Q.1 Which one of the following provides the best estimate of the world’s biological diversity?

A) Of about ten million species probably alive today, some 20 species are lost everyday, most of them unknown because no more than half a million have yet been actually identified by scientists

B) Of about thirty million living species, some 50 species are lost everyday, most of them unknown because no more than one million have been actually identified

C) Of about forty five million living species, some 100 species are lost everyday, most of them unknown because no more than 1.5 million have been actually identified

D) Of about seventy five million living species, some 500 species are lost everyday, most of them unknown because no more than 3 million have been actually identified

Ans. C

Q.2 Subsistence & commercial freshwater fisheries are well developed in south eastern Asia. It is because of

1. Low precipitation

2. Large perennial streams

3. Dense population

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

A) Only 2

B) 2 & 3

C) 1 & 3

D) 1,2,3

Ans. B

FRAMED FROM public.wmo.int, World Meteorological Organisation

Q.3 Recently WMO has signified which among the following effects of Ei-Nino in its report ?

1. Ei Nino event has been successful in triggering the CO2 level resulting in warming influence

2. El Niño event had triggered droughts in tropical & temperate regions

3. Capacity of “sinks” to absorb co2 has been reduced

Select the correct answer using the codes given below :

A) Only 1

B) 2 & 3

C) 1 & 3

D) 1,2,3

Ans. C

El Niño event had triggered drought in tropical region

WMO is an intergovernmental organization and specialised agency of the UN for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences. It is a member of the United Nations Development Group.

“sinks” includes like forests, vegetation.

FRAMED FROM Wikipedia

Q.4 Living Planet Report is the world’s leading, science-based analysis on the health of planet. With reference to this report consider the following statements :

1. Ecological footprint calculation is the only basis for the publication of this report

2. It is published every year by the World Wide Fund for Nature

Select the correct answer using the codes given below :

A) Only 1

B) Only 2

C) Both are correct

D) Both are incorrect

Ans. D

The Living Planet Report is published every two years by the World Wide Fund for Nature since 1998. It is based on the Living Planet Index and ecological footprint calculations. The Living Planet Report is the world’s leading, science-based analysis on the health of our only planet and the impact of human activity. Humanity’s demands exceed the Earth’s capacityy to sustain us. The latest edition of the Living Planet Report was released in October 2016.

FRAMED FROM THE HINDU & WIKEPEDIA

Q.5 Consider the differences between the recently discovered S-waves microseism & P-waves microseism :

1. S-waves microseism are bright as compared to the P-waves

2. P wave microseisms can be detected easily during major hurricanes

Select the correct answer using the codes given below :

A) Only 1

B) Only 2

C) Both are correct

D) Both are incorrect

Ans. B

S-waves microseism are faint as compared to the P-waves It will help experts learn more about the Earth’s inner structure and improve detection of earthquakes and oceanic storms. Learning more about S waves microseismic will further aid to understand the deeper crust and upper mantle structure.

FRAMED FROM THE HINDU

Q.6 Under IUCN , Fishing cat has been classified under which category ?

A) Endangered

B) Vulnerable

C) Extinct

D) Critically endangered

Ans. B

The fishing cat is broadly but discontinuously distributed in Asia, and is primarily found in the Terai region of the Himalayan foothills in India and Nepal, in eastern India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. There are no confirmed records from Peninsular Malaysia, Vietnam and Laos.

In India, the presence of fishing cats has been documented in Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, in Sur Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, outside protected areas in West Bengal, in and around Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary, in Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary and adjoining reserve forests in Andhra Pradesh.

FRAMED FROM WIKEPEDIA

Q.7 Which among the following organic compound is present in the whitener that has been banned under the montreal protocol ?

A) 1,1,1-trichloroethane

B) Toluene

C) Trichloroehtylene

D) Bromopropane

Ans. A

This question has been framed keeping in mind that Uttarakhand High court has banned the use of Whitener.

Thinner contains organic solvents (volatile organic compounds), unused correction fluid thickens over time as volatile solvents escape into the air. It can become too thick to use, and sometimes completely solidifies.

Thinner originally contained toluene, which was banned due to its toxicity. Later, it contained 1,1,1-trichloroethane, a skin irritant now widely banned under the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer, and then the slightly safer trichloroethylene. Thinners currently used with correction fluid include bromopropane

Whiteners contain hydrocarbons which is deadly solvents that can infuse easily with the blood and can affect the central nervous system of a person.

little free space and thus it is not clear what the hall was used for.

FRAMED FROM THE HINDU & WIKEPEDIA

Q.8 Recently India has hosted Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR), consider the following statements :

1. It is a biennial conference jointly organized by all Asian countries

2. It is a voluntary and non-binding treaty which recognizes that the UN member State has the primary role to reduce disaster risk

3. ‘Asian Regional Plan for Implementation of the Sendai Framework’ has been adopted in this conference

Select the correct answer using the codes given below :

A) Only2

B) 1 & 3

C) Only 1

D) 2 & 3

Ans. D

India is hosting the 2016 Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) from November 3 to 5, 2016 in New Delhi. This will be second time India hosting AMCDRR. The conference will be hosted by Union Government in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). Key Facts It will be first AMCDRR after advent of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRRR) which was adopted at 3rd UN World Conference in Sendai, Japan in March, 2015. India by hosting AMCDRR re-affirms its commitment to the cause of Disaster Risk Reduction. It will also set the direction of Sendai Framework implementation in the region. The aim of the conference is to transform the commitments of governments and stakeholders during the Sendai Conference into national and local action. AMCDRR 2016 will focus on consultation, collaboration and partnership with governments and stakeholders to mainstream Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in the region. It will adopt the ‘Asian Regional Plan for Implementation of the Sendai Framework’ endorsed by the Asian countries. In this conference, senior-level delegations from Asian countries, representatives of UN bodies and Disaster Management experts will participate. Background AMCDRR is a biennial conference jointly organized by different Asian countries and the UNISDR. It was established in 2005. So far, 6 AMCDRR conferences have been organised. For the first time India had also hosted the second AMCDRR in 2007 in New Delhi. About Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-30 It is an international Treaty that was approved by UN member states in March 2015 at the Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai, Japan. It is a voluntary and non-binding treaty which recognizes that the UN member State has the primary role to reduce disaster risk. It has framework for 15-year i.e. 2015 to 2020. It also calls for sharing the responsibility with other stakeholders including local government, the private sector and other stakeholders. It is successor of the Hyogo Framework for Action (2005–2015), which had been the most encompassing international accord on disaster risk reduction. It sets of common standards, a comprehensive framework with achievable targets, and a legally-based instrument for disaster risk reduction. It calls for adopting integrated and inclusive institutional measures for preventing vulnerability to disaster, increase preparedness for response and recovery and strengthen resilience. Four specific priorities of Sendai Framework: (i) Understanding disaster risk (ii) Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk (iii) Investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience (iv) Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response and recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation.

FRAMED FROM WIKEPEDIA

Q.9 Which among the following are the conventions of the recently ratified Paris agreement ?

1. Holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels

2. On the path of Kyoto Protocol it provides a specific division between developed and developing nations

3.  Making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development

Select the correct answer using the codes given below :

A) 1 & 3

B) Only 2

C) 2 & 3

D) 1,2,3

Ans. A

The Paris Agreement is an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) dealing with greenhouse gases emissions mitigation, adaptation and finance starting in the year 2020. It was opened for signature on 22 April 2016 (Earth Day) at a ceremony in New York. As of December 2016, 194 UNFCCC members have signed the treaty, 120 of which have ratified it. After several European Union states ratified the agreement in October 2016, there were enough countries that had ratified the agreement that produce enough of the world’s greenhouse gases for the agreement to enter into force. The agreement went into effect on 4 November 2016. The aim of the convention is described in Article 2, “enhancing the implementation” of the UNFCCC through: “(a) Holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, recognizing that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change; (b) Increasing the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and foster climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development, in a manner that does not threaten food production; (c) Making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development.” Difference between Paris agreement & Kyoto Protocol : Kyoto Protocol differentiated between Annex-1 and non-Annex-1 countries, this bifurcation is blurred in the Paris Agreement, as all parties will be required to submit emissions reductions plans. While the Paris Agreement still emphasizes the principle of “Common but Differentiated Responsibility”—the acknowledgement that different nations have different capacities and duties to climate action—it does not provide a specific division between developed and developing nations. The Paris Agreement is open for signature by States and regional economic integration organizations that are Parties to the UNFCCC (the Convention) from 22 April 2016 to 21 April 2017 at the UN Headquarters in New York.

Q.10 Which one of the following is not identified by Central Pollution Control Board as heavily polluting industry?

A) Pulp and paper

B) Sugar

C) Tea

D) Fertilizer

Ans. C