The correct answer is 2 and 3.

Key Points

• ​From the above Table,​
  • The longitude of Hyderabad’s location is between those of Bengaluru and Lucknow. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.​
  • The latitude of Bhopal’s location is between those of Shillong and Kolkata. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
  • Ahmedabad is situated more southward than Dispur. Hence, statement 2 is correct.​​

The correct answer is 1 only. 

Key Points

• Nallamala Hills:
  • These are a section of the Eastern Ghats which forms the eastern boundary of the Rayalaseema region of the state of Andhra Pradesh and Nagarkurnool district of the state of Telangana. Hence, pair 1 is correct.
  • They run in a nearly north-south alignment, parallel to the Coromandel Coast for close to 430 km between the rivers, Krishna and Pennar.
  • Its northern boundaries are marked by the flat Palnadu basin while in the south it merges with the Tirupati hills.
  • The rocks of the Nallamala ranges belong to the Kadapa system.
  • The Nallamalas have a rather warm to hot climate throughout the year.
  • The indigenous population consists of the Chenchus, a forest-dwelling tribe who have remained cut off from the modern world even today.
  • Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve: which is spread over Nalgonda and Nagarkurnool is the largest Tiger reserve in the country.
• Mahadeo Hills:
  • ​Mahadeo Hills, sandstone hills located in the northern part of the Satpura Range, in southern Madhya Pradesh state, central India. Hence, pair 2 is incorrect.
  • Lumbering and charcoal burning are economically important on the Mahadeo slopes. The economy of the area, however, is generally poor.
  • The bedrock is extensively overlain by tracts of brown soil on which flourish deciduous forests.
  • The general trend of the hills is east-northeast. To the north, the sacred Narmada River flows through the wide valley floor between the Mahadeo Hills and the Vindhya Range to the north.
  • The hills have small plateaus and steep scarps that were formed during the Carboniferous Period.
• Mikir Hills:
  • ​Mikir Hills are a group of hills located to the south of the Kaziranga National park, Assam.
  • The easternmost Meghalaya comprising the detached Mikir Hills is partly isolated being surrounded by three sides.
  • Karbi plateau or Mikir Hills is known oldest landform in Assam. Hence, pair 3 is incorrect.
  • It is part of the Karbi-Plateau.
  • Its highest peak is Dambunchko. 

The correct answer is ​1, 2,  and 4.

Key Points

• Amarkantak Plateau:
  • Amarkantak Plateau is located in central India. 
  • It runs in a north-south direction and forms the eastern base of the triangular Satpura Range. 
  • The Maikala Range consists of laterite-capped, flat-topped plateaus (pats) with elevations ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 feet (600 to 900 meters).
  • The Satpura-Maikala watershed is the second-largest in India. 
  • The Narmada, Son, Pandu, Kanhar, Rihand, Bijul, Gopad, and Banas rivers run almost parallel from south to north and have carved extensive basins in the relatively soft rock formations of the Maikala Range. 
  • Vegetation varies from grass and thorny trees to deciduous trees such as teak and sal (Shorea robusta). 
  • The Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve is a biosphere reserve in India that extends across the states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
• River Narmada:
  • The Narmada originates on the western flank of the Amarkantak plateau. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • It is the largest west-flowing river in Peninsular India. 
  • Flowing in a rift valley between the Satpura in the south and the Vindhya range in the north, it forms a picturesque gorge in marble rocks and the Dhuandhar waterfall near Jabalpur.
  • Its valley is a depressed block of the Earth’s crust bordered by parallel faults.
• River Son: 
  • The Son is a large south bank tributary of the Ganga, originating in the Amarkantak plateau. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
  • After forming a series of waterfalls at the edge of the plateau, it reaches Arrah, west of Patna, to join the Ganga.
•  River Arnadoh
  • Arnadoh which is a major tributary of the Godavari arises in the  Amarkantak plateau. Hence, statement 4 is correct.
• River Mahanadi
  • ​The Mahanadi basin extends over the states of Chhattisgarh and Odisha and comparatively smaller portions of Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh. 
  • The Mahanadi River system is the third largest of peninsular India after Godavari and Krishna, and the largest river of Odisha state. 
  • It rises from a place near Sihawa in Bastar hills in the northern foothills of Dandakaranya in Raipur District of Chhattisgarh. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.

The correct answer is  2, and 4.

Key Points

Lakes is/are situated in Sikkim:

• Tsomgo Chho
  • In India, the Tsomgo Lake, which is also known as Tsongmo Lake or Changu Lake, is a lake located at a very high elevation.
  • The lake remains frozen during the winter season.
  • It is a glacial lake located in the East Sikkim district of the Indian state of Sikkim. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
  •  At this lake, The Jhakris(faith Healers) congregate an annual ceremony on Guru Purnima, which coincides with the festival of Raksha Bandhan, from all over the state to offer prayers.
• Tso Lhamo
  • ​Tso Lhamo lake is in the North Sikkim Himalayas. Hence, statement 4 is correct.
  • It is fed by waters from the Zemu glacier, Kangtse glacier or Pauhunri glacier, and is the source of the Teesta river.

​​Lakes in Ladakh:

• Tso Moriri
  • ​Tso Moriri lake in the Changthang region of Ladakh is one of the most beautiful, calm, and sacred (for Ladakh) high altitude lakes in India. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
  • It is the largest high-altitude lake in India that is entirely in the Indian Territory.
  • Being part of the wetland reserve under the Ramsar site, it is actually known as Tsomoriri Wetland Conservation Reserve, and one cannot pitch any tents or construct anything near the banks of the lake.
  • It is the highest Ramsar site in the world.
• Tso Kar
  • ​The Tso Kar Basin is a high-altitude wetland complex.
  • Tso Kar is a fluctuating salt lake.
  • Tso Kar itself, a hypersaline lake, is situated in the Changthang region of Ladakh. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
  • It is called Tso Kar, meaning white lake, because of the white salt efflorescence found on the margins due to the evaporation of highly saline water.

The correct answer is ​Lateritic.

Key Points

• Lateritic soil:
  • Lateritic soil types of India are rendered infertile by the presence of excess iron.
  • Laterite soils are those soils that are found in areas that receive high rainfall and have a very high temperature.
  • This results in less humus content in the soil. Also, they have an excess amount of iron in them.
  • Laterite is a soil layer that is rich in iron oxide and derived from a wide variety of rocks weathering under strongly oxidizing and leaching conditions.
  • It forms in tropical and subtropical regions where the climate is humid.
  • Lateritic soils may contain clay minerals; but they tend to be silica-poor, for silica is leached out by waters passing through the soil.
  • Typical laterite is porous and claylike.
  • It contains the iron oxide minerals goethite, HFeO2; lepidocrocite, FeO(OH); and hematite, Fe2O3.
  • It also contains titanium oxides and hydrated oxides of aluminium, the most common and abundant of which is gibbsite, Al2O3·3H2O.
  • The aluminium-rich representative of laterite is bauxite.
  • A continuous stretch of laterite soil is found on the summits of Western Ghats at 1000 to 1500 m above mean sea level, Eastern Ghats, the Rajmahal Hills, Vindhyan, Satpuras and Malwa Plateau.
  • They are well developed in south Maharashtra, parts of Karnataka etc. and are widely scattered in other regions.

The correct answer is 1, 2 and 3.

Key Points

• Red Sanders:
  • ​The species, Pterocarpus santalinus, is an Indian endemic tree species, with a restricted geographical range in the Eastern Ghats. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • The species is endemic to a distinct tract of forests in Andhra Pradesh.
  • Red Sanders usually grow in the rocky, degraded, and fallow lands with Red Soil and a hot and dry climate. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
  • Red Sanders, known for their rich hue and therapeutic properties, are high in demand across Asia, particularly in China and Japan, for use in cosmetics and medicinal products as well as for making furniture, woodcraft, and musical instruments. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
  • The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) recently categorised the Red Sanders (or Red Sandalwood) again into the ‘endangered’ category in its Red List.
  • It was classified as ‘near threatened’ in 2018.
  • Red Sanders bearing forest is one of the climax forest types in tropical dry deciduous forests in India.  Hence, statement 4 is incorrect.
  • The natural habitat of Red Sanders is a hilly region with a hot dry climate.

The correct answer is ​None of the above.

Key Points

• Asiatic Elephant:
  • It is distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India in the west, Nepal in the north, Sumatra in the south, and Borneo in the east. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
  • The Asian elephant is the largest living land animal in Asia.
  • Since 1986, the Asian elephant has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, as the population has declined by at least 50 per cent over the last three elephant generations, which is about 60–75 years.
  • It is primarily threatened by loss of habitat, habitat degradation, fragmentation, and poaching.
  • The Asian elephant is listed in CITES Appendix I.
• Javan Rhino:
  • Javan rhinos are the most threatened of the five rhino species, with only around 60 individuals that live only in Ujung Kulon National Park in Java, Indonesia. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
  • Javan rhinos once lived throughout northeast India and Southeast Asia.
  • Vietnam’s last Javan rhino was poached in 2010.
  • The Javan rhino is very similar in appearance to the closely-related greater one-horned rhinoceros but has a much smaller head and less apparent skin folds.
• One-humped camel: 
  • One-humped camel or Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius) commonly found in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.
  • These “ships of the desert” have long been valued as pack or saddle animals, and they are also exploited for milk, meat, wool, and hides.

The correct answer is Tobacco.

Key Points

• Tobacco:
  • ​The genus Nicotiana has more than 60 species, of which two are commercially cultivated for the production of tobacco.
  • They are N.tabacum and N.rustica.
  • Almost all states in India grow tobacco, but the important ones are Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh.
  • Andhra Pradesh ranks first in the production of Tobacco.
  • The species N. tabacum is grown in almost all the states, whereas the cultivation of N.rustica is confined to the northern and northeastern states, where the temperature is considerably lower during the season.
  • India produces a wide range of commercial types of tobacco.
  • For tobacco 50-100cm annual rainfall and 15-20 ⁰C temperature during the growth period is ideal.
  • Tobacco cannot stand if rainfall is more than 100cm.
  • After harvesting to dry the leaves it requires bright sunshine & dry weather but not less than containing 8% moisture.
  • Too dry weather is not suitable as leaves break into small pieces.
  • Different types of soil are required for tobacco.
    • Bidi tobacco is grown as a rainfed crop mostly in alluvial soils, black clayey, or loamy soils.
    • Cigar and cheroot tobaccos are cultivated on grey to red soils varying from light gravelly to sandy loams.
    • Chewing tobacco is grown throughout the country under varying conditions of the soil. For quality, cigar soil should be mixed with sand. Soil should be well-drained.

The correct answer is 1,2, and 3.

Key Points

• Iron Ore:
  • Hematite and magnetite are the most important iron ores in India. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • About 59 per cent of hematite ore deposits are found in the eastern sector.
  • About 92 per cent of magnetite ore deposits occur in the southern sector, especially in Karnataka.
  • Of these, hematite is considered to be superior because of its higher grade.
  • Indian deposits of hematite belong to the Precambrian iron ore series and the ore is within the banded iron ore formations occurring as massive, laminated, friable and also in powdery form. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
  • Major resources of hematite are located in Odisha - 7,559 million tonnes (34 per cent); Jharkhand -5,286 million tonnes (24 per cent); Chhattisgarh - 4,858 million tonnes (22 per cent). Hence, statement 3 is correct.
  • India’s 96 per cent magnetite resources are located in four states, namely, Karnataka - 7,802 million tonnes (72 per cent) followed by Andhra Pradesh - 1,392 million tonnes (13 per cent); Rajasthan - 617 million tonnes (6 per cent) and Tamil Nadu- 507 million tonnes (5 per cent).

Source: India Year Book 2021 (Publication Division)

The correct answer is 2 and 3 only.

Key Points

• Nuclear power plants
  • Nuclear Power is the fifth-largest source of generating electricity in India after coal, gas, wind power, and hydroelectricity.
  • At present, India has 22 operational nuclear reactors with an installed capacity of about 6,780 MW.
  • Asia's first nuclear reactor is the Apsara Research Reactor situated in Mumbai. 
  • The domestic uranium reserve in India is small and the country is dependent on uranium imports from other countries to provide fuel to its nuclear power industry.
  • Since the 1990s, Russia has been a major supplier of nuclear fuel to India.
  • 18 reactors are Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) and 4 are Light Water Reactors (LWRs).
  • Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited -NPCIL based in Mumbai is a government-owned corporation of India that is responsible for the generation of electricity through nuclear power. 
  • NPCIL is administered by the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India. 
  • Name Of Nuclear Power Station and Location:
    •  Kakrapar Atomic Power Station: 1993 in Gujarat
    • Kalpakkam (Madras) Atomic Power Station: 1984 in Tamil Nadu
    • Narora Atomic Power Station: 1991 in Uttar Pradesh
    • Kaiga Atomic Power Station: 2000 in Karnataka. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
    • Rawatbhata Nuclear Power Station: 1975 in Rajasthan. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
    • Tarapur Atomic Power Station: 1969 in Maharashtra
    • Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant: 2013 in Tamil Nadu