Question 1: Consider the following statements with respect to the North Eastern Council (NEC):

1. Northeastern Council (NEC) is the nodal agency for the economic and social development of the Northeastern Region which consists of the seven States.
2. NEC is established by an act of Parliament in 1971.
3. The headquarters of the NEC is situated in Shillong.
4. NEC functions under the Ministry of Development of Northeastern Region (DONER).

Which of the following statements is/are true?

A) 1, 2 and 3

B) 2, 3 and 4

C) 1, 2 and 4

D) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Correct Answer: B

Explanation

About Northeastern Council (NEC)

• It is the nodal agency for the economic and social development of the Northeastern Region which consists of the eight States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
• NEC members: the Governors and the Chief Ministers of the 8 states including Sikkim, Chairman and 3 members who are nominated by the country’s President.
• NEC is established by an act of Parliament in 1971 e it is a statutory body.
• The NEC act has been amended in 2002 to add Sikkim and restructure it as the regional planning body for the Northeastern Region.
• The headquarters of the council is situated in Shillong and functions under the Ministry of Development of Northeastern Region (DONER) of the Government of India.

Question 2: Consider the following statements:

1. Four Zonal Councils were set up under States Re-organization Act, 1956.
2. Sikkim is included in the eastern zonal council

Which of the following statements is/are true?

A) 1 only

B) 2 only

C) 1 and 2 only

D) Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer: D

Explanation

• Five Zonal Councils were set up under States Re-organization Act, 1956.
• Northern: Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Punjab, Rajasthan, NCT of Delhi and UT of Chandigarh.
• Central: Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
• Eastern: Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal.
• Western: Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.
• Southern: Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Question 3: Consider the following statements:

1. Indigenous content in P15B Class Destroyers is 52%.
2. Mormugao is second warship of P15B class of stealth guided-missile destroyers.

Which of the following statements is/are true?

A) 1 only

B) 2 only

C) 1 and 2 only

D) Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer: B

Explanation

• Indian Naval Ship (INS) Mormugao was commissioned into Indian Navy.
• Mormugao is second warship of P15B class of stealth guided-missile destroyers.
• It is equipped with surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles besides modern surveillance radar that provides target data to weapon systems.
• It can fight under nuclear, biological and chemical warfare conditions.
• Propelled by four powerful gas turbines, it is capable of achieving speeds of over 30 knots.
• Indigenous content in P15B Class Destroyers is 72%, above their predecessors P15A (59%) and P15 (42%).

Question 4: Consider the following statements:

1. The grass called Mothiya, a special type of grass is found in kishanpur wildlife sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh.
2. Mothiya is food for blackbucks and birds which dig it from the earth with their starks.

Which of the following statements is/are true?

A) 1 only

B) 2 only

C) 1 and 2 only

D) Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer: B

Explanation

• In the Tal Chhapar Sanctuary, a special type of grass is found. This grass is called Mothiya locally.
• The word “Mothiya” comes from the word “Moti” or from the Hindi word for pearl. The shape of the seed of this grass is like very fine round shaped pearls.
• Mothiya has a very sweet taste. People enjoy eating it, but it is found in very small quantities.
• Production is only a few kilograms every season.
• Mothiya is also food for blackbucks and birds which dig it from the earth with their starks.

Question 5: Consider the following statements:

1. Blackbuck is found only in the Indian subcontinent.
2. Blackbuck is the finest representative of arid and semi-arid short grass plains.
3. Blackbucks are present in the Thar Desert.

Which of the following statements is/are true?

A) 1 and 2

B) 2 and 3

C) 1 and 3

D) 1, 2, and 3

Correct Answer: A

Explanation

• Blackbuck is found only in the Indian subcontinent, mainly in three countries: India, where nearly 95 per cent of the population is present, Nepal, where a small population survives in the arid part of the Nepal plains or Terai, and Pakistan, where it is extinct as a free-ranging animal, but an introduced population is found in the Lal Suhanra National Park in Bahawalpur, Southern Punjab province.
• Blackbuck is the finest representative of arid and semi-arid short grass plains.
• The best numbers are seen in the Velavadar Blackbuck National Park, Bhavnagar, Gujarat where a tiny 34 sq. km protected grassland is zealously protected by the Forest Another notable area is Tal Chhapar Blackbuck Sanctuary, Churu district, Rajasthan.
• In Rajasthan, however, there are many areas such as Guda Vishnoiyan, Dhawa Doli and Kankania (where actor Salman Khan allegedly hunted them in 1998) that are protected by the Bishnoi community who consider Blackbuck sacred.
• Blackbuck has to drink every day so wherever surface water is not available throughout the year as in the Thar Desert, it is absent.
• While the GIB (great Indian bustard) is a facultative drinker—drinks water if available, otherwise, it can live without water for many days, or even months.