Daily Quiz #18 UPSC Prelims Marathon – September 21, 2019

Explanation: Nallamala Forest expands over a vast region of the Eastern Ghats of India. It is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna including Antelopes, Neelgai, Chinkaras and Leopards. The forest area also includes the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve. The natural landscape, the dense forestation with several stupendous waterfalls and other water bodies, make the attraction perfect for nature lovers The Nallamalas (also called the Nallamalla Range) are a section of the Eastern Ghats which stretch primarily over Kurnool, Nellore, Guntur, Prakasam, Kadapa and Chittoor districts of the state of Andhra Pradesh and Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda districts of the state of Telangana, in India. They run in a nearly north-south alignment, parallel to the Coromandel Coast for close to 430 km between the rivers, Krishna and Pennar. Its northern boundaries are marked by the flat Palnadu basin while in the south it merges with the Tirupati hills. An extremely old system, the hills have extensively weathered and eroded over the years.

Explanation: Adorning the northeastern corner of West Bengal, bordering Bhutan and Assam, Buxa Tiger Reserve was set up at on 16th February 1983 and was then, the 15th tiger reserve of the country. The forest constituting the Buxa Tiger Reserve is the largest in the Dooars – the Alluvial floodplains of Northeast India. Spanning over a whopping 759 sq. km., this tiger reserve is irrigated by several rivers and their tributaries. It boasts of a diverse and breathtaking landscape. In fact, because of the rocky terrain, many parts of the forest in the Buxa hills that lie in the Sinchula Range are inaccessible even by the authorities, and hence remain unexplored even after so many years! Another interesting fact about this tiger reserve is that it serves as an international corridor for the migration of elephants between India and Bhutan! This is because the Phipsu Wildlife Sanctuary in Bhutan is adjacent to the northern part of the Buxa Tiger Reserve. This reserve is home to 67 species of mammals, 36 species of reptiles and 230 species of unidentified avifauna and encompasses more than eight types of forests. The great diversity of mammals in this reserve makes it the second highest among all tiger reserves in India

Explanation: Government of India to recognize the excellent work done by individuals and institutions in India in the field of Disaster Management has instituted an annual award. known as Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskaar. There will be up to three awards. Both institutions and individuals are eligible for these awards. If the awardee is an institution, it shall receive a certificate and a cash prize of Rs. 51 lakhs. The Institution shall utilize this cash prize for Disaster Management related activities only. If the awardee is an individual, winner shall receive a certificate and a cash prize of Rs. 5.00 lakhs. An application by an institution does not debar any individual from that institution to apply for the award in his individual capacity.
Only Indian nationals and Indian institutions can apply for the award. For institutional awards, voluntary organizations, corporate entities, academic/research institutions, response/ uniformed forces or any other institution may apply for the award.

Explanation: Emergence of an organization is always through an evolutionary process. NDMA has also gone through the same stages. The Government of India (GOI), in recognition of the importance of Disaster Management as a national priority, set up a High-Powered Committee (HPC) in August 1999 and a National Committee after the Gujarat earthquake, for making recommendations on the preparation of Disaster Management plans and suggesting effective mitigation mechanisms. The Tenth Five-Year Plan document also had, for the first time, a detailed chapter on Disaster Management. The Twelfth Finance Commission was also mandated to review the financial arrangements for Disaster Management. On 23 December 2005, the Government of India enacted the Disaster Management Act, which envisaged the creation of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), headed by the Prime Minister, and State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) headed by respective Chief Ministers, to spearhead and implement a holistic and integrated approach to Disaster Management in India.

Explanation: Energy is the lifeblood of modern economies. Everything we do requires energy. By 2050 around 10 billion people will be living on this planet. Energy requirements will increase manifold. Expanding reliable and affordable supplies of energy will support industry, modern agriculture, increased trade, improved transportation, expanded communications, health, cutting-edge medical equipments and procedures and much more. These are building blocks of economic growth that create jobs that help people escape poverty and create better lives for their children. For these reasons and more, energy issues are vitally important and demand our understanding.
The Energy And Environment Foundation (EE Foundation) is a not-for-profit, non-political, neutral and independent, non-governmental organization (NGO), focused towards helping billions of poor people world over who presently have little or no access to electricity and other basic energy sources. It is a future-oriented, dynamic, talent-and-technology savvy as well as environment friendly foundation. It encompasses knowledge, ideas, innovations, technologies and insight for the advantage of the people of the world, thus leading towards a greener tomorrow. We consider our partners, contributors, donors and volunteers to be critical for the success of realizing our global vision and initiatives