2. Paracel and Spratly Islands, which are believed to be rich in natural resources such as oil, gas, and fisheries, are claimed by different countries. These islands are found in which of the following seas?

Answer: C
Soln:
Colombo Security Conclave (CSC):
● The Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) is a regional security grouping of India, Sri Lanka,
Mauritius, and the Maldives. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
● CSC was established in 2020, when India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives agreed to expand
the scope of their trilateral meeting on maritime cooperation. Mauritius joined the
conclave in 2022.
○ Seychelles participates in CSC as an observer state.
● The CSC’s core objective is to promote regional security by addressing transnational
threats and challenges of common concern to the Member States.
● There are five pillars of cooperation under the CSC namely:
○ Maritime Safety and Security;
○ Countering Terrorism and Radicalisation; Hence, statement 2 is correct.
○ Combating Trafficking and Transnational Organised Crime;
○ Cyber Security and Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Technology; and
○ Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief.
● India, Maldives, Mauritius and Sri Lanka have signed the Charter and an MoU for the
establishment of the Colombo Security Conclave Secretariat in Colombo to address
security and stability challenges in the Indian Ocean Region.
● Member countries of CSC also officially welcomed Bangladesh as the groupings fifth
member state.

Answer: C
Soln:
South China Sea dispute
● The South China Sea dispute is a complex territorial conflict involving several countries,
including China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.
● At the heart of the dispute are competing claims over various islands, reefs, and maritime
zones, particularly the Paracel and Spratly Islands, which are believed to be rich in
natural resources such as oil, gas, and fisheries. Hence, option C is correct.
● China asserts its claim over nearly the entire South China Sea, demarcated by the
controversial "nine-dash line," which is not recognized internationally.

● China has been building military bases on small islands and also expanding the area of
islands artificially.

Importance of the South China Sea
● The South China Sea is a crucial maritime route, with a significant portion of global trade
passing through its waters.
○ The annual trade passing through the South China Sea accounts for almost 60 percent
of global maritime trade.

● The Strait of Malacca, along with the Lombok Strait and Sunda strait are all connected with
SCS and responsible for oil and LNG imports by major countries such as China, Japan, Indonesia,
South Korea, and others from Gulf countries.
● The economy of China depends upon the oil import in which 80% of the oil is transported
through the Strait of Malacca and then through SCS to China, which means that full control and easy access through this strait is crucial for economic prosperity of China.
● Apart from the strategic importance of the SCS, this region is also blessed with large deposits of natural resources beneath the sea.
● Aside from oil and gas reserves, this region is also gifted with one-third of the total marine biodiversity of the Earth, which means that substantial revenue can also be generated through
fishing alone.

3. Consider the following statements about the International Whaling Commission.
1. It provides for the proper conservation of whale stocks and orderly development of the
whaling industry.
2. India is not a member of this commission.

Answer: A
Soln:
International Whaling Commission:
● The International Whaling Commission was established in 1946 under the International
Convention for the Regulation of Whaling to provide for the proper conservation of
whale stocks and orderly development of the whaling industry. Hence, statement 1 is
correct.
● The Commission also conducts activities related to cetacean (e.g., whale, dolphin)
conservation.
● Currently, there are 88 contracting governments (including India). Hence, statement 2 is
incorrect.

Why in News?
● Japan has announced that it will add fin whales to its commercial whaling species list, which would allow commercial catching of fin whales.
● Japan currently limits commercial whaling to three relatively small species.
● In 2019, Japan resumed commercial whaling after withdrawing from the International
Whaling Commission.

4. Consider the following statements about the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
1. It is the first Indian launch vehicle to have liquid stages.
2. It is a three staged launch vehicle.
3. All Chandrayaan missions were carried out with this launch vehicle.

Answer: A
Soln:
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV):

● Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is the third generation launch vehicle of India. It is
the first Indian launch vehicle to be equipped with liquid stages. Hence, statement 1 is
correct.
● PSLV has a four-stage system comprising a combination of solid and liquid-fuelled
rocket stages. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
○ The first stage at the very bottom is solid fuelled, having six strap-on solid rocket
boosters wrapped around it. The second stage is liquid fuelled whereas the third
stage has a solid fuelled rocket motor. At the fourth stage, the launcher uses a
liquid propellant to boost in outer space.

● After its first successful launch in 1994, PSLV emerged as the reliable and versatile launch
vehicle of India. It has a famous reputation as a "workhorse", with a very low failure
rate.
● The PSLV can lift up to 3.8 tonnes to low-earth orbit.
● Some remarkable launches by PSLV are Chandrayaan-1 (First Indian lunar probe), Mangalyaan-1 (First Mars Orbiter Mission by India) and Astrosat (First Indian dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory). Chandrayaan 2 was carried out using GSLV. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.
● In addition to launching satellites into LEO, PSLV has also launched satellites for communication, meteorology, navigation, scientific experiments and space exploration missions.

5. Consider the following statements about the disease Cholera.
1. It is a bacterial disease.
2. Ingestion of contaminated water and food is the primary reason for the spread of this disease.
3. There is no known treatment or vaccination for this disease.

Answer: B
Soln:
Cholera
● Cholera is an acute diarrheal disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Hence,
statement 1 is correct.
● It primarily spreads through ingestion of contaminated water and food, leading to severe
dehydration and electrolyte imbalance due to profuse watery diarrhea. Hence, statement 2
is correct.
● Cholera is not likely to spread from person to person or from casual contact with
someone with cholera.
● Cholera is prevalent in regions with poor access to clean water and sanitation, often
during humanitarian crises.
● Symptoms include sudden onset of diarrhea, vomiting, and leg cramps, which can lead to
rapid dehydration.
● The disease can be fatal if left untreated, but it is easily preventable with improved sanitation and hygiene practices.
● Treatment typically involves rehydration through oral rehydration salts (ORS) or intravenous fluids in severe cases.
● In areas where cholera is endemic or during outbreaks, vaccination can also be used as a preventive measure. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.

1. The Santa Ana Winds, recently seen in the news, blows in which of the following continents?

Answer: C
Soln:
● Santa Ana winds blow when high pressure builds over the Great Basin — the area
between the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada (a mountain range in the Western
United States, North America) — and the pressure is low over California’s coast.
Hence, option C is correct.
● The difference in pressure triggers the movement of powerful winds from the Basin’s inland deserts, east and north of Southern California, over the mountains toward the Pacific Ocean.
● As the wind comes down the mountains, it compresses and heats up. The wind’s humidity
also drops, sometimes to less than 20% or even less than 10%.
● The extremely low moisture turns vegetation dry, making it ready to burn. This process
helped fuel the three wildfires in Southern California.
● Santa Ana winds usually occur from October to January.

2. Consider the following statements about the “Ocean Twilight zone”.
1. It lies more than 2,000 metres below the ocean surface.
2. It is a high light zone.
3. It plays an important role in transferring carbon from surface water to the deep ocean.
4. Organisms in this zone are limited to phytoplanktons and zooplanktons.

Answer: A
Soln: Twilight zone
● The ocean twilight zone is a layer of water that stretches around the globe. It lies 200 to
1,000 metres (about 650 to 3,300 feet) below the ocean surface. Hence, statement 1 is
incorrect.
● Also known as the midwater or mesopelagic, the twilight zone is cold and its light is dim.
Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
● Life in the twilight zone includes microscopic bacteria and tiny animals known as
zooplankton, along with larger crustaceans, fish, squid, and many kinds of gelatinous
animals. Hence, statement 4 is incorrect.
● To survive in such a low-light environment, many twilight-zone species produce their own
light through a biochemical process known as bioluminescence.
● Predatory fish also use bioluminescence to attract prey to catch and eat. Some, for example,
have a bioluminescent organ called an esca to tempt potential prey.

Importance of the ocean twilight zone:
● The ocean twilight zone provides important ecosystem services, including supporting
ocean food webs and commercial fisheries.
● Dead animals, clumps of dead plankton, bacteria, faecal pellets, and other particles rich in
organic carbon sink from surface waters through the twilight zone to the deep ocean,
providing food for twilight-zone animals.
● Satellite tagging has revealed that whales, tuna, swordfish, sharks, and other top predators
dive deep down into the twilight zone to feed.
● Since humans value those predators for their ecological, commercial, and nutritional
benefits, we indirectly depend on the twilight zone.
How does the twilight zone help keep carbon dioxide outside the atmosphere?
● The twilight zone plays an important role in transferring carbon from surface water to the deep ocean, preventing it from returning into the air as a heat-trapping greenhouse gas. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
● The multistep process is often called the ocean’s “biological pump.”
● According to new research, global warming could curtail life in the twilight zone by as much as 40% by the end of the century.

3. Consider the following statements about Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
1. The GRAP is a plan to counter Delhi-NCR region’s deteriorating air quality.
2. The plan works on the basis of the Air Quality Index (AQI).
3. It is incremental, step by step and adaptable in nature.