Current affairs

Practice questions

8 Prelims questions, on the most important items above.

Prelims

1. Q1

   With reference to deep sea minerals, consider the following statements:

   1. 1.Polymetallic nodules lie on abyssal plains, while polymetallic sulphides form at hydrothermal vents along mid-ocean ridges.
   2. 2.An exploration contract from the International Seabed Authority allows commercial mining of the contracted area.
   3. 3.India's exclusive nodule exploration area lies in the Central Indian Ocean Basin.

   Which of the statements given above are correct?

   1. (a)1 and 2 only
   2. (b)2 and 3 only
   3. (c)1 and 3 onlyAnswer
   4. (d)1, 2 and 3
   Show answer and explanationHide answer and explanation

   Statements 1 and 3 are correct. Statement 2 is wrong: an exploration contract gives rights to survey and test mine, and commercial mining in international waters must wait for the ISA's Exploitation Code.

   From Deep sea mining: India's seabed contracts, crawler trials and the wait for the ISA's Exploitation Code

2. Q2

   Consider the following statements about map projections:

   1. 1.The Mercator projection preserves angles, so rhumb lines appear straight.
   2. 2.An equal-area projection keeps both the shapes and the relative areas of regions true.
   3. 3.The Winkel Tripel is a compromise projection that keeps no property exact.

   Which of the statements given above are correct?

   1. (a)1 only
   2. (b)2 and 3 only
   3. (c)1 and 3 onlyAnswer
   4. (d)1, 2 and 3
   Show answer and explanationHide answer and explanation

   Statements 1 and 3 are correct. Statement 2 is wrong: an equal-area projection keeps relative areas true while shapes stretch, and no flat map keeps both shapes and areas true.

   From UN General Assembly backs equal-area world maps, naming Equal Earth as the alternative to Mercator

3. Q3

   Consider the following statements:

   1. 1.MISHTI was launched on World Environment Day in 2023.
   2. 2.The Guneri mangroves grow along the open coast of the Gulf of Kachchh.
   3. 3.A Biodiversity Heritage Site is notified by the State government under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.

   Which of the statements given above are correct?

   1. (a)1 only
   2. (b)2 and 3 only
   3. (c)1 and 3 onlyAnswer
   4. (d)1, 2 and 3
   Show answer and explanationHide answer and explanation

   Statements 1 and 3 are correct. Statement 2 is wrong: the Guneri mangroves are rare because they grow inland, away from the sea.

   From MISHTI mangrove restoration in Gujarat reaches 27,652 hectares

4. Q4

   Consider the following statements:

   1. 1.KABIL, which secures minerals for India abroad, is a joint venture of NALCO, Hindustan Copper and MECL.
   2. 2.Argentina, Australia and Chile together form the lithium triangle.

   Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

   1. (a)1 onlyAnswer
   2. (b)2 only
   3. (c)Both 1 and 2
   4. (d)Neither 1 nor 2
   Show answer and explanationHide answer and explanation

   Statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong: the lithium triangle is formed by Argentina, Bolivia and Chile; Australia is a separate country India is in talks with.

   From India seeks lithium blocks in Australia and Chile, and five more in Argentina

5. Q5

   Consider the following statements about geothermal energy:

   1. 1.India's first geothermal wells were commissioned at Puga Valley in Ladakh.
   2. 2.Part of the Earth's internal heat comes from the radioactive decay of elements such as uranium and thorium.
   3. 3.Like solar and wind power, geothermal power is available only intermittently.

   Which of the statements given above are correct?

   1. (a)1 and 2 onlyAnswer
   2. (b)2 and 3 only
   3. (c)1 and 3 only
   4. (d)1, 2 and 3
   Show answer and explanationHide answer and explanation

   Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong: unlike solar and wind, geothermal power is available round the clock.

   From Geothermal energy: India's first geothermal wells at Puga Valley, Ladakh, and the national policy behind them

6. Q6

   Consider the following statements about rock weathering and carbon dioxide:

   1. 1.Silicate weathering removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
   2. 2.Oxidation of pyrite produces sulphuric acid, which can release carbon dioxide from carbonate rocks.
   3. 3.In the upper Indus basin, the flatter floodplains were found to be net sources of carbon dioxide.

   Which of the statements given above are correct?

   1. (a)1 and 2 onlyAnswer
   2. (b)2 and 3 only
   3. (c)1 and 3 only
   4. (d)1, 2 and 3
   Show answer and explanationHide answer and explanation

   Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong: the steep mountain catchments were net sources of carbon dioxide, while the flatter floodplains downstream were sinks.

   From Rapid erosion in the upper Indus basin releases more carbon dioxide than silicate weathering removes, study finds

7. Q7

   Consider the following pairs of climate phases and the state of the Indian Summer Monsoon in the Bakhira Lake record:

   1. 1.Younger Dryas : strong monsoon
   2. 2.Holocene Climatic Optimum : strong monsoon
   3. 3.Heinrich Stadial 1 : weak monsoon

   How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

   1. (a)Only one
   2. (b)Only twoAnswer
   3. (c)All three
   4. (d)None
   Show answer and explanationHide answer and explanation

   Pairs 2 and 3 are correctly matched. Pair 1 is wrong: the Younger Dryas brought renewed cooling and drying and a weak monsoon.

   From Bakhira Lake sediments trace 25,000 years of Indian Summer Monsoon history

8. Q8

   With reference to ORV Sagar Manthan, consider the following statements:

   1. 1.It entered service on being launched at Kolkata in September 2026.
   2. 2.It is being built under the Deep Ocean Mission, a programme of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
   3. 3.It will explore mid-oceanic ridges of the Indian Ocean for hydrothermal sulphide deposits.

   Which of the statements given above are correct?

   1. (a)1 and 2 only
   2. (b)1 and 3 only
   3. (c)1, 2 and 3
   4. (d)2 and 3 onlyAnswer
   Show answer and explanationHide answer and explanation

   Statements 2 and 3 are correct. Statement 1 is wrong: launch only floats the hull out so construction can continue; the ship is due for delivery for commissioning in 2028.

   From ORV Sagar Manthan, an advanced ocean research vessel built in India under the Deep Ocean Mission, launched