th Answer Key & Exp for GS Prelim Test-12 held on 24 Feb’ 2019 1. Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched? Crops in India Feature 1. Wheat : It requires 210 frost-free days. 2. Cotton : It requires high temperature and bright sunshine. 3. Coffee : It is cultivated in the highlands. 4. Tea : It is cultivated on the lower slopes of Nilgiri hills. Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 4 only (c) 2, 3 and 4 only (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4 Answer: (c) Explanation: Pair 1 is incorrect. 210 frost-free days are required for Cotton crop and not Wheat. Wheat is primarily a crop of temperate zone. Its cultivation in India is done during winter. Hence, it is a rabi crop. Around 85 per cent of the total area under this crop is concentrated in north and central regions of the country. Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are five leading wheat producing states in India. Pair 2 is correct. Cotton requires high temperature, light rainfall or irrigation, 210 frost- free days and bright sunshine for its growth. It is a Kharif crop and requires 6 to 8 months to mature. It grows well in drier parts of the black cotton soil of the Deccan plateau. Major cotton-producing states are – Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, etc. Pair 3 is correct. Coffee is a tropical plantation crop. Coffee is cultivated in the highlands of Western Ghats in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Karnataka alone accounts for more than two third of total production of coffee in the country. Pair 4 is correct. Tea is a plantation crop. It is grown over undulating topography of hilly areas and well drained soils in humid and sub-humid tropics. Tea is cultivated on the lower slopes of Nilgiri and Cardamom hills. Source: Vajiram and Ravi - Yellow Book, Indian Geography, Chapter 9: Agriculture, Page no – 188 2. As per Census 2011 of India, highest out-migration of people is witnessed from which among the following states of India? (1) Bihar (2) Gujarat (3) Uttar Pradesh Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 2 and 3 only Prelim IAS Test Series (2019) – GS Test 12 (24.02.2019) 1 Geography 2 and Current Affairs Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec 2018 Answer: (c) Explanation: Migration is an important factor affecting the course of socio-economic development in India. Accelerated movement of people originating mainly from the rural and backward areas in search of employment has been one of the most important features of the labour market scenario in India during the post-Independence period. According to the World Economic Forum's report on 'Migration and Cities', interstate migration in India doubled between 2001 and 2011 compared to the previous decade. Census 2011 pegs the total number of internal migrants in the country (accounting for inter- and intra-state movement) at a staggering 139 million. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are the biggest source states, followed closely by Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and West Bengal. The major destination states are Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Source: Vajiram and Ravi - Yellow Book, Indian Geography, Chapter 15: Urbanization in India, Page no: 346 3. Consider the following statements with reference to the 'Indian Peninsular Plateau': (1) It supports less population than that of the northern plains. (2) It consists of mostly relicts and residual mountains. 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 Answer: (c) Explanation: The Indian Peninsular Plateau lies to the south of the Indo-Gangetic plain and is flanked by the sea/ocean on three sides. The Peninsula is formed essentially by a great complex of very ancient gneisses and granites, which constitutes a major part of it. Statement 1 is correct: The Peninsular plateau supports less population than that of northern plain because of its rugged terrain and water scarcity. The northern plain of India is densely populated because it is a large plain of alluvial soil. The deposition of alluvium in a vast basin lying at the foothills of the Himalayas makes the northern plain very fertile. Statement 2 is correct: The Peninsular plateau consists of mostly relicts and residual mountains like the Aravalli hills, the Nallamala hills, the Javadi hills, the Veliconda hills, the Palkonda range, the Mahendragiri hills, etc. The plateau has senile topographic features like small rounded hills due to prolonged erosion. Source: Vajiram and Ravi Yellow Book, Indian Geography, Chapter 2: Physiography of India; Page no. 26 Prelim IAS Test Series (2019) – GS Test 12 (24.02.2019) 2 Geography 2 and Current Affairs Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec 2018 4. Consider the following map: Which of the area(s) marked in the map above (with X, Z and O letters) represent arid and semi-arid climatic zones of India? (a) X only (b) X and O only (c) Z and O only (d) X and Z only Answer: (d) Explanation: The areas marked with ‘X’ and ‘Z’ letters represent the hot ‘arid and semi arid’ climatic zones respectively. The area marked as ‘O’ represents tropical wet regions of India. The term “arid” normally means a region of the earth’s surface where rainfall is nil or inadequate. Hence, the vegetation is non- existent or sparse, agriculture difficult or impossible and human living conditions precarious. Generally, arid regions are those that receive less than 25 cm annual rainfall. It includes all hot and cold deserts. These regions are devoid of any significant vegetation due to moisture stress. Regions receiving annual rainfall between 25 and 75 cm can be termed as semi arid regions. The hot Indian arid zone lies in the north-west part of the India and comprise largely of the desert region of Rajasthan. Semi-arid zones occur chiefly in the states of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu as shown in the map given above. Source: NCERT – Class XI, India – Physical Environment, Chapter: Structure and Physiography, Chapter – 2, Page no. 17 5. Consider the following features about a particular ‘Indian Wildlife species’: (1) It is found in the Little Rann of Kutch in Gujarat and its surrounding areas. (2) It is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. (3) It is included in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. The description given above is most suitable for which one of the following: (a) Wild Ass (b) Sangai (c) Nilgai (d) Leopard Answer: (a) Explanation: Prelim IAS Test Series (2019) – GS Test 12 (24.02.2019) 3 Geography 2 and Current Affairs Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec 2018 Indian Wild Ass is one of the sturdiest animals in the world withstanding scorching mid- day temperature up to 48° C or more without any shelter. It has the strength and speed of a horse and can run at the speed of 60-70 km/hr. The wild ass, locally known as ghudkhar and found only in the Little Rann of Kutch in Gujarat in India, has been classified as an endangered animal. It is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. It is included in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), making international trade in this species illegal. Source: Vajiram and Ravi - Yellow Book, Indian Geography Chapter 6: Natural Vegetation and Wildlife, Page no. 106 6. Select the correct order of the meeting points (from East to West) of the following Ganga tributaries where they join the main stream of river Ganga? (1) Gomati (2) Gandak (3) Yamuna (4) Kosi (5) Ghaghara Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 3-1-5-4-2 (b) 3-4-5-1-2 (c) 4-2-5-1-3 (d) 4-2-1-5-3 Answer: (c) Explanation: The correct order of the meeting points (from East to West) of Ganga tributaries where they join main stream of river Ganga is: Kosi - Gandak - Ghaghara - Gomati - Yamuna. The Ganga is the most important river of India both from the point of view of its basin and cultural significance. It rises in the Gangotri glacier near Gaumukh (3,900 m) in the Uttarkashi district of Uttaranchal. Here, it is known as the Bhagirathi. It cuts through the Central and the Lesser Himalayas in narrow gorges. The Son is its major right bank tributary. The important left bank tributaries are the Ramganga, the Gomati, the Ghaghara, the Gandak, the Kosi and the Mahanada. The river finally discharges itself into the Bay of Bengal near the Sagar Island. Note: The Yamuna, is the western most and the longest tributary of the Ganga. Source: NCERT class XI, India Physical Environment, Chapter – Drainage system, Chapter - 3, Page – 22 7. With reference to the soils found in India, consider the following pairs: Soil Region 1 Alluvial : Indo- Prelim IAS Test Series (2019) – GS Test 12 (24.02.2019) 4 Geography 2 and Current Affairs Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec 2018 Soils Gangetic Plains 2 Laterite : Great Indian Soils Desert 3 Black : Deccan Trap Soils Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched? (a) 2 only (b) 1 and 2 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Answer: (c) Explanation: Pair 1 is correct. Alluvial Soils are the most common soils in India. These are widespread in northern plains and river valleys.