Statement 1 is incorrect: Australia was the country exporting the largest amount of iron ore
worldwide. Around 53.8 percent of global iron ore exports came from Australia. India ranks
seventh in the top iron ore exporters list according to 2019 data.
Statement 2 is correct: Iron ore is abundantly available in the districts of Mayurbhanj,
Sundargarh, Keonjhar and Jajpur. While chromite is confined to Jajpur, Dhenkanal and
Keonjhar districts, manganese deposits are available in Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Rayagada and
Balangir districts and Dolomite is available plentily only in the district of Sundargarh. There
are two major coal bearing area in the state which are currently being exploited namely
Talcher and the Ib valley.

Dykes and sills are often associated with
volcanoes, though they are not exclusive to that
particular landform. As intrusions, both dykes and sills are
igneous rocks that were left or a result of crystallization of
molten magma flow that exists beneath the Earth's
surface.

Ocean currents can also be classified based on temperature: as cold currents and
warm currents.
Statement 1 is correct: Cold
currents bring cold water into
warm water areas. These
currents are usually found on the
west coast of the continents in

the low and middle latitudes (true in both hemispheres) and on the east coast in the higher
latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere
Statement 2 is correct: Warm currents bring warm water into cold water areas and are
usually observed on the east coast of continents in the low and middle latitudes (true in
both hemispheres). In the northern hemisphere they are found on the west coasts of
continents in high latitudes.

Most earthquakes and volcanic eruptions do not strike randomly but occur in
specific areas, such as along plate boundaries. One such area is the circum-Pacific Ring of
Fire, where the Pacific Plate meets many surrounding tectonic plates(Along the
subduction zones). The Ring of Fire is the most seismically and volcanically active zone in
the world. Constructive plate boundaries are when there are two plates moving apart from
each other.
They are called constructive plates because when they move apart, magma rises up in
the gap- this forms volcanoes and eventually new crust. One example is the Mid-Atlantic
Ridge, where the gap can be found in Thingvellir, Iceland.
Destructive plate boundaries are when oceanic and continental plates move together.
In these places, the oceanic plate is forced, or subducted, under the continental plate. The
friction from this causes melting of the oceanic plate and this can lead to earthquakes
and/or volcanic eruptions. An example of a destructive plate boundary is where the Nazca
plate is forced under the South American Plate.

Oxbow lake: An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake or pool that forms when a wide
meander of a river is cut off, creating a free-standing body of water(properties like normal
lake). Oxbow lake is a small lake located in an abandoned meander loop of a river channel.
They are U-shaped or curved bends in a river that are cut off from the main river flow,
forming a lake. Every river contains twists and turns or meanders, that cut through the
surrounding landscape in a unique way. Due to continuous erosion and deposition along the
sides of the meanders, the end of the meander loop comes closer and closer. In due course
of time, the meander loops cut off from the river forming a lake called oxbow lake.

Humidity : Water vapour present in the air is known as Humidity.
Absolute Humidity : The actual amount of the water vapour present in the atmosphere is
known as the absolute humidity. It is the weight of water vapour per unit volume of air and
is expressed in terms of grams per cubic metre. The absolute humidity differs from place to

place on the surface of the earth. The ability of the air to hold water vapour depends
entirely on its temperature (Warm air can hold more moisture than cold air).
Relative Humidity: It is the ratio between the amount of moisture, which the air can hold,
at a given temperature and the amount it actually holds. The percentage of moisture
present in the atmosphere as compared to its full capacity at a given temperature is
known as the relative humidity. With the change of air temperature, the capacity to retain
moisture increases or decreases and the relative humidity is also affected. Relative humidity
is greater over the oceans and least over the continents (absolute humidity is greater over
oceans because of greater availability of water for evaporation).
Specific Humidity : It is expressed as the weight of water vapour per unit weight of air. Since
it is measured in units of weight (usually grams per kilogram), the specific humidity is not
affected by changes in pressure or temperature. Absolute Humidity and Relative Humidity
are Variable whereas Specific Humidity is a constant.
Mixing ratio is a measure of atmospheric humidity, defined as the ratio of the mass of water
vapor to mass of dry air in an air parcel.

Conard discontinuity is located between lower and upper crust. Mohorovic
discontinuity is located between crust and mantle.

When limestone, a sedimentary rock, gets buried deep in the earth for millions of
years, the heat and pressure can change it into a metamorphic rock called marble.

Statement a is incorrect: The extra tropical cyclones are of frontal origin and are
dynamically induced. They are formed in the mid latitudes when different air masses meet
each other. They move in the direction from west to east.
Statement b is incorrect: At the initial stage, there is a formation of stationary fronts.
Occluded fronts are formed not initially but towards a later stage.
Statement c is incorrect: The extra tropical cyclones are known to cover a greater
geographical area and are less destructive compared to the tropical cyclones.
Statement d is correct: The extra tropical cyclones owing to their frontal origin can
originate either on the land or on the sea.

Winds in a cyclone blow counterclockwise (Anticlockwise) in the
Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

Trade winds are Moisturous.
Characteristics of the Trade winds are:
• The Trade winds blow in the tropics between the sub tropical high pressure belt to
the equatorial low pressure belt between 30°N and 30°S.
• Trade winds are warm winds and hence they pick up moisture and bring heavy
rainfall on the eastern sides of the tropical islands.
• They are deflected to the right of their course in the Northern Hemisphere and to
the left in the Southern Hemisphere. Thus, in the Northern Hemisphere, they are
called North Trades and in the Southern Hemisphere they are called South-East
Trades.
• Trade winds blow regularly at a constant speed.
• They are associated with constant depressions and cyclones.
• Trade winds are also known as permanent or constant winds. The only exception is
that they are replaced by the Monsoon winds in the Indian and the Pacific Ocean.

Agro-forestry is the raising of trees and agriculture crops on the same land inclusive of the
waste patches. It combines forestry with agriculture, thus, altering the simultaneous
production of food, fodder, fuel, timber and fruit.
The National Commission on Agriculture (1976) has classified social forestry into three
categories. These are Urban forestry, Rural forestry and Farm forestry.
Urban forestry pertains to the raising and management of trees on public and privately
owned lands in and around urban centres such as green belts, parks, roadside avenues,
industrial and commercial green belts, etc.

Rural forestry lays emphasis on promotion of agro-forestry and community-forestry. Agro
forestry is the raising of trees and agriculture crops on the same land inclusive of the waste
patches. It combines forestry with agriculture, thus, altering the simultaneous production of
food, fodder, fuel, timber and fruit.
Community forestry involves the raising of trees on public or community land such as the
village pasture and temple land, roadside, canal bank, strips along railway lines, and schools
etc. Community forestry programme aims at providing benefits to the community as a
whole. Community forestry provides a means under which the people of landless classes
can associate themselves in tree raising and thus, get those benefits which otherwise are
restricted for landowners.
Farm Forestry: Farm forestry is a term applied to the process under which farmers grow
trees for commercial and non-commercial purposes on their farm lands.

Characteristics of Monsoonal Rainfall:
(i) Rainfall received from the southwest monsoons is seasonal in character, which occurs
between June and September.
(ii) Monsoonal rainfall is largely governed by relief or topography. For instance the
windward side of the Western Ghats register a rainfall of over 250 cm. Again, the
heavyrainfall in the north-eastern states can be attributed to their hill ranges and the
Eastern Himalayas.

(iii) The monsoon rainfall has a declining trend with increasing distance from the sea.
Kolkata receives 119 cm during the southwest monsoon period, Patna 105 cm, Allahabad 76
cm and Delhi 56 cm.
(iv) The monsoon rains occur in wet spells of few days duration at a time. The wet spells are
interspersed with rainless interval known as ‘breaks’. These breaks in rainfall are related to
the cyclonic depressions mainly formed at the head of the Bay of Bengal, and their crossing
into the mainland. Besides the frequency and intensity of these depressions, the passage
followed by them determines the spatial distribution of rainfall.
(v) The summer rainfall comes in a heavy downpour leading to considerable run off and soil
erosion.
(vi) Monsoons play a pivotal role in the agrarian economy of India because over three
fourths of the total rain in the country is received during the southwest monsoon season.
(vii) Its spatial distribution is also uneven which ranges from 12 cm to more than 250 cm.
(viii) The beginning of the rains sometimes is considerably delayed over the whole or a part
of the country.
(ix) The rains sometimes end considerably earlier than usual, causing great damage to
standing crops and makingthe sowing of winter crops difficult

Types of Seismic Waves
There are several different kinds of seismic
waves, and they all move in different ways. The two
main types of waves are body waves and surface

waves. Body waves can travel through the earth's inner layers, but surface waves can only
move along the surface of the planet like ripples on water. Earthquakes radiate seismic
energy as both body and surface waves.
BODY WAVES: Traveling through the interior of the earth, body waves arrive before the
surface waves emitted by an earthquake. These waves are of a higher frequency than
surface waves. P and S waves are examples of body waves.
SURFACE WAVES: Travelling only through the crust, surface waves are of a lower frequency
than body waves, and are easily distinguished on a seismogram as a result. Though they
arrive after body waves, it is surface waves that are almost entirely responsible for the
damage and destruction associated with earthquakes. This damage and the strength of
the surface waves are reduced in deeper earthquakes. Love and Rayleigh wave are
examples of surface waves.
During an earthquake, surface waves cause the most damage. Unlike other seismic waves
that move deep inside the Earth, surface waves move along just under the surface of the
Earth like waves in water. Surface waves are the slowest seismic waves and are the final
waves to hit an area after an earthquake. Rayleigh waves cause both vertical and horizontal
ground motion. These can be the most destructive waves as they roll along lifting and
dropping the ground as they pass.

The world's greatest earthquake belt, the circum
Pacific seismic belt, is found along the rim of the Pacific
Ocean, where about 81 percent of our planet's largest
earthquakes occur. It has earned the nickname "Ring of
Fire".

Karst topography usually forms in regions of plentiful rainfall where bedrock
consists of carbonate-rich rock, such as limestone, gypsum, or dolomite, that is easily
dissolved. Surface streams are usually absent from karst topography.

Eight Degree Channel ( 8 degrees north latitude) separates islands of Minicoy and Maldives.
Nine Degree Channel separates Lakshadweep and Minicoy. The Nine Degree Channel is a
channel in the Indian Ocean between the Laccadive Islands of Kalpeni and Suheli Par, and
Maliku Atoll. These two subgroups of islands, together with the Amindivi Subgroup, form
the Indian Union Territory (UT) of Lakshadweep.
Ten Degree Channel is a channel that separates the Andaman Islands and Nicobar Islands
from each other in the Bay of Bengal.

Meteorological Drought is a situation when there is a prolonged period of inadequate
rainfall marked with mal-distribution of the same over time and space.

Hydrological Drought results when the availability of water in different storages and
reservoirs like aquifers, lakes, reservoirs, etc. falls below what the precipitation can
replenish.
Agricultural Drought is also known as soil moisture drought, characterized by low soil
moisture that is necessary to support the crops, thereby resulting in crop failures.
Moreover, if an area has more than 30 per cent of its gross cropped area under irrigation,
the area is excluded from the drought-prone category.
Ecological Drought is when the productivity of a natural ecosystem fails due to shortage of
water and as a consequence of ecological distress, damages are induced in the ecosystem.

In 1960, when India was facing mass shortage of food, M S Swaminathan
along with Norman Borlaug and other scientists developed the HYV (high yielding variety)
seeds of wheat. This development led to Green Revolution in India and M S Swaminathan
was known as 'The Father of Green Revolution'.
Norman Borlaug, who was the originator of what was a dwarf wheat variety in Mexico, is
considered the godfather of the Green Revolution. The varieties of wheat that he developed
there became a model for what could be done in other staple crops around the world.
The period between 1991 to 2003 is known as the period of Golden Revolution in India. The
Golden revolution is related to the production of honey and horticulture. It is a part of the
important agricultural revolutions of India.
E. Sreedharan was given the sobriquet of Metro Man by the media for his grand success in
executing the completion of the Delhi Metro. Elattuvalapil Sreedharan (born 12 June 1932)
is an Indian engineer and politician from the Indian state of Kerala. He is credited with
changing the face of public transport in India with his leadership in building the Konkan
Railway and the Delhi Metro while he served as the managing director of Delhi Metro Rail
Corporation (DMRC) between 1995 and 2012.
Name of the Revolution Association Associated with
• Blue Revolution Fish Dr Arun Krishnan
• Green Revolution Agricultural Production M.S. Swaminathan
• Golden Revolution Horticulture and Honey Nirpakh Tutej
• Brown Revolution Leather, Cocoa Mr Hiralal Chaudri
• White Revolution Dairy Farming Verghese Kurien
• Red Revolution Meat and Tomato Vishal Tewari
• Pink Revolution Related with Onions, Prawns Durgesh Patel
• Evergreen Revolution For all agricultural production growth M S Swaminathan
Yellow Revolution Related with Oil Seed production Mr Sam Pitroda

Statement 1 is incorrect: Oxygen dissolves naturally when water comes in contact with
air. Oxygen solubility is strongly temperaturedependent and decreases at higher
temperatures.
Statement 2 is correct: Oxygen solubility is negatively correlated with the number of
dissolved solids. The solubility of dissolved oxygen also decreases as salinity increases.
Oxygen solubility is the determinant of healthy and diverse marine biodiversity especially
those dependent on oxygen. With increasing temperatures due to global warming and
climate change, the availability of Dissolved Oxygen is on the decline. Oxygen is on the
decline. Also, the presence of organic and inorganic wastes in water decreases the
dissolved oxygen content of the water. A number of other factors like surface turbulence,
photosynthetic activity, Oxygen consumption by organisms and decomposition of organic
matter are the factors which determine the amount of Dissolved oxygen present in water.

Statement 1 is incorrect: When the maximum and minimum temperature of the sea
surface are recorded, the daily range of temperature of surface water of oceans is almost
insignificant as it is around 1 degree centigrade only. On the other hand the annual range
of temperature is around minus 12 degree centigrade with a lot of regional variation, when
measured during different months of the year.

Statement 2 is correct: The Northern hemisphere is called continental hemisphere as it
contains about 40% of the continents and 60% ocean, whereas the Southern hemisphere is
called oceanic hemisphere as oceans covers about 81% of the total surface. Water heats up
more slowly than land. About two and half times as much energy is needed to heat a
volume of water through 1 degree centigrade as compared to the same volume of land
through 1 degree centigrade, so the maximum and minimum temperature is greater on
land than on oceans.

Siderite: Siderite is an ore of iron. Its molecular formula is FeCO3.
Siderite that is also called chalybite. The mineral commonly occurs in thin beds with shales,
clay, or sedimentary deposits and in hydrothermal metallic veins.

Pair 1 is correct: Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock composed of clay and organic
matter. Shale is widespread in nature, making up about 55% of sedimentary rocks. The
defining characteristic of shale is its ability to break into layers or fissility. Shale is
commercially important. It is used to make brick, pottery, tile, and Portland cement.
Pair 2 is incorrect: Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock. Sandstone is converted
into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within

orogenic belts. Quartzite is extremely popular due to its marblelike appearance and granite
like properties.
Pair 3 is correct: Schist is a foliated metamorphic rock. It usually forms on a continental side
of a convergent plate boundary where sedimentary rocks, such as shales and mudstones,
have been subjected to compressive forces, heat, and chemical activity.

Statement a is incorrect: Plate tectonic movements helps in understanding the landform
evolution on the Earth surface. It does not explain about the crust, crust, mantle, outer core
and inner core formation.

Statement b is incorrect: Degassing contributes to the formation of atmospheric layers on
the Earth. Degassing is the liberation of gases from within a planet, and it may occur directly
during volcanism, or indirectly by weathering of igneous rocks on a planetary surface.
Statement c is correct: The earth was mostly in a volatile state during its primordial stage.
Due to gradual increase in density the temperature inside has increased(Density
differentiation). As a result, the material inside started getting separated depending on their
densities. This allowed heavier materials (like iron) to sink towards the centre of the earth
and the lighter ones to move towards the surface. With passage of time it cooled further
and solidified and condensed into a smaller size. This later led to the development of the
outer surface in the form of a crust. During the formation of the moon, due to the giant
impact, the earth was further heated up. It is through the process of differentiation that
the earth forming material got separated into different layers like the crust, mantle, outer
core and inner core.
Statement d is incorrect: Continental Drifts says about how the continents move from one
region to another. It does not explain about the crust, crust, mantle, outer core and inner
core formation.

Ocean bottom floor is an outcome of volcanic, tectonic, erosional, depositional
process and their interaction.

Potholes (Erosional) : The small cylindrical depressions in the rocky beds of the river valleys
are called potholes. Potholing or pothole-drilling is the mechanism through which the
fragments of rocks when caught in the water eddies or swirling water start dancing
circularly and grind and drill the rock beds. They thus form small holes which are gradually
enlarged by the repetition.
Alluvial Fans (Depositional) : An alluvial fan is a triangle-shaped deposit of gravel, sand, and
even smaller pieces of sediment, such as silt. This sediment is called alluvium. Alluvial fans
are usually created as flowing water interacts with mountains, hills, or the steep walls of
canyons.
Natural Levees(Depositional): These are narrow ridges of low height on both sides of a
river, formed due to deposition action of the stream, appearing as natural embankments.

• Semeru, or Mount Semeru, is an active volcano located in East Java, Indonesia. It is
the highest mountain on the island of Java. This stratovolcano is also known as
Mahameru, meaning ‘The Great Mountain.
• Cotopaxi is an active stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located in the Latacunga
canton of Cotopaxi Province, about 50 km south of Quito, and 33 km northeast of
the city of Latacunga, Ecuador, in South America.
• Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, in the
Metropolitan City of Catania, between the cities of Messina and Catania. It lies above
the convergent plate margin between the African Plate and the Eurasian Plate.
• Mount Kilimanjaro, with its three volcanic cones, “Kibo”, “Mawenzi”, and “Shira”, is
a dormant volcano in Tanzania.

The Demographic Transition Model
Stage 1: High Population Growth Potential.

Stage 2: Population Explosion.
Stage 3: Population Growth Starts to Level Off.
Stage 4: Stationary Population.
Stage 5: Further Changes in Birth Rates.
Demographic transition (DT) refers to the transition from high birth and death
rates to lower birth and death rates as a country or region develops from a pre-industrial to
an industrialized economic system. The theory was proposed in 1929 by the American
demographer Warren Thompson, who observed changes, or transitions, in birth and death
rates in industrialized societies over the previous 200 years. Most developed countries have
completed the demographic transition and have low birth rates; most developing countries
are in the process of this transition.

Coromandel Coast of India is situated between the Krishna delta and Cape Comorin.

Forests are renewable natural resources and enhance the quality of environment by
providing the Oxygen needed to sustain life on the earth. Although both assertion and
reason are correct statements but reason is not the correct explanation of the assertion.
Forests improve the quality of air, soil, and water resources through the following means: (i)
Air: Forests consist of trees that purify the atmosphere by absorbing carbon dioxide and
releasing oxygen during the process of photosynthesis.

Bacteria and fungi present in the soil convert nitrates into nitrogen gas which goes back into
the atmosphere. This process is called denitrification.
Denitrifying bacteria is capable of performing denitrification as part of the nitrogen cycle.
It metabolises the nitrogenous compounds using various enzymes and turning the nitrogen
oxides back to the nitrogen gas or nitrous oxide.

Sone tributaries of the Ganga System flows northwards. There are many tributaries of
river Ganga. Major left-bank tributaries include Gomti (Gumti), Ghaghara (Gogra), Gandaki
(Gandak), and Kosi (Kusi); major right-bank tributaries include Yamuna (Jumna), Son,
Punpun and Damodar.

The Equinox (Vernal & Autumnal): There are only two times of the year when the Earth's
axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun, resulting in a "nearly" equal amount of
daylight and darkness at all latitudes. These events are referred to as Equinoxes.
A solar equinox is a moment in time when the Sun crosses the Earth's equator, which is to
say, appears directly above the equator, rather than north or south of the equator. During
an equinox, the duration of the day is equal to the duration of the night. It occurs twice each
year: 21 March and 23 September.

The earth's spin axis is tilted with respect to its orbital plane. This is what causes
the seasons. When the earth's axis points towards the sun, it is summer for that
hemisphere. When the earth's axis points away, winter can be expected.
• Earth's Revolution: As the Earth revolves around the Sun in its orbit, different parts
of the Earth are tilted towards or away from the Sun at different times of the year.
• Inclination of Earth's Axis: The Earth's axis of rotation is tilted at an angle of
approximately 23.5 degrees relative to its orbital plane. This tilt is crucial. Because of
this tilt, as the Earth revolves, sometimes the Northern Hemisphere is tilted towards
the Sun (resulting in summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the
Southern Hemisphere), and sometimes the Southern Hemisphere is tilted towards

the Sun (resulting in summer in the Southern Hemisphere and winter in the
Northern Hemisphere).

US Senate recently ratified Kigali Amendment to the 1987 Montreal Protocol on
ozone pollution, to limit use of refrigerants.
The international agreement requires participating nations to phase down production and
use of hydrofluorocarbons, also known as HFCs, by 85% over the next 14 years. More than
130 countries, including China, India and Russia, have formally ratified the agreement.

Recently, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways published a draft notification to
seek comments from the public for the adoption of E20 fuel.
Option d is correct: Biofuels are broadly classified into four categories based on their raw
materials. They are First-generation biofuels: Made from sugar, starch, vegetable oil, or
animal fats using conventional technology. Common first-generation biofuels include Bio
alcohols, Biodiesel, Vegetable oil, Bio-ethers, Biogas. Second-generation biofuels: Produced
from non-food crops, such as cellulosic biofuels and waste biomass (stalks of wheat and
corn, and wood). Examples include advanced biofuels like biohydrogen, bioethanol. Third
generation biofuels: Produced from microorganisms like algae. Fourth-generation biofuels:

Made from genetically engineered crops which consume high amounts of carbon. The crops
are then converted into fuel using second-generation techniques. National Biofuel Policy
2018: It categorises biofuels as “Basic Biofuels” viz. First Generation (1G), Second
Generation (2G) and Third Generation (3G) biofuels.

December 21 marks the Winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. The same day
marks the Summer Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. Winter Solstice in the Southern
hemisphere when the Southern hemisphere will have the longest day and shortest night.
Option a is correct: It is the shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere. On December 22 the
day will be one second longer and gradually the duration of day time will increase. This
situation will be reversed six months from now, on June 21, 2021, when the Northern
Hemisphere will see the Summer Solstice. The day will be the year’s longest on the Summer
Solstice. It occurs when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, located at 23.5°
latitude South.

Boreal forests, or taiga, represent the largest terrestrial biome. Occurring between
50ᵒand 60ᵒnorth latitudes (in permafrost regions), these can be found in the broad belt of
Eurasia and North America. Boreal Forests are dominated by conifers, especially spruces and
firs. These are dotted with lakes, bogs, and marshes. There is little rainfall in the boreal
biome. Precipitation comes in the form of fog and snow, with a little rain during the summer
months. There are long, service winters (up to six months with mean temperature below
freezing) and short summers (50 to 100 frost-free days), as is a wide range of temperature
between the lows of winter and highs of summer. The soils of the boreal forest are often
acidic, due to falling pine needles, and low on nutrients since the cold temperature does
not allow much foliage to rot and turn into dirt. Hence, statements 2 and 3 are correct.

Waterfalls
Most of the rivers, either at the point of origin or over the mountainous bed, have
waterfalls. The Barehipani and Joranda (Similipal ) in Mayurbhanja districts, Sanaghagara
and Badaghagara in Keonjhar district Padhanpuri in Deogarh district, khandadhara (Banei)
in Sundargarh district, Phurlijharan, Khandabaladhar, and Rabandhara in Kalahandi
district, Kentamari and Putudi in Boudh and Phulbani district DumDuma in Malkangiri
district and Bogra in Koraput district are some of the major waterfalls of Odisha.

Springs
There are a number of Mountain springs and hot spring in Odisha. The Badaghagara and
Sanaghagara in Keonjhar districts , Satpasajya in Denkanal districts, the Chandikhole in
Cuttack districts, the Barunei in Khorda districts, the Narayani and Nirmalajhar in Ganjam
and Puri districts, the Patalaganga in Kalahandi districts, the Nursinghanath in Sambalpur
districts and the Harisankar in Bolangir districts and some of the important mountain springs
in Odisha .

The recognized PVTGs in Odisha are:
1. Birhor
2. Bondo
3. Chuktia Bhunjia
4. Didayi
5. Juang
6. Kharia
7. Dongria Khond
8. Kutia Khond
9. Lanjia Saora
10. Lodha
11. Mankidia
12. Paudi Bhuyan
13. Saora

The fifth Five Year Plan (1974-79) was also called the ‘Investment Model of Planning
Commission’.
The two main objectives of this plan were poverty eradication and the attainment of self
reliance. The top priorities were agriculture, industry, and mines.
When Morar Ji Desai became the First Janta Prime Minister of India on 24 Mar 1977. The
fifth plan was terminated by the Janta Government in 1977-78 and they launched their
own sixth plan for the period 1978-83 and called it the” rolling plan

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the Organisation of the Petroleum
Exporting Countries (OPEC+) plus might face sharp demand fall due to a recent surge in
crude oil production from the countries like USA, Norway, and Guyana.
The non-OPEC countries which export crude oil are termed as OPEC plus countries.
OPEC plus countries include Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico,
Oman, Russia, South Sudan and Sudan.

The above passage describes Tropical wet evergreen forests.
Tropical dry evergreen forests: These are found along Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh
coast. It is mainly hard-leaved evergreen trees with fragrant flowers, along with a few
deciduous trees.
Tropical dry deciduous forests: Dry deciduous forests are found throughout the northern
part of the country except in the North-East. It is also found in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat,
Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. The canopy of trees does not normally exceed
25 meters. The common trees are the Sal a variety of acacia(babul), and bamboo.
Tropical moist deciduous forests: Moist deciduous forests are found throughout India
except in the western and the north-western regions. The treesare tall, have broad trunks,
branching trunks and roots to hold them firmly to the ground. Some of the taller trees shed
their leaves in the dry season. These forests are dominated by sal and teak, along with
mango, bamboo, and rosewood.
Wet Evergreen Forests: Wet evergreen forests are found in the south along the Western
Ghats and the Nicobar and Andaman Islands and all along the north-eastern region. It is
characterized by tall, straight evergreen trees that have a buttressed trunk or root on
three sides like a tripod that helps to keep a tree upright during a storm. These trees often
rise to a great height before they open out like a cauliflower.
The more common trees that are found here are the jackfruit, betel nut palm, Jamun,
Mango, and Hollock. The trees in this forest form a tiered pattern: shrubs cover the layer
closer to the ground, followed by the short structured trees and then the tall variety.
Beautiful ferns of various colours and different varieties of orchids grow on the trunks of the
trees.

Terrestrial ecosystems are the third largest global carbon pool only after the ocean and
geological carbon pool. The type of terrestrial ecosystem found in a particular place is
dependent on the temperature range, the average amount of precipitation received, the
soil type, and amount of light it receives.
Taiga, also called boreal forest, Taigas are the world's largest terrestrial ecosystem and
account for about 29% of the Earth's forests. They are composed primarily of cone-bearing
needle-leaved or scaleleaved evergreen trees, found in northern circumpolar forested
regions characterized by long winters and moderate annual precipitation. The largest taiga
ecosystems are found in Canada and Russia. Taigas are known for their sub-arctic climate
with extremely cold winters and mild summers. They primarily consist of coniferous trees,
such as pines, although there are some other deciduous trees.
Tundra ecosystems are treeless regions found in the Arctic and on the tops of mountains,
where the climate is cold and windy, and rainfall is scanty. Arctic tundra are found on high
latitude landmasses, above the Arctic Circle—in Alaska, Canada, Russia, Greenland, Iceland,
and Scandinavia, for example-or on far southern regions, like Antarctica.
Temperate deciduous forests are generally the most productive agricultural areas of the
earth. Temperate deciduous forests can be found in the eastern part of the United States
and Canada, most of Europe and parts of China and Japan. The temperate deciduous forest
is a biome that is always changing. It has four distinct seasons: winter, spring, summer and
fall.

Eco-Sensitive Zones or Ecologically Fragile Areas are areas within 10 kms around Protected
Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
ESZs are notified by MoEFCC, Government of India under Environment Protection Act
1986.
In case of places with sensitive corridors, connectivity and ecologically important patches,
crucial for landscape linkage, even areas beyond 10 km width can also be included in the
eco-sensitive zone.
The basic aim is to regulate certain activities around National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries
so as to minimise the negative impacts of such activities on the fragile ecosystem
encompassing the protected areas.
The purpose of declaring eco-sensitive zones around protected areas is for creating some
kind of a 'Shock Absorber' for the protected area. They also act as a transition zone from
areas of high protection to areas involving lesser protection.

Agricultural yield is a standard measurement of the amount (or quantity) of
agricultural production harvested—yield of a crop—per unit of land area. It is measured
for cereal, grain, or legumes; and typically, is measured in tons, per hectare.
India’s agricultural yield is found to be lower in the case of most crops, as compared to
other top producing countries such as China, Brazil and the United States.

Yield potential is defined as the yield of a cultivar when grown in environments to which it
is adapted, with nutrients and water non-limiting and with pests, diseases, weeds, lodging,
and other stresses effectively controlled.
'Crop yield' is the weight of grain or other economic product, at some agreed standard
moisture content, per unit of land area harvested per crop (usually metric tons per
hectare1, or here abbreviated to t/ha).
Agricultural productivity is measured in money produced per unit of land, but yields are
measured in the weight of the crop produced per unit of land.

Measurement of Unemployment: Unemployment is usually measured with the formula,
Unemployment rate = [Unemployed workers/ Total Labour Force] X 100.
The National Sample Survey Organization [NSSO] is responsible for measuring the
unemployment rate in India. NSSO is an organization under the Ministry of Statistics and
Programme.
They usually take into consideration three approaches for defining the conditions of
unemployment in India which are enlisted below-
• Daily Status Approach– This approach takes into account the unemployment of each
day, keeping the reference for a week. No productive work in even one hour of the
day is considered a period of unemployment for that day.
• Weekly Status Approach– This approach counts the individuals who have been
unemployed or unproductive for even an hour of the day in the week the survey has
been scheduled.
• Usual Status Approach– This underlines the record of the individuals who have been
unproductive or unemployed for the maximum period in 365 days or 1 year.

China has long sought to improve the way it handles extreme weather, and make highly
populated cities less vulnerable to flooding and drought. The “sponge city” initiative was
designed to make greater use of lower-impact “nature-based solutions” to better distribute
water and improve drainage and storage.
A sponge city is a new urban construction model for flood management, strengthening
ecological infrastructure and drainage systems, proposed by Chinese researchers in early
2000 and accepted by the Chinese Communist Party and the State Council as urbanism
policy in 2014.

According to the search results, Schumpeter was an economist who distinguished
between development and growth in his theory of economic dynamics. He defined
development as a discontinuous and spontaneous change in the economic system, driven
by innovations that create new combinations of productive factors and generate creative
destruction, i.e., the replacement of old technologies by new ones. He defined growth as a
gradual and steady change in the long run, which comes about by a gradual increase in the
rate of savings, population and capital accumulation. Therefore, based on these sources,
both statements given in your question are correct. The correct answer to your question is
c) 1 and 2.

A compact settlement is a type of rural settlement where the dwellings are
concentrated in one central site and the inhabitants live together and enjoy the benefits
of community life. A hamlet is a small rural settlement comprising of few houses only,
usually scattered throughout the countryside or clustered around a common feature.
Compact settlements are not necessarily surrounded by hamlets, as they may also be
isolated or adjacent to other villages or towns. Compact settlements are found in various
regions of India, depending on the environmental, historical, cultural, and economic factors.
Compact settlements are not absent in the Himalayan region, as they are found in some
valleys and terraces where flat land is available for cultivation and defense . Therefore,
based on these sources, both statements given in your question are false. The correct
answer to your question is d) Neither 1 nor 2

According to the search results, Alfred Weber was a German economist,
geographer, sociologist and theoretician of culture whose work was influential in the
development of modern economic geography. He tried to establish the pivotal role of
transportation costs in determining the optimal location of industrial activities. He
formulated a theory of industrial location, also known as the Weber problem or the location
triangle, which tries to explain and predict the locational pattern of industry at a macro
scale. It emphasizes that firms seek a site that minimizes the costs of transportation of raw
materials and finished products, as well as other factors such as labor, agglomeration, and
deglomeration.

According to the search results, the retreating monsoon is the period when the
southwest monsoon winds start withdrawing from the Indian subcontinent. This occurs
around the beginning of October and lasts till early January. It is also known as the northeast
monsoon or post-monsoon season. The retreating monsoon is the result of the apparent
movement of the Sun from the northern to the southern hemisphere, which causes a shift
in the pressure and wind systems over India. As the Sun moves southward, the low
pressure over northwestern India weakens and is replaced by a high pressure system. This
causes the reversal of winds from southwest to northeast, which blow across the Bay of
Bengal and bring rainfall to the southeastern coast of India. Therefore, based on these
sources, the correct answer to your question is b) The apparent movement of the Sun.

The Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats are mountain ranges running parallel to the
coasts of western and eastern India, respectively.
The Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, is located in the north-western part
of India.

The river originates from the Kailash ranges of Himalayas at an elevation of 5300 M. After
flowing through Tibet it enters India through Arunachal Pradesh and flows through Assam
and Bangladesh before it joins Bay of Bengal.
The Deccan Plateau, often referred to as the "Peninsular Plateau," is a vast, elevated
landmass located in the southern part of India. Spanning over 1.9 million square kilometers,
it stands as one of the largest plateaus on Earth.

Trenches are found mainly along the coast of the western Pacific Ocean because the
western margin of the Pacific Ocean is the subduction zone. This means that the denser
oceanic crust of the Pacific plate slides beneath the less dense continental crust of the
surrounding plates, creating deep and narrow depressions in the ocean floor.

The winter rainfall received by the Mediterranean region is mainly the result of
shifting of pressure belts. In winter, the subtropical high-pressure belt moves towards the
equator, allowing the westerly winds to bring moist air from the ocean to the land.

“Belem Declaration: Amazon countries fail to agree on protection goals”

What is the News?
• At the Amazon Summit, leaders from the eight countries across the Amazon have
adopted the Belem Declaration.
• The summit was organized by the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization
(ACTO).
What is the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization(ACTO)?
• Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization(ACTO) is an intergovernmental
organization signed in 1978 and created in 1995.
• Aim: To promote the harmonious development of the Amazonian territories in
such a way that the joint actions of the Amazonian countries produce equitable
and mutually beneficial results in achieving the sustainable development of the
Amazon Region
• Member countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname,
and Venezuela.
• Secretariat: Brasilia, Brazil
What is the Belem Declaration?
• The Balem Declaration was adopted at the Amazon Summit.
• The declaration recognises Indigenous knowledge as a condition for biodiversity
conservation and calls for ensuring full and effective participation of Indigenous
Peoples in decision-making and public policy formulation processes.
• The declaration created an alliance for combatting forest destruction, with
countries left to pursue their individual deforestation goals.
• It also created a science body for annual reports on Amazon rainforest like the
UN’s Climate Change Panel.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured new images of the Jupiter, which will
give more clues to Jupiter’s inner life.
A standalone view of Jupiter, created from a composite of several images from Webb, has
been released. Auroras extending to high altitudes above both the northern and southern
poles of Jupiter are seen in the image. The Great Red Spot, a persistent high-pressure
region in the atmosphere of Jupiter, appears white in the views.

Dam                :              River
• Jalaput Dam       : Machkund
• Rengali Dam       : Brahmani
• Tangarakana Dam  : Vamsadhara
ALL DAMS in Odisha link : https://indiawris.gov.in/wiki/doku.php?id=dams_in_odisha

Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), an initiative of the rich nations to
accelerate phasing out of coal and reducing emissions.
• The JETP initiative is modelled for the South Africa, to support South Africa’s
decarbonisation efforts.
• It aims to reduce emissions in the energy sector and accelerate the coal phase-out
process.
• JETP makes various funding options available for this purpose in identified
developing countries. The JETP was launched at the COP26 in Glasgow with the
support of the United Kingdom (UK), the United States (US), France, Germany, and
the European Union (EU).
• Following that G7 has announced for a similar partnership in India, Indonesia,
Senegal, and Vietnam.

Launched in 2015, the overreaching vision of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana
(PMKSY) is to ensure access to some means of protective irrigation to all agricultural farms
in the country, to produce ‘per drop more crop’, thus bringing much desired rural
prosperity.
PMKSY consists of three major components implemented by various ministries. They are
as follows. Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation,
Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Component : Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP)
Component : Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP)
• Sub component : Command Area Development (CAD)
• Sub component : Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI)
• Sub component : Repair, Renovation and Restoration (RRR) of Water Bodies
• Sub component : Ground Water Development
Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development

• Component : Watershed Development
Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
• Component : Per Drop More Crop

Sweden is the newest member of NATO. It joined the alliance as its 32nd member in
March 2024. Sweden announced its intention to join NATO in 2022, in response to Russia's
invasion of Ukraine, but its membership bid was held up for two years by objections from
Turkey and Hungary.

Union Agriculture Minister and Union Minister for Earth Sciences launched several new
initiatives under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY and Restructured Weather
Based Crop Insurance Scheme(RWBCIS), such as YES-Tech Manual, WINDS portal and door
to door enrolment app AIDE/Sahayak marking a turning point in India’s crop insurance
landscape. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)provides a comprehensive insurance
cover against failure of the crop thus helping in stabilising the income of the farmers.
It was introduced in the country from the Kharif 2016 season and it covers 1)
Food crops (Cereals, Millets and Pulses), 2) Oilseeds, 3) Annual Commercial / Annual
Horticultural crops. PMFBY is an actuarial premium based scheme under which farmer has
to pay maximum premium of 2% for Kharif, 1.5% for Rabi food & oilseed crops and 5% for
annual commercial/horticultural crops and remaining part of the actuarial/bidded premium
is shared equally by the Centre and State Government.

In April 2023, Govt ‘prohibts’ export of non-basmati white rice with immediate
effect. In order to ensure adequate availability of Non Basmati White Rice in the Indian
market and to allay the rise in prices in the domestic market, Government of India has
amended the Export Policy of above variety from ‘Free with export duty of 20%’ to
‘Prohibited’ with immediate effect.
The domestic prices of Rice are on an increasing trend. The retail prices have increased by
11.5% over a year and 3% over the past month.
Export duty of 20% on non-basmati white rice was imposed on 08.09.2022 to lower the
price as well ensure availability in the domestic market. However, the export of this variety
increased from 33.66 LMT (Sept-March 2021-22) to 42.12 LMT (Sept-March 2022-23) even
after imposition of 20% export duty. In the current FY 2023-24 (April-June), about 15.54 LMT
of this variety of rice was exported against only 11.55 LMT during FY 2022-23 (April-June),
i.e. an increase by 35%. This sharp increase in exports can be ascribed to high international
prices due to geo-political scenario, El Nino sentiments and extreme climatic conditions in
other rice producing countries, etc.

The prohibition on export of Non-Basmati White Rice will lead to lowering of prices for the
consumers in the country. Non-Basmati White Rice constitutes about 25% of total rice
exported from the country.
However, there is no change in Export policy of Non Basmati Rice (Par Boiled Rice) and
Basmati Rice, which forms the Bulk of Rice exports. This will ensure that the farmers
continue to get the benefit of remunerative prices in the international market.

Statement 1 is not correct: The Western Ghats are a 1,600-km long mountain
chain along the west coast of India running from the river Tapi in the north to Kanyakumari
in the south. It covers six states — Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and

Kerala. About 60 percent of the mountain range is in Karnataka. Anamudi is the highest
mountain peak of Western Ghat.
Statement 2 is not correct: Western Ghats were accorded the World Heritage Status by
UNESCO in 2012. The Kasturirangan report notified only 37 percent of the area as an
ecologically sensitive area. It also split the Western Ghats into cultural (human settlements)
and natural (non-human settlements) regions. It was suggested that cultural lands be
designated as an ecologically sensitive area (ESA).

The Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairy launched the
Sagar Parikrama initiative to better understand the issues, experiences, and aspirations of
fishermen, as well as to examine the scope of seafood exports and popularise programs
available to fishermen in coastal areas.

The Odisha State ST and SC development department signed an MoU with the Regional
Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Bhubaneswar, to set up a tribal health observatory
(TriHOb). This is said to be the first in the country, for ensuring equity in tribal health in
Odisha. TriHOb will establish a repository on the health of tribal population of Odisha.
Odisha Tribal Family Health Survey was also launched.

A cloudburst is sudden copious rainfall. It is a sudden aggressive rainstorm falling for
a short period of time limited to a small geographical area.
How does it happen?
Various researches suggest that they are manifestations of intense vortices on small scale
that generate strong convection currents, which lift the moisture laden air with sufficient
rapidity to form cumulonimbus clouds shedding water load with great strength and ferocity.
Why are the hilly areas more prone to cloud burst?
The topographical conditions like steep hills favour the formation of these clouds. And also
the devastations, as water flowing down the steep slopes bring debris, boulders and
uprooted trees with great velocity damaging any structure that comes in their way.

Statement 1 is correct: Mangrove forests only grow at tropical and subtropical latitudes
near the equator because they cannot withstand freezing temperatures.
Statements 2 is incorrect: All of these trees grow in areas with low-oxygen soil, where
slow-moving waters allow fine sediments to accumulate. West Bengal is a home to about
40% of the mangrove forests in India.
Statement 3 is correct: Odisha has 259 square kilometres of mangroves while Kendrapara is
home to over 80% of the State's mangrove forest. According to the Forest Survey of India
2021, Odisha has achieved growth of 8 sq km in mangrove forest area, the highest growth in
the country.

The Baltic Sea is surrounded by nine countries: Denmark, Germany, Poland,
Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Finland and Sweden. Belarus is a landlocked country in
Eastern Europe with no access to the Baltic Sea.

Statement 1 is incorrect: Western Ghats is a chain of mountains running parallel to
India’s western coast, approximately 30-50 km inland, the Ghats traverse the States of
Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat from the river Tapti in the
north to the southern tip of India.
The part of western Ghats falling in the state of Maharashtra is known as Sahyadri and is
sometimes called the Great Escarpment of India.
Statement 2 is correct: These mountains cover an area of around 140,000 km² in a 1,600 km
long stretch that is interrupted only by the 30 km Palghat Gap at around 11°N. A significant
characteristic of the Western Ghats is the exceptionally high level of biological diversity and
endemism. This mountain chain is recognized as one of the world’s eight ‘hottest
hotspots’ of biological diversity along with Sri Lanka.

Continental drift theory was proposed by Alfred Wegener in 1912.
According to Wegener’s Continental Drift theory, all the continents were one single
continental mass (called a Super Continent) – Pangaea and a Mega Ocean surrounded this
supercontinent. The mega ocean is known by the name Panthalassa. Although Wegener’s
initial theory did not cover mantle convection until Arthur Holmes later proposed the
theory.
The supercontinent was named Pangaea (Pangea) and the Mega-ocean was called
Panthalassa.

According to this theory, the supercontinent, Pangaea, began to split some two hundred
million years back.
Pangaea first split into 2 big continental masses known as Gondwanaland and Laurasia
forming the southern and northern modules respectively.
Later, Gondwanaland and Laurasia continued to break into several smaller continents that
exist today.
According to Wegener, all the continents formed a single continental mass and mega
ocean surrounded the same. Pangea was surrounded by a global ocean called Panthalassa.
The supercontinent was named PANGAEA, which meant all earth. The mega-ocean was
called PANTHALASSA, meaning all water. He argued that, around 200 million years ago,
the supercontinent, Pangaea, began to split.

Pensi La Pass connects Kashmir and Kargil. It is situated in Jammu & Kashmir at an elevation
of 4,400 meters above sea level.

Zoji La is a high mountain pass located in the Kargil district of Ladakh. The pass connects Leh
and Srinagar and provides an important link between the Union Territories of Ladakh and
Jammu & Kashmir.

Major constituent elements of crust are Silica (Si) and Aluminium (Al) and
thus, it is often termed as SIAL (Sometimes SIAL is used to refer Lithosphere, which is the
region comprising the crust and uppermost solid mantle, also).
The major constituent elements of the mantle are Silicon and Magnesium and hence it is
also termed as SIMA. The core is composed mainly of iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni) and hence it
is also called as NIFE.

El Niño is a climate pattern that describes the unusual warming of surface waters in the
eastern Pacific Ocean.
EI-Nino is merely an extension of the warm equatorial current which gets replaced
temporarily by cold Peruvian current or Humboldt Current. These current increases the
temperature of water on the Peruvian coast by 10°C.
Under El Niño, upwelling (deeper waters rise towards the surface) of deeper waters is
reduced, thus reducing phytoplankton off the coast.
Normally, ocean currents drive cold, deep water to the surface near the equator,
bringing with it a flood of nutrients that feed phytoplankton. El Nino’s mass of warm water
stops this upwelling. The result is a marked drop in phytoplankton levels. “This decline
echoes through many species,”

The highest salinity is found at Tropic of cancer and Tropic of Capricorn. Freshwater,
in the form of water vapour, moves from the ocean to the atmosphere through evaporation
causing a higher salinity.
Because the Earth rotates through two tidal “bulges” every lunar day, coastal areas
experience two high and two low tides every 24 hours and 50 minutes. High tides occur 12
hours and 25 minutes apart.
The Benguela Current is a Cold current. The Benguela Current is the broad, northward
flowing ocean current that forms the eastern portion of the South Atlantic Ocean gyre.
Benguela current is cooled by coastal upwelling along the west coast of South Africa and
Namibia.
Spring tides occur on full moon and new moon when the Sun, the Moon and the
Earth are in straight line. Neap tides, on the other hand, occur when the Sun and the Moon
are at right angle to each other. Average range of tides is higher in case of spring tides.
A spring tide occurs on the full moon and new moon day. Various forces are united at two
opposite positions on earth. So, there is a greater force and pull on seawater. Thus formed
the spring tide. High tides of spring tide are higher than the average high tide and low tide
of spring tide is lower than the average low tide.
A neap tide occurs when the position of the sun, moon, and earth are at right angles. During
neap tide, gravitational and centrifugal forces are divided. The high tides of a neap tide are
lower than the average high tide and the low tides of a Neap tide are higher than the
average low tide.

As per the water bird status survey-2022 conducted in the Chilika lake, nearly 11 lakhs
water bird and wetland dependent species visited the lake. Chilika Lake is the largest
brackish water lake and wintering ground of the birds in the Indian subcontinent.
• Chilika is Asia's largest and world's second largest lagoon.
• In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated the first Indian wetland of international
importance under the Ramsar Convention.
• Major attraction at Chilika is Irrawaddy dolphins which are often spotted off
Satapada Island.
• The large Nalabana Island (Forest of Reeds) covering about 16 sq km in the
lagoon area was declared a bird sanctuary in 1987.
• Kalijai Temple - Located on an island in the Chilika Lake.
• Chilika lake hosts birds migrating from thousands of miles away from the Caspian
Sea, Lake Baikal, Aral Sea, remote parts of Russia, Kirghiz steppes of Mongolia,
Central and South East Asia, Ladakh and the Himalayas.
• The birds find the vast mud-field and abundant fish stock here suitable to
congregate.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are carbon-containing chemicals released by petrol
and diesel vehicles. They impact air quality and human health. However, VOCs can have a
natural origin, too. Plants emit these chemicals to attract pollinators, defend themselves
from pests and predators and adapt to environmental stress.
Sources of VOCs
• paints, paint strippers and other solvents.
• wood preservatives.
• aerosol sprays.
• cleansers and disinfectants.
• moth repellents and air fresheners.
• stored fuels and automotive products.
• hobby supplies.
• dry-cleaned clothing.

Some VOCs are known carcinogens, meaning they can cause cancer in people. Others are
suspected carcinogens, meaning they are thought to cause cancer in people, but more
research is needed.

What is the Importance of Wetlands?
• Wetlands are highly productive ecosystems that provide the world with nearly two
thirds of its fish harvest.
• Wetlands play an integral role in the ecology of the watershed. The combination of
shallow water, high levels of nutrients is ideal for the development of organisms that
form the base of the food web and feed many species of fish, amphibians, shellfish
and insects.
• Wetlands purify and filter harmful waste from water. Plants from wetlands help
absorb harmful fertilizers and pesticides, as well as heavy metals and toxins.
• Wetlands' microbes, plants and wildlife are part of global cycles (recycling of
nutrients) for water, nitrogen and sulphur. Wetlands store carbon within their plant
communities and soil instead of releasing it to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.
• Wetlands function as natural barriers that trap and slowly release surface water,
rain, snowmelt, groundwater and flood waters. Wetland vegetation also slow the
speed of flood waters lowering flood heights and reduces soil erosion.
• Wetlands are critical to human and planet life. More than one billion people depend
on them for a living and 40% of the world’s species live and breed in wetlands.
• Wetlands are a vital source for food, raw materials, genetic resources for medicines,
and hydropower.

• They play an important role in transport, tourism and the cultural and spiritual well
being of people.
• They provide habitat for animals and plants and many contain a wide diversity of life,
supporting plants and animals that are found nowhere else.
• Many wetlands are areas of natural beauty and promote tourism and many are
important to Aboriginal people.
• Wetlands also provide important benefits for industry. For example, they form
nurseries for fish and other freshwater and marine life and are critical to commercial
and recreational fishing industries.

Reef-building corals cannot tolerate water temperatures below 18° Celsius. Many
grow optimally inwater temperatures between 23°–29°Celsius, but some can tolerate
temperatures as high as 40° Celsius for short periods.
• Most reef-building corals also require very saline (salty) water ranging from 32 to 42
parts per thousand.
• The water must also be clear so that a maximum amount of light penetrates it. This
is because most reef building corals contain photosynthetic algae, called
zooxanthellae, which live in their tissues.
• Corals require fairly good amount of sunlight to survive. Hence it requires shallow
water but at some places it is also found in deep waters as well.

• Adequate supply of oxygen and microscopic marine food, called plankton is
essential for the growth.

Black soil also known as Regur soil or black cotton soil is formed by weathering of the
solidified lava. It is known to be formed due to the volcanic activity that occurred in the
Deccan plateau region during which the lava had spread on the land and cooled down,

weathering of which formed black soil. It is clayey in texture and is deep and imperishable.
This soil swells and becomes sticky during the time of the rainy season and shrinks in the dry
summer.
Characteristics of black soil:
• This soil is wind resistant and also decreases water erosion.
• It retains moisture for a longer time as compared to other soils.
• It is rich in minerals such as lime, potash, iron, alumina and manganese.
• It lacks humus content and is also deficient in minerals such as nitrogen and
phosphorus.
It is one of the most suitable soils for growing rain-fed crops. Among all the crops
grown here, the most famous one is cotton. This soil is mainly found in Maharashtra,
Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. In the upper reaches of
Krishna and Godavari and northwestern parts of the Deccan plateau, it is very deep.

The displacement of rock upward or downward from their original position along such a
fracture is termed as faulting. Faulting results in rift valleys and Block Mountains.
Note: The uplifted blocks are termed as Horsts and the lowered blocks are called Graben.
Ex: Vindhya and Satpura Mountains, rift valleys of Nile, Narmada and Tapi etc.
The Rockies is an example of folding.

Alluvial Soil
• Alluvial soil is the most extensive and agriculturally significant soil type in India.
Covering about 15 lakh square kilometres or 45.6% of the country’s total land area, it
forms the foundation of India’s agricultural wealth and supports a majority of the
population.
• Formation and Composition: Alluvial soils are formed by the deposition of
sediments (alluvium) by rivers, winds, glaciers, and sea waves. They are rich in
humus and nutrients like potash but often lack phosphorus.
• Their fertility is further enhanced as they are renewed annually by river floods.
• Types of Alluvial Soil: Alluvial soils are categorized into two types:
• Old alluvium (Bhangar) is clayey, sticky, and darker with lime nodules.
• New alluvium (Khadar) is lighter and deposited in floodplains and deltas

• Distribution: Great Northern Plain (from Punjab to West Bengal and Assam), the
lower valleys of the Narmada and Tapti rivers, the east coast deltas, and the
northern Gujarat plains through a narrow corridor in Rajasthan.
• Characteristics: Alluvial soils range in texture from sandy loam to clay and vary in
colour from light grey to ash grey based on maturity.
• They are more loamy and clayey in the lower Ganga plain and Brahmaputra valley,
with sand content decreasing from west to east.
• Crops: Rice, Wheat, Sugarcane, Cotton, Tobacco, Pulses, Oilseeds and Jute.

National Waterway-5 (NW-5) is located on the Mahanadi/Brahmani delta, Matai
River, and East Coast Canal (ECC). Specifically, it includes stretches of the Brahmani River
(from Talcher to Dhamra), the East Coast Canal (Geonkhali to Charbatia), the Matai River
(Charbatia to Dhamra), and the Mahanadi River Delta (Mangalgadi to Paradip).

The opportunities provided by a country’s demographics in which the working
population is much more than the dependent population is called demographic divided. For
taking advantage of this dividend, skill development is must as it allows the youth to get
adequate and meaningful jobs.

Tropical cyclone occurs between 8°N to 25°N in the northern hemisphere. Clone
develops only on the ocean. The latent heat of condension is the main energy source of the
cyclone. It occurs mainly after summer solstice when equatorial low pressure is far away
from the equator.

The strait that separates the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is the Ten Degree Channel.
• Austen Strait: This strait separates Middle Andaman Island from North Andaman
Island.
• Palk Strait: This strait separates India from Sri Lanka.
• Coco Strait: This doesn't seem to be a commonly recognized term in relation to the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Latitude - The temperature of ocean water decreases from the equator towards the poles
because the amount of insolation decreases as we move poleward. The oceans in the
northern hemisphere record relatively higher temperatures than in the southern
hemisphere because of the concentration of landmass in the north. The highest
temperature is recorded not at the equator but slightly north of it.
Land-water distribution - In the northern hemisphere the oceans receive more heat due to
their contact with a larger extent of land than the oceans in the southern hemisphere. As
land heats faster and cools down faster than water, the surrounding waters are impacted
accordingly.
Prevailing winds - The winds blowing from the land towards the oceans drive warm surface
water away from the coast resulting in the upwelling of cold water from below. It results in
longitudinal variation in the temperature. Contrary to this onshore winds pile up warm
water near the coast and this raises temperature.
Ocean currents - Warm ocean currents raise the temperature in cold areas while cold
currents decrease the temperature in warm ocean waters. The Gulf stream ensures
countries of western Europe have access to warm water ports throughout the year. While
the oyashio current freezes the waters in Eastern Russia.

Soil erosion refers to the removal of Top soil by an external agent. Water erosion
takes place in following states:
Splash erosion: The impact of raindrops on the soil surface can break down soil aggregates
and disperse the aggregate material. Lighter aggregate materials such as very fine sand, silt,
clay and organic matter are easily removed by the raindrop splash and runoff water; greater
raindrop energy or runoff amounts are required to move larger sand and gravel particles.
Soil movement by rainfall (raindrop splash) is usually greatest and most noticeable during
short-duration, high-intensity thunderstorms.
Sheet Erosion : Sheet erosion is the
movement of soil from raindrop splash and
runoff water. It typically occurs evenly over a
uniform slope and goes unnoticed until most
of the productive topsoil has been lost.
Deposition of the eroded soil occurs at the
bottom of the slope or in low areas.
Rill Erosion : Rill erosion results when
surface water runoff concentrates, forming
small yet well-defined channels. These
distinct channels where the soil has been
washed away are called rills when they are
small enough to not interfere with field
machinery operations. In many cases, rills
are filled in each year as part of tillage
operations.
Gully Erosion : Gully erosion is an advanced stage of rill erosion where surface channels are
eroded to the point where they become a nuisance factor in normal tillage operations.

The retreating southwest monsoon season is marked by clear skies and rise in temperature.
The land is still moist. Owing to the conditions of high temperature and humidity, the
weather becomes rather oppressive. This is commonly known as the ‘October heat’. In the
second half of October, the mercury begins to fall rapidly, particularly in northern India. The
weather in the retreating monsoon is dry in north India but it is associated with rain in the
eastern part of the Peninsula. Here, October and November are the rainiest months of the
year.

The oldest landmass, (the Peninsula part), was a part of the Gondwana land. The
Gondwana land included India, Australia, South Africa, South America and Antarctica as one
single land mass.

The northward drift of Peninsular India resulted in the collision of the plate with the much
larger Eurasian Plate. Due to this collision, the sedimentary rocks which were accumulated
in the geosyncline known as the Tethys were folded to form the mountain system of
western Asia and Himalayas.
The Himalayan uplift out of the Tethys Sea and subsidence of the northern flank of the
peninsular plateau resulted in the formation of a large basin. In due course of time this
depression, gradually got filled with deposition of sediments by the rivers flowing from the
mountains in the north and the peninsular plateau in the south. A flat land of extensive
alluvial deposits led to the formation of the northern plains of India.

Statement 1 is incorrect: Land has a property of getting heated and cooled faster as
compared to sea. Hence, during the daytime, the land gets quickly heated up and creates a
low pressure whereas the sea has high pressure. Therefore, the air tends to blow from the
sea to land as the pressure gradient exists from sea to land. Whereas on the other hand,
during the night, the land gets cooled very quickly causing the air to flow from land to sea.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Katabatic winds are cold dense air which flow down the valleys or
mountains during the night. The moisture laden winds when crossing a mountain cause
condensation and precipitation. On the leeward side these winds are dry and while
descending they are warmed up by the adiabatic process.

Nitrogen accounts for 78% of the atmosphere, oxygen 21% and argon 0.9%. Gases
like carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides, methane, and ozone are trace gases that account for
about a tenth of one percent of the atmosphere.

Constituent                            percent by Volume            Concentration in parts per Million (PPM)

Nitrogen (N₂)                                  78.084                                            780,840.0

Oxygen (O₂)                                    20.946                                              209,460.0

Argon (Ar)                                          0.934                                                 9,340.0

Carbon dioxide (CO₂)                         0.036                                                    360.0

Neon (Ne)                                           0.00182                                                  18.2

Helium (He)                                         0.000524                                                  5.24

Methane (CH₄)                                    0.00015                                                     1.5

Krypton (kr)                                         0.000114                                                    1.14

Hydrogen (H₂)                                     0.00005                                                      0.5

In India, tropical deciduous forests cover around 65.6 percent of the total forest area.
Supporting much of India’s biodiversity, the forests are a major source of income for the
locals. Here’s what one should know about the deciduous forest covers.
Tropical deciduous forest, or Monsoon Forests, grow in areas with an annual rainfall of 70-
200 cm. Tropical deciduous forests occur in regions with heavy rainfall for part of the year
followed by a marked dry season. These forest formations are dense and lush during the
wet summers, but become a dry landscape during the dry winters when most trees shed
their leaves.

• Zoji La Pass– Jammu and Kashmir
• Bara Lacha Pass– Himachal Pradesh
• Niti Pass– Uttarakhand
• Jelep La Pass– Sikkim

A is incorrect, but R is correct.
Regions near equator receives more sunlight than the poles making them hotter and less air
dense. So, equatorial gases reaches greater heights to exert the same pressure as at the
poles.
Because the Earth itself is broader at equator, the equator experiences less gravity allowing
air to reach bigger heights. Poles are closer to gravitational center and experience higher
gravity. This is another reason why atmosphere is thinner at poles.

As compared to the other sections of the Himalayas, these along with the
Arunachal Himalayas are conspicuous by the absence of the Shiwalik formations. In place of
the Shiwaliks here, the ‘duar formations’ are important, which have also been used for the
development of tea gardens. Sikkim and Darjeeling Himalayas are also known for their
scenic beauty and rich flora and fauna, particularly various types of orchids.