Daily Quiz: UPSC Prelims Marathon (Geography)|October 30, 2020

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) set up an All India Soil Survey Committee in 1953 which divided the Indian soils into eight major groups.
They are:

•Alluvial soils
•Black soils
•Red soils,
•Laterite and Lateritic soils
•Forest and Mountain soils
•Arid and Desert soils
•Saline and Alkaline soils
•Peaty and Marshy soils
The black soils are also called regur (from the Telugu word Reguda) and black cotton soils because cotton is the most important crop grown on these soils.
•Several theories have been put forward regarding the origin of this group of soils but most pedologists believe that these soils have been formed due to the solidification of lava spread over large areas during volcanic activity in the Deccan Plateau, thousands of years ago.
•These soils are mainly found in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, parts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.
Source: India-agronet

A landlocked country or landlocked state is a sovereign state that does not have territory connected to an ocean or whose coastlines lie on endorheic basins.

Source: NCERT

Cotton is one of the most important fibre and cash crop of India as well as of entire world.
•It plays a dominant role in the industrial and agricultural economy of the country.
•It provides the basic raw material to cotton textile industry.
•In India it provides direct livelihood to 6 million farmers and about 40-50 million people are employed in cotton trade and its processing.
•Cotton is a water thirsty crop and around 6% of the water for irrigation in is used for its cultivation.
•In India, it is grown on a large scale in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
•Gujarat is the largest producer of cotton followed by Maharashtra and Punjab.
•It is vital kharif crop of Punjab. The average lint yield of the State is around 697 kg per hectare.
•It can be grown on all type of soil having pH ranges in-between 6 and 8. Deep, friable, well drained and fertile soil are good for crop cultivation.
•Sandy, saline or water logged soils are not suitable for cotton cultivation. The depth of soil should not be less than 20-25 cm.
Source: Majid Singh

Gram commonly known as chick pea or Bengal gram is the most important pulse crop of India.
•It is used for human consumption as well as for feeding to animals.
•Fresh green leaves are used as vegetable while straw of chickpea is an excellent fodder for cattle. The grains are also used as vegetable.
•India, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Burma and Turkey are main gram growing countries.
•India ranks first in the world in respect of production and acreage followed by Pakistan.
•In India, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra and Punjab are major gram producing states.
•On basis of size, color and shape of seeds, gram is divided into two group 1) Desi or brown gram 2) Kabuli or white gram. Yield potential of kabuli is poor as compared to Desi gram.
Source: Agrinet

Andhra Pradesh is a riverine state with 40 major, medium and minor rivers.
•Godavari, Krishna, Vamsadhara, Nagavali and Pennar are major interstate rivers.
•Godavari River enters at Bhurgampad Mandal of state of Andhra Pradesh and flows for a distance of around 250 kms eastward before joining Bay of Bengal.
•The River Tungabhadra is a tributary of Krishna forms boundary between Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh for the length of 58 Kms, from where it flows past Rajolibanda anicut and then the river Tungabhadra forms border between the States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh until its confluence with main Krishna at Srisailam.
•The River Krishna then forms border between the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh from Srisailam to Pulichintala for about 290 kms flows passing through NSP Dam.
•The river then flows for a length of 105 kms through Prakasam barrage at Vijayawada and joins Bay of Bengal after traversing about 90 kms. Thus the total length of 485 km of Krishna River flows through A.P state.
•The total length of the Pennar river from the head to its outfall into the Bay of Bengal in Nellore district, is 597 Km. (61 km in Karnataka and 536 km in Andhra Pradesh).
•Pennar River originates in south west region of Andhra Pradesh with small catchment area of Karnataka and flows eastward before joining Bay of Bengal.
Source: AP Government

The Peninsular drainage system is older than the Himalayan one. This is evident from the broad, largely-graded shallow valleys, and the maturity of the rivers.
•The Western Ghats running close to the western coast act as the water divide between the major Peninsular Rivers, discharging their water in the Bay of Bengal and as small rivulets joining the Arabian Sea.
•Most of the major Peninsular Rivers except Narmada and Tapi flow from west to east. The Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa, the Ken, the Son, originating in the northern part of the Peninsula belong to the Ganga river system.
•The other major river systems of the peninsular drainage are – the Mahanadi the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri.
•Peninsular rivers are characterized by fixed course, absence of meanders and non-perennial flow of water.
Source: NCERT

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, announced a new global campaign calling on people all over the world to cover the distance travelled by refugees each year.
•The 2 Billion Kilometres to Safety campaign will encourage people to support refugees by championing individual acts of solidarity. These acts, when taken together, acknowledge the resilience and strength of refugees.
•UNHCR traced the journeys of refugees around the world and calculated that collectively, people forced to flee travel approximately two billion kilometres every year to reach the first point of safety.
•In 2016, Syrian refugees travelled more than 240 kilometres to reach Turkey. South Sudanese refugees travelled more than 640 kilometres to reach Kenya and Rohingya refugees in Myanmar travelled approximately 80 kilometres to reach Bangladesh.
•The 2 Billion Kilometres to Safety campaign invites people to act in solidarity and run, walk or cycle to achieve a cumulative total of two billion kilometres.
Source: The Hindu

The Union Cabinet approved a proposal to set up a major port at Vadhavan near Dahanu in Maharashtra with a total cost of ₹65,545 crore, including about ₹14,500 crore of GST.
This is part of the government’s plan to develop infrastructure projects with a cost of ₹100-lakh crore over the next five years.
Source: The Hindu

Agriculture census is conducted at an interval of every five years by the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare.
•Data on structural aspects of operational holdings in the country is collected through the census.
•The first census was conducted with reference year 1970-71.
Source: The Hindu

Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP) is Implemented by Ministry of Rural Development, it is a programme exclusively for women farmers.
•It is a sub-component of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission.
•It aims to empower women by enhancing their participation in agriculture and to create sustainable livelihood opportunities for them.
•Up to 60% (90% for North Eastern States) of the funding support for such projects is provided by the government.
•It is in line with the provisions of the National Policy for Farmers (2007).
Source: PIB