HPAS Prelims 2017 General Studies Paper I with Answers & Explanations

Explanation

The Bara Bhangal Valley is situated in the northern part of the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. This mountainous and geographically isolated region lies between the Dhauladhar range and the Pir Panjal range. It is deep in the Ravi River basin, where the river originates from the confluence of the Bhadal and Tantgiri glacial streams. Due to its location between these two major Himalayan ranges, it remains one of the most rugged and least accessible valleys in the state.

Explanation

The Trans-Himalayan Zone, comprising Lahaul | Spiti (HP's largest district at ~13,835 sq km) and Kinnaur, accounts for approximately 36% of HP's total geographical area of 55,673 sq km — the largest share among all Himalayan zones. The other zones (Sub-Himalayan, Mid-Hill, and High Hill) each cover a smaller proportion of the state.

Explanation

Shingo La is a high-altitude mountain pass situated at an elevation of approximately 5091 meters on the border between the Lahaul region of Himachal Pradesh and the Zanskar valley of Ladakh. Because it directly connects these two regions across the Great Himalayas, it is also commonly referred to as the Zanskar Pass.

Explanation

The Yamuna River, which originates from the Yamunotri glacier in the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand, enters the state of Himachal Pradesh at Khodarmanjari (also known as Khadar Majri) in the Sirmaur district. It is the easternmost river of Himachal Pradesh, flowing for approximately 22 km on the boundary of the Sirmaur district, where it separates the Kiarda Dun valley from Dehradun in Uttarakhand.

Explanation

The Pajhota Andolan was launched in October 1942 in the Pajhota region of the princely state of Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh, functioning as a regional extension of the Quit India Movement. This agrarian uprising was organized under the aegis of the Pajhota Kisan Sabha, which was established during a meeting of local farmers in the village of Jadol-Taproli. Shri Lakshmi Singh of Kotla-Baghi village was elected as the President of this Kisan Sabha, while Vaid Surat Singh of Katogada was appointed as its Secretary. During its formation, the members took a solemn oath of mutual cooperation and solidarity known as Lote-Nun by tasting salt water from a brass pot (lota). The movement actively protested against tyrannical state rule, forced labor, and unfair agricultural policies.

Explanation

The Praja Mandal Movement was initiated in the princely states of Himachal Pradesh to struggle against the autocratic and oppressive rule of local hill rulers. Unlike the freedom movement in directly British-ruled Indian territories which sought complete independence, the primary objective of the Praja Mandal Movement in these princely states was to secure socio-political reforms, eliminate feudal practices such as the begar (forced labor) system, and achieve the democratisation of the administration. The movement aimed to make the administrative machinery accountable to the public and introduce democratic institutions and representative governance.

Explanation

Under the Constitution of India, which came into force on January 26, 1950, Himachal Pradesh was established as a Part C state. The first general elections under this new democratic Constitution were conducted across the country in 1951–52. Himachal Pradesh participated in these historic first elections to elect its representatives to the Parliament of India as well as its own Legislative Assembly. The elections for the 36-member Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly were concluded in 1952, culminating in the formation of the first popular, elected government in the state with Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar taking oath as the first Chief Minister on March 8, 1952.

Explanation

Tabo Monastery is located in the Tabo village of Spiti Valley in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh. It was founded in 996 AD by the Western Tibetan king and royal lama Yeshe-O, often referred to as Ye-Sashoad, who ruled the kingdom of Guge. The monastery was built with the assistance of the great scholar and translator Rinchen Zangpo to promote and spread Mahayana Buddhism in the region. It is recognized as one of the oldest continuously operating Buddhist enclaves in India and the Himalayas.

Explanation

Jagatsukh, originally known as Nast, was the ancient capital of the Kullu state. It was established as the initial capital of the kingdom by its founder, Raja Vihangamani Pal. The earliest Rajas of the Pal dynasty ruled the kingdom from Jagatsukh for twelve generations. The capital was eventually shifted from Jagatsukh to Naggar during the reign of Raja Visudh Pal.

Explanation

Raja Mahan Chand of Bilaspur (Kahlur), in alliance with the rulers of Mandi, Chamba, and other small hill states of the Kangra area, invited the Gurkha Army Chief Amar Singh Thapa to invade Kangra in 1804. This joint invitation was extended to counter the aggressive expansionist policies of Raja Sansar Chand of Kangra, who had seized territories belonging to neighbouring hill states, including the invasion of Bilaspur in 1794. Following this invitation, Amar Singh Thapa led the Gurkha forces across the Satluj river and decisively defeated Sansar Chand at the Battle of Mahal Morian in 1806.

Explanation

During the Second Anglo-Sikh War in 1848, the rulers of several Punjab hill states, including the Wazir of Nurpur (Ram Singh Pathania), Pramod Chand of Kangra, and the Rajas of Jaswan and Datarpur, rose in rebellion against British rule in an attempt to regain their annexed territories.

Sir John Lawrence, who was then serving as the Commissioner of the Trans-Sutlej States (Jullundur Doab), swiftly and decisively suppressed this rebellion. Under his command, British forces defeated the rebels, dismantled their fortified positions, and captured the leaders. Following the suppression, Pramod Chand and the Rajas of Jaswan and Datarpur were arrested and exiled to Almora, while Ram Singh Pathania was captured and sent to Singapore, ending the localized uprising.

Explanation

Madho Rai (Lord Madhav Rai) is the presiding deity of Mandi town, not Kullu. The 'Jaleb' — a grand assembly procession of hundreds of regional deities before Madho Rai — is the signature event of the Mandi Shivratri Fair, making Shivratri the correct answer. Kullu Dussehra, by contrast, is presided over by Lord Raghunathji.

Explanation

The temple situated on the banks of Parashar Lake, dedicated to Sage Parashar, is built in the traditional three-tiered pagoda architectural style. Located in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, this architectural marvel was constructed in the 14th century by Raja Ban Sen of Mandi. The entire structure is crafted from wood and stone without using any nails, showcasing exquisite Himachali wood carvings and a tiered slate roof.

Explanation

Dohru is a traditional handwoven woollen wrap-around dress worn by the women of the Kinnaur district in Himachal Pradesh. It is specially designed to withstand the cold climate of the high-altitude Himalayan region. The dress is draped in a specific manner where the first wrap is placed on the back, allowing the intricately embroidered borders to run vertically down to the heels, typically made using darker shades of sheep wool.

Explanation

The Shongtong-Karcham Hydroelectric Project is an under-construction run-of-the-river power generation facility on the Satluj river, located in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. Developed by the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL), the project has a total installed capacity of 450 MW. It features three generating units of 150 MW each equipped with vertical axis Francis turbines. The barrage of the project is located near Powari village and the underground power house is near Ralli village.

Explanation

The Central Government in 2011 sanctioned an initial instalment of Rs. 80 lakh under the Snow Leopard Conservation Project for establishing a dedicated high-altitude Snow Leopard Research Centre at Kibber in the Lahaul and Spiti district. Prepared in collaboration with the Nature Conservation Foundation, this research facility at Kibber was envisioned as a state-of-the-art center to study and protect the endangered snow leopard population in its trans-Himalayan habitat. Kibber, situated at an altitude of over 4,200 meters in the Spiti Valley, provides an ideal natural habitat for snow leopards and their prey species, making it the perfect location for this conservation initiative.

Explanation

The Government of Himachal Pradesh adopted the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) in the year 2013. RUSA was launched nationally in October 2013 as a centrally sponsored scheme by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. The program aims to improve the overall quality of state institutions by ensuring conformity to prescribed norms and standards, promoting academic and administrative reforms, and providing strategic funding to eligible state higher educational institutions to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio.

Explanation

Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar, the first Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, authored the book Polyandry in the Himalayas, which was published in 1975. The book is a revised version of his PhD thesis submitted to Lucknow University in 1944. It provides an in-depth anthropological and sociological study of the fraternal polyandrous marriage systems prevalent in the tribal and remote hilly regions of the Western Himalayas, such as Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, and Sirmaur. He explored how the custom evolved as a socio-economic mechanism to prevent the fragmentation of agricultural landholdings and sustain families in the challenging terrain of the hills.

Explanation

The Durand Cup was founded in 1888 by Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, who served as the Foreign Secretary of British India. The inaugural edition of this historic tournament was played at the picturesque Annadale Ground in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. It holds the distinction of being the oldest football tournament in Asia and the third oldest surviving national football competition in the world.

Explanation

The Mushroom Development Project in Palampur, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, was launched in 1985 as the Indo-Dutch Mushroom Development Project. This initiative was undertaken to introduce advanced Dutch technology in commercial mushroom cultivation.

Under this project, a bulk pasteurization unit with a production capacity of 1000 metric tonnes of compost was established in Palampur to assist local, registered mushroom growers in the region. The technology transfer from the Netherlands aimed at modernizing cultivation on scientific lines, and the project became fully operational in 1992.

Explanation

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2017 was awarded jointly to Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank, and Richard Henderson for developing cryo-electron microscopy for the high-resolution structure determination of biomolecules in solution. This revolutionary technology allows researchers to freeze biomolecules mid-movement and visualize processes at atomic resolution, which has greatly advanced both the basic understanding of life's chemistry and the development of pharmaceuticals.

Explanation

Garbine Muguruza won the Women's Singles title at the 2017 Wimbledon Championships. In the final, she defeated Venus Williams in straight sets, 7-5, 6-0, to claim her first Wimbledon title and second Grand Slam singles title overall.

Explanation

Halimah Yacob became Singapore's eighth president and its first female president in September 2017. She secured the position after being declared the sole eligible candidate in the reserved presidential election of 2017. Before assuming the presidency, she had also served as the first female Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore from 2013 to 2017.

Explanation

In October 2017, Jagmeet Singh made history by being elected as the leader of Canada's New Democratic Party (NDP). He won the leadership election on the first ballot, securing over 53% of the vote. This victory made him the first member of a visible minority group to lead a major federal political party in Canada.

Explanation

In 2017, Sri Lanka formally handed over the strategic southern port of Hambantota to China on a 99-year lease, giving China Merchants Port Holdings a 70% majority stake in the port. Geographically, Hambantota is located on the southern tip of Sri Lanka, directly straddling the world's busiest east-west shipping route that connects the Malacca Strait with the Suez Canal and carries a major portion of global maritime container traffic. This transfer of control to a state-controlled Chinese firm created immense security worries for India, as it is viewed as a key element of China's String of Pearls strategy to project naval power and surround India in the Indian Ocean region.

Explanation

Surabhi C.M., also known as Surabhi Lakshmi, was awarded the Best Actress award at the 64th National Film Awards. She received this prestigious honour for her exceptional performance in the Malayalam feature film Minnaminungu (The Firefly), where she portrayed the role of a struggling, nameless middle-aged single mother.

Explanation

Sachidanand Vatsyayan matches with Hindi Poet as he was a highly influential twentieth-century Hindi writer, poet, novelist, and journalist, famously known by his pen name Agyeya.

Aryabhatta matches with Astronomer because he was a seminal mathematician-astronomer from the classical age of Indian mathematics and astronomy, known for calculating the value of pi and formulating planetary motion theories.

Ayyankali matches with Harijan leader as he was a revolutionary social reformer in the princely state of Travancore who dedicated his life to the emancipation, education, and social rights of the oppressed classes and Dalits.

M. Fatima Beevi matches with Judge since she made history in 1989 by becoming the first female judge appointed to the Supreme Court of India.

Explanation

Sachin Tendulkar was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor, in 2014. He became the first sportsperson, as well as the youngest recipient, to receive this prestigious award in recognition of his historic achievements and unparalleled contributions to the game of cricket.

Explanation

In January 2018, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment of renowned scientist K. Sivan as the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Secretary of the Department of Space. He succeeded A. S. Kiran Kumar in this role, after previously serving as the Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.

Explanation

Indu Malhotra is the first woman advocate to be recommended by the Supreme Court collegium and elevated directly from the Bar to become a Judge of the Supreme Court of India. Recommended in early 2018, she made history when she was sworn in as a Supreme Court judge on April 27, 2018. Prior to her judicial elevation, she was also only the second woman in the history of the apex court to be designated as a Senior Advocate, after practicing as a prominent counsel specializing in arbitration law since 1983.

Explanation

Granville Austin, an eminent American historian of the Indian Constitution, made this observation in his classic work, The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation, published in 1966. He highlighted that during the framing of the Constitution, the Indian National Congress held an overwhelming majority in the provincial legislative assemblies that served as the electorate for the Constituent Assembly. Because of this political landscape, the debates and decisions within the Assembly were predominantly shaped by the leaders and internal consensus-building mechanisms of the Congress party, which at the time represented a broad coalition of diverse socio-political interests across the nation.

Explanation

The Child and the State in India is a seminal work by Myron Weiner published in 1991, which analyzes child labor and educational policies in India.

The Hindu Nationalist Movement and Indian Politics was written by Christophe Jaffrelot in 1996, providing a detailed analysis of the growth of Hindu nationalism.

The Political Economy of Development in India is a classic text by Pranab Bardhan published in 1984, which discusses the role of public investment and interest groups in India's development.

Poverty Amid Plenty in the New India is a book by Atul Kohli published in 2012, investigating the relationship between rapid economic growth and persistent inequality.

Explanation

In the Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala case (1973), a historic 13-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court of India, by a majority of 7:6, propounded the doctrine of the basic structure of the Constitution. The Court ruled that while Parliament has the power to amend any part of the Constitution under Article 368, including the Fundamental Rights, it cannot use this power to alter, damage, or destroy the essential features or basic structure of the Constitution.

Explanation

The Cauvery River basin drainage area covers parts of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and the Union Territory of Puducherry. The dispute regarding the sharing of Cauvery water has historically involved these four entities, arising from the implementation of agreements signed in 1892 and 1924 between the erstwhile Madras Presidency and the Kingdom of Mysore. In 1990, the Government of India established the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal to resolve the allocation issues among Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry.

Explanation

The landmark judgment of the Supreme Court in Indira Sawhney Vs. Union of India (1992), widely known as the Mandal Case, dealt with the implementation of the Mandal Commission's recommendation to provide 27% reservation in government jobs for Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The nine-judge constitution bench upheld the constitutional validity of this 27% quota for OBCs, while introducing the concept of the creamy layer to exclude wealthier individuals of the backward classes from receiving these benefits.

Explanation

C.H. Hanumantha Rao Committee on District Planning submitted its report in 1984.

C.V.K. Rao Committee on Administrative Arrangement for Rural Development and Poverty Alleviation Programmes was set up in 1985.

Ashok Mehta Committee on Panchayati Raj Institutions submitted its report in 1978.

L.M. Singhvi Committee on Revitalisation of Panchayati Raj Institutions for Democracy and Development was appointed in 1986.

Explanation

The N.N. Vohra Committee was established by the Government of India in July 1993 following the March 1993 Bombay serial blasts. Headed by the former Union Home Secretary N.N. Vohra, the committee was specifically tasked with examining the growing criminalisation of politics and investigating the deep-rooted nexus among politicians, bureaucrats, and criminal gangs or mafia syndicates. Its focus was on internal security and the unholy alliance between criminals and public officials, rather than proposing comprehensive electoral reforms.

Explanation

Professor Raj Krishna, an eminent Indian economist, coined the term "Dharmshala Capitalism" in 1978. He used this satirical phrase alongside his famous term "Hindu rate of growth" to describe and critique India's slow pace of economic growth in the post-independence decades. Under the restrictive state-controlled regulatory regime, India's annual growth rate remained stagnant around 3.5%, which Raj Krishna compared to the slow, protective, and non-competitive nature of a dharamshala.

Explanation

The University Grants Commission is a statutory organization established by the Parliament of India under the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, to coordinate, determine, and maintain the standards of higher education in the country.

The Railway Board is a statutory body constituted under the Indian Railway Board Act, 1905, tasked with the administration and executive control of the railway network in India.

The Atomic Energy Commission is a statutory body originally set up under the Atomic Energy Act, 1948, which derives its regulatory and administrative powers from the provisions of the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, to oversee atomic energy development and research.

Explanation

Under the Interim Government formed on 2 September 1946, the Viceroy's Executive Council functioned as the executive branch. The Viceroy of India continued to serve as the official President and Head of the Executive Council. Jawaharlal Nehru was designated as the Vice-President of the Council. While Nehru exercised the powers of a de facto leader, he did not hold the official title of Prime Minister or Head of the Executive Council.

Explanation

Granville Austin, in his seminal work 'The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation' (1966), described India's federal structure as a new and uniquely cooperative form of federation designed to address India's particular socio-political needs. This attribution is consistent across standard Indian polity references and is not associated with Alexanderowicz, whose work focused on international law.

Explanation

The Adi Ambedkar Samaj movement is historically associated with the state of Punjab. It emerged as a socio-religious reform movement among the marginalized Dalits of the region, drawing significant inspiration from the ideals and teachings of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. Closely linked with the Ad-Dharm movement in Punjab, it sought to secure social equality, human dignity, and political representation for the downtrodden classes while challenging the orthodox caste hierarchies of the time.

Explanation

The Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI(M), emerged as a separate political party in 1964. This development was the culmination of intensifying ideological and tactical differences within the undivided Communist Party of India (CPI). The internal rift deepened over issues such as the Sino-Soviet ideological split, the party's attitude toward the ruling Indian National Congress, and differing perspectives on the 1962 Sino-Indian War. The formal split was finalized during the Seventh Congress held in Calcutta from October 31 to November 7, 1964, where the breakaway faction drafted its own program and established the CPI(M) as an independent entity.

Explanation

Rajni Kothari, a prominent Indian political scientist and founder of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, described the critical and creative role of politics in India as the Indian model of development. In his seminal work, Politics in India, published in 1970, he analyzed how the democratic framework and political processes in India were not mere reflections of the existing social structure but served as the primary, active agents of social and economic transformation. He argued that the state-led integration of democratic ideology, social mobilization, and political participation allowed India to transition from a traditionally apolitical society into a modern democratic nation, thereby establishing a unique model where politics played a creative, nation-building role rather than a secondary one.

Explanation

The Millennium Development Goals Report corresponds to the year 2011. The National Commission for Women was established on 31 January 1992 as a statutory body under the National Commission for Women Act of 1990 to protect and safeguard the constitutional and legal rights of women. The Ministry of Women and Child Development was upgraded to a separate and independent ministry on 30 January 2006, having previously functioned as a department under the Ministry of Human Resource Development since 1985. The National Mission for Empowerment of Women was launched on International Women's Day on 8 March 2010 to strengthen inter-sectoral convergence and facilitate the coordination of women's welfare and socio-economic development programs. This matches the events to their respective years as (iv), (iii), (ii), and (i).

Explanation

The Montague-Chelmsford Reforms, which formed the basis of the Government of India Act 1919, were introduced in 1919. Named after Edwin Montagu, the Secretary of State for India, and Lord Chelmsford, the Viceroy of India, these reforms introduced the system of dyarchy in the provincial governments, dividing subjects of administration into transferred and reserved categories, and established a bicameral legislature at the central level.

Explanation

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was born on 14 April 1891 in the military cantonment town of Mhow in the Central Provinces (present-day Madhya Pradesh). His father, Ramji Maloji Sakpal, was serving as a Subedar in the British Indian Army and was stationed at the Mhow cantonment at the time of his birth. Mhow was subsequently renamed Dr. Ambedkar Nagar in 2003 by the Government of Madhya Pradesh to honour his legacy.

Explanation

Amritlal Vithaldas Thakkar, popularly known as Thakkar Bapa, was a pioneering social worker who dedicated his life to the upliftment of tribal communities and downtrodden sections of society. As a prominent member of the Servants of India Society, he worked extensively in remote tribal areas to improve education, healthcare, and economic conditions.

In 1922, he founded the Bhil Seva Mandal in Gujarat to address the severe distress faced by the Bhil tribe. He later established the Bharatiya Adimjati Sevak Sangh in 1948 to expand tribal welfare activities across the country. During the drafting of the Indian Constitution, he served as the chairman of the Excluded and Partially Excluded Areas (Other than Assam) Sub-Committee, ensuring that tribal rights and safeguards were systematically integrated into the national framework.

Explanation

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, commonly known as Veer Savarkar, was an Indian nationalist, politician, and activist who was never associated with the Indian National Congress. Throughout his political career, he remained a staunch critic of the Congress party's philosophy and methods. Instead of aligning with the Congress, he formulated the political ideology of Hindutva and served as a leading figure and president of the Hindu Mahasabha. He also founded the revolutionary secret organization known as the Abhinav Bharat Society.

Explanation

Mukund Ramrao Jayakar was an eminent jurist, lawyer, and liberal politician who was not associated with the socialist movement. He played a key role in the Swaraj Party, the Indian National Liberal Federation, and the Hindu Mahasabha. His political career was defined by moderate constitutionalism, legal reform, and liberal-nationalist ideology, rather than any socialist affiliations.

Explanation

As the first Law Minister of independent India, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar drafted the Hindu Code Bill to reform and codify Hindu personal laws. The bill aimed to modernize Hindu society by ensuring gender equality, giving women equal rights to property, and introducing provisions for legal monogamy, divorce, and adoption. Due to strong opposition from conservative factions inside and outside the Parliament, the bill could not be passed in its entirety at the time, which led to Dr. Ambedkar resigning from his post as Law Minister in September 1951.

Explanation

Olivine, Pyroxene, and Quartz are rock-forming minerals, not igneous rocks, even though they occur as components within igneous rocks. Basalt is the only true igneous rock in this list; since the question asks which 'igneous rock' has the highest density, Basalt is the only valid answer by classification.

Explanation

Slate is a fine-grained, foliated metamorphic rock that is formed through the low-grade metamorphism of sedimentary parent rocks such as shale, mudstone, or siltstone. Sandstone, on the other hand, typically undergoes metamorphism under heat and pressure to transform into quartzite, not slate. Thus, slate and sandstone do not share a parent-to-metamorphic rock relationship.

Explanation

Earth completes one rotation on its axis in approximately 24 hours (specifically 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds). This rotation period is shorter than the rotation periods of Mars (24.6 hours), Mercury (58.6 Earth days), and Venus (243 Earth days).

Explanation

An outwash plain, also known as a sandur, is a broad, flat area formed by the deposition of sediments carried by meltwater streams flowing away from the snout of a glacier. As a glacier melts, the resulting meltwater transports large quantities of eroded material, such as sand, gravel, and silt. Due to a decrease in water velocity as it moves away from the ice margin, these sediments are deposited in a stratified manner, creating a vast plain ahead of the glacier.

Explanation

The Aleutian Islands are situated along the boundary where the Pacific Plate subducts beneath the North American Plate, forming a major volcanic arc within the Pacific Ring of Fire. This tectonic activity creates an exceptionally dense concentration of volcanoes, with over 40 historically active and dozens of potentially active ones lining the 1,900-kilometer chain. This active subduction zone is responsible for generating continuous magmatic activity, making this archipelago one of the most volcanically active regions on Earth.

Explanation

William Morris Davis formulated the concept of the Geographical Cycle, commonly referred to as the Normal Cycle of Erosion, in 1899. He defined it as a period of time during which an uplifted landmass undergoes transformation by the action of running water, passing through a sequence of developmental stages—youth, maturity, and old age—to ultimately reduce the landscape to a featureless plain called a peneplain. Davis designated the cycle driven by running water in a humid temperate climate as the normal cycle because running water is the most widespread and dominant geomorphic agent on the Earth's surface.

Explanation

A ria is a coastal landform formed by the submergence of an unglaciated river valley due to a rise in sea level or a fall in land level. When sea levels rise, the lower portion of the river basin is drowned, creating a long, narrow, and tapering inlet that remains open to the sea. The depth of a ria increases progressively towards the ocean, reflecting the original gradient of the river valley. Typical examples include the coastlines of southwestern Ireland, Brittany in France, Galicia in Spain, and parts of southwest England.

Explanation

Deflation is a major process of wind erosion in arid and semi-arid regions. It involves the lifting and removal of loose, dry, fine-grained particles like silt, sand, and clay from the ground by the force of wind action. This erosional process lowers the land surface, often creating shallow depressions known as deflation hollows or blowouts, and leaves behind a concentrated layer of coarser pebbles and gravel called desert pavement.

Explanation

The rate of decrease of temperature with increasing altitude in the troposphere is known as the normal lapse rate. In the Earth's atmosphere, this rate is approximately 6.4°C to 6.5°C per kilometer, which is also commonly expressed as a decrease of 1°C for every 165 meters of ascent. This cooling occurs because the atmosphere is heated from the ground upward via terrestrial radiation. As a result, the layers of air closest to the Earth's surface are warmer, while higher altitudes with lower atmospheric pressure allow rising air to expand and cool.

Explanation

Operation Flood, launched in 1970 by India's National Dairy Development Board, is the world's largest dairy development program. It transformed India from a milk-deficient nation into the world's largest milk producer. This initiative is highly associated with the White Revolution, which was spearheaded by Verghese Kurien, often regarded as the Father of the White Revolution in India. The program created a national milk grid linking producers throughout India with consumers in over seven hundred towns and cities, reducing seasonal price fluctuations and ensuring that the cooperative milk producers received a major share of the price paid by consumers.

Explanation

The National Forest Policy of India was launched in 1988 to ensure environmental stability and maintenance of ecological balance, including atmospheric equilibrium, which are vital for sustenance of all life forms. It succeeded the forest policy of 1952 and placed principal emphasis on the environmental role of forests, such as conservation, preservation, and restoring ecological balance, rather than commercial exploitation. A key target of this policy is to bring a minimum of one-third (33%) of the total land area of the country under forest or tree cover, with a higher target of two-thirds in mountainous and hilly regions to prevent erosion and land degradation.

Explanation

Haryana has an exceptionally high percentage of net irrigated area to net sown area, which is approximately 85% to 90%. This extensive irrigation coverage is supported by an advanced and well-distributed network of canals and tube wells across the state, making it one of the most intensively irrigated states in India after Punjab.

Explanation

The oil refinery at Bathinda, officially known as the Guru Gobind Singh Refinery, is established by HPCL Mittal Energy Limited (HMEL). HMEL is a public-private partnership joint venture between Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and Mittal Energy Investment Pte Ltd, Singapore, with both partners holding equal equity. The grassroot refinery is located in Phullo Khari, Bathinda, Punjab, and was built to meet the growing petroleum product demands of Northern India.

Explanation

The textile industry is the largest industry in India. Historically and economically, it is the second-largest provider of employment in the nation after agriculture, supporting the livelihoods of over 45 million people directly and millions more indirectly. The sector is highly self-reliant, encompassing the entire value chain from the production of raw materials like cotton, jute, silk, and wool to the manufacturing of finished garments. It accounts for a significant portion of the country's total industrial output, contributes substantially to the national Gross Domestic Product, and serves as a major source of export earnings, making it the most dominant industrial sector in the Indian economy.

Explanation

The Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) was registered as a business enterprise on August 26, 1907. Following its registration, the actual physical establishment, site clearing, and construction of the plant works commenced at Sakchi (which was later renamed Jamshedpur) in 1908. The first stake for the development of the steel works at the Jamshedpur site was driven into the ground in early 1908, marking the official beginning of the facility.

Explanation

The first industrial policy of independent India, known as the Industrial Policy Resolution, was announced on April 6, 1948, by the then Minister of Industry and Supply, Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee. This policy laid the foundation for a mixed economy in India, where both public and private sectors were assigned specific roles to foster economic development and industrial growth.

Explanation

Rishra, located on the banks of the Hooghly River in West Bengal, is historically renowned as the birthplace of the Indian jute industry. The first jute mill in India was established here in 1855 by George Acland, which pioneered the modern jute textile sector. The town and its surrounding region became a major hub for jute processing and manufacturing due to the proximity to raw material cultivation in the fertile Bengal delta and excellent transport connectivity via the river and railway networks.

Explanation

Koraput district in Odisha is globally renowned for its extensive bauxite deposits, which serve as the primary ore for aluminium production. The Panchpatmali hills in Koraput house one of the largest single-location bauxite deposits in the world. These reserves are extensively mined by the National Aluminium Company (NALCO) to supply its alumina refinery located at Damanjodi in the same district, making the region a major hub for the metallurgical industry in India.

Explanation

The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all member states in September 2015, established 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These 17 interconnected goals serve as a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, addressing global challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice.

Explanation

The Economic Survey 2017-18 projected India's real GDP growth to rise to 7% to 7.5% in the financial year 2018-19. This projection was based on the acceleration of the economy in the second half of 2017-18, driven by major structural reforms such as the launch of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the resolution of the Twin Balance Sheet problem through the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, a major recapitalization package for public sector banks, and a recovery in global exports.

Explanation

The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) growth rate for India in December 2017 was recorded at 7.1%. The IIP is a key economic indicator that measures short-term changes in the volume of production of a basket of industrial products during a given period compared to a chosen base year (2011-12). It is compiled and published on a monthly basis by the National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). The 7.1% growth in December 2017 was driven by a strong performance in the manufacturing sector, which holds the highest weight in the index, alongside positive momentum in the electricity and mining sectors.

Explanation

According to the Press Note on Poverty Estimates (2011-12) released by the Planning Commission of India in July 2013 using the Tendulkar methodology, Chhattisgarh recorded a poverty rate of 39.9%. Manipur recorded a poverty rate of 36.9%, Arunachal Pradesh recorded 34.7%, and Bihar recorded 33.7%. These values are correctly represented under column D.

Explanation

Operation Greens is a central sector scheme formulated by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries with an aim to stabilize the supply and prevent price volatility of three staple vegetable crops: Tomato, Onion, and Potato (TOP). Modeled on the success of "Operation Flood", the project focuses on integrated development of the TOP value chain. It supports Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), agri-logistics, cold storage, and processing facilities to ensure year-round availability, reduce post-harvest losses, and ensure fair prices for both farmers and consumers.

Explanation

The Stand-Up India Scheme, launched by the Government of India in 2016, is designed to promote entrepreneurship at the grassroots level, focusing specifically on economic empowerment and job creation. The scheme facilitates bank loans ranging from ₹10 lakh to ₹1 crore to at least one Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe borrower and at least one woman borrower per bank branch. These loans are provided for setting up greenfield enterprises in manufacturing, services, or the trading sector.

Explanation

According to the Census 2011, the decadal population growth rate of Himachal Pradesh was 12.94% (approximately 12.9%). This represents a notable decline from the 17.53% growth rate recorded in the preceding decade of 1991 to 2001.

Explanation

Mission Indradhanush, translated as Mission Rainbow, was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 25 December 2014. The primary objective of this national immunization initiative was to achieve full immunization coverage for all children under the age of two years and pregnant women by the year 2020. The mission specifically targeted seven vaccine-preventable diseases, namely diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, poliomyelitis, tuberculosis, measles, and hepatitis B, aiming to accelerate the immunization rate across the country.

Explanation

According to the Global Nutrition Report 2017, 51% of women of reproductive age (15 to 49 years) in India suffer from anaemia. This high prevalence placed India among the worst-performing countries globally for this health indicator, pointing to a severe public health and nutritional challenge.

Explanation

In the Union Budget 2018-19, the Government of India estimated the budgetary allocation for the social sector—primarily covering the key areas of healthcare, education, and social protection—at ₹ 1.38 lakh crore. This represented an increase of approximately 13% from the allocation of ₹ 1.22 lakh crore in the 2017-18 budget estimates.

Explanation

The Ayushman Bharat Yojana, specifically the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana component launched in 2018, is designed to provide financial protection against catastrophic health expenditures. The scheme targets poor, deprived rural families and identified occupational categories of urban workers families, covering approximately 10 crore families based on the Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011 data. It provides a health insurance cover of ₹ 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization across public and empanelled private hospitals in India.

Explanation

The Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan was launched on 2 October 2014 by the Government of India as a nationwide cleanliness campaign. Under this initiative, citizens take a Swachhata Pledge committing to devote 100 hours per year to voluntary cleanliness activities, which translates to approximately two hours per week.

Explanation

Vienna Convention (Q) matches with (i) Protection of Ozone Layer because it is the framework agreement adopted in 1985 that established international cooperation for the protection of the ozone layer.

Montreal Protocol (P) matches with (iv) Total Elimination of Ozone Depleting Substances because it is the specific protocol under the Vienna Convention that binds member states to phase out and eliminate substances like chlorofluorocarbons that deplete the ozone layer.

Kyoto Protocol (R) matches with (ii) Stabilization of Greenhouse Gases because it is an international treaty under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that commits state parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to stabilize atmospheric concentrations.

Earth Summit (S) matches with (iii) Environment and Sustainable Development because this landmark 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro focused on global environmental protection and sustainable development frameworks like Agenda 21.

Explanation

The term dirty dozen refers to the initial group of twelve persistent organic pollutants POPs recognized under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, which was adopted in 2001. These twelve chemical substances are highly toxic, resist environmental degradation, bioaccumulate in the fatty tissues of living organisms, and can be transported over long distances through air and water. The list consists of nine pesticides including aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, mirex, and toxaphene; industrial chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls PCBs; and two unintentional by-products of combustion and industrial processes, namely polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans.

Explanation

The vast majority of the world's biodiversity is concentrated in tropical and subtropical regions due to favorable climatic conditions, high precipitation, and solar energy availability. These regions are primarily occupied by developing nations across Latin America, Africa, and South/Southeast Asia. The majority of the 17 identified megadiverse countries, which collectively harbor more than 70% of the Earth's species, are developing economies.

Explanation

The Appiko Movement was launched in September 1983 in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka under the leadership of Pandurang Hegde. Inspired by the Chipko movement of Uttarakhand, this forest conservation movement aimed to protect trees in the Western Ghats from commercial felling, promote afforestation on denuded lands, and ensure the sustainable and rational use of forest wealth by local communities.

Explanation

About 97.5% of the total water on Earth is saline, found mainly in the oceans and seas. The remaining 2.5% is freshwater, which is crucial for terrestrial life, ecosystems, agriculture, and human consumption. The majority of this freshwater (approximately 68.7%) is locked up in glaciers, ice caps, and permanent snow, while about 30.1% exists as groundwater, and only a tiny fraction is available as surface water in lakes, rivers, and the atmosphere.

Explanation

Cytisilicosis, commonly known as cytosilicosis or silicosis, is a chronic and potentially progressive occupational lung disease caused by the inhalation of respirable crystalline silica dust.

In the cement manufacturing process, the primary raw materials utilized—including limestone, clay, sand, and shale—contain substantial amounts of silicon dioxide (silica). During crushing, grinding, blending, and kiln operations, significant amounts of fine silica dust become airborne. Laborers in cement factories inhale these microscopic crystalline silica particles, which penetrate deep into the alveoli of the lungs. The body's immune response triggers alveolar macrophages to engulf the particles, leading to cellular rupture, chronic inflammation, and the formation of fibrotic scar tissue (nodular lesions) in the lungs. Over time, this scarring restricts lung expansion and reduces oxygen exchange capacity, resulting in symptoms such as persistent coughing, shortness of breath, and respiratory insufficiency.

Explanation

The Biological Diversity Act was enacted by the Parliament of India in 2002 to meet the obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity, which aligns (P) with (iv).

The E-Waste (Management and Handling) Rules were notified by the Ministry of Environment and Forests in 2011 to regulate the safe management, recycling, and disposal of electronic waste, which aligns (Q) with (iii).

The Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling and Transboundary) Rules were formulated in 2008 to govern the handling, treatment, storage, and transboundary movement of hazardous substances, which aligns (R) with (ii).

The Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules were introduced under the Environment Protection Act in 2000 to regulate the collection, segregation, transport, and scientific disposal of municipal solid waste, which aligns (S) with (i).

Explanation

Project Crocodile was launched in India in 1975 with the assistance of the United Nations Development Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization to conserve the country's three endangered crocodilian species: the Gharial, the Mugger crocodile, and the Saltwater crocodile. The scheme initially focused on intensive captive breeding, rearing, and restocking programs, starting at the Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary in Odisha, to restore depleted wild populations.

Explanation

Nuclear reactors rely on nuclear fission, primarily using unstable radioactive elements such as uranium-235 or plutonium-239 as fuel. These heavy metal minerals are finite resources extracted from the Earth crust through mining. Because these fuel supplies cannot be naturally replenished on a human timescale once they are consumed, nuclear energy is classified as a non-renewable energy source.

Explanation

The liter is a unit of volume, which is a derived quantity rather than a fundamental one. Under the International System of Units (SI), there are seven fundamental quantities, and their units are the base units from which all other units are derived. Since volume is defined as length cubed, its unit is derived from the fundamental unit of length. Specifically, one liter is defined as one-thousandth of a cubic meter (10⁻³ m³) or one cubic decimeter (dm³). Therefore, it is classified as a derived unit of volume rather than a fundamental unit.

Explanation

Mercury is used in clinical thermometers because it is a liquid metal that exhibits uniform thermal expansion, meaning it expands or contracts consistently with changes in temperature. It has a high boiling point of 356.7 °C and a low freezing point of -38.83 °C, making it highly stable and reliable for measuring human body temperature. Furthermore, mercury does not stick to the surface of the glass capillary tube, which prevents inaccuracies in reading. Its silver-grey, shiny, and opaque appearance also makes it easily visible against the thermometer scale.

Explanation

A convex mirror always forms a virtual, erect, and diminished image of an object, regardless of its position in front of the mirror. Since the reflecting surface of a convex mirror curves outwards, it diverges the light rays that strike it. When these diverged rays are extended backwards, they intersect behind the mirror between the pole and the focus. Because the rays do not actually meet, the image is virtual and erect, and its size is always smaller than the actual object. This specific property allows convex mirrors to cover a much wider field of view, which is why they are commonly used as passenger-side rear-view mirrors in vehicles.

Explanation

Solar energy derived from the sun is a renewable source of energy because it is constantly replenished by thermonuclear fusion reactions occurring within the sun. Since this process is projected to continue for billions of years, solar energy is considered inexhaustible and sustainable on a human timescale, unlike finite conventional energy resources.

Explanation

Global warming causes the average temperature of the Earth to rise, leading to the melting of glaciers, ice caps, and polar ice sheets. This runoff adds large volumes of freshwater to the oceans. Simultaneously, as ocean water absorbs heat from the atmosphere, it undergoes thermal expansion, which increases the volume of the water. Both the addition of meltwater and the thermal expansion of seawater directly result in an increase in global sea levels.

Explanation

Photosynthesis is the metabolic process by which green plants and algae synthesize organic compounds from carbon dioxide and water using sunlight. In eukaryotic plant cells, this entire process occurs within specialized double-membraned organelles called chloroplasts. Chloroplasts contain the pigment chlorophyll, which captures light energy, and are structured with thylakoid membranes and stroma to facilitate both the light-dependent reactions and the light-independent Calvin cycle.

Explanation

In adults, red blood cells (RBCs) are formed in the red bone marrow of bones, primarily in the flat bones such as the pelvis, ribs, sternum, and skull, as well as the proximal ends of the humerus and femur. This continuous process of RBC production is called erythropoiesis. Within the bone marrow, hematopoietic stem cells undergo several stages of differentiation and maturation to form mature, oxygen-carrying erythrocytes, which are then released into the bloodstream.

Explanation

"Rataundhi" is the Hindi term for night blindness, a medical condition characterized by an inability to see well in dim light or at night. Vitamin A, also known as retinol, is essential for the production of rhodopsin, which is a light-sensitive pigment in the retina of the eye that enables vision under low-light conditions. A deficiency of Vitamin A impairs the synthesis of rhodopsin, thereby leading to night blindness.

Explanation

The core of a transformer is made of soft iron because of its high magnetic permeability and low magnetic hysteresis. High magnetic permeability ensures that the magnetic flux is easily conducted and concentrated within the core, maximizing the electromagnetic coupling between the primary and secondary windings. Additionally, soft iron possesses low coercivity and low retentivity, meaning it can be easily magnetized and demagnetized with minimal energy loss as the alternating current continuously reverses direction. This minimizes hysteresis loss during the cyclic magnetization process. To further enhance efficiency and minimize heating, the soft iron core is constructed using thin laminated sheets, which greatly reduces energy loss due to induced eddy currents.

Explanation

Dengue fever is a viral infection transmitted by the Aedes mosquito. One of the primary clinical characteristics of this disease is thrombocytopenia, which refers to a significant decrease in the blood platelet count. The dengue virus targets the bone marrow, temporarily suppressing platelet production, and stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies that destroy existing platelets. Since platelets are essential for blood clotting, their deficiency during dengue can lead to severe bleeding complications.