The 2016 Codex
Questions 81 to 90 (Set A)
Consider the following statements:
1. The International Solar Alliance was launched at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2015.
2. The Alliance includes all the member countries of the United Nations.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) 1 only
The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is a landmark initiative championed heavily by India.
Statement 1 is True: The ISA was jointly launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President François Hollande at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris in November 2015.
Statement 2 is False: At its launch, the ISA was explicitly restricted to the "sunshine countries" lying fully or partially between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. It did not include all UN member countries. (Note: In 2020, the ISA framework was amended to allow all UN member states to join, but in the context of this 2016 question, it was strictly false).
Route: [REALM 183: Climate Conventions (ISA)]The Solar Belt
The Euro Vault
'European Stability Mechanism', sometimes seen in the news, is an
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) agency of EU that provides financial assistance to eurozone countries
The European Stability Mechanism (ESM) was established in 2012 in direct response to the devastating European sovereign debt crisis (which heavily affected Greece, Spain, Ireland, and Portugal). It functions as the permanent "firewall" or crisis resolution mechanism for the countries of the euro area. Its sole purpose is to provide massive financial assistance (bailout loans) to Eurozone members experiencing severe financial distress, to ensure the stability of the Euro currency.
Route: [REALM 185: Global Financial Institutions (EU)]Which of the following is/are the advantage/advantages of practising drip irrigation?
1. Reduction in weed
2. Reduction in soil salinity
3. Reduction in soil erosion
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) 1 and 3 only
Drip irrigation is a micro-irrigation system that allows water to drip slowly directly to the roots of plants.
- 1. Reduction in weed (True): Because water is applied only exactly at the crop root zone, the surrounding soil remains completely dry, making it impossible for weed seeds to germinate and grow.
- 3. Reduction in soil erosion (True): Unlike flood irrigation or sprinklers that wash topsoil away through heavy runoff, drip irrigation drips water slowly, entirely eliminating surface runoff and soil erosion.
- 2. Reduction in soil salinity (False): Drip irrigation actually poses a severe risk of increasing soil salinity at the edges of the wetted zone. Because water doesn't flood the field to wash/leach salts deep down, salts accumulate near the surface over time.
The Precision Drop
The Cloud Wallet
Regarding 'DigiLocker', sometimes seen in the news, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. It is a digital locker system offered by the Government under Digital India Programme.
2. It allows you to access your e-documents irrespective of your physical location.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) Both 1 and 2
Statement 1 is True: DigiLocker is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) under the Digital India Programme. It provides citizens with a secure, dedicated personal electronic space to store and share government-issued documents.
Statement 2 is True: Because it is a cloud-based platform linked to an individual's verified digital identity, users can access their authentic e-documents (like driving licenses, mark sheets, and vehicle registration) on their mobile phones irrespective of their physical location, eliminating the need to carry physical paper documents.
Route: [REALM 112: Digital India & E-Governance]Recently, linking of which of the following rivers was undertaken?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) Godavari and Krishna
In September 2015, Andhra Pradesh made history by completing the Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Project. This project achieved the first-ever formal river interlinking in India, successfully linking the water-surplus Godavari River with the water-deficit Krishna River basin via the Polavaram right canal, providing crucial irrigation water to the drought-prone Rayalaseema region.
Route: [REALM 19: Interlinking of Rivers]The Pattiseema Link
The Eight Pollutants
In the cities of our country, which among the following atmospheric gases are normally considered in calculating the value of Air Quality Index?
1. Carbon dioxide
2. Carbon monoxide
3. Nitrogen dioxide
4. Sulfur dioxide
5. Methane
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) 2, 3 and 4 only
The National Air Quality Index (AQI) evaluates local, immediate toxic air pollution impacting human health. It tracks eight specific pollutants: PM10, PM2.5, Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Ozone (O3), Ammonia (NH3), and Lead (Pb).
Carbon dioxide (1) and Methane (5) are Greenhouse Gases (GHGs). While they cause long-term global warming, they are not immediately toxic to breathe at urban ambient levels and are not measured in the daily Air Quality Index.
Route: [REALM 152: Air Quality Index (AQI)]With reference to 'Astrosat', the astronomical observatory launched by India, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. Other than USA and Russia, India is the only country to have launched a similar observatory into space.
2. Astrosat is a 2000 kg satellite placed in an orbit at 1650 km above the surface of the Earth.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Astrosat is India's first dedicated multi-wavelength space telescope, launched by ISRO in 2015. However, both statements are riddled with factual traps.
Statement 1 is False: India is absolutely not the only country outside the US and Russia to launch a space observatory. The European Space Agency (ESA) and Japan (JAXA) have both launched sophisticated space observatories long before India.
Statement 2 is False: This is a numerical trap. Astrosat weighs roughly 1513 kg (not 2000 kg) and is placed in a much closer Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at an altitude of exactly 650 km, not 1650 km.
Route: [REALM 378: Major Space Observatories]The Orbit Exaggeration
The Persian Wheel
With reference to the economic history of medieval India, the term 'Araghatta' refers to
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) waterwheel used in the irrigation of land
The Araghatta (also known as Ghatiyantra or the Persian Wheel) was a monumental technological advancement in medieval Indian agriculture. It is a mechanical water-lifting device consisting of a large wheel fitted with pots/buckets, turned by animal power (usually bullocks). It allowed farmers to continuously draw deep well-water to irrigate their lands, significantly boosting agricultural productivity.
Note: Bonded labor was known as Vishti. Military land grants were Iqtas or Amaram.
Route: [REALM 34: Economy & Agriculture (Medieval)]With reference to the cultural history of India, the memorizing of chronicles, dynastic histories and epic tales was the profession of who of the following?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) Maagadha
In ancient India, preserving oral history was a highly specialized profession.
- Maagadha / Suta / Bandin: These were the professional bards, genealogists, and chroniclers attached to royal courts. Their entire job was to memorize and recite the glorious epics, genealogies, and historical triumphs of the kings (Puranic tradition).
- Shramana: Heterodox ascetics (Jains/Buddhists).
- Parivraajaka: Wandering mendicants/monks.
- Agrahaarika: Brahmins who managed an Agrahara (a tax-free land grant given to priests).
The Royal Voice
The Blue Mormon
Recently, for the first time in our country, which of the following States has declared a particular butterfly as 'State Butterfly'?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) Maharashtra
In June 2015, Maharashtra made natural history by becoming the very first state in India to officially declare a "State Butterfly". They selected the Blue Mormon (Papilio polymnestor), the second largest butterfly in India, which is predominantly found in the evergreen forests of the Western Ghats.
Note: Following Maharashtra's lead, several other states eventually followed suit (e.g., Karnataka declared the Southern Birdwing, Kerala declared the Malabar Banded Peacock).
Route: [REALM 66: Biodiversity Conservation Symbols]