UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative of subject-wise quizzes. These quizzes are designed to help you revise some of the most important topics from the static part of the syllabus. Attempt today’s subject quiz on Environment and Geography to check your progress. Come back tomorrow to solve the Economy Quiz.

With reference to the Indian Flapshell Turtle, consider the following statements:

1. These are only found in salt marshes.

2. It is commonly found on the east coast of India.

3. The nesting season generally occurs in late winter.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— The Indian Flapshell Turtle is a small softshell turtle with a carapace length of up to 350 mm.

— These species live in a wide range of aquatic habitats, including rivers and streams, reservoirs, marshes, ponds, lakes, and even salt marshes, rice fields, gutters, and canals in urban areas. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— It is ubiquitous in brackish water lagoons on India’s east coast and is frequently seen in irrigation canals and tanks, as well as stagnant paddy fields. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Nesting often begins in late summer and continues through the monsoon season, which lasts from July to November. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— Distribution: India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: iucn-tftsg.org)

Consider the following statements:

1. This river basin is bounded by the Himalayas in the north and the Ganga in the south.

2. This river mainly flows in the region of north Bihar.

3. It originates from the Shivpuri range of hills in Nepal.

The above mentioned statements refer to:

(a) Kosi River

(b) Son River

(c) Gandak River

(d) Bagmati River

Explanation

— The flood situation in several parts of Bihar worsened as embankments of Kosi River in Darbhanga district and Bagmati River in Sitamarhi were breached.

— Bagmati is a perennial river of North Bihar. It originates from the shivpuri range of hills in Nepal.

— The Bagmati basin is limited by the Himalayas to the north, the Ganga to the south, a ridge dividing it from Gandak to the west, and the Kosi to the east. The river Burhi Gandak serves as the Bagmati system’s sustaining drain.

— The Bagmati River flows mostly through the districts of Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Muzaffarpur, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Rosera, Begusarai, Saharsa, and Khagaria in North Bihar.

— Another official stated that severe water pressure caused damage to the Bagmati River embankment in Madhkaul village in Sitamarhi and the Gandak River embankment in West Champaran, resulting in inundation of the Valmiki Tiger Reserve.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: fmiscwrdbihar.gov.in)

The Canary Islands was recently in the news. It is situated in the territory of:

(a) Germany

(b) Spain

(c) Norway

(d) Portugal

Explanation

— At least nine migrants died and 48 are missing after their boat capsized near the Spanish island of El Hierro, rescue services said, in what threatens to be the deadliest such incident in 30 years of such crossings to the Canary Islands.

— The emergency services were able to rescue 27 of the 84 migrants attempting to reach the Spanish coast. According to Spanish authorities, the migrants came from Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal.

— Calm seas and mild winds associated with late summer in the Atlantic Ocean off Western Africa have triggered a new wave of migration.

— The path from Africa to the islands, which have a population of approximately 2.2 million people, has seen a 154% increase in migrants this year, with 21,620 crossing in the first seven months, according to figures from the European Union’s border agency Frontex.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

Which of the following species can defy age and revert to younger versions of themselves?

(a) Vampire squid

(b) Aipysurus laevis

(c) Ocra

(d) Comb jellies

Explanation

— Scientists have identified a new kind of marine invertebrate that disrupts the typical cycle of birth, ageing, and death that most organisms follow.

— A new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that comb jellies, also known as ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi, may resist age and revert to younger forms of themselves.

— This strange incident prompted Soto-Angel, one of the study’s co-authors, and his colleagues to conduct an experiment in which they attempted to replicate the conditions that had initiated the de-ageing process in the comb jelly.

— As per research, comb jellies could also be one of the first animals to have existed as their origin can be traced back to an estimated 700 million years ago.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

The place Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) was in the news. It is situated in:

(a) Ladakh

(b) Uttarakhand

(c) Bhutan

(d) Arunachal Pradesh

Explanation

— The standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has cleared five key road stretches — four passing through the Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) — including on a route to Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO), the country’s northernmost military outpost in Ladakh and location of its highest airstrip.

— NBWL has cleared a connection road from Chushul-Lukung to Thakung post, a link road between Durbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DS-DBO) and Saser-Brangsa-Gapshan, DS-DBO to Track Junction, DBO to Karakoram Pass road, and an upgrade of the Leh-Chalunka route. The 5.8-kilometer-long Chushul-Lukung to Thakung post road upgrade is part of the India-China Border Roads (ICBR)-III project and will run through the Changthang cold desert sanctuary.

— Meanwhile, the new road to DBO gives an alternative for the speedy transit of soldiers and resources for operational purposes, despite being approximately 100 km from a Chinese-held area.

— This path starts in Sasomo on the Nubra River in Nubra Valley and leads to Saser Pass, which is snow-covered for most of the year. Important parts of this route have been blacktopped, resulting in significant progress.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

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