Q150. Consider statements about ocean currents:
1. Water-density differences are a major cause of currents.
2. Water density depends on temperature, salinity and pressure.
3. Ocean water generally flows from higher-density to lower-density areas as a current.
Which statements are correct?
[UPSC CDS-I General Knowledge, 12 April 2026]
(A) 1 and 2 only
(B) 1 only
(C) 1, 2 and 3
(D) 2 and 3 only
Answer: (A) 1 and 2 only
Explanation: Seawater density varies with salinity, temperature and pressure, and these variations help drive deep-ocean circulation. Wind and planetary rotation also influence currents. The third statement gives an overgeneralised direction of flow and is not accepted in the cited examination.
Q149. Which port-characteristic pairs are correctly matched?
1. Deendayal Port—tidal port;
2. Jawaharlal Nehru Port—landlocked port;
3. V.O. Chidambaranar Port—artificial deep-sea harbour;
4. Paradip Port—natural shallow-water port.
[UPSC CDS-I General Knowledge, 12 April 2026]
(A) 1 and 3 only
(B) 2 and 4 only
(C) 1, 2 and 3 only
(D) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer: (A) 1 and 3 only
Explanation: Deendayal Port at Kandla experiences tidal conditions, while V.O. Chidambaranar Port at Thoothukudi has an artificial deep-water harbour. Jawaharlal Nehru Port serves seaborne cargo near Mumbai and is not landlocked; Paradip is not correctly described as a natural shallow-water port.
Q148. Which Indian city hosted the third Council meeting of the International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation (IALA) in February 2025?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I, 22 March 2026]
(A) Kolkata
(B) Mumbai
(C) Visakhapatnam
(D) Chennai
Answer: (B) Mumbai
Explanation: Mumbai hosted the IALA Council meeting, reflecting India’s involvement in international maritime navigation standards. Marine aids include lights, buoys and vessel-traffic systems, which improve navigational safety and support trade through ports and major shipping routes.
Q147. Where is the headquarters of the ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education located?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I, 19 March 2026]
(A) Panaji
(B) Thiruvananthapuram
(C) Mumbai
(D) Visakhapatnam
Answer: (C) Mumbai
Explanation: The ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education is located in Mumbai. It is a specialised fisheries university concerned with education, research and capacity development in fishery sciences, supporting India’s marine and inland fish resources and associated livelihoods.
Q146. Which organisation released the report ‘India’s Blue Economy: Strategy for Harnessing Deep-Sea and Offshore Fisheries’ in October 2025?
[RRB Group D, 3 February 2026, Shift 3]
(A) National Fisheries Development Board
(B) Marine Products Export Development Authority
(C) Indian Ocean Research Institute
(D) NITI Aayog
Answer: (D) NITI Aayog
Explanation: NITI Aayog published the strategic report addressing deep-sea and offshore fisheries. The blue economy covers the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic opportunities, conservation and livelihoods, including responsible fishing, modern technology and improved marine-resource governance.
Q145. Mangrove forests are mainly associated with which geographical setting?
[MP Police Sub-Inspector, 21 January 2026]
(A) Mountainous regions
(B) Arid deserts
(C) Tide-influenced coastal areas
(D) Dry inland plains
Answer: (C) Tide-influenced coastal areas
Explanation: Mangroves develop along sheltered tropical and subtropical shorelines, deltas and estuaries subject to tidal inundation. Their salt tolerance and specialised roots help them survive in waterlogged sediment while protecting coasts and providing nurseries for fish and crustaceans.
Q144. Which offshore petroleum field, located approximately 160 km from India’s western coast, was explored during the 1970s?
[MP Police Sub-Inspector, 17 January 2026]
(A) Cauvery Basin
(B) Mumbai High
(C) Ankleshwar
(D) Naharkatiya
Answer: (B) Mumbai High
Explanation: Mumbai High is an important offshore oilfield in the Arabian Sea near Maharashtra. Its discovery and development transformed India’s domestic crude production, showing that marine resources include seabed hydrocarbons as well as fisheries, minerals and renewable ocean energy.
Q143. Which Indian island group is predominantly of coral-reef origin?
[DSSSB MTS, 26 April 2026]
(A) Lakshadweep
(B) Majuli
(C) Sundarbans
(D) Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Answer: (A) Lakshadweep
Explanation: Lakshadweep consists largely of coral atolls, reefs and islands in the Arabian Sea. These delicate marine ecosystems shelter fish and other organisms but are threatened by rising sea temperatures, bleaching, pollution and changes in coastal sediment movement.
Q142. Which of the following best describes the geological origin of Lakshadweep?
[DSSSB MTS, 22 April 2026, Shift 2]
(A) Granite islands
(B) Volcanic islands
(C) Coral islands
(D) Rocky continental islands
Answer: (C) Coral islands
Explanation: Lakshadweep’s surface islands are built chiefly by reef-forming corals and associated carbonate deposits. Many form atolls surrounding lagoons. Coral growth depends on shallow, warm, sunlit seawater, making this group ecologically different from India’s tectonically complex Andaman–Nicobar archipelago.
Q141. Lakshadweep is primarily composed of which type of islands?
[DSSSB Primary Teacher, 31 March 2026]
(A) Sand-dune islands
(B) Granite islands
(C) Coral islands
(D) Volcanic islands
Answer: (C) Coral islands
Explanation: The Lakshadweep islands are coral-derived formations in the Arabian Sea. Living reefs and lagoons support fish, tourism and coastal protection. Because their elevations are low, these islands are especially sensitive to erosion, storm surges and sea-level rise.