Current Affairs Quiz 06 December 2022

Answer : c
• It is inhabited by the world’s largest population of one-horned rhinoceroses.
• It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an recognized Important Bird Area (IBA).
• It is also a large breeding ground for elephants, swamp deer, and wild water buffaloes.

Correct Answer: C
Answer Justification : Explanation: Removal of the top layer of the soil during deforestation exposes the lower, hard and rocky layers. This soil has less humus and is less fertile. So, statement 3 is correct.
Microbial activity in the soil actually decreases due to the loss of biodiversity and the forest. Statement 2 is incorrect.
As the soil is exposed, rainwater can easily leach washing off nutrients in run-off water. Statement 1 is correct.

Justification: Statement 1: Removal of the top layer of the soil during deforestation exposes the lower, hard and rocky layers. This soil has less humus and is less fertile.
Statement 2: Microbial activity in the soil actually decreases due to the loss of biodiversity and the forest.
Statement 3 and 4: As the soil is exposed, rainwater can easily leach
washing off nutrients in run-off water.
This also changes soil texture.
Statement 5: The movement of water from the soil surface into the ground(infiltration rate) is reduced due to increased surface runoff as water is not stopped.

Answer is: a) 1 and 2 only
Explanation:
Recently, Preliminary surveys on surface and limited subsurface have shown presence of Lithium resources of 1,600 tonnes in Mandya, Karnataka. India currently imports all its lithium needs, with an estimated import bill of upwards of USD 3.3 billion.
China is a major source of lithium-ion energy storage products being imported into India, but it is not the largest producer of Lithium in the world.
The largest producers of Lithium in the world are: 1. Australia, 2. Chile and 3. China.
Bolivia is estimated to hold over 60% of the world’s reserves for lithium but has not yet started producing it commercially. India and Bolivia signed a mutually beneficial partnership in 2019 to facilitate Bolivian supplies of lithium Carbonate to India and foster joint ventures for lithium battery/cell production plants in India.

Answer is: c) 2 and 3 only.
Explanation:
The National Bamboo Mission (NBM) was launched in 2018 as a sub scheme under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
The Mission will focus on development of bamboo in limited States where it has social, commercial and economical advantage, particularly in the North Eastern region and States including Madhya Pradesh, Maharastra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Kerala.
Under the Mission, steps have been taken to increase the availability of quality planting material by supporting the setting up of new nurseries and strengthening of existing ones.
To address forward integration, the Mission is taking steps to strengthen marketing of bamboo products, especially those of handicraft items.