Daily Questions Challenge for IAS PRE (CSAT) Exam (7 May 2015)

Daily Questions Challenge for IAS PRE (CSAT) Exam (7 May 2015)

Write and Discuss Your Answer with Q.No in Comment Box at the Bottom of Post.

1. A genetically engineered form of brinjal, known as the Bt-brinjal, has been developed. The objective of this is

(a) To make it pest-resistant
(b) To improve its taste and nutritive quaiities.
(c) To make it drought-resistant
(d) To make its shelf-life longer.

2. With reference to “Aam Admi Bima Yojana”, consider the following statements:

1. The member insured under the scheme must be the head of the family or an earning member of the family in a rural landless house hold.
2. The member insured must be in the age group of 30 to 65 years.
3. There is a provision for free scholarship for up to two children of the insured who are studying between classes 9 and 12.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

3. In the Union Budget 2011-12, a full exemption from the basic customs duty was extended to the bio-based asphalt (bioasphalt). What is the importance of this material?

1. Unlike traditional asphalt, bioasphalt is not based on fossil fuels.
2. Bioasphalt can be made from non-renewable resources.
3. Bioasphalt can be made from organic waste materials.
4. It is eco-friendly to use bioasphalt for surfacing of the roads.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 1, 3 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

4. Consider the following

1. Carbon dioxide
2. Oxides of Nitrogen
3. Oxides of Sulphur

Which of the above is/are the emissiontemissions from coal combustion at thermal power plants?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

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:: CSAT (Paper -2) ::

The law in many parts of the world increasingly restricts the discharge of agricultural slurry into watercourses. The simplest and often the most economically sound practice returns the material to the land as semisolid manure or as sprayed slurry. This dilutes its concentration in the environment to what might have occurred in a more primitive and sustainable type of agriculture and converts pollutant into fertilizer. Soil microorganisms decompose the organic components of sewage and slurry and most of the mineral nutrients become available to be absorbed again by the vegetation.

The excess input of nutrients, both nitrogen and phosphorus-based, from agricultural runoff (and human sewage) has caused many ‘healthy’ oligotrophic lakes (low nutrient concentrations, low plant productivity with abundant water weeds, and clear water) to change to eutrophic condition where high nutrient inputs lead to high phytoplankton productivity (sometimes dominated by bloom-forming toxic species). This makes the water turbid, eliminates large plants and, in the worst situations, leads to anoxia and fish kills; so called cultural eutrophication. Thus, important ecosystem services are lost, including the provisioning ser ice of wild-caught fish and the cultural services associated with recreation.

The process of cultural eutrophication of lakes has been understood for some time. But only recently did scientists notice huge’ dead zones’ in the oceans near river outlets, particularly those draining large catchment areas such as the Mississippi in North America and the Yangtze in China. The nutrient-enriched water flows through streams, rivers and lakes, and eventually to the estuary and ocean where the ecological impact may be huge, killing virtually all invertebrates and fish in areas up to 70,000 km2 in extent. More than 150 sea areas worldwide are now regularly starved of oxygen as a result of decomposition of algal blooms, fuelled particularly by nitrogen from agricultural runoff of fertilizers and sewage from large cities. Oceanic dead zones are typically associated with industrialized nations and usually lie off countries that subsidize their agriculture, encouraging farmers to increase productivity and use more fertilizer.  

1. According to the passage, why should the discharge of agricultural slurry into watercourses be restricted?

1. Losing nutrients in this way is not a good practice economically.
2. Watercourses do not contain the microorganisms that can decompose organic components of agricultural slurry.
3. The discharge may lead to the eutrophication of water bodies.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1,2 and 3

2. The passage refers to the conversion of ‘pollutant to fertilizer’. What is pollutant and what is fertilizer in this context?

(a) Decomposed organic component of slurry is pollutant and microorganisms in soil constitute fertilizer
(b) Discharged agricultural slurry is pollutant and decomposed slurry in soil is fertilizer
(c) Sprayed slurry is pollutant and watercourse is fertilizer
(d) None of the above expression is correct in this context.

3. According to the passage, what are the effects of indiscriminate use of fertilizers?

1. Addition of pollutants to the soil and water.
2. Destruction of decomposer microorganisms in soil.
3. Nutrient enrichment of water bodies.
4. Creation of algal blooms.

Select the correct answer from the codes given below:

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 1, 3 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

4. What is / are the characteristics of a water body with cultural eutrophication?

1. Loss of ecosystem services.
2. Loss of flora and fauna.
3. Loss of mineral nutrients.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1,2 and 3

Write and Discuss Your Answer with Q.No in Comment Box at the Bottom of Post.

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