The 2019 Codex
Questions 41 to 50 (Set A)
Consider the following statements:
1. Agricultural soils release nitrogen oxides into environment.
2. Cattle release ammonia into environment.
3. Poultry industry releases reactive nitrogen compounds into environment.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) 1, 2 and 3
This question is directly based on the "Indian Nitrogen Assessment" report.
Statement 1 is True: Over-application of synthetic urea fertilizers leads to soil microbes releasing massive amounts of Nitrous Oxide (N₂O, a potent greenhouse gas) and other Nitrogen Oxides (NOx).
Statement 2 is True: Cattle urine and manure are the single largest source of Ammonia (NH₃) emissions in the atmosphere, severely contributing to air pollution and PM2.5 formation.
Statement 3 is True: Poultry excretions are incredibly rich in urea and uric acid, which break down to release massive reactive nitrogen compounds into the environment.
Source:.
Route: [REALM 151: Pollution: Foundations] & [REALM 215: Fertilizers & Environment]The Nitrogen Cycle
The Stored Waters
What is common to the places known as Aliyar, Isapur and Kangsabati?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) Water reservoirs
This is purely factual map knowledge of Indian infrastructure.
- Aliyar: A famous dam and reservoir located near Pollachi in Tamil Nadu.
- Isapur: An earthfill dam on the Penganga river in Maharashtra.
- Kangsabati (Mukutmanipur Dam): A major reservoir in Bankura, West Bengal.
Source:.
Route: [REALM 54: Dams & Infrastructure]In the context of proposals to the use of hydrogen-enriched CNG (H-CNG) as fuel for buses in public transport, consider the following statements:
1. The main advantage of the use of H-CNG is the elimination of carbon monoxide emissions.
2. H-CNG as fuel reduces carbon dioxide and hydrocarbon emissions.
3. Hydrogen up to one-fifth by volume can be blended with CNG as fuel for buses.
4. H-CNG makes the fuel less expensive than CNG.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) 2 and 3 only
Statement 1 is False: H-CNG significantly reduces Carbon Monoxide (CO) emissions (up to 70%), but it does not "eliminate" them entirely. Pure hydrogen eliminates CO, but this is a blend with CNG (which contains Carbon).
Statement 2 is True: Because hydrogen burns cleaner, mixing it with CNG reduces CO₂ and unburned hydrocarbon emissions.
Statement 3 is True: The standard tested globally and in Delhi is an 18% to 20% (one-fifth) blend of Hydrogen with CNG. Mixing more than that requires major engine modifications.
Statement 4 is False: Producing pure hydrogen and blending it is a highly energy-intensive and expensive process. Therefore, H-CNG is currently more expensive than regular CNG.
Source:.
Route: [REALM 242: Green Transport] & [REALM 78: Hydrogen & Emerging Tech]The 18% Blend
The Night Blanket
Why are dewdrops not formed on a cloudy night?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) Clouds reflect back the Earth's radiation.
Dew forms when the Earth's surface cools down drastically at night, causing the moisture in the air touching the grass to condense into water droplets. On a clear night, the heat Earth absorbed during the day escapes freely into space (terrestrial radiation).
However, clouds act like a giant thermal blanket. They absorb the outgoing longwave infrared radiation and reflect it back to the surface. This keeps the ground too warm for condensation to occur, hence, no dewdrops.
Route: [REALM 65: Heat Balance & Earth's Budget] & [REALM 74: Dew, Frost, Fog & Mist]Consider the following statements:
1. The 44th Amendment to the Constitution of India introduced an Article placing the election of the Prime Minister beyond judicial review.
2. The Supreme Court of India struck down the 99th Amendment to the Constitution of India as being violative of the independence of judiciary.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) 2 only
Statement 1 is False: It was Indira Gandhi's infamous 39th Amendment (during the 1975 Emergency) that attempted to place the election of the PM and Speaker beyond judicial review (in response to the Allahabad High Court nullifying her election). The 44th Amendment (by the Morarji Desai government) actually worked to undo the damages of the Emergency.
Statement 2 is True: The 99th Amendment established the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) to replace the Collegium system. In a historic 2015 verdict, the Supreme Court struck it down entirely, ruling that giving the executive a say in judicial appointments violated the "Basic Structure" of the Constitution (Independence of Judiciary).
Route: [REALM 163: NJAC Controversy] & [REALM 150: Independence of Supreme Court]The NJAC Verdict
The Impeachment Shield
Consider the following statements:
1. The motion to impeach a Judge of the Supreme Court of India cannot be rejected by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha as per the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.
2. The Constitution of India defines and gives details of what constitutes 'incapacity and proved misbehaviour' of the Judges of the Supreme Court of India.
3. The details of the process of impeachment of the Judges of the Supreme Court of India are given in the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.
4. If the motion for the impeachment of a Judge is taken up for voting, the law requires the motion to be backed by each House of the Parliament and supported by a majority of total membership of that House and by not less than two-thirds of total members of that House present and voting.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) 3 and 4 only
Statement 1 is False: Under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, the Speaker (Lok Sabha) or Chairman (Rajya Sabha) absolutely can reject the motion of impeachment. They evaluate if it has merit before forming an inquiry committee.
Statement 2 is False: The Constitution mentions that a judge can be removed on grounds of "proved misbehaviour or incapacity," but it deliberately does not define or give details on what exactly constitutes those terms. That is left to interpretation.
Statement 3 is True: The procedural details for investigation and proof are laid out in the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.
Statement 4 is True: This is the exact definition of the "Special Majority" required under Article 124(4) for the final removal of a judge.
Route: [REALM 149: Supreme Court: Organisation] & [REALM 150: Independence of Supreme Court]The Ninth Schedule was introduced in the Constitution of India during the prime ministership of
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) Jawaharlal Nehru
The Ninth Schedule is basically a "protective vault" in the Constitution. Any law placed inside it was originally immune to judicial review. It was created by the First Amendment Act in 1951 to protect the newly enacted Zamindari Abolition and Land Reform laws from being struck down by courts under the Right to Property.
Since it happened in 1951, the Prime Minister was Jawaharlal Nehru.
Route: [REALM 21: Amendability & Interpretation] & [REALM 145: Judicial Activism & Parliament]The First Vault
Black Gold State
Consider the following statements:
1. Coal sector was nationalized by the Government of India under Indira Gandhi.
2. Now, coal blocks are allocated on lottery basis.
3. Till recently, India imported coal to meet the shortages of domestic supply, but now India is self-sufficient in coal production.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) 1 only
Statement 1 is True: The coal sector was nationalized in two phases (coking coal in 1971-72 and non-coking coal in 1973) under the Prime Ministership of Indira Gandhi.
Statement 2 is False: Following the massive "Coalgate" scam and the subsequent Supreme Court cancellation of blocks in 2014, coal blocks are now allocated via transparent e-auctions / competitive bidding, not lotteries.
Statement 3 is False: India has massive coal reserves but produces relatively poor-quality (high ash) coal. Therefore, we still heavily import high-grade coking coal (especially from Australia) for our steel industry. We are not self-sufficient.
Route: [REALM 68: Coal] & [REALM 56: Mineral Distribution & Mining]Consider the following statements:
1. The Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1959 exempts several posts from disqualification on the grounds of 'Office of Profit'.
2. The above-mentioned Act was amended five times.
3. The term 'Office of Profit' is well-defined in the Constitution of India.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) 1 and 2 only
Statement 1 is True: If an MP or MLA holds an "Office of Profit" under the government, they can be disqualified (to prevent conflict of interest). The 1959 Act specifically lists posts (like Ministers, certain commission chairs) that are exempted from this rule.
Statement 2 is True: The Act has been amended exactly five times (1960, 1992, 1993, 2006, and 2013) to add new offices to the exemption list.
Statement 3 is False: Much like "Basic Structure" or "Untouchability", the term 'Office of Profit' is nowhere defined in the Constitution. Its definition has evolved through various Supreme Court judgments.
Route: [REALM 130: Qualifications of MPs] & [REALM 132: Vacation of Seats]The Undefined Balance
The Sacred Shield
Under which Schedule of the Constitution of India can the transfer of tribal land to private parties for mining be declared null and void?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) Fifth Schedule
This question stems directly from the landmark 1997 Supreme Court Samatha Judgment. The court ruled that under the Fifth Schedule, government land, tribal land, and forest land in scheduled areas cannot be leased to non-tribals or private companies for mining or industrial purposes. Such transfers are completely null and void to protect tribal sovereignty and ecology.
Source:.
Route: [REALM 78: Scheduled & Tribal Areas] & [REALM 21: Fifth Schedule Areas]