3. . Consider the following statements
1) Green hydrogen is produced by electrolysis of water using renewable energy and has a lower carbon footprint.
2) Blue hydrogen is produced from natural gas where the associated emissions are released to the air.
3) Turquoise hydrogen is made using a process called methane pyrolysis to produce hydrogen and solid carbon.
1) Green hydrogen is produced by electrolysis of water using renewable energy and has a lower carbon footprint.
2) Blue hydrogen is produced from natural gas where the associated emissions are released to the air.
3) Turquoise hydrogen is made using a process called methane pyrolysis to produce hydrogen and solid carbon.
4. Consider the following statements
1) Ecological hypoxia
2) Harmful algal blooms
3) Extreme temperature
4) Abrupt salinity changes
1) Ecological hypoxia
2) Harmful algal blooms
3) Extreme temperature
4) Abrupt salinity changes
Answer: B
Explanation
● Hydrogen can be ‘grey’, ‘brown’, ‘Turquoise’, ‘blue’ and green.
○ Statement 1 is correct: Green hydrogen is produced through electrolysis using
renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind or hydel power. It is produced by
splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable electricity. That makes
green hydrogen the cleanest option – hydrogen from renewable energy sources
without CO2 as a by-product.
○ The vast majority of industrial hydrogen is currently produced from natural gas
through a conventional process known as steam methane reforming (SMR). The
standard SMR process produces what is known as Grey Hydrogen and has the
major disadvantage of releasing large quantities of by-product CO2 into the
atmosphere - the main culprit for climate change.
○ Grey hydrogen has increasingly been produced also from coal, with significantly higher CO2 emissions per unit of hydrogen produced so much that it is often called brown or black hydrogen instead of grey.
○ Statement 2 is incorrect: Blue hydrogen, too, is produced using electricity
generated by burning methane or coal but with technologies to prevent the
carbon released in the process from entering the atmosphere;
○ Statement 3 is correct: Turquoise hydrogen is made using a process called methane pyrolysis to produce hydrogen and solid carbon. As a result, there is no requirement for carbon capture and storage (CCS) and the carbon can even be used in other applications. Where the electricity driving the pyrolysis is renewable, the
process is zero-carbon.
Explanation
● Hydrogen can be ‘grey’, ‘brown’, ‘Turquoise’, ‘blue’ and green.
○ Statement 1 is correct: Green hydrogen is produced through electrolysis using
renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind or hydel power. It is produced by
splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable electricity. That makes
green hydrogen the cleanest option – hydrogen from renewable energy sources
without CO2 as a by-product.
○ The vast majority of industrial hydrogen is currently produced from natural gas
through a conventional process known as steam methane reforming (SMR). The
standard SMR process produces what is known as Grey Hydrogen and has the
major disadvantage of releasing large quantities of by-product CO2 into the
atmosphere - the main culprit for climate change.
○ Grey hydrogen has increasingly been produced also from coal, with significantly higher CO2 emissions per unit of hydrogen produced so much that it is often called brown or black hydrogen instead of grey.
○ Statement 2 is incorrect: Blue hydrogen, too, is produced using electricity
generated by burning methane or coal but with technologies to prevent the
carbon released in the process from entering the atmosphere;
○ Statement 3 is correct: Turquoise hydrogen is made using a process called methane pyrolysis to produce hydrogen and solid carbon. As a result, there is no requirement for carbon capture and storage (CCS) and the carbon can even be used in other applications. Where the electricity driving the pyrolysis is renewable, the
process is zero-carbon.
How many of the above are the possible causes of fish kills?
Anonymous Quiz
2%
A) Only one
13%
B) Only two
17%
C) Only three
68%
D) All four
5. The World Press Freedom Index is published annually by which of the following organizations?
choose the best answer
Anonymous Quiz
5%
A) UNESCO
60%
B) Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
8%
C) Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
27%
D) International Press Institute (IPI)
Answer: D
Explanation
What is fishkill?
● Fish kills or mass mortalities of fish can be defined as a sudden and significant death of
fish.
● This is characterized by a large number of fish dying over a short period of time within the
defined area.
Causes
Natural causes
● Globally fish kills are most frequently linked to natural causes such as ecological hypoxia
(low dissolved oxygen) or anoxia (no or zero dissolved oxygen), harmful algal blooms
(toxic and non-toxic freshwater cyanobacteria, marine dinoflagellates), diseases, extreme
or abrupt changes of temperature, salinity, floods, upwelling of the oceans. Hence all
the statements are correct.
● Minor and occasional natural causes of fish kills are volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and
meteorites.
Anthropogenic causes
● Human activities are also responsible for a number of fish kills, for example, accidental
spills (e.g. oil), runoff, and drainage discharge of pesticides and herbicides from
agriculture farmlands into water bodies.
● In addition, mass killing in the name of recreational fishing may also be responsible for
significant fish kills in some countries.
Pollution Indicators
● Fish kills event is an indicator of environmental stress, a decline in aquatic ecosystem
health, and water quality problems.
● Fish kills events provide useful information on the distributions of pollutants (e.g.nutrients,
pesticides, trace metals, oils) in aquatic environments.
Explanation
What is fishkill?
● Fish kills or mass mortalities of fish can be defined as a sudden and significant death of
fish.
● This is characterized by a large number of fish dying over a short period of time within the
defined area.
Causes
Natural causes
● Globally fish kills are most frequently linked to natural causes such as ecological hypoxia
(low dissolved oxygen) or anoxia (no or zero dissolved oxygen), harmful algal blooms
(toxic and non-toxic freshwater cyanobacteria, marine dinoflagellates), diseases, extreme
or abrupt changes of temperature, salinity, floods, upwelling of the oceans. Hence all
the statements are correct.
● Minor and occasional natural causes of fish kills are volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and
meteorites.
Anthropogenic causes
● Human activities are also responsible for a number of fish kills, for example, accidental
spills (e.g. oil), runoff, and drainage discharge of pesticides and herbicides from
agriculture farmlands into water bodies.
● In addition, mass killing in the name of recreational fishing may also be responsible for
significant fish kills in some countries.
Pollution Indicators
● Fish kills event is an indicator of environmental stress, a decline in aquatic ecosystem
health, and water quality problems.
● Fish kills events provide useful information on the distributions of pollutants (e.g.nutrients,
pesticides, trace metals, oils) in aquatic environments.
Answer: B
Explanation
What’s in the news?
● Reporters Without Borders (RSF, short for Reporters sans frontières in French) has released
its World Press Freedom Index 2024.
○ RSF is an international non-profit organization based in Paris, France.
About the Index
● The index puts together an annual index of freedom enjoyed by journalists in 180
jurisdictions.
● The press freedom questionnaire covers five categories — political context, legal
framework, economic context, sociocultural context and security.
Highlights of the 2024 Index
● India’s score fell over the last year, from 36.62 to 31.28.
● India’s rank improved from 161 in 2023 to 159 in 2024, but this was because other
countries had slipped in their rankings.
● Norway and Denmark topped the RSF table while Eritrea was at the bottom, with Syria
just ahead of it.
● Scores for India dropped in all but the security indicator.
● The Government of India has in the past dismissed international rankings of freedoms in
India as misinformed and propaganda driven.
Explanation
What’s in the news?
● Reporters Without Borders (RSF, short for Reporters sans frontières in French) has released
its World Press Freedom Index 2024.
○ RSF is an international non-profit organization based in Paris, France.
About the Index
● The index puts together an annual index of freedom enjoyed by journalists in 180
jurisdictions.
● The press freedom questionnaire covers five categories — political context, legal
framework, economic context, sociocultural context and security.
Highlights of the 2024 Index
● India’s score fell over the last year, from 36.62 to 31.28.
● India’s rank improved from 161 in 2023 to 159 in 2024, but this was because other
countries had slipped in their rankings.
● Norway and Denmark topped the RSF table while Eritrea was at the bottom, with Syria
just ahead of it.
● Scores for India dropped in all but the security indicator.
● The Government of India has in the past dismissed international rankings of freedoms in
India as misinformed and propaganda driven.
1. Which of the following statements about the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award is correct?
1) It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
2) It is given to sports coaches for their outstanding performance.
1) It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
2) It is given to sports coaches for their outstanding performance.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below
Anonymous Quiz
61%
A. 1 only
8%
B. 2 only
25%
C. Both 1 and 2
5%
D. Neither 1 nor 2
2. Which of the following statements about the FATF is incorrect?
Answer: A
Explanation
● Statement 1 is incorrect: The Khel Ratna Award, alternatively referred to as the Major
Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, stands as a prestigious sports accolade in India,
honouring athletes who have achieved remarkable success across various sporting
disciplines, bringing immense glory to the nation.
● Statement 2 is correct: Administered annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports,
this esteemed award includes a significant cash prize of Rs 25 lakh.
Explanation
● Statement 1 is incorrect: The Khel Ratna Award, alternatively referred to as the Major
Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, stands as a prestigious sports accolade in India,
honouring athletes who have achieved remarkable success across various sporting
disciplines, bringing immense glory to the nation.
● Statement 2 is correct: Administered annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports,
this esteemed award includes a significant cash prize of Rs 25 lakh.
2. Which of the following statements about the FATF is incorrect?
3. The National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) operates under which of the following ministries?
Answer: D
Explanation
● The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an intergovernmental organization that designs and promotes policies and standards to combat financial crime.
● The FATF sets standards or recommendations for countries to achieve in order to plug the holes in their financial systems and make them less vulnerable to illegal financial activities.
● Recommendations of the FATF target
○ Money laundering
○ Terrorist financing
○ Other threats to the global financial system.
● The FATF was created in 1989 by the G7 countries and is headquartered in Paris.
● There are 37 members, including India and two regional organizations - European Commission and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
● The decision-making body of the FATF, known as its plenary, meets thrice a year. Its decisions are taken by consensus.
What are FATF’s ‘grey’ and ‘black’ lists?
● At the end of every plenary meeting, FATF comes out with two lists of countries.
● The grey list countries are designated as “jurisdictions under increased monitoring”, working with the FATF to counter criminal financial activities.
○ For such countries, the watchdog does not tell other members to carry out due-
diligence measures vis-a-vis the listed country but does tell them to consider the
risks such countries possess. Currently, more than 20 countries such as Bulgaria,
Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Croatia, Philippines, South Africa,
Vietnam, etc. are on the grey list.
● Black list means countries designated as ‘high-risk jurisdictions subject to call for
action’.
○ In this case, the countries have considerable deficiencies in their AML/CFT (anti- money laundering and counter terrorist financing) regimens and the body calls on members and non-members to apply enhanced due diligence.
○ In the most serious cases, members are told to apply counter-measures such as sanctions on the listed countries. Currently, North Korea, Iran and Myanmar are on the black list.
● Being listed under the FATF’s lists makes it hard for countries to get aid from organisations like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the European Union. It may also affect capital inflows, foreign direct investments, and portfolio flows.
Explanation
● The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an intergovernmental organization that designs and promotes policies and standards to combat financial crime.
● The FATF sets standards or recommendations for countries to achieve in order to plug the holes in their financial systems and make them less vulnerable to illegal financial activities.
● Recommendations of the FATF target
○ Money laundering
○ Terrorist financing
○ Other threats to the global financial system.
● The FATF was created in 1989 by the G7 countries and is headquartered in Paris.
● There are 37 members, including India and two regional organizations - European Commission and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
● The decision-making body of the FATF, known as its plenary, meets thrice a year. Its decisions are taken by consensus.
What are FATF’s ‘grey’ and ‘black’ lists?
● At the end of every plenary meeting, FATF comes out with two lists of countries.
● The grey list countries are designated as “jurisdictions under increased monitoring”, working with the FATF to counter criminal financial activities.
○ For such countries, the watchdog does not tell other members to carry out due-
diligence measures vis-a-vis the listed country but does tell them to consider the
risks such countries possess. Currently, more than 20 countries such as Bulgaria,
Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Croatia, Philippines, South Africa,
Vietnam, etc. are on the grey list.
● Black list means countries designated as ‘high-risk jurisdictions subject to call for
action’.
○ In this case, the countries have considerable deficiencies in their AML/CFT (anti- money laundering and counter terrorist financing) regimens and the body calls on members and non-members to apply enhanced due diligence.
○ In the most serious cases, members are told to apply counter-measures such as sanctions on the listed countries. Currently, North Korea, Iran and Myanmar are on the black list.
● Being listed under the FATF’s lists makes it hard for countries to get aid from organisations like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the European Union. It may also affect capital inflows, foreign direct investments, and portfolio flows.
4. Which of the following is an advantage of the SSLV over larger launch vehicles like the PSLV or GSLV?
choose the correct answer
Anonymous Quiz
11%
A. High payload capacity
62%
B. Lower cost and quicker turnaround time
23%
C. Ability to launch interplanetary missions
3%
D. None of the above
Answer: C
Explanation
● The National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) was set up in 2014 by the Government of
India as an apex–level autonomous institution under the Ministry of Personnel, Public
Grievances and Pensions.
● The Centre traces its origin to the National Institute of Administrative Research (NIAR),
which was set up in 1995 by the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration
(LBSNAA), the Government of India's topmost training institute for civil services. NIAR was
subsequently rechristened and subsumed into NCGG.
● NCGG deals with a gamut of governance issues from local, state to national levels, across
all sectors.
● The Centre is mandated to work in the areas of governance, policy reforms, capacity building and training of civil servants and technocrats of India and other developing countries. It also works as a think tank.
● Since its inception, the Centre has been extensively working in areas such as primary and elementary education, decentralized planning at district and block levels, capacity building of Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs), participatory models of learning and action, rural development, cooperatives, and public sector management, etc.
● In addition, it focuses on issues related to good governance, social accountability, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), among other sectors.
● The affairs of the NCGG are managed under the overall superintendence and direction of the Governing Body, which is headed by the Cabinet Secretary.
Explanation
● The National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) was set up in 2014 by the Government of
India as an apex–level autonomous institution under the Ministry of Personnel, Public
Grievances and Pensions.
● The Centre traces its origin to the National Institute of Administrative Research (NIAR),
which was set up in 1995 by the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration
(LBSNAA), the Government of India's topmost training institute for civil services. NIAR was
subsequently rechristened and subsumed into NCGG.
● NCGG deals with a gamut of governance issues from local, state to national levels, across
all sectors.
● The Centre is mandated to work in the areas of governance, policy reforms, capacity building and training of civil servants and technocrats of India and other developing countries. It also works as a think tank.
● Since its inception, the Centre has been extensively working in areas such as primary and elementary education, decentralized planning at district and block levels, capacity building of Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs), participatory models of learning and action, rural development, cooperatives, and public sector management, etc.
● In addition, it focuses on issues related to good governance, social accountability, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), among other sectors.
● The affairs of the NCGG are managed under the overall superintendence and direction of the Governing Body, which is headed by the Cabinet Secretary.