Q.1. Consider the following terms:
- Operation 1027
- Three Brotherhood Alliance
- Spring Revolution
- Arakan Army
How many of the above terms are related to the ongoing civil war in Myanmar?
- (a) 1 and 4
- (b) 1 and 2
- (c) All of the above
- (d) None of the above
Ans: (c)
Source: Why are people fleeing Myanmar for Mizoram? (The Hindu, November 19); Myanmar’s Spring Revolution: A New Instability With India’s Border Region (The Quint, 18 November)
Explanation:
- Myanmar’s Spring Revolution, which started in 2021, is approaching its third year in February 2024.
- This movement differs from past uprisings due to increased participation from various ethnic groups. Their goal is to restore the government overthrown in 2021.
- Operation 1027, led by the “Three Brotherhood Alliance,” marks a significant offensive against the military regime, especially in Northern Shan State, bordering China.
- The operations spread to other regions, including Chin State and Sagaing, bordering India. These actions have led to the capture of several military outposts.
Q.2. Consider the following statements:
- Statement I: The Cryosphere has high surface reflectivity (albedo)
- Statement II: The cryosphere exerts an important influence on Earth’s climate
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
- (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
- (b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
- (c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
- (d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
Ans: (a)
Source: World needs to limit global warming to 1.5°C to protect cryosphere, 2°C too high: Report (Down to Earth, 17 November 2023)
Explanation:
- The State of the Cryosphere 2023 report predicts that virtually all tropical and mid-latitude glaciers, as well as polar regions, will vanish even if we limit the global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
- The report also anticipates a 50% loss of the existing ice in the Himalayas if the average global temperature reaches 2°C.
- The cryosphere, which includes ice sheets and glaciers, plays a crucial role in Earth’s climate due to its high surface reflectivity (albedo), which allows it to reflect a significant portion of solar radiation back into space.
- This reflectivity affects the absorption of solar energy by land and oceans.
- Ice on land, specifically ice sheets and glaciers, store large quantities of water, keeping it away from the oceans for extended periods.
- Changes in land-based ice volume, whether growth or shrinkage, directly influence the global average sea level.
Q.3. Consider the following statements:
- Sea buckthorn fruit from Ladakh has been awarded a Geographical Indication (GI) tag
- Recently, Ladakh received the fourth GI tag
- Ladakh is now home to two fruits that have earned the prestigious GI tag
- Kala bhat (black soybean) was the first fruit from Ladakh to get the GI tag
How many of the above statements are true?
- (a) 1 and 2
- (b) 1, 2 and 3
- (c) 2, 3, 4
- (d) All of the above
Ans: (b)
Source: Source: Ladakh’s sea buckthorn gets GI tag (ETv Bharat, November 18)
Explanation:
- Ladakh’s Sea Buckthorn fruit has earned a Geographical (GI) tag, differentiating it domestically and internationally.
- The Department of Industries and Commerce, Ladakh, has gained official proprietorship of the ‘Ladakh Sea Buckthorn’.
- This is Ladakh’s fourth GI tag, following Ladakh Pashmina, Apricot (Raktse Carpo species), and Ladakhi wood sculptures.
- Sea Buckthorn is the second fruit in Ladakh to receive a GI tag.
- Known as the Leh Berry or sea buckthorn (Hippophae), this plant from Ladakh produces small, vitamin-rich orange or yellow berries.
- These berries, packed with nutritional and therapeutic benefits, are known for their sour taste.
- Traditional uses of Sea Buckthorn include fuel, medicine, and nutritional supplement.
- Sea Buckthorn is also referred to as “Wonder Plant”, “Ladakh Gold”, “Golden Bush”, or “Gold Mine” of cold deserts.
Q.4. Consider the following statements:
- Marine Protected Areas (MPA) are defined regions managed for the long-term conservation of marine resources
- CCAMLR is an intergovernmental body that regulates MPAs all over the world
- The Caribbean island of Dominica has announced to create the world’s first marine protected area for Krill
How many of the above statements are true?
- (a) Only 1
- (b) 1 and 2
- (c) 1 and 3
- (d) All of the above
Ans: (a)
Source: Dominica to create world’s first sperm whale reserve (BBC, November 13)
Explanation:
- The Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) was established in 1982 to conserve marine life in Antarctica. It consists of 27 members and 10 acceding countries.
- Dominica, a Caribbean island, is setting up the world’s first marine reserve for sperm whales to halt their declining population.
- Sperm whales are globally distributed, seen in both polar regions and the equator, but they are consistently present off the coast of Dominica.
- The proposed reserve will prohibit commercial fishing but allow sustainable artisanal fishing to ensure the whales’ safety.
- The female sperm whales off Dominica form lifelong family units, including grandmothers, mothers, and daughters.
- Males live with these family units until they become teenagers, after which they lead solitary lives and migrate long distances, with Caribbean males discovered as far away as Norway.
Additional Facts
- CCAMLR, an international commission consisting of 27 member countries, aims to conserve Antarctic marine life due to rising commercial interest in krill resources and past over-exploitation of marine resources.
- India supports the creation of two additional Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Antarctica to safeguard marine life and associated ecosystem services.
- The Southern Ocean, covering 10% of the global ocean and hosting nearly 10,000 unique polar species, is experiencing climate change-induced habitat alterations.
- Commercial fisheries harvest krill, a key part of the food chain, for fish meal and human nutritional supplements, threatening the survival of krill-dependent species such as fish, whales, seals, penguins, and other seabirds.
- A 2022 study highlighted that krill fishing was most prevalent around the Western Antarctic Peninsula and the South Orkney Islands.
- Currently, only two MPAs exist in the Southern Ocean – one on the southern shelf of the South Orkney Islands and the other in the Ross Sea, providing full protection to just 5% of the ocean.
Q.5. Consider the following GI-tagged agricultural products:
- Onattukara seasame
- Gamosa
- Tejpatta
- Attappady Attukombu Avara
- White Onion
How many of the above GI-tagged products belong to Kerala?
- (a) 1 and 2
- (b) 1 and 5
- (c) 1 and 4
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Ans: (c)
Source: Kerala to expand farming of GI-tagged Onattukara sesame (The Hindu)
Explanation:
- Onattukara sesame cultivation is being expanded in Kerala’s Alappuzha district.
- Incentives announced for sesame growth within Thekkekara Krishi Bhavan zone.
- Currently, sesame is cultivated across 600 hectares over 43 local bodies in Alappuzha, Kollam, and Pathanamthitta.
- Kerala Agricultural University’s analysis shows high Vitamin E and antioxidant levels in the region’s sesame.
- In December 2022, the Union government granted GI tags to 9 products nationwide, including Assam’s Gamosa and Maharashtra’s Alibag White Onion.
- Tejpata, an Indian bay leaf of Uttarakhand, received the first botanical GI tag in 2016 due to its culinary and medicinal properties.