase (Source: G.C.Leong-pg.no:110)

72. Ans (b) Explanation: Tribals • The Pashtuns historically known by the exonyms Afghans are an ethnic group native to Afghanistan and North-Western Pakistan. The vast majority of Pashtuns are found in the traditional Pashtun homeland, located in an area south of the in Afghanistan and west of the Indus River in Pakistan, which includes Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and part of Balochistan. Additional Pashtun communities are located in western and northern Afghanistan, the Gilgit–Baltistan and Kashmir regions and north-western Punjab province of Pakistan. There are also sizeable Muslim communities in India, which are of largely Pashtun ancestry. Throughout the , they are often referred to as Pathans. SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY • The Federally Administered Tribal Areas is a semi-autonomous tribal region in northwestern Pakistan, bordering Pakistan's provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan to the east and south, and Afghanistan's provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar, Paktia, Khost and Paktika to the west and north. • On March 2, 2017 federal cabinet on Thursday approved recommendations of the FATA reforms committee, which includes the merger of the tribal areas with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and repeal of the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR). • The Kurds are an ethnic group in the , mostly inhabiting a contiguous area spanning adjacent parts of eastern and southeastern (Northern Kurdistan), western Iran (Eastern or Iranian Kurdistan), northern Iraq (Southern or Iraqi Kurdistan), and northern Syria (Western Kurdistan or Rojava). • The Houthis officially called Ansar Allah is a Zaidi Shia-led religious-political movement that emerged from Sa'dah, northern in the 1990s and has fought against the government of the ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh on and off since 2004. In late 2014, Houthis fixed their relationship with the ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh, and with his help, Houthis took control of the capital and much of the north. • In 2014–2015 Houthis took over the government in Sana'a with the help of the former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, and announced the fall of the current government of Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi. • The Bedouin is a recent term in the Arabic language that is used commonly to refer to the people (Arabs and non-Arabs) who live, or have descended from tribes who lived, stationary or nomadic lifestyles outside cities and towns. Although the Arabian Desert was the homeland of the Bedouin, some groups have migrated to the north. It was one of the first lands inhabited by the Bedouin outside the Arabian Desert. • Bedouin territory stretches from the vast deserts of North Africa to the rocky sands of the Middle East. As a result of Syrian Civil War some Bedouins became refugees and found shelter in Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, and other states.

73. Ans (d) Explanation: NTPC • The government of India has installed India’s solar power generation capacity to another level by installing country’s largest Solar PV Plant installed in Kayamkulam, Kerala. It is a major step in achieving the goal of affordable 24 X 7 power as the new plant is likely to generate about 100 KWP power. In last few years, India has made huge progress in the renewable energy sector and aims to provide 24×7 power to all its citizens. India’s solar power generation capacity would cross 20,000 MW in the next 15 months from the current level of 10,000 MW. • Such systems are fast emerging as an alternative to conventional ground mounted photo-voltaic systems which are land intensive. It has various benefits like conserving water through reduction of evaporation, increased generation due to cooling effect on the panels and requires lesser installation time than conventional land mounted ones. These could be installed on saline water environments too. Installation potential of such type of systems in India is huge because of abundance of water bodies, within NTPC, the potential is approximately 800 MW in various reservoirs of existing stations. Particularly in Kerala, due to abundant availability of water bodies and lack of enough land. • The government is targeting 100 GW of solar and 60 GW of wind energy capacity by 2022. Total renewable energy generation capacity is envisaged at 175 GW by 2022. • Kamuthi Solar Power Project is a solar park spread over an area of 2,500 acres (10 km2) in Kamuthi, 90 km from , in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The project was commissioned by . With a generating capacity of 648 MW at a single location, it is the world's second largest solar park. • The World Single Largest Power plant is Rewa of Madhya Pradesh where the capacity is 750 MW. It is under construction stage. Once completed, it will generate clean energy, overtaking 648 MW solar power plant at Kamuthi in Tamil Nadu, the largest plant in the country so far.

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY 74. Ans (a) Explanation: • Highest temperature is observed in closed seas such as . • The reduction of temperature with latitude is however never constant, because of the interference by warm and cold currents, winds and air masses at poles. (Source: G.C.Leong-Page no:87)

75. Ans (b) Explanation: The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), known by sailors as the doldrums, is the area encircling the earth near the equator where the northeast and southeast trade winds converge. The European continent is located beyond the tropics and hence ITCZ does not occur there.

76. Ans (d) Explanation: Wheat cultivation in India is also prevalent in Central India (Madhya Pradesh) and parts of Gujarat and Maharashtra.

77. Ans (c) Explanation: Mission Fingerling • Recognizing the potential and possibilities in the fisheries sector, Government of India has envisaged a program named ‘’Blue Revolution’’ to unlock the country’s latent potential through an integrated approach. • Fish Fingerling production is the single most important critical input visualised to achieve fish production targets under the Blue Revolution.

78. Ans (c) Explanation: Gender Inequality Index • The Gender Inequality Index (GII) is an index for measurement of gender disparity that was introduced in the 2010 Human Development Report 20th anniversary edition by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). According to the UNDP, this index is a composite measure which captures the loss of achievement within a country due to gender inequality. It uses three dimensions to do so: reproductive health, empowerment, and labour market participation. • The new index was introduced as an experimental measure to remedy the shortcomings of the previous indicators, the Gender Development Index (GDI) and the Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM), both of which were introduced in the 1995 Human Development Report. • The Gender-related Development Index (GDI) and the Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) were introduced in the 1995 Human Development Report with growing international recognition for the importance of eliminating gender inequality. The GDI and GEM became the primary indices for measuring global gender inequality for the United Nations Human Development Reports. • The GII's dimension of reproductive health have two indicators: the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR), the data for which come from UNICEF's State of the World's Children, and the adolescent fertility rate (AFR), the data for which is obtained through the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, respectively. • The empowerment dimension is measured by two indicators: the share of parliamentary seats held by each sex, which is obtained from the International Parliamentary Union, and higher education attainment levels, which is obtained through United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) • The labour market dimension is measured by women's participation in the workforce. This dimension accounts for paid work, unpaid work, and actively looking for work. The data for this dimension is obtained through the International Labour Organization databases.

79. Ans (d) Explanation: Self-Explanatory

SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY 80. Ans (b) Explanation: • Deltas are formed due to accumulation of sediments brought by the rivers. The Western Ghats are just close, continuous and parallel to the western coast. The Deccan Plateau slopes towards east. The rivers that originate in WG, either flow eastwards or westwards. The west flowing rivers are shorter than the east flowing rivers. There is a high gradient for the west flowing rivers than the east flowing rivers. Therefore with being very close to coast and with high gradient, there are less chances of rivers getting wide (spread out) towards the sea unlike east flowing rivers. More gradient means higher is the velocity of the river. Therefore West flowing rivers end up forming estuaries rather than deltas. Example: , , etc. • Eastern Ghats are not a continuous chain of mountains. They are broken. Most rivers are already wide when flowing through Eastern Ghats. And carry huge amounts of sediments and deposit forming deltas near the seas. River Krishna delta is the best example for this. • Though Narmada originates far from Western Ghats and empties into the Arabian Sea, mountain ranges on both sides of the rivers extend up to 80 Kms near the sea. So there is not enough space (or plains) for delta formation. Moreover the slope of the river is high when it descends and into the sea from the montane route thereby not allowing any delta formation. And the sea current washes away the sediments.

81. Ans (c) Explanation: Length of international border of the states sharing with neighbouring countries is as follows: Jammu and Kashmir : ~3170 kms West Bengal : ~2500 kms Arunachal Pradesh : ~1810 kms Rajasthan : ~1170 kms Jammu and Kashmir borders with Afghanistan, Pakistan and China.

82. Ans (d) Explanation: World’s third-largest wind tunnel • A wind tunnel is used to study the effects of air flowing past a solid object - in ISRO’s case, space vehicles. • Commissioning of such facilities would provide adequate data for design and development of current and future space transportation systems in the country. The commissioning of the facility also symbolises the country’s capability in establishing such world-class facilities wherein technology from outside is restricted or not available. • Indigenously developed hypersonic wind tunnel and shock tunnel, the third largest in terms of size and simulation capability in the world, were commissioned at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).

83. Ans (a) Explanation: • The Indian Antarctic Program is a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional program under the control of The National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India. • It was initiated in 1981 with the first Indian expedition to Antarctica. • The program gained global acceptance with India's signing of the Antarctic Treaty and subsequent construction of the Dakshin Gangotri Antarctic research base in 1983, superseded by the Maitri base from 1990. • The first permanent settlement was built in 1983 and named Dakshin Gangotri. In 1989 it was excavated and is being used again as supply base and transit camp. SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY • The second permanent settlement, Maitri, was put up in 1989 on the Schirmacher Oasis and has been conducting experiments in geology, geography and medicine. India built a freshwater lake around Maitri known as Lake Priyadharshini. Maitri accomplished the mission of geomorphologic mapping of Schirmacher Oasis. • Located beside Larsmann Hill, Bharati is established in 2015. The newest base commissioned in 2015 is Bharati, constructed out of 134 shipping containers. Under the program, atmospheric, biological, earth, chemical, and medical sciences are studied by India, which has carried out 30 scientific expeditions to the Antarctic as of 14 October 2010. • The Indian Space Research Organisation joined the 36th scientific mission to Antarctica, organised by the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR). • Climate change is the thrust area of the 36th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica (36-ISEA). The main objective of this expedition is to install stakes on ice for Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) measurements around Bharati and Maitri to validate glacier surface velocity derived from satellite data to estimate thickness of snow over land and sea ice using Ground Penetrating Radars (GPR's) and also to verify conditions of snow over sea and land ice • Himadri Station is India's first Arctic research station located at Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway. It is located at the International Arctic Research base, Ny-Ålesund. • Established in August 2014. Designed and developed by scientists from the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR) and National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), the observatory has been deployed in the Kongsfjorden fjord of the Arctic, roughly halfway between Norway and the North Pole is named "IndARC".

84. Ans (d) Explanation: Comparison between the Himalayan and the Peninsular River Sl. Aspects Himalayan River Peninsular River No 1. Place of origin Himalayan mountain covered with glaciers Peninsular plateau and central highland 2. Nature of flow Perennial; receive water from glacier and rainfall Seasonal; dependent on monsoon rainfall 3. Type of drainage Antecedent and consequent leading to dendritic Super imposed, rejuvenated pattern in plains resulting in trellis, radial and rectangular patterns 4. Nature of river Long course, flowing through the rugged mountains Smaller, fixed course with well- experiencing head ward erosion and river capturing; adjusted In plains meandering and shifting of course valleys 5. Catchment area Very large basins Relatively smaller basin 6. Age of the river Young and youthful, active and deepening in the Old rivers with graded profile, valleys and have almost reached their base levels

85. Ans (a) Explanation: Indian Standard Time is the time observed throughout India and , with a time offset of UTC+05:30. It is ahead of Greenwich Mean Time by 5 hours and 30 minutes. Indian Standard Time is calculated on the basis of 82.30' E longitude, in Shankargarh Fort, Mirzapur (25.15°N 82.58°E) (in Mirzapur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh) which is nearly on the corresponding longitude reference line. Cities close to IST are Allahabad, Raipur, Bilaspur, Machilipatnam, Eluru.

86. Ans (c) Explanation: The Chambal river valley is part of the Vindhyan system which consists of massive sandstone, slate and limestone, of perhaps pre-Cambrian age, resting on the surface of older rocks. Hillocks and plateaus represent the major landforms of the Chambal valley. The Chambal basin is characterized by an undulating floodplain, gullies and ravines. SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY 87. Ans (d) Explanation: New Development Bank • The bank is headquartered in Shanghai, China. The first regional office of the NDB will be opened in Johannesburg, South Africa. K. V. Kamath, from India, is the first elected president of the NDB. • The bank will have starting capital of $50 bln, with capital increased to $100 bln over time. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa will initially contribute $10 bln each to bring the total to $50 bln. Each member cannot increase its share of capital without all other four members agreeing. The bank will allow new members to join but the BRICS capital share cannot fall below 55%. Shareholding and Voting rights are equally shared by all the 5 Member countries. • On 21 December 2016, the NDB signed its first loan agreement. The loan agreement approving the provision of RMB 525 mln sovereign project loan for the Bank's first project in China (Shanghai Lingang Distributed Solar Power Project) was signed by the Chinese Vice Minister of Finance Shi Yaobin and the NDB President K.V.Kamath. • On 30 March 2017, the NDB and the Indian government signed the first loan agreement approving the provision of USD 350 mln for Madhya Pradesh major district roads upgrade project.

88. Ans (b) Explanation: Integrated Cold Chain Projects • Sanction of 101 New Integrated Cold Chain Projects • Ministry of Food Processing Industries has been constantly involved in setting up new cold chain infrastructure which has both cold storage and processing facilities. • The objective of the scheme for Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure of Ministry of Food Processing Industries is to provide integrated cold chain, preservation and value addition infrastructure facilities without any break, from the farm gate to the consumer in order to reduce post-harvest losses of horticulture and non-horticulture agri-produce. This will enable linking groups of producers to processors and market through a well-equipped supply chain and cold chain, thereby ensuring remunerative prices to farmers and year-round availability of food products to consumers.

89. Ans (b) Explanation: In mountainous areas, the decrease in temperature with increasing altitude to a corresponding change in natural vegetation. The Himalayan ranges show a succession of vegetation from the tropical to the tundra, which change in with the altitude. 1. Deciduous forests are found in the foothills of the Himalayas. 2. It is succeeded by the wet temperate type of rests between an altitude of 1000-2000m. 3. In the higher hill ranges of north-eastern India, hilly areas of West Bengal and Uttaranchal, evergreen broad leaf trees such as oak and chestnut are predominant. 4. Between 1500-1750 m, pine forests are also well developed in this zone, with Chir Pine as a very useful commercial tree. 5. Deodar, a highly valued endemic species grows mainly in the western part of the Himalayan range. Deodar is a durable wood mainly used in construction activity. Similarly, the chinar and the walnut, which sustain the famous Kashmir handicrafts, belong to this zone. 6. Blue pine and spruce appear at altitudes of 2225-3048 m. At many places in this zone, temperate grasslands are also found 7. But in the higher reaches there is a transition to Alpine forests and pastures. firs, junipers, pines, birch and rhododendrons, etc. occur between 3,000-4,000 m. However, these pastures are used extensively for transhumance by tribes like the Gujjars, the Bakarwals, the Bhotiyas and the Gaddis. 8. The southern slopes of the Himalayas carry a thicker vegetation cover because of relatively higher precipitation than the drier north-facing slopes. 9. At higher altitudes, mosses and lichens form part of the tundra vegetation.

90. Ans (c) Explanation: It is important to know why the Tamil Nadu coast remains dry during the Southwest monsoon. There are two factors responsible for it. 1. The Tamil Nadu coast is situated parallel to the Bay of Bengal branch of south west monsoon. There is no obstruction to the monsoon winds for rainfall. SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY 2. It lies in the rain shadow area of the Arabian Sea branch of the South-west monsoon. The Eastern Ghats are lower in altitude than the Western Ghats. This makes the places lying in the Eastern Ghats fall in the rain shadow region. This makes the monsoon rains lose its moisture on the western slopes of the Western Ghats and the rest of the plateau and the Eastern Ghats gets scanty rainfall. Because of this Tamil Nadu gets less rain fall during South West Monsoon. Tamil Nadu receives abundant rain fall during Retreating monsoon.

91. Ans (a) Explanation: • This climate is found along the west coasts of continents between 30 degrees and 45 degrees latitudes. It is bounded by the arid stepped on the equator ward side and the Marine West European climate on the pole ward side. Areas around the , Central California, Central Chile, southern part of South Africa and south-eastern and south-western parts of Australia experience this climate. • As there is seasonal shift of pressure belts with the annual movements of the sun, these areas come under the influence of sub-tropical high pressure conditions during summer and cyclonic low pressure conditions during winter. Summers are warm and dry, temperature being in between 20 degree Celsius and 27 degree Celsius. Winters are mild with temperature ranging between 4 degree Celsius and 10 degree Celsius. The annual range of temperature is about 10 degree Celsius to 17 degree Celsius. Rainfall is moderate and varies between 40 and 60 centimetres. Most of it occurs in the winter season.

92. Ans (d) Explanation: World Conference on Environment • The , Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the 3rd ‘World Conference on Environment’ organized by the National Green Tribunal in New today (March 25, 2017). • The 2-day conference discussed various issues like air , , economics and clean technology, and the role of courts and tribunals for environmental protection. • The UNEP, the MOEF, the Union Ministry of Water Resources, the Asian Development Bank and the Delhi Pollution Control Board are the co-sponsors.

93. Ans (b) Explanation: Narmada Bridge • The 3rd Narmada Bridge is an extra dosed bridge in Bharuch, India. It is 1.4 km long bridge, build over river Narmada on NH-8. The four-lane bridge is a part of larger project involving six laning of a section of NH-8 between Vadodara and Surat. It runs parallel to Sardar Bridge, which was built by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. After completion it will be the longest extra dosed bridge in India. • National Highway 8 (NH 8) was a 4-lane (6-lane between Delhi-Jaipur) National Highway in India. According to estimates, it is the busiest highway in the subcontinent, as it connects the national capital Delhi to the financial capital Mumbai, as well as important cities Gurgaon, Jaipur, Ajmer, Udaipur, Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat. • An extradosed bridge employs a structure which combines the main elements of both a prestressed box girder bridge and a cable-stayed bridge. • India's first extradosed bridge was built by Larsen & Toubro Ltd. for the Second Vivekananda Bridge Toll Corporation over river Hooghly, Kolkata. • NH 3 - Agra - Dholpur - Morena - Gwalior - Shivpuri - Indore - Dhule - Nasik - Thane – Mumbai • National Highway 3 (old number), or NH 3, commonly referred to as the Agra–Bombay Highway, was a major Indian National Highway that ran through the states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra in India • NH 6 - Hazira - Surat - Dhule - Jalgaon - Akola - Amravati - Nagpur - Durg - Raipur - Sambalpur - Baharagora - Kharagpur - Howrah – Kolkata • National Highway 6, commonly referred to as NH 6, is a busy National Highway in India that runs through Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal state in India. The highway passes through the cities of Surat, Dhule, Jalgaon, Bhusaval, Akola, Amravati, Nagpur, Bhandara, Durg, Raipur, Mahasamund, Sambalpur, Keonjhar, Kolkata. The road is the part of National Highway network of India, and it is officially listed as running over 1,949 km (1,211 mi) from Mumbai to Kolkata. It is also known as Mumbai Road. SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY • NH 7 - Varanasi - Mangawan - Rewa - Jabalpur - Lakhnadon - Nagpur - Hyderabad - Kurnool - Chikkaballapur - - Hosur - Krishnagiri - Dharmapuri - Salem - Namakkal - Karur - Dindigul - Madurai - Virudunagar - – Kanyakumari. • National Highway 44 (NH 44) is the longest-running major north–south National Highway in India. It starts from Srinagar and terminates in Kanyakumari; the highway passes through the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.

94. Ans (d) Explanation: • Bundelkhand is a geographical and cultural region and also a mountain range in central India. The hilly region is now divided between the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, with the larger portion lying in the latter state. • Mithila is a geographical and cultural region located in the northern part of . The native language is known as Maithili and its speakers are referred to as Maithils. Mithila is bounded on the north by the Himalayas and on the south, west and east by the Ganges, Kaushiki and Gandaki respectively. The majority of the Mithila region falls within modern day India more specifically the state of Bihar • Vidarbha is the eastern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra, comprising Nagpur Division and Amravati Division. Its former name is Berar (Varhad in Marathi). It occupies 31.6% of total area and holds 21.3% of total population of Maharashtra. It borders the state of Madhya Pradesh to the north, Chhattisgarh to the east, Telangana to the south and Marathwada and Khandesh regions of Maharashtra to the west. • Saurashtra is a peninsular region of , located on the Arabian Sea coast. Saurashtra peninsula is bounded on the south and south-west by the Arabian sea, on the north-west by the Gulf of Kutch and on the east by the Gulf of Khambhat.

95. Ans (b) Explanation: Duncan Passage is a strait in the Indian Ocean. It is about 48 km (30 mi) wide; it separates Rutland Island (part of Great Andaman) to the north, and Little Andaman to the south. The Duncan passage lies to the Bay of Bengal in the eastern part of the Indian Subcontinent.

96. Ans (d) Explanation: The Deccan Plateau is bordered by the Western Ghats in the west, Eastern Ghats in the east and the Satpura, Maikal range and Mahadeo hills in the north. Western Ghats are locally known by different names such as Sahyadri in Maharashtra, Nilgiri hills in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and and hills in Kerala. Western Ghats are comparatively higher in elevation and more continuous than the Eastern Ghats. Their average elevation is about 1,500 m with the height increasing from north to south. ‘Anaimudi’ (2,695 m), the highest peak of Peninsular plateau is located on the Anaimalai hills of the Western Ghats followed by Dodabetta (2,637 m) on the Nilgiri hills. Most of the Peninsular rivers have their origin in the Western Ghats. Eastern Ghats comprising the discontinuous and low hills are highly eroded by the rivers such as the , the Godavari, the Krishna, the Kaveri, etc. Some of the important ranges include the Javadi hills, the Palconda range, the Nallamala hills, the Mahendragiri hills, etc. The Eastern and the Western Ghats meet each other at the Nilgiri hills.

97. Ans (b) Explanation: Operation Save Kurma • In a major success in the fight against wildlife crime, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, coordinated “OPERATION THUNDER BIRD” in India, from January 30-February 19, 2017. Operation Thunderbird is the code-name for INTERPOL’s multi-national and multi-species enforcement operation. • WCCB has convened a species specific operation on turtles, code named Operation Save Kurma • WCCB is statutory multi-disciplinary body under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to combat organized wildlife crime in the country. It was established in SHANKAR IAS ACADEMY June 2007 by amending the Wildlife (Protection) Act (WLPA), 1972, a special Act to protect the wildlife and fauna in the country. • It is mandated to collect and collate intelligence related to organized wildlife crime and disseminate it to state and other enforcement agencies for immediate action. • It advises Union Government on issues relating to wildlife crimes having national and international ramifications, relevant policy and laws.

98. Ans (c) Explanation: National Commission for Safai Karamcharis • It is an Indian statutory body was established through National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Act, 1993. • It was constituted on 12 August 1994 for a period of 3 years under the provision of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Act, 1993 to promote and safeguard the interests and rights of Safai Karamcharis. • The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis seeks to study, evaluate and monitor the implementation of various schemes for Safai Karamcharis as an autonomous organisation and also to provide redressal of their grievances. • Shri Manhar Valji Bhai Zala was recently appointed as the new Chairman for this organization.

99. Ans (b) Explanation: Sukanya Samriddhi Account • Along with the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao scheme, the government also launched the “Sukanya Samriddhi Account” programme. • Despite being a small savings scheme, the Sukanya Samriddhi Account has the potential to have a phenomenal impact on the lives and self esteem of young girls in the country. The scheme aims to ensure a bright future for the girl children by facilitating their education and marriage expenses. • Under the scheme, a parent or legal guardian can open an account in the name of the girl child until she attains the age of ten years. As per the government notification on the Scheme, the account can be opened in any post office branch and designated public sector banks. • The banks that have been authorized to open accounts under the scheme are: State , State Bank of , State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of , State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur, State Bank of Patiala, Vijaya Bank, United Bank of India, Union Bank of India, UCO Bank, Syndicate Bank, Punjab National Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, , , IDBI Bank, ICICI Bank, Dena Bank, Corporation Bank, Central Bank of India, Canara Bank, , Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Axis Bank, Andhra Bank and Allahabad Bank. • The rate of interest for the scheme is an attractive 9.2 per cent which will be compounded annually. This rate, however, will be revised every year by the government and will be announced at the time of the Union Budget.

100. Ans (a) Explanation: Human Status to River • A court in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand ordered that the Ganges and its main tributary, the , be accorded the status of living human entities. • Indian court cites the Whanganui in New Zealand as example for according status to two rivers considered sacred. The Indian court's move comes a week after New Zealand's Whanganui River became the first river in the world to be granted human status. • The decision, which was welcomed by environmentalists, means that polluting or damaging the rivers will be legally equivalent to harming a person. • The judges cited the example of the Whanganui River, revered by the indigenous Māori people, which was declared a living entity with full legal rights by the New Zealand government. • The court in the Himalayan resort town of Nainital appointed three officials to act as legal custodians responsible for conserving and protecting the rivers and their tributaries. It ordered that a management board be established within three months.