Consider the following statements regarding India's constitutional and political position on the Kashmir dispute and the status of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK):Answer ▾
India has reserved seats in the Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir (and subsequently its Union Territory) for people living in Pakistan-occupied territories, but these seats are kept vacant.
The revocation of Article 370 in 2019 altered the constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir by bifurcating it into two Union Territories, while simultaneously extinguishing India's sovereign claim over Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Correct
Incorrect. The answer is C
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct. India has consistently maintained its sovereign claim over the entire erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, including the portions under Pakistani control. This is reflected in the fact that the J&K Assembly (and later the legislative assembly of the Union Territory) has seats reserved for representatives of Pakistan-occupied territories — a symbolic assertion of India's position — though these seats are kept vacant as elections cannot be held there. Statement 2 is incorrect. The revocation of Article 370 in August 2019, effected through a Presidential Order and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, reorganised the state into two Union Territories (Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh). However, this reorganisation did not in any way extinguish or qualify India's sovereign claim over Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. India's official position continues to be that PoK is an integral part of India illegally occupied by Pakistan, and this position remained unchanged — and indeed was reaffirmed in Parliamentary debates — following the 2019 revocation.
Consider the following statements regarding the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), 1960 and its river-allocation framework:Answer ▾
Under the Indus Waters Treaty, 1960, the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej — collectively called the Eastern Rivers — were allocated for the unrestricted use of India.
The Indus Waters Treaty, 1960 contains an express provision allowing either party to unilaterally suspend the Treaty by giving notice to the other party.
The Chenab, Jhelum, and Indus (Sindh) are classified as Western Rivers under the Treaty and were allocated primarily for use by Pakistan.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Correct
Incorrect. The answer is D
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct. The Indus Waters Treaty, 1960, negotiated with World Bank mediation, divided the six rivers of the Indus basin into two groups. The three Eastern Rivers — Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej — were allocated for the unrestricted use of India. India can harness these rivers for consumptive use (irrigation, domestic, and industrial purposes) without any corresponding obligation to release flows to Pakistan. Statement 2 is incorrect. The IWT is a bilateral treaty between India and Pakistan, and Article XII(4) of the Treaty specifies that it can only be modified or terminated by a duly ratified treaty between the two parties. The IWT does not contain any unilateral suspension clause. No party can suspend the Treaty on its own authority simply by giving notice — any such suspension would have no legal standing under the Treaty's own terms. This is a critical structural feature distinguishing bilateral treaties with fixed-termination clauses from frameworks with withdrawal or suspension provisions. India's current position of placing the Treaty 'in abeyance' is a political posture, not a mechanism provided within the Treaty itself. Statement 3 is correct. The three Western Rivers — Chenab, Jhelum, and the main Indus (Sindhu) — were allocated primarily for Pakistan's use, though India retains limited rights for non-consumptive uses (run-of-river hydropower, navigation) on these rivers, subject to Treaty conditions.
Consider the following pairs regarding the features of the commercial coal mining framework introduced under the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015 and the reforms launched in June 2020:Answer ▾
Allocation mechanism — Open competitive auction replacing discretionary administrative allotment
Revenue model — Fixed royalty per tonne payable to the State Government
FDI route — 100 per cent FDI permitted through the automatic route
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
Correct
Incorrect. The answer is A
Explanation
Pair 1 is correctly matched: under the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015 and subsequent reforms, coal blocks are allocated exclusively through open competitive auctions — replacing the earlier discretionary process that the Supreme Court in 2014 found arbitrary and non-transparent. Pair 3 is also correctly matched: the eligibility liberalisation that accompanied commercial coal mining explicitly permits 100 per cent foreign direct investment through the automatic route, removing the need for government approval. Pair 2 is incorrectly matched: the revenue model under commercial coal mining is NOT a fixed royalty or fixed charge per tonne. The earlier fixed charge per tonne was specifically replaced by a revenue-sharing model, under which a successful bidder quotes a percentage of total revenue payable to the government, with that share indexed to the National Coal Index so that government returns move with market prices. Calling it a 'fixed royalty' confuses the old regime with the new one and misidentifies the recipient entity.
Consider the following statements regarding wildfire ecology and climate-driven feedback loops:Answer ▾
Climate whiplash — a rapid swing from unusually wet conditions to intense drought — increases wildfire risk by first promoting dense vegetation growth and then drying it into abundant fuel.
Pyrocumulonimbus clouds form when intense wildfires release heat and moisture that rise into the atmosphere, eventually generating thunderstorms that can produce lightning capable of igniting new fires kilometres away.
In India, the primary trigger for forest fires is lightning strikes, similar to the dominant cause in many European wildfire events.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Correct
Incorrect. The answer is B
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct. Climate whiplash describes rapid swings between weather extremes — an unusually wet phase stimulates explosive growth of grasses and shrubs, which then dry out under successive heatwaves and drought, creating a dense layer of combustible fuel. This sequence is becoming more frequent as climate change intensifies both ends of the weather spectrum.
Statement 2 is correct. Pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCb) clouds are a feedback mechanism unique to intense wildfires. The enormous heat released by a large fire drives hot air, smoke, ash and moisture high into the atmosphere. As this air rises and cools, moisture condenses around smoke particles to form a towering cumulonimbus cloud. If the fire is sufficiently intense, the cloud can develop into a full thunderstorm (reaching 10–15 km, even penetrating the stratosphere), generating lightning that can start new fires and erratic winds that alter fire direction unpredictably — making the fire effectively create its own weather.
Statement 3 is incorrect and is the conceptual error to identify. Unlike many European wildfires where lightning is a common natural ignition trigger, a majority of forest fires in India are linked to human activity — agricultural burning, collection of forest produce, or accidental ignitions — not lightning strikes. Confusing the dominant trigger in India with that in Europe is a common ecological misconception.