People, Development and Environment - People, Development and Environment Section 1

Sericulture comes from the Latin sericum (meaning silk) and culture (meaning cultivation). It is the scientific practice and art of rearing silkworms (most commonly Bombyx mori) to produce raw silk.

The process involves:

• cultivating mulberry trees (the primary food for silkworms)

• rearing silkworms through different life stages

• harvesting cocoons spun by the silkworms

• processing silk fibers from these cocoons

It is a major cottage industry in many parts of Asia, providing employment and supporting rural economies.

Other options you saw are incorrect because:

• Option A refers to serology (study of serum)

• Option B is about pisciculture (fish farming)

• Option D relates to anthropology or sociology (study of cultures), not sericulture

The correct answer is D — Koyna Power Project.

• The Narmada River flows through Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, and has several major dam projects on it:

  • Indira Sagar Project (on Narmada in Madhya Pradesh)

  • Maheshwar Hydel Power Project (on Narmada in Madhya Pradesh)

  • Jobat Project (on Narmada in Madhya Pradesh)

• The Koyna Power Project, however, is located on the Koyna River in Maharashtra. The Koyna River is a tributary of the Krishna River, not related to the Narmada basin. The Koyna Dam is one of the largest hydroelectric projects in Maharashtra, but has nothing to do with the Narmada.

So option D is the only project not on the Narmada River.

The correct answer is:

D — high yield and high sugar content in sugarcane.

• The sugar industry in India was traditionally concentrated in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in the north, where sugarcane was widely grown.

• However, over time, the industry has increasingly shifted toward southern states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.

• The main reason is that sugarcane varieties grown in the south have a higher sucrose (sugar) content, and the climate (longer crushing season, less frost risk) is more favorable, giving higher yields and better recovery of sugar from cane.

• Additionally, southern states have better irrigation facilities and more reliable monsoon patterns, which support stable sugarcane production.

Other options do not fully explain the shift:

• Cheap labor is available in both regions

• Expanding markets exist in many parts of India

• Power availability alone is not the primary driver

The correct answer is:

C — 23%

• As per the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) published by the Forest Survey of India, the area officially classified as forest cover in India is about 23% of the total geographical area (though there are ongoing efforts to increase it toward the national policy target of 33%).

• This figure includes all patches of land with a tree canopy density of more than 10%, regardless of land ownership or legal status.

The other options are incorrect because:

• 46% is much higher than India’s actual forest cover

• 33% is the goal set under the National Forest Policy, but not yet achieved

• 19% is lower than the reported coverage