The 2019 Codex
Questions 21 to 30 (Set A)
Which one of the following groups of plants was domesticated in the 'New World' and introduced into the 'Old World'?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) Tobacco, cocoa and rubber
The "New World" refers to the Americas (discovered by Columbus in 1492), while the "Old World" is Afro-Eurasia. The "Columbian Exchange" transferred flora and fauna across the Atlantic.
Tobacco, Cocoa (Chocolate), and Rubber are indigenous to the Americas and were brought to the rest of the world by Europeans. Coffee came from Ethiopia/Yemen (Old World). Sugarcane came from Southeast Asia/India (Old World). Wheat came from the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East (Old World). Cotton evolved independently in both worlds (Indus Valley had it anciently), so it wasn't exclusively "introduced" from the New World.
Route: [REALM 47: Material Culture]The Columbian Exchange
The Endemic Realm
Consider the following statements:
1. Asiatic lion is naturally found in India only.
2. Double-humped camel is naturally found in India only.
3. One-horned rhinoceros is naturally found in India only.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) 1 only
Statement 1 is True: The majestic Asiatic Lion is currently restricted to a single natural population in the Gir National Park and surrounding regions of Gujarat, India.
Statement 2 is False: The Double-humped camel (Bactrian camel) is native to the steppes of Central Asia (Mongolia, China). In India, it is found in the Nubra Valley (Ladakh), but it is absolutely not exclusive to India.
Statement 3 is False: While India (Assam, Kaziranga) holds the vast majority of the Great One-horned Rhinoceros population, they are also naturally found in the Terai regions of Nepal.
Route: [REALM 67: Endemic Species]Consider the following pairs:
| Famous Place | River |
|---|---|
| 1. Pandharpur | Chandrabhaga |
| 2. Tiruchirappalli | Cauvery |
| 3. Hampi | Malaprabha |
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) 1 and 2 only
Pair 1 is Correct: Pandharpur, the highly revered pilgrimage city of Lord Vithoba in Maharashtra, is situated on the banks of the Bhima river, which is locally known there as the Chandrabhaga (because it takes a crescent moon shape).
Pair 2 is Correct: Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) in Tamil Nadu is famously located on the banks of the Cauvery (Kaveri) river.
Pair 3 is False: Hampi, the ancient capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, is situated on the banks of the Tungabhadra river, not the Malaprabha.
Route: [REALM 98: Places of Cultural Interest]The Sacred Banks
The Variable Basket
In a given year in India, official poverty lines are higher in some States than in others because
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) price levels vary from State to State
The poverty line in India is essentially the cost of a minimum "basket of goods" (food, clothing, shelter) required for basic survival. Because a kilo of rice or a month of rent costs significantly more in Kerala or Maharashtra than it does in Bihar or Odisha, the monetary value of that exact same basket of goods is higher. Therefore, the official poverty line (in Rupees per month) must be adjusted higher to reflect varying regional price levels.
Route: [REALM 53: Poverty Data in India]In the context of which of the following do some scientists suggest the use of cirrus cloud thinning technique and the injection of sulphate aerosol into stratosphere?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) Reducing the global warming
These are textbook examples of Geoengineering (Solar Radiation Management).
1. Sulphate Aerosol Injection mimics massive volcanic eruptions. By shooting reflective particles into the stratosphere, they bounce incoming sunlight back into space, cooling the Earth.
2. Cirrus Cloud Thinning: High-altitude cirrus clouds act like a blanket, trapping heat radiating from the Earth. Thinning them out lets more of Earth's thermal heat escape into space, again cooling the planet.
Route: [REALM 359: Ethics of Artificial Climate Intervention]The Solar Shield
The Alchemist's Furnace
In the context of which one of the following are the terms 'pyrolysis and plasma gasification' mentioned?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) Waste-to-energy technologies
Instead of just burning trash in an open incinerator (which releases toxic dioxins), modern technology uses Pyrolysis (heating organic material in the absolute absence of oxygen) or Plasma Gasification (using a high-voltage plasma arc) to break down municipal solid waste at a molecular level. It converts garbage into "Syngas" (synthesis gas), which can then be burned cleanly to generate electricity.
Route: [REALM 150: Waste-to-Energy & Circularity]Which of the following are in Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a)
This is pure map memory. The Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve is located in the southernmost end of the Western Ghats (straddling Kerala and Tamil Nadu).
Option A lists sanctuaries strictly in that deep south cluster: Neyyar, Peppara, Shendurney (Kerala side), and Kalakad Mundanthurai (Tamil Nadu side).
Cheat Code: Option B describes the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (further north). Option C mixes Andhra Pradesh (Papikonda) with TN (Mukurthi). Option D is entirely in Andhra/Telangana (Kawal, Srisailam).
Route: [REALM 95: Biosphere Reserves]The Southern Crown
Exceptions of Nature
Consider the following statements:
1. Some species of turtles are herbivores.
2. Some species of fish are herbivores.
3. Some species of marine mammals are herbivores.
4. Some species of snakes are viviparous.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
This is a classic UPSC "possibility" question. The word "some" is the massive hint. Nature is highly diverse.
1. Turtles: The Green Sea Turtle is famously herbivorous (eats seagrass).
2. Fish: Parrotfish and Surgeonfish are algae-eating herbivores.
3. Marine Mammals: Dugongs (sea cows) and Manatees are exclusively herbivorous.
4. Snakes: While most lay eggs (oviparous), several species like Boas, Anacondas, and Sea Snakes give birth to live young (viviparous) or hatch eggs internally (ovoviviparous).
Route: [REALM 47: Marine Life]Consider the following pairs:
| Wildlife | Naturally found in |
|---|---|
| 1. Blue-finned Mahseer | Cauvery River |
| 2. Irrawaddy Dolphin | Chambal River |
| 3. Rusty-spotted Cat | Eastern Ghats |
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) 1 and 3 only
Pair 1 is Correct: The critically endangered Blue-finned Mahseer (the "tiger of the river") is endemic to the Cauvery river basin.
Pair 2 is False: The Irrawaddy Dolphin is an oceanic/estuarine dolphin, famously found in India in Chilika Lake (Odisha) and the Sundarbans. The Chambal river is famously home to the Ganges River Dolphin (Susu) and Gharials, not the Irrawaddy.
Pair 3 is Correct: The Rusty-spotted Cat (one of the world's smallest wild cats) is native to the forests of India and Sri Lanka, particularly documented well in the Eastern Ghats.
Route: [REALM 81: Red List & Species Assessment]The Misplaced Dolphin
The Invisible Poison
Why is there a great concern about the 'microbeads' that are released into environment?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a)
Microbeads are manufactured solid plastic particles (usually less than 1 millimeter) used primarily in exfoliating cosmetics, body washes, and toothpastes. Because they are so tiny, they slip right through water treatment plants and drain directly into rivers and oceans.
Once in the marine ecosystem, they act like toxic sponges, absorbing pollutants. Small fish and plankton mistake them for food and eat them. Through bioaccumulation, these toxic plastics move up the food chain, severely harming marine life (and eventually ending up in human seafood).
Route: [REALM 147: Plastic Waste] & [REALM 176: Marine Pollution]