2021 Archives

201. The ‘Common Carbon Metric’, supported by UNEP, has been developed for

The ‘Common Carbon Metric’, supported by UNEP, has been developed for

[amp_mcq option1=”assessing the carbon footprint of building operations around the world” option2=”enabling commercial farming entities around the world to enter carbon emission trading” option3=”enabling governments to assess the overall carbon footprint caused by their countries” option4=”assessing the overall carbon footprint caused by the use of fossil fuels by the world in a unit time” correct=”option1″]

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UPSC IAS – 2021

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Option A is the correct answer. The ‘Common Carbon Metric’ was developed to provide a standard approach for measuring and reporting the energy use and greenhouse gas emissions associated with building operations.

Developed by the UNEP Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative (SBCI), the Common Carbon Metric aims to enable consistent assessment and benchmarking of the carbon footprint of buildings globally.

This metric focuses specifically on the operational phase of buildings (energy consumption for heating, cooling, lighting, etc.), which is a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. It is not designed for carbon trading by farming entities, assessing national footprints broadly, or assessing the total global fossil fuel footprint in general.

202. Which of the following are detritivores? Earthworms Jellyfish Mill

Which of the following are detritivores?

Earthworms
Jellyfish
Millipedes
Seahorses
Woodlice

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

[amp_mcq option1=”1, 2 and 4 only” option2=”2, 3, 4 and 5 only” option3=”1, 3 and 5 only” option4=”1, 2, 3, 4 and 5″ correct=”option3″]

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Option C is the correct answer. Detritivores are organisms that feed on dead organic matter. Earthworms, Millipedes, and Woodlice are well-known detritivores.

Detritivores play a crucial role in ecosystems by breaking down dead plant and animal material, thus recycling nutrients.

Earthworms consume decaying plant matter in soil. Millipedes feed on decaying leaves and wood. Woodlice (also known as roly-polies or pill bugs) feed on dead plant material. Jellyfish are carnivorous predators. Seahorses are predatory fish that feed on small crustaceans.

203. In case of which one of the following biogeochemical cycles, the weath

In case of which one of the following biogeochemical cycles, the weathering of rocks is the main source of release of nutrient to enter the cycle?

[amp_mcq option1=”Carbon cycle” option2=”Nitrogen cycle” option3=”Phosphorus cycle” option4=”Sulphur cycle” correct=”option3″]

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Option C is the correct answer. In the phosphorus cycle, the main reservoir of phosphorus is in rocks and minerals. Weathering of these rocks releases phosphorus into the soil and water.

The phosphorus cycle is unique among major biogeochemical cycles in that it does not have a significant atmospheric gaseous phase. The primary source of phosphorus for ecosystems is the slow weathering of phosphate-bearing rocks.

The carbon cycle involves atmospheric CO2, oceans, biomass, and fossil fuels. The nitrogen cycle primarily involves atmospheric nitrogen (N2) fixed by microbes, as well as organic matter decomposition. The sulphur cycle involves minerals (sulfates), atmospheric gases (SO2, H2S), and biological processes. While rocks can be a source in other cycles (e.g., sulfates in gypsum), rock weathering is the fundamental initial step that makes phosphorus available in most ecosystems.

204. Which one of the following is a filter feeder?

Which one of the following is a filter feeder?

[amp_mcq option1=”Catfish” option2=”Octopus” option3=”Oyster” option4=”Pelican” correct=”option3″]

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Option C is the correct answer. Oysters are filter feeders, meaning they obtain nutrition by filtering suspended food particles from water.

A filter feeder is an animal that feeds by straining suspended food particles from water. Examples include bivalve molluscs like clams and oysters, as well as some fish, whales, and birds.

Catfish are generally bottom feeders or predators. Octopuses are predatory cephalopods. Pelicans are birds that typically catch fish directly with their beaks, rather than filtering.

205. Magnetite particles, suspected to cause neurodegenerative problems, ar

Magnetite particles, suspected to cause neurodegenerative problems, are generated as environmental pollutants from which of the following?

1. Brakes of motor vehicles
2. Engines of motor vehicles
3. Microwave stoves within homes
4. Power plants
5. Telephone lines

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

[amp_mcq option1=”1, 2, 3 and 5 only” option2=”1, 2 and 4 only” option3=”3, 4 and 5 only” option4=”1, 2, 3, 4 and 5″ correct=”option2″]

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Magnetite (Fe3O4) particles are a form of iron oxide that can be generated from various industrial and environmental processes, particularly those involving high temperatures or friction/wear of ferrous materials. Recent research has linked exposure to fine airborne magnetite particles to potential neurodegenerative health risks.
Let’s examine the potential sources:
1. Brakes of motor vehicles: Brake pads and rotors (often made of cast iron, rich in iron) undergo friction at high temperatures during braking. This process releases wear particles, a significant portion of which are iron oxides, including magnetite. This is a known source of airborne particulate matter in urban environments.
2. Engines of motor vehicles: Internal combustion engines operate at high temperatures, and combustion processes can produce various metal oxides as part of particulate emissions. Friction within the engine can also contribute wear particles. While complex, motor vehicle exhaust is a source of fine metallic particles.
3. Microwave stoves within homes: Microwave ovens heat food using electromagnetic radiation. They do not involve combustion or significant friction/wear in a manner that would generate airborne magnetite particles as an environmental pollutant.
4. Power plants: Combustion of fossil fuels (especially coal and heavy fuel oil) in power plants involves high temperatures and the burning of materials containing trace metals, including iron. Power plants are a significant source of various particulate emissions, including metal oxides like magnetite.
5. Telephone lines: Traditional copper telephone lines are made of copper, not iron. Modern fiber optic cables are made of glass/plastic. Neither involves processes that would generate airborne magnetite particles.
Based on the known sources of magnetite particles from combustion and friction/wear processes, brakes of motor vehicles, engines of motor vehicles, and power plants are plausible sources. Microwave stoves and telephone lines are not.

Airborne magnetite particles are often generated from high-temperature combustion or friction and wear involving iron-containing materials.

Other sources of environmental magnetite particles can include industrial processes like welding, mining activities, and even natural sources like soil dust (though anthropogenic sources are often more directly linked to neurodegenerative concerns). Research on the precise links between environmental magnetite exposure and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s is ongoing but suggests a potential connection for ultra-fine particles entering the brain.

206. With reference to the New York Declaration on Forests’, which of the f

With reference to the New York Declaration on Forests’, which of the following statements are correct?

1. It was first endorsed at the United Nations Climate Summit in 2014.
2. It endorses a global timeline to end the loss of forests.
3. It is a legally binding international declaration.
4. It is endorsed by governments, big companies and indigenous communities.
5. India was one of the signatories at its inception.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

[amp_mcq option1=”1, 2 and 4″ option2=”1, 3 and 5″ option3=”3 and 4″ option4=”2 and 5″ correct=”option1″]

This question was previously asked in

UPSC IAS – 2021

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The New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) is a non-legally binding political declaration that grew out of the 2014 UN Climate Summit. Let’s evaluate the statements:
1. It was first endorsed at the United Nations Climate Summit in 2014: This is correct. The declaration was launched and endorsed at the UN Climate Summit in New York in September 2014.
2. It endorses a global timeline to end the loss of forests: This is correct. The NYDF includes goals to halve the rate of loss of natural forests globally by 2020 and strive to end natural forest loss by 2030.
3. It is a legally binding international declaration: This is incorrect. The NYDF is explicitly a voluntary political declaration, not a legally binding treaty.
4. It is endorsed by governments, big companies and indigenous communities: This is correct. The NYDF is supported by a broad coalition of endorsers, including national and subnational governments, corporations, indigenous peoples’ organizations, and civil society groups.
5. India was one of the signatories at its inception: This is incorrect. While India participates in various international climate initiatives, India was not among the initial endorsers of the New York Declaration on Forests in 2014, nor has it become an endorser since.
Based on this, statements 1, 2, and 4 are correct.

The NYDF is a voluntary declaration launched at the 2014 UN Climate Summit with ambitious goals for reducing deforestation, supported by a wide range of actors, but is not legally binding and India is not a signatory.

The NYDF aims to mobilize action across all sectors to protect and restore forests as a key part of the climate solution and for sustainable development.

207. Consider the following animals : 1. Hedgehog 2. Marmot 3. Pangolin

Consider the following animals :

1. Hedgehog
2. Marmot
3. Pangolin

To reduce the chance of being captured by predators, which of the above organisms rolls up/roll up and protects/protect its/their vulnerable parts?

[amp_mcq option1=”1 and 2″ option2=”2 only” option3=”3 only” option4=”1 and 3″ correct=”option4″]

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Animals use various defense mechanisms against predators. Rolling up into a ball is a common defense strategy among certain species to protect their soft, vulnerable underbellies or heads.
1. Hedgehog: Hedgehogs are well-known for their ability to roll into a tight, spiny ball when threatened. Their strong back muscles allow them to pull their skin, covered in spines, over their head and legs, presenting a formidable defense.
2. Marmot: Marmots are large ground squirrels. Their primary defense mechanisms include loud alarm calls to alert others and retreating quickly into their burrows. They do not roll up into a ball for defense.
3. Pangolin: Pangolins are mammals covered in large, protective keratin scales. When threatened, they roll up into a tight ball, tucking their head under their tail and using their scales as armor against predators.
Therefore, both Hedgehogs and Pangolins employ the strategy of rolling up into a ball to protect themselves.

Hedgehogs use their spines and Pangolins use their scales as protection when rolling into a ball.

Other animals that roll up for defense include armadillos (some species), pill bugs (rolly pollies), and certain millipedes.

208. Consider the following kinds of organisms : 1. Copepods 2. Cyanobac

Consider the following kinds of organisms :

1. Copepods
2. Cyanobacteria
3. Diatoms
4. Foraminifera

Which of the above are primary producers in the food chains of oceans?

[amp_mcq option1=”1 and 2″ option2=”2 and 3″ option3=”3 and 4″ option4=”1 and 4″ correct=”option2″]

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UPSC IAS – 2021

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Primary producers in any ecosystem are organisms that produce organic compounds from inorganic carbon sources, usually through photosynthesis. In the oceans, the primary producers are mainly phytoplankton, which are microscopic photosynthetic organisms.
1. Copepods: These are small crustaceans belonging to zooplankton. They are consumers, typically feeding on phytoplankton or other smaller zooplankton.
2. Cyanobacteria: Also known as blue-green algae, these are photosynthetic bacteria. They are significant primary producers in both freshwater and marine environments, contributing substantially to global oxygen production.
3. Diatoms: These are a major group of algae and are among the most common types of phytoplankton. They are responsible for a large percentage of the world’s oxygen production and are a primary food source in marine food chains.
4. Foraminifera: These are single-celled protists with shells. While some species host symbiotic algae (which are primary producers), Foraminifera themselves are heterotrophic, meaning they consume other organisms (like bacteria or algae) or detritus. They are consumers, not primary producers.
Therefore, Cyanobacteria and Diatoms are primary producers in ocean food chains.

Primary producers in the ocean are photosynthetic organisms, primarily phytoplankton like cyanobacteria and diatoms, which form the base of the marine food web.

Other important groups of marine primary producers include dinoflagellates, coccolithophores, green algae, and larger seaweeds (macroalgae) in coastal areas.

209. Which one of the following is used in preparing a natural mosquito

Which one of the following is used in preparing a natural mosquito repellent?

[amp_mcq option1=”Congress grass” option2=”Elephant grass” option3=”Lemongrass” option4=”Nut grass” correct=”option3″]

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UPSC IAS – 2021

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Lemongrass (Cymbopogon species) is widely known for its natural mosquito repellent properties. It contains citronella oil, a volatile oil commonly used as an ingredient in mosquito repellents, candles, and lotions. The strong citrusy scent of lemongrass is effective in deterring mosquitoes and other insects.
– Congress grass (Parthenium hysterophorus) is an invasive weed notorious for causing allergies and has no repellent properties; in fact, it can be harmful.
– Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) is a tall, fast-growing grass primarily used as fodder or for biomass energy; it is not used as a mosquito repellent.
– Nut grass (Cyperus rotundus) is a common weed with some traditional medicinal uses, but it is not widely known or used as a mosquito repellent.

Lemongrass contains citronella oil, a well-established natural insect repellent.

Other plants known for mosquito repellent properties include Citronella (closely related to lemongrass), Lemon Eucalyptus, Catnip, Basil, Lavender, and Peppermint.

210. Which one of the following is likely to be the most inflationary in it

Which one of the following is likely to be the most inflationary in its effects?

[amp_mcq option1=”Repayment of public debt” option2=”Borrowing from the public to finance a budget deficit” option3=”Borrowing from the banks to finance a budget deficit” option4=”Creation of new money to finance a budget deficit” correct=”option4″]

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UPSC IAS – 2021

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Financing a budget deficit involves the government covering the gap between its spending and revenue. Different methods have different inflationary potentials:
A) Repayment of public debt: This is paying back outstanding loans. It injects liquidity into the economy but is not a method of financing a *deficit*.
B) Borrowing from the public: The government borrows existing savings from individuals and institutions. This transfers purchasing power from the public to the government, using existing money. It is generally considered the least inflationary method of deficit financing.
C) Borrowing from the banks: Banks can create credit based on their reserves. When the government borrows from banks, it can lead to an expansion of credit and money supply, which is more inflationary than borrowing from the public, but less so than creating new money.
D) Creation of new money (Monetizing the deficit): This involves the central bank directly financing the government deficit, essentially printing new money or crediting the government’s account without a corresponding withdrawal of purchasing power from the economy. This directly increases the money supply and is widely considered the most inflationary method of financing a deficit, as it adds fresh liquidity without increasing the supply of goods and services in the short term.

Financing a deficit by creating new money directly increases the money supply without withdrawing existing purchasing power, making it the most inflationary method compared to borrowing existing funds from the public or banks.

Excessive reliance on deficit monetization can lead to hyperinflation, as seen in several historical cases. Modern central banks often have legal restrictions on direct financing of government deficits to maintain price stability.