Quiz Content

• Consider the following countries:

  1. Algeria
  2. Niger
  3. Ghana
  4. Burkina Faso
  5. Senegal

  How many of the above countries share a land boundary with Mali?

  • Only two
  • Only three
  • Only four
  • All five

• Consider the following statements about caracal:

  1. It is included in the list of Critically Endangered species under Species Recovery Programme.
  2. It has been categorized as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List.

  Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  • 1 only
  • 2 only
  • Both 1 and 2
  • Neither 1 nor 2

• The Transcaspian Marinka (Schizothorax pelzami), seen in the news recently, is a:

  • Freshwater ray-finned fish of the carp family
  • Migratory waterbird inhabiting Central Asian wetlands
  • Endemic medicinal shrub of the Eastern Himalayas
  • Freshwater turtle native to the Brahmaputra basin

• The ‘Pashujanya Yudh Abhyas (PYA)’, seen in the news recently, is a:

  • National-level mock exercise to assess preparedness for animal disease and zoonotic outbreaks
  • Joint military exercise between India and Nepal focusing on mountain warfare
  • Livestock vaccination programme for controlling Foot-and-Mouth Disease
  • National mission for the conservation of indigenous cattle breeds

• With reference to the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), consider the following statements:

  1. The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) refers to the difference in sea surface temperatures between the western equatorial Indian Ocean and the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean near Indonesia.
  2. A positive IOD is characterized by warmer-than-normal sea surface temperatures near Indonesia and cooler-than-normal temperatures near the African coast, generally resulting in above-normal rainfall over India.

  Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  • 1 only
  • 2 only
  • Both 1 and 2
  • Neither 1 nor 2