UPSC CDS-1

31. Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Angular velocit

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

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  • 1. Angular velocity for all locations on the Earth’s surface is the same while linear velocity varies.
  • 2. Linear velocity is maximum at the equator and minimum at the poles.

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1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
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Both 1 and 2 are correct.
Angular velocity (ω) is uniform for all points on a rotating rigid body (like the Earth) as they complete one rotation in the same time. Linear velocity (v) is related to angular velocity by v = rω, where r is the perpendicular distance from the axis of rotation.
At the equator, ‘r’ is the maximum (Earth’s radius), resulting in maximum linear velocity. At the poles, ‘r’ is zero, resulting in zero linear velocity. Therefore, angular velocity is constant across the Earth’s surface, while linear velocity varies with latitude, being maximum at the equator and minimum (zero) at the poles.

32. What is culturable wasteland?

What is culturable wasteland?

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Land that has been left fallow in last four years
Land that has been left fallow between one and two years
Land that has been left fallow for less than one year
Land that has been left fallow for more than five years
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The correct answer is Land that has been left fallow for more than five years.
Culturable wasteland is officially defined as land available for cultivation, whether not taken up for cultivation or taken up once but not cultivated for more than five years in succession for one reason or the other.
Fallow land is land that is intentionally left uncultivated temporarily. Current fallow refers to land left fallow for less than one agricultural year. Fallow land other than current fallow refers to land left uncultivated for one to five agricultural years. Culturable wasteland is land that *could* be cultivated but has been neglected for a longer period (> 5 years).

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33. On which among the following is National Waterway No. 2 situated?

On which among the following is National Waterway No. 2 situated?

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The Ganga, Haldia-Prayagraj
West Coast Canal, Kottapuram-Kollam
The Brahmaputra, Sadiya-Dhubri
Godavari and Krishna, Kakinada-Puducherry
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The correct answer is The Brahmaputra, Sadiya-Dhubri.
National Waterway No. 2 (NW-2) is located on the Brahmaputra river and connects Sadiya to Dhubri in Assam. It spans a length of 891 kilometers.
NW-1 is on the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system (Haldia-Prayagraj). NW-3 is on the West Coast Canal (Kottapuram-Kollam) along with Udyogmandal and Champakara canals. NW-4 is on the Godavari and Krishna rivers and the Kakinada-Puducherry stretch of canals.

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34. Which organisation publishes worldwide list of endangered species?

Which organisation publishes worldwide list of endangered species?

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The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
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The correct answer is The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The IUCN is widely recognized for compiling and publishing the Red List of Threatened Species, which assesses the conservation status of species worldwide and lists those facing risks of extinction, including endangered species.
While organizations like WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) are heavily involved in conservation efforts and use the IUCN Red List, they are not the primary body responsible for compiling and publishing the list itself. UNEP and UNDP are UN bodies with broader environmental and development mandates, respectively.

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35. What does BW stand for as per the Koeppen climate classification?

What does BW stand for as per the Koeppen climate classification?

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Steppe climate
Desert climate
Tundra climate
Mesothermal climate
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The correct answer is Desert climate.
In the Koeppen climate classification system, ‘B’ denotes arid (dry) climates. The second letter ‘W’ stands for ‘Wüste’ (German for desert), indicating an extremely arid climate. ‘S’ stands for ‘Steppe’, indicating a semi-arid climate.
The first letter in the Koeppen system classifies the main climate type (A – Tropical, B – Arid, C – Temperate, D – Continental, E – Polar). The second letter, for B climates, differentiates between desert (W) and steppe (S). Subsequent letters provide more detail about temperature or precipitation patterns.

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36. Which greenhouse gas has maximum average residence time in the

Which greenhouse gas has maximum average residence time in the atmosphere?

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CFC
CH₄
N₂O
Water vapour
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The correct answer is CFC (Chlorofluorocarbon).
Greenhouse gases have varying residence times in the atmosphere. Among the options provided, Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) have the longest average residence times, typically ranging from decades to several centuries.
Water vapour has a very short residence time (days). Methane (CH₄) has a residence time of about 12 years. Nitrous oxide (N₂O) has a residence time of about 121 years. CFCs, though also potent greenhouse gases, were primarily known for their role in ozone depletion and their long atmospheric lifetimes make them persist for a very long time, contributing to warming over extended periods.

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37. How can one determine the relative humidity on a particular day at a g

How can one determine the relative humidity on a particular day at a given place?

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If temperature is given
If absolute humidity is given
If both temperature and absolute humidity are given
If percentage of absolute humidity is given
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Relative humidity on a particular day at a given place can be determined if both temperature and absolute humidity are given.
Relative humidity is defined as the ratio of the partial pressure of water vapour in the air to the equilibrium vapour pressure of water at the same temperature. Equivalently, it can be expressed as the ratio of absolute humidity (mass of water vapour per unit volume of air) to the saturation humidity (maximum possible mass of water vapour per unit volume of air) at that temperature.
To calculate relative humidity, you need the actual amount of water vapour in the air (like absolute humidity) and the maximum amount of water vapour the air can hold at that specific temperature (saturation humidity). The maximum capacity of air to hold water vapour (saturation humidity/vapour pressure) is highly dependent on temperature. Therefore, knowing only temperature or only absolute humidity is insufficient; both are required. Percentage of absolute humidity is not a standard meteorological term used to determine relative humidity without reference to saturation capacity.

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38. Which of the following statements regarding river meanders is/are corr

Which of the following statements regarding river meanders is/are correct?

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  • 1. It is a U-shaped bend in a river.
  • 2. An extremely tight meander is called a gooseneck; it is likely to become a cutoff, or oxbow lake, after a flood.
  • 3. Tectonic uplift can cause a river to continue downcutting along its meandering course, producing incised or entrenched meanders.

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1 only
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
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All three statements regarding river meanders are correct.
River meanders are natural sinuous bends formed in a river channel. They evolve over time and can be affected by geological processes like tectonic uplift. Tight meanders can be cut off during floods, forming oxbow lakes.
1. A meander is indeed a U-shaped or loop-like bend in the course of a river or stream.
2. A tightly curved meander loop with a narrow neck is often termed a gooseneck or incised meander loop. During high flow events (floods), the river can erode through the narrowest part of the neck, creating a new, shorter channel (a cutoff) and isolating the former meander loop as an oxbow lake.
3. If tectonic forces cause the land surface to be uplifted relative to the river’s base level, while the river continues to flow in its established meandering course, the river will erode downwards (downcut) into the uplifting bedrock. This process creates incised or entrenched meanders, which are meanders cut deeply into the landscape with steep valley walls.

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39. Which of the following statements regarding insolation is/are correct?

Which of the following statements regarding insolation is/are correct?

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  • 1. Insolation is predominantly short-wave radiation, with wavelengths in the range of 0.39 micrometre to 0.76 micrometre.
  • 2. Insolation is evenly distributed across the Earth because of the Earth’s curved surface.

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1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
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Statement 1 is correct regarding insolation. Statement 2 is incorrect.
Insolation (incoming solar radiation) is predominantly in the form of short-wave radiation, primarily visible light. However, its distribution across the Earth’s surface is highly uneven due to factors like the Earth’s curvature, axial tilt, rotation, and atmospheric conditions.
1. Solar radiation covers a spectrum from ultraviolet to infrared. The visible light portion (approximately 0.39 to 0.76 micrometre) constitutes the peak intensity and a large proportion of the total solar energy, hence it is considered predominantly short-wave radiation.
2. The Earth’s curved surface means that the angle at which solar rays strike the surface varies with latitude. Rays hit more directly (perpendicularly) near the equator and more obliquely near the poles, spreading the energy over a larger area and thus reducing the intensity per unit area at higher latitudes. This, along with atmospheric effects and albedo differences, leads to significant variations in insolation received across the globe, making the distribution uneven.

40. Which of the following statements regarding the Industrial Revolution

Which of the following statements regarding the Industrial Revolution is/are correct?

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  • 1. It was change of a society from a rural and agricultural lifestyle to one in which most people earned their living in the industrial or secondary sector of the economy.
  • 2. The first Industrial Revolution began in Germany in the early eighteenth century.
  • 3. During Industrial Revolution, technological advances in iron smelting, and later steel production, were accompanied by the invention of steam engine.

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1 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
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Statements 1 and 3 are correct regarding the Industrial Revolution. Statement 2 is incorrect.
The Industrial Revolution marked a fundamental shift from agrarian and handicraft economies to industrial ones, originating in Great Britain in the late 18th century and involving key technological advancements like the steam engine and improvements in metal production.
1. The shift from a rural, agricultural society to one based on manufacturing and the secondary sector is a defining characteristic of the Industrial Revolution.
2. The first Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain (England), not Germany, and it is generally considered to have started in the latter half of the 18th century (around the 1760s), not the early 18th century.
3. Major technological breakthroughs during the first Industrial Revolution included innovations in textile machinery, the steam engine (perfected by James Watt), and significant advancements in iron production (e.g., Abraham Darby’s coke smelting) and later, steel production.

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