NTA UGC NET/JRF Exam (Cancel), June, 2024 Geography

The United Nations has declared the decade from 2021 to 2030 as the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. It is a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems worldwide for the benefit of people and nature. It is led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. In contrast, the decade of 2011-2020 was declared the Decade on Biodiversity.

The correct ascending order of countries based on their percentage share in the export of commercial services in the world is: Brazil < Thailand > Netherlands < U.K. Thus, option (e) is correct.

The concept of the Mental Map is most closely associated with Behavioral Geography. In the 1960s, the study of 'Geography of the Mind' or 'Mental Maps' became very popular in behavioral geography. The works of Downs (1970), Downs and Stea (1977), and Gould and White (1974) hold special significance on this subject.
The actual study and research of mental maps began in the mid-1960s with the development of behavioral geography. In this context, the effort of Peter Gould is particularly notable, who gave a detailed description of mental maps in his article published in 1966.
In his article, Gould stated that decisions related to localization are based on the perceived or sensed form of the actual situation in the decision-maker's mind, which is different from the objective environment.

Bioenergy is helpful in improving the economic life, reducing environmental pollution, increasing self-reliance, and reducing the burden on firewood in the rural areas of developing countries. Bioenergy is the energy obtained from biological products, including agricultural residues, municipal, industrial, and other wastes.
Bioenergy can be converted into electrical energy, thermal energy, or gas for cooking. It processes waste and garbage and also generates energy. One such project that converts municipal waste into energy is located in Okhla, New Delhi.

Quaternary activities are not tied to resources, influenced by the environment, or necessarily localized by the market. Quaternary activities are focused on the collection, production, and dispersal of information and research and development. They are viewed as advanced models of services related to specialized knowledge, technological skills, and administrative capability.

The credit for initiating the literary tradition in geography is given to Hecataeus. He published his famous book 'Ges Periodos' (Travels/Description of the Earth) in two volumes in 520 BC, which is the first systematic description of world geography, and on this basis, Hecataeus is also considered the Founder of Geography.
Hecataeus was a Greek geographer. Herodotus was a famous Greek historian and geographer. He was the first person to state that the continents of Africa and Asia were separated by the Red Sea. Hipparchus was the first to divide the circle into 360 degrees. Ptolemy was a Roman geographer who authored the book 'Almagest'.

GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) was transformed into the WTO (World Trade Organization) in January 1995. GATT was formed in 1948 by some countries to free the world from high tariffs and various other barriers.
The WTO is the only international organization that deals with the global rules of trade between nations. It sets the rules for the worldwide trading system and resolves disputes among its member countries. The WTO has been criticized and opposed by some who are concerned about the effects of free trade and the globalization of the economy.
It is argued that free trade does not make the lives of common people more prosperous. By making rich countries richer, it is actually increasing the gap between the rich and the poor. This is because influential nations in the WTO focus only on their commercial interests. Additionally, many developed countries have not fully opened their markets to the products of developing countries.
It is also argued that issues like health, labor rights, child labor, and the environment have been neglected, not given more importance. Thus, statements (A) and (D) are both correct, while statements, (B) and (C) are incorrect, therefore option (d) is correct.

The following is the order of the straits/channels located in the Indian Ocean from East to West: Malacca Strait → Palk Strait → Strait of Hormuz →Bab-el-Mandeb. In the Indian Ocean, the Malacса Strait is located between Malaysia and Indonesia (Sumatra).
The Palk Strait is between India and Sri Lanka. The Strait of Hormuz is between Iran and the UAE/Oman. The Bab-el-Mandeb is located between Yemen in Asia and Somalia, Djibouti, and Eritrea in Africa. Thus, option (a) is correct.