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The correct answer is Gondwanaland.

Key PointsGondwanaland

• From about 300-200 million years ago (late Paleozoic Era until the very late Triassic), the continent we now know as North America was contiguous with Africa, South America, and Europe. They all existed as a single continent called Pangea.
• According to Wegener, all the continents formed a single continental mass which is called “Pangaea” which means all earth.
• This supercontinent was surrounded by a mega ocean called “Panthalassa ” meaning all water.
• Pangaea first broke into two large continental masses Laurasia and Gondwanaland forming the northern and southern components respectively.
• Subsequently, Laurasia and Gondwanaland continued to break into various smaller continents that exist today.
• Thus, Wegener proposed that continents are floating and constantly drifting on the earth’s surface. His hypothesis, later on, became the basis of present-day plate tectonic theory.

Additional InformationContinental Drift theory

• Continental Drift theory was put forth by Alfred Wegener, a German meteorologist, polar explorer, astronomer, and geologist. He is in fact known as the father of continental drift.
• The movement of continents across the ocean bed is known as continental drift. This drifting takes millions of years to complete this process.

The correct answer is the North and south Poles.

Key PointsAntarctica:

• Antarctica is Earth’s southernmost continent. It contains the geographic South Pole and is situated in the Antarctic region of the Southern Hemisphere.
• At 14,000,000 square kilometers, it is the fifth-largest continent.
• The Indian Antarctic Programme is a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional program under the control of the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• India officially acceded to the Antarctic Treaty System in August 1983.
• India maintains two research stations on the continent:
• ‘Maitri’ Schirmacher Hills and
• ‘Bharati’ at Larsemann Hills.

Arctic:

• The Arctic is a polar region located in the northernmost part of Earth.
• The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Alaska (United States), Canada, Finland, Greenland (Denmark), Iceland, Norway, Russia, and Sweden.
• Land within the Arctic region has seasonally varying snow and ice cover
• Flora and Fauna of the Arctic are the Polar bear, Arctic fox, Bowhead whale, Beluga whale, Arctic Hare and ringed seal, walrus, harp seal, Arctic tarn, and goose. Also Lichens and Mosses. Grizzly Bear is found in Canada, the US, Europe.Sea lion or Walrus is found in the Arctic.

The correct answer is Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram

Key Points

Indian States bordering Myanmar

• Myanmar shares a long land border of over 1600 Km with India as well as a maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal.
• Four North-Eastern States viz. Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram share international boundaries with Myanmar.
• Both countries share a heritage of religious, linguistic, and ethnic ties. Myanmar has a substantial population of Indian origin (est. 1.5- 2 million).
• Myanmar is our gateway to South East Asia and ASEAN with which we are seeking greater economic integration through India’s 'Look East' and ‘Act East Policy.

The correct answer is Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve.

Key Points

Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve:

• The Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve covers an area of 1,050,000 hectares on the southeast coast of India across from Sri Lanka.
• The biosphere reserve comprises 21 islands with estuaries, beaches, and forests of the nearshore environment, including a marine component with algal communities, sea grasses, coral reefs, salt marshes and mangroves.
• The Gulf of Mannar endowed with three distinct Coastal ecosystems namely coral reef, seagrass bed and mangroves is considered one of the world’s richest regions from a marine biodiversity perspective, is known for its unique biological wealth and is a storehouse of marine diversity of global significance.
• The Gulf’s 4,223 species of plants and animals representing from primitive to higher forms make it one of the richest coastal regions in India.
• Most of the islands have a luxuriant growth of mangroves on their shorelines and swampy regions.
• The sea bottom of the inshore area around the islands is carpeted with seagrass beds which serve as an ideal feeding ground for Dugong dugon, the endangered herbivorous marine mammal.
• Highly productive fringing and patch coral reefs surround the islands and are often referred to as underwater tropical rainforests and treasure houses for marine biodiversity, in particular marine ornamental fishes.
• The occurrence of these specialized ecosystems makes the Gulf of Mannar a unique large marine ecosystem in the Indian subcontinent.

The correct answer is Cwg

Key Points

• According to Koppen's categorization system, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are classified as Cwg types of climate regions.
• Aw covers south India, not UP/ Bihar. The correct answer is Cwg.

Koppen classification

• The Köppen classification is one of the most popular systems for classifying climates. Wladimir Köppen, a German-Russian climatologist, initially published it in 1884. He also made changes to it in 1918 and 1936.
• He realized there was a strong correlation between climate and vegetation distribution.
• The Köppen climate classification separates climates into five significant climate groups, and within each group, there are subgroups depending on seasonal patterns of temperature and precipitation. There are five major categories: A (tropical), B (dry), C (temperate), D (continental), and E (polar). A letter is used to represent each climate category and subgroup.
• The seasons of dryness are indicated by the small letters: f (no dry season), m (Monsoon climate), w (Winter dry season ), and s (Summer dry season ).
• The small letters a, b, c, and d refer to the degree of severity of temperature.

Climatic types according to Kopper's

                 ,

The correct answer is 12 nautical miles (about 21.9 km)

Key PointsTerritorial Sea

• The territorial sea extends seaward up to 12 nautical miles (nm) from its baselines.
• A nautical mile is based on the circumference of the earth and is equal to one minute of latitude. It is slightly more than a land-measured mile (1 nautical mile = 1.1508 land miles or 1.85 km).
• The coastal states have sovereignty and jurisdiction over the territorial sea. These rights extend not only to the surface but also to the seabed, subsoil, and even airspace.

The correct answer is More than one of the above.

Key Points

• About 80 percent of the coal deposits in India are of a bituminous type and are of non-coking grade.
• The most important Gondwana coal fields in India are located in Damodar Valley.
• Over 97 per cent of coal reserves occur in the valleys of Damodar, Sone, Mahanadi and Godavari.
• They lie in the Jharkhand-Bengal coal belt and the important coal fields in this region are Raniganj, Jharia, Bokaro, Giridih, and Karanpura.

Additional Information

• Damodar River rises in the Chota Nagpur plateau of south-central Bihar state. It joins the Hugli (Hooghly) River of Kolkata (Calcutta). The major coalfields in this river valley are Jharia, Raniganj, and Giridih.
• The Son River is a perennial river of central India originating at Amarkantak Hill of Madhya Pradesh.
• The Mahanadi is a major river in East Central India. The Hirakud Dam is on this river. The river flows through the states of Chhattisgarh and Odisha and finally falls into the Bay of Bengal.

Important Points

Initiatives of the government in this sector

• ​SHAKTI scheme: Scheme to Harness and Allocate Koyla Transparency in India. It is a coal linkage policy, linking coal producers and power producers through discoms. Some of its advantages include reduction of import dependence, reduction of power costs for consumers, ensured coordinated power supply, etc.
• Coal Mitra Portal: launched by the coal ministry to encourage use of domestic coal for power generation. It allows transparent swapping of coal between private and public sector to reduce costs.

The correct answer is 'More than one of the above'

Key Points

• Sugar Production in Uttar Pradesh:
• Uttar Pradesh is the largest sugar-producing state in India.
• The favorable climate and fertile soil make this region ideal for sugarcane cultivation.
• In 2022, Maharashtra had overtaken Uttar Pradesh to become India's top sugar producing state in sugar production.
• In the year 2021-22, 138 lakh tonnes of sugar were produced by Maharashtra while the total sugar produced by Uttar Pradesh was 105 lakh tonnes.
• Weight-Losing Industry:
• The sugar industry is a weight-losing industry since the extraction of sugar from sugarcane results in a loss of weight.
• Most of the sugarcane weight is left as waste after the juice is extracted, reducing the weight for transportation and further processing.
• Sugar Production in Maharashtra:
• Maharashtra is the second largest sugar-producing state in India.
• The state has well-developed sugar mills and uses advanced techniques for sugarcane cultivation.

Additional Information

• Role of the Sugar Industry in India:
• India is a major global player in both sugarcane production and sugar manufacturing.
• The industry also contributes to biofuel production and bio-fertilizers.
• Economic Importance:
• The sugar industry is a crucial component of India's rural economy, providing employment to millions of farmers and workers.
• It often receives significant attention from policymakers, especially in efforts to increase farmers' income and make the industry sustainable.
• Transport and Processing Costs:
• The transportation of sugarcane is expensive and requires immediate processing, which means sugar mills are usually located near sugarcane farms.
• The proximity to raw materials is a significant factor for weight-losing industries.

Important Points

• India is a leading country in sugar production, with major producers like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra having well-organized industries.
• There is a growing trend to make better use of by-products from sugarcane processing, making the industry more eco-friendly and profitable.
• Government support and policies play a crucial role in the development and sustainability of this industry.

The correct answer is Mango Showers 

Key Points

Mango showers

• Mango showers are the name of the pre-monsoon showers in Karnataka, Kerala, Konkan, and Goa that help in the ripening of mangoes.
• They are also known as April rains or summer showers. The reason for the Mango Showers is thunderstorms over the Bay of Bengal.
• The showers prevent the mangoes from dropping prematurely from trees and are crucial for the mango cultivators of South India.
• The mango showers in these regions are around 70mm in April. These regions are famous for mango varieties such as Alphonso, Mallika, Baneshah, Raspuri, Totapuri, Badami, Sendhoora, etc.

The correct answer is long-wave terrestrial radiation.

long-wave terrestrial radiation.

• The heating of the Earth's atmosphere primarily occurs through long-wave terrestrial radiation.
• After the Earth's surface absorbs short-wave solar radiation, it re-radiates this energy as heat in the form of long-wave infrared radiation.
• This process is known as terrestrial radiation. The long-wave radiation is absorbed by gases in the atmosphere, particularly by greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, which traps the heat and warms the atmosphere.
• This indirect heating mechanism through the Earth's radiation is essential for maintaining the Earth's temperature and making it habitable.

Short-wave solar radiation:

• Short-wave solar radiation refers to the energy emitted by the sun, which includes visible light, ultraviolet light, and near-infrared radiation.
• This type of radiation has a shorter wavelength and higher energy compared to long-wave radiation. When short-wave solar radiation reaches the Earth, some of it is absorbed by the Earth's surface, which contributes to heating the surface.
• This absorbed energy is then re-radiated as long-wave radiation, which is crucial for heating the atmosphere. However, the direct heating of the atmosphere by short-wave solar radiation is minimal because these wavelengths mainly pass through the atmosphere without being absorbed.

Reflected solar radiation:

• Reflected solar radiation is the portion of incoming solar radiation that is bounced back into space without being absorbed by the Earth's surface or atmosphere.
• This reflection can happen due to clouds, ice caps, and other reflective surfaces. Reflected solar radiation does not contribute directly to heating the atmosphere; instead, it effectively reduces the amount of solar energy available to heat the Earth's surface and, by extension, the atmosphere.
• The amount of solar radiation reflected back into space plays a crucial role in the Earth's albedo (reflectivity) and influences the Earth's overall climate.