19th August 2025

Explanation — It is a free-living amoeba (not virus) or a single-celled living organism. It lives in warm fresh water and soil around the world and infects people when it enters the body through the nose. Higher temperatures of up to 115°F (46°C) are conducive to its growth and it can survive for short periods in warm environments. The amoeba can be found in warm freshwater, such as lakes and rivers, swimming pools, splash pads, surf parks, or other recreational venues that are poorly maintained or minimally chlorinated. It enters the body through the nose, usually when people are swimming. It then travels up to the brain, where it destroys the brain tissue and causes swelling. 

Explanation — Ambergris, French for grey amber, is generally referred to as whale vomit. However, Christopher Kemp, the author of 'Floating gold: A Natural and (unnatural) history of Ambergris', says this is not right. A sperm whale eats several thousand squid beaks a day. Occasionally, a beak makes its way to the whale's stomach and into its looping convoluted intestines where it becomes ambergris through a complex process, and may ultimately be excreted by the whale. It is a solid waxy substance that floats around the surface of the water body and at times settles on the coast. This excretion is so valuable it is referred to as floating gold. As per the latest estimates given by Mumbai Police, 1 kg of ambergris is worth Rs 1 crore in the international market. The reason for its high cost is its use in the perfume market, especially to create fragrances like musk. 

Explanation — Almonds are one of the major and oldest tree nut crops in the world. There are two types of almonds available: Sweet almond and bitter almond. Required Climatic Conditions — Climate: Colder regions' climate is suitable for almond farming. Temperature: Temperature ranging between 7°C to 24°C is considered appropriate. Soil: Deep, loamy, well drained soils are ideal for almond growing. Rainfall: Average rainfall needed is 75 to 110 cm. Almond plants can grow easily at an altitude of 750 to 3200 meters above sea level. Major Almond farming Countries — USA, Australia, Spain, Turkey. Major Almond farming states — In India Almond cultivation is mainly done in the hilly parts of colder regions, mainly in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kerala and some hilly regions of Andhra Pradesh. 

Explanation — SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active–Learning for Young Aspiring Minds) is India's own MOOCs (Massive Open Online Course) platform of the Ministry of Education (MoE) initiative and was launched during 2017. It seeks to bridge the digital divide for students who have hitherto remained untouched by the digital revolution and have not been able to join the mainstream of the knowledge economy. It is an indigenously developed IT platform that facilitates hosting of all the courses taught in classrooms from Class 9 till post-graduation to be accessed by anyone, anywhere, at any time. All the courses are interactive, prepared by the best teachers in the country, and are available, free of cost, to the residents in India. Students wanting certifications need to register and shall be offered a certificate on successful completion of the course, with a little fee. At the end of each course, there will be an assessment of the student through a proctored examination, and the marks/grades secured in this exam could be transferred to the academic record of the students. UGC and AICTE have already issued the UGC (Credit Framework for online learning courses through SWAYAM) Regulation 2016 advising the Universities to identify courses where credits can be transferred on to the academic record of the students for courses done on SWAYAM.

Explanation — First and third options are incorrect. Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme was launched in January, 2003. The programme sought to promote the use of alternative and environment friendly fuels and to reduce import dependency for energy requirements. The programme has been extended to whole of India except Union Territories of Andaman Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands with effect from 01st April, 2019 wherein OMCs sell petrol blended with ethanol up to 10%. The Government has 10% blending target for mixing ethanol with petrol by 2022 & 20% blending target by 2030 (now revised to 2025).