UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : Environment, Geography, Sci-Tech MCQs on Norwesters, Indian flying fox and more (Week 65)

1. These are severe thunderstorms that originate over western parts of India.

2. They are locally known as Kalbaisakhis.

3. They originate during the post-monsoon season (October to December).

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— Meteorologists will soon be able to deploy drones, mobile vans and high-end instruments to track the monstrous nor’westers, or Kalbaisakhi, that affect the east and northeast regions of India every summer.

— Norwesters are violent thunderstorms that originate in Eastern and North Eastern India, southern Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— They form during the pre monsoon season (March–May). Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— They prefer to migrate northwest to southeast, though they may sometimes travel southwest to northeast.

— Locally, they are known as Kalbaisakhis. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— The Norwesters bring severe rain, lightning, thunder, hailstorms, dust storms, squalls, downbursts, and, on occasion, tornadoes.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: mausamjournal.imd.gov.in)

QUESTION 2

The ‘foot rot’ or ‘bakanae’ disease was in the news. It is associated with:

(a) Wheat

(b) Maize

(c) Cotton

(d) Rice

Explanation

— The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, has developed biocontrol agent Trichoderma asperellum (2% WP), and registered it with the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC).

— The biocontrol agent will help Punjab farmers manage the deadly ‘foot rot’ or ‘bakanae’ disease that plagues the crops of Basmati rice, varieties of fragrant rice that are popular world over.

— Foot rot is a fungal disease that affects Basmati rice crops particularly at the seedling stage, though it might also cause infection after transplantation in case infected seedlings are transplanted.

— It is caused by the fungus Fusarium verticillioides, a soil-seed borne pathogen which spreads the infection through the root of the plant, and eventually leads to the colonisation of the stem base.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

Consider the following statements:

Statement-I: The Indian Flying Fox is placed under the “vermin” category in the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

Statement-II: The Indian Flying Fox feeds on the blood of other animals.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements? (UPSC 2024)

(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I

(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I

(c) Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect

(d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Explanation

— Indian flying foxes are found throughout the tropics and, being frugivorous animals, play an important role in pollination and seed dissemination.

— The population of flying foxes is falling. Bat populations are declining in India because to high rates of deforestation, increased pesticide usage, habitat degradation, and human consumption.

— The Indian flying fox, P.giganteus, often roosts in large trees.

— The Indian Flying Fox is the region’s largest bat and is known to reside close to humans.

— These bats are noted for devouring nectar and fruit. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— Indian flying foxes, classified as vermin category in the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. They cause considerable damage to fruit crops. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: kbb.karnataka.gov.in)

QUESTION 4

Consider the following pairs:

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 3 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Explanation

— The Indian cricket team has been stranded in Barbados due to Hurricane Beryl.

— The team was scheduled to leave Barbados on July 1 at 11 a.m. local time and fly to New York, where they would connect to Dubai before landing in India. However, the cyclone forced the shutdown of Barbados’ Grantley Adams International Airport, halting all airline services indefinitely.

— Depending on where they occur, hurricanes may be called typhoons or cyclones. As per NASA, the scientific name for all these kinds of storms is tropical cyclones.

— The tropical cyclones that form over the Atlantic Ocean or the eastern Pacific Ocean are called hurricanes and the ones that form in the Northwest Pacific are called typhoons.

— Tropical storms that form in the Bay of Bengal or the Arabian Sea are called cyclones.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

Mount Ruang was in the news due to volcanic eruptions. The volcano is located in:

(a) Philippines

(b) Japan

(c) Indonesia

(d) Hawaii

Explanation

— Indonesia’s Mount Ruang volcano erupted for a second time in two weeks, spewing ash almost 2 kilometres (more than a mile) into the sky, closing an airport and peppering nearby villages with debris.

— The 725-metre (2,378-foot) volcano in North Sulawesi province is about 95 kilometres (59 miles) northeast of Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado, the provincial capital.

— Indonesia’s geological agency warned people on Tagulandang Island, especially those who live near the coast, of the potential of hot volcanic clouds and a tsunami due to eruptions of material entering the sea or collapse of volcanic dome into the sea.

— Ruang is among about 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia. The archipelagic nation is prone to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes because of its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” — a series of fault lines stretching from the western coasts of the Americas through Japan and Southeast Asia.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 65)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 65)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 64)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 64)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 64)

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