SOLVED PAPER 2024 (CDS) (II) (General Knowledge)

Total Questions: 120

71. Which of the following pairs of Himalayan Glaciers and their location is/are correctly matched?

List-I List-II 
1. Siachen RegionNubra Valley
2. ChungpharKumaon-Garhwal Region
4. GasherbrumCentral Nepal Region

Select the answer using the codes given below.

Correct Answer: (a) Only 1
Solution:Only pair (1) is correctly matched. Siachen Glacier is located near the Nubra Valley in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir. The Nubra valley is a remote and mountainous area that acts as a gateway to the Siachen Glacier and the Karakoram Pass.

The Chungphar Glacier is located in the Zanskar valley, not the Kumaon-Garhwal region.

The Zemu Glacier is located in Sikkim, India, not in Central Nepal.

The Gasherbrum Glacier is located in the Karakoram range, not the Pir Panjal range.

72. Consider the following statements regarding the rivers of India.

1. The Barak river, the head stream of the Meghna, rises in the hills of Meghalaya.
2. The Ghaggar river does not drain out to the sea and gets lost in the Rajasthan desert.
3. Puthimari and Manas are important tributaries of the Brahmaputra.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: (d) 2 and 3
Solution:Statements (2) and (3) are correct. The Barak river originates from the Manipur hills, South of Mao in Senapati district.

The Ghaggar river is a seasonal river that dries up in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan and is an example of an inland drainage river. The Ghaggar river originates in the Shivalik Hills in Himachal Pradesh and flows through Punjab and Haryana, before drying up in Rajasthan.

The Brahmaputra river originates in the Kanglung Kang Glacier in Tibet. The river has many tributaries, including Subansiri, Ronganadi, Dikrong, Buroi, Borgong, Puthimari, Manas, Beki, Aie, Sonkosh.

73. Consider the following statements regarding transportation functions associated with important ports.

1. Singapore functions both as a port of call and an entrepot.
2. Karwar in India is an example of a naval port.
3. Dover in England is an example of an outport.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: (d) 1 and 2
Solution:Statements (1) and (2) are correct. A port where ships stop to take on supplies or make repairs during their journey. Singapore serves as a major port of call for ships travelling between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean due to its strategic location along key maritime routes.

Singapore is one of the world's leading entrepôt ports, where goods are imported for re-export. Karwar in India is an example of a naval port. A port primarily used by a country's navy for docking, maintenance, supply and strategic military purposes.

Outports are often used to handle overflow traffic or smaller vessels that the main port may not accommodate. Dover is not typically categorised as an 'outport' but rather as a major port in its own right.

74. Cumulonimbus clouds develop from which among the following clouds?

Correct Answer: (a) Cumulus congestus clouds
Solution:Cumulonimbus clouds, often associated with thunderstorms, develop from cumulus congestus clouds. These are tall, towering cumulus clouds that have a flat base and a vertical, anvil-shaped top. As they continue to grow and develop, they can become cumulonimbus clouds, capable of producing heavy rain, lightning, thunder, hail and even tornadoes.

75. Which of the following Ramsar wetland sites is not situated in any of the Union Territories of India?

Correct Answer: (b) Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary
Solution:Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary, located in Tamil Nadu, is a Ramsar wetland site. It is designated as a Ramsar site due to its importance as a wetland ecosystem. Ramsar sites are recognised under the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty aimed at conserving wetlands of global importance.

The sanctuary is renowned for its rich biodiversity, particularly its birdlife. It serves as a critical stopover for migratory birds along the East Asia-Australasia Flyway. The area supports numerous bird species, including flamingos, pelicans and various shorebirds.

76. Eratosthenes, a Greek philosopher measured the Earth's circumference based on the angle of Sun rays at two different points. Which cities were they?

Correct Answer: (a) Alexandria and Syene
Solution:Eratosthenes, an ancient Greek mathematician and astronomer, calculated the Earth's circumference using the angles of the Sun's rays.

Eratosthenes knew that at noon during the summer solstice, the Sun was directly overhead in Syene (modern-day Aswan, Egypt). This meant that vertical objects in Syene cast no shadow.

At the same time in Alexandria, which is North of Syene, vertical objects did cast a shadow. Eratosthenes measured the angle of this shadow. By measuring the angle of the shadow in Alexandria and knowing the distance between Alexandria and Syene, he was able to calculate the Earth's circumference.

77. Which kind of mass wasting processes are commonly associated with creep?

Correct Answer: (d) Slow speed with soil
Solution:Creep is a type of mass wasting that involves the slow, gradual movement of soil downhill. It is often caused by freeze-thaw cycles, gravity, or the action of plant roots. Creep is characterised by its slow speed and the fact that it primarily affects soil, rather than rock or ice.

78. Consider the following statements.

1. Hadley cells are key to understanding the wind patterns of Earth.
2. Hadley cells are formed because the Equator is heated more strongly by the Sun than other places, creating thermal circulations.
With regard to the statements given above, which of the following is correct?

Correct Answer: (a) Both the statements are correct and statement 2 is the correct explanation of statement 1.
Solution:Both the statements are correct and statement 2 is the correct explanation of statement 1. Hadley cells are large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns that play a crucial role in determining the Earth's wind patterns, particularly in the tropics and sub-tropics.

The differential heating of the Earth's surface, with the Equator receiving more solar radiation than the poles, is the primary driver behind the formation of Hadley cells.

The warm air at the Equator rises, cools and descends back to the surface, creating a circulation pattern that influences wind direction and precipitation patterns.

79. Consider the following statements.

1. Ocean currents are dominated by huge surface gyres that are driven by the global surface wind pattern.
2. Equatorial currents move cold water westward and then poleward along the East coasts of continents.
With regard to the statements given above, which of the following is correct?

Correct Answer: (c) Statement 1 is correct but statement 2 is false.
Solution:Statement 1 is correct but statement 2 is false. Ocean currents are primarily driven by the prevailing winds on the Earth's surface, which create large-scale circular patterns known as gyres. These gyres influence the movement of water masses in the oceans.

Equatorial currents actually move warm water westward near the equator and when they reach the continents, they are often deflected poleward along the East coasts, not carrying cold water but rather contributing to warmer coastal temperatures on the Eastern side.

80. As per India State of Forest Report 2021, which one of the following states is not among the top three with reference to maximum area under forest?

Correct Answer: (d) Maharashtra
Solution:Maharashtra is not among the top three states with reference to maximum area under forest. According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021, Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover in India by area.

The top five states with the most forest cover by area are
1. Madhya Pradesh
2. Arunachal Pradesh
3. Chhattisgarh
4. Odisha
5. Maharashtra