Environment and Ecology Mixed Practice — MCQs with Answers (Set 28)

India’s first eight Blue Flag beaches, including Shivrajpur, Ghoghla, and Radhanagar, were certified together in October 2020.

The Denmark-based Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) awards Blue Flag Certification. The programme started in France in 1985.

About 90% of the global population lives in India. The species is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. A 2025 national survey counted 6,327 river dolphins across India, mostly Ganges River Dolphins.

The Wildlife Institute of India, with the Assam Forest Department and Aaranyak, tagged a healthy male dolphin in Assam. It was the first such tagging for the species anywhere.

The dolphin relies on echolocation, emitting ultrasonic clicks and reading the returning echoes through its lower jaw. This lets it navigate India’s murky, sediment-heavy rivers without needing sight.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Project Dolphin on Independence Day, 2020. It builds on preliminary approval given by the National Ganga Council in 2019.

The Ganges River Dolphin was declared India’s National Aquatic Animal in 2009. It later became the focus species of Project Dolphin, launched in 2020.

Khordha recorded 230 IEC activities, the most of any district, followed by Angul with 124.

Haryana set a target of planting 1.4 crore saplings this year, under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign.

Yadav credited solid-waste management, emission monitoring, smart traffic measures, and greening drives — not a vehicle ban.

Yadav praised Haryana’s proactive work restoring the Aravalli hills and reducing air pollution, at the state’s 77th Van Mahotsav.

Of the 2,900 varieties released, 2,661 are tolerant to biotic or abiotic stress like drought or pests.

109 districts rank as “Very High” vulnerability, and 201 rank “High,” out of 310 districts assessed.

FAST uses MODIS satellite sensors to send near-real-time fire alerts to State Forest Departments, via SMS and email. It was last upgraded to FAST 3.0 in 2019.

Fires clustered heavily close to roads and human settlements, with fire counts dropping sharply beyond about 1 kilometre. This reflects the fact that most Indian forest fires are ultimately triggered by human activity, even though temperature is the strongest single driver of how far they spread.

The fire season peaks in the pre-monsoon months of March, April, and May, when dry winter biomass, rising heat, and low humidity converge. Fires overall typically occur between November and June.

Temperature proved the strongest driver, among 39 variables analysed. Every 1°C rise in mean summer temperature was linked to roughly 128 additional fire incidents, in the study.

Uttarakhand is the most fire-prone state in the Indian Western Himalaya, according to the FSI. Between 15 February and 29 May 2026, it alone recorded 476 forest fires, affecting 402.38 hectares.

Lichens are sensitive to pollution and habitat change, making them useful indicators of environmental quality.

The correct answer is MACS Agharkar Research Institute, Pune. It is an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology. Its researchers described the five new Allographa species. The ‘Zoological Survey of India’ option is wrong because it studies animals, not lichen-forming fungi, and no source names it. The ‘Botanical Survey of India’ option is wrong because no source credits it with this study. The ‘Wildlife Institute of India’ option is wrong because it works on wildlife and no source names it. Memory hook: Agharkar in Pune found the five.

The 14-day drive covered 175 inspections, and 25 resumption orders were issued after compliance verification.

Defying a CAQM order can mean up to 5 years in prison and/or a fine up to ₹1 crore.

CAQM was first created by an October 2020 Ordinance, replaced by a fresh April 2021 Ordinance, and finally given permanent footing by the August 2021 Act.

CAQM replaced EPCA, a Supreme Court-appointed body active since 1998 that had no statutory power to punish violators.