Ans: B

Exp 

The organisation that releases the “World Tourism Index” is the World Economic Forum. They publish the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report, which includes the World Tourism Index as a part of their assessment of the competitiveness of countries in the travel and tourism sector. India, with a score of 4.2, ranks 54th out of 117 countries 

Ans : C

Exp 

• In 1956, with the enactment of the Life Insurance Corporation of India Act, LIC was founded by merging over 245 insurance companies and provident societies (both Indian and foreign).
• General Insurance Corporation (GIC) was incorporated on November 22, 1972, under the Companies Act, 1956.
• Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) was introduced in 1978 after the merger of Deposit Insurance Corporation and Creclit Guarantee Corporation. Its aim is to protect depositors and ensure financial stability so that confidence in the banking system can be enhanced.

Ans: B

Exp

Statement 1 is correct: Species Diversity  refers to the variety of species. It relates to the number of species in a defined area. The diversity of species can be measured through its richness, abundance and types. Some areas are more rich in species than others. Areas rich in species diversity are called hotspots of diversity.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The Ecosystem diversity (not species diversity) encompasses the broad differences between ecosystems, and the diversity of the habitats and ecological processes occurring within each ecosystem type. It refers to the presence of different types of ecosystems. For instance, the tropical south India with rich species diversity will have altogether different structure compared to the desert ecosystem which has far less number of plant and animal species.

Statement 3 is correct: Tropical rainforests have high species diversity because they have highly developed niche opportunities and habitats. The warm and humid climate offers ideal conditions for a multitude of plant and animal species to flourish. The canopy system of tropical rainforests further increases diversity by creating new niches in the form of new sources of food, new shelters, new hiding places, and new areas for interaction with other species.  

Ans: B

Exp

Statement 1 is correct:  The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, is the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species. The IUCN Red List Categories define the extinction risk of species assessed. The IUCN Red List is a rich compendium of information on threats, ecological requirements, and habitats of species; and on conservation actions that can be taken to reduce or prevent extinctions. It is based on an objective system for assessing the risk of extinction of a species based on past, present, and projected threats.

Statement 2 is incorrect: According to the IUCN, a taxon is critically endangered when it is facing high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future. This designation signifies that the population of the taxon has dwindled to a critical level, and urgent conservation actions are required to prevent its extinction. 

Statement 3 is incorrect: The Indian flapshell turtle is a freshwater species of turtle found in South Asia. The Indian flapshell turtle is characterised by its unique flap-like, hinged shell, which gives it its name. Indian flapshell turtles are omnivorous in nature. It is categorised as Vulnerable by the IUCN.

Ans: B

Exp:

Statement 1 is correct: In 1988, the British biologist Norman Myers introduced the concept of a “biodiversity hotspot”. Biodiversity hotspots are regions with high species richness and a high degree of species endemism.  These regions contain an enumerable number of different flora and fauna. In addition to having a large number of species, biodiversity hotspots are characterised by a significant number of species that are endemic to that specific region. Endemism means that these species are found nowhere else in the world and are uniquely adapted to the particular conditions and ecosystems of the hotspot. 

Statement 2 is correct: There are 4 Biodiversity Hotspots in India: 

1. Himalaya: Includes the entire Indian Himalayan region (and that falling in Pakistan, Tibet, 

Nepal, Bhutan, China and Myanmar)

1. Indo-Burma: Includes entire North-eastern India, except Assam and Andaman group of 

Islands (and Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and southern China)

1. Sundalands: Includes Nicobar group of Islands (and Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, 

Brunei, Philippines)

1. Western Ghats and Sri Lanka: Includes entire Western Ghats (and Sri Lanka)

Statement 3 is incorrect: The Biodiversity hotspots are not recognised under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme. They are designated by Conservation International as areas with high levels of biodiversity and significant threats to that biodiversity. According to Conservation International (CI), to qualify as a hotspot a region must meet two strict criteria:

• It must contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants (> 0.5% of the world’s total) as endemic 
• It has to have lost at least 70% of its original habitat. (It must have 30% or less of its original natural vegetation).