ARCHIVES OF 60 DAYS

THANK YOU NOTE: LAST DAY – IASbaba’s 60 Day Plan

Hello Everyone,

Its been an awesome journey in the last two months. We at IASbaba want to thank you all for the dedication and commitment with which you participated.

Now that we have four months for preliminary examination, it is an extremely crucial period for the UPSC aspirants. A proper strategy during this period can see you through the first, screening stage and enable you to reach the next frontier- the main examination. We request you to revise every single concept and spend most of your time in consolidating the learning. The best way is to revise, revise and revise!

We would like to tell you that a lot of thought process and research goes in picking up right topics and framing questions for this program. We have tried our best to align the questions with the UPSC trend and predicting the probable questions for the upcoming examination.

We suggest that before prelims you must have multiple revisions of the subject-wise 60 Day compilations that have been shared with you. The remaining compilations will be uploaded soon. 

Also in the past couple of months, we have come up with a series of programs for the Prelims and Mains stages of the Civil Services Examination. All these carefully curated programs are designed to keep you on your toes to ensure that you make full use of the ongoing lockdown.

FREE INITIATIVES:

1. Rapid Revision (RaRe) Series 2021: A separate dedicated portal and an integrated program for Prelims and Mains to help you utilise the next 120 days, due to extension of exam dates by UPSC. For more information about the initiative Click Here.
2. 60 Day Plan 2021: IASbaba’s Most Trusted Initiative for UPSC Prelims 2021 Click Here.
3. TLP+ 2021 (Phase 1) Compilations: GS Mains Answer Writing Program Click Here.
4. Brainstorming On Ethics And Essay (BEE):  By Sunil Oberoi Sir (Retd. IAS) – A Youtube Initiative! Each week, Oberoi Sir will take 3 sessions, two for Essay (Issue-based & Philosophical) and one for Ethics. Click Here.
5. Connect with Baba – Hotline, Phone-a-Friend: A dedicated helpline that allows you to talk to IASbaba’s top mentors and clarify your preparation strategy doubts. For more information about the initiative Click Here.
6. Weekend with Baba: A couple of hours on the weekends where Mohan Sir (Founder, IASbaba), IASbaba faculty, eminent personalities come live on Youtube to interact with and answer to your preparation queries. For more information about the initiative Click Here.
7. Daily Current Affairs: An initiative aimed at upgrading your current affairs preparation where you can add immense value to your knowledge by investing minimal time. For more information about the initiative Click Here.

PAID PROGRAMS:

1. Prelims Exclusive Program (PEP) 2021:‘One Stop Destination for Prelims Preparation’. It includes Discussion Classes, Strategy Classes, Hand-outs, Tests, Mentorship. For more information about the initiative Click Here.
2. TLP+ 2021: A mentorship-based online answer writing initiative for Mains. For more information about the initiative Click Here.
3. BABAPEDIA – Your ‘One Stop Destination for Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains)’. For more information Click Here.
4. Integrated Learning Program (ILP) 2021: IASbaba’s most famous flagship initiative for UPSC. An integrated & Self-Study Program. For more information about the initiative Click Here.
5. All India Prelims Test Series(AIPTS) 2021: A high quality test series for Prelims. For more information about the initiative Click Here. 
6. IASbaba’s Foundation Course For Fresher’s 2022: A comprehensive mentorship-based online classroom programme for end to end preparation for the Civil Services Examination. For more information about the program Click Here. 
7. Optional Test Series 2021 & Optional Foundation Course 2022: To Know More Information Click Here. 

ENVIRONMENT [DAY 60] 

Q.1) With reference to Microplastics, consider the following statements:

1. Microplastics are fragments of any type of plastic less than 5 mm in length.
2. Microplastics are ingested directly by zooplanktons.
3. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is entirely made up of microplastics.

  Which of the above statements are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1 , 2 and 3

Q.2) Consider the following statements with reference to light pollution:

1. Light pollution is an unwanted consequence of excessive or misdirected artificial lighting and includes such effects as sky glow, light trespass and glare.
2. It severely reduces the visibility of stars and other celestial objects.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Q.3) Which of the following are migratory birds to India?

1. Siberian Crane
2. Amur Falcon
3. Bar-headed Goose
4. Great white Pelican

Choose appropriate option:

1. 1 only
2. 1, 2 and 3 only
3. 2, 3 and 4 only
4. 1, 2 , 3 and 4

Q.4) Consider the following statements:

1. Bioassay is a test in which organisms are used to detect the presence or the effects of any other physical factor, chemical factor, or any other type of ecological disturbance.
2. Keystone species is a dominant primary producer in an ecosystem both in terms of abundance and influence.

Which of the above given statements is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Q.5) Which of the following methods are being suggested to treat Air pollution from Thermal Power Plant?

1. Gravitational settling chamber
2. Using electrostatic precipitator
3. Fluidised Bed Combustion

Choose appropriate option:

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Q.6) Consider the following statements in context of Wildlife census

1. In India, Only Tiger and Elephant census is done at National level periodically.
2. According to the 4^th Tiger census, Karnataka has highest tiger Populations.
3. Only critically endangered species are included Recovery programmes for saving critically endangered species.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Q.7) Consider the following statements:

1. Usage of Diclofenac for treatment of domestic animal was the major cause of decrease of Vulture Population in India.
2. Red-headed vulture is on critically endangered list of IUCN but not listed under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Q.8) Which of the following is a plant succession limited by water availability?

1. Xerosere
2. Hydrosere
3. Psammosere
4. Lithosere

Q.9) Global Environment Outlook is published by

1. IPCC
2. World Bank
3. UNEP
4. UNDP

Q.10) “It is a second largest contagious protected area network and is largest high altitude reserve in India. It has highest density of Snow Leopard in the World and it lies in rain shadow area of Himalayas.” Which of the protected area is being discussed here?

1. Namdampha National Park
2. Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve
3. Kanchenjunga National Park
4. Hemis National Park

Q.11) Consider the following statements about Sunderban Delta:

1. It is the only mangrove forest inhabited by Tigers.
2. It is both Ramsar Site and World Heritage site.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Q.12) Consider the following statements about Montreux Record:

1. It is register of wetland sites on the List of Wetlands of International Importance.
2. It is maintained as a part of Ramsar List.
3. Currently Chilika Lake and Kaledeo National Park from India is listed under it.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Q.13) Consider the following statements about International Renewable Energy Agency:

1. It is an intergovernmental organisation that supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy.
2. IRENA is the first international organisation to focus exclusively on the issue of renewable energies.
3. IRENA is an official United Nations observer.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Q.14) Recently which of the following has become the first state or UT to launch Carbon Watch, a mobile application to assess the carbon footprint of an individual?

1. Karnataka
2. Madhya Pradesh
3. Chandigarh
4. Delhi

Q.15) Recently two wetlands have been declared as Ramsar site, of which Kabartal wetland is located in?

1. Uttarakhand
2. Uttar Pradesh
3. Bihar
4. Tamil Nadu

Q.16) Which of the following farming practices contribute to Carbon sink?

1. Reduction in tillage
2. Reducing fallow periods
3. Planting shrubs and trees as shelterbelts
4. Adding synthetic manures and Pesticide

Select the correct option:

1. 1 and 3 only
2. 1, 2 and 3 only
3. 2, 3 and 4 only
4. All of the above

Q.17) Consider the following about Convention on Biological Diversity:

1. It is a legally binding convention.
2. It does not cover genetic resources.
3. Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is one of its Supplementary agreement.

Select the correct statements:

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. All of the above

Q.18) Consider the following statements about National Board for Wildlife:

1. It is a statutory body chaired by Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate change.
2. No alternation of boundaries in wildlife sanctuaries can be done without approval of the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL).

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Q.19) Consider the following statements about Great Green wall Project:

1. It is a project to address desertification, land degradation and climate change in Sahel Region of Africa.
2. It is led by African Union and aims to grow 8,000-kilometre-long and 15-km-wide mosaic of trees, grasslands, vegetation and plants.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both
4. None

Q.20) Consider the following statements about Coral Bio-Triangle Region:

1. The Coral Triangle is a marine area located in the western Pacific Ocean
2. Due to its importance it is known as Amazon of the seas.

Select the correct statements:

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both
4. None

Q.21) Consider the following statements about the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)’:

1. It is an international legal agreement between all the member nations of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
2. TRIPS Agreement is also described as a “Berne and Paris-plus” Agreement.
3. TRIPS was negotiated at the end of the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 3 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Q.22) Recently which of the following country started first space military exercise called ‘AsterX’?

1. USA
2. France
3. China
4. Japan

Q.23) Consider the following statements about ‘Mucormycosis’:

1. It is an aggressive and invasive bacterial infection.
2. The disease often manifests in the skin and also affects the lungs and the brain.
3. It mainly affects people who are on medication for health problems that reduces their ability to fight environmental pathogens.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 1 and 3 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. All of the above

Q.24) Consider the following statements about the species of Pangolins found in India:

1. Indian Pangolin is endemic to India.
2. Chinese Pangolin is critically endangered while Indian Pangolin is endangered under IUCN list.
3. Both these species are protected and are listed under the Schedule I Part I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972

Which of the above given statements is/are incorrect?

1. 1 only
2. 1 and 2 only
3. 2 only
4. 2 and 3 only

Q.25) Consider the following statements about “Adoptions provisions in India”

1. Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) functions as the nodal body for adoption of Indian children and is mandated to monitor and regulate in-country and inter-country adoptions
2. In India Adoption is governed by the Adoption Regulations 2017 and in accordance with the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
3. India has ratified Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption.

Which of the above given statements is/are correct?

1. 1. 1. 1 and 2 only
      2. 2 only
      3. 2 and 3 only
      4. 3 only

Q.26) Consider the following statements regarding ‘export of organic products’ –

1. 1. 1. At present, organic products are exported provided they met the requirements of the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP).
      2. Organic products covered under the bilateral agreement with NPOP need not be recertified for import in India.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1. 1. 1 only
      2. 2 only
      3. Both 1 and 2
      4. Neither 1 nor 2

Q.27) Consider the following statements about ‘Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA):

1. 1. 1. It is a statutory body under Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare.
      2. APEDA is mandated with the responsibility of export promotion and development of scheduled products such as Fruits, Vegetable, Meat, Poultry Products.
      3. APEDA has been entrusted with the responsibility to monitor import of sugar.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1. 1. 1 and 2 only
      2. 1 and 3 only
      3. 2 and 3 only
      4. 1, 2 and 3

Q.28) Which of the following agency conducts consumer confidence survey?

1. 1. 1. FICCI
      2. RBI
      3. Department of Financial services
      4. NSO

Q.29) Consider the following statements about ‘India’s engagement with the Arctic region’

1. 1. 1. India is member of Arctic council since 2013.
      2. India has a permanent research station in the Arctic called Bharati.
      3. The research in the Arctic region from India is coordinated, conducted, and promoted by Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1. 1. 1 and 2 only
      2. 1 and 3 only
      3. 3 only
      4. 1, 2 and 3

Q.30) Consider the following statements about ‘Asian Development Bank’:

1. 1. 1. It was established by members of ASEAN Countries in Manila.
      2. India is one of its founding members.
      3. It was modelled closely on the World Bank, and has a similar weighted voting system.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1. 1. 1 only
      2. 1 and 2 only
      3. 2 only
      4. 2 and 3 only

Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow each passage. Your answer to these questions should be based on passage only.

Passage 1

The forest fire in Tamil Nadu’s Theni hills that claimed the lives of 11 trekkers and severely injured many others is a heart-rending tragedy, with many of them being women who were out to celebrate International Women’s Day. Questions are naturally being asked whether the Forest Department failed to stop treks during the February-June fire season, and whether the response to the early distress alerts was slow. It appears that the difficult terrain gave many of those caught in the fire line little chance, and proved challenging for the State’s rescue operation launched in coordination with the Central government. The residents of the hills played a commendable role in aiding the effort. Yet, several families are left scarred as they try to cope with the loss of loved ones. The tragedy has highlighted the lack of emphasis on safety in the way such events are organised. Indeed, if there is any lesson that can be learnt from the episode, it is that such adventures should place safety above everything else, and that the government has a key role to play in evolving the protocols. In a country with rich landscapes and forests, the wish to briefly leave the urban life behind and take to the outdoors is but natural.

Q.31) Which of the following best describes the central theme of the given passage?

1. 1. 1. The fatal incident of women who struck in forest fire while celebrating International Women’s Day
      2. Heroic role played by the residents of the hills in rescuing the fire incident victims
      3. Lack of emphasis on safety while going outdoors
      4. None of the above

Passage 2

There is strong evidence that alcohol causes cancer at seven sites in the body and probably others. Current estimates suggest that alcohol-attributable cancers at these sites make up 5.8% of all cancer deaths world-wide. Confirmation of specific biological mechanisms by which alcohol increases the incidence of each type of cancer is not required to infer that alcohol is a cause.

Q.32) What is the stated relation between alcohol consumption and the occurrence of the cancer?

1. 1. 1. There is no evidence to show any correlation between the two.
      2. Strong evidence is available to show that they are directly correlated atleast for the seven sites into discussion.

Which of the following is/are correct?

1. 1. 1. Only 1
      2. Only 2
      3. Both 1 and 2
      4. Neither 1 nor 2

Passage 3

I’ve been following the economic crisis for more than two years now. I began working on the subject as part of the background to a novel, and soon realized that I had stumbled across the most interesting story I’ve ever found. While I was beginning to work on it, the British bank Northern Rock blew up, and it became clear that, as I wrote at the time, “If our laws are not extended to control the new kinds of super-powerful, super-complex, and potentially super-risky investment vehicles, they will one day cause a financial disaster of global-systemic proportions.” I was both right and too late, because all the groundwork for the crisis had already been done—though the sluggishness of the world’s governments, in not preparing for the great unravelling of autumn 2008, was then and still is stupefying. But this is the first reason why I wrote this book: because what’s happened is extraordinarily interesting. It is an absolutely amazing story, full of human interest and drama, one whose byways of mathematics, economics, and psychology are both central to the story of the last decades and mysteriously unknown to the general public. We have heard a lot about “the two cultures” of science and the arts—we heard a particularly large amount about it in 2009, because it was the fiftieth anniversary of the speech during which C. P. Snow first used the phrase. But I’m not sure the idea of a huge gap between science and the arts is as true as it was half a century ago—it’s certainly true, for instance, that a general reader who wants to pick up an education in the fundamentals of science will find it easier than ever before. It seems to me that there is a much bigger gap between the world of finance and that of the general public and that there is a need to narrow that gap, if the financial industry is not to be a kind of priesthood, administering to its own mysteries and feared and resented by the rest of us. Many bright, literate people have no idea about all sorts of economic basics, of a type that financial insiders take as elementary facts of how the world works. I am an outsider to finance and economics, and my hope is that I can talk across that gulf.

My need to understand is the same as yours, whoever you are. That’s one of the strangest ironies of this story: after decades in which the ideology of the Western world was personally and economically individualistic, we’ve suddenly been hit by a crisis which shows in the starkest terms that whether we like it or not—and there are large parts of it that you would have to be crazy to like—we’re all in this together. The aftermath of the crisis is going to dominate the economics and politics of our societies for at least a decade to come and perhaps longer.

Q.33) According to the passage, the author is likely to be supportive of which one of the following programmes?

1. 1. 1. An educational curriculum that promotes economic research.
      2. An educational curriculum that promotes developing financial literacy in the masses.
      3. The complete nationalisation of all financial institutions.
      4. Economic policies that are more sensitively calibrated to the fluctuations of the market.

Q.34) All of the following, if true, could be seen as supporting the arguments in the passage, except:

1. 1. 1. The story of the economic crisis is also one about international relations, global financial security, and mass psychology.
      2. Economic crises could be averted by changing prevailing ideologies and beliefs.
      3. The failure of economic systems does not necessarily mean the failure of their ideologies.
      4. The difficulty with understanding financial matters is that they have become so arcane.

Q.35) Three partners shared the profit in a business in the ratio 4:6:8. They had partnered for 12 months, 8 months and 6 months respectively. What was the ratio of their investments?

1. 1. 1. 4:6:8
      2. 4:7:8
      3. 4:8:16
      4. 4:9:16

NOTE- Follow this for Comments

1. 1. 1. Mention- Time Taken after solving the Test

      2. After the release of Solution, Edit your Comment to Mention-  Correct/Incorrect and Score

      3. 2 Marks for Correct/0.66 minus for Incorrect.

What IMPACT can the ‘60 Day’ have on the final results? We will explain by taking a small example. Imagine you are sitting in the examination hall, appearing in Prelims Paper I. You have attempted 70 questions already but still unsure about a few. Then you stumble upon a question that was asked in 60 Day (and believe us, it has happened to hundreds of students countless times). You choose the right answer and submit your paper hoping for the best! Eventually, you go on to clear Mains as well as Personality Test and secure a good rank as well. When the cut off gets announced by UPSC, you realize that you have scored just one mark more than the cut off! Yes, that one mark can change your life (and it has done so to many of our students in the past). Now, imagine the kind of impact 60 to 80 marks can have! Isn’t that so fascinating to imagine?  

One’s level of preparedness is always different for different subjects. Even within a subject, one’s comfort level may vary with topics. For example, one might be more comfortable in solving questions of Polity than Economics and within Polity also, one might be at ease with questions on fundamental rights than Parliament. The level of comfort and ease that one has with a subject/ topic gets manifested in the examination. However, there is no conscious effort by aspirants to micro analyze these aspects. Now, coming to the second aspect i.e. the mistakes that one commits in answering MCQs, it can be said that there are mainly four reasons behind incorrect responses in the OMR sheet. They are:

1. 1. 1. Lack of information
      2. Lack of analytical ability
      3. Silly mistakes
      4. Excessive risk-taking

Let’s analyze them one by one:

1. 1. 1. Lack of information: You simply don’t know the information. You are clueless and that’s why you don’t attempt the question. For example, you may have never come across a regime called the ‘Wassenaar Agreement’ during your preparation and you can’t do much about it. The lack of information is pardonable and rectifiable. You can read more and gather more information. That is within your reach.
      2. Lack of analytical ability: You know the concept but the question is a twisted one and you are not able to apply the concept. For example, in a question asking you to identify the climate type of a region based on certain given parameters like precipitation, temperature, and air density, you might find it difficult to mark the correct option even if you are aware of all the options given in the question! That is clearly a lack of application and you can overcome it by developing a habit of framing questions in your mind while you study any topic.
      3. Silly mistakes: This habit is unpardonable. You know the concept, you become happy, you misread the question, you mark the incorrect answer and you are out of the race! Such mistakes reveal your hurriedness while answering the question. A simple mistake of reading ‘chose the incorrect option’ as ‘chose the correct option’ can destroy your chances. It means that you need to have patience and focus while attempting the paper.
      4. Excessive risk-taking: You are confused between the options and just in order to increase your attempts, you make wild guesses and try your luck only to repent eventually. Risk-taking is an art and one must be very careful while doing the guesswork in confusing questions. If you are not lucky enough, it can spoil your chances.

You will realize that these problems will have different meanings for different people. For example, one might find a lack of information as the main culprit in answering wrong the questions on Culture while in Polity, lack of analytical ability is usually the culprit. The point here is that you must analyse your preparation on these yardsticks by applying them on different subjects/ topics. If one is having a headache, he/ she can’t have the same medicine for fever. Isn’t it.

This is where our revamped ’60 Day’ comes into the picture. It will give you an opportunity to micro analyze your preparation and perform better in the examination.

Finally, it is up to you to take advantage of this framework. We are sure of only one thing- if you follow this program, assess yourself on the basis of the given framework and keep improving your weaker areas, success will be yours.

We are providing you with the right platform, the right guidance, and the right competition. Do you have the right motivation to make full use of this initiative? We think you have. Come, be a part of this initiative and take the first step towards SUCCESS!

Importance of self – tracking:

We could have provided all of you with login id and passwords to monitor your daily performance in the 60-day program.

Instead, a simple and most beautiful way which Disqus provides is profile based commenting!

Yes, we have seen the most successful candidates who have taken the maximum benefit from this program monitoring themselves by commenting on their answers in the box given (Disqus comment). And reviewing their performance themselves once in 10 days on the progress meter. 

DOWNLOAD THE 60 DAYS PLAN 2021

SOLUTION- Download Here

ENTER YOUR PERFORMANCE AND GET YOUR RANK- Click Here

Important:

• Ranks and Cut off will be calculated for the entries in the given form only. Cut Off will be released around 10PM and Rank List will be announced soon.
• Top 10 performers will be selected by finding the average ranks of entire 60 Days Programme and they would get FREE GUIDANCE and MENTORSHIP from IASbaba’s Core Team.
• Final list of top performers will be published soon in our compilations post. Stay connected!

All the Best! 

IASbaba