05. Vision Csp 2016 Test 5 Solution (1)

8/18/2019 05. Vision Csp 2016 Test 5 Solution (1)

1/16

GENERAL STUDIES Prelims Mock TEST No. 1768

VISION IAS ONLINE SYSTEM

www.visionias.in

Q.1 :c

Tropical Evergreen forests are found in the

western slope of the Western Ghats, hills of

the northeastern region and the Andaman

and Nicobar Islands. They are found in warm

and humid areas with an annual precipitationof over 200 cm and mean annual

temperature above 22°C. Tropical evergreen

forests are well stratified, with layers closer

to the ground and are covered with shrubs

and creepers, with short structured trees

followed by tall variety of trees. In these

forests, trees reach great heights up to 60 m

or above. There is no definite time for trees

to shed their leaves, flowering and fruition.

As such these forests appear green all the

year round. Species found in these forests

include rosewood, mahogany, aini, ebony,

etc.

Q.2 :d

According to Koppen's scheme, India can be divided

into eight climatic regions.

Type of Climate Areas

Monsoon with short

dry season

: West coast of India

(south of Goa)

Monsoon with dry

summer

: Coromandel Coast of

Tamil Nadu

Tropical Savannah : Most of PeninsularPlateau

Semi-arid steppe

climate

: North-western Gujarat

Hot Desert : Extreme western

Rajasthan

Monsoon with dry

summer

: Coromandel Coast of

Tamil Nadu

Cold humid winter

with short summer

: Arunachal Pradesh

Polar Type : J&K, Himachal

Pradesh and

Uttarakhand

Q.3 :d

Three major geological events in the distant past

have shaped the present drainage system of

Peninsular India:

1. Subsidence of the western flank of the

Peninsula block - It led to its submergence

below the sea and disturbed the symmetrical

plan of the river on either side of the original

watershed.

2. Subsidence of the northern flank of the

Peninsular block - It occurred due toupheaval of Himalayas and led to trough

faulting. The Narmada and Tapi flow in

trough faults.

3. Slight tilting of the Peninsular block from the

northwest to southeast direction.

This gave orientation to the entire drainage systemtowards the Bay of Bengal. Therefore, all the three

geological events are associated.

Q.4 :b

Statement 1 is incorrect. Hemis National Park

is a high altitude national park in the eastern

Ladakh region of the state of Jammu and

Kashmir in India. Statement 2 is correct. It is

the only national park in India north of the

Himalayas. Statement 3 is correct. It has

high density of snow leopards.

Q.5 :c

The correct answer is Chenab. It is the

largest tributary of the Indus. It forms in the

upper Himalayas in the Lahaul and Spiti

district of Himachal Pradesh, India, and flows

through the Jammu region of Jammu and

Kashmir into the plains of the Punjab,

Pakistan. The waters of the Chenab are

allocated to Pakistan under the terms of the

Indus Waters Treaty.It is also known as Chandrabhaga because

the two streams Chandra and Bhaga meet at

Keylong.

Q.6 :a

All these are the characteristic features of

laterite soil. It develops in the areas of high

rainfall and high temperature. Due to heavy

rainfall other water soluble minerals are

leached away and soil rich in iron oxide and

aluminium compound is left behind. This

imparts the typical brick-like red colour and

texture to this soil type.

Q.7 :c

The westernmost point of India is located in

the state of Gujarat. Therefore, statement 1

is incorrect.

The Indian easternmost point is located in

Arunachal Pradesh. hence, statement 2 is

incorrect.

The main land extends between latitudes

8°4'N and 37°6'N and longitudes 68°7 'E and97°25' E thus latitudinal and longitudinal

Page 1/16/ Student Registration No.20039/26-03-2016 01:24:01 AM/ copyright www.visionias.in Raz Kr


2/16


3/16



www.visionias.in

Q.15 :d

The IUCN Red List is used to inform and

influence many different sectors of society. It

enables biodiversity needs to be factored

into decision-making processes.The IUCN

Red List informs decision-making whichshapes Multilateral Environmental

Agreements, including the Convention on

International Trade in Endangered Species,

the Convention on Migratory Species and the

Ramsar Convention.

The Ramsar Convention works closely with

five other organisations known as

International Organization Partners (IOPs).

These are Birdlife International, the

International Union for Conservation of

Nature (IUCN), the International Water

Management Institute (IWMI), Wetlands

International and WWF International.

Q.16 :b

Japanese scientist Takaaki Kajita and

Canadian researcher Arthur B. McDonald

shared 2015 Physics Nobel for the discovery

that neutrinos-fundamental particles that

come in three types, or flavors-can actually

swap identities and change flavors as they

fly through space.

The discovery contradicted the Standard

Model of particle physics which predictedthat neutrinos would be massless. For

neutrinos to change flavors, however, they

must have mass. Kajita and McDonald

demonstrated that neutrinos must therefore

have a very small but nonzero mass.The

discovery that neutrinos have mass has

profound consequences—not only for particle

physics, pointing at physics beyond the

Standard Model, but also for astrophysics

and cosmology

Q.17 :d

Some important mountain peaks in Andaman

and Nicobar islands are Saddle peak (North

Andaman – 738 m), Mount Diavolo (Middle

Andaman – 515 m), Mount Koyob (South

Andaman - 460 m) and Mount Thuiller (Great

Nicobar – 642 m).

Q.18 :d

There are following methods of soil conservation:

Mulching: The bare ground between plantsis covered with a layer of organic matter like

straw. It helps to retain soil moisture.

Contour barriers: Stones, grass, soil are

used to build barriers along contours.

Trenches are made in front of the barriers to

collect water.

Rock dam: Rocks are piled up to slow down

the flow of water. This prevents gullies andfurther soil loss.

Terrace farming: These are made on the

steep slopes so that flat surfaces are

available to grow crops. They can reduce

surface run-off and soil erosion.

Intercropping: Different crops are grown in

alternate rows and are sown at different

times to protect the soil from rain wash.

Contour ploughing: Ploughing parallel to

the contours of a hill slope to form a natural

barrier for water to flow down the slope.

Shelter belts: In the coastal and dry

regions, rows of trees are planted to checkthe wind movement to protect soil cover.

Q.19 :c

Diphu Pass - Arunachal Pradesh at trijunction

of India, China and Myanmar

Bum La - Arunachal Pradesh, very close to

Bhutan

Nathu La - Sikkim, connects it with Tibet

though Chumbi Valley

Khardung La - Located on Ladakh Range,

road from Leh to Siachen base passesthrough it

Q.20 :b

Vale of Kashmir is the intermontane valley in

western Jammu and Kashmir flanked by the

main range of the Himalyas on the northeast

and the Pir Panjal Range on the southwest.

Karewas are the lacustrine deposits in the

Valley of Kashmir. They are known for the

cultivation of saffron.

In deltaic plains, uplands are called and

marshy lands as Bugyals are alpine pasture

lands, or meadows of the Himalayas in the

Indian state of Uttarakhand.

Q.21 :a

Ritchie's Archipelago and Labyrinth Islands

are two principal groups of islets in the

Andaman and Nicobar Island archipelago.

Ritchie's Archipelago is a cluster of smaller

islands which lie some 25-30 km (16-19 mi)

east of Great Andaman, the main island

group of the Andaman Islands.



4/16



www.visionias.in

Q.22 :b

Maximum development of glaciers occurs in

the Karakoram range. This range accounts

for about 16000 sq. km or about half of the

snow bound area of the Himalayan region.

Some of the largest glaciers outside the polarand sub polar regions are found in this

raange. The 75km long Siachin Glacier in

Nubra Valley has the distinction of being the

largest glacier outside the polar and sub

polar regions. Gangotri Glacier which is 30

km long is the largest glacier in the kumaon

Garhwal region of the Himalayas.

Q.23 :b

Statement 1 and 3 are correct. Western

Ghats are comparatively higher in elevationand more continuous than the Eastern Ghats.

Their average elevation is about 1,500 m

with the height increasing from north to

south. They stretch from River Tapi upto

Kanyakumarai.

Q.24 :a

Tropical Evergreen Forests- Some of the

commercially important trees of this forest

are ebony, mahogany, rosewood, rubber and

cinchona. Tropical Deciduous Forests- Teak is the most

dominant species of this forest.

Bamboos, sal, shisham, sandalwood, khair,

kusum, arjun, mulberry are other

commercially important species.

Montane Forests- Silver fir, junipers, pines

and birches are the common trees of these

forests.

Himalayan Moist- Walnut.

Q.25 :d

River Mahi rises from the northwestern part

of the Vindhyan Range in Madhya Pradesh

and empties in the Gulf of Khambhat.

Rest three are part of Inland Drainage.

Q.26 :c

The dendritic pattern develops where the

river channel follows the slope of the terrain.

The stream with its tributaries resembles the

branches of a tree, thus the name dendritic.

A river joined by its tributaries, at

approximately right angles, develops a trellispattern. A trellis drainage pattern develops

where hard and soft rocks exist parallel to

each other. A rectangular drainage pattern

develops on a strongly jointed rocky terrain.

The radial pattern develops when streams

flow in different directions from a central

peak or dome like structure.

Q.27 :b

During the monsoon season, a northward

shift in the ITCZ causes an attraction of

Maritime Tropical (mT) air mass. This air

mass is laden with moisture and is said to

bring about monsoon over the Indian sub-

continent.

Q.28 :c

Nirbhay missiles are not part of India's Integrated

Guided Missile Development Programme.

The missiles developed under the programme are:

1. Prithvi

2. Trishul

3. Nag

4. Akash

5. Agni

Q.29 :d

Green bond is a debt instrument (and not

equity instrument) which publicly states that

capital is being raised to fund 'green'

projects, that typically include those relating

to renewable energy, emission reductions

and so on.

Green bonds are issued by multilateral

agencies such as the World Bank,

corporations, government agencies and

municipalities.

India has embarked on an ambitious target of

building 175 gigawatt of renewable energy capacity

by 2022, from just over 30 gigawatt now. This

requires a massive $200 billion in funding. This is

likely to increase India's share in green bond market

Q.30 :d

Only statement 3 is incorrect.

In mountainous areas, the decrease in

temperature with increasing altitude leads to

a corresponding change in natural

vegetation.

The Himalayan ranges show a succession of vegetation from the tropical to the tundra,



5/16



www.visionias.in

which change in with the altitude.

Deciduous forests are found in the foothills of

the Himalayas. The temperate forests are

called Sholas in the Nilgiris, Anaimalai and

Palani hills.

Q.31 :a

The river Indus rises in Tibet, near Lake

Mansarowar. Flowing west, it enters India in

the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir. It

forms a picturesque gorge in this part.

Several tributaries, the Zaskar, the Nubra,

the Shyok and the Hunza, join it in the

Kashmir region.

Ramganga is tributary of river Ganga.

Q.32 :c

The monsoon approaches the Indian landmass in

two branches - Arabian Sea branch and Bay of

Bengal branch. The Arabian Sea Branch is much

more powerful than the Bay of Bengal branch. This is

because of two reasons:

1. Arabian Sea is larger than the Bay of Bengal

2. Entire Arabian Sea current advances towards

India while only a part of Bay of Bengal

current enters India, the remainder

proceeding to Myanmar, Thailand and

Malaysia.

On arriving in the mainland of India, Arabian Sea

Branch is divided into three distinct streams (one

branch obstructed by Western Ghats, the other

striking the coast north of Mumbai and the third

striking the Saurashtra Peninsula and Kachchh). Bay

of Bengal branch, on the other hand, is divided into

two streams( one branch moves along the Ganga

plains reaching as far as Punjab Plains and the other

branch moves up the Brahmaputra valley in the

north and the northeast).

Q.33 :c

Superimposed drainage system exhibits

discordance with the underlying rock

structure because it originally developed on

a cover of rocks that has now disappeared

due to denudation. Peninsular rivers exhibit

this type of drainage.

Q.34 :c

Flowing through Assam, Brahmaputra mostly

has a braided channel passage. There is aconstant shifting of the river channels and

the sandy shoals and forms many riverine

islands, the most important of which is

Majuli.

Q.35 :b

Nainital is located in Kumaon hills of

Himalayas and not Shiwaliks. Mt Abu is

situated in Aravalis and Ooty in Nilgari Hills.

Q.36 :a

Ranchi, Bhopal and Gandhinagar are situated

south of the tropic of cancer line.

Q.37 :c

The Malabar coast has got certain

distinguishing features in the form of 'Kayals'

(backwaters), which are used for fishing,

inland navigation and also due to its special

attraction for tourists. Every year the famous

Nehru Trophy Vallamkali (boat race) is held

in Punnamada Kayal in Kerala.

Q.38 :a

The correct sequence is Option A.

The Cardamom Hills, southern hills of Indiaand part of the southern Western Ghats are

located in southeast Kerala and southwest

Tamil Nadu. Anaimalai hills are placed just

north of Cardamom hills. The Nilgiri (blue

mountains), are a range of mountains

forming a part of the Western Ghats situated

in the western part of Tamil Nadu state at

the junction of Karnataka and Kerala states.

The Javadhu Hills (also Jawadhi, Jawadhu

Hills) are an extension of the Eastern Ghats

spread across parts of Vellore and

Tiruvannamalai districts in the northern part

of the state of Tamil Nadu.

Q.39 :a

Guru Shikhar, a peak in the Arbuda

Mountains of Rajasthan, is the highest point

of the Aravalli Range.

While, Barak is a river which originates from

Barail Range.

Nokrek Peak is the highest point of the Garo

Hills region of the State.

Q.40 :d



6/16



www.visionias.in

Because of their ability to remove soil and

transport it, wind and water are powerful

agents of soil erosion. While wind erosion is

significant in arid and semi-arid regions,

erosion by running water is more active in

wet areas. Water erosion takes place mainly

in the form of sheet and gully erosion. Whilesheet erosion takes place on level lands,

gully erosion is common on steep slopes.

Badland topography is associated with gully

erosion as large number of deep gullies or

ravines develop in a region. Ravines are

widespread in Chambal Basin. Therefore,

none of the statements are correct.

Q.41 :d

Projects such as Crocodile Breeding Project,

Project Hangul and conservation of Himalayan Musk deer have been launched by

the Government of India as special

conservation efforts for these species. There

is no special project launched by th

Government of India for the exclusive

protection of Himalayan Tahr.

Q.42 :c

The DRDO inaugurated an Extreme Altitude

Research Centre at Chang La in Jammu and

Kashmir at 17,600 ft above mean sea level,the world's highest terrestrial R&D centre.

It has been established by Defence Institute

of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), Leh, a

constituent establishment of Defence

Research and Development Organisation

(DRDO).

Numerous life sciences activities will be

undertaken at this centre. This will include

human physiological work, long term

conservation of plant genetic resources,

designing, testing and demonstration of

mobile and portable greenhouses. The centre

will also work towards the conservation and

propagation of endangered extreme altitude

medicinal plants and others.

Q.43 :a

Government has decided to set up a National

Tribal Advisory Council for effecting

monitoring and implementation of various

tribal welfare schemes.

The Fifth Schedule to the Constitution of

India contains provisions concerning the

administration and control of Scheduled

Areas and Scheduled Tribes.Fourth Schedule speaks about allocation of

seats and has no bearing on National

Advisory council. Statement 2 is wrong.

Provisions under Schedule V: If the President

so directs, each State having Scheduled

Areas and also any State having Scheduled

Tribes but not Scheduled Areas, of a Tribes

Advisory Council consisting of not more thantwenty members of whom, as nearly as may

be, three-fourths shall be the representatives

of the Scheduled Tribes in the Legislative

Assembly of the State.

However, the fifth schedule does not

provides for National Tribal Advisory council.

Hence statement 2 is wrong.

The council will be chaired by the Prime

Minister and will meet once or twice in a

year. Hence, statement 3 is wrong.

Q.44 :a

Sundarbans house littoral and swamp

forests. Mangroves are found here, not

evergreen forests.

Other places (except Andaman and Nicobar)

have mangroves, but not evergreen forests.

Q.45 :c

The Tamil Nadu coast remains dry during the

summer monsoon season. There are two factors

responsible for it:

1. The Tamil Nadu coast is situated parallel to

the Bay of Bengal branch of South-West

monsoon.

2. It lies in the rain shadow area of the Arabian

Sea branch of the South-West.So both

statement are correct .

Q.46 :d

Reasons for excessive cold during the cold weather

season in North India are:

1. States like Punjab, Haryana etc are far away

from the moderating influence of sea.

2. Snowfall in the nearby Himalayan ranges

creates cold wave situation.

3. Cold winds coming from the Caspian Sea and

Turkmenistan bring cold wave along with

frost and fog over these regions.

Q.47 :d

To prevent gully erosion and control their

formation all the mentioned methods, exceptshelter belts, may be applied. Finger gullies



7/16



www.visionias.in

can be eliminated by terracing. In bigger

gullies, the erosive velocity of water may be

reduced by constructing a series of check

dams. Special attention should be made to

control headward extension of gullies. This

can be done by gully plugging, terracing or

by planting cover vegetation.

Q.48 :d

Hiran is a tributary to the Narmada River.

Q.49 :b

Black soils swell and become sticky when

wet and shrink when dried. So during the dry

season, these soil develop wide cracks. Thus,

there occurs a kind of self ploughing. Therefore statement 1 is wrong.

Chemically, the black soils are rich in lime,

iron, magnesia and alumina. They also

contain potash. But they lack in

phosphorous, nitrogen and organic matter.

They are also known as Regur Soils.

Hence B is the correct answer.

Q.50 :b

The tribes of the Andaman Islands - the Jarawa,Great Andamanese, Onge and Sentinelese - are

believed to have lived in their Indian Ocean home for

up to 55,000 years. Considered one of the most

isolated people on earth, the Jarawa are a hunter-

gatherer tribe that has lived in the dense forests of

Andaman Islands completely cut off from the outside

world for thousands of years.

However, with the increasing flow of outsiders, the

Jarawas are facing the threat of extinction. Today,

approximately 400 members of the nomadic Jarawa

tribe live in groups of 40-50 people in chaddhas - as

they call their homes.

They are kept in the category of Scheduled Tribes.

Some more facts about Jarawas:

1. Contraceptive methods used by Jarawa: As

contraceptive leaves known as Vachahi and

Hatho are used.

2. There are specific divisions of labour among

the jarawas when they are on movement.

Male members pick and carry their hunting

implements and clean the way, the female

members carry the food articles and other

household belongings.3. The jarawas of both sexes go complete

naked. However some ornaments are worn

by them but these are not in the sense to

cover their nudity.

4. The marriage generally occurs between the

adolescents. A widow/widower can get marry

in the Jarawa community. Though the jarwa

are strictly monogamous, subsequentmarriages are common.

Q.51 :b

Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana RSBY was

launched in early 2008 to provide for

cashless insurance for hospitalisation in

public as well as private hospitals.

Unorganized sector workers belonging to BPL

category and their family members (a family

unit of five) shall be the beneficiaries under

the scheme.

Benefits:

The unroganised sector worker and his family

(unit of five) will be covered and the total

sum insured would be Rs. 30,000/- per family

per annum on a family floater basis.

Cashless attendance to all covered ailments.

All pre-existing diseases to be covered.

Transportation costs (actual with maximum

limit of Rs. 100 per visit) within an overall

limit of Rs.1000 Earlier RSBY was a project

under the Ministry of Labour andEmployment. Now it has been transferred to

Ministry of Health and family welfare from

April 1, 2015.

Hence, statement 1 and 2 are correct and statement

3 is wrong.

Q.52 :b

Mawsynram is a village in the East Khasi Hills

district of Meghalaya state in north-eastern

India, 65 kilometres from Shillong. It is

reportedly the wettest place on Earth, with

an average annual rainfall of 11,872

millimetres.

Q.53 :b

The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR), the first

of the fourteen biosphere reserves of India,

was established in September 1986. The

topography of the NBR is extremely varied,

ranging from an altitude of 250 m to 2,650

m. It has largest population of two

endangered species Lion-tailed macaque andNilgiri tahr. The Western Ghats, Nilgiri Sub-



8/16



www.visionias.in

Cluster, conjoining the Nilgiri Biosphere

Reserve, is a World Heritage Site declared by

UNESCO in 2012. It includes the Mudumalai,

Mukurthi, Wayanad and Bandipur national

parks.

Q.54 :b

India has a rich variety of wetland habitats.

About 70% of this comprises areas under

paddy cultivation.

Q.55 :d

Lakshadweep has zero per cent forest

area;So statement 1 is correct. Most of the

states with less than 10 per cent of the forest

area lie in the north and northwestern part of the country. These are Rajasthan, Gujarat,

Punjab, Haryana and Delhi.So Statement 2 is

also correct. The southern slopes of the

Himalayas carry a thicker vegetation cover

because of relatively higher precipitation

than the drier north-facing slopes .statement

3 is also correct.

Q.56 :d

Montane Forest These trees are called

coniferous trees. Chir, Pine and Deodar areimportant trees of these forests. Throny

Cactus, khair babol, keekar are important

and are found in the states of Rajasthan,

Punjab, Haryana, Eastern slopes of Western

Ghats and Gujarat.Mangrove forest Sundari

is a well-known species of trees in mangrove

forests after which Sunderbans have been

named.

Tropical Deciduous: Important trees of

these forests are sal, teak, peepal, neem and

shisham.

Q.57 :b

Whiteflly is a small (1-2 mm) white-coloured

insect affecting cotton, and also occurring on

vegetables and other crops in tropical and

sub-tropical regions. The whitefly sucks sap

from the phloem or living tissue carrying

organic nutrients, causes yellowing and

upward curling of the leaves. The insect also

deposits sticky honey dew excretion, which

promotes sooty mould fungi that interfere

with photosynthesis. Sticky cotton makes

ginning and milling difficult. In north India,

whitefly is present throughout the year, duethe wide range of crops grown, shifting from

one crop to the other. But more damage is

caused by the cotton leaf curl virus that is

transmitted by the same insect. There are no

control measures for this virus. The disease-

affected plants are stunted, with fewer

numbers of bolls and reduced yields.

Besides, the infected plants serve as sourceof inoculums and infestation for the

remaining healthy fields. Hence, statement 1

is correct.

The late-sown crop is tender in July-August,

when weather conditions - hot, humid and

cloudy - are most congenial for the whitefly

and leaf curl virus transmission. The early-

sown crop is less susceptible, as the mature

leaves are not preferred by whiteflies.

Whiteflies have a white waxy coating on their

body at nymphal stage and on wings at the

adult insect stage. The waxy coating protects

whiteflies from most insecticides. On theother hand, many broad-spectrum

insecticides like synthetic pyrethroids and

mixtures kill a wide range of insects in the

fields. That includes even beneficial insects

known to control whiteflies naturally. The

absence of beneficial natural enemies leads

to whitefly resurgence and out breaks.

Hence, statement 2 is correct.

The ineffectiveness of genetically modified

(GM) cotton against the recent whitefly

attack in Punjab and Haryana, which

witnessed widespread protests by farmers,

has raised concern among agriculturalexperts and farmers over the growing

dependency on Bt cotton. Hence, statement

3 is wrong. Whiteflies are physically delicate

and can be controlled even with water

sprays. The best approach is to select

methods causing least disturbance to

beneficial insects that can control the

whitefly naturally. Therefore broad-spectrum

insecticides such as synthetic pyrethroids

and mixtures should be strictly avoided. It is

better to rely initially on water sprays,

followed by soap sprays, suction traps,

yellow sticky traps and reflective sheets or

sprays with preparations of neem oil, castor

oil, fish oil and rosin soap. There are

chemicals, also known as insect growth

regulators, like buprofezin and pyriproxyfen.

These control whiteflies, while seen to have

less effect on beneficial insects.

Q.58 :a

IAFS is an official platform for the African-

Indian relations. It is held every 3 years and

the venue is selected on rotational basis

from both sides. Agenda of the summit: Itcovers various fields including agricultural



9/16



www.visionias.in

sector, trade, industry and investment,

peace and security, promotion of good

governance and civil society, information and

communication technology (ICT) etc.

First Summit: It was held in 2008 in New

Delhi and was represented by 14 countries of

Africa chosen by the African Union.Second Summit: It was held at Addis Ababa,

Ethiopia and 15 African countries had

participated in it.

Third Summit: Present summit was earlier

scheduled in December 2014 in New Delhi,

but it was postponed to October 2015 due to

deadly Ebola outbreak in few western African

countries.

The Third India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS)

was the largest international gathering of

leaders in New Delhi after the 1983 Non-

Aligned Movement (NAM) summit. It was also

one of the largest gatherings of Africancountries outside Africa as all 54 nations of

the continent had participated.

The Indo-African Forum summit was initiated

to revisit the declining relations between the

two countries since 1990s. It was not a part

of the NAM but was an independent forum.

Q.59 :b

The Global Competitiveness Report

2015-2016 assesses the competitiveness

landscape of 140 economies, providinginsight into the drivers of their productivity

and prosperity. It was published by World

Economic Forum (WEF).

Competitiveness Report 2015-2016: India

has been placed at 55th position on 2015

Global Competitiveness Index of the world's

most competitive economies. Switzerland

has retained its top position as the world's

most competitive economy for seventh year

in a row.

India moved up 16 positions in this edition of

index as compared to 71th position in 2014.

Most problematic factors for doing business

in India are policy instability, corruption,

inflation and access to finance. India ranks in

areas such as investor protection, quality of

education system, gross national savings,

venture capital availability, GDP and

domestic market size, hiring and firing

practices, burden of government regulation

and public trust in politicians.

No member of the South Asian Association

for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) features in

the top 50.

India leads the way at 55th, followed by Sri

Lanka (68th, up five). Nepal (100th, up two),

Bhutan (105th, down two), Bangladesh(107th, up two), and Pakistan (126th, up

three) all rank 100th or below.

Although last year all SAARC countries

except Bhutan posted small gains, since

2007 only Nepal has managed to progress

significantly (14 places gained); Pakistan lost

34 places during that period and India,

despite leapfrogging 16 places this year, stillranks seven notches lower than it did in

2007.

Q.60 :a

Areas of Low Rainfall(receive rainfall

between 50-100 cm):Western Uttar

Pradesh,Delhi, Haryana, Punjab,Jammu and

Kashmir,eastern Rajasthan, Gujarat and

Deccan Plateau. Eastern Madhya Pradesh,

Jharkhand comes under Areas of Medium

Rainfall : (Rainfall between 100-200 cm).

Q.61 :c

Heritiera fomes is a species of mangrove tree in the

family Malvaceae. Its common names include

sunder, sundri, jekanazo and pinlekanazo. It is the

dominant mangrove tree species of the Sundarbans

of Bangladesh and India, and comprises about 70%

of the trees in the area. H. fomes is a major timber-

producing tree. It is threatened by over-harvesting,

water diversions in the Ganges Basin, fluctuations in

salinity due to upstream and coastal developmentand top dying disease. The International Union for

Conservation of Nature has assessed it as being

"endangered".

Q.62 :b

Shelter belts are used in arid and semi-arid

areas to protect cultivable lands from

encroachment by sand dunes.

Strip cropping is a method of farming which

involves cultivating a field partitioned into

long, narrow strips which are alternated in a

crop rotation system. It is used when a slope

is too steep

Q.63 :b

Among the given seasons, spring season and

autumn season are called weaker seasons as

their duration may be reduced from 3 weeks

to 6 weeks depending upon the intensity of

the approaching or the receeding seasons.

Q.64 :a



10/16



www.visionias.in

Tundra type of region is the place which is

extremely cold. The growth of natural

vegetation is very limited here. Only mosses,

lichens and very small shrubs are found here.

It grows during the very short summer.

Q.65 :b

During the south-west monsoon period after

having rains for a few days, if rain fails to

occur for one or more weeks, it is known as

break in the monsoon. These breaks are

believed to be brought about by the collapse

of the Tibetan High which results in

northward shifting of the monsoon

trough(ITCZ) to the foothills of the

Himalayas. This results in high flooding of the

rivers having their catchment areas in the

Himalayas. These breaks in the differentregions are due to different reasons. Over

the west coast, the dry spells are associated

with days when winds blow parallel to the

coast.

Q.66 :b

Drainage system development is a slow

process and takes thousands of years, hence

geological time period is an important factor.

Nature and structure of rocks determine the

type of drainage pattern, for instance theGangetic plain is dendritic due to the

presence of soft alluvium, while the drainage

pattern in the peninsular India is trellis

because of the presence of harder rocks.

Drainage system is independent of the

chemical property of water. Options

containing this has to be eliminated. If

amount and periodicity of water flow is on

the higher side, it increases the

degradational capacity of of water and

affects the drainage pattern. Topography and

gradient's contrasting effect can be proved

by the difference in the drainage pattern of

Himalyan and Peninsular rivers.

Q.67 :a

Western Disturbance (WD) is the term used

to describe an extratropical storm that brings

sudden winter rain and snow to the

northwestern parts of the Indian

subcontinent. This is a non-monsoonal

precipitation pattern driven by the

Westerlies. The moisture in these storms

usually originates over the Mediterranean

Sea. Western Disturbances are important tothe development of the Rabi crop.

Q.68 :d

Forest fires always start by one of two ways -

naturally caused or human caused. Natural

fires are generally started by lightning,

volcanoes, rolling stones giving off sparksand friction due to swaying of bamboos by

winds. Shifting cultivation is an

anthropogenic cause of forest fires.

Q.69 :c

The state government by notification may

declare an area to be a sanctuary if it

considers that area has adequate ecological,

faunal, floral, geomorphic, natural or

zoological significance for the purpose of

protecting, propagating or development of wildlife of its environment.

National Park: Hunting or any human

activity is completely prohibited in a national

park.

Game Reserve: In any area notified by

state government in India as game reserve,

hunting of wild animal is permitted inside the

game reserve.

Closed area: An area declared by state

Government closed for hunting for a certain

period. No hunting of any wild animal is

permitted in a closed area.

Q.70 :a

The monsoon advance with startling

suddenness accompanied by lot of thunder,

lightening and heavy downpour. This sudden

onset of rain is termed as monsoon burst.

The shift in the position of the ITCZ is related

to the phenomenon of the withdrawal of the

westerly jet stream from its position over the

north Indian plain, south of the Himalayas.

The easterly jet stream sets in along 150N

latitude only after the western jet stream has

withdrawn itself from the region. This

easterly jet stream is held responsible for the

burst of monsoon in India.

Northward shifting of the monsoon

trough(ITCZ) to the foothills of the Himalayas

is associated with break in the monsoon.

Q.71 :a

Operation Smile is a successful model for

tracing and rescuing the missing children. It

was started in the city of Ghaziabad. This

unique model has been appreciated all overthe country. The drive pioneered by home



11/16



www.visionias.in

minister has seen different state police and

women and child departments step up efforts

to rescue missing children, with Haryana and

Maharashtra taking the lead.

Home Ministry has also asked the state

governments to sensitise and train police

officers at various ranks about issues relatedto missing children, POSCO Act, Juvenile

Justice Act and Protection of Child Rights Acts

and then sent to various parts of the country

including Delhi, Jaipur, Haridwar, Gurgaon,

Mumbai and Kolkata to recover missing

children.

Q.72 :b

International shipping regulators revised the

'high-risk area' boundary in the Indian Ocean

and have shifted its eastern boundary awayfrom the western coastline of India to 65°

East longitude. HRA was extended from 65°

East longitude to 78° East longitude in 2010

in the wake of a surge in piracy incidents off

the coast of Somalia. Since then, the

international maritime forces have

undertaken extensive counter-piracy

operations and successfully mitigated piracy

in this region. However it has been again

shifted to 65°. Hence Statement 1 is wrong.

Implications:

Economic: Reduce in insurance premium

paid by shipping companies for security

purpose against piracy. Consequently huge

savings for India's EXIM (export-import) trade

and Indian consumers on account of reduced

freight cost due to less insurance premium.

Maritime Security: It will be not jeopardized

as there will be shift of International

maritime traffic density along the western

Indian coastline which earlier had led to

maritime congestion.

Q.73 :b

Anaimudi is the highest peak in the Western

ghats while the Agasthamalai is the not the

highest and in the western ghats .

Doddabetta is the highest peak in the Nilgiri

hills. Mahendragiri is the highest peak in the

Eatern Ghats.

Q.74 :b

Assam lies between latitude 24 degree and28 degree. Hence, all the latitudes that pass

through Assam must pass through Rajasthan

as it is between 23.5 degree to 30 degree.

While this is not true for other three states.

Q.75 :b

Andaman and Nicobar islands are separated

by the Ten Degree channel. The Great

Channel separates Nicobar and Sumatra

islands. Coco Channel separates the

Andaman and Coco island (Myanmar) While,

Eight Degree channel separates

Lakshyadweep and Maldives.

Q.76 :c

Chemical fertilizers in the absence of organic

manures is harmful to the soil. This isbecause, unless the soil gets enough humus,

chemicals harden it and reduce the fertility

of the soil in the long run.

Salinity increases mainly due to excessive

irrigation. Chemicals fertilizers do not

decrease the nitrogen content. Fertilizers

have no relations as such with loosening of

the soil.

Q.77 :b

Most part of India receive rainfall of 70 cmsto 200 cms concentrated over a limited

period of time in a year. Also known as

monsoon type climate though most of the

year observes tropical climate. Hence the

corresponding vegetation is deciduous in

those part of the India.

Q.78 :c

Both statements are correct. Mizoram is

called a land of rolling hills, valleys, rivers

and lakes. As many as 21 major hills ranges

or peaks of different heights run through the

length and breadth of the state, with plains

scattered here and there. The average height

of the hills to the west of the state are about

1,000 metres (3,281 feet). These gradually

rise up to 1,300 metres (4,265 feet) to the

east. Some areas, however, have higher

ranges which go up to a height of over 2,000

metres (6,562 feet).

Molasses basin are made up of soft

unconsolidated deposits generally in foreland

of mountain foothills. Mizoram has plenty of

that and hence called molasses basin.



12/16



www.visionias.in

Q.79 :b

Western coastal plains are example of

submergent coasts due to subsidence one

portion of landmass along the fault line. The

steep overlooking western ghats are the

other part of that landmass. Western coastsare narrower offering natural condition for

harbor and forms estuaries for swift flowing

rivers. Eastern coasts are broader and hence

it is a costly affair to build and maintain a

port on this coast. Continuous dredging is

required to maintain depth for berthing of

ships.

Q.80 :b

Bonds are instruments of debt - typically

used by corporates to raise money frominvestors. Masala bonds have to be explained

in the context of Indian corporates raising

money from overseas investors. Before

masala bonds, corporates have had to rely

on avenues such as external commercial

borrowings or ECBs. Masala bonds are rupee-

denominated bonds issued to overseas

buyers. As the Indian rupee has limited

convertibility, the investors lend the dollar

equivalent of the rupee. The Indian corporate

needs to pay back the dollar equivalent sum

of rupees agreed before. The currency risk is

with the investor. The International Finance Corporation (IFC),

the investment arm of the World Bank,

issued a Rs. 1,000 crore bond in November

last year. The purpose of the issue was to

fund infrastructure projects in India. IFC

named them ‘masala’ bonds to reflect the

Indian angle to it. This kind of naming has

been done before. This is, in fact, much like

IFC's Chinese yuan-denominated Dim sum

bonds. It isn't unusual in the foreign bonds

market to encounter names such as Yankee

and Bulldog. By the way, Japanese yen-

denominated bonds are called Samurai.

There was even much speculation about

what the rupee-denominated bonds would be

called before 'masala' was confirmed.

Samosa, Ganga, and Peacock were

apparently some of the names doing the

rounds.

Q.81 :d

Governed and administered by the Pension

Fund Regulatory and Development Authority

(PFRDA) NPS was launched in 2004 and was

initially introduced for the new Governmentrecruits (except armed forces). It was

extended for all citizens of the country from

1 May 2009 including the un-organized

sector workers on voluntary basis.

Its objective is to provide retirement income

to all the citizens.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed

non-resident Indians (NRIs) to subscribe tothe National Pension System (NPS) enabling

them access old age income security.

Q.82 :c

Regions with variability of less than 25 per

cent include western coasts of western

ghats, northeastern Peninsula, eastern plains

of the Ganga, north-eastern India,

Uttrakhand and Himachal Pradesh and South-

western part of Jammu and Kashmir. These

areas have annual rainfall of over 100 cm.Western Part of Rajasthan, northern part of

Jammu and Kashmir and interior parts of the

Deccan Plateau have a variability of over 50

per cent. These areas have annual rainfall of

less than 50 cm.

Rest of India have a variability of 25-50 per

cent and receive an annual rainfall between

50-100 cm.

Q.83 :d

The outer most range of the Himalayas iscalled the Shiwaliks, The northern most

range is known as the Great or Inner

Himalayas or the ‘Himadri’. Therefore

statement 1 is incorrect.

The folds of Great Himalayas are

asymmetrical in nature. Therefore statement

2 is also incorrect.

Q.84 :b

Saline Soils are also known as Usara soils.

Saline soils contain a larger proportion of

sodium, potassium and magnesium, and

thus, they are infertile, and do not support

any vegetative growth. They have more

salts, largely because of dry climate and poor

drainage. They occur in arid and semi-arid

regions, and in waterlogged and swampy

areas. Their structure ranges from sandy to

loamy. They lack in nitrogen and calcium.

Saline soils are more widespread in western

Gujarat, deltas of the eastern coast and in

Sunderban areas of West Bengal.

Q.85 :c



13/16



www.visionias.in

The northern boundary of peninsular block is

a little north to Satpura mountains from

Kachchh in Gujarat to Ganges delta. This

boundary roughly runs parallel to Yamuna

and Ganga. Satpura mountains are not fold

but block mountains.

Q.86 :d

IST does not divide India exactly into two half

meridionals rather it is the closest meridian

which to the one which divides India into two

half and is multiple of 7°30'. It is a

convention to take the meridian which is

multiple of 7° 30' as standard time and which

also divides a country into two nearly equal

part if not exactly. Many countries with large

meridional expanse have more than one

standard time meridian like Australia etc. ISTdoes not pass through Telangana. It passes

through U.P., Odisha, M.P., Chhattisgarh and

Andhra Pradesh.

Q.87 :d

Poor signal strength,Interference by bad

environment condition,Shortage of spectrum

are some major reason for call drops while

low availability of tower are major reason for

call drop.

Mobile phones work using radio waves in thefrequency range of 300 MHz and 3,000 MHz.

But the entire range is not available for use.

Critically, the lower the number, the better

the quality of transmission.

Towers act as boosters that help radio waves

travel better, and are a necessary part of the

telecom architecture in any country. There

are approximately 5,50,000 towers in India,

and industry associations reckon another

1,00,000 are needed.

There is a shortage of spectrum in key bands

like 900 MHz and 1,800 MHz. The

government insists that call drops can be

addressed to a large extent through better

management of spectrum, but that can

provide only partial relief.

Bad weather conditions like dense cloud,

thunder & lightning etc. affects the call drop

issues.

Thus only statement 3 is incorrect.

Q.88 :d

Statement 1 is correct: The Group of Twenty

(also known as the G-20 or G20) is an

international forum for the governments andcentral bank governors from 20 major

economies. G20 is not an organization, but

operate as a forum. It does not have any

permanent secretariat or management and

administrative structure.

Statement 2 is correct: The G-20 heads of

government or heads of state have

periodically conferred at summits since theirinitial meeting in 2008, and the group also

hosts separate meetings of finance ministers

and central bank governors.

Statement 3 is correct: India is set to be the

G20 Chair in 2018, and New Delhi could host

the prestigious annual G20 summit. China is

chairing the G20 in 2016, following which

Germany will in 2017.

Q.89 :d

Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland andMizoram share the boundary with Myanmar.

Tripura shares the boundary with Bangladesh

and not with the Myanmar.

Q.90 :d

The Gondwana land included India, Australia,

South Africa,South America and Antarctica as

one single landmass.

Q.91 :d

Betla National Park is a national park located

in the Chota Nagpur Plateau of the Latehar

district of the Indian state of Jharkhand, in

India. The park boasts a wide variety of wild

life. "Betla" is an acronym of the following

words: bison, elephant, tiger, leopard, axis-

axis.

Bannerghatta National Park is in Karnataka,

the Bannerghatta Biological Park, popularly

known as BBP, has been an integral part of

Bannerghatta National Park. The Orang

National Park, located on the north bank of

the Brahmaputra River in the Darrang and

Sonitpur districts of Assam, It is also known

as the mini Kaziranga National Park.

Q.92 :b

During the winter months, a high pressure

centre in the region lying to the north of the

Himalayas. This centre of high pressure gives

rise to flow of air from Central Asia towards

Indian subcontinent. Hence, statement 1 is

wrong.



14/16



www.visionias.in

Q.93 :d

Indian Seasons may be classified as follows:

Vasanta: March-April

Grishma: May-June

Varsha: July-AugustSharada: September-October

Hemanta: November-December

Shishira: January- February

Q.94 :b

Karewas are lacustrine deposits of kashmir

valley. Here zaffron, a variety of safron is

grown; Chos are small streams in Punjab-

these come down from hills and cause water

logging in plains; Duars are terai regions of

Bengal, Assam and Bhutan. Their economy isbased on 3 Ts- Tea, timber and Tourism.

Q.95 :d

Algorithm Trading is a tool to conduct

transaction in stock exchanges, It uses

mathematical codes and codes to make the

transactions on exchanges. The execution by

using this strategy is of very high speed,

giving an added advantage to the traders.

Q.96 :a

The Quartet - composed of the United States,

the European Union, Russia and the United

Nations - came together in 2002 to explore

new options for Israeli-Palestinian peace. In

April 2003, the Quartet released its

"Performance-based Roadmap to a

Permanent Two-State Solution to the Israeli-

Palestinian Crisis." The Roadmap outlines a

three-stage program leading to an

independent Palestinian state and a "final

and comprehensive settlement of the Israel-

Palestine conflict" by 2005. But as a

"performance-driven" process with no

enforcement mechanism, the Roadmap

depended on the good faith of all sides and

their voluntary compliance with obligations

under the plan. The process reached a

deadlock early in phase I and the plan was

never implemented. India endorses this

roadmap as was emphasized by our

President recently on his visit to Israel.

Q.97 :c

Chota Nagpur region gets rainfall due to

Arabian Sea branch as well. The winds flow

through the rift valley between Vindhyas &

Satpura & cause rainfall over the plateau.

Position of Equatorial jet stream along

eastern coast of Africa is one of the many

factors that impact the distribution &

intensity of Monsoon in India.

Q.98 :b

Second statement is wrong. Patkai Bum forms the

international boundary between Arunachal Pradesh

and Myanmar.

Q.99 :b

The Western Disturbance originate over the

east Mediterranean sea and travel eastwardacross West Asia.

The moisture content of the Western

Disturbance gets augmented from the

Caspian Sea in the north and Persian Gulf in

the south.

The Western disturbance are highly regarded

as beneficial for Rabi crops in North India.

Hence only statement 1 and 2 are correct.

Q.100 :c

Kharai Camels- are an eco-tonal breed, asthey survive in a dry land ecosystem as well

as in a coastal ecosystem, and can easily

swim in deep sea.They are the only camels

who can swim and who have adapted to the

extreme climate of Rann and shallow seas

and high salinity.Gujarat(Rann of Kutch) is

the only home to this breed of camel. They

feed and digest on saline trees and

shrubs.The growth of industrial activities in

the coastal areas of Kutch has minimized the

availability of camel food and water sources.

Salinity has increased throughout the region.

Thus, the socioeconomic condition of Kharai

camel breeders ( Maaldhari Community) in

Kutch is under threat. Hence, option (c) is the

correct answer. Saltwater Crocodile-The

saltwater crocodile is one of the three

crocodilians found in India, the other two

being the more widespread, smaller mugger

crocodile and the narrow-snouted, fish-eating

gharial. Apart from the eastern coast of India

i.e. Bhitarnika Wildlife Sanctuary (Odisha) ,

Sundarbans, they are also present within the

mangrove forests and other coastal areas of

the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The

saltwater crocodile is extremely rare on the

Indian subcontinent.The primary behaviourto distinguish the saltwater crocodile from



15/16



www.visionias.in

other crocodiles is its tendency to occupy

salt water. Though other crocodiles also have

salt glands that enable them to survive in

saltwater, a trait which alligators do not

possess, most other species do not venture

out to sea except during extreme conditions.

Saltwater crocodiles are agile predators.Dugong- is an endangered, herbivorous,

marine mammal, also known as the Sea Cow

and is the State Animal of the Andaman and

Nicobar Islands. The dugong is largely

dependent on seagrass and fishes and other

acquatic vegetation for subsistence and is

thus restricted to the coastal habitats which

support seagrass meadows, with the largest

dugong concentrations typically occurring in

wide, shallow, protected areas such as bays ,

mangrove channels , the waters of large

inshore islands and inter-reefal

waters.Dugong is distributed in shallowtropical waters in Indo-Pacific Region. In

India, Dugong is reported from Gulf of Kutch,

Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay. Wild Water

Buffalo- also called Asian buffalo and Asiatic

buffalo, is a large bovine native to the Indian

Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is listed

as Endangered in the IUCN Red List since

1986.The global population has been

estimated at 3,400 individuals, of which

3,100 (91%) live in India, mostly in

Assam.Wild water buffalos are both diurnal

and nocturnal .They are probably grazers by

preference, feeding mainly on true grasseswhen available, such as scutch grass and

sedges , but they also eat herbs, fruits, and

bark, as well as browsing on trees and

shrubs. They also feed on crops, including

rice , sugarcane , and jute , sometimes

causing considerable damage.Some of the

reasons for their habitat loss could be

:habitat loss of floodplain areas due to

conversion to agriculture and hydropower

development;degradation of wetlands due to

invasive species such as stem twiners and

lianas ;diseases and parasites transmitted by

domestic livestock ; interspecific competition

for food and water between wild buffalo and

domestic stock; tigers preying on adult wild

water buffalo, etc.



16/16

05. Vision Csp 2016 Test 5 Solution (1)

Documents

Transcript of 05. Vision Csp 2016 Test 5 Solution (1)