Environment introduction
Qts1. Given below are two statements, one labelled as
Assertion (A) and other as the Reason (R).
Assertion (A) : Sustainable development is important for well being of human society.
Reason (R) : Sustainable development is a kind of development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Codes:
(a) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is correct explanation of (A)
(b) Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)
(c) (A) is true but (R) is false
(d) (A) is false but (R) is true
Ans. A
Sustainable development is important for well being of human society. Sustainable development has been defined in many ways. The most frequently quoted definition is from our common future, also known as the Brundtland Report : "Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their own needs".
Qts2. Environment refers to:
(a) The natural world of land, water, air, plants and animals that exist around it.
(b) The sum total of conditions which surround human beings at a given point of time.
(c) The interacting system of physical, biological and cultural elements which are interlinked.
(d) All the above
Ans. (d)
The word environment is derived from the French word 'Environ' which means to 'encircle or surround'. The environment is a very broad concept and involves everything that affects an organism during its lifetime. It is the totality of all social, biological, physical, and chemical elements individually as well as collectively that compose nature and human-made surroundings. It refers to the total of conditions which surround man at a given point in space and time. The environment is defined as the social, cultural and physical conditions that surround, affect and influence the survival, growth and development of people, animals or plants. As defined in the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, "environment includes water, air and land and the inter-relationship which exists among and between water, air and land, and human beings, other living creatures, plants, micro- organisms and property. Hence (d) is the correct answer,
Qts3. . Environment is a composite state of -
(a) Biotic factors
(b) Physiographic factors
(c) Abiotic factors
(d) All of the above.
Ans. (d)
The environment may be divided into biotic and abiotic environments. The biotic environment is made up of biotic factors, that is all living things in the environment. The abiotic or physical environment is made up of all the physical factors that affect organisms, e.g. temperature, light intensity, the amount of available water etc.
Qts4. Generally, environment can be classified as following categories. Which among the following is NOT a part of such category?
(a) Operational Environment
(b) Physical Environment
(c) Cultural Environment
(d) Biological Environment
Ans. (a)
Generally, environment can be classified as physical, cultural and biological environment. Physical environment includes landforms, water bodies, climate, soils, rocks, minerals, etc. Biological environment includes plants, animals, microorganisms, etc. whereas cultural environment include man-made features such as economical, social and political elements.
Qts5. Sustainable development is a matter of inter- generational sensibility in respect of the use of?
(a) Natural resources
(b) Material resources
(c) Industrial resources
(d) Social resources
Ans. (a)
The concept of sustainable development was emphasized by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), which defined it as 'Development that meets the need of the present generation without compromising the ability of the future generation to meet their needs. Sustainable development is a matter of inter- generational sensibility in respect of the use of natural resources. The main objective of sustainable development is the just and prudent use of natural resources, it's conservation and proper management. This term was explained in the WCED (World Commission on Environment and Development) report of 1987 titled "Our common future". Sustainable development was fully supported in the Agenda-21 (Rio Declaration) declared in Earth Summit held in 1992. Sustainable development was a prominent issue of the Johannesburg Summit 2002. Notably, the United Nations has identified 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which have to be realized by 2030. A Sustainable Development Index has also been initiated to measure the progress made by different nations in the direction of achieving these goals. Importantly India was ranked 120 out of 165 nations in Sustainable Development Index 2021.
Sustainable development Index-2021
Position/Rank. Country
1. Finland
2 Sweden
3 Denmark
4 Germany
5 Belgium
120 India
129 Pakistan
Qts 6. What is blue carbon?
(a) Carbon captured by oceans and coastal ecosystems
(b) Carbon sequestered in forest biomass and agricultural soils
(c) Carbon contained in petroleum and natural gas
(d) Carbon present in atmosphere
Ans. (a)
Blue carbon is simply the term for carbon captured by the world's ocean and coastal ecosystems.
Sea grasses, mangroves, and salt marshes along our coast "capture and hold" carbon, acting as something called a carbon sink.
These coastal systems, though much smaller in size than the planet's forests, sequester this carbon at a much faster rate, and can continue to do so for millions of years.
Qts7.'Saving energy and other resources for the future without sacrificing people's comfort in the present' is the definition of which of the following concepts?
(a) Economic growth
(b) Economic development
(c) Sustainable development
(d) Human development
Ans. (c)
Blue carbon is simply the term for carbon captured by the world's ocean and coastal ecosystems.
Sea grasses, mangroves, and salt marshes along our coast "capture and hold" carbon, acting as something called a carbon sink.
These coastal systems, though much smaller in size than the planet's forests, sequester this carbon at a much faster rate, and can continue to do so for millions of years.
Qts8 . The main role of solar radiation is in
(a) Carbon cycle
(b) Hydrogen cycle
(c) Water cycle
(d) Nitrogen cycle
Ans. (c)
The water cycle is driven primarily by the energy from the sun. This solar radiation drives the cycle by evaporating water from the oceans, lakes, rivers and even the soil. It forms water vapour and clouds, where water droplets eventually gain enough mass to fall back to earth. The water cycle is essentially a closed system, meaning that the volume of water that is in the hydrosphere today is the same amount of water that has always been present in the earth system.
Qts9. Which one of the following is not the objective of smart city development?
(a) Good governance
(b) Clean green city
(c) Stabilizing quality of life
(d) Smart mobility
Ans. (c)
The Smart City Mission is an innovative and new initiative by the Government of India to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life of people by enabling local development and harnessing technology as a means to create smart outcomes for citizens.
The core infrastructure elements of the mission are-
- Adequate water supply.
- Assured electricity supply.
- Sanitation including solid waste management.
- Efficient urban mobility and public transport.
- Affordable housing, especially for the poor.
- Robust IT connectivity and digitalization.
- Good Governance, especially e-Governance and people's participation.
- Sustainable environment.
- Safety and security of citizens, particularly women, children and the elderly.
- Health and Education.
Qts10 . What is the thin layer of gases around the earth called?
(a) Biosphere
(b) Water particle
(d) Hydrosphere
Ans. (c)
The thin layer of gases surrounding the earth is called the atmosphere. The majority of the Earth's atmosphere consists of a high amount of Nitrogen, along with smaller amounts of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide.
Qts11. Air is a/an:
(a) Compound
(b) Element
(c) Mixture
(d) Electrolyte
Ans. (c)
Air is a mixture of gases. By volume, about 78% of this mixture is nitrogen and about 21% is oxygen. Carbon dioxide, argon, methane, ozone and water vapour are also present in very small quantities.
Qts12. Percentage of Nitrogen in dry air -
(a) 21%
(b) 27%
(c) 50%
(d) 78%
Ans. (d)
The air around us is a mixture of gases, mainly Nitrogen and Oxygen, but containing much smaller amounts of water vapour, Argon, and Carbon Dioxide and very small amounts of other gases.
Gas-percentage
Nitrogen (N2) -78.08%
Oxygen (O2)-20.95%
Argon (Ar)-0.93%
Carbon Dioxide (Co2)-0.036%
Neon (Ne)-0.002%
Helium (He)-0.0005%
Krypton-0.001%
Xenon-0.00009%
Hydrogen-0.00005%
Qts13. If all the plants and trees vanish from the earth, the gas which will decrease is -
(a) Carbon dioxide
(b) Nitrogen
(c) Water vapour
(d) Oxygen
Ans. (d)
We need oxygen to survive and we depend on trees to provide this oxygen. To make food for themselves, trees go through a process known as photosynthesis where they take in carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen back into the atmosphere. Hence option (d) is the correct answer.
Qts14. Consider the following:
1. Photosynthesis
2. Respiration
3. Decay of organic matter
4. Volcanic action
Which of the above add carbon dioxide to the carbon cycle on Earth?
(a) 1 and 4
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 2, 3 and 4
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Ans: C
The decay of organic matter, volcanic action, respiration and burning of fossil fuel etc contribute carbon dioxide to the carbon cycle, whereas plants use carbon dioxide in the process of photosynthesis. Thus plants do not add carbon dioxide to the carbon cycle rather they release oxygen and consume carbon dioxide. Three natural allotropes of elemental carbon are - fullerene, graphite and diamond. Besides, as a compound, it is found as carbon dioxide, carbonate and Hydrogen carbonate.
Qts15. The concept of weathering relates to
(a) Deposition of decomposed material
(b) Change in weather conditions day to day
(c) Natural process leading to the decomposition of rocks
(d) None of the above
Ans. (c)
Weathering is defined as mechanical disintegration and chemical decomposition of rocks through the actions of various elements of weather and climate. Weathering processes are conditioned by many complex geological, climatic, topographic and vegetative factors.
Qts16. Eco-Mark is given to an Indian product which is -
(a) Pure and unadulterated
(b) Rich in protein
(c) Environment-friendly
(d) Economically viable
Ans. (c)
Eco-mark is a certification mark issued by the Bureau of Indian Standards (The National Standards Organization of India) to products conforming to a set of standards aimed at ensuring the least impact on the ecosystem. The marking scheme was started in 1991.
Qts17. Sustainable agriculture means:
(a) Self-sufficiency
(b) To be able to export and import under WTO norms
(c) To utilize land so that its quality remains intact
(d) To utilize Wasteland for agricultural purposes
Ans. (c)
Sustainable agriculture is the production of food, fibre or other
plants or other animal products using farming techniques that
protect the environment, public health, human communities and animal welfare. In short, it is proper utilization of the land without affecting the environment so that it's quality remain intact. Use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has
adversely affected soil health. To cope up with this, National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) has been formulated for enhancing agricultural productivity, water use efficiency, promoting nutrient livelihood diversification development pathways. management, and through the adoption of sustainable development paths
Qts18. Given below are two statements -
Assertion (A): Natural vegetation is the true index of climate.
Reason (R) : Water-loving plants are found in a moist climate.
In the context of the above, which one of the following is correct?
Codes:
(a) Both statements are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(b) Both statements are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(c) (A) is true, but (R) is false.
(d) (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Ans. (a)
Natural vegetation is the true index of climate and an increase in the quantity of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere also affects the natural vegetation. Water-loving or Aquatic plants are those which are found mostly in muddy land and near the ponds. They are found in the moist climate. Reduction of moisture in the atmosphere results in the erosion of such plants. Hence both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are correct and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A)
QTS 19. Many transplanted seedlings do not grow because
(a) The new soil does not contain favourable minerals
(b) Most of the root hairs grip the new soil too hard
(c) Most of the root hairs are lost during transplantation
(d) Leaves get damaged during transplantation
Ans. (c)
Many transplanted seedlings do not grow because most of the root hairs are lost during transplantation. The function of root hairs is to collect water and mineral nutrients present in the soil and take this solution up through the roots to the rest of the plant. These are made up of cellulose and nominal Pectin which helps it as a gelling agent with the soil. Another reason is the use of fertilizers which increases the concentrations of the soil and make it difficult for plants to absorb water. This situation causes plant cells causing the leaves turn brown.
QTS20 . Environmental degradation means
(a) Overall degradation of environmental attributes.
(b) Adverse changes brought in by human activities.
(c) Ecological imbalance because of ecological diversity.
(d) All the above.
Ans. (d)
Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as air, water and soil. Environmental degradation is either natural or by human beings. Hence (d) is correct answer
QTS 21. Which of the following is related to Ecological Balance?
1. Forest Policy
2. Environment (Protection) Act
3. Industrial Policy
4. Educational Policy
Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(a) 1 & 2
(b) 2 & 3
(c) 1,2 & 3
(d) All the above
Ans. (d)
Protection of the ecological balance is directly related to the Forest Policy and the Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986. While Industrial Policy and Education Policy also include the environmental approach. Thus the four policies mentioned in question could be considered as being related to the protection of ecological balance
QTS 22. Concerning 'Global Environment facility the following statement/s is/are correct?
(a) It serves as the financial mechanism for 'Convention on Biological Diversity' and 'United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change'
(b) It undertakes scientific research on environmental issues at the global level
(c) It is an agency under OECD to facilitate the transfer of technology and funds to underdeveloped countries with a specific aim to protect their environment
(d) Both (a) and (b)
Ans. (a)
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) was established on the eve of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit to help tackle our planet's most pressing environmental problems. GEF is an international partnership of 184 countries and 18 implementing agencies that address global environmental issues. It is a financial mechanism for five major international conventions: the Minamata Convention on Mercury, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. GEF supports multi-stakeholder alliance to preserve threatened ecosystems on land and in the oceans, build green cities, boost food security for a more prosperous, climate resilient world. Carlos Manuel Rodriguez is presently the
Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility.
QTS23 . With reference to the circumstances in Indian agriculture, the concept of "Conservation Agriculture" assumes significance. Which of the following fall under the Conservation Agriculture?
1. Avoiding monoculture practices.
2. Adopting minimum tillage.
3. Avoiding the cultivation of plantation crops.
4. Using crop residues to cover the soil surface.
5. Adopting spatial and temporal crop sequencing/crop rotations.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1, 3 and 4
(b) 2, 3, 4 and 5
(c) 2, 4 and 5
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 5
Ans. (c)
Conservation Agriculture (CA) can be defined by a statement given by the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations as "a concept for resource-saving agricultural crop production that strives to achieve acceptable profits together with high and sustained production level while concurrently conserving the environment."
Minimum tillage and soil disturbance.
Permanent soil cover with crop residues and live mulches.
Crop rotation and intercropping are the principles of Conservation Agriculture.
QTS24 . Which one of the following is the best strategy for environment-friendly sustainable development in Indian agriculture?
(a) Expansion of cultivable land, increased use of superphosphate, urea and effective biocides
(b) Wider popularization of high-yielding crop varieties, better aid, more frequent irrigation and increased frequency of aerial span of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides
(c) Mixed cropping, organic manures, nitrogen-fixing plants and pest-resistant crop varieties
(d) Improved farm implements and machinery, use of potent insecticides to minimize post-harvest grain losses and monoculture cropping practices
Ans. (c)
Mixed cropping, organic manures, nitrogen-fixing plants and pest resistant crop varieties are the best strategy for environment-friendly sustainable development in Indian agriculture.
QTS 25 . Consider the following statements and select the correct answer from the codes given below:
Assertion (A): India is a case of an over-urbanised country.
Reason (R) : Most of the large cities in India do not have adequate infrastructure.
Codes:
(a) Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) explains (A).
(b) Both (A) and (R) are correct but (R) does not explain (A).
(c) (A) is true but (R) is false.
(d) (A) is false but (R) is true.
Ans. (d)
According to the census of 2011 approximately 121 crore people (68.9%) still live in rural areas as compared to 37.7 crores (31.1%) people living in the urban areas. Although the rate of urbanization in India is high yet the process lacks solutions to provide basic infrastructural amenities like Drinking Water, Transport, Sanitation, Electricity, etc.