Daily UPSC Prelims Current Affairs – March 21, 2023 [Mock Test]
April 5, 2023 April 5, 2023
1. Consider the following pairs:
- Bahrain – Nicosia
- Qatar – Doha
- Ecuador – Manama
- Scotland – Edinburg
Which of the pairs given above are correct?
[A] Only 1 & 2
[B] Only 2 & 4
[C] Only 1, 2 & 3
[D] 1, 2, 3 & 4
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Only 2 & 4]
Notes:- The capital and largest city of Bahrain is Manama.
- Dohais the capital and most populous city of the State of Qatar.
- Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia.
- Quito is the capital of Ecuador.
- Edinburgh has been the capital of Scotland since 1437.
- Nicosia is the capital of Cyprus.
2. Consider the following statements:
- Bioventing and Biosparging are ex-situ remediation technology.
- In Bioventing, air and nutrients are injected while biosparging is the practice of adding cultured microorganisms.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 2
[C] Both 1 & 2
[D] Neither 1 nor 2
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Neither 1 nor 2]
Notes:- Bioventing is a process of stimulating the natural in situ biodegradation of contaminants in soil by providing air or oxygen to existing soil microorganisms. Bioventing uses low air flow rates to provide only enough oxygen to sustain microbial activity in the vadose zone.
- Biosparging is an in-situ remediation technology that uses indigenous microorganisms to biodegrade organic constituents in the saturated zone. In biosparging, air (or oxygen) and nutrients (if needed) are injected into the saturated zone to increase the biological activity of the indigenous microorganisms.
- Bioaugmentation is the practice of adding cultured microorganisms into the subsurface for the purpose of biodegrading specific soil and groundwater contaminants.
3. Which of the following is the correct sequence of decomposition?
- Catabolism
- Fragmentation
- Leaching
- Humification
- Mineralisation
Choose the correct answer using the codes given below:
[A] 2, 3, 1, 4, 5
[B] 3, 2, 4, 5, 1
[C] 2, 3, 4, 1, 5
[D] 2, 3, 1, 5, 4
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [2, 3, 1, 4, 5 ]
Notes:- The important steps in the process of decomposition are fragmentation, leaching, catabolism, humification, and mineralisation.
- Detritivores (such as earthworms) break down detritus into smaller particles. This process is called fragmentation.
- By the process of leaching, water-soluble inorganic nutrients go down into the soil horizon and get precipitated as unavailable salts.
- Bacterial and fungal enzymes degrade the detritus into simpler inorganic substances. This process is called catabolism.
- Humification leads to the accumulation of a dark-colored amorphous substance called humus, which is highly resistant to microbial action, and undergoes decomposition at an extremely slow rate.
- The humus is further degraded by some microbes, and the release of inorganic nutrients occurs through the process known as mineralisation.
