2. Vertical bunding and furrowing
3. Artificial aerial root stimulation
4. Silvo-aquaculture trenching
Explanation:
- This is a well-established mangrove restoration method used in places where natural tidal inundation is insufficient.
- Involves a main canal and multiple angled side canals mimicking a fish skeleton to distribute tidal water to elevated or degraded lands.
- Used in India (e.g., Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary) for ecological restoration and coastal protection.
- This technique is more common in agricultural water management or contour trenching for slope stabilization and soil moisture conservation.
- It is not specifically adapted or recognized for mangrove restoration, especially not for improving tidal flow.
- Mangrove aerial roots (like pneumatophores) develop naturally in response to waterlogged or anoxic soil conditions.
- Artificial stimulation is not a documented or scientifically validated technique for mangrove rehabilitation. There’s no standard practice by this name.
- Refers to integrating aquaculture with mangrove plantation by digging trenches or ponds among planted mangroves.
- This helps maintain water flow, supports biodiversity, and provides livelihood options.
- Practiced in Sundarbans and coastal Bangladesh, though mainly for livelihood-focused restoration.
Answer: (b) 1 and 4 only
2. Tapu is one of their traditional war dances.
3. Tagin and Nishi are major subgroups of the Adi community.
4. Solung and Aaran are among their key festivals.
5. The Gaon Burra serves as a traditional village head.
Explanation:
Answer: (c) Only four
| Tributary | Notable Feature |
|---|---|
| 1. Subansiri | Originates in Tibet and is the largest tributary |
| 2. Manas | Flows through Bhutan before entering India |
| 3. Teesta | Originates in Bhutan and joins the Brahmaputra in Assam |
| 4. Kopili | Right-bank tributary from Meghalaya plateau |
Explanation:
Correct Answer: (b) Only two
2. The basin is bounded by the Himalayas, the Patkai Hills, and the Assam Hills.
3. Umananda Island, located in the Brahmaputra, is considered the smallest inhabited river island in the world.
4. The Brahmaputra flows through Bhutan for a brief stretch before entering Assam.
Explanation:
Correct Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only
2. West Bengal
3. Tripura
4. Sikkim
5. Nagaland
Explanation:
The Brahmaputra River Basin in India includes the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, West Bengal, and Sikkim. There is no credible evidence that Tripura forms part of the Brahmaputra River Basin, whereas Mizoram is inconsistently mentioned— occasionally due to hydel projects, but authoritative sources do not list it as a major part of the basin proper.
Correct Answer: (b) 2, 4, and 5 only
2. Kolkata
3. Zorinpui
4. Paletwa
Explanation:
So, the correct route is: Kolkata → Sittwe → Paletwa → Zorinpui.
Correct Answer: (a) 2 → 1 → 4 → 3
2. The inland waterway segment of the project lies entirely within Indian territory.
3. Zorinpui is the designated land border crossing point between India and Myanmar for this corridor.
4. The road segment from Paletwa to Zorinpui is the longest stretch in the entire corridor.
Explanation:
Correct Answer: (b) Only two
2. A temporary safeguard duty on a sudden import surge
3. Licensing rules that delay market entry for foreign firms
4. Health certifications required only from selected exporting countries
Explanation:
1. Eco-label requirement: This is a classic NTB, as it involves making imported goods subject to technical/eco-labelling regulations which can restrict trade if they are applied unreasonably or discriminate against foreign products. These are covered under the WTO’s Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement and are often cited as NTBs if they impede market access.
2. Safeguard duty: Safeguard duties are “contingent” trade remedies explicitly regulated by the WTO Agreement on Safeguards. While they are non-tariff measures in the sense that they’re not permanent customs duties, under WTO jurisprudence, they are generally classed separately from NTBs and are considered a form of “trade remedy” rather than a typical NTB. They are temporary and taken in response to serious injury, not as a standard trade restriction.
3. Licensing delays: Licensing requirements for imports—especially when they are administratively burdensome or selectively applied—are frequently classified as NTBs. Such measures can delay or restrict imports without imposing tariffs and are recognized under WTO agreements as classic NTBs.
4. Discriminatory health certifications When countries impose health (sanitary/phytosanitary) certification selectively, not on all trading partners equally, it violates non-discrimination principles and is considered an NTB. These can be challenged under the WTO’s SPS Agreement if discriminatory or overly trade-restrictive.
Correct Answer: (b) 1, 3, and 4 only
II. Pralay is an indigenously developed solid-propellant quasi-ballistic missile.
Explanation:
Statement I is correct — quasi-ballistic missiles are designed to fly at lower altitudes and execute maneuvers mid-flight, making them harder to intercept.
Statement II is also correct — Pralay is developed by DRDO and uses solid propellant with quasi-ballistic characteristics.
Correct Answer: (c) Both I and II
Pralay Missile Tests Enhance India’s Strike Capability
India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) recently carried out back-to-back successful test launches of the ‘Pralay’ missile from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island, located off the coast of Odisha.
The ‘Pralay’ missile is a domestically developed, solid-fuel, short-range surface-to-surface missile engineered for high-precision strikes. It is equipped with sophisticated guidance and navigation systems that ensure exceptional accuracy in hitting targets.
Designed to deliver a payload ranging from 500 to 1,000 kilograms, Pralay has an operational range between 150 and 500 kilometers. It is capable of carrying diverse warhead configurations, enabling it to engage a wide array of targets, thereby strengthening India’s tactical deterrence posture.
The missile has been developed primarily by the Research Centre Imarat (RCI) in Hyderabad, with substantial contributions from other DRDO laboratories, particularly those based in Pune.
Unlike conventional ballistic missiles that follow a high-arching trajectory, quasi-ballistic missiles like Pralay travel at lower altitudes and are capable of mid-course maneuvers. This unique flight profile makes them more evasive and difficult for enemy air defense systems to intercept.
2. He was the first Indian ruler to undertake overseas naval expeditions to Southeast Asia.
3. The city of Gangaikondacholapuram was established to commemorate his southern victories.
4. He built a temple in Gangaikondacholapuram modeled on the Brihadisvara Temple of Thanjavur.
Explanation
Incorrect. Rajendra Chola I assumed the title “Kadaram Kondan” after his Southeast Asian naval expedition where he conquered Kadaram (modern Kedah in Malaysia). His defeat of the Palas of Bengal led to the title “Gangaikonda” (“Conqueror of the Ganges”) and the founding of Gangaikondacholapuram, not “Kadaram Kondan”.
Correct. Rajendra Chola I is widely regarded as the first major Indian ruler to launch successful overseas naval expeditions and military campaigns to Southeast Asia, conquering parts of Srivijaya and others in the early 11th century.
Incorrect. Gangaikondacholapuram was established to commemorate his northern victories, specifically his successful campaign up to the Ganges and defeat of the Pala kings.
Correct. The Brihadisvara Temple at Gangaikondacholapuram, built by Rajendra Chola I, was indeed modeled on (though smaller than and more refined compared to) the earlier Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur built by his father.
Only two of the four statements are correct.
Correct Answer: (b) Only two