Physical & Regional Geography

Statement 1 is incorrect. High clouds are often thin and do not reflect very much. They let lots of the Sun's warmth in. They primarily transmit incoming solar radiation. At the same time, they trap some of the outgoing infrared radiation emitted by the Earth and radiate it back downward, thereby warming the surface of the Earth. Statement 2 is incorrect. Low clouds are often quite thick and reflect lots of sunlight back to space. Low clouds are excellent reflectors. But, they don't stop the longwave energy from escaping to space. Therefore, low clouds help to cool the Earth.

Gandikota is a small village in the Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh. The village is majorly known for housing the spectacular gorge which is famously adjudged as the “Grand Canyon of India”. The canyon is a gorge carved out over millions of years by the Pennar River that streams from the Erramala hills. It's known for its red-hued, layered, and jagged rock formations.

Afghanistan is completely landlockedthe nearest coast lies along the Arabian Sea, about 300 miles (480 km) to the southand, because of both its isolation and its volatile political history, it remains one of the most poorly surveyed areas of the world. It is bounded to the east and south by Pakistan to the west by Iran to the north by the Central Asian states of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. It also has a short border with Xinjiang, China, at the end of the long, narrow (Wakhan Corridor), in the extreme northeast.

Monazite is a brown crystalline mineral consisting of cerium, lanthanum, other rare earth elements, and thorium. Monazite usually occurs in small, isolated crystals or grains that are resistant to weathering and become concentrated in soils. Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Monazite is a major source of rare earths and thorium. It yields several rare-earth elements, such as neodymium and praseodymium. Both of these are in demand internationally for making high-performance rare-earth magnets (components of power wind turbines, electric vehicles and robotics) Statement 3 is incorrect. Though monazite is found in most coastal areas of India. It is questionable to be found along the entire coast. The main mines are found along the coasts of southern India in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and in Orissa. Statement 4 is correct. Export of monazite without a license from AERB is a violation of the Atomic Energy (Radiation Protection) Rules 2004. Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL), a wholly owned Public Sector Undertaking of the Government of India (GOI) under DAE, is the only entity that has been permitted to produce and process monazite and handle it for domestic use as well as for export.

Statement 1 is Incorrect: Bidibidi is a large refugee settlement in northwestern Uganda, not Kenya. Statement 2 is Correct: People fleeing the civil war in South Sudan have been hosted in the Bidibidi settlement. Statement 3 is Correct: The Dadaab refugee complex is located in Kenya and houses refugees, including those who fled the civil war in Somalia. Therefore, the correct statements are 2 and 3 only.

Statement 1 is correct: UNCLOS allows coastal states to define the breadth of their territorial sea up to a limit of 12 nautical miles, measured from a baseline established according to the Convention. Statement 2 is correct: UNCLOS guarantees the right of innocent passage for ships of all states, including coastal and land-locked nations, through the territorial sea of another state. Innocent passage refers to non-threatening travel that doesn't harm the coastal state's security or interests. Statement 3 is correct: UNCLOS sets the limit of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) at 200 nautical miles from the baseline used to measure the territorial sea. The EEZ grants the coastal state exclusive rights to explore, exploit, conserve and manage resources (living and non-living) within the zone. Hence, all three statements about the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) are correct.

Option A is correct: Ajanta Caves lie in the gorge of the Waghora River. Option B is incorrect: Sanchi Stupa is located on a hilltop in Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh, and is not situated in a gorge. Option C is incorrect: Pandu-Lena Cave Shrines are situated near Aurangabad, Maharashtra, and are not associated with any specific gorge. Option D is incorrect: Amaravati Stupa is located on the banks of the Krishna River in Andhra Pradesh, not in a gorge.

Statement 1 is correct. The trade winds in the tropical zone blow from east to west, causing the western sections of the oceans to be warmer than the eastern sections. This is because these winds push the warm surface waters towards the west. Statement 2 is correct. On the other hand, in the temperate zone, the westerlies blow from west to east. These winds push the warm waters towards the eastern sections of the oceans, making them warmer than the western sections. Therefore, both statements are correct.

Didwana, Kuchaman, Sargol, and Khatu are the names of saline lakes of Rajasthan.

1. Brahmani: This river is formed by the confluence of two rivers, Sankh and Koel, which rise from the Chota Nagpur Plateau and flow through the Eastern Ghats before merging. So, it doesn't originate from the Eastern Ghats itself. 2. Nagavali: The Nagavali River originates in the Eastern Ghats in Odisha and flows through Andhra Pradesh before joining the Bay of Bengal. 3. Subarnarekha: This river originates from the Chota Nagpur Plateau in Jharkhand and flows through Odisha before finally joining the Bay of Bengal. It does not rise from the Eastern Ghats. 4. Vamsadhara: The Vamsadhara River originates from the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh and flows through Odisha before joining the Bay of Bengal. Hence, only 2 and 4 are correct.