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  • How to unleash the entrepreneurial power of 1.3 billion Indians

    Context

    Last Independence Day, the PM announced that 15,000 of our current 69,000+ employer compliances and 6000+ filings have been identified for removal.

    Why India is a development economics outlier?

    • Software industry despite being low-income country: Few models predict a $2,500 per-capita income country with five million people writing software and internet data costs per GB at 3 percent of US levels.
    • Digital identity: In India there are1.2 billion people empowered with paperless digital identity verification.
    • Digital economy: India also witnesses 3.5 billion real-time monthly digital payments.
    • Attraction for Investment: $10 billion in private equity raised in July, and a $3 trillion public market capitalization.
    • Harvard’s Ricardo Hausman believes, the only sustained predictor of sustained economic success is economic complexity and suggests that India’s prosperity is less than our economic complexity would predict.

    India’s software industry

    • Our software industry is an oasis of high productivity — 0.8 per cent of India’s workers generate 8 percent of GDP.
    • The mandatory global digital literacy program and digital investment super-cycle sparked by Covid will double our software employment in five years.
    • Our software industry’s talent, alumni, and global engagement — 50,000 tech startups that have raised over $90 billion since 2014 from 500+ institutional investors.
    • India’s software services industry and tech startups are each estimated to be worth about $400 billion today which is expected to grow to $1 trillion by 2025.

    Why did India’s manufacturing sector fail to perform while its software industry flourished?

    • One of the reasons is the different regulatory thought worlds of the Software Technology Parks India rules of 1991 (STPI) and the Special Economic Zones Act of 2005 (SEZ).
    • STPI’s genius was simplicity. It allowed rebadging existing assets, embraced trust over suspicion, and adopted self-reporting that was largely paperless, presence less, and cashless.
    • SEZs largely replicated the regulatory cholesterol and distrust that has made India unfavorable for employment-intensive industries.

    Way forward

    • Productivity: Raising per-capita needs high productivity manufacturing and domestic services firms that disrupt our low-level equilibrium of labor handicapped without capital and capital handicapped without labor.
    • Opportunities for India: Until recently, China’s tech industry seemed unstoppable — half of their 160 unicorns operate in AI, big data, and robotics. But this is changing.
    • Over 50 recent regulatory actions against China’s tech industry have already cost investors over $1 trillion.
    • This offers an opportunity for India due to its attractiveness to factories, multinationals, startups, venture capital, and pension funds.
    • Replicate regulatory trust and simplicity offered to the technology industry to other sectors: India’s global soft power by reaching revenue and valuation possibilities that felt unimaginable — have come before physical infrastructure, farm employment reduction, and higher women’s labor force participation.
    • Massifying our prosperity needs massive formal, non-farm job creation.
    • Creating the productive firms that will offer these jobs to our young needs replicating the regulatory trust and simplicity that our technology industry enjoys in the rest of our economy.

    Conclusion

    Imagine India@100 if we cut regulatory cholesterol today and spent the next 25 years unleashing the entrepreneurial energies of 1.3 billion Indians — 65 percent of whom are below 35 years old.

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  • Deputy Speaker for Lok Sabha

    With the Delhi High Court asking the Central government to explain its stand on a petition that claimed to keep the post of Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha vacant is a violation of Article 93 of the Constitution, the issue is once again in the spotlight.

    Article 93: The Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of the People The House of the People shall, as soon as may be, choose two members of the House to be respectively Speaker and Deputy Speaker thereof and, so often as the office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker becomes vacant, the House shall choose another member to be Speaker or Deputy Speaker, as the case may be …

    Speaker and Dy Speaker of the Lok Sabha

    [A] Speaker

    • The Speaker of the Lok Sabha is the presiding officer and the highest authority of the Lok Sabha (House of the People), the lower house of the Parliament.
    • Newly elected Members of Parliament from the Lok Sabha elect the Speaker among themselves.
    • The Speaker should be someone who understands Lok Sabha functions and it should be someone accepted among the ruling and opposition parties.
    • MPs propose a name to the Pro tem speaker. These names are notified to the President of India. The President through their aide Secretary-General notifies the election date.
    • If only one name is proposed, the Speaker is elected without any formal vote. However, if more than one nomination is received, a division (vote) is called.
    • MPs vote for their candidate on such date notified by President. The successful candidate is elected as Speaker of the Lok Sabha until the next general election

    Power and Functions

    On the order of precedence, the Speaker of Lok Sabha ranks sixth, along with the Chief Justice of India.

    • Conduct of Business: The Speaker of the Lok Sabha conducts the business in house. They maintain discipline and decorum in the house and can punish a member for unruly behavior by suspending them. Further, all comments and speeches made by members of the House are addressed to the Speaker.
    • Decisions on Money Bill: He/she decides whether a bill is a money bill or not.
    • Various motions: They also permit the moving of various kinds of motions and resolutions such as a motion of no confidence, the motion of adjournment, motion of censure and calling attention notice as per the rules.
    • Decision of agenda: The Speaker decides on the agenda to be taken up for discussion during the meeting. The date of election of the Speaker is fixed by the President.
    • Joint sitting: The Speaker also presides over the joint sitting of both houses of the Parliament of India. The Speaker also has a casting vote in the event of a tie.

    [B] Deputy Speaker

    • The Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha is not subordinate to the speaker of Lok Sabha; is responsible for the Lok Sabha and is the second-highest-ranking legislative officer of the Lok Sabha.
    • He/ She acts as the presiding officer in case of leave of absence caused by death or illness of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
    • It is by convention that the position of Deputy Speaker is offered to the opposition party in India.

    Try answering this PYQ:

    Regarding the office of the Lok Sabha Speaker, consider the following statements:

    1. He/she holds the office during the pleasure of the President.
    2. He/she need not be a member of the house at the time of his/her election but has to become a member of the house within six months from the date of his/her election.
    3. if he/she intends to resign, the letter of his/her resignation has to be addressed to the Deputy speaker.

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

    (a) 1 and 2

    (b) Only 3

    (c) 1, 2 and 3

    (d) None of these

     

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”3byp5sem6d” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

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  • What is Durand Line?

    With the Taliban’s seize of Kabul, a huge exodus of Afghan refugees and asylum seekers is outpouring into Pakistan along the Durand Line.

    Durand Line

    • The Durand Line is a legacy of the 19th century Great Game between the Russian and British empires in which Afghanistan was used as a buffer by the British against feared Russian expansionism to its east.
    • The agreement demarcating what became known as the Durand Line was signed on November 12, 1893, between the British civil servant Henry Mortimer Durand and Amir Abdur Rahman, then the Afghan ruler.
    • Abdur Rahman became king in 1880, two years after the end of the Second Afghan War in which the British took control of several areas that were part of the Afghan kingdom.
    • He was essentially a British puppet.
    • His agreement with Durand demarcated the limits of his and British India’s “spheres of influence” on the Afghan “frontier” with India.
    • The line stretches from the border with China to Afghanistan’s border with Iran.

    An illogical separation

    • In reality, the line cut through Pashtun tribal areas, leaving villages, families, and land divided between the two “spheres of influence”.
    • It has been described as a “line of hatred”, arbitrary, illogical, cruel, and trickery on the Pashtuns.
    • Some historians believe it was a ploy to divide the Pashtuns so that the British could keep control over them easily.
    • It also put on the British side the strategic Khyber Pass.

    Cross-border tensions at Durand Line

    • With independence in 1947, Pakistan inherited the Durand Line, and with it also the Pashtun rejection of the line, and Afghanistan’s refusal to recognize it.
    • Afghanistan was the only country to vote against Pakistan joining the United Nations in 1947.
    • ‘Pashtunistan’ — an independent country of the Pashtuns — was a demand made by Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan at the time of Partition, although he later resigned himself to the reality of Partition.
    • The proximity of the ‘Frontier Gandhi’ to India was a point of tension between the two countries almost immediately.
    • The fear of Indian support to Pashtun nationalism haunts Pakistan to date and is embedded in its Afghan policy.

    Pakistani support against the Pashtuns

    • Pakistan’s creation and support for the Taliban are seen by some as a move to obliterate ethnic Pashtun nationalism with an Islamic identity.
    • But it did not work out the way Pakistan had planned.
    • When the Taliban seized power in Kabul the first time, they rejected the Durand Line.
    • They also strengthened Pashtun identity with an Islamic radicalism to produce the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, whose terrorist attacks since 2007 left the country shaken.

    Try answering this PYQ:

    Consider the following pairs

    Towns sometimes mentioned         Country in news

    1. Aleppo                        — Syria
    2. Kirkuk                         — Yemen
    3. Mosul                          — Palestine
    4. Mazar-i-sharif             — Afghanistan

    Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

    (a) 1 and 2

    (b) 1 and 4

    (c) 2 and 3

    (d) 3 and 4

     

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”rn38zhou0k” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

  • Taxing interest on Provident Fund

    Following its Budget announcement in February, the Finance Ministry has now notified the rules for taxing interest income on contributions made to the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) beyond Rs 2.5 lakh (for private-sector employees) and Rs 5 lakh (for government sector employees).

    What is Provident Fund?

    • Provident Fund is a government-managed retirement savings scheme for employees, who can contribute a part of their savings towards their pension fund, every month.
    • These monthly savings get accumulated every month and can be accessed as a lump sum amount at the time of retirement, or end of employment.
    • Since the provident fund money consists of a large chunk of savings, it can be used to grow your retirement corpus easily.

    Types of provident funds

    There are mainly three different types of PFs, which are as follows:

    1. General provident fund: It is a type of PF which is maintained by governmental bodies, including local authorities, the Railways, and other such bodies. Thus, these types of PFs are mainly defined by government bodies.
    2. Recognized provident fund: It is the one that applies to all privately-owned organizations that contain more than 20 employees. Moreover, holding a rightful claim to the PF associated with your organization, you will be given a UAN or Universal Account Number. This enables you to transfer your PF funds from one employer to another whenever you move from one occupation to another.
    3. Public provident fund: It is defined by the voluntary nature of investment on the part of the employee. The PPF is also associated with a minimum deposit of Rs. 50 and a maximum amount of Rs. 1.5 lakhs. The PPF has a lock-in period of 15 years.

    What is the tax on EPF contributions?

    • In February, the Budget proposed that tax exemption will not be available on interest income on PF contributions exceeding Rs 2.5 lakh in a year.
    • Although this has been a concern for salaried individuals contributing to EPF, it will impact only those who contribute more than Rs 2.5 lakh in a year.
    • It will not affect their existing corpus or the aggregate annual interest on that.
    • In March, the government proposed to double the cap on contribution from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh for tax-exempt interest income where there is no contribution by the employer.
    • With this, the government provided relief for contributions made to the General Provident Fund that is available only to government employees and there is no contribution by the employer.

    Why tax the PF?

    • There have been instances where some employees are contributing huge amounts to these funds and are getting the benefit of tax exemption at all stages — contribution, interest accumulation, and withdrawal.
    • With an aim to exclude high net-worth individuals (HNIs) from the benefit of high tax-free interest income on their large contributions, the government has proposed to impose a threshold limit for tax exemption.
    • This will be applicable for all contributions beginning April 1, 2021.

    How will it get taxed?

    • For an individual in the higher tax bracket of 30%, the interest income on contribution above Rs 2.5 lakh would get taxed at the same marginal tax rate.
    • What this means is that if an individual contributes Rs 3 lakh every year to the provident fund (including the voluntary PF contribution) then the interest on his contribution above Rs 2.5 lakh —that is, Rs 50,000 — will be taxed.
    • So, the interest income of Rs 4,250 (8.5% on Rs 50,000) will be taxed at the marginal rate. If the individual falls in the 30% tax bracket, he/ she will have to pay a tax of Rs 1,325.
    • For an individual contributing Rs 12 lakh in a year, the tax will be applicable on interest income on Rs 9.5 lakh (Rs 12 lakh minus Rs 2.5 lakh). In this case, the tax liability would amount to Rs 25,200.

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  • [pib] Formation of Blue Straggler

    Carrying out the first-ever comprehensive analysis of blue stragglers, Indian researchers found that half of the blue stragglers in their sample are formed through mass transfer from a close binary companion star.

    What are Blue Stragglers?

    • A blue straggler is a main-sequence star in an open or globular cluster that is more luminous and bluer than stars at the main sequence turnoff point for the cluster.
    • The most likely explanation is that blue stragglers are the result of stars that come too close to another star or similar mass object and collide.
    • The newly-formed star has thus a higher mass and occupies a position on the HR diagram which would be populated by genuinely young stars.
    • One-third of them are likely formed through collisions of 2 stars, and the remaining are formed through interactions of more than 2 stars.

    How are they formed?

    • A bunch of stars born at the same time from the same cloud form a star cluster.
    • As time passes, each star evolves differently depending on its mass.
    • The most massive and bright stars evolve and move off the main sequence creating a bend in their track, known as the turnoff.
    • Stars above this bend or brighter and hotter stars are not expected in a cluster, as they leave the main sequence to become red giants.
    • But in 1953, Allan Sandage found that some stars seem to be hotter than the turnoff of the parent cluster.

    Behind the nomenclature

    • Initially, these blue stars still straggling above the turnoff were not part of these clusters.
    • However, later studies confirmed that these stars are indeed cluster members, and they were termed “Blue Stragglers”.
    • The only probable way these stars can still be present in these clusters is if they have somehow acquired extra mass along the way while on the main sequence.
    • Confirming the mechanisms of the mass gain required a study using a large sample of blue-straggler stars and estimates of the mass they have gained.

    What have Indian researchers found?

    • Research showed that these stars are primarily present in the older and massive star clusters. And due to their large mass, they are segregated towards the centre of the clusters.
    • The researchers compared the mass of the blue stragglers to the mass of the turnoff stars (which are the most massive ‘normal’ stars in the cluster) and predicted the formation mechanisms.
    • The study will help improve understanding of these stellar systems to uncover exciting results in studies of large stellar populations, including galaxies.
    • Following these findings, the researchers are conducting detailed analyses of individual blue stragglers in the catalog to obtain their stellar properties.

  • Behler Turtle Conservation Award

    Indian biologist Shailendra Singh has been awarded the Behler Turtle Conservation Award for bringing three critically endangered turtle conservation species back from the brink of extinction.

    Behler Turtle Conservation Award

    • The Award is a major annual international award honoring excellence in the field of tortoise and freshwater turtle conservation and biology, and leadership in the chelonian conservation and biology community.
    • It is co-presented by the Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA), the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (TFTSG) among others.
    • It is widely considered the “Nobel Prize” of turtle conservation and biology.

    Citation for the 2021 Award

    • For some species, such as the Red-crowned Roofed Turtle (Batagur kachuga), Northern River Terrapin (Batagur Baska), and Black Softshell Turtle (Nilssonia nigricans) Dr. Singh and his team’s efforts are the last hope for their wild survival in the country.
    • In just 15 years, there are few individuals that have made such monumental contributions to turtle conservation.

    Turtles in India

    • The Northern River Terrapin (Batagur Baska) is being conserved at the Sunderbans; the Red-crowned Roofed Turtle (Batagur kachuga) at Chambal; and the Black Softshell Turtle (Nilssonia nigricans) at different temples in Assam.
    • These critically endangered turtles are being conserved as a part of TSA India’s research, conservation breeding and education programme in different parts of the country.
    • There are 29 species of freshwater turtles and tortoises in the country.

    About Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA)

    • The TSA was formed in 2001 as an International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) partnership for sustainable captive management of freshwater turtles and tortoises.
    • This alliance arose in response to the rampant and unsustainable harvest of Asian turtle populations to supply Chinese markets, a situation known as the Asian Turtle Crisis.

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  • 3rd September 2021 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

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    [WpProQuiz 764]

    [WpProQuiz_toplist 764]

  • Destroy Geography in Prelims 2021 And Kick-start Geography for 2022 || One session can transform your Geography preparation

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  • [RSTV Archive] Circular Economy: Concept & Challenges

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    With a growing population, rapid urbanization, climate change and environmental pollution, India must move towards a circular economy. An economic approach aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources, the circular economy offers a new paradigm that emphasizes the need to take a comprehensive view of products and processes.

    In this article, we shall understand the concept of a Circular economy over a linear one and also look at challenges that lie ahead.

    Circular Economy: The Concept

    • A circular economy (also referred to as “circularity”)is an economic system that tackles global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution.
    • Most linear economy businesses take a natural resource and turn it into a product which is ultimately destined to become waste because of the way it has been designed and made.
    • This process is often summarized by “take, make, waste”.
    • By contrast, a circular economy includes 3 R’s (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle), Refurbishment, Recover, and Repairing of materials.
    • Hence, Circular Economy focuses on increasing productivity in terms of more efficient utilization of resources.

    Principles of Circular Economy

    The concept is based on three main principles:

    #1 Minimization of waste and pollution

    The concept suggests the minimization of waste and pollution by reducing damages from economic activities.

    #2 Extension of the useful life of products and materials

    A circular economy aims to extend the useful life of the products and materials by creating the loops of the materials and products circulating in the economy. The goal is achieved through the active reuse, repair, and remanufacturing of the products and materials utilized in the economy.

    #3 Regeneration of natural systems

    The regeneration of natural systems is one of the fundamental concepts of a (circular) economy. It enhances natural capital and creates the necessary conditions for the regeneration of natural systems.

    Why is the global attention towards this?

    • Raw material supply: Circular Economy fulfills the need for raw materials required by industries, especially the manufacturing industries.
    • Input costs are minimized: The output produced by industries in a circular economy comes back to the industries in the form of input.
    • QCDF improvement: Ultimately, QCDF (Quality, Cost, Delivery, and Flexibility) and sustainability level of industries get improved.

    Applications of Circularity

    (A) Construction sector

    (B) Food and Agriculture

    (C) Transportation and Mobility

    Benefits offered by Circular Economy

    For Economy

    • Economic growth, as defined by GDP, would be achieved mainly through a combination of increased revenues from emerging circular activities.
    • It lowers the cost of production through the more productive utilization of inputs.  
    • These changes in input and output of economic production activities affect economy-wide supply, demand, and prices.
    • Its effects ripple through all sectors of the economy adding to overall economic growth.

    For Environment

    • It solves the problem of disposal of waste by converting waste into raw materials.
    • Besides the problem of solid waste management, the circular economy also solves the problem of air pollution, water pollution, and land pollution.

    For Individuals

    • Lower cost for products and services
    • Greater utility and choice
    • Reduced negative externalities, e.g. congestion, pollution
    • Increased Efficiency of the products

    Limitations to the circular economy models

    There is some criticism of the idea of the circular economy.

    • Linearity: Recovery and recycling of materials that have been dispersed through pollution, waste and end-of-life product disposal require energy and resources, which increase in a nonlinear manner as the percentage of recycled material rises
    • Waste management: Impossibility for waste producers to dissociate themselves from their waste and emphasizes the contingent, multiple, and transient value of waste.
    • Unavoidability: A key tenet of this principle is to consider waste as avoidable and worthy of interest.
    • Utopian concept:  Circular Economy analogy of a circle evokes endless perfection; the analogy of scats evokes disorienting messiness.
    • Capability: Proponents of the circular economy have tended to look at the world purely as an engineering system and have overlooked the economic part of the circular economy.
    • Invisible economy: Invisible hand of market forces will conspire to create full displacement of virgin material of the same kind.

    Need of the hour

    • India has a huge potential for reuse and recycling as less than 10-15% of the total waste generated goes into the recycling process.
    • Circular Economy will boost the reuse and recycling of materials.
    • To start with, sectors like construction, agriculture and vehicle and mobility can be considered as they are going to get the largest growth in coming years and thus India will be able to save more than Rs. 40 lakh Crore by 2030.

    India’s roadmap

    • ‘Digital India’: This mission contains a significant component of the recycling of electronic wastes. Swachh Bharat Mission is also about making wealth out of wastes.
    • Vehicle Scrappage Policy: This most recent reflects the perfect application of circular economy in Automobile sector.

    Way forward

    • Build circular economy knowledge and capacity: Taking maximum advantage of circular models requires decision-makers throughout the organisation to understand the benefits and take them into account in business decisions.
    • Innovate to create new products and business models and demonstrate their success: Businesses can foster innovation to address challenges, such as transition costs, more rapidly by collaborating with research institutions and by making information open source.
    • Collaborate with other businesses, policymakers, and the informal economy: Participation in pre-competitive collaboration in cross-industry and cross-value-chain networks can enable businesses to drive change that they cannot create on their own.
    • Invest in circular economy opportunities: While sizing and prioritizing the value of investment related to the circular economy opportunities outlined in this report requires detailed analysis, the circular economy offers attractive opportunities for both businesses and financial institutions.

    Conclusion

    • Resources in the world are finite. The circular economy will help the inefficient utilization of resources.
    • Political will is the key for implementation of Circular Economy.
    • Countries including India need to think about what they are taking from the environment and what they are contributing to it.
    • They also need to ensure that the material gets recycled or reused before it turns into waste.

  • Streak Daily Compilation of Questions & Videos – Sep 2, 2021

    Maintaining consistency is one of the biggest issues faced by IAS Aspirants. Streak’s initiative is to help Aspirants in their day-to-day preparation. You can follow the monthly, weekly, and daily timetables and continue this streak until you find yourself on the final list.

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    UPSC Daily Study Plan For 2021 and 2022 || STREAK – by Ravi Ranjan

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

    Q1) Which of the following can cause DNA damage and mutations in humans?

    a. Absorption of UV – A and UV – B

    b. Absorption of UV – B

    c. Absorption of UV – A

    d. Absorption of UV – A and UV – C

    Q2) Consider the following statements:

    1. The objective of the Minamata Convention is to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds.
    2. The treaty also addresses the direct mining of mercury, its export and import, its safe storage and its disposal once as waste.
    3. Dental fillings which use amalgam are also regulated under the convention.

    Select the correct option:

    a. 1 only

    b. 1 and 2

    c. 1 and 3

    d. 1, 2 and 3

    Q3) Consider the following statements about ozone hole over Arctic 

    1. It has reached a maximum extension of around 1 million sq km. 
    2. Recently, the German Aerospace Centre observed the closure of ozone holes mainly because of the reduced pollution levels due to covid-19 lockdown. 

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

    a. 1 only 

    b. 2 only 

    c. Both 1 and 2 

    d. Neither 1 nor 2

    Q4) Consider the following statements with respect to Deepor Beel Lake 

    1. It is a permanent freshwater lake, in a former channel of the Brahmaputra River. 
    2. It is the only wetland in Assam designated as a site of importance under Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. 

    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

    Q5) Consider the following statements with respect to Galathea National Park 

    1. It is located on the island of Great Nicobar in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
    2. It is an iconic nesting site in India of the enigmatic Giant Leatherback, the world’s largest marine turtle. 
    3. The park is home to the indigenous Shompen community. 

    Which of the statements given above are correct? 

    a. 1 and 2 only 

    b. 1 and 3 only 

    c. 2 and 3 only 

    d. 1, 2 and 3

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

    Q1) Which of the following are regarded as ‘Ecosystem services’?

    1. Soil formation
    2. Nutrient cycling
    3. Habitat for wildlife
    4. Climate regulation
    5. Tourism 

    Select the correct answer using the code

    given below.

    a. 1 and 2 only

    b. 3, 4 and 5only

    c. 1, 2 and 3 only

    d. All of them

    Q2) Which of the following is/are the causes of coral bleaching in India?

    1. Excessive sedimentation in the reef
    2. ecosystem
    3. Excess nutrients like ammonia and
    4. nitrates entering the reef system
    5. Increased exposure to Ultraviolet (UV)
    6. Radiation
    7. Repeated EL- Nino and La- Nina

    Select the correct answer using the code given below.

    a. 1 and 3 only

    b. 1, 2 and 3 only

    c. 2 and 4 only

    d. All of them 

    Q3) Which of the following contribute in the Cultural eutrophication?

    1. Excessive use of fertilisers
    2. Untreated sewage
    3. Detergents containing phosphorus
    4. Discharge of industrial waste
    5. Acid rain 

    Select the correct answer using the code given below.

    a. 2, 3 and 4 only

    b. 1, 2 and 4 only

    c. 1 and 3 only

    d. All of them 

    Q4) Which of the following is/are the reasons for ozone depletion by polar stratospheric clouds?

    1. They convert free radicals of halogens to oxide which then reacts with ozone causing its depletion. 
    2. They remove gaseous nitric acid which reacts with oxides of halogens. 

    Select the correct answer using the code given below.

    a. 1 only

    b. 2 only

    c. 1 and 2 

    d. None of them

    Q5) Consider the following statements

    1. The acidified ocean water leads to reduction of sulphur which may lead to decreased cloud formation and raising global temperatures. 
    2. Ocean acidification occurs through the uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere only

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

    a. 1 only

    b. 2 only

    c. 1 and 2 

    d. None of them

    Daily Dose: Complete Snapshots of Everyday News – by Shweta Mishra

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