राज्यसेवा पूर्व परीक्षा  २०१३ - Paper 2

Question number 23 to 27 :
  A long time ago remnants of plants and animals got buried into the earth. Due to the effect of the tremendous pressure of the layers of earth above and the heat inside they were converted into fuel. Such fuels are called fossil fuels. It takes lakhs of years for such fuels to be formed. That is why the deposits of fossil fuel are limited. As a result, a need has now arisen to make prudent use of these resources.
Fossil fuels are found in three forms solid, liquid and gaseous - in the bowels of the earth. These fuels include coal, mineral oil and natural gas. All fossil fuels contain hydrocarbon compounds. Besides these, we daily use other fuels too, for example, wood, charcoal, cowdung. pats, etc.
  Firewood and brushwood are used as fuel in rural areas. It is a matter of concern that the use of wood for fuel is causing destruction of forests and has endangered the environment. Mineral oil is found may thousand metres deep in the bowels of the earth. Petrol, diesel, kerosene and fuel oil can be obtained from it.
  Natural gas is a very convenient fuel to use. It lights up quickly and does not leave behind any solid substances. Besides, it is easy to transport from its main sources by means of pipes. A big advantage is that the burning of natural gas can be easily controlled. Methane, ethane, propane, butane ete, are the various types of natural gas.
  The deposits of fossil and other fuels are limited. That is why, coal, oil etc. are said to be conventional or non-renewable sources of energy - they cannot be produced anew.
  Even though we are now using renewable sources of energy like wind energy, hydro-electric energy, biogas, biodiesel, etc. we are still in the grip of an energy crisis, The Thain reason for this is the growing population and increasing industrialisation. It is difficult to continuously produce the increasing amounts of energy they need. To find ways of using renewable sources is the need of the hour. In view of this, we must concentrate on the use of solar energy.

Question number 28 to 32 :
  The concept of biotechnology is a wide concept encompassing procedures modifying living organisms as per necessity for the welfare of human beings. The living organisms are modified by various technical procedures for number of human requirements being such as domestication of animals, cultivation of plants and improving plant variety through various breeding practices. Modern technologies used for the purpose include techniques like cell, tissue culture and genetic engineering. The United Nations convention of Biological diversity defines 'biotechnology' as: Any technological application that uses biological systems, living organism or derivatives thereof to make or modify products or processes for specific use. In other words, biotechnology can be defined as the application of technical advances in life sciences to develop various products.
  Biotechnology also involves pure biological scientific disciplines such as genetics, microbiology animal cell culture, molecular biology, biochemistry, embryology, cell biology and those outside the sphere of biology which include chemical engineering, bioprocess engineering, bioinformatics and biorobotics.
  Conversely, modern biological sciences are intimately entwined and dependent on the methods developed through biotechnology and therefore all these together constitute the life sciences industry. Biotechnology is research and development in the laboratory using bioinformatics for exploration, extraction, exploitation and production from any living organism and any source of biomass by means of biological engineering where high value added products could be planned, forecasted, formulated, developed, manufactured and marketed. These products should be used on sustainable basis and patent rights thereof must be obtained. (legal protection at national and international level)

Question number 33 to 36 :
  The forest manures itself. It makes its own humus and supplies itself with minerals. If we see a piece of woodland we find a gentle accumulation of mixed vegetable and animal residues constantly taking place on the ground and that these wastes are being converted by fungi and
bacteria into humus. The process involved in the early stages of this transformation depends throughout on oxidation : afterwards it takes place in the absence of air. The process is entirely Sanitary. There is no nuisance of any kind - Tho Smell, no flies, no dustbins, no incinerators, no artificial sewage system, no water-borne diseases, no town councils, and no rats. On the contrary, the forest affords a place for the ideal summer holiday with sufficient shade and an abundance of pure fresh air. All over the surface of the woods the conversion of vegetable and animal wastes into humus is never so rapid as during the holiday months - July to Sep'ember.
  The mineral matter needed by the trees and the undergrowth is obtained from the subsoil. This is collected in dilute solution in water by the deeper roots, which also help in anchoring the trees. Even in soils markedly deficient in phosphorus, trees have no difficulty in obtaining ample supplies of this element. Potash, phosphate, and other minerals are always collected in situ and carried by the transpiration current for use in the green leaves. Afterwards they are either used in growth or deposited on the floor of the forest in the form of vegetable waste being one of the constituents needed in the synthesis of humus. This humus is again utilized by the roots of the trees. Nature's farming, as seen in the forest, is characterized by two things, a constant circulation of the mineral matter absorbed by the trees and a constant addition of new mineral matter from the vast reserves held in the subsoil.

Question number 37 to 41:
  Sympathy is a great secret of life. It overcomes evil, and strengthens good. It disarms resistance, melts the hardest heart, and develops the better part of human nature. It is founded on love. It is but another word for disinterestedness and affection. When we have sympathy for any one we see ourselves in his place and therefore we help him; we relieve him. There can be no love without sympathy. Like mercy, sympathy and benevolence are twice blessed, blessing both the giver and the receiver. While they bring forth an abundant fruit of happiness in the heart of the giver, they enhance kindness and benevolence in the heart of the receiver.
  Hardly can there be any other attitude generating love in the human heart. Even hardest of the hard core persons cannot remain aloof of its influence. It enforces much more than force can. A kind word, or a kind look, can do wonders on those upon whom coercion has been tried in vein. While sympathy invites love and obedience, harshness provokes aversion and resistance.
  Sympathy glorifies humanity. It is synonym of love. It enables us to help the sorrow - stricken and the oppressed. Wherever there is cruelty, or ignorance, or misery, sympathy consoles and alleviates. The sight of grief, the sound of a groan, hold a sympathetic mind. Sympathy and justice have eradicated very many evil practices of the world, be they abolition of slavery in America, England and France, the uneducatedness and ignorance of the people or the backwardness at the lowly people. The sympathy that the great people had, could only bring in the improvement for all these.