Ans: D

Exp:

Statement 1 is correct: Obligate Freshwater Dolphins are only found in four river systems around the world, including Ganga river. Other three rivers are Indus, Amazon and Irrawady. 

Under the River Dolphins Initiative, WWF collaborates with governments, communities, and other partners in countries with river dolphin populations to change policies and practices, address direct threats to the species such as bycatch and infrastructure, protect habitats, and bolster scientific research. 

Statement 2 is correct: In India, the aquatic mammal is found in the Ganga and its tributaries, but sometimes stray into other rivers. These dolphins are different from marine dolphins in that they are blind by birth, have a greyish body and a long snout. It is a Schedule One protected animal under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972  and categorised as endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of threatened species.

Statement 3 is correct: River dolphins act as indicators of river health in the basins where they live. If the dolphin population in a river is thriving, then the overall state of that fresh water system is also likely flourishing. But if that population is on the decline, then it’s considered a red flag for the ecosystem as a whole.

Ans: C

Exp:

The Group of 77 (G-77) was established on 15 June 1964 by seventy-seven developing countries signatories of the “Joint Declaration of the Seventy-Seven Developing Countries” issued at the end of the first session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva. The Group of 77 is the largest intergovernmental organization of developing countries in the United Nations, which provides the means for the countries of the South to articulate and promote their collective economic interests and enhance their joint negotiating capacity on all major international economic issues within the United Nations system, and promote South-South cooperation for development. Some of the members of the group are:

• Afghanistan
• China (Observer status)
• India
• Algeria
• Angola
• Argentina

United States of America is not a member of the Group of Seventy Seven (G77).

Ans: D

Exp:

Moon, Earth’s sole natural satellite and nearest large celestial body. Known since prehistoric times, it is the brightest object in the sky after the Sun. The Moon has no global magnetic field like that of Earth, but some of its surface rocks have remanent magnetism. The Moon presently has very slight seismic activity and little heat flow from the interior, indications that most internal activity ceased long ago.

Japan becomes the fifth country to reach the moon after spacecraft lands on the lunar surface. The name of the Japan’s lander is Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM. Countries which reached the moon successfully on the moon are:

• Japan
• United States
• Soviet Union
• China
• India

Ans: B

Exp:

Great Indian bustard, (Ardeotis nigriceps), large bird of the bustard family (Otididae), one of the heaviest flying birds in the world. The great Indian bustard inhabits dry grasslands and scrublands on the Indian subcontinent; its largest populations are found in the Indian state of Rajasthan.

Statement 1 is correct: Great Indian bustards are omnivores that feed opportunistically; that is, they feed on any palatable food in their immediate surroundings. They prey on various arthropods, worms, small mammals, and small reptiles. Insects such as locusts, crickets, and beetles make up the bulk of their diet during the summer monsoon, when rainfall peaks in India and the bird’s breeding season largely takes place. Seeds and peanuts make up the largest portions of the diet during the coldest and driest months of the year.

Statement 2 is incorrect: In 1994 great Indian bustards were listed as an endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. By 2011, however, the population decline was so severe that the IUCN reclassified the species as critically endangered. Habitat loss and degradation appear to be the primary causes of the decline. In 2012 the Indian government launched Project Bustard, a national conservation program to protect the great Indian bustard.

Ans: C

Exp:

Statement 1 is correct: The Global Good Alliance for Gender Equity and Equality is a new alliance for global good, gender equity and equality and was launched on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting. The primary and stated objective of this new Alliance is to bring together global best practices, knowledge sharing and investments in the identified areas  of women’s health, education, and enterprise.

Statement 2 is correct: The alliance was launched with the support and endorsement by WEF and Government of India. The Alliance has garnered support from industry leaders, including Mastercard, Uber, Tata, TVS, Bayer, Godrej, Serum Institute of India, IMD Lausanne, and over 10,000 partners from industry. The Alliance will be taking forward the commitments of the G20 leaders for the benefit of the larger global community as a follow up to the activities of the Engagement Group and initiatives under the G20 framework.