PRELIMS मतलब MAD

Answer — (b)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is not correct: The amendment allows domestic companies to use biodiversity without the permission from biodiversity boards. As per the amendments, only foreign controlled companies will require permission. This indicates companies with shares controlled by foreign companies would also be exempted.

• Statement 2 is correct: The amendment also provides for decriminalizing offenses under the Act and making them punishable only with a penalty (between Rs. 1,00,000 and Rs. 5 million and continuing violations can attract an additional penalty of up to Rs. 1 crore) and no imprisonment.

• Statement 3 is correct: Three ex-officio members are appointed by the Central Government.
  • One member representing the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and two representing the Ministry of Environment and Forests, of whom one shall be the Additional Director General of Forests.
  • Apart from that, there are also five non-official members.

Answer — (c)

Explanation:

• About Underground Coal Gasification: It is the partial in-situ combustion of the coal seam to produce usable gas through the same chemical reactions that occur in surface gasifiers.
  • This is achieved by injecting steam and air (or oxygen) into the coal seam which is then ignited to initiate gasification. Typically temperatures above 1000°C are required for the gasification to proceed.
• Statement 1 is correct: The UCG reactions are managed by controlling the rate of oxygen or air that is injected into the coal seam through the injection well. The process can be halted by stopping the injection of oxygen or air.

• Statement 2 is correct: The syngas that is produced from UCG is the same as that produced by above-ground gasification processes. It can be combusted in a gas turbine to produce electricity or further processed to produce chemicals, transportation fuels, or fertilizers.

• Statement 3 is correct: There is growing interest in using the cavities to store carbon dioxide that could be captured from the above-ground syngas processing.
  • In general, after the coal is converted to syngas in a particular location, the remaining cavity, which will contain the leftover ash or slag from the coal, may be flooded with saline water and the wells are capped.
• Additional information: Recently, Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) has embarked on an innovative pilot project for Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) at the Kasta coal block in Jamtara District, Jharkhand. This first ever groundbreaking initiative aims to revolutionize the coal industry by using in-situ coal gasification to convert it into valuable gases such as methane, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide.
  

Answer — (d)

Explanation:

• About the Stockholm Convention: The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from chemicals that remain intact in the environment for long periods.
  • They become widely distributed geographically, accumulate in the fatty tissue of humans and wildlife, and have harmful impacts on human health or on the environment.
  • The Stockholm Convention, which was adopted in 2001 and entered into force in 2004, requires its parties to take measures to eliminate or reduce the release of POPs into the environment.
• Statement 1 is correct: The provisions of the Convention require each party to prohibit and/or eliminate the production and use, as well as the import and export, of the intentionally produced POPs that are listed in Annex A to the Convention.
  • Annex A allows for the registration of specific exemptions for the production or use of listed POPs, in accordance with that Annex. The import and export of chemicals listed in Annex A can take place under specific restrictive conditions.
• Statement 2 is correct: Annex B allows for the registration of acceptable purposes for the production and use of the listed POPs, in accordance with that Annex.
  • It also allows for the registration of specific exemptions for the production and use of the listed POPs, in accordance with that Annex and Article 4 of the Convention.
  • The parties are required to restrict the production and use, as well as the import and export, of the intentionally produced POPs that are listed in Annex B.
  • The parties are also required to reduce or eliminate releases from unintentionally produced POPs listed in Annex C.
• Statement 3 is correct: The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is the designated interim financial mechanism for the Stockholm Convention.
  

Answer — (c)

Explanation:

• About Hangul: It is also known as the Kashmir stag and is found in the landscapes of Kashmir. It is listed as Critically Endangered in IUCN’s Red Data Book and placed under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Hanguls are high-altitude forest dwellers.
  • The animal is characterized by a distinctive white rump patch, an impressive spread of antlers and a small tail.
  • They are also called red deer due to their reddish-brown coat, which may vary with season.
  • Male hanguls actively pursue females by producing distinctive rutting calls that are loud and rough, and raise their muzzles slightly while doing so.
• Statement 1 is not correct: It is found in the temperate grasslands of the western Himalayas.
  • Their distribution had earlier spanned Dachigam National Park and nearby areas, Rajparian Wildlife Sanctuary, Overa Aru, Sind Valley and forests of Kishtwar and Bhadarwah.
  • Now, they are mostly spotted in the protected areas of Dachigam National Park and Tral Wildlife Sanctuary in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Statement 2 is not correct: They are herbivores. Their diet primarily consists of grass, herbs, leaves, barks and twigs.

• Statement 3 is correct: Like elephants, Kashmir stags too have a matriarchal society that follows a female leader.
  • Females live in groups of up to 18, while adult males live independently.

Answer — (a)

Explanation:

• About Speciation: It refers to the process of creation of a new kind of plant or animal species. Speciation occurs when a group within a species separates from other members of its species and develops its own unique characteristics.

• Allopatric speciation: It occurs when a species separates into two separate groups that are isolated from one another. A physical barrier, such as a mountain range, makes it impossible for them to breed with one another.
  • Each species develops differently based on the demands of its unique habitat or the genetic characteristics of the group that are passed to their offspring.
  • Hence, pair 1 is not correct.
• Sympatric speciation: It occurs when there are no physical barriers preventing members of a species from mating with one another, and all members are in close proximity to one another. A new species, perhaps based on a different food source or characteristic, develops without geographical separation.
  • Hence, pair 2 is correct.
• Parapatric speciation: In this type of speciation, a species is spread out over a large geographical area. Although it is possible for members of the species to mate with one another, individuals primarily mate with those in their own geographic region.
  • Instead of being separated by a physical barrier, the populations are separated by differences within the same environment.
  • Hence, pair 3 is not correct.