MISSION VIJAYA 3.

0
TEST_5 – Paper -2 - Synopsis

1) Answer: B
Yuvanidhi Scheme
 As per Budget Para 198 in the 2023-24 Budget Speech of Hon’ble CM, an unemployment allowance
of Rs.3000/- and Rs.1500/- per month to Graduates and Diploma holders will be given
respectively for those who have completed degree/diploma in 2023 and do not get a job even after
180 days. Hence statement 1 is incorrect
 This allowance given for period of 2 years or till they get employment whichever is earlier.
 The scheme was launched on 26.12.2023 and DBT launched on 12.01.2024.
 Under this scheme, 81725 candidates have registered in Sevasindhu portal as on 16.01.2024, out of
which DBT done for 2809 eligible candidates (2806 degree holders and 3 are diploma holders).

2) Answer: A
 Swavalambane Karnataka Rural Women Entrepreneurs Business Growth Program aims to support
the top 150 rural women entrepreneurs across Karnataka partnered with the Indian Institute of
Management – Bangalore (IIM-B).
 40138 applications were received on Swavalambane Portal. The final top 150 enterprises having
growth potential were selected to be incubated, out of 150, 18 enterprises were awarded grant
amounts and 132 enterprises were given soft loans. Hence statement 2 is incorrect

3) Answer: C
Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs)
 RSETI’s is the nodal agency for providing training to rural youths on self employment on
different trades.
 In Karnataka State, 31 RSETIs are working in all 31 districts with well established
infrastructure and human resource through which training on 62 different trades are
imparted to the selected candidates.
Hence both the statements are correct

4) Answer: B
On 11th June,2023 the Government has launched its ambitious scheme ‘Shakti – free travel for
women’, a flagship programme which is a step towards strengthening woman empowerment in the
state. Hence statement 2 is incorrect
All women of Karnataka including transgender and girl students are eligible to avail this
scheme to travel throughout the state.
 5) Answer: C
Karnataka has a coastline of 320 km with one major port and 13 minor ports. The New
Mangalore Port is the only major port in Karnataka which is under the control of Ministry of
Shipping, Government of India and remaining 13 minor ports are under the administrative
control of the State Government.

6) Answer: D
SMART CITIES MISSION
 Purpose: To develop 100 smart cities and make them citizen friendly
 Type: Centrally Sponsored Scheme
 Smart cities: There is no standard definition of a smart city.
 Implementing Agency: Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV)
 To drive economic growth and improve quality of life through comprehensive work on social,
economic, physical and institutional pillars of the city.

7) Answer: A
PM STREET VENDOR’S ATMA NIRBHAR NIDHI (PM SVANIDHI) SCHEME
 Purpose: To facilitate collateral-free working capital loans to street vendors to restart their
businesses.
 Type: Central Sector Scheme. Hence statement 2 is incorrect
 Beneficiary: Street vendors/ hawkers vending in urban areas and surrounding peri-urban and rural
areas.
 Implementing Agency: Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI).
 Facilitate collateral free working capital loan upto ₹10,000, of 1 year tenure, with enhanced loan of
₹20,000 and ₹50,000 in the second and third tranches respectively, on repayments of earlier loans.
 To incentivize regular repayment and to reward digital transactions

8) Answer: B
RAISING AND ACCELERATING MSME PRODUCTIVITY (RAMP)
 Purpose: Enhancing performance of MSMEs by promoting technology upgradation,
innovation, digitization, market access, etc. through active participation of the State
Governments
 Type: Central Sector Scheme
 Tenure: 2022-23 to 2026-27
 Funding: USD 500 Million would be a loan from the World Bank and the remaining
USD 308 Million would be funded by the GoI. Hence statement 3 is incorrect

9) Answer: C
Vigyan Jyoti
 Encourages girl students of Class 9 to 12 to pursue education and career in S&T particularly
in the areas where women are underrepresented.
  Facilitates hand-holding along with various activities such as science camps, special lectures/
classes, counselling of students and parents to such selected candidates.
 Beneficiaries: Girls from JNVs, KVs, Govt. schools, army schools of small cities and rural areas
 Implementing agency: Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS)

10) Answer: B
BHUVAN portal It is a Geoportal of ISRO.
 It Provides services and applications related to satellite remote sensing data for public use.
 Bhuvan Services are offered by National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC)

Unispace Nanosatellite Assembly & Training programme (UNNATI)

 It is an initiative of ISRO to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first United Nations
conference on the exploration and peaceful uses of outer space (UNISPACE+50).
 It provides opportunities to the participating developing countries to strengthen in assembling,
integrating and testing of Nanosatellite.

Samvad with Students

 It is a student outreach programme where ISRO chairman meets the students during his
outstation visits and address their queries and quench the scientific thrust.

11) Answer: C
Web3 enables peer-to-peer transactions and interactions without intermediaries.
o Includes cryptocurrencies, Non-Fungible Tokens, Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs), etc.
o Provides more security of data in comparison to Web 1 and Web 2.
o Enables people to control their own data.
o Blockchain based social networks. Hence statement 3 is incorrect
o Operated by users collectively rather than a corporation.

12) Answer: A
 India's AI supercomputer AIRAWAT has been ranked 75th in the Top 500 Global
Supercomputing List.
Supercomputer
 A high-performance computing system that delivers exceptional processing power and
computational capacity as compared to general purpose computer.
 Performance is measured in floating-point operations per second (FLOPS) instead of million
instructions per second (MIPS). Hence statement 2 and 3 are incorrect

13) Answer: B
BHAROS
• A Made in India mobile operating system developed by IIT Madras. Hence statement 1 is
incorrect
• It is developed under project funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
• It comes with No Default Apps (NDA).
 This means that users are not forced to use apps that they may not be familiar with or that they may
not trust.
• Offers ‘Native Over The Air’ (NOTA) updates that can help to keep the devices secure.
• Provides access to trusted apps from organisation-specific Private App Store Services (PASS).

14) Answer: D
SIM stands for Subscriber Identity Module. A SIM card is a small plastic card that contains an integrated
circuit (IC) that stores a mobile subscriber's identity number (IMSI) and its key. SIM cards are used to
authenticate users and establish connectivity on mobile devices

15) Answer: B
 Shiv Shakti Point is the spot where the Vikram lander made a soft landing.
 Crashing point of Chandrayaan-2 lander would be known as Tiranga Point
 August 23, the day the Chandrayaan-3 lander touched down on the lunar surface, would be
celebrated as ‘National Space Day’. Hence statement 3 is incorrect

16) Answer: C
Organ-on-Chip (OoC) Technology
 OoC is one of the human-relevant 3D culture models which, also known as ‘New Approach
Methods’ (NAMs).
 OoC is a micro-scale system used for mimicking the human body environment. They use
microfluidics, along with cells, to imitate the physiological and mechanical conditions experienced
in the body.
 They can control the movement and behaviour of materials and cells by using channels,
chambers, membranes, etc. The goal for organ-on-a-chip is to develop human tissue models for
disease modelling and drug testing.

17) Answer: C
 NBFLite: A Blockchain sandbox platform, developed especially for startups/academia for rapid
prototyping of applications, carrying out research and capacity building.
 Praamaanik: A solution that harnesses Blockchain technology to verify mobile app origins and is
powered by the National Blockchain Framework.
 National Blockchain Portal: It is developed on the theme based on Content Management System
to manage the contents related to the National Blockchain Framework initiative.

18) Answer: B
 Recently, Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) launched India
Graphene Engineering and
 Innovation Centre (IGEIC) under the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047.
 It is the not-for-profit company (registered under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013).
 Purpose: It is exclusively incorporated to create a hub of excellence in Graphene technology
commercialization.
 Focus: On a range of applications such as electronics, energy storage, healthcare, material coating,
conveyance systems, and sustainable material development.
  R&D setup in Trivandrum (Kerala).
 Corporate & Business Development hub in Bangalore (Karnataka).
Hence statement 3 is incorrect

19) Answer: B
Circumnutation:
 It refers to small, continuous movements made by plants to explore their environments.
 These movements appear as spirals or zigzags. Hence statement 2 is incorrect
 Significance: It is an inherent behavior across plant species, allowing them to adapt to
environmental conditions and maximize their growth potential.

20) Answer: C

The First Law of Thermodynamics: It is impossible for energy to be created or destroyed. Rather, it can
only be transformed into one form or another.

21) Answer: A
The conservation of mass and conservation of mechanical energy are not considered fundamental laws
of nature

22) Answer: B
 National Organ and Tissue Transplantation Organisation (NOTTO) ordered an inquiry into ‘cash-
for-kidney racket’ case.
About NOTTO
 Facilitates coordination and networking in organ transplantation activities.
 Works under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfares. Hence statement 1 is incorrect
 Transplantation of Human Organs Act 1994, allowed organ donation by live & Brain-stem
Dead donors

23) Answer: D
Bacteria use endonucleases, also known as restriction enzymes, to fragment viral DNA and protect
themselves from viruses

24) Answer: D
Phrynarachne decipiens, the bird-dropping spider, is a species of tropical crab spider

25) Answer: B

Chile
Salar de Atacama, located 55 km (34 mi) south of San Pedro de Atacama, is the largest salt flat in Chile.
 26) Answer: A

 The Karnataka Agricultural Price Commission has identified 26 crops as ‘important crops’ in the
State.
 However, the Central Government has announced a minimum support price for only 16 of
these crops. Hence statement 2 is incorrect
 Hence, we will impress upon the Central Government the need to announce a minimum support
price for the other ‘important crops’ such as arecanut, onion, grapes, mango, banana etc.

27) Answer: C
Karnataka State Financial Corporation (KSFC) is a state level financial institution established by
the state
government in the year 1959 under the provisions of SFCs Act,1951 to cater to the long term financial
needs of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises(MSMEs) in the state.

28) Answer: A
 “Manochaitanya” Programme–Taluka Mental Health Programme (Super Tuesday clinic): It is a
unique initiative of the State Government for the mentally ill persons.
 Under this programme, on selected Tuesdays Psychiatrist from District Mental Health
Programme (DMHP)/District Hospital (DH)/Medical colleges/Private hospitals are providing
specialist Services to the mentally ill persons at the Taluka level hospitals. Hence statement 2
is incorrect

29) Answer: B
 Gruha Lakshmi is an ambitious scheme promoting financial empowerment of women.
 Under this scheme, Rs. 2,000 is provided to woman head of the household.
 As per the KUTUMB software database, 1.33 crore women head of family having APL, BPL,
AAY ration card are identified as eligible beneficiaries. Hence statement 2 is incorrect

30) Answer: C

31) Answer: B

32) Answer: A

33) Answer: C
 34) Answer: A

35) Answer: D

36) Answer: A

37) Answer: A

38) Answer: A
Shakthi Sadan (Swadhar Greh):
 This Scheme is to empower women who are in difficult circumstances by providing them
temporary shelter, medical assistance, counselling & legal assistance.
 At present 51 Swadhar Greh are functioning in the State. 1669 women and children are provided
shelter facilities at the end of November-2023.

39) Answer: B
 Bhagyalakshmi is a flagship programme implemented by State with an objective for improving the
sex ratio in the state by encouraging the birth of girl child in the BPL families.
 The programme also aims to eradicate social evils such as child labour, female foeticide, child
marriage and child trafficking.
 Two girl children born in a BPL family are eligible to enroll under the scheme.
 “Child Tracking System” software is being developed with assistance from NIC to track
Bhagyalakshmi beneficiaries up to the age of 18 years
Hence statement 2 and 3 are incorrect

40) Answer: C
There are 69899 Anganwadi Centres in the state with the total children of 42.19 lakh.
Out of 69899 AWCs in the state only 46769 center (67%) are having own building and the remaining
are functioning in rented building, school building, community hall, panchayat building, yuvaka &
mahila mandalas and other rent-free buildings.

41) Answer: D

Srushti Scheme:
¯ 41.82 lakh children are provided eggs.
¯ 3 to 6 years children are provided eggs for two days a week.
¯ 6 months to 3 years SAM & MAM children are given egg for 3 days a week.
¯ 3 years to 6 years SAM & MAM children are given egg for 5 days a week
¯ Milk is provided to children who do not consume eggs for 6 days.

42) Answer: B
Chethana: To improve the situation of the sex workers to lead a respectful life in the society the
Corporation provides self employment training and also an incentive of Rs.30,000/- to take up income
generating activities. Hence statement 1 is incorrect

43) Answer: C
The Fourth Karnataka State Human Development Report-2022 is brought out in 2023 with a theme
“Bridging the Gaps towards sustainable wellbeing”.

44) Answer: B
Digilocker
 DigiLocker is one of the flagship initiatives of the Ministry of Electronics and Communication
(MeitY) under the Digital India programme. Hence statement 1 is incorrect
 DigiLocker is intended to promote the vision of paperless governance and enabling citizens to
legally access their essential documents anytime, anywhere in digital format.
 Center for e-Governance (CeG) is the nodal department for implementing DigiLocker project
across various departments of Government of Karnataka and necessary support is extended
to the departments starting from DigiLocker registration process stage to the go-live stage in
collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Communication, Government of India.

45) Answer: C
 The Department of e-Governance has implemented the “Kutumba” project which is a
centralized data repository of families in Karnataka consisting of the individual and
family attributes.
 Kutumba is an Entitlement Management System which allows the Government to
identify residents who are eligible for welfare benefits and suo-moto deliver the benefits
“without the resident having to apply”
 Kutumba project has been recognised nationally and has been awarded with the
National e-Governance Award (Silver Category)

46) Answer: D
FRUITS: Farmer’s Registration and Unified Beneficiary InformaTion System

 FRUITS is an e-Governance initiative to have common database facilities for

Registration of farmers, and other beneficiaries who want to avail benefits from the
Government.
 FRUITS helps in Registering Farmers and non-farmers and provides a unique ID. The
Registration is once in lifetime activity, as a result the beneficiary need not carry
his/her documents to the next department and for every scheme.
 “FRUITS” is aimed at bringing departments like Agriculture, Horticulture,
Sericulture, Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Sciences, Fisheries, Backward classes
and Social welfare on to a single platform.

47) Answer: C
 Karnataka ranks 1st in Software/ Service exports and stands 4th in Merchandise exports in
the National export basket. The State stands first in the overall exports with combined Service and
Merchandize exports.
  Visvesvaraya Trade Promotion Centre (VTPC) under the aegis of Department of Industries and
Commerce, Government of Karnataka is the Nodal Agency for promotion of export from the State.
 Karnataka’s exports amounted to about Rs.1267655.66 Crores in 2022-23 which constituted
about 20.50% of the Country’s exports in the year

48) Answer: C
 The Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act, 1993 provides for a three-tier structure of Panchayath Raj
Institutions namely Zilla Panchayath, Taluk Panchayath and Gram Panchayath to carry out the
entrusted functions.
 Gram Panchayaths also has powers to levy tax on buildings and lands, levy water rate, tax on
entertainment, vehicles, advertisement and hoarding and collect market fee, fee on bus stands and
on grazing cattle.
49) Answer: D

50) Answer: B

51) Answer: D

52) Answer: A

53) Answer: D

54) Answer: C

55) Answer: B

56) Answer: A

57) Answer: B
Biosphere
 The biosphere is the biological component (supporting life) of the earth which includes the
lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere.
 The biosphere includes all living organisms on earth, together with the dead organic matter
produced by them. Hence statement 2 is incorrect
 The biosphere is absent at extremes of the North and South poles, the highest mountains and
the deepest oceans since existing hostile conditions there do not support life (life is the characteristic
feature of the biosphere).
 Occasionally spores of fungi and bacteria do occur at a great height beyond 8,000 metres, but they
are metabolically inactive, and hence represent only dormant life.

58) Answer: A

Difference between Habitat and Environment

  A habitat always has life in it, whereas the environment does not necessarily have life in it.
 All habitats are environments, but all environments are not habitats.
 A habitat is always a preference of one species.
 An environment could be a preference of many species that could eventually become many
habitats.
 Usually, the environment governs the properties of a habitat, but not vice versa.

59) Answer: C
Dieback
 Refers to the progressive dying usually backwards from the tip of any portion of the plant.
 This is one of the adaptive mechanisms to avoid adverse conditions like drought.
 In this mechanism, the root remains alive for years together, but the shoots die.
 E.g. sal, red sanders, silk cotton tree etc.

60) Answer: C
When succession is brought about by living inhabitants of that community itself, the process is called
autogenic succession, while change brought about by outside forces is known as allogenic succession.
 Autogenic succession is driven by the biotic components of an ecosystem.
 Allogenic succession is driven by the abiotic components (fire, flood) of the ecosystem.

61) Answer: B
The five suggested targets by Wetlands International to be achieved by 2030
 The remaining, undrained peatland carbon stores should be kept intact and 10 million hectares of
drained peatlands need should be restored.
 The Global mangrove cover of 20 %. Hence statement 3 is incorrect
 The preservation of free-flowing rivers and floodplains, along with enhancement of restoring the
floodplain ecosystem and its function in the area.
 The 10% increase of the West African river Volta in the tidal flats area.
 Identification of 50 % of the 7,000 critically important sites along the flyways to be brought
under favourable management.

62) Answer: A
Waste Minimization Circles (WMC)
 WMC helps Small and Medium Industrial Clusters in waste minimisation in their industrial
plants.
 This is assisted by the World Bank with the Ministry of Environment and Forests
acting as the nodal ministry.
 The project is being implemented with the assistance of the National Productivity Council
(NPC), New Delhi.
 The initiative aims to realise the objectives of the Policy Statement for Abatement of
Pollution (1992), which states that the government should educate citizens about
environmental risks, the economic and health dangers of resource degradation and the real
economic cost of natural resources.
63) Answer: A
Global Environment Facility
 GEF was established with the Rio Earth Summit of 1992.
 Headquarter: Washington, D.C., USA. Hence statement 3 is incorrect
 The GEF is jointly managed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the
World Bank, and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
 The financial mechanism was established to help tackle our planet’s most pressing environmental
problems.
 It provides funds to the developing countries and transition economies for projects related to climate
change, biodiversity, the ozone layer, etc.

64) Answer: B
 Mercury is a naturally occurring element found in the Earth's crust. Hence statement 1 is
incorrect
 It is considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the top ten chemicals or
groups of chemicals of major public health concern.
 Thermometers and Barometers:
 Mercury's high coefficient of thermal expansion and easy visibility make it suitable for use in
traditional thermometers and barometers.

65) Answer: D
Global Tiger Recovery Program 2.0 (2023-34)
 Global Tiger Recovery Programme (GTRP) 2.0 was released at Thimphu on 29 July
International Tiger Day 2023 by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Royal Govt of Bhutan.
 GTRP was launched by the World Bank in 2010 under the Global Tiger Initiative
(GTI) to double wild tiger populations by 2022, with commitments from Tiger Range
Countries (TRCs).
 The Global Tiger Forum (GTF) became the implementing arm for the tiger agenda.
 GTRP 2.0 has been firmed up by tiger range countries through the intergovernmental
platform of the Global Tiger Forum along with collaborators like the Worldwide Fund for
Nature (WWF).
 GTRP 2.0 emphasizes on strengthening tiger governance, enhancing resources and
protection, while addressing contemporary challenges like Human-Wildlife Conflict.

66) Answer: B
The Kyoto Protocol emission target gases include
Carbon dioxide (CO2),
Methane (CH4),
Nitrous oxide (N2O),
Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6),
groups of hydro fluorocarbons (HCFs) and
groups of Per fluorocarbons (PFCs).
 67) Answer: C
Forest Rights Act, 2006
 Nodal Agency for the implementation is Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA).
 This Act is applicable for Tribal and Other Traditional Forest Dwelling Communities.
 The Act provides for recognition of forest rights of other traditional forest dwellers provided they
have for at least three generations prior to 13.12.2005 primarily resided in and have depended on
the forests for bonafide livelihood needs.
 The maximum limit of the recognizing rights on forest land is 4 ha. Hence statement 2 is
incorrect
 National Parks and Sanctuaries have been included along with Reserve Forest, Protected Forests for
the recognition of Rights.
 The Act recognizes the right of ownership access to collect, use, and dispose of minor forest produce
by tribals.
 Minor forest produce includes all non-timber forest produce of plant origin.
 The rights conferred under the Act shall be heritable but not alienable or transferable.
 As per the Act, the Gram Sabha has been designated as the competent authority for initiating
the process of determining the nature and extent of individual or community forest rights.

68) Answer: A
Ranganathittu Wildlife Sanctuary (BS)
 It is also called Pakshi Kashi of Karnataka located near the historic town of
Srirangapattana (near Mysore).
 It is the largest Bird Sanctuary in the state and comprises six islets on the banks
of the Cauvery River. Hence statement 3 is incorrect
 Major Fauna: Smooth coated otter, common palm civet, mugger crocodile.
 Major Avifauna: Painted stork, Asian openbill stork, common spoonbill, woolly-
necked stork, black-headed ibis.

69) Answer: C
Kolleru Lake-Andhra Pradesh
Deepor Beel-Assam
Chandra Taal- Himachal Pradesh
Sasthamkotta Lake-Kerala

70) Answer: D
The white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) is critically endangered

71) Answer: D

72) Answer: A
 73) Answer: C

74) Answer: B

75) Answer: C

76) Answer: B

77) Answer: D

78) Answer: A

79) Answer: D

80) Answer: A

81) Answer: B

82) Answer: C

83) Answer: A

84) Answer: D

85) Answer: C

Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari initiative

 This initiative seeks to conserve water with a strong emphasis on community
partnership and ownership
 It aims to construct around 24,800 rainwater harvesting structures through
community participation, ensuring long-term water sustainability across state.

86) Answer: A
AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT EXCHANGE PLATFORM (AQMX)
Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) launched an AQMX in the backdrop of International Day
of Clean Air for Blue Skies (7 September).
Led by UN Environment Programme (UNEP), this year’s theme focuses on ‘Invest in Clean Air
Now’.
Hence statement 2 and 3 are incorrect
About Air Quality Management Exchange Platform (AQMx)
• It is a one-stop-shop that provides the latest air quality management guidance and tools proposed to meet
WHO
Air Quality Guidelines interim targets.
• It is a component of CCAC Clean Air Flagship and contributes to implementation of UNEA-6 Resolution
to increase regional cooperation and action on improving air quality globally

87) Answer: B
 India’s first ‘teal carbon’ study undertaken at Keoladeo National Park (KNP) in
Rajasthan
Hence statement 2 is incorrect
 Teal carbon refers to carbon stored in non-tidal freshwater wetlands, encompassing
carbon sequestered in vegetation, microbial biomass, and dissolved and particulate
organic matter

88) Answer: C
 Karnataka is the seventh largest state in India with 39.27 % of urban population as per 2011 census.
 Karnataka exhibits a fluctuating trend of urbanization with a high regional variation and a high
urban primacy.
 Disparities exists in urban growth with Bangalore being the most urbanized district (90.94 %) and
Kodagu the least (14.61%).

89) Answer: A

Total Expenditure for 2024-25 is estimated to be Rs. 3,71,383 crore

For the financial year 2024-25, Revenue deficit is estimated to be Rs 27,354 crore. Fiscal
Deficit is estimated to be Rs. 82,981 crore, which 2.95% of GSDP. Hence statement 2 is
incorrect

90) Answer: A
National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM)
• Launched in 2023, with an outlay of ₹ 19,744 crore.
• Duration: Phase I (2022-23 to 2025-26) and Phase II (2026-27 to 2029-30).
• Objective: To make India a Global Hub for production, usage and export of Green Hydrogen
and its derivatives.

91) Answer: B
Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) Systems
 • BMD systems seek to defend against an aerial attack like drones, fighter jets, and ballistic
and cruise missiles by launching interceptors that would hit incoming missiles and destroy
them on impact.
• Other Important Missile Defence systems of the world include THAAD (USA), Iron Dome
(Israel), Patriot (USA), etc.
Hence statement 2 is incorrect

92) Answer: C
SMRs are advanced nuclear reactors that have a power capacity of up to 300 MW(e) per unit,
which is about one-third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors.
SMRs are designed to operate for 40-60 years with capacity factors exceeding 90%.

93) Answer: D
DARK OXYGEN

Scientists discovered 'dark' oxygen 13,100-feet deep in the Pacific Ocean.

It is believed that Dark Oxygen is the oxygen that is produced without the process of
photosynthesis.

94) Answer: A
The Ennore Creek is a backwater located in Thiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu

95) Answer: C
Researchers have developed a new electronics soil that was found to increase the growth of
barley seedlings by 50%.
• It is a novel method of soilless gardening or hydroponics using an electrically conductive
growing medium.
• eSoil is being derived from cellulose and a conductive polymer called PEDOT.

96) Answer: B
The ISA is guided by its 'Towards 1000' strategy which aims to mobilise USD 1,000 billion of
investments in solar energy solutions by 2030

97) Answer: C
Black carbon (BC) is a solid particle or aerosol, (though not a gas) contributes to warming
of the atmosphere.
Black carbon, commonly known as soot, is a form of particulate air pollutant, produced from
incomplete combustion. It consists of pure carbon in several linked forms.
Source
• biomass burning,
 • cooking with solid fuels, and
• Diesel exhaust

98) Answer: D

SAWEN, a Regional network is comprised of eight countries in South Asia: Afghanistan,

Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka

99) Answer: B
Seaweeds are (thalloid plants) macroscopic algae, which mean they have no differentiation of
true tissues such as roots, stems and leaves. They have leaf-like appendages. Hence statement
1 is incorrect
• Seaweeds, the larger and visible marine plants are found attached to rocks, corals and other
submerged strata in the intertidal and shallow sub tidal zones of the sea.
• Seaweeds grow in shallow coastal waters wherever sizable substata is available.

100) Answer: C

The Changwon Declaration on human well-being and wetlands: The Changwon Declaration
highlights positive action for ensuring human well-being and security in the future under the themes - water,
climate change, people’s livelihood and health, land use change, and biodiversity