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.

Answer: D
Soln:
GRAP
● The GRAP is a step-by-step plan to counter Delhi-NCR region’s deteriorating air quality.
Hence, statement 1 is correct.
● It was formulated by the Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control Authority (EPCA)
jointly with the Delhi government in 2017.
● The plan is incremental and adaptable, which means the preventive measures will be
updated and escalated according to changes in the AQI.
● Stage 1 of GRAP is activated when the Air Quality Index (AQI) is in the ‘poor’ category (201
to 300), Stage 2 is when it’s in the ‘Very poor’ category (301-400), Stage 3 is when the AQI is
the ‘Severe’ category (401-450) and finally Stage 4 is when it rises to the ‘Severe +’ category
(more than 450). Hence, statements 2 and 3 are correct.
Changes in GRAP
● The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) was established in 2021 replacing
the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority.
● The Commission has been implementing the GRAP since 2021.

● While previously, measures were introduced after pollution concentrations reached a
certain level, at present, measures are preemptively introduced and will kick in based on
forecasts in an attempt to prevent the air quality from deteriorating further.
● For this, the CAQM relies on air quality and meteorological forecasts by the Indian Institute
of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
● The older version of the GRAP was enforced based only on the concentration of PM2.5 and
PM10. This year, GRAP is being enforced based on the AQI, which takes other pollutants also into account, such as ozone, carbon and oxides of nitrogen. Air Quality Index
● AQI is a number, which is a measure of air quality. The higher the AQI, the worse the air.
● The colour-coded AQI index was launched in India in 2014, and it helps the public and the government understand the condition of the air and what subsequent measures are to be
taken to combat the situation, based on its severity.

4. Consider the following statements about the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation (ACTO).
1. It is an intergovernmental organisation.
2. All members of ACTO have the Amazon river flowing through them.
3. It aims to promote equitable and sustainable development of the Amazonian territories.

Answer: B
Soln:
Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization
● The Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) is an intergovernmental organisation
formed by the eight Amazonian countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru,
Suriname, and Venezuela. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
● The Amazon river flows only through Peru, Colombia and Brazil. Hence, statement 2 is
incorrect. The other countries are part of the Amazon basin.
● It was created in 1995.
● The Amazon Cooperation Treaty signed in 1978 gave rise to the ACTO to promote the
harmonious development of the Amazonian territories in such a way that the joint actions of the Amazonian countries produce equitable and mutually beneficial results in achieving the sustainable development of the Amazon Region. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
● The Belém Declaration, signed by the leaders of ACTO, lays out plans to drive economic development in their countries while preventing the Amazon’s ongoing demise from reaching a point of no return.

5. Consider the following statements about Super-Absorbent Polymers (SAP).
1. It is a type of macro molecular synthetic water absorbing polymer material.
2. SAPs are always of synthetic origin.

Answer: A
Soln:
Super-Absorbent Polymers:
● Super Absorbent Polymers (SAP) is a type of macro molecular synthetic water absorbing
polymer material. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
● It is a whitish powder.
● SAP can absorb a large amount of water, at times more than its own weight.
● According to their source of origin, SAPs can be classified as natural (polysaccharide and
polypeptide based) and synthetic polymers (chemical based). Hence, statement 2 is
incorrect.
● The molecular structure of this compound resembles the complicated mesh.
● When it comes in contact with water the oxygen atoms of water are attracted to the mesh
due to the presence of Sodium ions in SAP.
● As the water molecules attach themselves to the sodium ions in the SAP a strong network is formed. The whole network swells, trapping the water molecules within, to form a gel. Applications
● Due to its superabsorbent nature, it is ideally suited for personal hygiene and
incontinence applications as diapers and pads.
● They can be used to improve and prolong soil water holding capacity, decrease drought
stress, and increase time between irrigation events.

1. Consider the following statements about ‘Digilocker’
1. It is a secure cloud based platform for storage, sharing and verification of documents certificates.
2. It is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY).