Q. With reference to the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), consider the following statements:

1. Commercial trade is prohibited for the species listed in the Appendix I of the CITES.
2. Commercial trade is regulated for the species listed in the Appendix II of the CITES.
3. CITES is not a legally binding convention.

#Solution #Samajho #SPR+

▪️CITES (shorter name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of international trade.

▪️It was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The convention was opened for signature in 1973 and CITES entered into force on 1 July 1975.

▪️Appendices: Over 38,000 species, subspecies and populations are protected under CITES.
- Each protected taxa or population is included in one of three lists called Appendices.
- The Appendix that lists a taxa or population reflects the level of the threat posed by international trade and the CITES controls that apply.

▪️Appendix I taxa are those that are threatened with extinction and to which the highest level of CITES protection is afforded. Commercial trade in wild-sourced specimens of these taxa is not permitted and non-commercial trade is strictly controlled by requiring an import permit and export permit to be granted by the relevant Management Authorities in each country before the trade occurs. Hence statement 1 is correct.
▪️Appendix II taxa are those that are not necessarily threatened with extinction, but trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival. Appendix II taxa may also include species similar in appearance to species already listed in the Appendices. Commercial trade is regulated for the species listed in the Appendix II of the CITES. Hence statement 2 is correct.
▪️Appendix III species are those that are protected in at least one country, and that country has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade. Any trade in Appendix III species standardly requires a CITES export permit (if sourced from the country that listed the species) or a certificate of origin (from any other country) to be granted before the trade occurs.

▪️Hence statement 3 is incorrect. CITES is a legally binding convention on the signing party.

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Concluding on a high note, in Manhattan - India's UNSC Membership | 21st March 2023 | UPSC Daily Editorial Analysis

Q. With reference to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), consider the following statements:

1. It is an UN based international environment treaty.
2. India is not a party to this treaty.
3. The USA is also not a party to this treaty.

#Solution #Samajho #SPR+

▪️Statement 1 is correct. Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is an international environmental treaty, signed on 22 May 2001 in Stockholm and effective from 17 May 2004, that aims to eliminate or restrict the production and use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

▪️Statement 2 is incorrect. India ratified the Stockholm Convention in 2006 as per Article 25(4), which enabled it to keep itself in a default "opt-out" position such that amendments in various Annexes of the convention cannot be enforced on it unless an instrument of ratification/ acceptance/ approval or accession is explicitly deposited with UN depositary.

▪️Statement 3 is correct. The USA is not a party to this treaty.

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Q. Which of the following countries are landlocked countries:

1. Nepal
2. Bhutan
3. Austria
4. Botswana

#Solution #Samajho #SPR+

▪️A landlocked country is surrounded by other countries and does not have its own ports.

Africa:
▪️Out of Africa’s 55 countries, 17 of them are landlocked:
▪️Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, South Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

Asia:
▪️Asia has 12 landlocked countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Laos, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Europe:
▪️Europe has 15 landlocked countries: Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Vatican City.

South America:
▪️In South America there are two countries that are landlocked: Bolivia and and Paraguay.

▪️North America has no landlocked countries, and Australia is rather obviously not landlocked.

▪️Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country of world.
▪️The smallest landlocked country of world is Vatican City.

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Q. Consider the following soil forming factors:

1. Parent material
2. Topography
3. Climate
4. Biological activity

#Solution #Samajho #SPR+

Soil Forming Factors:

▪️There are five basic factors that control the formation of soils: parent material, topography, climate, biological activity and time

Parent Material:
▪️A passive control factor that controls soil formation is the Parent material. These materials (Parent materials) can be on-site weathered rock debris or transported deposits or any in-situ weathered materials.

Topography:
▪️Another passive control factor is Topography. The topography influence is witnessed from the amount of exposure of a surface covered by parent materials to sunlight and subsurface drainage over and through the parent materials.

Climate:
▪️Climate is a very vital active factor in soil formation. The various factors that add to the formation of the soil development are:
- Temperature: Temperature effect in terms of both seasonal and diurnal variations.
- Moisture: Moisture in terms of its intensity, frequency and duration of precipitation – evaporation and humidity.

Biological Activity:
▪️The organisms and the cover of vegetation that occupy the parent materials from the very beginning and also at several later stages with time help in the addition of organic matter, retention of moisture and gases like nitrogen, oxygen, etc
▪️Humus is the finely divided organic matter of the soil that is provided by Dead plants.

Time:
▪️The third important passive controlling factor in soil formation is time. The time duration in the soil formation processes helps determine the maturation of soils and profile development.

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Q. Consider the following statements:

1. Unlike erosion, in weathering is an in-situ or on-site process.
2. Solution, carbonation, hydration etc. are examples of physical weathering.
3. Weathering processes differ from climate to climate.

#Solution #Samajho #SPR+

▪️Weathering is action of elements of weather and climate over earth materials. There are a number of processes within weathering which act either individually or together to affect the earth materials in order to reduce them to fragmental state.

▪️As very little or no motion of materials takes place in weathering, it is an in-situ or on-site process. Hence statement 1 is correct.

▪️Solution, carbonation, hydration etc are examples of chemical weathering. Hence statement 2 is not correct.

▪️Weathering processes are conditioned by many complex geological, climatic, topographic and vegetative factors. Climate is of particular importance.
Not only weathering processes differ from climate to climate, but also the depth of the weathering mantle. Hence statement 3 is correct.

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Q. Consider the following statements:

1. The 97th Constitutional Amendment Act of 2011 gave a constitutional status and protection to the cooperative societies.
2. Recently the Supreme Court striked down the entire 97th constitutional amendment act as it violated the principle of basic structure.

#Solution #Samajho #SPR+

▪️The 97th Constitutional Amendment Act of 2011 gave a constitutional status and protection to co-operative societies. Hence statement 1 is correct.
▪️In this context, it made the following three changes in the constitution:
- It made the right to form co-operative societies a fundamental right (Article 19).
- It included a new Directive Principle of State Policy on promotion of co-operative societies (Article 43-B2 ).
- It added a new Part IX-B in the Constitution which is entitled “The Co-operative Societies” (Articles 243-ZH to 243-ZT).

▪️The Supreme Court (SC) upheld a 2013 judgment of the Gujarat High Court and struck down certain provisions of the Constitution (97th Amendment) Act, 2011. Hence statement 2 is not correct.
▪️It did not strike down the portions of Part IXB of the Amendment concerning ‘Multi State Co-operative Societies (MSCS)’ due to the lack of ratification.

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Q. Which of the following are the recommendations of Sarkaria Commission:

1. Centre should consult the states before making a law on concurrent list
2. Governor should not be able to dismiss the council of ministers as long as it commands majority in state assembly
3. Use of article 356 in extreme cases and only as a last resort
4. Further strengthen the All India Services and add more services to them