Question : What was a major environmental concern associated with the Green Revolution in India?
Option 1: Air pollution from industrial emissions
Option 2: Deforestation for agricultural expansion
Option 3: Overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides
Option 4: Increased carbon footprint from transportation
Correct Answer: Overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides
Solution : A major environmental concern associated with the Green Revolution in India was the overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which led to soil degradation, water pollution, and negative impacts on biodiversity.
Question : Comprehension:
Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.
The drainage systems of India are mainly controlled by the broad relief features of the subcontinent. Accordingly, the Indian rivers are divided into two major groups: the Himalayan rivers and the Peninsular rivers.
Apart from originating from the two major physiographic regions of India, the Himalayan and the Peninsular rivers are different from each other in many ways. Most of the Himalayan rivers are perennial. It means that they have water throughout the year. These rivers receive water from rain as well as from melted snow from the lofty mountains. The major Himalayan rivers are the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra. These rivers are long and are joined by many large and important tributaries. A river along with its tributaries may be called a river system. The two major Himalayan rivers, the Indus and the Brahmaputra originate from the north of the mountain ranges. They cut through the mountains making gorges in the upper course. The perennial Himalayan rivers have long courses from their source to the sea. They perform intensive erosional activity in their upper courses and carry huge loads of silt and sand with their swift current. In the middle and the lower courses, these rivers form meanders, oxbow lakes, levees, and many other depositional features in their floodplains as their speed slackens. They also have well-developed deltas.
A large number of the Peninsular rivers like the Godavari, Kaveri and Krishna are seasonal, as their flow is dependent on rainfall. During the dry season when it doesn’t rain, even the large rivers have reduced flow of water in their channels. The Peninsular rivers have shorter and shallower courses as compared to their Himalayan counterparts. However, some of them originate in the central highlands and flow towards the west. Most of the rivers of peninsular India originate in the Western Ghats and flow towards the Bay of Bengal.
Question:
Which of these is NOT a Himalayan river?
Option 1: Indus
Option 2: Godavari
Option 3: Ganga
Option 4: Brahmaputra
Correct Answer: Godavari
Solution : The correct choice is the second option.
Explanation:
The Godavari is not a Himalayan river. The passage explicitly mentions that the major Himalayan rivers are the Indus, the Ganga, and the Brahmaputra. The Godavari is mentioned separately as one of the peninsular rivers. Therefore, Godavari does not belong to the Himalayan river group.
Therefore, the correct answer is Godavari.
Question : Who were made the permanent members of the U. N. Security Council?
Option 1: One representative from each continent
Option 2: Five major powers of the Allied Forces in the Second World War
Option 3: Five members elected by the U.N. General Assembly at the intial Consititution
Option 4: funding members of the U.N.
Correct Answer: Five major powers of the Allied Forces in the Second World War
Solution : The correct option is - Five major powers of the Allied Forces in the Second World War
The five sovereign states who were given a permanent seat on the UN Security Council by the UN Charter of 1945 are the permanent members of the UN Security Council. After World War II, the Security Council was established to fix the League of Nations shortcomings in preserving international harmony. Five of its fifteen members, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States are permanent members. These were the major nations that prevailed in World War II.
Question : Which of the following is a major cause of water pollution?
Option 1: Afforestation
Option 2: Organic farming
Option 3: Industrial effluents
Option 4: Conservation practices
Correct Answer: Industrial effluents
Solution : Industrial effluents are a major cause of water pollution as they often contain harmful chemicals and pollutants that contaminate water bodies.
Question : Comprehension:
In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank.
When he died on 27 November 1953, Gladstone O'Neill was (1)______recognised as one of the major dramatists of the modern world. Four times a Pulitzer Prize-winner, he had also been (2)______the 1936 Nobel Prize for Literature. His plays have been translated into most major languages and read by more people than those of (3)_____other playwright except W Shakespeare and maybe G Bernard Shaw. O'Neill was a puzzle to his friends - a genuinely shy, brooding, complicated man in whom (4)_____alternated with touching kindness. He was both, naive and worldly. One biographer found him "sentimental one instant, hard as nails the next." His widow, after 26 years with O'Neill, said, "To (5)_____his work you must understand the man, for the work and the man are one."
Question:
Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank number 3.
Option 1: none
Option 2: few
Option 3: any
Option 4: some
Correct Answer: any
Solution : The third option is the correct answer.
Any in this context is used to convey a sense of inclusivity, suggesting that O'Neill's popularity surpassed that of all other playwrights, except Shakespeare and possibly Bernard Shaw.
Therefore, the correct answer is any.
Question : Comprehension:
In the given passage, some words have been left out. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank.
During the pandemic, remote working has kept the work going, across _____ (1) Almost every industry got shut down physically during the lockdowns, but the work-from-home model tried to ______ (2) the effect of the lockdown when it came to jobs. In the future also, many businesses across the globe, including the information technology industry, are _______ (3) continuing with the hybrid model. Remote working has replaced geography as a major hiring ________ (4), with 90 percent of senior executives expected to work from home. As a result, 76 percent of US organisations are more likely to _______ (5) outside the city or even state, according to a Talent Works poll of recruiting managers conducted across the US, quoted by an FE report.
Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank number 3.
Option 1: analysing
Option 2: examining
Option 3: considering
Option 4: observing
Correct Answer: considering
Solution : The third option is the correct answer.
Considering is appropriate because it signifies that businesses, including the information technology industry, are actively contemplating or taking into account the hybrid model for their future work approach.
The meanings of the other options are as follows:
- Analysing means examining in detail to understand or interpret.
- Examining means inspecting closely or scrutinising to understand or evaluate.
- Observing means watching or paying attention to.
Therefore, the correct answer is considering.
Question : Which of the following is not a major iron ore belt in India?
Option 1: Maharashtra-Goa belt
Option 2: Haryana-Rajasthan belt
Option 3: Odisha-Jharkhand belt
Option 4: Durg-Bastar-Chandrapur belt
Correct Answer: Haryana-Rajasthan belt
Solution : The correct option is the Haryana-Rajasthan belt.
The Haryana-Rajasthan belt is not a major iron ore belt in India. The major iron ore belts in India are the Maharashtra-Goa belt, the Odisha-Jharkhand belt, and the Durg-Bastar-Chandrapur belt.
The Maharashtra-Goa iron belt region is rich in iron ore, which is a key raw material for the production of steel.
The Odisha-Jharkhand iron belt is located in the eastern part of India. These states are known for their rich deposits of high-grade iron ore, which has been a significant contributor to India's iron and steel industry.
Question : Which type of budget is primarily concerned with planning and allocating funds for long-term investments, such as infrastructure development or major equipment purchases?
Option 1: Operating budget
Option 2: Capital budget
Option 3: Cash budget
Option 4: Program budget
Correct Answer: Capital budget
Solution : The correct answer is (b) Capital budget.
A capital budget is primarily concerned with planning and allocating funds for long-term investments. It focuses on financing capital expenditures, such as infrastructure development, major equipment purchases, construction projects, and other investments that have a long-term impact on the economy or organization.
The capital budget is separate from the operating budget, which deals with day-to-day expenses and operational activities. While the operating budget covers recurring expenses and current operations, the capital budget specifically addresses long-term investments and projects.
A cash budget, on the other hand, focuses on tracking and managing cash inflows and outflows to ensure adequate liquidity and cash flow management.
A program budget is a budgeting approach that organizes expenses according to specific programs or activities rather than traditional departmental or functional categories. It is a way to allocate funds to various programs or initiatives based on their priorities and goals.
Question : There are certain words missing in the passage given below. The options given contain an answer that will fit in those given blanks. Choose the correct word to be used to make the sentence coherent and grammatically correct.
The decision made by the goverment of India to purchase crude oil at a discounted rate from Russia, when the Putin goverment is bombing civilians in Ukraine, is 1) __________________ by many. 2)________________ to the Narendra Modi administration’s request to not to politicise the issue, in the current scenario the decision is as much political as it is economic, however much we may wish it were not.
While the major countries like US, Europe , Japan and Australia have made no secret revelation that India should join them in 3) _____________________ Putin’s war, as the goverment of 141 countries who voted in favour of the UN General Assembly resolution did. Russia has intentionally offered the discount at the oil to show that India is among the ‘many’ countries that resist the Atlantic alliance’s attempt to 4) __________________ and punish Putin. On the other hand Xi’s China has suddenly discovered that Modi’s India is worth talking to: it will provide cover for the Xi government to not only 5) ________________ attention from its own support for Russia, but also to position itself as someone who is more willing to engage with the Atlantic alliance than India.
Choose the correct word to be used in the blank 4
Option 1: isolate
Option 2: recapitulate
Option 3: jaded
Option 4: ramify
Correct Answer: isolate
Solution : The correct answer is isolate.
Russia has intentionally offered the discount at the oil to show that India is among the ‘many’ countries that resist the Atlantic alliance’s attempt to isolate and punish Putin.
Explanation:
Isolate is the only word that will fit the blank and make the sentence coherent.
It means to cause (a person or place) to be alone or separated from others.
Meaning of the rest of the words
Recapitulate- to summarise and restate the main points.
Jaded- bored or lacking enthusiasm, typically after having had too much of something.
Ramify- to divide or spread out into branches or branchlike parts; extend into subdivisions.
Question : What is a major challenge in urban-waste disposal?
Option 1: Lack of public awareness
Option 2: High cost of recycling
Option 3: Insufficient landfill space
Option 4: Excessive waste reduction
Correct Answer: Insufficient landfill space
Solution : Insufficient landfill space is a major challenge in urban-waste disposal as cities struggle to find adequate space to dispose of their increasing amounts of waste.