1. solution: b) - insightsias · 2019-01-10 · district of karnataka, it is known for chalukyan...

Insights Mock Tests -‐ 2015

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TEST – 22 SOLUTIONS

1. Solution: b)

In Indian religions and Indian philosophy, moksha also called vimoksha, vimukti and mukti, means emancipation, liberation or release. In the soteriological and eschatological sense, it connotes freedom from saṃsāra, the cycle of death and rebirth. In the epistemological and psychological sense, moksha connotes freedom, self-realization and self-knowledge.

In Hindu traditions, moksha is a central concept and included as one of the four aspects and goals of human life; the other three goals are dharma (virtuous, proper, moral life), artha (material prosperity, income security, means of life), and kama (pleasure, sensuality, emotional fulfillment). Together, these four aims of life are called Puruṣārtha in Hinduism.

2. Solution: d)

Miniature painting developed During the 10th century in western part of India that is modern state of Rajasthan.These paintings are seen in hastprat [mini books written by hands ] of Vaishnav sect and Jain cult. This paintings were made to make the subject of the book more interested and to decorate the books.

Particular manuscript miniature painting developed in the western part of India that is modern state of Rajasthan. The subjects of these miniature paintings are in relation to the subjects of the manuscripts mostly religious and literary. Many paintings are from Sanskrit and folk literature. It is on the subject of love stories. Some paintings from Vaishnav sect of Hindu religion and some are from Jain cult. The Paintings of Vaishnav sect are regarding various occasions of the life of Lord Krishna and Gopies. Vaishnav paintings of "Gita Govinda" is about Lord Krishna. The paintings of Jain cult is concerning to Jain Lords and religious subjects.

The earliest examples of miniature painting in India exist in the form of illustrations to the religious texts on Buddhism executed under the Palas of the eastern India and the Jain texts executed in western India during the 11th-12th centuries A.D.

The origin of the Mughal School of Painting is considered to be a landmark in the history of painting in India. With the establishment of the Mughal empire, the Mughal School of painting originated in the reign of Akbar in 1560 A.D.

3. Solution: d)

There does not appear to be any connection between the cities built in the 3rd millennium B.C., with an astonishing civic sense, of first rate well-fired brick structures, and the architecture of subsequent thousand years or so, of Indian art history, after the decline and decay of the Harappan civilization and the beginning of




the historic period of Indian history, mainly the time of the great Mauryas of Magadha. These thousands years or so were a period of tremendous, intellectual and sociological activity and could not be barren of any artistic creations. However, due to the fact that during this time sculpture and architecture was utilising organic and perishable materials such as mud, mudbrick, bamboo, timber, leaves, straw and thatch, these have not survived the ravages of time.

We know it for a fact that stone masonry and stone carving were imported in Ashoka's times from Persia. There is abundant evidence of stone masons marks similar to those at Persepolis. However, wood was still the dominant material and in architectural remains of Ashokan times, the gradual transition from wood to stone is apparent.

4. Solution: d)

A typical example of early cave architecture is the most datable cave of all, the so-called Lomas Rishi cave in the Barabar Hills of Bihar. An inscription proves that this was excavated for the Ajivika sect in the time of Ashoka himself. The cave carved out of the living rock, measures 55'x22'x20'. The entrance is a representation in stone of a hut entrance, with the end of the roof constructed of bent timber supported by cross beams, the ends of which are shown protruding. A carved frieze of elephants is a stone imitation of similar work in wood along with a stone imitation of trellis work made of small stick of bamboo. This is an excellent example showing the development from earlier shapes in timber translated into stone. The period is the 3rd century B.C.

5. Solution: b)

The Buddhist Stupa is another form of architecture, comprising a hemispherical dome, a solid structure into which one cannot enter. The stupa is a glorified, beautified, enlarged funerary mound: what was once the resting place of the bones and ashes of a holy man. Tradition has it that after the great demise of Lord Buddha,




Emperor Ashoka decided to construct a large number of stupas throughout his dominion in memory of the Master and enshrine in them relics such as pieces of bones, teeth, hair etc., over which the Stupas were constructed.

The railing and gateways at Bharhut, Sanchi and Bodh Gaya are the most famous in the north and at Amravati and Nagarjunakonda in the South. Upright pillars and cross bars, based on wooden construction, were made and provided the occasion for dome of the finest low relief carvings to be found anywhere in Indian art. On these surfaces are carved the favourite symbols of Buddhism, the lotus, elephant, bull, lion and horse and some of the Jataka stories of the previous births of Buddha, depicted in low relief.

6. Solution: b)

In a balanced condition, ecosystem functioning is self- regulating and self-sustaining. This dynamic nature of ecosystem is dependent upon a number of factors including flow of energy, cycling of materials and perturbations, both intrinsic and extrinsic. Ecosystem is now recognized as a dynamic concept with structural heterogeneity based on at least four functional compartments or phases.

Biosphere constitutes vast network of all ecosystems, hence, itself acts as a large ecosystem.

According to Britannica encyclopedia, the biosphere is a global ecosystem composed of living organisms (biota) and the abiotic (nonliving) factors from which they derive energy and nutrients.

7. Solution: d)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aihole_inscriptions

Aihole is a village having a historic temple complex in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka, It is known for Chalukyan architecture, with about 125 stone temples dating from 5th century CE. With its collection of architectural structures, Aihoḷe has the potential to be included as a UNESCO World heritage site.

8. Solution: d)

Apart from structural temples the other variety of temples are rock cut, found at Mahabalipuram, about 38 miles down south of Madras on the sea shore, datable to the 5th century A.D. In local parlance they are known as Ratha or chariots and are named after the five Pandava brothers and Draupadi but they neither have anything to do with chariots nor probably with the Pandavas and these associations are purely




of a local character. The great Pallava rulers of Kanchipuram, were great builders and the Pallava craftsmen, seized upon the long outcrop or rocks and boulders available on the sea shore, carved them and gave to them the shape of temples (monolithic) as well as colossal statues of lions, elephants and bulls, etc. carved out of smaller boulders.

9. Solution: d)

According to literary tradition, Nalanda, 10 kilometres north of Rajgir and a suburb of the ancient city, was visited by Buddha and Mahavira. Ashoka is said to have worshipped at the chaitya-niches of Sariputra, Buddha's disciple, and erected a temple. By the time of Harsha A.D. 606-648, Nalanda had become the principal centre of Mahayana learning and a famed University town with numerous shrines and monasteries which attracted scholars from far and near. The Chinese Pilgrims Huien Tsang and Fa-hien studied at Nalanda and have left account of the settlement and its life.

Temple 3 was more than 31 m. high and consisted of seven successive accumulations of which the two latest belonged to the 11th and 12th centuries and the fifth one, dating from circa 6th century, was notable for its sculptural wealth. The monasteries were imposing rectangular buildings, each with an open courtyard, enclosed by a covered verandah which leads into cells, arranged on the four sides. The cell facing the entrance served as a shrine. Nalanda was an important centre of Pala sculptures and bronzes and has also yielded seals and sealings of great historical significance.

10. Solution: a)

Till about the 6th century A.D., the style of temple architecture was similar both in the north as well as in the south. It is only after this date that each began to evolve in its own different direction. For the present let it be understood clearly that the two areas where temple architecture developed most markedly were the Deccan and Orissa and in both these areas the northern and southern style temples can be found side by side. The Vimana, the temple tower over the main shrine in Orissa is one of the most glorious inventions of architecture in India and is functionally a much finer conception than the south Indian Gopuram, where the barrel-shaped tower does not crown the sanctum sanctorum or thegarbha-griha but is a glorified entrance gate. We had suggested in our introduction that the architect wanted to impart to the temple more importance, prominence than the other buildings in the neighbourhood, because here lived his God in the garbha griha or the womb-house.

For more read the Introduction of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalinga_architecture




11. Solution: c)

Go through the introduction part and the different styles of architecture cursorily

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_temple_architecture

12. Solution: d)

Dravidian style temples consist almost invariably of the four following parts, differing only according to the age in which they were executed:

• The principal part, the temple itself, is called the Vimana (or Vimanam). It is always square in plan and surmounted by a pyramidal roof of one or more stories; it contains the cell where the image of the god or his emblem is placed.

• The porches or Mandapas (or Mantapams), which always cover and precede the door leading to the cell.

• Gate-pyramids, Gopurams, which are the principal features in the quadrangular enclosures that surround the more notable temples.

• Pillared halls or Chaultris—properly Chawadis -- used for various purposes, and which are the invariable accompaniments of these temples.

Besides these, a temple always contains temple tanks or wells for water (used for sacred purposes or the convenience of the priests), dwellings for all grades of the priesthood are attached to it, and other buildings for state or convenience.

Thanjavur Temple, Trichy, Tamilnadu




13. Solution: d)

All are Abiotic components:

In biology, abiotic factors can include water, light, radiation, temperature, humidity, atmosphere, and soil. The macroscopic climate often influences each of the above. Pressure and sound waves may also be considered in the context of marine or sub-terrestrial environments.[4]

All of these factors affect different organisms to different extents. If there is little or no sunlight then plants may wither and die from not being able to get enough sunlight to complete the cycle of photosynthesis. Many Archea require very high temperatures, or pressures, or unusual concentrations of chemical substances, such as sulfur, because of their specialization into extreme conditions. Certain fungi have evolved to survive mostly at the temperature, the humidity, and stability of their environment.

14. Solution: b)

From the eighth to twelfth centuries, the eastern portion of India was host to a florescence of artistic activity. Under the Pala dynasty, which ruled large portions of Eastern-South Asia for nearly four hundred years span, many centres of Buddhism and Hinduism flourished.

The Pala dynasty came to power around 750 A.D. The Pala school of art first flourished in the Magadha region of Southern Bihar, the homeland of Buddhist religion. Not surprisingly, the majority of early Pala-period remains are Buddhist. Due to intense religious activity during Pala Sena period, many religious structures were built or renovated. Most of these buildings have vanished leaving no extant architecture from this period and making it very difficult to reconstruct a systematic overview of the architectural development. Inspite of non-availability of any building, a huge corpus of sculpture and a few paintings survive from this period.

During the Pala-period, a number of monasteries and religious sites that had been founded in earlier periods grew into prominence. The large cruciform stupa at Paharpur (ancient Somapura) in Bengal (now Bangladesh), for example, measures more than one hundred meters from North to South. It was built around the late eighth or early ninth century. The walls of the courtyard contain 177 individual cells that served as shrines.

Although the first two hundred or so years of Pala-period art were dominated by Buddhist art, the Hindu remains also exist in some quantities in that phase and clearly dominate in the last two hundred years of the Pala-period.




15. Solution: d)

In the Hindu style of construction spaces were spanned corbels, held together by making courses project, each further than the one below, so that the open span was gradually reduced to a size which could be covered with a single slab or brick. Although there exists some evidence to suggest that the true arch may have been known in India earlier, it is the Muslims who are believed to have brought the principle of building a true arch so as to hold up the roof or ceiling or a top part of a structure, the bricks or stones laid to reproduce a curve, held together by the key-stone on the top of the rise. In many cases even if the true arch was familiar to indigenous architects in ancient times, it was re-introduced by the Muslims. The result was that flat lintels or corbelled ceilings were replaced by arches or vaults, and the pyramidal roof or spire by the dome.

Among the architectural features introduced by them mention may be made of arches, domes, minars and minarets, the pendentive, squinch arch, half domed double portals, kiosks (chhatris) and the use of concrete as a factor of construction. They also introduced gilding and painting in varied colours and designs. Muslim decorative elements are usually of the nature of embroidery. Even though lime was known and to certain extent used in construction work in India fairly early, mud was generally used for brick work and large blocks of stones were laid one on top of the other and held by means of iron clamps. The Muslims, like the Romans, were also responsible for making extensive use of concrete and lime mortar as an important factor of construction and incidentally used lime as plaster and a base for decoration which was incised into it and held enamel work on tiles.

16. Solution: a)

http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_humayuntomb_char.asp

The introduction of decorative brackets, balconies, pendentive decorations, etc in the architecture is an example in this regard. The other distinguishing features of Indo-Islamic architecture are the utilisation of kiosks (chhatris), tall towers (minars) and half-domed double portals. As human worship and its representation are not allowed in Islam, the buildings and other edifices are generally decorated richly in geometrical and arabesque designs. These designs were carved on stone in low relief, cut on plaster, painted or inlaid. The use of lime as mortar was also a major element distinct from the traditional building style.

17. Solution: b)

The first distinct example of proper Mughal architecture inspired by Persian architecture, is the tomb of Humayun, in Delhi, built by his widow, Begha Begum.




This tomb is important for a proper study of the development of later Mughal architecture and has provided the prototype, followed by architects who designed the Mausoleum of Jahangir at Shahdara, Lahore, as well as the celebrated Taj Mahal, at Agra. Although Sikander Lodi's tomb as the first garden tomb built in India, it is Humayun's tomb which strikes a new note. It is a memorial erected by a devoted wife for her imperial husband and is magnificent, grand and impressive. Raised on a vast platform, the tomb proper stands in the centre of a square garden, divided into 4 main parts by causeways (Charbagh) in the centre of which ran shallow water-channels.

The square, red, sandstone, double storeyed structure of the mausoleum rises over a high square terrace, raised over a series of cells which are like a musical composition. The octagonal form of the central chamber containing the cenotaph, is inspired by Syrian and earlier Islamic models. It is for the first time that pink sandstone and white are used with admirable effect, the white is used cleverly to emphasise, surround and underline doors and windows, strengthening the design.

There is a certain rhythmic quality in the whole structure in its symmetrical design and the repetition of the large dome in the similar pavillions with small but similar domes.

18. Solution: c)

Animal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individuals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is found in all major animal groups, including birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and crustaceans.[1] The trigger for the migration may be local climate, local availability of food, the season of the year or for mating reasons.[2] To be counted as a true migration, and not just a local dispersal or irruption, the movement of the animals should be an annual or seasonal occurrence, such as birds migrating south for the winter; wildebeest migrating annually for seasonal grazing; or a major habitat change as part of their life, such as young Atlantic salmon leaving the river of their birth when they have reached a few inches in size.

19. Solution: a)

The beginning of stone sculpture in India goes back to a very remote age. The excavations carried out in 1924, at the ruins of Mohenjodaro on the Indus river and Harappa in the Punjab, brought to light a highly developed urban civilization, archaeologically known as the Indus Valley or Harappan Culture. It flourished from C.2500 B.C. to 1500 B.C. These ancient cities had a systematic lay-out, wide roads, spacious houses made of bricks, and an underground drainage system, somewhat like our own. People worshipped the Mother Goddess or Goddess of fertility. Trade




and cultural contacts existed between these cities and those of Mesopotamia of which the evidence is the occurrence of the seals, as well as similar carnelian beads, knobbed pottery, etc., at both places. Clay was the earliest medium in which man began to mould and we have discovered a large number of terracotta figurines from these Indus Valley sites.

20. Solution: b)

The great Buddhist Emperor Ashoka caused the erection of monolithic pillars of sandstone, 30 to 40 feet high, crowned by animal figures like the bull, lion and elephant, and had them inscribed with the Buddhist concepts of morality, humanity and piety, which he wished his people to follow. Famous Ashokan pillars are from Lauriya Nandangarh in Bihar, Sanchi and Sarnath.

The most remarkable of them all is the highly polished monolithic lion-capital found at Sarnath, which is now the Emblem of the Government of India. It represents four roaring lions back to back facing the four cardinal directions. The round abacus is decorated with four dharmachakras or wheels of law, alternating with an elephant, a bull, a horse and a lion, all carved with masterly skill. The abacus is supported by a bell-shaped base consisting of a lotus with dharmachakra, which perhaps symbolized the victory of righteousness over physical force. The superb modelling of the figures executed in a realistic manner with a certain stylization, is invested with a great power and dignity, and reveals the aristocratic and international nature of Mauryan art.

21. Solution: a)

Saprotrophic nutrition is a process of chemoheterotrophic extracellular digestion involved in the processing of dead or decayed organic matter. It occurs in saprotrophs or heterotrophs, and is most often associated with fungi (for example Mucor and Rhizobium) and soil bacteria. Saprotrophic microscopic fungi are sometimes called saprobes; saprotrophic plants or bacterial flora are called saprophytes (sapro- + -phyte, "rotten material" + "plant"). The process is most often facilitated through the active transport of such materials through endocytosis within the internal mycelium and its constituent hyphae.

22. Solution: d)




Though it may seem strange, Buddha is never represented in human form in Buddhist art before the Christian era, as his spirituality was considered too abstract for the purpose. The adherents of the Buddhist faith followed the Hinayana path as a means of attaining salvation. Buddha's presence in early Indian art is, therefore, suggested by symbols like the Bodhi tree under which he attained enlightenment, the wheel of law, his foot prints, the royal umbrella, the stupa and an empty throne, etc.

The relief-medallion from the fragment of a railing pillar of the stupa at Bharhut datable to the 2nd Century B.C., shows the worship of the Bodhi tree by four figures. Buddha had attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya. Here the tree symbolizes the presence of Buddha.

23. Solution: d)

The first century of the Christian era's revolutionary change, had far-reaching effects, not only on the art of India, but also on the artistic development of Buddhist countries of Asia. Buddha who was hitherto designated only by a symbol, was conceived in human form. His person was given some of the 32 suspicious bodily signs associated with the Mahapurushalakshana, such as the protuberance of the skull, the hair-knot, bindi between the eyebrows and elongated ears. This change came about as a result of the new changes that had crept into the religious outlook of Buddhism due to the influence of the Devotional School of Hindu Philosophy, requiring the worship of personal gods.

It must have exercised profound influence on the religious approach of the masses towards Buddhism. The image becomes henceforth the main element of sculpture and worship. Possibly, the emergence of the image of Buddha in Gandhara and in Mathura was a parallel development. In each case, it was produced by the local artist craftsmen working in the local tradition. At Mathura it clearly emerges from the Yaksha tradition. The Gandhara image might seem to resemble Apollo in some extraneous forms and does look characteristically Greco-Roman in drapery, but even there most of the images represent Buddha as seated in the typically Indian Yogic posture, a feature completely unknown to the Hellenistic tradition of art.

24. Solution: c)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattva#Bodhisattva_ideal

The Buddhist religion greatly flourished under the patronage of Kushan emperors, and several images of the Buddha and Bodhisattavas were produced after the earlier Yaksha types. Here, we may point out the difference between a Buddha and Bodhisattava. Buddha is one who has attained the enlightenment of supreme knowledge, while the Bodhisattava is still a candidate for it. A typical example of the




image of Buddha, as it was evolved by the Kushan sculptor in the 2nd century A.D. shows him seated cross-legged on a

25. Solution: a)

Medieval sculpture style came right after Gupta sculpture style.

The characteristic of this new form of style of art is the difference with classical art in attitude, if not in skill and aptitude. Loveliness and idealisation are still the artist's passion as they were for artists in the early classical period, but love of the ornate, decorative details is now dominant over classic simplicity. There is more complication, ornamentation and enrichment. There is an erroneous view that the Indian artist was a strict conformist with the rules laid down in the shilpasastras specifying how the gods of the Indian pantheon are to be shown in images. One look at the variety and individuality of Indian sculpture will clearly demonstrate that as styles went on developing the sculptors frequently departed from the texts and rules laid down, and delighted in those departures and the liberties they took with the bodies of humans and even of gods and goddesses.

26. Solution: d)

In the middle of the 8th century the Rashtrakutas wrested power from the Chalukyas. They created the greatest wonder of medieval Indian art in their Kailasa temple at Ellora. Quarried out of a hill and solid rocks, it is sculptured on a grand scale. The bold and magnificent carving in this temple shows the Rashtrakuta style of tall and powerfully built figures, reflecting with spiritual and physical poise. The beautiful architectural rock sculpture from Cave No.29 at Ellora shows the marriage of Siva and Parvati. Siva holding the hand of the bashful Parvati occupies the centre of the composition. To the right Brahma, the creator, is actively engaged in stirring up the flames of the sacred fire. The parents of Parvati stand behind her to offer their daughter to the great god. A number of gods assembled to witness the function are shown hovering above the principal figures. The dignified grace of the divine couple and the gentle solemnity of the occasion have been portrayed by the sculptor with a masterly skill.

Since its an important part of Indian architecture, you may also consider reading the introduction of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kailasa_temple,_Ellora




27. Solution: a)

Another magnificent sculpture at Ellora is a panel depicting Ravana shaking mount Kailasa. In this remarkable scene the quivering of the mountain can be felt, and Parvati is shown greatly agitated, turning to Siva, grasping his hand in fear while her maid takes to flight but the Great God is unmoved and holds on fast, pressing down the mountain with his foot. The lower half of the composition exhibits Ravana exerting all the force of his twenty arms against the mountain.

A classic panel showing the king of the Naga and his queen, belonging to Ajanta, 5th century A.D. shows them seated on a throne attended by a hand maiden. The sculptural work at Ajanta merits as great attention as the world famous wall paintings.

The Vakataka traditions are derived from the earlier Satavahana which can be clearly seen in the many carvings of Ajanta and in the painted and carved figures at Ajanta. It is only the decorative elements, chiefly composed of pearls and ribbons, so characteristic of the Gupta-Vakataka age, that distinguishes them from the simpler, but notable sculpture of Amravati.

28. Solution: d)

The earliest examples of miniature painting in India exist in the form of illustrations to the religious texts on Buddhism executed under the Palas of the eastern India and the Jain texts executed in western India during the 11th-12th centuries A.D.

The Pala painting is characterised by sinuous line and subdued tones of colour. It is a naturalistic style which resembles the ideal forms of contemporary bronze and stone sculpture, and reflects some feeling of the classical art of Ajanta. A fine example of the typical Buddhist palm-leaf manuscript illustrated in the Pala style exists in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, England. It is a manuscript of the Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita, or the perfection of Wisdom written in eight thousand lines. It was executed at the monastery of Nalanda in the fifteenth year of the reign of the Pala King, Ramapala, in the last quarter of the eleventh century. The manuscript has illustrations of six pages and also on the insides of both wooden covers.

The Pala art came to a sudden end after the destruction of the Buddhist monasteries at the hands of Muslim invaders in the first half of the 13th century. Some of the monks and artists escaped and fled to Nepal, which helped in reinforcing the existing art traditions there.

29. Solution: b)




Within an ecological food chain, consumers are categorized into three groups: primary consumers, secondary consumers, and the tertiary consumers.[2] Primary consumers are usually herbivores, feeding on plants and fungus. Secondary consumers, on the other hand, are mainly carnivores, and prey on other animals. Omnivores, who feed on both plants and animals, can also be considered a secondary consumer. Tertiary consumers, sometimes also known as apex predators, are usually at the top of food chains, capable of feeding on secondary consumers and primary consumers. Tertiary consumers can be either fully carnivorous or omnivorous. Humans are one such example of a tertiary consumer.

30. Solution: d)

The Pala period (750 A.D. to the middle of the 12th century) witnessed the last great phase of Buddhism and of the Buddhist art in India.

The Buddhist monasteries (mahaviharas) of Nalanda, Odantapuri,Vikramsila and Somarupa were great centres of Buddhist learning and art. A large number of manuscripts on palm-leaf relating to the Buddhist themes were written and illustrated with the images of Buddhist deities at these centres which also had workshops for the casting of bronze images. Students and pilgrims from all over South-East Asia gathered there for education and religious instruction. They took back to their countries examples of Pala Buddhist art, in the form of bronzes and manuscripts which helped to carry the Pala style to Nepal, Tibet, Burma, Sri Lanka and Java etc. The surviving examples of the Pala illustrated manuscripts mostly belong to the Vajrayana School of Buddhism.

31. Solution: d)

The Western Indian style of painting prevailed in the region comprising Gujarat, Rajasthan and Malwa. The motivating force for the artistic activity in Western India was Jainism just as it was Buddhism in case of the Ajanta and the Pala arts. Jainism was patronised by the Kings of the Chalukya Dynasty who ruled Gujarat and parts of Rajasthan and Malwa from 961 A.D. to the end of the 13th century. An enormous number of Jain religious manuscripts were commissioned from 12th to 16th centuries by the princes, their ministers and the rich Jain merchants for earning religious merit. Many such manuscripts are available in the Jain libraries (bhandaras) which are found at many places in Western India.

32. Solution: d)

Though no pre-Mughal painting from the Deccan are so far known to exist, yet it can safely be presumed that sophisticated schools of painting flourished there, making a




significant contribution to the development of the Mughal style in North India. Early centres of painting in the Deccan, during the 16th and 17th centuries were Ahmednagar, Bijapur and Golconda. In the Deccan, painting continued to develop independently of the Mughal style in the beginning. However, later in the 17th and 18th centuries it was increasingly influenced by the Mughal style.

Painting in Hyderabad started with the foundation of the Asafjhi dynasty by Mir Qamruddin Khan (Chin Qulick Khan) Nizam-ul-Mulk in 1724 A.D. Influence of the Mughal style of painting on the already existing early styles of Deccani paintings, introduced by several Mughal painters who migrated to the Deccan during the period of Aurangzeb and sought patronage there, was responsible for the development of various styles of painting in the Deccan at Hyderabad and other centres.

33. Solution: d)

Unlike Mughal painting which is primarily secular, the art of painting in Central India, Rajasthani and the Pahari region etc. is deeply rooted in the Indian traditions, taking inspiration from Indian epics, religious texts like the Puranas, love poems in Sanskrit and other Indian languages, Indian folk-lore and works on musical themes. The cults of Vaishnavism, Saivism and Sakti exercised tremendous influence on the pictorial art of these places. Among these the cult of Krishna was the most popular one which inspired the patrons and artists.

The themes from theRamayana., the Mahabharata, the Bhagavata, the Siva Purana, the Naishadacarita, the Usha Aniruddha, the GitaGovinda of Jayadeva, the Rasamanjari of Bhanudatta, the Amaru Sataka, the Rasikapriya of Kesavadasa, the Bihari Satasayee and the Ragamala etc., provided a very rich field to the painter who with his artistic skill and devotion made a significant contribution to the development of Indian painting.

34. Solution: d)

The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.

WII carries out wildlife research in areas of study like Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Wildlife Policy, Wildlife Management, Wildlife Forensics, Spatial Modeling, Ecodevelopment, and Climate Change.

launches initiative for allowing PSU and Companies to adopt endangered species such as Great Indian bustard, Gharial, Lesser Florican, Snow Leopard etc. Spendings will be counted under CSR in Companies Act 2013. This is because Budget 2015 has reduced its funding by 25%.




35. Solution: c)

http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/grassland.html

36. Solution: d)

Under several personal laws of all religions, leprosy for more than two years serves as a legitimate ground for divorce or separation between spouses. Under the State Beggary Acts, persons with leprosy are put under the same category as those with mental ailments, and medical examination, arrest and detention of persons affected by leprosy is allowed.

The Life Insurance Corporation Act charges higher premium rates from persons with leprosy. Several State Municipal and Panchayat Raj Acts bar persons with leprosy from holding or contesting civic posts.

In its 256th report submitted to the Law Ministry on Tuesday, the commission listed many laws that discriminate against leprosy patients.

The commission has prepared a draft Bill to eliminate discrimination against persons affected with leprosy.

The commission recommended the repeal or amendment of all laws carrying discriminatory provisions. The panel recommended an end to the segregation of persons with leprosy, many of whom live in 850 “leprosy colonies” across India.

The Rehabilitation Council of India Act and the Persons with Disabilities Act do not include all categories of persons with leprosy.

Recommendations are here: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=118021

Also go through http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leprosy_in_India

This is an important topic. Properly go through it.

37. Solution: c)

Eligibility: Available to people in the age group of 18 to 50 and having a bank account. People who join the scheme before completing 50 years can, however, continue to have the risk of life cover up to the age of 55 years subject to payment of premium.

Premium: Rs.330 per annum. It will be auto-debited in one instalment.




Payment Mode: The payment of premium will be directly auto-debited by the bank from the subscribers account.

Risk Coverage: Rs.2 Lakh in case of death for any reason.

Terms of Risk Coverage: A person has to opt for the scheme every year. He can also prefer to give a long-term option of continuing, in which case his account will be auto-debited every year by the bank.

Who will implement this Scheme?: The scheme will be offered by Life Insurance Corporation and all other life insurers who are willing to join the scheme and tie-up with banks for this purpose.

Government Contribution:

(i) Various other Ministries can co-contribute premium for various categories of their beneficiaries out of their budget or out of Public Welfare Fund created in this budget out of unclaimed money. This will be decided separately during the year.

(ii) Common Publicity Expenditure will be borne by Government.

38. Solution: a)

The Internal Working Group of the Reserve Bank of India under the Chairmanship of Shri B Mahapatra had submitted the final Report on the implementation of Countercyclical Capital Buffer (CCCB) in July, 2014. The Report made recommendations in areas such as indicators that may be used for CCCB decisions, thresholds for activating the buffer, lead time for announcement of buffer, etc.

The aim of the Countercyclical Capital Buffer (CCCB) regime is twofold. Firstly, it requires banks to build up a buffer of capital in good times which may be used to maintain flow of credit to the real sector in difficult times. Secondly, it achieves the broader macro-prudential goal of restricting the banking sector from indiscriminate lending in the periods of excess credit growth that have often been associated with the building up of system-wide risk.

39. Solution: d)

Most desert species have found remarkable ways to survive by evading drought. Desert succulents, such as cacti or rock plants (Lithops) for example, survive dry spells by accumulating moisture in their fleshy tissues. They have an extensive system of shallow roots to capture soil water only a few hours after it has rained. Additionally, many cacti and other stem-succulent plants of hot deserts present columnar growth, with leafless, vertically-erect, green trunks that maximize light




interception during the early and late hours of the day, but avoid the midday sun, when excessive heat may damage plant tissues.

One of the most effective drought-survival adaptations for many species is the evolution of an ephemeral life-cycle. An ephemeral life cycle is characterized by a short life and the capacity to leave behind very hardy forms of propagation. This ability is found not only in plants but also in many invertebrates. Desert ephemerals are amazingly rapid growers capable of reproducing at a remarkably high rate during good seasons.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larrea_tridentata#Desert_adaptation

40. Solution: a)

Carbon dioxide readily dissolves in water and the oceans provide a huge reservoir of carbon. Across the world's oceans there is a continual cycle of equilibration of dissolved carbon dioxide in water with carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Around 88 thousand million tonnes of carbon is released from the surface of the world's oceans each year, with an annual uptake by the oceans of 90 thousand million tonnes. Consequently, the net uptake of carbon dioxide by oceans is estimated to be approximately 2 thousand million tonnes annually.

The carbon dioxide which dissolves in our oceans occurs in three main forms. Aside from the normal carbon dioxide form, it is also found as bicarbonate and carbonate ions. Most, about 90 percent, exists as bicarbonate with carbonate ions acting as the link between carbon dioxide and bicarbonate. As concentrations of carbon dioxide increase the supply of carbonate ions becomes limited and so the oceans become less and less able to take up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

41. Solution: a)

One way to increase the carbon sequestration efficiency of the oceans is to add micrometre-sized iron particles in the form of either hematite (iron oxide) or melanterite (iron sulfate) to certain regions of the ocean. This has the effect of stimulating growth of plankton. Iron is an important nutrient for phytoplankton, usually made available via upwelling along the continental shelves, inflows from rivers and streams, as well as deposition of dust suspended in the atmosphere.

Natural sources of ocean iron have been declining in recent decades, contributing to an overall decline in ocean productivity (NASA, 2003) Yet in the presence of iron nutrients plankton populations quickly grow, or 'bloom', expanding the base of biomass productivity throughout the region and removing significant quantities of CO2 from the atmosphere via photosynthesis.




42. Solution: d)

The ocean plays an important part in the carbon cycle. Overall, the ocean is called a carbon ‘sink’ because it takes up more carbon from the atmosphere than it gives up.

Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere dissolves in the surface waters of the ocean. Some of the carbon dioxide stays as dissolved gas, but much of it gets turned into other things. Photosynthesis by tiny marine plants (phytoplankton) in the sunlit surface waters turns the carbon into organic matter. Many organisms use carbon to make calcium carbonate, a building material of shells and skeletons. Other chemical processes create calcium carbonate in the water. The using up of carbon by biological and chemical processes allows more carbon dioxide to enter the water from the atmosphere.

43. Solution: d)

The common name given to the atmospheric gases used in breathing and photosynthesis is air. By volume, dry air contains 78.09% nitrogen, 20.95%oxygen,[1] 0.93% argon, 0.039% carbon dioxide, and small amounts of other gases. Air also contains a variable amount of water vapor, on average around 1% at sea level, and 0.4% over the entire atmosphere.

Stratosphere contains the ozone layer, which is the part of Earth's atmosphere that contains relatively high concentrations of that gas.

44. Solution: a)

Critically Endangered Great Indian Bustards (GIB) is the State bird of Rajasthan. Total 150 GIB live in India out of them almost 100 are in Rajasthan alone, and remaining in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh.

But the new census says only 50 GIB left in Rajasthan. And zero GIB left in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Thar desert of Rajasthan is the breeding ground for GIB. Officially its called “Desert National Park” but legally its only a sanctuary (therefore human activities permitted). Even Supreme court permitted school constructions here. Other dangers are installation of windmills and shortage of forest guards.

45. Solution: d)

The principle fuel used as a petrol substitute for road transport vehicles is bioethanol. Bioethanol fuel is mainly produced by the sugar fermentation process,




although it can also be manufactured by the chemical process of reacting ethylene with steam.

The main sources of sugar required to produce ethanol come from fuel or energy crops. These crops are grown specifically for energy use and include corn, maize and wheat crops, waste straw, willow and popular trees, sawdust, reed canary grass, cord grasses, jerusalem artichoke, myscanthus and sorghum plants. There is also ongoing research and development into the use of municipal solid wastes to produce ethanol fuel.

Other sources are grass, rice straw, sea weed (macro algae) etc.

46. Solution: d)

Using bio-refining, It is possible to turn macro algae (sea weeds) into bio-ethanol (fuel), and byproducts like agar, pigment, lipids and fertilizers are added benefits.

Important seaweed species are Gelidiella acerosa and Gracilaria dura from Western coast of India, and Gelidium pusillum collected from southeast coast.

But the challenge is that we need to grow millions of tones of sea weed. But the good thing is seaweed farming can provide large scale employment to many fishermen, and reduce coastal eutrophication and global warming.

Eutrophication is a common phenomenon in coastal waters. In contrast to freshwater systems, nitrogen is more commonly the key limiting nutrient of marine waters; thus, nitrogen levels have greater importance to understanding eutrophication problems in salt water. Estuaries tend to be naturally eutrophic because land-derived nutrients are concentrated where run-off enters a confined channel. Upwelling in coastal systems also promotes increased productivity by conveying deep, nutrient-rich waters to the surface, where the nutrients can be assimilated by algae.

Sea grass can consume the extra mineral and consume carbon dioxide in photosynthesis to reduce coastal eutrophication.

47. Solution: a)

NGT can deliver justice only in matters pertaining to following acts- Water Act, The Water Cess Act, The Forest Conservation Act, The Air Pollution Act, Environment Protection Act, Public Liability Insurance Act and The Biological Diversity Act. Forest ministry contends that NGT can’t deliver any Verdict on matters related to climate change. Because climate change subject is covered under international conventions and protocols.




About NGT: The National Green Tribunal has been established in 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources including enforcement of any legal right relating to environment and giving relief and compensation for damages to persons and property and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. It is a specialized body equipped with the necessary expertise to handle environmental disputes involving multi-disciplinary issues.

48. Solution: a)

Relative Humidity is the ratio between amount of water vapour present in air vs. the amount of water vapour the air can hold. During high temperature high relative humidity scenario, human body tries to control temperature by evaporating moisture as per commands from hypothalamus. But since outside air already has high relative humidity, it cannot hold any more moisture, hence sweat doesn’t evaporate quickly, therefore it appears as if we are sweating more profusely during high humid climate.

49. Solution: a)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_printing#Bio-printing

3D printing (or additive manufacturing, AM) is any of various processes used to make a three-dimensional object. In 3D printing, additive processes are used, in which successive layers of material are laid down under computer control. These objects can be of almost any shape or geometry, and are produced from a 3D model or other electronic data source. A 3D printer is a type of industrial robot.

50. Solution: a)

The Rights of Transgender Persons Bill 2014 seeks to provide framework for the formulation and implementation of a comprehensive national policy for ensuring overall development of the transgender persons and their welfare. Moreover,

• Two percent reservation in primary, secondary and higher education and in government jobs.

• Establishment of Employment Exchange, National and State Commissions for Trasngender Persons and Special Transgender Rights Courts.

• No child who is transgender will be separated from his or her parents on the grounds of being a transgender except on an order of competent court.

• Penalty for hate speech against transgender persons includes imprisonment extending upto one year and with fine.




This bill will help government take necessary steps in order to ensure that transgender persons enjoy the right to life with dignity and to personal liberty guaranteed by the Constitution.

It should be noted that 29 nations and leading democracies in the world including US, UK, Canada, France, Australia, Italy and Singapore have legislations protecting rights of transgender persons.

51. Solution: c)

A lake ecosystem includes biotic (living) plants, animals and micro-organisms, as well as abiotic (nonliving) physical and chemical interactions.

Lake ecosystems are a prime example of lentic ecosystems. Lentic refers to stationary or relatively still water, from the Latin lentus, which means sluggish. Lentic waters range from ponds to lakes to wetlands, and much of this article applies to lentic ecosystems in general. Lentic ecosystems can be compared with lotic ecosystems, which involve flowing terrestrial waters such as rivers and streams. Together, these two fields form the more general study area of freshwater or aquatic ecology.

Lentic systems are diverse, ranging from a small, temporary rainwater pool a few inches deep to Lake Baikal, which has a maximum depth of 1740 m. The general distinction between pools/ponds and lakes is vague, but Brown states that ponds and pools have their entire bottom surfaces exposed to light, while lakes do not. In addition, some lakes become seasonally stratified (discussed in more detail below.) Ponds and pools have two regions: the pelagic open water zone, and the benthic zone, which comprises the bottom and shore regions. Since lakes have deep bottom regions not exposed to light, these systems have an additional zone, the profundal.[3] These three areas can have very different abiotic conditions and, hence, host species that are specifically adapted to live there.

Bacteria are present in all regions of lentic waters. Free-living forms are associated with decomposing organic material, biofilm on the surfaces of rocks and plants, suspended in the water column, and in the sediments of the benthic and profundal zones. Other forms are also associated with the guts of lentic animals as parasites or in commensal relationships. Bacteria play an important role in system metabolism through nutrient recycling, which is discussed in the Trophic Relationships section.

52. Solution: d)

E-Samiksha is designed by National Informatics Centre (NIC). It has been developed to make it a highly interactive web-based, user-friendly and customised system.




E-Samiksha will be used to monitor budget-related projects and also for monitoring the infrastructure target and board meeting follow-up.

Currently, it is being used by Cabinet Secretariat, Prime Minister’s Office and other Ministries for monitoring progress implementation of various programmes and follow-up of meetings.

It is not mandatory for states to follow this system.

53. Solution: d)

The ship is designed by the Directorate of Naval Design, Indian Navy’s in-house design organization and made of entirely of Indian steel. It is 163-metre-long vessel and weighs approximately 3,000 tons. It is Propelled by four gas turbines, and capable to achieve maximum speed of over 30 knots at a displacement of approximately 7,300 tons. It is fitted with state-of-the-art weapons, advance Action Information System (AIS), Integrated Platform Management system (IPMS), sophisticated Power Distribution System (PDS) and a Combat Management System.

It is also equipped with the Israeli Multi-Function Surveillance Threat Alert Radar (MF-STAR). MF-STAR will provide it with targeting information to 32 Barak 8 long-range surface-to-air missiles on board the warship. It will also be carrying 8 BrahMos missiles. It has four 30 mm rapid-fire guns which will provide the ship with close-in-defence capability and also has an MR gun that will enable ship to provide effective naval gunfire support.

54. Solution: c)

Commensalism, in biology, a relationship between individuals of two species in which one species obtains food or other benefits from the other without either harming or benefiting the latter.

The commensal—the species that benefits from the association—may obtainnutrients, shelter, support, or locomotion from the host species, which is unaffected. The commensal relation is often between a larger host and a smaller commensal. The host organism is essentially unchanged by the interaction, whereas the commensal species may show great morphological adaptation. This relationship can be contrasted with mutualism, in which both species benefit.

One of the best-known examples of a commensal is the remora (family Echineidae) that rides attached to sharks and other fishes. Remoras have evolved on the top of their heads a flat oval sucking disk structure that adheres to the bodies of their hosts. Both remoras and pilot fishes feed on the leftovers of their hosts’ meals. A commensal relationship based on shelter is seen in anemone fishes, such




as Amphiprion percula, which live unharmed among the stinging tentacles of sea anemones, where they are protected from predators. Other examples of commensals include bird species, such as the great egret (Ardea alba), that feed on insects turned up by grazing mammals or on soil organisms stirred up by plowing. Various biting lice, fleas, and louse flies are commensals in that they feed harmlessly on the feathers of birds and on sloughed-off flakes ofskin from mammals.

55. Solution: d)

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/astra-missile-launched-successfully/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astra_(missile)

56. Solution: d)

The profundal zone is a deep zone of an inland body of freestanding water, such as a lake or pond, located below the range of effective light penetration. This is typically below the thermocline, the vertical zone in the water through which temperature drops rapidly. The lack of light in the profundal zone determines the type of biological community that can live in this region, which is distinctly different from the community in the overlying waters. The profundal zone is part of the aphotic zone.

The limnetic zone is the well-lit, open surface waters in a lake, away from the shore. The vegetation of the littoral zone surrounds this expanse of open water and it is above the profundal zone. This is the main photosynthetic body of the lake. This zone produces the oxygen and food that support the lake's consumers.

It can be defined as the lighted surface waters in the area where the lake bottom is too deep and unlit to support rooted aquatic plants. This area is occupied by a variety of phytoplankton, consisting of algae and cyanobacteria, as well as zooplankton, smallcrustaceans, and fish. Most photosynthesis takes place in this part of the lake.

57. Solution: a)

The Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY) was a flagship program of the government of India introduced in 2010 under the Ministry of Women and Child Development. It is a conditional cash transfer scheme.pregnant and lactating women 19 years of age and older for first two live births are eligible for the scheme.Its goal is




to partly compensate them for wage-loss during childbirth and childcare and to provide conditions for safe delivery and good nutrition and feeding practices.

It envisions the achievement of its objectives by:

• Promoting appropriate practice, care and institutional service utilization during pregnancy, delivery and lactation

• Encouraging the women to follow (optimal) nutrition and feeding practices, including early and exclusive breast-feeding for the first six months; and

• Providing cash incentives for improved health and nutrition to pregnant and lactating mothers.

IGMSY provides financial assistance as grant-in-aid to state governments

58. Solution: c)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_Indradhanush

59. Solution: c)

This recent earthquake in Nepal may have occurred because of two converging tectonic plates, the India plate and the overriding Eurasian plate. These tectonic plates are the large, thin, relatively rigid and are moving relative to one another on the outer surface of the Earth. Both of these plates are slowly moving and sometimes get stuck at their edges due to friction. Earthquake might have occured because of these overriding plates after the stress on the edge overcomes the friction. It releases tremendous energy in form of waves that travel through the Earth’s crust and causes earthquake on the surface.

60. Solution: a)

Antibiosis is a biological interaction between two or more organisms that is detrimental to at least one of them; it can also be an antagonistic association between an organism and the metabolic substances produced by another. Examples of antibiosis include the relationship between antibiotics and bacteria and the relationship between animals and disease-causing pathogens.

Antibiosis is commonly found and studied in host plants and the insects which feed upon them.




"Antibiosis resistance affects the biology of the insect so pest abundance and subsequent damage is reduced compared to that which would have occurred if the insect was on a susceptible crop variety. Antibiosis resistance often results in increased mortality or reduced longevity and reproduction of the insect."

61. Solution: d)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24 April 2015 inaugurated India’s Healthcare Tourism Portal www.indiahealthcaretourism.com at the ‘SAAARC Trade Mart’ in the Global Exhibition on Services (GES). It was inaugurated on the occasion of three-day Global Exhibition on Services (GES) The portal is developed by the Union Government’s Department of Commerce and the Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC). It is a comprehensive one-point information site that covers hospital and travel-related information in India. Presently, it covers 124 accredited medical facilities. It includes 93 medical centers, 30 Ayurveda and Wellness centers and 1 special category center. Among these medical facilities 74 facilities are located in Tier I cites and the rest are in Tier II cities. These covered accredited medical facilities on portal are easily locatable. It is also easy to find by search options by location, medical specialty, key procedures, language options etc. Details such as costs related to treatment in hospitals, visa and travel formalities, tariff options on stay etc are also mentioned on the portal.

62. Solution: c)

An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea.

Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environments. They are subject both to marine influences - such as tides, waves, and the influx of saline water - and to riverine influences - such as flows of fresh water and sediment. The inflows of both sea water and fresh water provide high levels of nutrients both in the water column and in sediment, making estuaries among the most productive natural habitats in the world

Most existing estuaries formed during the Holocene epoch with the flooding of river-eroded or glacially scoured valleys when the sea level began to rise about 10,000-12,000 years ago.[4] Estuaries are typically classified according to their geomorphological features or to water-circulation patterns. They can have many different names, such as bays, harbors, lagoons, inlets, or sounds, although some of these water bodies do not strictly meet the above definition of an estuary and may be fully saline.




http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/estuaries/media/supp_estuar04_delta.html

63. Solution: a)

These conservation efforts will be taken to protect this species of Langur found in Patharia Hills Reserve Forest on either side of the fenced border along both nations in Karimganj district of Assam’s Barak Valley. Decision in this regard was taken into effect at the meeting of higher officials of both countries.

The primary focus of this conservation effort is to preserve the habitat for the survival of the primates in the Patharia Hills Reserve Forest that is posing a major threat to the wildlife present in the forest. It also seeks to spread awareness campaigns which will be conducted in the fringe villages to urge people not to destroy the forests for firewood. Spectacled Monkey is popularly known as the ‘Chasme vala bandar’. They have white spectacle like patches around the eyes. The Patheria Hills reserve Forest is spread over an area of around seven thousand hectares on the Indian side and consists of two blocks Patheria ‘A’ and ‘B’.

It is only the forest in Assam, where the Spectacled Monkey is found while Mizoram and Tripura are the other two states in the country where it inhabits. Apart from spectacled Langur, the reserve forest is also home to the endangered Hoolock Gibbon and Golden Langur.

64. Solution: c)

Both are correct. Please refer the book.

65. Solution: b)

The report was published by the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).

Key facts from report: Top five countries: Switzerland (1st), Iceland (2nd), Denmark (3rd), Norway (4th) and Canada (5th).

Bottom five countries: Rwanda (154th), Benin (155th), Syria (156th), Burundi (157th) and Togo (158th).

Other countries: United States (15th), United Kingdom (21th), Japan (46th) and China (84th). India is ranked below countries like Pakistan (81st), Bangladesh (109th), Ukraine (111th) and Iraq (112th).




The report aims at influencing government policy. The report is prepared based upon study undertaken by Gallup World Poll. The data is used to ranked nations based upon variables such as real GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, corruption levels and social freedoms.

66. Solution: a)

Micronutrients are nutrients required by humans and other organisms throughout life in small quantities to orchestrate a range of physiological functions.[1] For people, they include dietary trace minerals in amounts generally less than 100 milligrams/day - as opposed to macrominerals which are required in larger quantities. The microminerals or trace elements includes..atleast iron,cobalt, chromium, copper, iodine, manganese, selenium, zinc and molybdenum. Micronutrients also include vitamins, which are organic compounds required as nutrients in tiny amounts by an organism,[2] as well as phytochemicals.

There are about seven nutrients essential to plant growth and health that are only needed in very small quantities. Though these are present in only small quantities, they are all necessary:

• Boron is believed to be involved in carbohydrate transport in plants; it also assists in metabolic regulation. Boron deficiency will often result in bud dieback.

• Chlorine is necessary for osmosis and ionic balance; it also plays a role in photosynthesis.

• Copper is a component of some enzymes. Symptoms of copper deficiency include browning of leaf tips and chlorosis.

• Iron is essential for chlorophyll synthesis, which is why an iron deficiency results in chlorosis.

• Manganese activates some important enzymes involved in chlorophyll formation. Manganese deficient plants will develop chlorosis between the veins of its leaves. The availability of manganese is partially dependent on soil pH.

• Molybdenum is essential to plant health. Molybdenum is used by plants to reduce nitrates into usable forms. Some plants use it for nitrogen fixation, thus it may need to be added to some soils before seeding legumes.

• Zinc participates in chlorophyll formation, and also activates many enzymes. Symptoms of zinc deficiency include chlorosis and stunted growth.




67. Solution: c)

Calbuco volcano in southern Chile erupted on 23 April 2015 for the first time after more than 42 years. It had erupted twice in the space of a few hours which led to billowing of huge ash cloud over a sparsely populated, mountainous area in southern Chile. Calbuco Volcano is one of the most active volcanoes of the Southern Chilean Andes. It should be noted that Chile has the second largest chain of volcanoes in the world after Indonesia which has about 500 that are potentially active. Both countries fall on the Ring of Fire.

68. Solution: d)

In ecology, energy flow, also called the calorific flow, refers to the flow of energy through a food chain. In an ecosystem,ecologists seek to quantify the relative importance of different component species and feeding relationships.

A general energy flow scenario follows:

• Solar energy is fixed by the photoautotrophs, called primary producers, like green plants. Primary consumers absorb most of the stored energy in the plant through digestion, and transform it into the form of energy they need, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP), through respiration. A part of the energy received by primary consumers, herbivores, is converted tobody heat (an effect of respiration), which is radiated away and lost from the system. The loss of energy through body heat is far greater in warm-blooded animals, which must eat much more frequently than those that are cold-blooded. Energy loss also occurs in the expulsion of undigested food (egesta) by excretion or regurgitation.

• Secondary consumers, carnivores, then consume the primary consumers, although omnivores also consume primary producers. Energy that had been used by the primary consumers for growth and storage is thus absorbed into the secondary consumers through the process of digestion. As with primary consumers, secondary consumers convert this energy into a more suitable form (ATP) during respiration. Again, some energy is lost from the system, since energy which the primary consumers had used for respiration and regulation of body temperature cannot be utilised by the secondary consumers.

• Tertiary consumers, which may or may not be apex predators, then consume the secondary consumers, with some energy passed on and some lost, as with the lower levels of the food chain.




• A final link in the food chain are decomposers which break down the organic matter of the tertiary consumers (or whichever consumer is at the top of the chain) and release nutrients into the soil. They also break down plants, herbivores and carnivores that were not eaten by organisms higher on the food chain, as well as the undigested food that is excreted by herbivores and carnivores. Saprotrophic bacteria and fungi are decomposers, and play a pivotal role in the nitrogen andcarbon cycles.

The energy is passed on from trophic level to trophic level and each time about 90% of the energy is lost, with some being lost as heat into the environment (an effect of respiration) and some being lost as incompletely digested food (egesta). Therefore, primary consumers get about 10% of the energy produced by autotrophs, while secondary consumers get 1% and tertiary consumers get 0.1%. This means the top consumer of a food chain receives the least energy, as a lot of the food chain's energy has been lost between trophic levels. This loss of energy at each level limits typical food chains to only four to six links.

69. Solution: d)

India has emerged as the fourth largest supplier of generic medicines to the United States. It was announced by Minister of State (MoS) for Chemicals and Fertilizers Hansraj Ahir gave this information in the Rajya Sabha in reply to a question. India’s generic medicines exports have touched over US 4 billion dollars in 2013-14 in spite of stringent regulatory measures imposed by US. Union Government also announced that Indian pharmaceutical companies are already exporting generic medicines to Africa, West Asia and European countries.

70. Solution: a)

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/hfc-regulation-countries-yet-reach-consensus

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international environmental treaty (currently the only international climate policy venue with broad legitimacy, due in part to its virtually universal membership) negotiated at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED informally known as the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro from 3 to 14 June 1992. The objective of the treaty is to "stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system"




71. Solution: c)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deciduous

72. Solution: d)

In the past, several studies have explored why some people are found to be mosquito magnets while others remain relatively unattractive. Carbon dioxide and octenol in exhaled air, amount of lactic acid emitted, body heat, secretor status, moisture, physical movements and the colour of clothing are some factors that lead to differences in attractiveness to mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide that humans exhale and it has been observed that adults are more susceptible to mosquito bites than children due to the larger amounts of carbon dioxide exhaled. Octenol, a chemical found in the human breath, also attracts mosquitoes and forms a potent combination with carbon dioxide in alluring mosquitoes. Additionally, the presence of larger amounts of lactic acid that is emitted through the skin of humans and the production of which is linked with physical activity as well as consumption of certain foods, are other factors associated with an increased attractiveness for mosquitoes. This is why people who sweat profusely tend to be ambushed by mosquitoes. A study of these three factors was conducted in 2007 and was led by D F Hoel. It was published in the journal of the American Mosquito Control Association.

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/why-mosquitoes-are-more-attracted-some-us-others

73. Solution: a)

The monsoon, which is essentially the seasonal reversal in wind direction, causes most of the rainfall received in India and some other parts of the world. The primary cause of monsoons is the difference between annual temperature trends over land and sea. The apparent position of the Sun with reference to the Earth oscillates from the Tropic of Cancer to the Tropic of Capricorn. Thus the low pressure region created by solar heating also changes latitude.

The northeast and southeast trade winds converge in this low pressure zone, which is also known as the Intertropical Convergence Zone or ITCZ. This low pressure regions sees continuous rise of moist wind from the sea surface to the upper layers of the atmosphere, where the cooling means the air can no longer hold so much moisture resulting in precipitation. The rainy seasons of East Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, Australia and the southern parts of North America coincide with the shift of ITCZ towards these regions.




For more read http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Learning-with-the-Times-What-causes-the-monsoon/articleshow/6156778.cms

74. Solution: d)

The bottom of the pyramid represents the primary producers (autotrophs). The primary producers take energy from the environment in the form of sunlight or inorganic chemicals and use it to create energy-rich molecules such as carbohydrates. This mechanism is called primary production. The pyramid then proceeds through the various trophic levels to the apex predators at the top. When energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next, typically only ten percent is used to build new biomass. The remaining ninety percent goes to metabolic processes or is dissipated as heat. This energy loss means that productivity pyramids are never inverted, and generally limits food chains to about six levels. However, in oceans, biomass pyramids can be wholly or partially inverted, with more biomass at higher levels.

75. Solution: b)

Western Disturbance is the term used in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal to describe an extratropical storm originating in the Mediterranean, that brings sudden winter rain and snow to the north-western 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 and the Atlantic Ocean. Extratropical storms are a global, rather than a localized, phenomena with moisture usually carried in the upper atmosphere (unlike tropical storms where it is carried in the lower atmosphere). In the case of the subcontinent, moisture is sometimes shed as rain when the storm system encounters the Himalayas.

Western Disturbances are important to the development of the Rabi crop in the northern subcontinent, which includes the locally important staple wheat.

76. Solution: a)

This type of climate is experienced along the eastern coasts of tropical lands, receiving steady rainfall from the Trade Winds all the time. The rainfall is both orographic where the moist trades meet upland masses as in eastern Brazil and convectional due to intense heating during the day and in summer. Its tendency is towards a summer maximum as in monsoon lands, but without any distinct dry period. The rhythm of climate as experienced in Cairns, on the eastern coast of Queensland, under the constant influence of the South-East Trade Winds. and in




summer also affected by the tropical monsoons. Its wettest months are in January (15.8 inches), February (16.4), March (17.7) and April (12.1), which is summer in the southern hemisphere.

Approximately 70 per cent of the annual rainfall is concentrated in the four summer months. There is not month without any rainfall. The range of temperature is typical of the tropical latitudes with a maximum of 82 degree F. in January and a minimum of 70degreeF. in July- a range of 12degree F for the year. Due to the steady influence of the trades. the Tropical Marine Climate is more favourable for habitation, but it is prone to severe tropical cyclones, hurricanes or typhoons.

77. Solution: c)

The warm current dwelling at the eastern coasts in the tropics makes the area warmer and prepares it for more evaporation; low pressure zone and high rainfall.

The same phenomenon is found at the western coasts in higher latitudes where warm currents dwell at the western coasts.

Cyclonic disturbances have nothing to do with the differences in temperature over such a vast area – 20 degrees to 35 degrees.

78. Solution: a)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmese_pythons_in_Florida

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/06/us/the-burmese-python-snake-thats-eating-florida.html?_r=0

79. Solution: b)

The Sudan type of climate is characterized by an alternate hot, rainy season and cool, dry season. In the northern hemisphere, the hot, rainy season normally begins in May and lasts until September, as in Kano, Nigeria.

The rest of the year is cool and dry. The annual rainfall for Kano, which is located at a height of 1,539 feet above sea level, 34 inches and is most entirely concentrated in the summer. But the amount varies from 48 inches at Bathurst, in Gambia on the coast to only 5 inches at Khartoum, in Sudan in the interior.

Both the length of the rainy season and the annual total rainfall decrease appreciably from the equatorial region polewards towards the desert fringes. On the whole, the annual precipitation is less than that of the Tropical Monsoon Climate and the length




of the wet and dry seasons differs with the locality. In the southern hemisphere, the rainy season is from October to March (the southern summer). Its annual precipitation of 32 inches also varies much from year to year.

80. Solution: a)

Deserts are regions of scanty rainfall which may be hot like the hot deserts of the Saharan type; or temperate as are the mid-latitude deserts like the Gobi. The aridity of the hot deserts is mainly due to the effects of off-shore Trade Winds, hence they are also called Trade Wind Deserts. The temperate deserts are rainless because of their interior location in the temperate latitudes, well away from the rain-bearing winds.

The major jot deserts of the world are located on the western coasts of continents between latitudes 15degree and 30degreeN. and S. They include the Sahara Desert, the largest single stretch of desert, which is 3,200 miles from east to west and at least 1,000 miles wide. Its total area of 3.5 million square miles is larger than all the 50 states of U.S.A. put together. The next biggest desert is the Great Australian Desert which covers almost half other continent. The other hot deserts are the Arabian Desert, Iranian Desert, Thar Desert, Kalahari and Namib Deserts. In North America, the desert extends from Mexico into U.S.A. and is called by different names at different places, e.g. the Mohave, Sonoran, Californian and Mexican Deserts. In south America, the Atacama or Peruvian Desert is the driest of all desert with less than 0.5 inches of rainfall annually.

81. Solution: d)

The Patagonian Desert is more due to its rain-shadow position on the leeward side of the lofty Andes than to continentality.

The major jot deserts of the world are located on the western coasts of continents between latitudes 15degree and 30degree N and S. They include the Sahara Desert, the largest single stretch of desert, which is 3,200 miles from east to west and at least 1,000 miles wide. Its total area of 3.5 million square miles is larger than all the 50 states of U.S.A. put together.

82. Solutions: b)

Climatic Conditions in the Mid-Latitude deserts is in many ways similar to those of the hot deserts aridity is the keynote. These inland basins lie hundreds of miles from the sea, and are sheltered by high mountains all around them. As a result they are cut off from !he rain-bearing winds. Ocassionally depressions may penetrate the Asiatic




continental mass and bring light rainall in winter, or unexpected convectional may bless the parched lands with brief showers in summer. For example Cashiar in western China in the Gobi Desert has most of its 3.5 inches of annual precipitation in summer. Due to their coldness and elevation snow falls in winter.

83. Solution: a)

They are entirely confined to the western portion of continental masses, between 30 and 45 north and south of the equator. The basic cause of this type of climate is the shifting of the wind belts. Though the area around the Mediterranean Sea has the greatest extent of this type of ' 'winter rain climate', and gives rise to, the more popular name Mediterranean Climate, the best developed form of this peculiar climatic is found in Chile. Other regions include California, the south-western tip of Africa (around Cape Town), southern Australia (in southern Victoria and around Adelaide, bordering the St. Vincent and Spencer Gulfs), and south-west Australia (Swanland).

84. Solution: d)

In general, each trophic level relates to the one below it by absorbing some of the energy it consumes, and in this way can be regarded as resting on, or supported by, the next lower trophic level. Food chains can be diagrammed to illustrate the amount of energy that moves from one feeding level to the next in a food chain. This is called an energy pyramid. The energy transferred between levels can also be thought of as approximating to a transfer in biomass, so energy pyramids can also be viewed as biomass pyramids, picturing the amount of biomass that results at higher levels from biomass consumed at lower levels.

The efficiency with which energy or biomass is transferred from one trophic level to the next is called the ecological efficiency. Consumers at each level convert on average only about 10% of the chemical energy in their food to their own organic tissue (the ten-percent law). For this reason, food chains rarely extend for more than 5 or 6 levels. At the lowest trophic level (the bottom of the food chain), plants convert about 1% of the sunlight they receive into chemical energy. It follows from this that the total energy originally present in the incident sunlight that is finally embodied in a tertiary consumer is about 0.001%[

85. Solution: d)

http://www.1yachtua.com/Medit-marinas/Mediterranean_Sailing/mediterranean_winds.shtm




86. Solution: d)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_forests,_woodlands,_and_scrub

This is a medium sized article – contains all the important details of the Mediterranean region vegetation.

87. Solution: b)

On the eastern slopes of the Rockies in Canada and USA, a local wind similar to the Fohn in Switzerland called the Chinook comes in a south-westerly direction to the Prairies and has a considerable effect on the local pastures. It actually comes with the depressions in winter or early spring from the pacific coast ascending the Rockies and then descending to the Prairies. It is a hot wind and may raise the temperature by 40°F within a matter of 20 minutes. It melts the snow-covered pastures and animals can be driven out of doors to graze in the open fields. The agricultural year is thus accelerated. Local farmers welcome the Chinook for frequent Chinooks mean mild winters.

88. Solution: d)

http://www.brighthubeducation.com/science-homework-help/109894-examples-of-autotrophs-plants-algae-and-bacteria/

89. Solution: d)

The robust external-sector outcome in the current year of moderate trade and current account deficits, abundant financial flows, a build-up of foreign exchange reserves and broadly stable exchange rate movement points to a return to the path of strength and resilience that was in evidence before the global financial crisis of 2008. This follows the improvement last year that was achieved in the face of an initial phase of severe stress and on the strength of policy responses.

The correction in the international prices of crude petroleum in the second half of the current fiscal has helped in the decontrol of diesel prices. The overall trade performance signaled an opportune time for withdrawal of restrictions on gold imports. The resilience also owed in part to the trade diversification process.

While trade and current account deficits are on even keel, the copious financial inflows in excess of the financing requirement has helped shore up foreign exchange




reserves (US$ 328.7 billion at end-January 2015). These have helped allay the vulnerability concerns that led to severe stress last year. These concerns, however, remain a potent downside risk, should the global environment deteriorate for some reason. The global economic outlook remains somewhat uncertain but stable and likely to gain strength if lower global crude petroleum prices drive the demand recovery process in key emerging market economies.

90. Solution: c)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trophic_level

91. Solution: d)

One of the major items in India’s import basket is the POL group, which accounted for 36.6 per cent of India’s total imports in 2013-14. POL imports surged with a growth of 46.2 per cent in 2011-12, mainly on account of significant increase in global crude oil prices vis-à-vis 2010-11. The growth in imports of POL moderated to 5.9 per cent and 0.4 per cent respectively in 2012-13 and 2013-14.

There was moderation in international crude oil prices (Brent) from US$109.8 per barrel in the first quarter of 2014-15 to US$ 76.0 per barrel in the third quarter which resulted in the value of POL imports declining by 7.9 per cent in 2014- 15 (April-January). Capital goods imports are another major group which declined continuously from 2011-12 onwards. Within capital goods, imports of machinery registered positive growth in 2014-15 (April-January).

92. Solution: c)

Statement one is correct as CO2 more readily dissolves in water than O2. It has been well established that rising CO2 will stimulate plant growth. Indeed, climate change associated with rising atmospheric CO2 has already altered ecosystem carbon balance through rising temperature, increased growing season, and increased atmospheric water content. Studies in native ecosystems have shown that while grasslands show a relative small stimulation of shoot growth, woody plants respond vigorously to elevated CO2. How much additional carbon will be added to terrestrial ecosystems as a result of the CO2fertilization effect will depend on feedbacks of environmental factors on the major resources of nutrients, water and light. Additionally the interaction between plant physiological responses to elevated CO2 and environmental factors in native species and in ecosystem processes is not well understood. Rising atmospheric CO2 has the potential to stimulate carbon accumulation in ecosystems through direct effects on photosynthesis and growth of plants. But




because growth of native species is often limited by the supply of water and nutrients, particularly nitrogen, it is not clear whether, in the long-term of years to decades, CO2 stimulation of plant growth would add significant amounts of anthropogenic carbon as soil carbon to ecosystems. Moreover, the possibility that additional carbon would be sequestered in long-term, carbon pools in the soil has not been determined in native ecosystems.

93. Solution: b)

A keystone species is a species that is connected to a disproportionately large number of other species in the food-web. Keystone species have lower levels of biomass in the trophic pyramid relative to the importance of their role. The many connections that a keystone species holds means that it maintains the organization and structure of entire communities. The loss of a keystone species results in a range of dramatic cascading effects that alters trophic dynamics, other food web connections, and can cause the extinction of other species.[90][91]

Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are commonly cited as an example of a keystone species because they limit the density of sea urchins that feed on kelp. If sea otters are removed from the system, the urchins graze until the kelp beds disappear and this has a dramatic effect on community structure.[92] Hunting of sea otters, for example, is thought to have indirectly led to the extinction of the Steller's Sea Cow (Hydrodamalis gigas).[93] While the keystone species concept has been used extensively as a conservation tool, it has been criticized for being poorly defined from an operational stance. It is difficult to experimentally determine what species may hold a keystone role in each ecosystem. Furthermore, food web theory suggests that keystone species may not be common, so it is unclear how generally the keystone species model can be applied.

94. Solution: c)

The changing contours of trade and the emergence of global production chains have important implications for developing countries. Increasing use of imported inputs has generally caused a decline in the domestic value added share of total exports.

The decomposition of value added by capital and different types of labour is an important aspect of global fragmentation of the production process. It is often argued that increasing trade and thereby integration with the world market will lead to new opportunities for developing nations to employ their abundant medium and low skilled workers. The aforementioned decomposition of domestic value added allows examination of how the benefits of globalization are being distributed between capital and different types of labour.

In the Indian context, the share of domestic value added exports in total exports has witnessed a decline from 86.9 per cent in 1998-99 to 84.1 per cent in 2003-04 and further to 78.5 per cent in 2007-08. The foreign value added share in exports,




however increased, indicating deepening of the process of international production fragmentation. The domestic labour component is relatively higher in India’s service exports than in merchandise exports. Further, the domestic value of exports based on four components (unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled labour, and non-labour) shows that the combined share of the skilled labour and non-labour components is significantly high, which shows a pervasive process of technological change that is biased towards the use of skilled labour and capital.

95. Solution: d)

The government took various measures including those aimed at boosting the performance of the export sectors which supplemented the announcements made in the Budgets and in the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2009 and its Annual Supplements. Various schemes were strengthened, viz. Focus Product Schemes (FPS), Focus Market Scheme (FMS), Market Linked Focus Product Scheme (MLFPS), and Vishesh Krishi and Gram Udyog Yojana (VKGUY). In addition, industry and trade bodies are given support for participation in buyer seller meets (BSM), trade fairs, and exhibitions in various countries under the Market Access Initiative (MAI) scheme and Market Development Assistance (MDA) scheme.

96. Solution: a)

An ecotone is a transition area between two biomes.[1] It is where two communities meet and integrate.[2] It may be narrow or wide, and it may be local (the zone between a field and forest) or regional (the transition between forest and grassland ecosystems).[3] An ecotone may appear on the ground as a gradual blending of the two communities across a broad area, or it may manifest itself as a sharp boundary line.

The word ecotone was coined from a combination of eco(logy) plus -tone, from the Greek tonos or tension – in other words, a place where ecologies are in tension.

97. Solution: d)

India has entered into trading agreements with various countries of the world with the objective of boosting its external trade. Foreign Trade Policy of India has always focused on substantially increasing the country's share of global merchandise trade. Accordingly the Government of India has been taking various steps towards boosting its trade with the rest of the world by adopting policies and procedures which would help to increase and facilitate both exports and imports with the other countries of the world. To facilitate and thereby increase external trade activities with the rest of the world, the Department of Commerce, Government of India has developed this web portal. You can visit http://indiantradeportal.in/ just to get a broad idea.

98. Solution: d)

https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tradfa_e/tradfa_e.htm




99. Solution: b)

Effective exchange rates are summary indicators of movement in the exchange rate of home currency against a basket of currencies of trade partner countries and are considered to be an indicator of international competitiveness. The real effective exchange rate (REER) indices are used as indicator of external competitiveness of the country over a period of time.

The nominal effective exchange rate (NEER) is the weighted geometric average of the bilateral nominal exchange rates of the home currency in terms of foreign currencies. REER is defined as a weighted geometric average of nominal exchange rates of the home currency in terms of the foreign currencies adjusted for relative price differential. Although the rupee has depreciated against the US dollar, in terms of NEER (36 currencies) it appreciated by 2.8 per cent in December 2014 over March 2014. Similarly, REER also appreciated by 5.8 per cent during the same period

100. Solution: d)

1. solution: b) - insightsias · 2019-01-10 · district of karnataka, it is known for chalukyan...

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