Q68moderateSimilar Sounding
Consider the following pairs :
River — Flows into
1. Mekong — Andaman Sea
2. Thames — Irish Sea
3. Volga — Caspian Sea
4. Zambezi — Indian Ocean
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched ?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2 and 4 only
Answer: (c)
Trap: Similar Sounding
Pair 1: Mekong flows into the SOUTH CHINA SEA, not Andaman Sea. Students may confuse these adjacent water bodies in Southeast Asia. Pair 2: Thames flows into the NORTH SEA, not Irish Sea. The Irish Sea is between Britain and Ireland, while Thames exits on the southeast coast into the North Sea.
Q73moderateDistractor Pairing
Which of the following Protected Areas are located in Cauvery basin ?
1. Nagarhole National Park
2. Papikonda National Park
3. Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve
4. Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 and 4 only
(c) 1, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer: (c)
Trap: Distractor Pairing
Papikonda National Park (2) is the distractor. It is located on the banks of River Godavari in Andhra Pradesh, NOT in the Cauvery basin. Students may include it thinking all South Indian protected areas are in the Cauvery basin. Nagarhole (Karnataka), Sathyamangalam (Tamil Nadu), and Wayanad (Kerala) are all in the Cauvery basin.
Q86moderatePartial Truth
With reference to pulse production in India, consider the following statements :
1. Black gram can be cultivated as both kharif and rabi crop.
2. Green-gram alone accounts for nearly half of pulse production.
3. In the last three decades, while the production of kharif pulses has increased, the production of rabi pulses has decreased.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 2 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (a)
Trap: Partial Truth
Statement 2 is a trap - green gram does NOT account for nearly half of pulse production. Chickpea (gram) is the largest pulse crop (~40-45% of production). Green gram (moong) accounts for a much smaller share. Statement 3 is false - both kharif and rabi pulse production have generally increased. Students may confuse chickpea/gram with green gram.
Q87easy
"The crop is subtropical in nature. A hard frost is injurious to it. It requires at least 210 frost-free days and 50 to 100 centimeters of rainfall for its growth. A light well-drained soil capable of retaining moisture is ideally suited for the cultivation of the crop." Which one of the following is that crop ?
(a) Cotton
(b) Jute
(c) Sugarcane
(d) Tea
Answer: (a)
Q89easyPartial Truth
With reference to the current trends in the cultivation of sugarcane in India, consider the following statements :
1. A substantial saving in seed material is made when 'bud chip settlings' are raised in a nursery and transplanted in the main field.
2. When direct planting of setts is done, the germination percentage is better with single-budded setts as compared to setts with many buds.
3. If bad weather conditions prevail when setts are directly planted, single-budded setts have better survival as compared to large setts.
4. Sugarcane can be cultivated using settlings prepared from tissue culture.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 1 and 4 only
(d) 2, 3 and 4 only
Answer: (c)
Trap: Partial Truth
Statements 2 and 3 are traps that reverse the actual facts. Single-budded setts have LOWER germination percentage (not better) compared to multi-budded setts because they have less stored food. In bad weather, single-budded setts have WORSE survival (less reserves) compared to large setts. The question tests whether students understand that smaller setts = less reserves = less resilience.
Q91easyPartial Truth
What are the advantages of fertigation in agriculture ?
1. Controlling the alkalinity of irrigation water is possible.
2. Efficient application of Rock Phosphate and all other phosphatic fertilizers is possible.
3. Increased availability of nutrients to plants is possible.
4. Reduction in the leaching of chemical nutrients is possible.
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 1, 2 and 4 only
(c) 1, 3 and 4 only
(d) 2, 3 and 4 only
Answer: (c)
Trap: Partial Truth
Statement 2 is the trap. Rock phosphate is INSOLUBLE in water and CANNOT be applied through fertigation (which requires water-soluble fertilizers). Fertigation works with soluble fertilizers delivered through drip/sprinkler systems. Students who don't know about phosphate solubility may include Statement 2.
Q92easyCommon Misconception
Consider the following minerals :
1. Bentonite
2. Chromite
3. Kyanite
4. Sillimanite
In India, which of the above is/are officially designated as major minerals ?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 4 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 2, 3 and 4 only
Answer: (d)
Trap: Common Misconception
Bentonite (1) is classified as a MINOR mineral in India, not a major mineral. Students may assume all industrially important minerals are 'major minerals'. The classification under MMDR Act is specific and doesn't always follow intuition. Chromite, Kyanite, and Sillimanite are all designated as major minerals.
Q93easyPartial Truth
With reference to Ocean Mean Temperature (OMT), which of the following statements is/are correct ?
1. OMT is measured up to a depth of 26°C isotherm which is 129 meters in the south-western Indian Ocean during January – March.
2. OMT collected during January – March can be used in assessing whether the amount of rainfall in monsoon will be less or more than a certain long-term mean.
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (c)
Trap: Partial Truth
Statement 1 with very specific numbers (26°C isotherm, 129 meters) may make students doubt it, thinking such precise numbers are likely wrong. However, these are actual measurements from IITM Pune research. Students may pick (b) only because Statement 2 (monsoon prediction) seems safer. Both are correct per Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology research.
Q96moderateCommon Misconception
Siachen Glacier is situated to the
(a) East of Aksai Chin
(b) East of Leh
(c) North of Gilgit
(d) North of Nubra Valley
Answer: (d)
Trap: Common Misconception
Option (b) 'East of Leh' is a common trap because Siachen is in Ladakh and students may place it east of Leh. But Siachen is NORTH of Nubra Valley in the Karakoram Range. Option (c) 'North of Gilgit' is wrong - Siachen is east of Gilgit-Baltistan area. Getting the cardinal directions right in the complex Karakoram geography is tricky.
Q98easyPartial Truth
Consider the following statements :
1. 36% of India's districts are classified as "overexploited" or "critical" by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA).
2. CGWA was formed under the Environment (Protection) Act.
3. India has the largest area under groundwater irrigation in the world.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 2 only
(d) 1 and 3 only
Answer: (b)
Trap: Partial Truth
Statement 1 uses specific percentage (36%) which is incorrect. The actual percentage of overexploited/critical units is different (and assessment is at block/taluk level, not district level). The specific numbers are designed to test whether students accept plausible-sounding statistics. Statement 2 (CGWA under EPA 1986) and Statement 3 (India = largest groundwater irrigator) are both correct.
Q99moderateCommon Misconception
Consider the following statements :
1. Jet streams occur in the Northern Hemisphere only.
2. Only some cyclones develop an eye.
3. The temperature inside the eye of a cyclone is nearly 10°C lesser than that of the surroundings.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 2 only
(d) 1 and 3 only
Answer: (c)
Trap: Common Misconception
Statement 3 reverses the temperature relationship - the eye of a cyclone is WARMER (not cooler) than the surrounding eye wall due to adiabatic warming from subsiding air. Statement 1 is also false - jet streams occur in BOTH hemispheres (subtropical and polar jet streams exist in both). Only Statement 2 is correct - weak cyclones may not develop a well-defined eye.