Indian Geography: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Geography)

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: As per the 2006 data, Petronet LNG Ltd. was setting up another LNG terminal at Kochi, Kerala (not Mangalore).

Statement 2 is correct: The Head Office of the Dredging Corporation of India is at Visakhapatnam. DCI is a crucial organization for maintaining and developing India’s waterways. They are responsible for dredging harbors, ports, and shipping channels, ensuring safe and efficient navigation for vessels.

Statement 3 is correct: The Narwapahar Mine is operated by the Uranium Corporation of India Limited. UCIL is the primary company responsible for uranium mining and processing in India, and the Narwapahar Mine in Jharkhand is one of their key operations. It’s an important source of uranium ore, which is essential for India’s nuclear power program.

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: Electricity-related appeals are handled through a structured system. While each state has a State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) to oversee its electricity sector, including tariffs, licensing, and consumer complaints, appeals against SERC orders don’t go to a state-level body. Instead, they are directed to the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL), a national-level tribunal. The APTEL also hears appeals against orders from the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) and adjudicating officers. While the idea of having accessible avenues for appeals related to electricity matters is important, the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL) is actually a national-level body, not one established by each individual state government.

Statement 2 is correct: The Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (APDRP), later revamped and renamed as the Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (R-APDRP) and now subsumed under the Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS), did indeed have a strong focus on upgrading the sub-transmission and distribution network as a core component.

Explanation

Assertion (A) is true: Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal exhibit contrasting agricultural land use patterns. Andhra Pradesh has a net sown area of approximately 40%, while West Bengal utilizes about 60% of its land for cultivation. This difference in land utilization makes the initial assertion about their respective net sown areas correct. Reason (R) is false: Most of Andhra Pradesh has red sandy soils, black cotton soils, and alluvial soils, not predominantly laterite soils. Laterite soils are found in parts of the Eastern Ghats and some upland areas, but they do not dominate the state’s agricultural landscape.