Autotrophs manufacture their own food. The most known example is plants that fulfill their carbon and energy requirements by photosynthesis. Algae have photosynthetic machinery ultimately derived from cyanobacteria that produce oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis. Fungi, Protozoa, and Virus do not manufacture food.

When growing plants detect light, a hormone called auxin, synthesized at the shoot tip, helps the cells to grow longer. When light is coming from one side of the plant, auxin diffuses towards the shady side of the shoot. This concentration of auxin stimulates the cells to grow longer on the side of the shoot which is away from light. Thus, the plant appears to bend towards the light.

The central premises of Cryonics are:

• Life can be stopped and restarted if its basic structure is preserved. For e.g. Human embryos are routinely preserved for years at temperatures that completely stop the chemistry of life.
• Vitrification (not freezing) can preserve biological structure very well. For e.g. Adding high concentrations of chemicals called cryoprotectants to cells permits tissue to be cooled to very low temperatures with little or no ice formation.

The mining industry can impact aquatic biodiversity in different ways:

Direct poisoning is the first one, and risks are higher when contaminants are mobile in the sediment or bioavailable in the water. Mine drainage can modify water pH. Metal oxide deposition can limit biomass by coating algae or their substrate, thereby preventing colonization. The water sources in the region get contaminated due to mining. Dumping of waste and slurry leads to degradation of land, soil, and an increase in stream and river pollution and leaches to groundwater too. It also leads to soil erosion.

No study cites heat pollution of water and industrial effluents as a problem for the Gharial population. So, statement 2 and 3 are NOT correct.

Below, all the major causes are listed.

• It has been picked from IUCN's website.
• Their population decline can be attributed to a variety of causes including
• over-hunting for skins and trophies.
• egg collection for consumption
• killing for indigenous medicine
• killing by fishermen (for example Biswas 1970 and Whitaker 1975).

While hunting is no longer considered to be a significant threat, the construction of dams, barrages, irrigation canals, siltation, changes in river course, artificial embankments, sand-mining, riparian agriculture, and domestic and feral livestock have combined to cause an extreme limitation to gharial range due to this excessive, irreversible loss of riverine habitat.

In southern India, hot winds do not blow in summer, and there is no frost in winter. Moreover, they are closer to the sea which exerts its moderating influence. This makes for an ideal location for growing sugarcane. For the best productivity, sugarcane needs tropical conditions such as long hours of sunshine, cool nights with clear skies. This is the reason, that the highest productivity in terms of sugar content is found in Maharashtra sugarcane. Moreover, cooperative movements are more successful in these regions, which is one more reason for the shift. 

• Per capita income shows living standard and economic status. So, statement 1 is correct.
• Literacy rate shows educational achievement and is used in some form in the Human Development Index (HDI). So, statement 2 is correct.
• Health indicators like IMR, MMR, malnutrition rate etc. show the general health and well-being of the population and its life expectancy. So, statement 3 is correct. 

The term "note" in music describes the pitch and the duration of a musical sound. The pitch describes how low or high a note sounds. The same note can sound soft or loud depending on how its played.

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is prescribed by the United Nations Convention on the Law on the Seas. So, option (A) is NOT correct.

The difference between the territorial sea and the EEZ is:

The former confers full sovereignty over the waters, whereas the second is merely a "sovereign right" which refers to the coastal state's rights below the surface of the sea, for e.g. to exploit marine resources or energy resources or any other resource. Hence, options (C) and (D) are NOT correct and option (B) is correct.

Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojana is launched to facilitate construction and up-gradation of the dwelling units for the slum dwellers. It was the first scheme meant exclusively for slum dwellers. Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojana was launched on 2nd December 2001. It was launched during the 9th five-year planning in India. It was launched in Hyderabad. Fund sharing is between the central and state governments in a 50:50 ratio. It has been subsumed in the integrated housing and slum development program in 2005.