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Prelims 2024: Current Affairs Quiz, Series 6

Q.1. Consider the following statements:

  1. Air pollution shortens the lives of the residents of Delhi by around 11.9 years, according to the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) report for 2023
  2. IQAir publishes AQLI every year
  3. IQAir is a Swiss air quality platform

How many of the above statements is/are true?

  • (a) Only 1
  • (b) 1 and 3
  • (c) All of the above
  • (d) 1 and 3

Ans: (b)

Source: To clear the air (Indian Express, October 31)

Explanation:

  • The University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute publishes the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI).
  • As per the 2023 report, Indians lose an average of 5.3 years of life due to air pollution-related health issues.
  • For Delhi, the situation is worse, with an estimated loss of 11.9 years.
  • The 2022 list of the 50 most polluted cities, produced by the Swiss platform IQAir, included 39 Indian cities.
  • IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company, creates annual World Air Quality Reports using data from worldwide monitoring stations.
  • Delhi was the fourth most polluted city globally in terms of PM2.5 levels in 2022, according to IQAir’s World Air Quality Report.
  • India ranked eighth out of 131 countries, with a population-weighted average PM2.5 level of 53.3 μg/m3 in 2022.
  • The countries leading India are Chad, Iraq, Pakistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, and Kuwait.
  • India’s annual average in 2022 (53.3 μg/m3) was slightly lower than in 2021 (58.1 μg/m3).

Q.2. Consider the following statements:

  • Statement I: National air quality standards in India are less rigorous than the WHO’s standards
  • Statement II: India’s AQI has six categories

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: (b)

Explanation: National air quality standards in India are less rigorous than the WHO’s standards. For PM 2.5, the WHO set a limit of 5 microns while India’s limit is 40 microns. India’s AQI has six categories: Good, satisfactory, moderately polluted, poor, very poor and severe.

Q.3. Consider the following statements:

  • Statement I: Director of the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve Trust received the UNESCO Michel Batisse Award for Biosphere Management 2023
  • Statement II: The Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve Trust has introduced the concept of ‘plastic checkpoints’.

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: (b)

Source: Biosphere reserves are evolving as pockets of hope (The Hindu, November 3)

Explanation:

  • Bakan Jagdish Sudhakar, wildlife warden and director of Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, India, was honored with UNESCO’s Michel Batisse Award 2023. This marked the first time the award has been given to an Indian.
  • The award, worth $12,000, is given every two years in honor of Dr. Michel Batisse. It recognises exceptional contributions to biosphere reserve management worldwide.
  • The award was established by UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Program in 2004.
  • Sudhakar’s work in the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve earned him this prestigious recognition.
  • The Trust has also initiated ‘plastic checkpoints’ where community members inspect vehicles and tourists for plastic waste. This waste is then collected, recycled, and used in road construction.
  • The Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve is located at India’s south-eastern tip. It’s the first Marine Biosphere Reserve in South and South-East Asia.
  • This Gulf, a convergence point for the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean, is one of India’s most biologically diverse regions.

Q.4. Consider the following statements:

  1. Biosphere Reserves in India are run by Man and Biosphere (MAB) programme
  2. MAB programme was launched by the Government of India in 1986
  3. There are 18 biosphere reserves in India

How many of the above statements is/are true?

(a) Only 1
(b) 1 and 3
(c) Only 3
(d) All of the above

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

  • The UNESCO Man and Biosphere (MAB) programme guides the Biosphere Reserve Programme. This is because India is a signatory to the landscape approach promoted by the MAB programme.
  • The Indian Government has been implementing a scheme called the Biosphere Reserve since 1986.
  • This scheme provides financial support for maintenance, improvement, and development of certain areas. The aid is distributed in a 90:10 ratio to North Eastern Region States and three Himalayan states, and in a 60:40 ratio to other states.
  • The State Government is responsible for drafting the Management Action Plan. This plan needs approval from the Central MAB Committee, who also monitors its implementation.

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