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.

With reference to the seabuckthorn, consider the following statements:

1. It is locally called chharma.

2. In India, it is found above the tree line in the Himalayan region.

3. It is a shrub which produces an orange-yellow coloured edible berry.

4. It is used for treating skin problems.

The above mentioned statements refer to:

(a) Forsythia

(b) Seabuckthorn

(c) Bougainvillea

(d) Barberries

With reference to the Agni-5 missiles, consider the following statements:

1. It is a long-range missile developed indigenously by the Defence Research and Development Organisation.

2. The latest variant of Agni-5 missile is equipped with MIRV (Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle) technology.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Nechiphu, Bomdila and Sela were in the news recently. They are associated with:

(a) Districts of northeast India

(b) Wildlife Sanctuary in Tripura

(c) National Park in Arunachal Pradesh

(d) Passes in northeast India

Kuno National Park was in the news recently. The park is located in:

(a) Gujarat

(b) Andhra Pradesh

(c) Madhya Pradesh

(d) Uttarakhand

Which of the following states have declared man-animal conflict as a state-specific disaster?

(a) Maharashtra

(b) Uttarakhand

(c) Gujarat

(d) Kerala

FYI:

— Seabuckthorn is a shrub which produces an orange-yellow coloured edible berry.

— In India, it is found above the tree line in the Himalayan region, generally in dry areas such as the cold deserts of Ladakh and Spiti.

— In Himachal Pradesh, it is locally called chharma and grows in the wild in Lahaul and Spiti and parts of Kinnaur.

— According to the Seabuckthorn Association of India, around 15,000 hectares in Himachal, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh are covered by this plant.

— Seabuckthorn has been widely used for treating stomach, heart and skin problems.

— Its fruit and leaves are rich in vitamins, carotenoids and omega fatty acids, among other substances, and it can help troops in acclimatising to high-altitude.

— Seabuckthorn is a soil-binding plant that prevents soil erosion, checks siltation in rivers, and aids in the preservation of floral biodiversity.

— Seabuckthorn also has commercial value, as it is used in making juices, jams, nutritional capsules etc.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— India announced the successful testing of an Agni missile capable of carrying multiple warheads meant to hit multiple targets simultaneously. The success of Mission Divyastra, as the test was named, was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

— Agni is a long-range missile developed indigenously by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, DRDO. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— This latest variant of the missile is equipped with what is known as MIRV (Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle) technology. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— The MIRV can target multiple targets that can be hundreds of kilometers apart with a single missile.

— As of now, the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom are known to have MIRV-equipped missiles. These missiles can be launched from land or from sea from a submarine.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— The Sela Tunnel, “dedicated to the nation” by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is an important border infrastructure project that facilitates faster military mobility near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) by connecting Guwahati to the strategically important Tawang region year-round.

— It is constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) at an altitude of around 13,000 feet and a cost of Rs 825 crore.

— The construction of the tunnel was aimed at providing all-weather connectivity to Tawang across Sela Pass on the Balipara-Chariduar-Tawang (BCT) Road, which connects Tezpur in Assam to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.

— Tezpur is the home of the Indian Army’s IV Corps which looks after Assam and western Arunachal Pradesh.

— The operational Tezpur to Tawang route has three major passes – Nechiphu, Bomdila and Sela.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— As part of the government’s Project Cheetah, twenty cheetahs were transported to Kuno in September 2022 from South Africa and Namibia. 13 cubs have been born since January of this year, which has pleased officials, despite the fact that seven of those have died since March 2023. There are 26 cheetahs in Kuno National Park as of right now.

— The 13 cubs in Kuno include the five given birth to by Gamini, four born to the Namibian cheetah named Jwala and three to the one named Aasha – both in January.

— Kuno National Park is located in Madhya Pradesh.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— Kerala became the first state in the nation to declare man-animal conflict a state-specific disaster in response to the increasing number of animal attacks that were killing people and the growing public outrage surrounding them.

— Currently, the forest department is responsible for regulating man-animal conflict in accordance with the Wild Life Protection Act. When a situation is deemed a state-specific disaster, the responsibility for dealing with it transfers to the state disaster management authority, which, backed by the Disaster Management Act, can take faster and more decisive action.

— At the state level, the Chief Minister is the ex officio chairman of the body, and several departments, including the forest department, are stakeholders. In the districts, the district disaster management authority is headed by the district collector, who is also the executive magistrate.

— Once an issue is declared a state-specific disaster or a national disaster, the disaster management authority can take quick decisions and actions overriding all other norms. Also, district collectors can directly intervene in their capacity as the chairman of the district disaster body.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 49)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 49)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 48)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 48)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 48)

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