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UPSC PRELIMS-2021 || Current Affairs Based Most Probable Questions on Polity || by Sukanya Rana

Q1) Consider following statements with respect Collegium System in Judicial Appointments

1. A Supreme Court collegium is led by its Chief Justice and four other senior most judges of that court.
2. Names recommended for appointment by a High Court collegium reaches the government only after approval by the CJI and the Supreme Court collegium.
3. Government cannot raise any objections and seek no clarifications regarding the Collegium’s choices.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

A. 1 and 2 only

B. 1 and 3 only

C. 2 and 3 only

D. 1, 2 and 3

Q2) Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct with respect to Rohini Commission

1. It was established to work out the mechanism in a scientific approach for sub-categorisation within OBCs.
2. It recommended 33% reservation in jobs and education under the central and state government for OBCs.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

Q3) Consider the following statements with respect to DNA Technology Bill

1. Under the Bill, DNA testing is allowed only in respect of matters listed in the Schedule to the Bill.
2. The Bill provides for the establishment of a National DNA Data Bank and Regional DNA Data Banks, for every state, or two or more states.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

Q4) Which of the following statements are incorrect with respect to Registered Unrecognised Political Parties

1. These are political parties which have contested at least in one Assembly or General Elections since being registered.
2. These Parties do not enjoy all the benefits extended to the recognised parties.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

Q5) Consider the following statements with respect to Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT)

1. It exercises original jurisdiction in relation to recruitment and all service matters of all-India services, the Central civil services, civil posts under the Centre and members of the defence forces.
2. The appeals against the orders of the CAT could be made only in the Supreme Court and not in high courts.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are incorrect?

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

UPSC PRELIMS-2021 || Most Probable Questions on Environment and Ecology || by Santosh Gupta

Q1) Which of the following are related to Ozone depletion?

1. Montreal Protocol
2. Kyoto Protocol
3. Vienna Convention
4. Kigali agreement

Which of the above statements are true?

A. 1, 2 and 3 only

B. 2, 3 and 4

C. 1, 3 and 4 only

D. All of them

Q2)  How does the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) help in protecting Indian agriculture? 

1. NBA checks the biopiracy and protects the indigenous and traditional genetic resources. 

2. NBA directly monitors and supervises the scientific research on genetic modification of crop plants. 

3. Application for intellectual Property Rights related to genetic resources cannot be made without the approval of NBA.

4.  NBA was set up under obligation for Convention on biological diversity 

Which of the above statements are true?

A. 1 and 2 only

B. 2 and 3 only

C. 1,3 and 4

D. all of them 

Q3) Which of the following is related to protection of biodiversity?

1. Convention of biological diversity

2. Nagoya protocol

3. Aichi targets

4. Minamata convention

5. UNESCO world heritage convention

Which of the above statements are true? 

A. 1, 2 and 3 only

B. 2, 3 and 4 ony

C All of them

D. 1, 2, 3 and 5

Q4)  Consider the following regarding outcomes of Rio earth summit, 1992

1. Agenda 21
2. Convention on biological diversity
3. UNFCCC
4. Foundation of IPCC
5. Global Environment Facility (GEF)

Which of the above statements are true?

A. 1, 2 and 3 

B. 2, 3 and 4 only

C. 1, 2, 3 and 5 only

D. All of them

Q5)  Which of the following  are true about the aims of the Basel Convention? 

1. The reduction of all hazardous waste generation 

2. The restriction of trans-boundary movements of hazardous wastes including radioactive waste. 

3. Creating a Regulatory system for trans boundary movement 

4.  Promote information sharing through prior informed consent

Which of the above statements are true?

A. 1 and 2 only

B. 2 and 3 only

C. 1 ,2 and 4 only

D. 1, 3 and 4 only

04th Sept 2021

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Cropping Pattern in India

Back to Basics: Cropping Pattern mean the proportion of area under different crops at a point of time, changes in this distribution overtime and factors determining these changes.

Cropping pattern in India is determined mainly by rainfall, climate, temperature and soil type.

Technology also plays a pivotal role in determining crop pattern. Example, the adoption of High Yield Varieties Seeds along with fertilisers in the mid 1960’s in the regions of Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh increased wheat production significantly.

The multiplicity of cropping systems has been one of the main features of Indian agriculture. This may be attributed to following two major factors:

1. Rainfed agriculture still accounts for over 92.8 million hectares or 65 percent of the cropped area. A large diversity of cropping systems exists under rainfed and dryland areas with an overriding practice of intercropping, due to greater risks involved in cultivating larger area under a particular crop.
2. Due to prevailing socio-economic situations (such as; dependency of large population on agriculture, small land-holding size, very high population pressure on land resource etc.), improving household food security has been an issue of supreme importance to many million farmers of India, who constitute 56.15 million marginal (<1.0 hectare), 17.92 million small (1.0-2.0 hectare) and 13.25 million semi-medium (2.0-4.0 hectare) farm holdings, making together 90 percent of 97.15 million operational holdings.
3. An important consequence of this has been that crop production in India remained to be considered, by and large, a subsistence rather than commercial activity.

What are the types of cropping System?

Different types of cropping systems are adopted on farms depending on the resources and technology available. The different & basic types of cropping System is explained below:

Mono-cropping: If only one crop is grown in the land season after season, it is referred to as Monocropping. Example: Wheat will be planted year after year in the same field. 

Crop Rotation: In this method, the type of crops grown in the field is changed each season or each year. farmers also change from crops to fallow. Example: Maize will be planted in the first year and beans in the second year. This Crop rotation system is a key principle of agriculture conservation as it improves the soil structure and fertility. It also helps to control weeds, pests, and diseases.

Sequential Cropping: This system involves growing two crops in the same field, one after the other in the same year. Example: Planting maize during long rains, then beans during the short rains. 

Inter-cropping: Growing two or more crops in the same field at the same time is called Intercropping. Examples: Planting alternating rows of maize and beans, or growing a cover crop in between the rows. 

Mixed Intercropping: In this method, seeds of two crops are distributed or dibbling the seeds without any row arrangement. This method is called mixed intercropping. This method is easy to sow but makes weeding, fertilization, and harvesting difficult. 

Multiple-Cropping: In this cropping system, farmers grow two or more crops on farmland in one year with intensive input management practices. It includes inter-cropping, mixed-cropping, and sequence cropping.

Row Intercropping: In this method, both the main crop and the intercrop in rows are planted. The row intercropping makes weeding and harvesting easier than with mixed intercropping.

Stir Cropping: This type of cropping involves planting broad strips of several crops in the field. Each strip will be 3–9 m wide. On slopes, the strips are laid out along the contour to prevent erosion. The farmer can rotate crops by planting each strip with a different crop in the next year. Example: Alternating strips of maize, soybean, and finger millet are planted. 

Relay Cropping: In this method, one crop is planted and another crop, usually a cover crop, is planted in the same field before harvesting the first. It avoids competition between the main crop and the intercrop. Relay cropping uses the field for a long time since the cover crop usually continues to grow after the main crop is harvested.

In Indian agriculture, three types of Cropping System is used. They are:

• Mono-Cropping

• Inter-cropping

• Multiple-Cropping

Factors Determining Cropping Pattern in India

Cropping Pattern in India

30 most important cropping patterns in India

Specific Issues Related to the Cropping Pattern

Crop Pattern	Region/State	Issues Related to Crop Pattern
Rice-Wheat	UP, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh.	Over the years there is stagnation in the production and productivity loses.   The main reasons for stagnation are: Over Mining of Nutrients from the soil. Declining Ground Water Table. Increase Pest Attacks and Diseases. Shortages of Labour. Inappropriate use of Fertilizers.
Rice-Rice	Irrigated and Humid coastal system of Orrisa, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala.	The major issues in sustaining the productivity of rice-rice system are:   Deterioration in soil physical conditions. Micronutrient deficiency. Poor efficiency of nitrogen use. Imbalance in use of nutrients. Non-availability of appropriate trans planter to mitigate labour shortage during the critical period of transplanting.
Rice- Groundnut	Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Orrisa and Maharashtra.	The major issues in the pattern are:   Excessive Rainfall and Water Logging. Non-availability of quality seeds. Limited expansion of Rabi Groundnut in Rice grown areas.
Rice-Pulses	Chhattisgarh, Orrisa and Bihar.	Factors limiting Productivity are:   Droughts and Erratic Rainfall distribution. Lack of Irrigation. Low coverage under HYV Seeds. Weed Attacks. Little attention to pest attacks and diseases. Marginalisation of land and Removal of Tribal from their own land.
Maize-Wheat	UP, Rajasthan, MP and Bihar	The Reason for Poor Yields are:   Sowing Timing. Poor Weed Management. Poor Plant Varieties. Poor use of organic and inorganic fertilizers. Large area under Rain Fed Agriculture.
Sugarcane-Wheat	UP, Punjab and Haryana accounts for 68% of the area under sugarcane.   The other states which cover the crops are; Karnataka and MP.	Problems in Sugarcane-Wheat system are:   Late Planting. Imbalance and inadequate use of nutrients. Poor nitrogen use efficiency in sugarcane. Build-up of Trianthema partu lacastrum and Cyprus rotundus in sugarcane. The stubble of sugarcane pose tillage problem for succeeding crops and need to be managed properly.
Cotton-Wheat	Punjab, Haryana, West UP, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu.	Problems in Cotton-Wheat system are:   Delay Planting. Stubbles of cotton create the problem of tillage operations and poor tilth for wheat. Cotton Pest like Boll Worm and White Fly. Poor nitrogen use efficiency in cotton.
Soya bean-Wheat	Maharashtra, MP and Rajasthan	Constraints limiting the soybean production and productivity are:   A relatively recent introduction of soybean as a crop. Limited genetic diversity. Short growing period available in Indian latitudes. Hindered agronomy/availability of inputs at the farm level. Rainfed nature of crop and water scarcity at critical stage of plant growth. Insect pests and diseases, Quality improvement problems. Inadequate mechanization and partial adoption of technology by farmers have been identified.
Legume Based Cropping Systems (Pulses-Oilseeds)	MP, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.	The major issues in Legume based system are:   Lack of technological advancement. Loses due to erratic weather and waterlogging. Diseases and Pests. Low harvest index, flower drop, indeterminate growth habit and very poor response to fertilizers and water in most of the grain legumes. Nutrient needs of the system have to be worked out considering N-fixation capacity of legume crops.

Horticulture Crops in India

India has made a good place for itself on the Horticulture Map of the World with a total annual production of horticultural crops touching over 1490 million tones during 1999-00.

The horticultural crops cover about 9 percent of the total area contributing about 24.5 percent of the gross agricultural output in the country. However, the productivity of fruits and vegetables grown in the country is low as compared to developed countries.

Vegetable Crops

Vegetable crops in India are grown from the sea level to the snowline. The entire country can broadly be divided into six vegetable growing zones:

Low productivity is the main feature of vegetable cultivation in India as farm yields of most of the vegetables in India are much lower than the average yield of the world and developed countries.

The productivity gap is more conspicuous in tomato, cabbage, onion, chilli and peas. The preponderance of hybrid varieties and protected cultivation are mainly responsible for high productivity in the developed countries.

Constraints in vegetable production:

1. Lack of planning in Production

2. Non-availability of seeds of improved varieties.

3. High cost of basic production elements

4. Inadequate plant protection measures and non-availability of resistant varieties.

5. Weak marketing facilities

6. Transportation limits

7. Post-harvest losses

8. Abiotic stresses.

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04 Sept 2021

Ocean Currents are influenced by 2 kinds of forces.

1. Primary or Causation forces – that initiate the movement of water.
2. Secondary forces – that modify the flow of the waters.

Primary forces 

The ocean is driven by the atmosphere above it in 2 ways

1. Wind Stress or Frictional Drag – Friction between wind and oceans creates a frictional drag known as wind stress. It impacts the upper 100m of the ocean surface and sets the water in motion.

2. Insolation – Heating by solar energy. The heating causes water to expand.

>Causes water to expand. In the equatorial regions, the height is 8cm higher. This causes a slight gradient and water tend to flow down the slope.

>Causes precipitation and evaporation which changes the salinity and hence the density of water.

Secondary forces

1. Coriolis Force – The effects of this force has been discussed in atmospheric circulations. It causes winds to deflect toward the right in the Northern Hemisphere and toward the left in the Southern Hemisphere, resulting in curved paths. It has a similar impact on Ocean Currents deflecting them to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.

2. Gravity – Gravity acts on the density difference of water. Density is a function of temperature and salinity and insolation, precipitation and evaporation play an important role.

3. Shape of the ocean basin –

*NCERT somewhat differs in its definition of Primary and Secondary forces, but the above classification is apter.

Types of Ocean Currents

There are 2 types of Ocean Currents

1. Surface Currents also called Wind-Driven Currents 

The Surface Currents are a result of the Wind-stress and are modified by Coriolis force. Hence Surface currents mimic Atmospheric Wind Circulations. The diagram below shows how Easterlies are in line with the equatorial current, the Westerlies are in line with Kuroshio and Gulf Stream.

Ocean currents are constrained by the continental masses that border the three major oceans. This causes slight variations in their movement.

To understand the mechanism, we touch upon few concepts.

Ekman Spiral

Ekman Spiral is the result of Coriolis force on the movement of surface water. The wind stress moves the uppermost layer of water. This layer, in turn, drags the layer below it. Each deeper layer moves more slowly than the layer above it until the movement ceases at a depth of about 100 meters.

All layers of water are deflected by Coriolis force to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. As a result, each successive layer moves 45 deg. to the direction of drag force being applied. The diagram below captures this aptly. This creates a twisting effect creating the spiral. The spiral is known as Ekman Spiral and each subsequent layer is called the Ekman Layer.

The average movement of all the layers comes out to be 90 deg to the direction of the surface wind.

Gyres

Ekman Spiral gives rise to ‘Gyres’. These are ocean-circling currents that occur north and south of the equator. They do not occur at the equator, where the Coriolis effect is not present. There are five in all: two in the Pacific – north, and south of the equator, two in the Atlantic, and one in the Indian Ocean, south of the equator. In the northern Indian Ocean, the landmasses of Asia prevent the formation of a full gyre. Instead, there is a seasonally reversible current, driven by the Monsoon winds.

Surface ocean currents are further divided into warm and cold currents

2. Deep-water Currents also called Thermohaline Currents –

While wind effects drive ocean currents in the upper 100 meters of the ocean’s surface, ocean currents also flow thousands of meters below the surface. These deep-ocean currents are driven by differences in the water’s density, which is controlled by temperature (thermo) and salinity (haline). This process is known as thermohaline circulation.

Cold, salty water is dense and sinks to the bottom of the ocean, and eventually returns to the surface through mixing. On a global scale, this sinking and rising of ocean water create what scientists call the ‘great ocean conveyor belt.’

Case Study: The Gulf Stream

Gulf Stream is where you don’t see a clear-cut distinction between the Wind-Driven and Thermohaline. The first part of the Gulf Stream that represents the warm waters to a certain extent are Wind Driven

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