RRB NTPC Geography and Environment 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The 'Ring of Fire' is associated with which type of geographic phenomenon?
- Major river deltas around the Pacific Ocean
- High volcanic and earthquake activity around the Pacific Ocean (Correct answer)
- Major oil reserves around the Pacific Ocean
- Tropical rainforests around the Pacific Ocean
Correct answer: High volcanic and earthquake activity around the Pacific Ocean
The 'Ring of Fire' is a horseshoe-shaped zone of intense seismic and volcanic activity that encircles the Pacific Ocean.
The Ring of Fire (also called the Circum-Pacific Belt) is a horseshoe-shaped zone approximately 40,000 km long around the Pacific Ocean. It is associated with a nearly continuous series of oceanic trenches, volcanic arcs, volcanic belts, and plate movements. About 90% of the world's earthquakes and 81% of the world's largest earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire. It is home to about 450 active and dormant volcanoes (75% of the world's active volcanoes). Countries in the Ring of Fire include Japan, Philippines, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Chile. It is caused by the subduction of oceanic plates under continental plates.
Question 2: Which planet in our solar system is known as the 'Red Planet'?
- Venus
- Jupiter
- Mars (Correct answer)
- Saturn
Correct answer: Mars
Mars is called the 'Red Planet' because its surface is rich in iron oxide (rust), giving it a distinctive red/orange color.
Mars is called the 'Red Planet' because its surface contains abundant iron oxide (FeO₃, commonly known as rust), giving it a reddish-orange appearance visible from Earth. Mars is the 4th planet from the Sun and is approximately half the size of Earth. India's Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) successfully entered Mars orbit on September 24, 2014, making ISRO the first Asian space agency to reach Mars. Mars has two moons: Phobos and Deimos. NASA's Mars rovers (Curiosity, Perseverance) are exploring its surface. Mars is the most studied planet after Earth and is a target for future human missions.
Question 3: The 'Bharat Stage' (BS) emission norms in India are based on which international standards?
- US EPA standards
- Japanese J-08 standards
- European Euro emission standards (Correct answer)
- Chinese National standards
Correct answer: European Euro emission standards
Bharat Stage (BS) emission norms are based on European Euro emission standards, adapted for Indian conditions to control vehicular air pollution.
Bharat Stage (BS) emission standards are based on the European Union's Euro emission standards, adapted for Indian conditions. India introduced BS-I norms in 2000 (equivalent to Euro I), and has progressively tightened standards: BS-II (2005), BS-III (2010), BS-IV (2017). India leapfrogged from BS-IV directly to BS-VI (skipping BS-V) effective April 1, 2020 — equivalent to Euro 6. BS-VI significantly reduced sulfur content in fuel from 50 ppm to 10 ppm and required particulate filters for diesel vehicles. These standards are implemented by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).
Question 4: Which waterway connects the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea?
- Strait of Hormuz
- Strait of Malacca
- Suez Canal (Correct answer)
- Bosphorus Strait
Correct answer: Suez Canal
The Suez Canal, an artificial waterway in Egypt, connects the Red Sea (Indian Ocean) with the Mediterranean Sea, eliminating the need to sail around Africa.
The Suez Canal is a 193 km long artificial waterway in Egypt that connects the Red Sea (which leads to the Indian Ocean and Asian markets) with the Mediterranean Sea (which connects to European markets). Built by Ferdinand de Lesseps and inaugurated in November 1869, it eliminates the need for ships to sail around the Cape of Good Hope (southern tip of Africa) — reducing the Europe-to-Asia sea route by approximately 7,000 km. The canal is operated by the Suez Canal Authority (Egypt). It gained global attention in March 2021 when the container ship Ever Given ran aground and blocked the canal for 6 days.
Question 5: The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) was launched by India in which year?
- 2005
- 2006
- 2008 (Correct answer)
- 2010
Correct answer: 2008
India's National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) was launched on June 30, 2008, by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, with 8 national missions.
India's National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) was launched on June 30, 2008. It outlines eight national missions: (1) National Solar Mission; (2) National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency; (3) National Mission on Sustainable Habitat; (4) National Water Mission; (5) National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem; (6) National Mission for a Green India; (7) National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture; (8) National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change. The NAPCC aims to address climate change adaptation and mitigation while maintaining high economic growth. India later updated its climate commitments under the Paris Agreement (2015).
Question 6: Which Indian state has the largest area under forest cover according to the India State of Forest Report?
- Madhya Pradesh (Correct answer)
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Chhattisgarh
- Odisha
Correct answer: Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest area among all Indian states in absolute terms, covering approximately 77,482 sq km of forest cover.
According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR), Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover in India in absolute area terms — approximately 77,482 sq km. However, in terms of percentage of geographical area under forest cover, the northeastern states rank highest: Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya lead with over 75% of their area under forests. Arunachal Pradesh has the second largest absolute forest area. Other states with large forest areas include Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Maharashtra. India's total forest and tree cover is approximately 80.9 million hectares (24.62% of India's geographical area) as per ISFR 2021.
RRB NTPC Geography and Environment 2
The 'Ring of Fire' is associated with which type of geographic phenomenon?