GK Questions About Kerala

D [Both 1 and 2 are correct]

Notes:Statement 1 is correct:The Kerala Argentine is a deep water fish. It is usually found at offshore sea bottoms and near seamounts. They inhabit depths of 300 to 600m. They are silvery white in color and noted for their large head (compared to others of the genus).

Statement 2 is correct:These fishes have been reported in Indian waters for the first time. They are generally found in tropical and temperate waters. They inhabit the Pacific and the Mediterranean regions. They are of commercial value in countries like Japan.

B [Only 2 is correct]

Notes:Statement 1 is incorrect:The Silver Line project is to feature semi high speed trains. The railway line for this project is to be 532 km long. The existing lines along the route are not to be used. The railway ministry and the state government are implementing the project on a cost sharing basis.

 Statement 2 is correct:The Silver Line project is to come up in Kerala. It is to connect Thrissur and Thiruvananthapuram which are at the state’s corners. Major towns and districts are to be connected by semi high speed trains with their own dedicated tracks.

B [Only 2 is correct]

Notes:Statement 1 is incorrect:The Vivekananda Rock memorial is in Tamil Nadu. It is a popular tourist site in the Kanyakumari district, constructed in 1970. The monument was established in honour of Swami Vivekananda. The attached structure called Dyana Mandapam is for meditation.  

Statement 2 is correct:The Vivekananda Rock Memorial is in the Laccadive Sea. Laccadive Sea, also called Lakshadweep Sea is adjacent to Sri Lanka, India and Maldives. The memorial has Vivekananda Mandapam and Shripada Mandapam. President Kovind highlighted Vivekananda’s meditation in Kanyakumari before setting off to the famous World religious Conference.

B [Only 2 is correct]

Notes:Statement 1 is incorrect:The Trap is a 25 foot art installation aimed at increasing awareness about the dangers of plastic pollution. It was constructed in the shape of a giant plastic bottle using waste plastic bottles. Each of these bottles has a human model trapped inside it.

Statement 2 is correct:The Trap was unveiled in Kerala. It was installed at the Fort Kochi in Cochin. The installation seeks to highlight the dangers posed by plastic wastes especially to the ocean and the marine environment. The organisers have been engaging viewers by allowing them to click selfies, awarding the best selfies, inviting anti- plastic pollution messages, etc.

C [Neither 1 nor 2 is correct]

Notes:Statement 1 is incorrect:A Kerala village recently named the road from Kuntangeradka to Bejappe after the orange breasted green pigeon. The road was named as Manjavariyan Road and is about 2km long. The species was spotted for the first time in the region in 2016. It is not endemic to India. It is also found in other countries like Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, etc.

Statement 2 is incorrect:IUCN has listed the orange breasted green pigeon as a species of least concern. It is especially found in the forested regions of Western and Eastern Ghats in south India. In the north, it is found in lower Himalayan regions.

B [Only 2 is correct]

Notes:Statement 1 is incorrect:The Poshan Abhiyan fund utilisation was recently discussed in Parliament. Only 30% of the funds have been utilised over a period of 3 years. Of the states, Kerala was one of the worst performers, using only 8.75% of the allocated funds. The worst performers is Punjab, using just 0.45% of the funds.

Statement 2 is correct:The Poshan Abhiyan is a nutritional security scheme launched in 2017 by the centre. 50% of the funding is sourced from the World Bank and other development banks. The rest of the budgetary support is shared between the centre and states in ratio of 60:40. In case of the north- eastern states, central contribution is 90%.

A [Only 1 is correct]

Notes:Statement 1 is correct:The Kerala government recently introduced a ban on single use plastics. It is to be effective from the 1st of January, 2020 onwards. Manufacturing, sale, storage and transportation of various plastic products are banned- including PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles which have capacity of less than 500ml.

Statement 2 is incorrect:The ban is applicable to plastic garbage bags- even those used in hospitals. These are to be replaced with compostable plastic bags. Violation of the ban is to invite a fine of 10,000 INR for first time offenders. Subsequent violations will invite fines of 25,000 INR and 50,000 INR followed by cancellation of license on the producers and distributors.

A [N Ram]

Notes:Veteran journalist and the chairman of The Hindu Group N Ram, has been selected as the outstanding media-person in a national award instituted by Kerala Media Academy.

The award is said to be instituted for fearless and brilliant journalistic work at a national level. As a part of the academy’s 40th anniversary celebration, it is presented to N Ram for his contribution towards journalism for nearly four decades. The award is to be presented by the Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan in the month of March. Recently, ‘The Hindu Tamil’ has won the Election Commission of India’s award for its voter awareness and education campaign in 2019.

B [Scientist]

Notes:Renowned Scientist in the field of Fisheries and Ocean studies, Dr A Ramachandran passed away in Kerala, at the age of 61.

He was serving as the Vice Chancellor of Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS). He had also served as an expert member in several national and international fisheries organisations. He led the first ever International Blue Economy Congress in the country.

D [1, 2, 3 & 4]

Notes:Some of the caste movements and their corresponding states are Justice movement (1915-16)- Madras. Self-respect movement (1925)- Tamil Nadu, Ezhava movement- Kerala, Satyashodak movement (1873)- Maharashtra.