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The Correct Answer is Chattisgarh.

• Dakshina Kosala is a historical region of central India.
• It was located in presently called Chhattisgarh and western part of Odisha.
• The inscriptions found in these districts mentioned in these inscriptions are given the titles indicating their lordship over Dakshina Kosala (such as Kosaladhisha, Kosaladhipati, and Kosala-Narendra).

• Kosala is not mentioned in the early Vedic literature but appears as a region in the later Vedic texts of the Shatapatha Brahmana (7th-6th centuries BCE, final version 300 BC) and the Kalpasutras (6th-century BCE).

• The Kosal state movement is an effort by people of the Western Odisha region of India to secede from the state of Odisha.

The Ganga-Brahmaputra Plain widens from west to east.

(d) east to west

The Satpura range is situated between two west flowing rivers, They are Narmada and Tapi.

(a) Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Delhi 

(b) Orographic rainfall

The correct answer is Uttar Pradesh.

• Other than Madhya Pradesh, the Betwa river also flows through Uttar Pradesh.

• About River Betwa:
  • It originates from the Vindhyachal Ranges of Raisen district in Madhya Pradesh.
  • Betwa is the important tributary of the river Yamuna.
  • The length of the river Betwa is around 590 Km.
  • Important cities on the bank of the river Betwa are Vidisha, Sanchi, and Orcchaa.
  • Raj Ghat Dam is situated on the river Betwa.
  • Ken-Betwa river interlinking project is the proposed project to transfer the surplus water from River Ken to Betwa in order to meet the water needs of the drought-prone Bundelkhand Region of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

The Ganga-Brahmaputra Plain widens from west to east.

The Sunder bans are found in Ganga Delta.

(b) Fresh in upper reaches and salty in the lower reaches

Siwalik.

Siwalik is not included in Trans Himalayas.

The main tributary is Yamuna.

The correct answer is Antarctica.

• Dakshin Gangotri was the first scientific base station of India situated in Antarctica, part of the Indian Antarctic Programme.
• It is located at a distance of 2,500 kilometers (1,600 mi) from the South Pole.
• It is currently being used as a supply base and transit camp.
• The base is named after Dakshin Gangotri Glacier. 
• It was established during the third Indian expedition to Antarctica in 1983–84.
• This was the first time an Indian team spent a winter in Antarctica to carry out scientific works.

• Himadri is India's first permanent Arctic research station located at Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway.
• It is located at the International Arctic Research base, Ny-Ålesund. 
• Maitri, also known as Friendship Research Center is India's second permanent research station in Antarctica as part of the Indian Antarctic Programme.  

Godavari.

Godavari is not a Himalayan river.

(d) Rann of Kachchh 

The river system which depends more on melting of snow for its water supply is the Indus.

The correct answer is 1 and 3 only

• Western coastal plains are examples of submergent coasts due to subsidence of one portion of landmass along the fault line. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• The steep overlooking western ghats are the other part of that landmass.
• Western coasts are narrower offering natural conditions for harbor and forming estuaries for swift-flowing rivers. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
• Eastern coasts are broader and hence it is a costly affair to build and maintain a port on this coast. Continuous dredging is required to maintain depth for the berthing of ships. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

​

Eastern Coastal plain

• Eastern Coastal Plain is divided into 2 stretches North and South. The part which is in the South is known as Coromandel Coast and the Northern Stretch of Eastern Coastal Plains is known as Northern Circar.
• Eastern Coastal Plain is in between the Bay of Bengal in the East and the Eastern Ghats to its West.
• Wide Deltas are formed by large rivers on the Eastern Coastal Plains.
• Eastern Coastal Plain is fertile due to alluvial soil.
• Eastern Coastal Plain is broader.
• Eastern Coastal plain is a level surface.

Western Coastal Plains

• Western Coastal Plains are divided into 3 different sections. The southern part is known as Malabar Coast, the Central part of the Western Coast is known as the Karavali or Kanara. The Northern Part of the Western Coast is known as Konkan. 
• Western Coastal Plain is between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats.
• Western Coastal Plain is between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats.
• Except for the Southern Part i.e. Malabar Coast, the Western Coastal Plain is infertile for agricultural purposes.
• Western Coastal Plains are very narrow.
• Western Coastal plain is intersected by mountain ridges.

The correct answer is CO₂.

• Of the greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide (CO₂) is the most significant.
  • Natural sources of atmospheric CO₂ include outgassing from volcanoes, the combustion and natural decay of organic matter, and respiration by aerobic (oxygen-using) organisms.
  • These sources are balanced, on average, by a set of physical, chemical, or biological processes, called “sinks,” that tend to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere.
  • Significant natural sinks include terrestrial vegetation, which takes up CO₂ during the process of photosynthesis.

• Global Warming:
  • Global warming occurs when carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other air pollutants collect in the atmosphere and absorb sunlight and solar radiation that have bounced off the earth’s surface.
  • Normally this radiation would escape into space, but these pollutants, which can last for years to centuries in the atmosphere, trap the heat and cause the planet to get hotter.
  • These heat-trapping pollutants—specifically carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor, and synthetic fluorinated gases—are known as greenhouse gases, and their impact is called the greenhouse effect.

The correct answer is 23%.

• The eastern plains of Rajasthan account for about 23% per cent of the total geographical area of the state of Rajasthan.

• Eastern Plain of Rajasthan:- The Eastern Plains of Rajasthan are subdivided into three sub-regions:
  • Chambal basin
    • District- Kota, Bundi, Baran, Tonk, Sawai Madhopur, Dholpur
  • Banas Basin
    • District- Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Bhilwara, Tonk, Jaipur, Alwar, Sawaimadhopur
    • It is an elevated peneplain plain drained by Banas & its tributaries.
  • Mahi or Chappan Basin
    • District: Dungarpur
    • The regions lie to the east of the Mewar hills & south of the Banas plain.

Once there lived a farmer in a certain village. He brought up a goose. Everyday it gave him a golden egg. The farmer sold the golden eggs and soon became rich. One day an idea struck in his mind. He thought that there would be many golden eggs in the stomach of the goose. So he killed the goose. He searched the dead body for golden eggs. He could not get more than one golden egg. He felt sorry for his greed. Moral: Avarice causes sorrow.

There are 17 sustainable development goals formulated by the United Nations.

a) Once there lived a farmer in a village. He lived happily with his wife and a little child. He domesticated a mangoose. It was a very faithful animal. The little boy used to play with the mangoose. One day the farmer’s wife went away to fetch water. The boy was playing with the mangoose. Mother asked the mangoose to take care of the boy. After a while the boy fell asleep. The mangoose was watching the boy. Then a snake entered the house. It was creeping towards the little boy. At once the mangoose sprang on the snake and killed it. Mother came back after a while. She understood what had happened. She was very happy because the mangoose , saved the boy from the danger. She patted the mangoose thankfully.

b) Two boys went to the zc|p on a Sunday. They enjoyed themselves by watching all the animals at a place. They were very much delighted to see the playing monkeys. They were a little frightened when the tiger roared in the cage. Then they saw the huge elephant. They felt thirsty and began to drink water. The elephant stepped forward as if it too wanted to drink water. They turned to be mischievous and teased the elephant. The zoo keeper brought some water in a. bucket. The elephant drank to its full. At once the elephant blew out water on the teasing boys. They became wet and they began to cry. So we should not tease or harm the animals for fun.

The correct answer is Jharkhand.

• Betla National Park is located in the Chota Nagpur Plateau of the Latehar district of the state of Jharkhand.
  • It was first established as a sanctuary.
  • The word "Betla" is an acronym for Bison, Elephant, Tiger, Leopard, and Axis-axis.
  • It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1973.
  • It was one of the first National Parks in India to become a tiger reserve under Project Tiger, in 1974.
  • It was declared as a National Park in the year of 1986.
• The park is a protected home to the animals like Elephant, Wild Boar, Tiger, Panther, Leopard, Gaur, Sloth Bear, Sambar, Small Indian Civet, Jackals, Porcupine etc.

• Important National Parks in Odisha are:
  • Simlipal National Park.
  • Bhitarkanika National Park.
• Important National Parks in Karnataka are:
  • Nagarhole National Park.
  • Anshi National Park.
  • Bandipur National Park.
  • Kudremukh National Park.
• Important National Parks in Maharashtra are:
  • Chandoli National Park.
  • Gugamal National Park.
  • Tadoba National Park.
  • Sanjay Gandhi National Park.

The Correct Answer is Vidyapati Thakur.

• Vidyapati Thakur of Mithila was a Bengali poet who enjoyed the patronage of a Hindu ruler as well as of the Sultans of Bengal.
• Vidyapati was a Maithili and Sanskrit poet, writer, and polyglot, also known by the sobriquet Maithil Kavi Kokil (the poet cuckoo of Maithili).
• At the time of Vidyapati, the late Prakrit-derived abahatta, had only begun to transition into early Eastern language versions, such as Maithili, Bhojpuri, etc.
• The influence of Vidyapati was described as "analogous to that of Dante in Italy and Chaucer in England" in making these languages.
• His work - Kīrttilatā refers to an event in which the King of Oiniwar, Raja Ga'eśvara, was killed in 1371 by the Turkish commander, Malik Arsalan.
• In 1401, Vidyapati asked for the aid of the Jaunpur Sultan to overthrow Arsalan and install on the throne to the sons of Ga'eśvara, Vīrasi'ha and Kīrttisi'ha.
• Arsalan was deposed with the aid of the Sultan, and Kīrttisi'ha, the oldest son, became Mithila's ruler.

• Debendranath Tagore,  Rabindranath’s father, was a Hindu philosopher and religious reformer.
  • He was an active leader of the Brahmo Samaj.
• Ravindranath Tagore was knighted by the ruling British Government in 1915.
  • He was a writer in his native Bengal. 
  • The poetry created by him is - Sonar Tari (1894), Gitanjali (1910), The Fugitive.
  • He became the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. 

(d) I, II, III and IV

The message of the poem ‘A thing of beauty’ is that beautiful things are a source of constant joy and inspiration. They give us eternal pleasure and leave an indelible image on our minds and, therefore, every beautiful thing and aspect is worth being treasured.

It was a very hot day. The sun was shining hot. A crow who lived on a tree was thirsty. It searched for water here and there. But it could not find water anywhere. She found a pot under a tree. There was very little water in it. Its beak could not reach the water. It found some small stones nearby. The crow brought them and dropped them into the pot one by one. The water level raised slowly. It drank water to its full and flew away.

The correct answer is 1 3 and 4 only.

• Except 2 all the areas are located in Kaveri Basin Area while Papikonda National Park is located in Godawari Basin. Hence 2 is incorrect.
• Nagarhole National Park - located in the Kodagu district of Karnataka. It is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
• Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve -located at the confluence region of Western and Eastern Ghats. It is also a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
• Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary-located in Wayanad Kerala, and comes under Project Elephant. It is also a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
• Hence 1 2 and 3 are correct.

• Protected areas are regions of zones of land or sea which provide protection for the conservation of biodiversity and socio-environmental values.
• There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection. Examples include national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, marine protected areas, community reserves etc.
• IUCN has six categories of protected areas-
  • ​Category Ia-Strict Nature Reserve
  • Category Ib - Wilderness Area
  • Category II - National Park
  • Category III - National Monument or Feature
  • Category IV - Habitat Management Area
  • Category V - Protected Landscape
  • Category VI - Protected Area with sustainable use of natural resources

The correct answer is West Champaran, Bihar.

• Valmiki Tiger Reserve is located at West Champaran, Bihar.
• Valmiki Tiger Reserve forms the easternmost limit of the Himalayan Terai forests in India and is the only tiger reserve of Bihar.
• Valmiki Tiger Reserve lies in the north-western (mostly in the West Champaran) district of Bihar. The name of the district has been derived from two words Champa and Aranya meaning Forest of Champa trees. 
• Situated in the Gangetic Plains bio-geographic zone of the country, the forest has a combination of bhabar and terai tracts.

• Project Tiger was launched by the Government of India in the year 1973 to save the endangered species of tiger in the country.  Starting from nine (9) reserves in 1973-2016 the number is grown up to fifty (50). 
• Madhya Pradesh is also known as the 'Tiger State' has 6 Tiger reserves within the state.

The correct answer is West Bengal.

• Buxa Tiger Reserve or Buxa National Park set up at the north-eastern corner of West Bengal bordering Bhutan and Assam in the Alipurdur District is a protected Forest Reserve of Dooars. 
• Buxa Tiger Reserve was created in 1983 as the 15th tiger reserve in India.
• Buxa derived its name from the famous Buxa Fort.
• The diversity of mammals in the Buxa Tiger Reserve ranks second highest among all the tiger reserves of India.

• Tiger Reserve available in Utter Pradesh is Dudhwa & Pilibhit.
• Tiger Reserve available in Kerala is  Periyar & Parambikulam.
• Tiger Reserve available in Andhra Pradesh is Nagarjunsagar Srisailam.
• Tiger Reserve available in Arunachal Pradesh is Namdapha.
• Tiger Reserve available in Assam is Kaziranga.

• Project Tiger was launched by the Government of India in the year 1973 to save the endangered species of tiger in the country. Starting from nine (9) reserves in 1973-2016 the number is grown up to fifty (50). A total area of 71027.10 km² is covered by these project tiger areas.

Keats considers beauty, in all its forms, which is God’s greatest gift to man as an endless fountain of immortal drink. He calls it immortal because the beauty bestowed by God is everlasting and perennial and men can bask in its glory forever.

The correct answer is Madhya Pradesh.

• Pench National Park:
  • Pench national park is also located in the state of Madhya Pradesh and derives its name from the river Pench flowing through it.
  • It was initially a wildlife sanctuary and was declared as a national park in 1992.
  • Royal Bengal tiger, wild boar, sloth bear, Indian leopard, fox, striped hyena, monkey, gaur, barking deer, four-horned antelope are the key fauna.
  • Both Kanha and Pench National Park are considered to be an inspiration for the ‘Jungle Book’ by Rudyard Kipling.

The correct answer is  A - 4, B - 3, C - 1, D - 2 .

• Jorbeer Wildlife Conservation Reserve - 
  • Bikaner in Rajasthan is one of the best places for birds, if they want to see some vultures.
  • Jorbeer Raptrs see the best of the city.
  • Birds such as steppe eagles, Griffon vultures and Egyptian vultures are as common as crows in the region.
• Gudha Vishnoi Wildlife Conservation Reserve - 
  • Gudha Vishnoi is a conservation reserve located in Jodhpur Rajasthan.
  • The main wildlife are  chinkara, black buck, wild boar.
•  Gogelav Wildlife Conservation Reserve - 
  • Gogelo Wildlife is a conservation reserve in Nagaur, Rajasthan .
  • The main wildlife are chinkara, green, black buck.
• Bir Wildlife Conservation Reserve - 
  • Bir Reserve in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan .
  • The main wildlife are green, hedge-hog, resident, and migratory birds.

The Correct answer is(A) - (iv), (B) - (iii), (C) - (ii), (D) - (i).

• Bandipur National Park - It was established in 1974 as a tiger reserve under Project Tiger.
  • It is a national park located in Karnataka.
  • It creates India's biggest biosphere reserve popularly known as the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
  • Bandipur National Park is the part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve making it the largest protected area in Southern India and the largest habitat of Wild Elephants in South Asia.
• Kaziranga - It is located in the State of Assam and covers 42,996 Hectares.
  • It is the home of the world's most one-horned rhinos.
• The Sundarban National Park - It is located in the southeast of Calcutta and forms part of the Gangetic Delta.
  • The Sundarbans mangrove forest, one of the largest such forests in the world, lies across India and Bangladesh on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers on the Bay of Bengal.
  • It is home to many rare and globally threatened wildlife species such as the estuarine crocodile, Royal Bengal Tiger, Water monitor lizard, Gangetic dolphin, and olive ridley turtles.
• Similipal National Park - It is a national park and a tiger reserve in the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha covering 2,750 km2 (1,060 sq mi).
  • It is part of the Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve, which includes three protected areas — Similipal Tiger Reserve, Hadgarh Wildlife Sanctuary with 191.06 km2 (73.77 sq mi), and Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary with 272.75 km2 (105.31 sq mi).
  • This protected area is part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 2009.

The correct answer is 1, 3 and 4.

• The ferns are most commonly plants of shaded damp forests of both temperate and tropical zones. 
  • Some fern species grow equally well on soil and upon rocks; others are confined strictly to rocky habitats, where they occur in fissures and crevices of cliff faces, boulders, and taluses.
  • Acidic rocks such as granites, sandstones, and quartzites are associated with characteristic fern species different from those of alkaline rocks such as calcites and dolomites. A few species appear to be confined to serpentine and related rocks.
  • In the tropics, as many as two-thirds of the ferns of an area may grow as epiphytes on the shaded lower trunks and branches or in the crowns of trees Hence 1 is correct.
• Moss is a small flowerless green plant that lacks true roots, growing in damp habitats and reproducing by means of spores released from stalked capsules.
  • Moss grows on any substrate. Soil helps increase humidity, but it has no nutrient value for moss.
  • As moss has rhizoids, anything it can attach its rhizoids to is a suitable base. It will grow without soil. Hence 3 is correct.
• Mushroom, the conspicuous umbrella-shaped fruiting body (sporophore) of certain fungi. 
  • Mushrooms can form a symbiotic relationship with trees. Mushrooms can also be grown hydroponically as fungi. Hence 4 is correct.
• Lichens are a complex life form that is a symbiotic partnership of two separate organisms, a fungus and an alga.
  • The dominant partner is the fungus, which gives the lichen the majority of its characteristics, from its thallus shape to its fruiting bodies.
  • The alga can be either a green alga or a blue-green alga, otherwise known as cyanobacteria.
  • The most common natural substrates are trees, rocks, and soil.
  • Soil is another important substrate for lichens. It provides moisture, nutrients, space to grow, and depending on the location, shelter as well. Hence 2 is incorrect.

The correct answer is 1, 2, and 3.

• Steel slag, a by-product of steel making, is produced during the separation of the molten steel from impurities in steel-making furnaces.
• One of the ingredients of asphalt is steel slag, a by-product of the steel and iron production processes.
• Asphalt roads are made of a mixture of aggregates, binders, and fillers.
• The aggregates are typically iron or steel slag, sand, gravel, mixed with asphalt that produces bitumen.
• The bitumen, produced by the refineries, plays an important role in road construction. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• Steel slags can be used in several activities, such as construction and paving, and also in the agricultural sector
• Steel slag has the ability to correct soil acidity, as it contains some nutrients for the plants and also as silicate fertilizer that is capable of providing silicon to the plants. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• Steel slag, another waste from the Iron & Steel Industry, has shown potential for use as a raw mix component up to 10% in the manufacture of cement clinker.
• Steel slag can also replace granulated blast furnace slag up to 10% in the manufacture of Portland Slag Cement. Steel slag has been used successfully to treat acidic water discharges from abandoned mines. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

• Grow trees along the boundary wall.
• Grow shrubs and small plants on the sides of internal road and around the playground.
• Harvest water from rooftop to be utilised for watering the plants.
• Arrange awareness programmes among students through poster exhibition and seminars.
• Avoid wastage of water and paper should be recycled for handicraft purposes.

• Segregate wastes into recyclable and non-recyclable.
• Use water and electricity judiciously.
• Do not waste food.
• Reuse newspapers and plastic items.
• Keep windows open to prevent less use of fan.
• Follow three R's (Reduce, Recycle and Reuse).

Correct option (C) B₁₂ 

Explanation:

Gir national park:

• Gir national park is located in Gujarat.
• Gir national park is also known as Sasan Gir.
• It is famous for Asiatic lions.
• It is located in Junagadh, Gir Somnath and Amreli districts of Gujarat.

Ranthambore:

• The Bandhavgarh National Park is known as 'Ranthambore of Rajasthan'.
• It is situated in Umaria.
• It was established as National Park in 1968.
• It was included in Project Tiger in the year 1993.
• The maximum density of Tiger is found in this park (for every 8 km one Tiger).
• This is the only National Park surrounded by 32 hills.
• This park is known for White Tigers.

​Kaziranga:

• The Kaziranga National Park and the Manas Tiger Project (National Park) are internationally famous for one-horned Rhino and Royal Bengal Tiger respectively.
• Kaziranga national park is famous for being the world's largest habitat for the great one-horned rhinos.
• Kaziranga National Park is situated in Assam.
• It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.

​Bandipur:

• It is located in Chamarjanagar, Karnataka.
• It was founded under the "Project Tiger" in the year 1974 by the government of India.
• The "Project Tiger" was launched in 1973 to protect the population of tigers for scientific, aesthetic, cultural, and ecological values.
• The Bandipur National Park is aimed at protecting the tiger in their natural habitat.
• It is extended up to 872.24 sq. km.
• Apart from the tiger, it is also the habitat of Asiatic elephants, sloths, pythons, jackals, antelopes, etc.
• In addition, it also includes number of timber like teak, rosewood, sandalwood, etc.
• The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve also encompasses the parts of Bandipur.

​Kanchenjunga park:

• Khangchendzonga National Park is a National Park and a Biosphere reserve in Sikkim listed in UNESCO World Heritage Sites in July 2016.
• It is India's first mixed heritage site, also included in UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme.  
• It is the natural habitat of  Asian black bear, Red panda, white-bellied musk deer, chestnut-breasted partridge, blood pheasant, and  snow leopard.
• There are total 14 protected areas in the regions of Kanchenjunga.

The correct match of List-I to List-II is (a) - (ii), (b) - (iii), (c) - (iv), (d) - (i), e - (v)

The correct answer is Bankura.

• The convenient grouping of soils in West Bengal as:
  • Laterites.
  • Red Earths.
  • Tarai soils.
  • Alluvial soils.
  • The Coastal soils.
• In West Bengal lateritic soils occur in the districts of Bankura, Birbhum, Burdwan, and Paschim Medinipur.
• Red soil area extends into and includes the greater part of Santhal Parganas in Jharkhand, the Birbhum, Bankura district of West Bengal.
• Tarai soils cover the north part of West Bengal - Darjeeling, Cooch Bihar, hilly part of Jalpaiguri.
• In West Bengal, a portion of Murshidabad, Bankura, almost the whole tract known as the Rarh region are composed mainly of the old alluvium.
  • New alluvium covering Murshidabad, Nadia, Hoogly, Burdwan, and North 24 Parganas.
• Coastal saline soil covering South 24 Parganas, Howrah, and Midnapore (E). Soils are mostly heavy clay containing higher salts of sodium, magnesium, potassium with organic matter at different stages of decomposition.

 (D) Hypervitaminosis D

(C) Vitamin B₁₂

The correct answer is Torang, Purulia.

• Torang village is located in Jhalda I Tehsil of Puruliya district in West Bengal.
• West Bengal's climate varies from tropical savannah in the southern portions to humid subtropical in the north.
• In summer (March to May) the avg temperature is 33°C.
• After Purulia, Bankura and Asansol come to next.
• Almost 30°C temperature in the summertime.

Main challenges' before political parties are : 

(a) Lack of internal democracy: The first challenge is lack of internal democracy within parties. The concentration of power in one or few leaders at the top. 

(b) Dynastic succession: Favour people close to them or even their family members. In many parties, the top positions are always controlled by members of one family.

(c) Money and muscle power: The third challenge is about growing role of money and muscle power in parties, especially during elections. 

(d) Meaningful choice: The fourth challenge is that very often parties do not seem to offer a meaningful choice to the voters.

(D) All of these