Question 11: Consider the following statements:

1. Andaman-Aceh Link connects the Sabang city of Aceh Province, Indonesia with A&N Islands.
2. The Six Degree Channel separates Nicobar from Aceh Province.

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: C

Explanation

• Andaman-Aceh Link connects the Sabang city of Aceh Province, Indonesia with A&N Islands.
• Around 90 nautical miles from A&N, the Great Channel (or the Six Degree Channel) separates Nicobar from Aceh Province.

Question 12: Consider the following statements:

1. Cryomesh is a specially fabricated mesh is used to preserves corals.
2. In India, Coral reefs are found in Andaman & Nicobar as well as in Lakshadweep Islands.
3. Hard corals are primary reef-building corals.
4. Soft Corals lack solid skeleton.

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: D

Explanation

• In India, Coral reefs are found in Gulf of Kutch, Gulf of Mannar, Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep Islands and Malvan (Maharashtra).

Corals are of two types:

• Hard corals, primary reef-building corals, extract calcium carbonate from seawater to build hard, white coral exoskeletons.
• Soft Corals, flexible because they lack solid skeleton. What is Cryomesh?
• Cryomesh is a specially fabricated mesh used as substrate in cryopreservation. This is lightweight and can be manufactured cheaply. It better preserves coral and has the properties of cryoplates.
• The mesh technology will help store coral larvae at -196°C (-320.8°F).
• Cryogenically frozen coral can be stored and later reintroduced to the wild, but the current process requires sophisticated equipment including lasers. Scientists say a new lightweight “cryomesh” can be manufactured cheaply and better preserves coral.

Question 13: Consider the following statements:

1. Only 14 tiger reserves in India are awarded the Global Conservation Assured/Tiger Standards (CA|TS) status.
2. Of the 13 tiger range countries Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Russia have registered and rolled out CA|TS.
3. CA|TS is an important part of Tx2, the global goal to double wild tiger numbers by the year 2022.

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: D

Explanation

• 14 tiger reserves in India are awarded the Global Conservation Assured/Tiger Standards (CA|TS) status for impressive tiger conservation.
• These reserves are Assam’s Manas, Kaziranga and Orang, Madhya Pradesh’s Satpura, Kanha and Panna, Maharashtra’s Pench, Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve, Uttar Pradesh’s Dudhwa national park, West Bengal’s Sunderbans, Kerala’s Parambikulam, Karnataka’s Bandipur Tiger Reserve and Tamil Nadu’s Mudumalai and Anamalai Tiger Reserve.
• Of the 13 tiger range countries Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Russia have registered and rolled out CA|TS, whilst discussion is ongoing with Bhutan, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and China.
• Conservation assured tiger standards (CA|TS) is a set of criteria which allows tiger sites to check if their management will lead to successful tiger conservation. CA|TS is organized under seven pillars and 17 elements of critical management activity.
• CA|TS was developed by tiger and protected area experts.
• Officially launched in 2013, CA|TS is an important part of Tx2, the global goal to double wild tiger numbers by the year 2022.
• All 13 tiger range governments came together for the first time at the St Petersburg Summit where they committed to double the number of wild tigers by 2022, the next Chinese Year of the WWF played a critical role in creating a shared vision for tiger conservation by committing to the same goal. 
• The TX2 goal is a global goal, and WWF is putting its full force behind this ambitious effort.

Question 14: Consider the following statements:

1. The Global Tiger Initiative (GTI) was launched in 2008 as a global alliance of governments, international organizations, civil society, the conservation and scientific communities.
2. The initiative is led by the 13 tiger range countries.
3. The GTI’s founding partners include the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

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: D

Explanation

• The Global Tiger Initiative (GTI) was launched in 2008 as a global alliance of governments, international organizations, civil society, the conservation and scientific communities and the private sector, with the aim of working together to save wild tigers from extinction. In 2013, the scope was broadened to include Snow Leopards.
• The GTI’s founding partners included the World Bank, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Smithsonian Institution, Save the Tiger Fund, and International Tiger Coalition (representing more than 40 non-government organizations).
• The initiative is led by the 13 tiger range countries (TRCs).
• In November 2010, leaders of the tiger range countries (TRCs) assembled at an International Tiger Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia to adopt the St. Petersburg Declaration on Tiger Conservation and endorsed its implementation mechanism, called the Global Tiger Recovery Program.
• Their overarching goal was to double the number of wild tigers across their geographical area from about 3,200 to more than 7,000 by 2022.

Question 15: Consider the following statements:

1. Dokra is a metal casted art that uses ancient lost-wax casting technique.
2. It is a traditional art of Jharkhand.

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: C

Explanation

• Dokra is a metal casted art that uses ancient lost-wax casting technique.
• It is the first of its kind to use a non-ferrous metal like copper and its alloys or bronze.
• It is an ancient tradition, and its documented history is about 5,000 years old.
• It is a traditional art of Jharkhand.