#upscprelims2021 #upscprelims
Note: I have selected those questions which purely fall under the traditional discipline of geography. Environmental Science questions (technical) have not been included in this compilation.
Q.1. The vegetation of Savannah consists of grassland with scattered small trees, but extensive areas have no trees. The forest development in such areas are generally kept in check by one or more or a combination of some conditions. Which of the following are such conditions.
Burrowing animals and termites
Fire
Grazing Herbivores
Seasonal Rainfall
Soil Properties
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
1 and 2
4 and 5
2, 3 and 4
1, 3 and 5
Answer: C
Explanation: Savannah, also known as Sudan type climate, is a transitional type of climatic zone between equatorial forests and the hot deserts. The Savannah climate is characterised by distinct dry and wet seasons, which means alternate hot, rainy season and cool dry season. The Savannah landscape is characterised by tall grass and short trees. Trees in the Savannah region occur in clumps and scattered. According to National Geographic, low rainfall, wildland fires, and grazing by animals are three factors that maintain grasslands. In grassland regions, the climate is ideal for the growth of grasses only. Low precipitation rates are enough to nourish grasses but not enough for a forest or trees. Frequent fires also play a role in maintaining grassland ecosystems.
Option 4 i.e. seasonal rainfall can be very well used to eliminate other options. Since wildfire and seasonal rainfall both are included in option C, it can be the best possible answer of this question.
Q.2. With reference to the water on the planet Earth, consider the following statements.
The amount of water in the rivers and lakes is more than the groundwater.
The amount of water in the polar ice caps and glaciers is more than the amount of groundwater.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: B
Source: https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/distribution-water-and-above-earth
Explanation: It is evident from the figure above that surface freshwater, lakes, rivers etc. are only 1.2 percent of the total freshwater available on earth. The amount of Polar ice caps and Glaciers is 68.7 percent of the total freshwater which is more than groundwater (30.1 %).
Q.3. Consider the following statements.
Moringa (drumstick tree) is a leguminous evergreen tree.
The Tamarind tree is endemic to South Asia.
In India, most of the tamarind is collected as minor forest produce.
India exports tamarind and seeds of moringa.
Seeds of moringa and tamarind can be used in the production of biofuels.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
a) 1, 2, 4 and 5
b) 3, 4 and 5
c) 1, 3 and 4
d) 1, 2, 3 and 5
Answer: B
Explanation: Moringa Oleifera (Sahjan, Moonga, Shevga) is a superfood. It falls under the group of leguminous plants which is considered as very nutritious. It is not evergreen, categorised as deciduous. Moringa oleifera is a tree that’s native to South Asia, and is also cultivated in Central America and parts of Africa. It’s sometimes called the drumstick tree because of the shape of its long seed pods. Moringa trees grow quickly and don’t need much water, which makes them easy to cultivate. According to Down to Earth, India is the largest exporter of Moringa, meeting the needs of 80 percent of world demand. On the other hand Tamarind is native to Africa. In India, over 90 percent of Tamarind is collected from forests by tribal communities. Tamarind seed powder is also exported from India to various countries of the world. Both Tamarind and Moringa are used as biofuel.
Q.4. The black cotton soil of India has been formed due to the weathering of:
brown forest soil
fissure volcanic rock
granite and schist
shale and limestone
Answer: B
Explanation: Black cotton soil (regur) is found in the Deccan Plateau region of India. The Deccan Plateau/Deccan volcanic province (DVP) formed during India’s northward migration as it passed over the Reunion hotspot (which is today the Reunion Island). This hotspot is still active today and last erupted on April 7, 2007. The DVP forms one of the world's most important Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) that records a massive accumulation of basaltic magmas in a relatively short time span, when lavas poured out through numerous fissures that broadly settled down in terrestrial to lacustrine environments (Nair and Bhusari, 2001).
Q.5. With reference to ’palm oil’, consider the following statements:
The palm oil tree is native to Southeast Asia.
Palm oil is a raw material for some industries producing lipstick and perfumes.
The palm oil can be used to produce biodiesel.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
a) 1 and 2 Only
b) 2 and 3 Only
c) 1 and 3 Only
d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: B
Explanation:
Palm oil is native to Africa and brought to southeast Asia during colonial times, palm oil plantations now cover huge areas of Malaysia and Indonesia. Palm oil is heavily used in the cosmetics industry. It is also used to produce biodiesel.
Q.6. With reference to the Indus river system, of the following four rivers, three of them pour into one of them which joins the Indus directly. Among the following, which one is such a river that joins the Indus direct?
Chenab
Jhelum
Ravi
Sutlej
Answer: D
Explanation:
Jhelum joins the Chenab at Trimmu.
Ravi meets the Chenab a little above Rangpur in Pakistani Punjab.
Chenab meets Sutlej at Panjnad.
Panjnad (Sutlej) directly meets the Indus river near Mithankot (Pakistan). It is confusing though, all geography of India books mentioned Sutlej but some of the documents present on the internet indicate Chenab. However, we are going with Sutlej.
Q.7. With reference to India, Didwana, Kuchaman, Sargol and Khatu are the names of
a) glaciers
b) mangrove areas
c) Ramsar sites
d) saline lakes
Answer: D
Explanation:
Didwana: is a saline lake situated in the Nagaur district of Rajasthan.
Kuchaman: is a saline lake situated in Kuchaman town of the Nagaur district of Rajasthan.
Sargol and Khatu are other saline lakes situated in the western Thar desert of Rajasthan (Lucent, p. 67)
Q.8. Consider the following rivers:
Brahamani
Nagalwali
Subarnarekha
Vamsadhara
Which of the above rise from the Eastern Ghats?
a) 1 and 2
b) 2 and 4
c) 3 and 4
d) 1 and 3
Answer: B
Explanation: The Eastern Ghats or Kizhakku thodarchi malaigal or Pūrva Ghaṭ or toorpu kanumalu, also known as Mahendra Parvatam in the south, are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast.The Eastern Ghats are the source points for many small and medium rivers along the east coastal plains of South India.
Brahamani: river is formed by the confluence of South Koel and Sankh river near the industrial town of Rourkela. The Sankh has its origins near the Jharkhand-Chhattisgarh border, near Netarhat. The South Koel too arises in Jharkhand, near Lohardaga, Both of these sources are in the Chota Nagpur Plateau, not eastern Ghats.
Subarnarekha: It originates near Ranchi (in the Chotanagpur Plateau), capital city of Jharkhand. Jamshedpur is a major industrial town that is situated on the banks of Subarnarekha river.
Nagalwali: river originates from a hill near Lakhbahal village in Thuamul Rampur block of Kalahandi District (Odisha). It is an independent river located in the Eastern Ghats.
Vamsadhara: river originates on the border of Thuamul Rampur in the Kalahandi district and Kalyansinghpur in Rayagada district of Odisha. It is an independent river located in the Eastern Ghats.
Q.9. Consider the following statements.
The Global Ocean Commission grants licences for seabed exploration and mining in international waters.
India has received licences for seabed mineral exploration in international waters.
‘Rare earth minerals’ are present on the seafloor in international waters.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
a) 1 and 2 Only
b) 2 and 3 Only
c) 1 and 3 Only
d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: B
Explanation:
The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is an autonomous international organization established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Its formation is also related to the 1994 Agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1994 Agreement).
Role of ISA is to organize and control all mineral-resources-related activities in the Area for the benefit of mankind as a whole.
The headquarters of ISA is situated in Kingston, Jamaica.
It is the international agency that grants licences for seabed exploration for mining purposes in international waters.
On the other hand, the Global Ocean Commission is an international initiative to raise awareness, and promote action to address the degradation of the ocean and help restore it to full health and productivity with special focus on the high seas.
India has been provided exclusive rights to explore polymetallic nodules from seabed in Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) in the international waters allocated by International Seabed Authority. (PIB)
Vast deposits of rare earth minerals, crucial in making high-tech electronics products, have been found on the floor of the Pacific Ocean.
Q.10. Among the following, which one is the least water-efficient crop?
a) Sugarcane
b) Sunflower
c) Pearl Millet
d) Red gram
Answer: A
Explanation: Pearl Millet, Red Gram are good for dryland agriculture. Sunflower's ability to efficiently use water is little lower than Pearl Millet. Six percent of Maharashtra’s cultivated area is occupied by the water-guzzling sugarcane. One ha of sugarcane ensures that at least four ha of other crops are deprived of water. Its water footprint is alarming. At present, sugarcane alone consumes water equivalent to the total storage capacity of all dams in Maharashtra. (Down To Earth) Therefore, Sugarcane is the least water-efficient crop.
Q.11. Consider the following statements:
In the tropical zone, the western sections of the oceans are warmer than the eastern sections owing to the influence of trade winds.
In the temperate zone, westerlies make the eastern sections of oceans warmer than the western sections.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 Only
b) 2 Only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: C
Statement 1 is correct
Statement 2 is correct
Explanation: Trade winds cause low temperatures (in the tropics along the eastern margins of the oceans or the western coastal region of the continents because they blow from land towards the oceans. Similarly, the eastern margins of the oceans in the middle latitudes (temperate regions) have relatively higher temperature than the western margins of the oceans because of the onshore positions of the westerlies. (Savindra Singh, Physical Geography, p. 347). Hint: Prevailing winds play a role in the development of cold and warm ocean currents.
Q.12.Consider the following statements:
“Leaf litter decomposes faster than in any other biome and as a result the soil surface is often almost bare. Apart from trees, the vegetation is largely composed of plant forms that reach up into the canopy vicariously, by climbing the trees or growing as epiphytes, rooted on the upper branches of trees”. This is the most likely description of
a) coniferous forest
b) dry deciduous forest
c) mangrove forest
d) tropical rainforest
Answer: D
Explanation:
Characteristics such as::
Rapid decomposition of leaf litter leads to a thin humus layer. (almost bare)
Plant forms that reach upto the canopy, by climbing (climbers). For example Liana.
Epiphytes, those live on other plants and roots never reach to the ground.
It proves that the biome/forest which is discussed here is Tropical (equatorial rain forest). (G.C. Leong, Certificate Physical and Human Geography, Page 118).
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