Environment – GK Questions

Mini-grids and standalone solar systems can provide reliable, affordable power to remote areas, enhancing energy access and local development.

UDAY addresses DISCOM losses through debt restructuring, operational improvements, and tariff rationalization to enable sustainable power sector growth.

PV technology uses semiconductor materials to generate electric current from photons, offering clean, decentralized energy with minimal maintenance.

While hydropower is renewable, large dams can cause social displacement, affect aquatic biodiversity, and alter river hydrology, requiring careful planning.

NMSA, under NAPCC, focuses on climate adaptation, resource conservation, and livelihood security for farmers through integrated approaches.

Rotating crops with different nutrient needs and growth habits enhances soil structure, reduces disease buildup, and optimizes resource use.

Climate-smart agriculture enhances adaptive capacity, reduces vulnerability to weather extremes, and contributes to mitigation through sustainable practices.

Soil Health Cards help farmers optimize input use, improve productivity, and maintain soil health through site-specific nutrient management.

Biofertilizers containing beneficial microbes improve soil fertility naturally, reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers and promoting sustainable agriculture.

ZBNF, promoted in India, uses practices like bijamrita, jiwamrita, mulching, and intercropping to enhance soil fertility and reduce farmer indebtedness.

While GM crops offer benefits, ecological concerns include biodiversity effects, resistance evolution, and socio-economic issues requiring careful assessment.

PKVY supports farmers in adopting organic practices, certification, and marketing to enhance soil health, biodiversity, and farm income sustainably.

IPM emphasizes prevention, monitoring, and targeted interventions, reducing reliance on broad-spectrum pesticides and protecting beneficial organisms.

Conservation agriculture enhances soil health, water retention, and biodiversity while reducing erosion and input costs for sustainable farming.

Green chemistry promotes sustainable practices like atom economy, safer solvents, renewable feedstocks, and energy efficiency to minimize environmental impact.

UV radiation in the stratosphere cleaves CFCs, releasing chlorine radicals that catalytically destroy ozone molecules, depleting the ozone layer.

Formaldehyde, emitted from paints, adhesives, and furniture, is a VOC that can cause respiratory irritation and is classified as a carcinogen.

Bioaccumulation of persistent pollutants like mercury or DDT in tissues can lead to toxic effects and biomagnification up the food chain.

These treatment methods convert dissolved metals into insoluble forms or bind them to media for removal, preventing aquatic toxicity.

Nutrient enrichment triggers algal blooms; subsequent decomposition depletes dissolved oxygen, causing fish kills and ecosystem imbalance.