5th September 2024

Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct as the Krishna River originates near Mahabaleshwar in the Western Ghats.
Statement 2 is incorrect as the Krishna River Basin covers about 8%, not 10%, of India's total
geographical area.
Statement 3 is correct as the Balaghat range forms the northern boundary of the basin.
Statement 4 is incorrect as the Tungabhadra is a right bank tributary, not a left bank tributary.

Explanation:
Statements 1 and 2 are correct - OBIS was adopted as a project under IOC-UNESCO's IODE
programme in 2009 and emerged from the Census of Marine Life (2000-2010).
Statement 3 is incorrect as OBIS is supported by nearly 30 regional nodes, not exactly 30.
Statement 4 is incorrect as OBIS is set up by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)
of UNESCO, not the IPCC.

Explanation - The Saora Tribe of Odisha is an ancient tribe mentioned in the epics Ramayana and
Mahabharata. They are primarily found in Odisha, with smaller populations in Andhra Pradesh,
Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Assam. The Saora Tribe is mentioned in the epics Ramayana and
Mahabharata: This is true, as the tribe has historical references in these epics.
The Saora Tribe primarily resides in Odisha but also has populations in Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand,
Madhya Pradesh, and Assam: This statement is accurate regarding their geographical distribution.
The Saoras use a native language called Sora, which belongs to the Dravidian language family: This is
incorrect. Sora is a Munda language, not Dravidian. The Saora Tribe practices shifting cultivation and
has a unique tattooing tradition known as ‘Tantangbo’: This is true. The Saoras practice shifting
cultivation (particularly the Hill Saoras) and have a distinctive tattooing tradition called ‘Tantangbo’.

Explanation - The BioE3 Policy of the Government of India has several key objectives — Increase the
production and use of biofuels, biogas, and biomass-based energy: This aims to enhance the use of
bioenergy as a renewable source. Encourage the development and commercialisation of bioplastics
and biochemicals: The policy promotes the bioeconomy by focusing on bioproducts derived from

biological resources. Promote environmental sustainability by reducing reliance on non-renewable
materials: The policy seeks to mitigate environmental degradation and support a circular economy.
Option 4, focus exclusively on infrastructure development without emphasising employment
generation, is incorrect because the policy also aims to create employment opportunities, not just
focus on infrastructure development.

Explanation - It is a regional security grouping comprising India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and
Mauritius. Origin — The CSC, initially known as the Trilateral for Maritime Security Cooperation,
evolved out of trilateral meetings between NSAs and Deputy NSAs from India, Maldives, and Sri
Lanka, starting in 2011. It came to a standstill after 2014 due to rising tensions between India and
the Maldives. After its revival and re-branding as the CSC in 2020, Mauritius was added as a member
of the grouping. Current members of CSC include India, Bangladesh, Maldives, Mauritius and Sri
Lanka, while the Seychelles is an observer nation. Cooperation under the conclave focuses on five
pillars – maritime safety and security, countering terrorism and radicalisation, combating trafficking
and transnational organised crime, cyber-security and protection of critical infrastructure, and
humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. A permanent secretariat, based in Colombo, was
established in 2021 to coordinate all activities and implement decisions made at the NSA level.Explanation - It is a regional security grouping comprising India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and
Mauritius. Origin — The CSC, initially known as the Trilateral for Maritime Security Cooperation,
evolved out of trilateral meetings between NSAs and Deputy NSAs from India, Maldives, and Sri
Lanka, starting in 2011. It came to a standstill after 2014 due to rising tensions between India and
the Maldives. After its revival and re-branding as the CSC in 2020, Mauritius was added as a member
of the grouping. Current members of CSC include India, Bangladesh, Maldives, Mauritius and Sri
Lanka, while the Seychelles is an observer nation. Cooperation under the conclave focuses on five
pillars – maritime safety and security, countering terrorism and radicalisation, combating trafficking
and transnational organised crime, cyber-security and protection of critical infrastructure, and
humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. A permanent secretariat, based in Colombo, was
established in 2021 to coordinate all activities and implement decisions made at the NSA level.Explanation - It is a regional security grouping comprising India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and
Mauritius. Origin — The CSC, initially known as the Trilateral for Maritime Security Cooperation,
evolved out of trilateral meetings between NSAs and Deputy NSAs from India, Maldives, and Sri
Lanka, starting in 2011. It came to a standstill after 2014 due to rising tensions between India and
the Maldives. After its revival and re-branding as the CSC in 2020, Mauritius was added as a member
of the grouping. Current members of CSC include India, Bangladesh, Maldives, Mauritius and Sri
Lanka, while the Seychelles is an observer nation. Cooperation under the conclave focuses on five
pillars – maritime safety and security, countering terrorism and radicalisation, combating trafficking
and transnational organised crime, cyber-security and protection of critical infrastructure, and
humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. A permanent secretariat, based in Colombo, was
established in 2021 to coordinate all activities and implement decisions made at the NSA level.