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The correct answer is Sucrose.

Key Points

• Sucrose is a natural sweetener.
• Sucrose is crystallized white sugar produced by the sugar cane plant and can be found in households and foods worldwide.

It is a disaccharide made up of 50% glucose and 50% fructose and is broken down rapidly into its constituent parts.

• The formulae for ;sucrose is C12H22O11.
• The carbohydrates obtained from fruits, plants, seeds, roots, and nuts are natural sweeteners.
• Honey, molasses, maple syrup, cocoa sugar, agave nectar, date sugar, and xylitol are widely used natural sweeteners.

Additional Information

• Aspartame​
• Aspartame is an artificial non-saccharide sweetener.
• It is 200 times sweeter than sugar, commonly used as a sugar substitute in foods and beverages.
• Sucralose​
• It is a zero-calorie artificial sweetener.
• Splenda is the most common sucralose-based product.
• It is made by sugar in a multistep chemical process in which three hydrogen-oxygen groups are replaced with chlorine atoms
• Saccharin​
• It is an artificial sweetener.
• It has effectively no food energy.
• It is about 300 to 400 times as sweet as sucrose but it has a bitter or metallic aftertaste, especially at very high concentrations.
• It is used to sweeten products such as drinks, candies, cookies, and medicines.

The correct answer is a-4, b-3, c-2, d-1.

Key Points

• Soot
• It contributes to the warming of the atmosphere.
• Black carbon is a form of particulate air pollutant.
• It is produced from incomplete combustion.
• It consists of pure carbon in several linked forms.
• The source of the black carbon includes biomass burning, cooking with solid fuels and diesel exhaust, etc.
• Haze
• It is traditionally an atmospheric phenomenon in which dust, smoke, and other dry particulates obscure the clarity of the sky.
• It is the main cause of air pollution.
• Dense haze is known as Smog.
• Mist
• It is a phenomenon caused by small droplets of water suspended in the air.
• Mist often forms when warmer air over water suddenly encounters the cooler surface of the land.
• Mist is thinner and more transparent.
• Fumes
• It refers to vapors (gases), dust, and/or smoke given off by a substance as a result of a chemical transformation such as reaction, heating, explosion, or detonation.
• Inhalation of fumes causes symptoms of cough, shortness of breath, eye, nose, and throat irritation, and upper chest pain.

The correct answer is The Western Ghats region is spread into 9 states.

Key Points

• The Western Ghats are internationally recognized as a region of immense global importance for the conservation of biological diversity, besides containing areas of high geological, cultural, and aesthetic values.
• A chain of mountains running parallel to India’s western coast, approximately 30-50 km inland, the Ghats traverse the States of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. Hence the statement 1 is not correct.
• These mountains cover an area of around 140,000 km² in a 1,600 km long stretch that is interrupted only by the 30 km Palghat Gap at around 11°N.
• The Western Ghats is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots with over 5,000 flowering plants, 139 mammals, 508 birds, and 179 amphibian species.
• At 2695m, Mt Anamudi in Kerala, India is the highest peak in the Western Ghats.
• The Western Ghats are being considered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Bengal Tiger, Indian Leopard, Black Panther, Indian Wild Dog, Indian Elephants, Indian Bison, Lion Tailed Macaque, Indian Giant Squirrel are some of the famous animals found in the Western Ghats.
• The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), also known as the Gadgil Commission after its chairman Madhav Gadgil, was an environmental research commission appointed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests of India.

Additional Information

• A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with significant levels of biodiversity that is threatened by human habitation.
• To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot a region must meet two strict criteria:
• It must contain at least 0.5% or 1,500 species of vascular plants as endemic., and
• It has to have lost at least 75% of its primary vegetation.
• Biodiversity hotspots in India are the-
• Sundarbans
• Western ghats
• Eastern Himalayas
• Indo-Burma region

The correct answer is b a c d.

Key Points

• Stockholm Conference 1972
• In 1972, the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (UNCHE) was convened to address issues concerning the environment and sustainable development.
• UNCHE, also known as the Stockholm Conference, linked environmental protection with sustainable development.
• The Conference was held on 5 June 1972.
• The participants adopted a series of principles for sound management of the environment including the Stockholm Declaration and Action Plan for the Human Environment and several resolutions.
• The Stockholm Declaration, which contained 26 principles, placed environmental issues at the forefront of international concerns and marked the start of a dialogue between industrialized and developing countries on the link between economic growth, the pollution of the air, water, and oceans, and the well-being of people around the world.
• The Action Plan contained three main categories: 

1. Global Environmental Assessment Program (watch plan)
2. Environmental management activities;
3. International measures to support assessment and management activities carried out at the national and international levels.

• One of the major results of the Stockholm conference was the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
• The Brundtland Commission 1987
• Formally called:  Our Common Future: Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development issued in 1987 which give the concept of Sustainable Development.
• The Brundtland Commission’s characterization of ‘sustainable development is the development that satisfies the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
• Gro Harlem Brundtland, the former Prime Minister of Norway and was chosen as the head of the commission.
• The Brundtland Commission officially dissolved in December 1987 after releasing Our Common Future, also known as the Brundtland Report, in October 1987.
• UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development
• The United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) sought to mobilize the educational resources of the world to help create a more sustainable future.
• Many paths to sustainability (e.g. sustainable agriculture and forestry, research and technology transfer, finance, sustainable production, and consumption) exist and are mentioned in the 40 chapters of Agenda 21, the official document of the 1992 Earth Summit.
• Education is one of these paths. Education alone cannot achieve a more sustainable future; however, without education and learning for sustainable development, we will not be able to reach that goal.
• The overall goal of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) was to integrate the principles, values, and practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education and learning.
• Functions
• ​catalyze new partnerships with the private sector, with youth, and with media groups
• encourage monitoring and evaluation
• encourage the development of a research agenda and serve as a forum for relevant research on Education for Sustainable Development
• share good ESD practices
• link Member States that have put in place ESD curricula, policies, research, etc. with those Member States that are requesting help
• Rio+20 or Rio Earth Summit
• The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development - or Rio+20 - took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 20-22 June 2012.
• It resulted in a focused political outcome document that contains clear and practical measures for implementing sustainable development.
• In Rio, Member States decided to launch a process to develop a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will build upon the Millennium Development Goals and converge with the post-2015 development agenda.
• The Conference also adopted ground-breaking guidelines on green economy policies.
• The conference focused on two themes:

1. a green economy in the context of sustainable development poverty eradication
2. the institutional framework for sustainable development.

The correct answer is Home Affairs.

Key Points

• The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), constituted under Section 46 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005​.
• The National Disaster Response Force is administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Which is the apex decision-making body before, during, and after a disaster.
• It is managed by the Central Government of India to control the expenses for emergency response, relief, and rehabilitation due to any threatening disaster situation or disaster in the country.
• This fund helps the State Disaster Response Force, in case of a disaster of severe nature, provided adequate funds are not available in SDRF.
• The Centre contributes 75% of the SDRF allocation for general category States and Union Territories and 90% for some special hilly states of India.
• This fund is financed through the levy of a cess on certain items, chargeable to excise and customs duty, and approved annually through the Finance Bill.
• The monitoring of this fund is under the various ministry which are : 
• Department of Agriculture and Cooperation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare monitors relief activities for calamities associated with drought, hailstorms, pest attacks, and cold waves.
• The rest of the natural calamities are monitored by the Ministry of Home Affairs of India.

The correct answer is It advocates expansion of agriculture.

Key Points

• As per IISD, Sustainable development is a kind of development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
• Sustainable Development is the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.
• They address the global challenges we face, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice.
• It advocates the concept of Reduce, Reuse & Recycle.
• The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked goals.
• The SDGs were set in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by the year 2030.
• They are included in a UN Resolution called the Agenda 2030.
• The 17 SDGs are:

1. No Poverty.
2. Zero Hunger.
3. Good Health and Well-being.
4. Quality Education.
5. Gender Equality.
6. Clean Water and Sanitation.
7. Affordable and Clean Energy.
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth.
9. Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.
10. Reducing Inequality.
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities.
12. Responsible Consumption and Production.
13. Climate Action.
14. Life Below Water.
15. Life On Land.
16. Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.
17. Partnerships for the Goals.

The correct answer is Phytoremediation.

Key Points

• Phytoremediation is a bioremediation process that uses various types of plants to remove, transfer, stabilize, and/or destroy contaminants in the soil and groundwater.
• There are several different types of phytoremediation mechanisms:
• Rhizosphere biodegradation - In this process, the plant releases natural substances through its roots, supplying nutrients to microorganisms in the soil.
• Phyto-stabilization - In this process, chemical compounds produced by the plant immobilize contaminants, rather than degrade them.
• Phyto-accumulation - In this process, plant roots sorb the contaminants along with other nutrients and water.
• Rhizofiltration - It is similar to Phyto-accumulation, but the plants used for cleanup are raised in greenhouses with their roots in water
• Phyto-volatilization - In this process, plants take up water containing organic contaminants and release the contaminants into the air through their leaves.
• Phyto-degradation - In this process, plants actually metabolize and destroy contaminants within plant tissues.
• Hydraulic Control - In this process, trees indirectly remediate by controlling groundwater movement.

Additional Information

• Bioremediation is a process used to treat contaminated media, including water, soil, and subsurface material, by altering environmental conditions to stimulate the growth of microorganisms and degrade the target pollutants.

The correct answer is Tropical Deciduous Forests.

Key Points

• Tropical Deciduous Forests
• These are the most widespread forests in India.
• They are also called the monsoon forests because the trees in these forests shed their leaves during the dry season and re-grow during the monsoon. Hence, Statement 1 is correct.
• They spread over regions that receive rainfall between 70-200 cm.
• The average temperature of Tropical Deciduous forests is 30oC. Hence, Statement 2 is correct.
• The humidity in these forests lies in the range of 80-90 per cent.
• The prime feature of these forests as trees shed their leaves in the dry season and grow back leaf in rainy seasons.
• Major states where tropical deciduous forests are found:
• Madhya Pradesh
• Uttar Pradesh
• Chhattisgarh
• Jharkhand
• Odisha
• Maharashtra
• Some parts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh
• On the basis of the availability of water, these forests are further divided into
• Moist Deciduous
• Dry Deciduous
• Moist Deciduous forests
• They spread over regions that receive rainfall between 100-200 cm.
• These forests are found in the northeastern states along the foothills of the Himalayas, eastern slopes of the Western Ghats, and Odisha.
• Teak, Sal, Shisham, Hurra, Mahua, Amla, Semul, Kusum, and Sandalwood, etc. are the main species of these forests. Hence, Statement 3 is correct.​
• Dry Deciduous forests
• They spread over regions that receive rainfall between 70-100 cm.
• These forests are found in the rainy areas of Peninsular India, Plains of Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.
• In the higher rainfall regions of the Peninsular plateau and the northern Indian plain, these forests have a parkland landscape with open stretches in which teak and other trees interspersed with patches of grass are common.
• As the dry season begins, the trees shed their leaves completely and the forest appears like a vast grassland with naked trees all around.
• Tendu, Palas, Amaltas, Bel, Khair, Axlewood, etc. are the common trees of these forests.

Additional Information

• Tropical Thorn Forests
• Tropical Thorn Forests are found in areas having less than 50cm of Rainfall.
• A variety of Grasses and Shrubs are found in these thorn forests.
• They are present in dry and semi-dry areas of south-west Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat,
• Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.
• In Tropical Thorn Forest, Trees remain leafless for the most part of the year
• Tussocky Grass grows up to 2m in these areas.
• ​Montane Forests​
• Evergreen type of vegetation is prevalent in montane forests.
• Generally, they are conical in shape so that it is easy for the snow to slide down.
• Montane Forest is an ecosystem found in mountains.
• These forests can be found in the higher hilly areas of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, also in the region of Eastern Himalayas to the east of 88°E longitude including the hills of Assam, West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland.
• Some significant trees of the montane temperate forest are rhododendrons, ferns, oak, maple, juniper, deodar, chilgoza, etc.
• Tropical Evergreen Forests
• ​Tropical evergreen forests are dense, multi-layered, and harbor many types of plants and animals.
• These forests are found in the areas receiving heavy rainfall (more than 200 cm annual rainfall).
• Therefore, these forests always appear green and are known as evergreen forests.
• The greatest single area of tropical evergreen forest is the Amazon Basin, in the northern half of South America.
• In India, evergreen forests are found in the western slopes of the Western Ghats in States such as Kerala and Karnataka. They are also found in the hills of Jaintia and Khasi.
• Evergreen forests are found in the Assam Valley, the foothills of the eastern Himalayas, and the lower parts of the Naga Hills, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Manipur.
• Ebony, mahogany, rosewood, rubber, and cinchona are some of the commercially important trees that grow in the tropical evergreen forests.

The correct answer is a, b & c only.

Key Points

• Bhakra Nangal Dam is the biggest and the major multipurpose project undertaking named after the two dams Bhakra and Nangal on the Sutlej River.
• The Bhakra-Nangal Dam is the second tallest dam in Asia and located on the border of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.
• The dam is 226 meters high and 518 meters in length with its greatest width at the base as 362 meters.
• It is a joint venture of the states like Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan intended to tackle the valuable water of the Sutlej to serve the concerned states.
• The dam forms the Gobind Sagar reservoir.

Additional Information

• Sutlej River
• It is the longest of the five tributaries of the Indus River that give Punjab (meaning “Five Rivers”) its name.
• It rises on the north slope of the Himalayas in Lake Langa in southwestern Tibet, at an elevation above 15,000 feet (4,600 meters).
• It is located north of the Vindhya Range, south of the Hindu Kush segment of the Himalayas, and east of the Central Sulaiman Range in Pakistan.
• The Sutlej is sometimes known as the Red River.
• It is the easternmost tributary of the Indus River.
• Its source is Lake Rakshastal in Tibet.

The correct answer is Mulugu.

Key Points

• Lakhnavaram Lake, located in Govindaraopet Mandal in Mulugu district, Telangana.
• The lake is spread over an area of 10,000 acres and holds about 2.135 tmcft of water.
• It irrigates over 3,500 acres of land.
• The lake was formed by closing down three narrow valleys.

Each valley is replaced with a short bund, and hills act as their natural barrier.

• The lake has been constructed by the rulers of the Kakatiya dynasty in the 13^th Century A.D.
• The wooden air-conditioned cottages at the resorts of the lake have bagged the most innovative product at the travel and tourism fair held at Kolkata.

Additional Information

• Famous lakes in Telangana
• Nagarjuna Sagar - Nalgonda district
• Singur Dam - Medak district
• Sriram Sagar Dam - Nizamabad district
• Ramappa Lake - Warangal district
• Kinnersani Lake - Khammam district