5. Which of the following statements about the National Green Tribunal (NGT) is/are
correct?
1. It is a statutory body established under the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
2. The Tribunal shall be bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure,
1908.
3. The Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 has been kept out
of NGT’s jurisdiction.

Answer: D
Explanation
Both the statements are incorrect.
● Gangetic river dolphin is among the four freshwater dolphins in the world which is found in
parts of the Ganges-Meghna-Brahmaputra and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems in

India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.The Gangetic river dolphin is India's national aquatic
animal and is popularly known as ‘Susu’.
● Its presence indicates the health of the riverine ecosystem.
● The Gangetic Dolphins are generally blind and catch their prey in a unique manner. They
emit an ultrasonic sound which reaches the prey. The dolphin then registers this image in
its mind and subsequently catches hold of its prey.
● In addition to the species being India’s national aquatic animal, the Gangetic dolphin has
been notified by the Assam government as the state aquatic animal, too.
● The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the Gangetic dolphin
as an endangered species (not critically endangered) in India.
● The Conservation Action Plan for the Gangetic Dolphin, 2010-2020, identified threats to
these dolphins that include the impact of river traffic, construction of irrigation canals and
depletion of their prey-base.
● It is classified under Schedule 1, Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 providing absolute
protection as offenses under these are prescribed the highest penalties.
● Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS) in Bihar’s Bhagalpur district is India’s
only sanctuary for its national aquatic animal.

Answer: B
Explanation
● It is a statutory body established in 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010.
Hence statement 1 is incorrect.
● It is a specialized body equipped with the necessary expertise to handle environmental
disputes involving multi-disciplinary issues.
● The Tribunal shall not be bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil
Procedure, 1908, but shall be guided by principles of natural justice. Hence statement 2 is
incorrect.
● The Tribunal is vested with the powers of a civil court under the Code of Civil Procedure
for discharging its functions but it can make its own rules.
● It provides speedy environmental justice and helps reduce the burden of litigation in the
higher courts.
● New Delhi is the Principal Place of Sitting of the Tribunal and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and
Chennai shall be the other four places of sitting of the Tribunal.
Tribunal’s composition
● The Tribunal has a presence in five zones- North, Central, East, South and West. The
Principal Bench is situated in the North Zone, headquartered in Delhi.

● The Central zone bench is situated in Bhopal, East zone in Kolkata, South zone in Chennai
and West zone in Pune.
● The Tribunal is headed by the Chairperson who sits in the Principal Bench and has at least
ten but not more than twenty judicial members and at least ten but not more than twenty
expert members.
Tribunal’s Jurisdiction
● The NGT deals with civil cases under the seven laws related to the environment, these
include
○ The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
○ The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977
○ The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980
○ The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981
○ The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
○ The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 and
○ The Biological Diversity Act, 2002
● Two important acts – Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and Scheduled Tribes and Other
Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 have been kept out of
NGT’s jurisdiction. Hence statement 3 is correct.
● The Tribunal has jurisdiction over all civil cases involving a substantial question relating to
the environment. Additionally, any person aggrieved by an order/direction of any of the
Appellate Authorities under the legislations mentioned above can also challenge them
before the National Green Tribunal.
Are decisions of the Tribunal final?
● The Tribunal has powers to review its own decisions. If this fails, the decision can be challenged before the Supreme Court within ninety days.

Big Congratulations to Mr. Manikandan L!

We're thrilled to announce that Mr. Manikandan L has secured 1st place in the Officers ARENA quiz for July 2024!

The prize was presented by none other than our esteemed Associate Director, Mr. R. Rangarajan, Ex-IAS, and our brilliant Polity faculty at Officers IAS Academy.

Watch this out - https://youtu.be/e3hPDk187QQ

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Congratulations to the Officers ARENA Quiz 4 Finalists!

We are thrilled to announce the top 3 finalists of the Officers ARENA Quiz 4! A huge round of applause to:

Ekramul Haque
Varsha S
Priya Goyal

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1. Consider the following statements about Small Finance Banks
1) Small Finance Banks primarily undertake basic banking activities of acceptance of deposit and lending to unserved and underserved sections.
2) SFBs are subject to all prudential norms and regulations of RBI as applicable to existing
commercial banks.

Answer: C
Explanation
Both the statements are correct.
● Small Finance Banks (SFBs) primarily undertake basic banking activities of acceptance of
deposits and lending to unserved and underserved sections including small business
units, small and marginal farmers, micro and small industries and unorganised sector
entities.
● These banks basically work as savings vehicles as well, as they are engaged in offering
credit facilities through their advanced technology & low-cost operations.
● They are eligible to provide credit card and debit card facilities and associational services.
Regulations
● SFBs are subject to all prudential norms and regulations of RBI as applicable to existing
commercial banks including requirement of maintenance of Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) and
Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR).
● SFBs are required to open at least 25% of its branches in unbanked rural centres.
● SFBs will be required to extend 75 per cent of its Adjusted Net Bank Credit (ANBC) to the
sectors eligible for classification as priority sector lending (PSL) by the Reserve Bank.
● At least 50 per cent of its loan portfolio should constitute loans and advances of upto
Rs. 25 lakh.

2. Consider the following statements about Turmeric
1) It is native to Africa.
2) India is the largest producer of turmeric in the world.

Answer: B
Explanation
● Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is native to Southeast Asia and is grown commercially in the
region, primarily in India.
● Turmeric can be grown in diverse tropical conditions from sea level to 1500 m above
sea level, at a temperature range of 20-35° C with an annual rainfall of 1500 mm or
more, under rainfed or irrigated conditions.

● Though it can be grown on different types of soils, it thrives best in well-drained sandy or
clay loam soils with a pH range of 4.5-7.5 with good organic status.
Turmeric in India
● India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of turmeric in the world. More
than 30 varieties of Turmeric are grown in India and it is grown in over 20 states in the
country.
● The largest producing states of Turmeric are Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka and
Tamil Nadu.
● India has more than 62% share of world trade in turmeric. During 2022-23, 1.5 lakh
tonnes of turmeric and turmeric products valued at 207.45 million USD was exported.
● The leading export markets for Indian Turmeric are Bangladesh, UAE, USA and
Malaysia. With the focused activities of the Board, it is expected that turmeric exports will
reach USD 1 Billion by 2030.

3. Which of the following is/are functions of APEDA?
1) Promotion of export oriented production and development of the Scheduled products
2) Fixing of standards and specifications for the scheduled products for the purpose of exports
3) Carrying out inspection of meat and meat products in slaughterhouses for the purpose of
ensuring the quality of such products