UPSC Civil Services Prelims Exam Paper I (General Studies) 05 June 2022 (Answer Key)

Climate Action Tracker – It is an independent scientific analysis that tracks climate actions of governments. It then measures it against the Paris Agreement. It is a collaboration of two organisations, New Climate Institute and Climate Analytics.

EP100 is a global initiative led by the international nonprofit Climate Group, bringing together over 120 energy smart businesses committed to measuring and reporting on energy efficiency improvements.

Energy efficiency is essential as it can deliver over 40% of the reduction in energy related emissions needed to achieve global climate goals. Taking energy efficiency from the boiler room to the boardroom, members are reducing emissions whilst improving competitiveness and inspiring others to follow their lead.

Mahindra & Mahindra becomes first company to join EP100.

IEA has no link with EP100. EP100 is coalition to Climate change groups. EP100 works on same objectives of IEA but IEA has no role in EP100.

Since Statement 2 is eliminated the answer is B

Function of Kidney is to remove waste and toxins, excess water from the bloodstream, which is carried out of the body in urine. With the above analogy, you need to pick that function of wetlands which fits with above analogy.

Option A is NOT correct :- as it is talking about wetland water cycle.

Option B is not correct :- as it is talking about algae which is becoming food for others, here this does not indicate role of Wetlands as Kidney.

Option C is not correct :- This may sound appealing for those who have just focused on the word “balance”, but mind you, kidney role is to remove excess waste.

Option D is Correct :- In this option, UPSC talked about wetland function as removing excess “waste”.

While particles with a diameter of 10 microns or less, (≤ PM10) can penetrate and lodge deep inside the lungs, the even more health damaging particles are those with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less, (≤ PM2.5). PM2.5 can penetrate the lung barrier and enter the blood system.

Key Points:  WHO’s new guidelines recommend air quality levels for six pollutants — particulate matter (PM 2.5 & PM10), ozone (O₃), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and carbon monoxide (CO).

• The annual average for PM2.5 should not exceed 5 micrograms per cubic metre of air, while the 24-hour average shouldnot exceed 15 micrograms per cubic metre.
• The annual average for PM 10 should not exceed 15 micrograms per cubic metre of air, while the 24-hour average should not exceed 45 micrograms per cubic metre.
• The ozone levels average should not exceed 100 micrograms per cubic metre over a 24-hour period.
• The nitrogen oxide levels should not exceed 25 micrograms per cubic metre over a 24-hour period.
• The sulphur dioxide levels should not exceed 40 micrograms per cubic metre over a 24-hour period.
• The carbon monoxide levels should not exceed 4 micrograms per cubic metre over a 24-hour period.

A geographical indication (GI) tag has been sought for one of the costliest mushrooms in the world that grows in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district.
Guchhi mushroom is a species of fungus in the family Morchellaceae of the Ascomycota.

Polyethylene Terephthalate Properties

• Crystal clear polymer – It is a crystal clear polymer with good purity and healthy. You must have seen the sparkling PET bottles with brilliant glass-clear presentation attract us.
• Purity – The products of PET taste good and comply with international food contact regulations.
• Safe – The objects made from PET like bottles are tough and virtually unbreakable therefore can be easily used for storage and transportation. This polymer has a high impact and tensile strength that makes it ideal for carbonated products.
• Good barrier – PET products have low permeability to oxygen, carbon dioxide and water, therefore, it maintains the integrity of products with good shelf life.
• Lightweight – The lightweight of PET products reduce the shipping costs compared to glass products.
  No Leakage and damage – Due to the absence of weld line in the base, PET bottles are free from leakage and damage.
• Recyclable – PET polymer is recyclable and can be reshaped in different shapes.
• Good resistance power – PET products have good resistance against different chemicals such as acids, bases, etc.

Golden mahseer is known as the tiger of Indian rivers. It has been declared endangered by the Washington-based International Union of Conservation of Natural Resources. The mahseer, the longest-living freshwater fish, is native to mountain and sub-mountain regions. It belongs to the genus Tor. The Pong Dam reservoir, around 250km from state capital Shimla and 190km from Chandigarh, supports an ample population of the golden mahseer.

Alfalfa fixes more nitrogen than any legume crop. In fact, a stand can fix as much as 300 pounds of N per acre per year. It uses much of this nitrogen to produce protein in the plant, which growers can harvest and feed to livestock. Chickpea and faba bean provide many benefits in northern cropping rotations, including the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen (N2), resulting in more soil N for following cereal crops. The amount of nitrogen fixed is determined by how well the pulse crop grows and the level of nitrate in the soil at planting. The advantage of red clover is that it is a very vigorous crop capable of fixing up to 250kg/ha of nitrogen in its first full year.

USE ELIMINATION METHOD SPINACH IS NOT A LEGUME PLANT

Mineral Accretion Technology Also called ‘Biorock Technology’, it is a method that applies safe, low voltage electrical currents through seawater, causing dissolved minerals to crystallize on structures, growing into a white limestone (CaCo3) similar to that which naturally makes up coral reefs and tropical white sand beaches.
Biorock, also known as Seacrete or Seament, refers to the substance formed by electro accumulation of minerals dissolved in seawater.
The formed material has a strength similar to concrete. It can be used to make robust artificial reefs on which corals grow at very rapid rates.
Fragments of broken corals are tied to the biorock structure, where they are able to grow at least four to six times faster than their actual growth as they need not spend their energy in building their own calcium carbonate skeletons.
The technology also helps corals, including the highly sensitive branching corals, to counter the threats posed by global warming.

Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki endowed the Miyawaki technique to create dense forests with native plants. This unique method is used worldwide for urban afforestation by growing a forest in someone’s backyard.
It includes planting trees as close as possible in the same area which not only saves space, but the planted saplings also support each other in growth and block sunlight from reaching the ground, thereby preventing the growth of weed. Thus the saplings become maintenance-free (self-sustainable) after the first three years.
It helps to create a forest in just 20 to 30 years while through conventional methods it takes anywhere between 200 to 300 years.

Division of Subjects :- Subjects were divided into two lists: ‘reserved’ and ‘transferred’.
The reserved list, under which the subjects were to be administered by the governor through his executive council of bureaucrats.
It included subjects such as law and order, finance, land revenue, irrigation etc.
All important subjects were kept in the reserved subjects of the Provincial Executive.
The transferred subjects were to be administered by ministers nominated from among the elected members of the legislative council.
It included subjects such as education, health, local government, industry, agriculture, excise, etc.
In case of failure of constitutional machinery in the province the governor could take over the administration of transferred subjects also.
USE ELIMINATION METHOD AS LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT COMES UNDER TRANSFERRED SUBJECTS HENCE OPTION C IS ONLY CORRECT CHOICE.

A small gold or silver coin formerly in widespread use in southern India.

The Ghadar Party was an international political movement consisting of expatriate Indians to overthrow British rule in India. The official founding has been dated to a meeting on 15 July 1913 in Astoria, Oregon, the United States of America.

Barindra Kumar Ghosh, the younger brother of Sri Aurobindo Ghosh, was an Indian revolutionary and journalist. Being born in England, he received education in Deoghar and military training from Baroda. He was highly influenced by Aurobindo and thus, joined the revolutionary movement. Since he is in UK, so he is eliminated.

Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee was an Indian freedom fighter, revolutionary and member of Rajya Sabha.

So he is also eliminated. So the correct answer is D

Proposals of Cripps Mission Setting up of an Indian dominion. This dominion would have the freedom to remain with the British Commonwealth or to secede from it. It would also be at liberty to take part in international organisations.

A Constituent Assembly would be formed to frame a new constitution for the country. This Assembly would have members elected by the provincial assemblies and also nominated by the princes.
Any province which wouldn’t accept the new constitution would have the right to sign a separate agreement with the British. The transfer of power and the rights of minorities would be safeguarded by negotiations between the Constituent Assembly and the British government. In the meantime, until this new constitution came into force, India’s defence would be controlled by the British and the powers of the Governor-General would remain unaltered.

Gandhi called Cripps Mission ‘A postdated cheque drawn on a failing bank’ due to the Cripps offer of Dominion Status after the war.

The Nettipakarana is a Buddhist scripture, sometimes included in the Khuddaka Nikaya of Theravada Buddhism’s Pali Canon.

The Parishishtaparvan also known as the Sthaviravalicharitra is a 12th-century Sanskrit mahakavya by Hemachandra which details the histories of the earliest Jain teachers.

The Avadanasataka or “Century of Noble Deeds (Avadana)” is an anthology in Sanskrit of one hundred Buddhist legends, approximately dating to the same time as the Ashokavadana. Ratnamalavadana. The work may be from the Mulasarvastivada school.

Mahapurana or Trishashthilkshana Mahapurana is a major Jain text composed largely by Acharya Jinasena during the rule of Rashtrakuta ruler Amoghavarsha and completed by his pupil Gunabhadra in the 9th century CE.
Mahapurana consists of two parts. The first part is Adi purāṇa written by Acharya Jinasena. The second part is Uttarapurana which is the section composed by Gunabhadra. 

Aryadeva and Dignaga are buddhist scholar While Nathamuni is a vaishnava scholar.

Statement 1 is Incorrect :-  Gajapati rulers ruled from 1434–1541, while the Dutch founded their first factory in Masaulipatam in Andhra Pradesh in 1605.

Statement 2 is correct :- In 1510 AD, Afonso de Albuquerque captured Goa from the Sultan of Bijapur, Ismail Adil Shah with the help of Krishnadev raya (ruler of Vijaynagar empire). He is also known to have abolished the practice of Sati in Goa.

Statement 3 is correct :- On 22 August 1639, English official Francis Day obtained a grant of a 3-mile-long strip of land for the East India Company from the local ruler, Damarla Venkatadri Nayaka, the Nayaka of Wandiwash. (Part of Vijaynagar empire)

Statement 1 is correct :- Correct from the given below source:
Bonded Labour in India: A Socio-Legal Study by Rish Nainta.

Statements 2 and 3 are correct :- ‘The Penguin History of Early India’ by Romila Thapar.