Q90. According to Rajasthan’s 2023 forest and environment notification, how many wetlands were notified?
[RPSC RAS Prelims (2023)]
(A) 50
(B) 44
(C) 38
(D) 30
Answer: (B) 44
Explanation: The RPSC question refers specifically to the state’s notification position in 2023 and the keyed figure of 44 wetlands. This should not be confused with the total number of Ramsar sites, a different designation.
Q89. Which reserve was recognised as Rajasthan’s fifth tiger reserve around the 2023 examination?
[RPSC RAS Prelims (2023)]
(A) Sorsan–Banarn
(B) Hamirgarh–Bhilwara
(C) Dholpur–Karauli
(D) Nagpahar–Ajmer
Answer: (C) Dholpur–Karauli
Explanation: Dholpur–Karauli was recognised as Rajasthan’s fifth tiger reserve, supporting a wider conservation landscape in eastern Rajasthan. Tiger reserves help protect wildlife habitat and biological corridors under national conservation policies.
2022
Q88. Which description best captures “greenwashing”?
[UPSC CSE Prelims GS Paper I (2022)]
(A) Falsely marketing a product or company as environmentally beneficial
(B) Omitting environmental costs from GDP calculation
(C) Ignoring environmental risks in public works
(D) Mandating green budgeting for all projects
Answer: (A) Falsely marketing a product or company as environmentally beneficial
Explanation: Greenwashing occurs when marketing claims exaggerate or invent a product’s environmental credentials. Misleading labels, selective disclosure and vague sustainability assertions can create an unjustified positive impression without verifiable improvements in ecological performance.
Q87. Which crop is a major anthropogenic source of both methane and nitrous oxide?
[UPSC CSE Prelims GS Paper I (2022)]
(A) Cotton
(B) Rice
(C) Sugarcane
(D) Wheat
Answer: (B) Rice
Explanation: Flooded rice fields create oxygen-poor soils in which microorganisms produce methane. Nitrogen fertilisation and fluctuating soil moisture also generate nitrous oxide. Cultivation practices such as alternate wetting and drying can influence emissions.
Q86. What does the Miyawaki method aim to establish?
[UPSC CSE Prelims GS Paper I (2022)]
(A) Commercial desert farms
(B) Genetically modified ornamental gardens
(C) Dense small forests, including in cities
(D) Offshore wind installations
Answer: (C) Dense small forests, including in cities
Explanation: The Miyawaki approach plants diverse native tree and shrub species close together to speed the formation of dense vegetation patches. It is often used for small urban and peri-urban afforestation sites rather than agricultural or energy infrastructure.
Q85. Under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, which authority was constituted?
[UPSC CSE Prelims GS Paper I (2022)]
(A) Central Water Commission
(B) Central Ground Water Board
(C) Central Ground Water Authority
(D) National Water Development Agency
Answer: (C) Central Ground Water Authority
Explanation: The Central Ground Water Authority was constituted using powers under the Environment (Protection) Act to regulate and manage groundwater abstraction. The other institutions have different origins and roles within water planning, hydrology or resource development.
Q84. What does the Polar Code principally govern?
[UPSC CSE Prelims GS Paper I (2022)]
(A) Safety of ships navigating polar waters
(B) Arctic territorial partition
(C) Permits for polar scientific expeditions
(D) Arctic Council trade security
Answer: (A) Safety of ships navigating polar waters
Explanation: The International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters sets safety and pollution-prevention requirements suited to icy and remote regions. It addresses vessel design, equipment and operation rather than sovereign borders or scientific research permits.
Q83. Which group contains species known for cultivating fungi as a food source?
[UPSC CSE Prelims GS Paper I (2022)]
(A) Ants
(B) Cockroaches
(C) Crabs
(D) Spiders
Answer: (A) Ants
Explanation: Leaf-cutter and related attine ants grow fungal gardens using collected vegetation. The cultivated fungus breaks down plant matter and provides nutritional material for the ant colony, exemplifying a sophisticated agricultural mutualism outside human societies.
Q82. Why can wetlands be compared with kidneys of the Earth?
[UPSC CSE Prelims GS Paper I (2022)]
(A) They only control evaporation
(B) They supply food to fish alone
(C) They merely anchor sediment
(D) Aquatic vegetation absorbs excess nutrients and pollutants
Answer: (D) Aquatic vegetation absorbs excess nutrients and pollutants
Explanation: Wetland plants, microorganisms and sediments can retain excess nutrients, trap particles and absorb or transform certain contaminants. Such ecosystem processes improve water quality, making the kidney analogy more specific than evaporation or habitat support alone.
Q81. What is “Biorock” technology most closely associated with?
[UPSC CSE Prelims GS Paper I (2022)]
(A) Repairing damaged coral reefs
(B) Converting crop residue to bricks
(C) Mapping shale-gas deposits
(D) Providing salt licks to wildlife
Answer: (A) Repairing damaged coral reefs
Explanation: Biorock involves low-voltage electrical currents that encourage mineral deposition on submerged structures, creating surfaces for coral restoration. It has been explored for reef rehabilitation, though ecological outcomes depend on site conditions and continued maintenance.
