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. Each day, we will cover one new subject. Attempt today’s subject quiz on Environment, Geography, Science and Technology to check your progress. Come back tomorrow to solve the Economy Quiz.

Consider the following statements :

Statement-I:

Iceland is a volcanically active country.

Statement-II:

Iceland lies on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the Eurasian and North American plates are moving apart a few centimetres every year.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I

(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I

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

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

Consider the following:

1. Fatigue

2. Unexpected weight loss or weight gain

3. Anxiety

4. Abnormal heart rate

How many of the above can be caused due to hormonal imbalance?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

How many of the following salts is/are injected into the clouds during the cloud seeding?

1. Silver Iodide

2. Sodium chloride

3. Aluminium Iodide

4. Potassium iodide

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

With reference to the food irradiation, consider the following statements:

1. It improves the safety and extends the shelf life of foods by reducing or eliminating microorganisms

2. It eliminates organisms that cause foodborne illness.

3. It inactivate organisms that cause spoilage.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

The “Mishti” initiative was in the news. It is related to:

(a) Planting trees along the National Highways.

(b) Reduce the air pollution levels in NCR.

(c) Facilitate treatment for wastewater released from industries.

(d) Facilitate mangrove plantations along India’s coastline and on salt pan lands.

FYI:

— The volcano, known as Fagradalsfjall, is located on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwest Iceland. This is the third eruption from the Fagradalsfjall volcano in the last two years.

— Iceland is one of the most volcanically active regions on the planet because:

(i) Iceland sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (part of the longest mountain range in the world) in the North Atlantic Ocean, where the Eurasian and North American plates are moving apart a few centimetres every year.

(ii) The island sits over a hot zone (or hotspot, as mentioned before), which leads to enhanced volcanic activity in the region.

— It witnesses an eruption every four to five years. However, since 2021 the frequency has spiked to almost one eruption per year.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— Hormones are chemicals that coordinate different functions in your body by carrying messages through your blood to your organs, skin, muscles and other tissues.

— There are many different hormones in the body and an imbalance in any of them can cause a wide range of symptoms. For example, an imbalance in estrogen and progesterone can cause irregular periods, mood swings and hot flashes.

— A problem in endocrine glands like the pituitary, thyroid, ovary, adrenal or pancreas can disrupt the hormonal balance.” Such imbalance can cause:

(i) Unexplained and sometimes sudden weight loss or weight gain

(ii) Fatigue, muscle weakness and painful joints

(iii) Abnormal heart rate

(iv) Depression or anxiety

(v) Hair loss

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer

FYI:

— Water vapour condenses around tiny particles, forming the droplets that compose a cloud. These droplets collide and develop; when they accumulate and the cloud becomes saturated, it rains.

— Cloud seeding involves injecting clouds with salts such as silver iodide, potassium iodide, or sodium chloride, which serve as the ‘seed’.

— These salts are expected to provide additional nuclei around which more cloud droplets can form. They are dispersed into the cloud either using aircraft or through generators on the ground.

— The substance that is dispersed into the cloud needs to have cloud condensation nuclei and ice nuclei and these two come from two different salts.

— The cloud condensation nuclei help form cloud droplets, and ice nuclei help to form ice crystals. Ice crystals grow faster than drops, and they become large and fall.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— Irradiation does not make foods radioactive, compromise nutritional quality, or noticeably change the taste, texture, or appearance of food. In fact, any changes made by irradiation are so minimal that it is not easy to tell if a food has been irradiated.

— Food irradiation (the application of ionizing radiation to food) is a technology that improves the safety and extends the shelf life of foods by reducing or eliminating microorganisms and insects. Like pasteurizing milk and canning fruits and vegetables, irradiation can make food safer for the consumer. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for regulating the sources of radiation that are used to irradiate food.

— The FDA approves a source of radiation for use on foods only after it has determined that irradiating the food is safe.

Benefits of Irradiation

— Prevention of Foodborne Illness – to effectively eliminate organisms that cause foodborne illness, such as Salmonella and Escherichia coli (E. coli). Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Preservation – to destroy or inactivate organisms that cause spoilage and decomposition and extend the shelf life of foods.  Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— Control of Insects – to destroy insects in or on tropical fruits imported into the United States. Irradiation also decreases the need for other pest-control practices that may harm the fruit.

— Delay of Sprouting and Ripening – to inhibit sprouting (e.g., potatoes) and delay ripening of fruit to increase longevity.

— Sterilization – irradiation can be used to sterilize foods, which can then be stored for years without refrigeration. Sterilized foods are useful in hospitals for patients with severely impaired immune systems, such as patients with AIDS or undergoing chemotherapy.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: http://www.fda.gov)

FYI:

— MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes)

— This new program will facilitate mangrove plantations along India’s coastline and on salt pan lands.

— The programme will operate through “convergence between MGNREGS, Campa Fund and other sources

— This new programme will aim at the intensive afforestation of coastal mangrove forests.

— India has such forests on both its Eastern and Western coasts with the Sundarbans in Bengal being one of the largest mangrove forests on the planet.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 41)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 41)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 40)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 40)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 40)

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