Statements 1 and 3 are correct because Mahatma Gandhi initiated the Civil Disobedience Movement on 12 March 1930 with the historic Dandi March, and women participated at an unprecedented scale, with Sarojini Naidu leading the Dharsana Salt Works raid. Statement 2 is incorrect because the Gandhi-Irwin Pact of March 1931 suspended the Civil Disobedience Movement, whereas the Non-Cooperation Movement had been called off earlier in February 1922 following the Chauri Chaura incident.

Pair 1 is correctly matched because Bal Gangadhar Tilak launched the Marathi newspaper Kesari in 1881. Pair 2 is incorrectly matched because Harijan was an English weekly founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1933 (Ambedkar founded Mooknayak and Bahishkrit Bharat). Pair 3 is incorrectly matched because Al-Hilal was established in 1912 by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad to propagate nationalist and anti-colonial ideas.

Statement 1 is correct because GDP at Factor Cost equals GDP at Market Prices minus Net Indirect Taxes (Indirect Taxes minus Subsidies). Statement 2 is incorrect because national income accounts in India are compiled and released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO, now NSO under MoSPI), not the RBI. Statement 3 is incorrect because per capita income is derived by dividing national income by the total mid-year population of the country.

The correct chronological sequence is 1-2-3-4. The First Battle of Panipat occurred in 1526 where Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi to establish Mughal rule; the Battle of Plassey was fought on 23 June 1757 where Robert Clive defeated Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah; the Third Battle of Panipat took place on 14 January 1761 between the Marathas and Ahmad Shah Durrani; and the Battle of Buxar occurred on 22 October 1764 establishing British supremacy in Bengal.

The Tropical Savanna Region (Sudan-type climate) is renowned as the 'Land of Big Games' due to its vast expanse of tall elephant grasses and scattered parkland trees that sustain massive herds of herbivorous ungulates (zebras, antelopes, giraffes, buffaloes) and dense populations of large carnivores (lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas). Historically, these rich wildlife concentrations made it the world's premier big-game hunting and safari belt.

Statement 1 is correct because the Indus (from Bokhar Chu glacier near Lake Manasarovar), Brahmaputra (from Chemayungdung glacier), and Sutlej (from Lake Rakshastal near Manasarovar) are antecedent trans-Himalayan rivers originating in Tibet. Statement 2 is incorrect because the River Ganga is formed at Devprayag by the confluence of the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda rivers; the confluence of the Alaknanda and Mandakini occurs at Rudraprayag.

Pairs 1 and 3 are correctly matched. Zoji La is a vital mountain pass in the Greater Himalayas connecting Srinagar to Leh in the Union Territory of Ladakh, while Shipki La is situated in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh connecting India with Tibet. Pair 2 is incorrectly matched because Nathu La is located in the East Sikkim district of Sikkim along the Indo-China border, not Arunachal Pradesh (which has passes like Bum La and Sela).

Mahatma Jyotiba Phule's Social Reforms:

• Jyotirao Govindrao Phule (1827–1890) was a prominent 19th-century social reformer from Maharashtra who spearheaded the Anti-caste Movement in India.
• In September 1873, he founded the Satyashodhak Samaj (Truth-Seekers' Society) with the mission of liberating Shudras and Ati-Shudras from Brahminical orthodoxy and caste-based discrimination.
• In 1873, he authored the seminal treatise 'Gulamgiri' (Slavery), dedicated to the American abolitionist movement fighting Negro slavery, asserting that caste oppression was analogous to racial enslavement.
• He and his wife, Savitribai Phule, were pioneers of female education, establishing India's first indigenous school for girls at Bhide Wada, Pune in 1848.

Therefore, he was primarily associated with the Anti-caste Movement (Option C).

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because DPSPs are enshrined in Articles 36 to 51 under Part IV of the Constitution, and Article 37 explicitly declares them non-justiciable in court while remaining fundamental in the governance of the country. Statement 3 is incorrect because the framers of the Indian Constitution borrowed the Directive Principles from the Irish Constitution of 1937, not the United States Constitution.

Statement 2 is correct because under Article 123 of the Constitution, the President has the power to promulgate an ordinance if either of the two Houses of Parliament is not in session and circumstances require immediate legislative action. Statement 1 is incorrect because the Rajya Sabha is a permanent body and is not subject to dissolution as stipulated under Article 83(1) of the Constitution.

Statement 1 is correct. The 73rd Amendment Act inserted the Eleventh Schedule with 29 functional subjects for Panchayats under Article 243G. Statement 2 is incorrect because Article 243D(3) mandates reservation of not less than one-third (33 percent) of seats for women, not one-half. Statement 3 is incorrect because Part IX did not automatically apply to Fifth Schedule areas, requiring the enactment of the PESA Act in 1996.

Statements 1, 2, and 3 are all correct. Under Article 148(1), the CAG is appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal, and can only be removed in like manner and on like grounds as a Supreme Court judge (address passed by special majority in both Houses on proved misbehaviour or incapacity). Under Article 149 and the CAG (DPC) Act, 1971, the CAG audits all receipts and expenditure of both the Union and the State governments.

Statement 1 is correct because Parliament passed the Farm Laws Repeal Act, 2021 in November 2021 during the Winter Session. Statement 2 is incorrect because the Essential Commodities Amendment permitted stock limit regulation under extraordinary circumstances such as war, famine, extraordinary price rise, or severe natural calamities. Statement 3 is incorrect because the FPTC Act explicitly facilitated and allowed barrier-free trade outside APMC market yards rather than prohibiting it.

Types of synovial joints in human anatomy:

• Pivotal joint (Pivot joint): A joint where a cylindrical bone rotates within a ring formed of bone and a ligament. The joint where our neck joins the head (the atlantoaxial joint between the atlas and axis vertebrae) is a pivotal joint, allowing rotation from side to side and forward/backward bending.
• Ball and socket joint: Found at the shoulder and hip, allowing multi-axial movement in all directions.
• Hinge joint: Found at the elbow and knee, allowing movement primarily in one plane (like a door hinge).
• Saddle joint: Found at the carpometacarpal joint of the human thumb.

Statements 1 and 3 are correct because under Section 45ZB of the RBI Act, 1934, the MPC comprises six members (three from RBI and three appointed by the Central Government), and Section 45ZA empowers the Central Government to determine the inflation target in consultation with the RBI every five years. Statement 2 is incorrect because Section 45ZL(3) explicitly grants the RBI Governor a second or casting vote in the event of an equality of votes.

All three pairs are correctly matched. Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) provides universal access to banking services with basic zero-balance savings accounts; Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) provides health coverage of ₹5 lakh per beneficiary family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization; and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY Urban and Gramin) aims to provide pucca houses with basic amenities to all eligible beneficiaries.

Statements 1, 2, and 3 are all correct. The UNFCCC COP26 was held in Glasgow under the UK presidency in November 2021, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced the 'Panchamrit' commitments including achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2070. The resulting Glasgow Climate Pact marked the first-ever explicit UN climate text to call on nations to accelerate the phase-down of unabated coal power.

Statement 1 is correct because the Convention on Wetlands was signed in Ramsar, Iran, in February 1971 to provide a framework for national action and international cooperation on wetland conservation. Statement 2 is incorrect because Chilika Lake, designated as India's first Ramsar site alongside Keoladeo National Park in 1981, is located in Odisha, not Andhra Pradesh (where Kolleru Lake is situated).

Pairs 1 and 3 are correctly matched. The Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) is classified as Critically Endangered due to severe habitat loss and collision with high-voltage power lines, while the Gangetic River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica) is classified as Endangered under the IUCN Red List. Pair 2 is incorrectly matched because the Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica), restricted in the wild to the Gir landscape of Gujarat, is classified as Endangered, not Extinct in the Wild.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because Covishield (Oxford-AstraZeneca, produced by Serum Institute of India) employs a non-replicating chimpanzee adenovirus vector (ChAdOx1), while Covaxin (BBV152) is an indigenous inactivated whole virion SARS-CoV-2 vaccine formulated by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with ICMR and NIV Pune. Statement 3 is incorrect because both Covishield and Covaxin were approved and administered as two-dose vaccine regimens.

Both statements 1 and 2 are correct. 5G mobile networks deliver ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC) reducing round-trip latency to less than 1 millisecond compared to 30-50 milliseconds in 4G LTE. Furthermore, 5G is specifically designed for Massive Machine-Type Communication (mMTC), supporting up to one million connected sensors and devices per square kilometer to empower the Internet of Things (IoT).

Statement 1 is correct because INS Vikrant (Indigenous Aircraft Carrier 1), constructed by Cochin Shipyard Limited, is India's first domestically designed and manufactured aircraft carrier. Statement 2 is incorrect because the Rafale twin-engine multirole fighter jets were manufactured and acquired from France (Dassault Aviation). Statement 3 is incorrect because the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is a joint development between India's DRDO and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya, named after the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers.

Statements 1 and 3 are correct because the Taliban seized control of Kabul on 15 August 2021 following NATO and US military drawdown, and the Government of India launched 'Operation Devi Shakti' to evacuate Indian citizens and Afghan partners via the Indian Air Force. Statement 2 is incorrect because the Doha Agreement (Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan) of February 2020 was signed directly between the United States and the Taliban, completely bypassing the Ashraf Ghani-led Afghan government.

Statement 2 is correct because Neeraj Chopra threw 87.58 meters in the men's javelin throw final at Tokyo to win India's first Olympic track and field medal and second individual Olympic gold (after Abhinav Bindra in 2008). Statement 1 is incorrect because India did not win an Olympic gold medal in tennis; India's sole Olympic medal in tennis remains Leander Paes' bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Statements 1, 2, and 3 are all correct. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) comprises India, the United States, Japan, and Australia, holding its first in-person leaders summit in Washington in September 2021. India chaired the 13th BRICS Summit in September 2021 under the theme 'BRICS@15'. The UN Food Systems Summit was convened by UN Secretary-General António Guterres in September 2021 to accelerate global progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because the Tamil Bhakti tradition was led by the Vaishnavite Alvars and Shaivite Nayanars, whose respective verses were preserved in the sacred Nalayira Divya Prabandham and the Tevaram. Statement 3 is incorrect because Andal (the author of Thiruppavai) was the only female Alvar saint, whereas the prominent female Shaivite saint was Karaikkal Ammaiyar.

Statement 1 is correct because the Gandhara school of art (Greco-Buddhist art) integrated Hellenistic sculpting techniques, drapery folds, and curly hair with Buddhist iconography. Statement 2 is incorrect because the Mathura school indigenous tradition predominantly carved sculptures out of local spotted red sandstone quarried from Sikri, while white marble was characteristically employed by the Amaravati school in Andhra Pradesh.

Pairs 1, 2, and 3 are correctly matched. Rani Lakshmibai led the revolt in Jhansi, Begum Hazrat Mahal spearheaded the uprising in Lucknow, declaring her minor son Birjis Qadr as Nawab, and Babu Kunwar Singh led the rebellion in Jagdishpur and Arrah in Bihar. Pair 4 is incorrectly matched because Nana Saheb (Dhondu Pant) led the insurrection in Kanpur alongside Tantia Tope, whereas the nominal leader at Delhi was Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar with operational command held by General Bakht Khan.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because the Surat session of 1907 (presided by Rashbehari Ghosh) led to the historic split between Moderates and Extremists, and the 1916 Lucknow session (presided by A.C. Majumdar) brought them together and forged the Congress-League Lucknow Pact. Statement 3 is incorrect because the historic Lahore Session of December 1929 that adopted the Purna Swaraj resolution was presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru, whereas Motilal Nehru presided over the Calcutta session of 1928.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because Governor-General Lord Cornwallis introduced the Permanent Settlement in 1793 across Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa (as well as Varanasi and parts of Madras), recognising zamindars as landowners with an 10/11th revenue share going to the Company. Statement 3 is incorrect because the core feature of the system was that the revenue assessment was fixed permanently in perpetuity and could never be enhanced or revised regardless of agricultural productivity.

Statements 1, 2, and 3 are all correct. Akbar institutionalized the Mansabdari system around 1571 to structure the military and civil hierarchy with dual ranks of Zat and Sawar. The Zabt or Dahsala system was devised under finance minister Raja Todar Mal based on 10-year average crop yields and prices. In the late 17th century and early 18th century (particularly under Aurangzeb and his successors), an acute shortage of Paibaqi land against expanding claims of mansabdars precipitated the systemic Jagirdari crisis.

Statements 1, 2, and 3 are all correct. The Swadeshi and Boycott Movement was formally launched at Calcutta Town Hall on 7 August 1905 in response to Lord Curzon's partition of Bengal. In the face of unyielding mass unrest, King George V and Viceroy Lord Hardinge annulled the partition at the Delhi Durbar in December 1911. Rabindranath Tagore composed 'Amar Sonar Bangla' in 1905 to foster fraternity among Bengalis during Raksha Bandhan day.

Pairs 1, 2, and 4 are correctly matched. Kesari was published by Bal Gangadhar Tilak in Marathi; Young India was edited by Mahatma Gandhi from 1919 to 1931; and Comrade was an English weekly founded by Maulana Muhammad Ali Jouhar in 1911. Pair 3 is incorrectly matched because The Hindu was founded in 1878 by G. Subramania Iyer and fellow members of the Triplicane Six, whereas Annie Besant was associated with New India and Commonweal.

'Dhing Express' is the popular nickname of Hima Das, the celebrated Indian sprinter hailing from the village of Dhing in the Nagaon district of Assam, who won gold in the 400 metres at the World U20 Championships in 2018.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct. In August 2019, the President issued Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Orders C.O. 272 and C.O. 273 alongside statutory resolutions in Parliament revoking J&K's special status, and Parliament enacted the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 bifurcating the state into two Union Territories. Statement 3 is incorrect because Article 35A was introduced via the Presidential Order of 1954; when C.O. 272 superseded that 1954 order, Article 35A automatically ceased to exist.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because the monumental Great Bath paved with baked bricks and sealed with bitumen gypsum mortar was unearthed at Mohenjo-daro, and Lothal (in Gujarat) possessed a tidal dockyard engineered for maritime trade with Mesopotamia. Statement 3 is incorrect because the logo-syllabic boustrophedon Indus script remains undeciphered despite numerous competing hypotheses.

Statements 1, 2, and 3 are all correct. Lord Dalhousie vigorously formulated and applied the Doctrine of Lapse during his tenure as Governor-General (1848–1856), prohibiting dependent princely rulers lacking natural male heirs from passing sovereignty to adopted sons. Satara was the very first state annexed under this doctrine in 1848 (followed by Jaitpur, Sambalpur, and Jhansi). Awadh was annexed in February 1856 based on James Outram's report alleging chronic misgovernment, not due to lack of an heir.

Match between Famous Pre-Monsoon Local Storms and their Geographic Regions:

| List-I (Local Storm) | List-II (Region) |

| :--- | :--- |

| A. Mango Showers | 3. Kerala & Coastal Karnataka |

| B. Blossom Showers | 2. Kerala (Coffee areas) |

| C. Norwesters (Kalbaisakhi) | 1. West Bengal & Assam (Bardoli Chheerha) |

| D. Loo | 4. Northern Plains (UP, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana) |

• Mango Showers: Pre-monsoon thunderstorms occurring in Kerala and coastal Karnataka that accelerate the early ripening of mangoes.
• Blossom Showers: Convective pre-monsoon showers in Kerala and Kodagu that cause coffee flowers to bloom.
• Kalbaisakhi (Calamity of Baisakh / Norwesters): Violent afternoon thunderstorms accompanied by squalls and hail occurring in West Bengal, Odisha, and Assam (favorable for tea, jute, and aus rice).
• Loo: Scorching, hot, dry, and dust-laden westerly winds blowing across the Northern Plains of India in May and June.

Hence, the correct matching code is A-3, B-2, C-1, D-4 (Option a).

Pairs 1, 2, and 3 are correctly matched. Tungabhadra is the largest right-bank tributary of the Krishna river; Chambal originates in the Vindhya Range and joins the Yamuna river in Etawah, Uttar Pradesh; and Teesta originates in the Himalayas of Sikkim and joins the Brahmaputra (Jamuna) in Bangladesh. Pair 4 is incorrectly matched because Mahanadi is a major independent east-flowing peninsular river draining into the Bay of Bengal, not a tributary of the Godavari.

All three pairs are correctly matched. Raja Rammohan Roy established the Brahmo Samaj in Calcutta in 1828 to propagate monotheism and eradicate social evils, Swami Dayananda Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj in Bombay in 1875 to revive Vedic teachings, and Jyotirao Phule established the Satyashodhak Samaj in Maharashtra in 1873 to emancipate lower castes and women.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because alluvial soils deposited by river systems cover the northern plains and deltas, supporting intensive agriculture, and black soils (vertisols) derived from basaltic lava flows are highly argillaceous with remarkable water retention, making them ideal for cotton. Statement 3 is incorrect because laterite soils are notoriously poor in organic matter, nitrogen, and humus because high tropical temperatures promote rapid bacterial proliferation that quickly decomposes humus.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because the strategic Strait of Hormuz links the oil-rich Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea, while the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara (and via the Dardanelles to the Aegean Sea). Statement 3 is incorrect because the Strait of Malacca is located between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra, linking the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean) to the South China Sea (Pacific Ocean).

Pairs 1, 2, and 3 are correctly matched. The Palghat Gap connects Palakkad in Kerala with Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu between the Nilgiri and Anaimalai hills; the Shencottah Gap links Kollam (Kerala) to Madurai (Tamil Nadu); and Thal Ghat links Mumbai to Nashik in Maharashtra. Pair 4 is incorrectly matched because Bhor Ghat is also situated in Maharashtra in the Sahyadri range, connecting Mumbai to Pune, not in Karnataka.

Statement 1 is correct because the Gulf Stream is an intense, warm western boundary current flowing northward along the eastern coast of North America in the North Atlantic. Statement 2 is incorrect because the Labrador Current is a cold current flowing southward from the Arctic Ocean along the coast of Newfoundland (meeting the Gulf Stream at Grand Banks). Statement 3 is incorrect because the Kuroshio (Japan Current) is a warm western boundary current in the North Pacific Ocean analogous to the Gulf Stream.

Statements 1 and 3 are correct because Arunachal Pradesh shares tri-junction international borders with Bhutan in the west, China/Tibet in the north, and Myanmar in the east, while Tripura is bordered on its north, south, and west by Bangladesh (approx. 856 km border). Statement 2 is incorrect because Sikkim borders Nepal, Bhutan, and China (Tibet), and is separated from Bangladesh by the Siliguri Corridor of West Bengal.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because the Bureau of Indian Standards (IS 1893:2002) classifies India into four seismic zones (Zone II: low, Zone III: moderate, Zone IV: severe, and Zone V: very severe risk) after merging former Zone I into Zone II. Statement 3 is incorrect because the peninsular Deccan Plateau, being a stable ancient cratonic block, predominantly falls under Zone II and Zone III (with only localized faults like Koyna in Zone IV), whereas Zone V encompasses the Himalayas, North-East India, and the Rann of Kutch.

Statements 1, 2, and 3 are all correct. The Kharif cropping season corresponds with the onset of the southwest monsoon (sown in June–July and harvested in September–October), comprising warm wet crops such as rice, maize, cotton, and groundnut. The Rabi season begins with the onset of winter (sown in October–December and harvested in April–June), featuring temperate crops such as wheat, barley, gram, and mustard.

Statement 1 is correct because the Sahel is the ecoclimatic and biogeographic transition zone in Africa between the Sahara Desert to the north and the Sudanian Savanna to the south. Statement 2 is incorrect because the River Nile flows northward across north-eastern Africa to drain into the Mediterranean Sea through an expansive delta, not the Red Sea. Statement 3 is incorrect because Lake Victoria is the primary reservoir and source of the White Nile, whereas the Blue Nile originates from Lake Tana in the Ethiopian Highlands.

Statements 1, 2, and 3 are all correct. The Siachen Glacier, spanning 76 km, lies in the East Karakoram range north of the Nubra Valley. The Gangotri Glacier in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand (specifically at Gaumukh), gives rise to the Bhagirathi river (headstream of the Ganga). Kanchenjunga (8,586 m) in Sikkim is the highest peak located fully within the territory administered by India (K2/Godwin-Austen is in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir).

Statements 1 and 2 are correct. In Champaran (1917), Gandhi intervened against the European planters' rule compelling peasants to cultivate indigo on 3/20th of their holdings (tinkathia), and in Kheda (1918), he supported Gujarat peasants demanding revenue exemption following severe crop failure under the Revenue Code. Statement 3 is incorrect because Vallabhbhai Patel joined Gandhi during the Kheda campaign; he was not associated with the Champaran Satyagraha in Bihar, where Rajendra Prasad, J.B. Kripalani, and Mazharul Haq assisted Gandhi.

Statements 1, 2, and 3 are all correct. Article 21 provides that no person shall be deprived of life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law; Article 19(1)(a) protects freedom of speech and expression for Indian citizens subject to reasonable restrictions under 19(2); and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in the Constituent Assembly famously characterized Article 32 (empowering individuals to approach the Supreme Court directly for writ remedies) as the 'very soul of the Constitution and the very heart of it'.

Statement 1 is correct because under Article 109(1), a Money Bill shall not be introduced in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha), and can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha with the prior recommendation of the President. Statement 2 is incorrect because under Article 109(2), Rajya Sabha can only make non-binding recommendations within 14 days and has no power to amend or reject it. Statement 3 is incorrect because Article 108 governing joint sittings explicitly excludes Money Bills since there is no provision for a legislative deadlock on them.

Statements 1, 2, and 3 are all correct. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 inserted Part IX and the Eleventh Schedule containing 29 functional matters under Article 243G; mandated under Article 243D(3) that not less than one-third of the total number of seats to be filled by direct election in every Panchayat shall be reserved for women; and created the constitutional office of the State Election Commission under Article 243K to superintend, direct, and control the preparation of electoral rolls and conduct of all Panchayat elections.

Statements 1, 2, and 3 are all correct. Under Article 324(5) of the Constitution, the Chief Election Commissioner enjoys security of tenure and cannot be removed except in like manner and on like grounds as a Supreme Court judge, while any other Election Commissioner cannot be removed except on the recommendation of the CEC. Furthermore, Article 324(1) explicitly tasks the Election Commission of India with superintending, directing, and controlling elections to Parliament, State Legislatures, and the offices of the President and Vice-President.

Statements 1, 2, and 3 are all correct. Under Article 246 and the Seventh Schedule, List I (Union List) encompasses matters of national importance like defence, foreign relations, and railways; List II (State List) governs regional matters including public order, police, public health and sanitation, and agriculture. The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976 transferred five subjects from the State List to the Concurrent List (List III): education, forests, weights and measures, protection of wild animals and birds, and administration of justice.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct. COP15 took place in Copenhagen, Denmark in December 2009, resulting in the Copenhagen Accord, and the first commitment period of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol spanned 2008 to 2012. Statement 3 is incorrect because the Kyoto Protocol differentiated responsibilities under Annex I and Non-Annex I; India, being a developing Non-Annex I country, had no binding quantified emission limitation or reduction obligations.

Chronological Order of Alauddin Khilji's Military Conquests:

1. 2. Conquest of Gujarat (1299 CE): Army commanded by Ulugh Khan and Nusrat Khan defeated Rai Karan Baghela II of Gujarat; Malik Kafur was captured from Khambhat.
2. 1. Siege and Conquest of Ranthambore (1301 CE): Alauddin personally marched against Hammiradeva of Chauhan dynasty; captured Ranthambore fort in July 1301 after Nusrat Khan was killed.
3. 4. Siege and Conquest of Chittor (1303 CE): Alauddin laid siege to Chittor fort ruled by Rawal Ratan Singh (Guhila dynasty); Rani Padmini performed Jauhar; captured in August 1303 and renamed Khizrabad.
4. 3. Conquest of Warangal (1309–1310 CE): Southern expedition led by Malik Kafur besieged Kakatiya ruler Prataparudra II at Warangal; Kakatiya king submitted and surrendered the Koh-i-Noor diamond.

Chronological sequence: Gujarat (1299) → Ranthambore (1301) → Chittor (1303) → Warangal (1310).

Therefore, the correct code is 2, 1, 4, 3 (Option C).

Maximum Increase in Forest Cover (ISFR 2021):

• According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021 (17th biennial forest assessment published by the Forest Survey of India, Dehradun in January 2022):
• The top five States showing the maximum increase in forest cover during the two-year assessment period (between 2019 and 2021) were:

1. Andhra Pradesh: Registered the highest increase of 647 sq km in forest cover.
2. Telangana: Registered an increase of 632 sq km.
3. Odisha: Registered an increase of 537 sq km.
4. Karnataka: Registered an increase of 155 sq km.
5. Jharkhand: Registered an increase of 110 sq km.

• Arunachal Pradesh, in contrast, recorded the maximum loss (-257 sq km) in forest cover.

Therefore, the state that registered the maximum increase was Andhra Pradesh (Option D).

Statements 1, 2, and 3 are all correct. Under Article 37, DPSPs cannot be enforced by any court, yet remain fundamental principles for lawmaking; Article 44 directs the State to secure for citizens a Uniform Civil Code throughout the territory of India; and the 42nd Amendment Act of 1976 introduced Article 48A obligating the State to protect and improve the environment and safeguard forests and wildlife.

Statements 1, 2, and 3 are all correct. The 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 added Part IXA and the Twelfth Schedule specifying 18 municipal functional responsibilities under Article 243W. Article 243Q provides for three tiers of municipalities: a Nagar Panchayat for a transitional area, a Municipal Council for a smaller urban area, and a Municipal Corporation for a larger urban area. Article 243ZE mandates the constitution of a Metropolitan Planning Committee in every metropolitan area to prepare a draft development plan.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because the Tenth Schedule was enacted via the 52nd Amendment in 1985, and paragraph 2(3) explicitly stipulates that a nominated member is disqualified from membership if they join any political party after the expiry of six months. Statement 3 is incorrect because in Kihoto Hollohan v. Zachillhu (1992), the Supreme Court struck down paragraph 7 of the Tenth Schedule, holding that the Speaker/Chairman acts as a tribunal whose disqualification decisions are amenable to judicial review.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched e-RUPI on 2 August 2021 as a cashless and contactless digital payment instrument developed by NPCI on its UPI platform in collaboration with the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and National Health Authority. Statement 3 is incorrect because e-RUPI does not require the beneficiary to have a bank account or a smartphone; it can be delivered and redeemed on basic feature phones via standard SMS strings as well as QR codes.

Statements 1, 2, and 3 are all correct. Under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), the Repo Rate is the fixed interest rate at which the RBI injects liquidity against approved government securities to scheduled commercial banks, and the Reverse Repo Rate is the rate at which the RBI absorbs overnight liquidity from banks. The Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR), mandated under Section 42(1) of the RBI Act, 1934, is the specified minimum percentage of net demand and time liabilities (NDTL) that banks must hold strictly as cash balances with the RBI.

Statement 1 is correct because Fiscal Deficit is formally defined as Total Expenditure minus Total Non-Debt Receipts (Revenue Receipts plus Non-Debt Capital Receipts such as recoveries of loans and disinvestment proceeds), representing total net borrowing requirements. Statement 2 is incorrect because Revenue Deficit strictly reflects the gap between Revenue Expenditure and Revenue Receipts, completely omitting capital transactions. Statement 3 is incorrect because fiscal deficit excludes non-debt creating capital receipts from capital deficit rather than representing a mere arithmetic addition of all capital receipts.

Statements 1, 2, and 3 are all correct. Under RBI prudential norms, a term loan is classified as an NPA if interest and/or installment of principal remains overdue for a period exceeding 90 days. The SARFAESI Act, 2002 empowers secured creditors (banks and financial institutions) to seize and auction pledged collateral (security interests) without having to seek prior approval from civil courts. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) was enacted in May 2016 to create a consolidated, time-bound corporate insolvency resolution process.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because WPI (published by the Office of the Economic Adviser, DPIIT) tracks only wholesale manufactured, primary, and fuel goods, entirely excluding services, while CPI (Combined) was officially adopted by the RBI in 2014 following the Urjit Patel Committee recommendations as its headline inflation nominal anchor. Statement 3 is incorrect because Core Inflation is defined as headline inflation minus the volatile food and fuel categories.

The correct chronological order is 2, 1, 3, 4. The Battle of Bilgram (also known as the Battle of Kannauj) took place in May 1540 where Sher Shah Suri decisively defeated Mughal Emperor Humayun; the Battle of Sarnal occurred in December 1572 during Akbar's Gujarat campaign; the Battle of Dharmat took place in April 1658 where Aurangzeb defeated the imperial forces led by Maharaja Jaswant Singh during the Mughal war of succession; and the Battle of Jajau occurred in June 1707 where Prince Muazzam (Bahadur Shah I) defeated his brother Azam Shah to claim the Mughal throne.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct. The Suresh Tendulkar Committee (2009) shifted the poverty measurement from calorie intake to monthly per capita expenditure on food, education, and health, and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (2005) provides a legal guarantee of at least 100 days of unskilled wage employment per rural household annually. Statement 3 is incorrect in this developmental context because the Planning Commission constituted the C. Rangarajan Expert Group in 2012 specifically to review the methodology for measurement of poverty.

All three statements are correct. In July 1991, India launched structural economic reforms anchored on Liberalization, Privatization, and Globalization (LPG). The Statement on Industrial Policy of 1991 dismantled the License Raj by abolishing industrial licensing for all but a handful of strategic sectors, steered under Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao and Finance Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because the RBI commenced operations on 1 April 1935 in Kolkata based on the RBI Act, 1934 (and Hilton Young Commission recommendations), and was transferred to public ownership under the RBI (Transfer to Public Ownership) Act, 1948, taking effect on 1 January 1949. Statement 3 is incorrect because under Section 22 of the RBI Act and the Coinage Act, one-rupee notes and coins are issued by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India (bearing the signature of the Finance Secretary), not the RBI.

Statements 1, 2, and 3 are all correct. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approves MSPs based on detailed recommendations by the CACP assessing input costs, demand-supply, and price parity. MSP is officially declared for 22 mandated crops (7 cereals, 5 pulses, 7 oilseeds, and 3 commercial crops) along with the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane. The National Commission on Farmers, headed by Prof. M.S. Swaminathan (2006), famously recommended that MSP should equal the comprehensive cost of production (C2 cost) plus a 50% profit margin.

Statements 1, 2, and 3 are correct. Over 40 tonnes of lethal methyl isocyanate (MIC, formula CH3NCO) gas escaped from Tank 610 of the Union Carbide pesticide factory in Bhopal on the night of 2–3 December 1984, claiming thousands of lives. On 7 June 2010, twenty-five years after the industrial catastrophe, the Chief Judicial Magistrate court in Bhopal convicted seven former Indian executives of UCIL under Section 304A IPC for criminal negligence.

Statements 1 and 3 are correct because the RBI actively pursued pilot rollouts of the Digital Rupee (e₹) under the CBDC framework, and the Central Government listed the Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021 on the parliamentary legislative agenda for the Winter Session. Statement 2 is incorrect because private cryptocurrencies (such as Bitcoin or Ethereum) are not recognized as legal tender or fiat money in India; only currency issued by the RBI and Government of India possesses legal tender status.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because COP26 took place in Glasgow, Scotland in November 2021, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi committed India to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2070. Statement 3 is incorrect because developing nations led by India and China successfully negotiated to replace the phrase 'phase-out' of coal with 'phase-down' of unabated coal power, without establishing an absolute global deadline of complete elimination by 2030.

Statements 1 and 3 are correct. The United Nations Population Fund defines the demographic dividend as economic growth potential resulting from shifts in a country's age structure when the working-age population (15-64) exceeds the dependent population, and Kerala consistently records the highest literacy rate among all Indian states (over 94%). Statement 2 is incorrect because according to the National Family Health Survey-4 (NFHS-4, 2015-16), India's Total Fertility Rate stood at 2.2, which was above the demographic replacement fertility threshold of 2.1 (it declined below replacement level to 2.0 only in NFHS-5, 2019-21).

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because the Ramsar Convention was signed in 1971 in Iran to conserve wetland ecosystems, and Chilika Lake (Odisha) and Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) became India's first designated Ramsar sites in 1981. Statement 3 is incorrect because the Montreux Record is a register of wetland sites on the Ramsar List where ecological character has changed, is changing, or is likely to change due to human interference, pollution, or development; it is not a list of removed sites.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because Project Tiger was launched on 1 April 1973 from Jim Corbett National Park, and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) was granted statutory status via the 2006 amendment to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (Section 38L). Statement 3 is incorrect because the National Tiger Estimation is conducted by the NTCA and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) once every four years (quadrennial cycle), not every two years.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because La Nina represents the cool phase of ENSO characterized by abnormally low sea surface temperatures across the central and east-central equatorial Pacific, which strengthens trade winds and the Walker circulation, typically yielding above-normal monsoon rainfall in India. Statement 3 is incorrect because ENSO phases (both El Nino warming and La Nina cooling) exert a well-documented dominant influence on the inter-annual variability of the Indian monsoon.

All four pairs are correctly matched. Kaziranga in Assam hosts two-thirds of the world's Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceroses; Gir National Park in Gujarat is the world's only natural sanctuary for the Asiatic Lion; Keoladeo (Bharatpur) in Rajasthan is a UNESCO World Heritage avifaunal sanctuary hosting thousands of migratory birds; and Sundarbans in West Bengal constitutes the world's largest mangrove tiger reserve protecting the Royal Bengal tiger.

Statements 1, 2, and 3 are all correct. Photochemical smog (oxidizing smog) arises from photochemical reactions between solar UV radiation, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), producing secondary pollutants such as ozone and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN). Minamata disease was first identified in Japan following severe neurological poisoning from industrial discharge of methylmercury bioaccumulating in shellfish. Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) measures the amount of dissolved oxygen consumed by aerobic microorganisms to biologically decompose organic matter in water bodies.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because Environmental Impact Assessment is statutory under Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and the Ministry of Environment and Forests issued India's first comprehensive EIA notification on 27 January 1994 (superseded by the 2006 notification). Statement 3 is incorrect because only developmental projects scheduled under Category A (cleared by Union MoEFCC) and Category B (cleared by State EIA Authorities) exceeding specified threshold capacities require prior environmental clearance; small, non-polluting, and exempted activities do not require clearance.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because dense stilt and prop root systems of mangrove trees dissipate wave energy and stabilize intertidal sediments against cyclonic surges, and the deltaic Sundarbans spanning India and Bangladesh constitutes the world's largest contiguous mangrove forest tract. Statement 3 is incorrect because mangroves are facultative halophytes specifically adapted to saline coastal and estuarine intertidal environments through salt exclusion, filtration, and salt-secreting glands.

All three pairs are correctly matched deficiency conditions. Deficiency of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) impairs collagen synthesis, causing scurvy characterized by bleeding gums and delayed wound healing. Deficiency of calciferol (Vitamin D) impairs calcium absorption in gut tissue, leading to soft and deformed bones known as rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. Deficiency of retinol (Vitamin A) depletes rhodopsin photopigment in retinal rod cells, causing nyctalopia (night blindness) and xerophthalmia.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because tuberculosis is an airborne bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and measles (rubeola) is an acute viral disease caused by single-stranded RNA paramyxovirus (morbillivirus). Statement 3 is incorrect because malaria is a protozoan parasitic disease caused by Plasmodium parasites (such as P. falciparum and P. vivax) transmitted through the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, not a virus.

Statements 1, 2, and 3 are all correct. The Gaganyaan programme is designed to demonstrate human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of three into a 400 km low Earth orbit; Chandrayaan-2's orbiter remains highly operational in lunar orbit sending high-resolution optical and radar data; and Aditya-L1 is India's dedicated solar observatory situated at the Sun-Earth Lagrangian point L1 (1.5 million km away) to study the solar corona, chromosphere, and solar wind.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because atmospheric gas molecules scatter shorter blue wavelengths of light far more intensely than longer red wavelengths inversely proportional to the fourth power of wavelength (Rayleigh scattering), and raindrops act as natural prisms creating rainbows through combined refraction, dispersion, and total internal reflection. Statement 3 is incorrect because sound is a mechanical wave requiring elastic collisions between particles; it travels at roughly 343 m/s in air, but over four times faster in water (approx. 1,480 m/s) and even faster in solids.

Statements 1, 2, and 3 are all correct. Bt cotton incorporates endotoxin genes (cry1Ac and cry2Ab) from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis to confer insecticidal resistance against bollworms. Golden Rice is biofortified by inserting phytoene synthase and carotene desaturase genes to synthesize beta-carotene (provitamin A) in the edible endosperm. CRISPR-Cas9 is an RNA-guided adaptive molecular endonuclease tool that enables precise, targeted alterations in genomic DNA sequences.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) deficiency impairs collagen synthesis, causing scurvy (bleeding gums and poor wound healing), while Vitamin D (calciferol) deficiency impairs calcium absorption, leading to defective bone mineralization and rickets in children. Statement 3 is incorrect because night blindness (nyctalopia) is caused by the deficiency of Vitamin A (retinol), whereas Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) deficiency results in megaloblastic pernicious anemia and neurological demyelination.

Statements 1, 2, and 3 are all correct. Commercial nuclear power reactors generate electricity through controlled nuclear fission where fissile uranium-235 or plutonium-239 nuclei split upon neutron capture; the core of the Sun generates energy through thermonuclear fusion fusing hydrogen nuclei into helium via the proton-proton chain; and the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu incorporates VVER-1000 pressurized water reactors constructed under an intergovernmental partnership between India and Russia (Rosatom).

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because 5G cellular communication dramatically curtails latency to sub-millisecond rates, and blockchain operates as a decentralized, immutable distributed ledger that chronologically records transactions across peer-to-peer cryptographic nodes. Statement 3 is incorrect because Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) addresses are 32 bits in length (written as four decimal octets), whereas 128-bit addresses are used in Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6).

Glass pH electrodes drift over time due to chemical wear and temperature effects; calibration against certified pH 4, 7, and 10 buffers ensures measurement accuracy.

Both statements 1 and 2 are correct. Hath Yog was systemized and practiced extensively by the medieval Nathpanthi yogis (founded by Matsyendranath and Gorakhnath) who advocated physical postures (asanas), breath control (pranayama), and purification techniques to transcend mundane limits. In medieval India, several Sufi orders (such as the Chishtis and Shattari order of Muhammad Ghawth) interacted closely with Nath yogis and enthusiastically integrated yogic breath regulation (habs-e-dam) and asanas into their spiritual exercises, exemplified by the translation of the Sanskrit text 'Amritakunda' into Persian as 'Hauz-al-Hayat'.

Statement C is not a characteristic of the Iqta system because revenue collected from an iqta was not deposited directly into the Sultan's personal or royal treasury; instead, the muqti (or iqtadar) deducted local administrative expenses, military maintenance costs, and his personal salary from the collection, remitting only the residual surplus balance (known as fawazil) to the Sultan's exchequer. Nizam-ul-Mulk's 11th-century treatise Siyasatnama remains the classical primary source outlining the normative rules and imperial oversight of the Iqta institution.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because AUKUS was formally launched on 15 September 2021 by the leaders of Australia, the UK, and the USA to enhance Indo-Pacific security cooperation, featuring Pillar 1 focused on enabling Australia to build and field conventionally armed nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs). Statement 3 is incorrect because the conclusion of AUKUS led Australia to unilaterally scrap its $90 billion conventional submarine deal with French shipbuilder Naval Group, triggering a fierce diplomatic rupture with France.

Statements 1, 2, and 3 are all correct. The Quad is a plurilateral partnership comprising India, the US, Japan, and Australia dedicated to a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific. Its first-ever leaders' summit took place virtually on 12 March 2021 hosted by US President Joe Biden, followed on 24 September 2021 by the first historic in-person leaders' summit at the White House in Washington, DC attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Scott Morrison, Yoshihide Suga, and Joe Biden.

Statements 1, 2, and 3 are all correct. Parliament passed the three contentious farm reform acts in September 2020; the Supreme Court in January 2021 stayed the implementation of all three statutes until further orders while constituting an expert committee; and following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation, Parliament passed the Farm Laws Repeal Act, 2021 during the opening day of the Winter Session in November 2021.

Planning Commission's Agro-Climatic Regional Planning (1989):

1. Statement 1 is correct: The Upper Gangetic Plains region (Zone 5) encompasses 32 districts covering the central and western parts of Uttar Pradesh. It extends between the Ghaghara and Yamuna rivers across the fertile alluvial Doab.
2. Statement 2 is correct: Characterized by flat alluvial topography, rich soil, and extensive canal and tube-well infrastructure, this region boasts an irrigation intensity exceeding 130% and a cropping intensity exceeding 140%, representing one of the most intensively cultivated agricultural zones in India.

Therefore, both statements 1 and 2 are correct.

Correct Option: Option (B) — 1 and 2 only is the correct answer.

• Statement(s) 1, 2 are correct:
• 1. It was enacted in 1986 in the wake of the Bhopal gas tragedy.
• 2. It is an 'umbrella' legislation for the protection and improvement of the environment.
• Statement(s) 3 is/are incorrect:
• 3. It established the National Green Tribunal.

Statements 1, 2, and 3 are all correct. The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize jointly to Maria Ressa (Philippines) and Dmitry Muratov (Russia) for their courageous fight for freedom of expression; India held the rotating Presidency of the United Nations Security Council for the month of August 2021, chairing signature debates on maritime security and counter-terrorism; and the 16th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit was held in Rome, Italy, on 30-31 October 2021 under Italy's presidency.

Correct Option: Option (C) — 1 and 3 only is the correct answer.

• Statement(s) 1, 3 are correct:
• 1. Heavy water (D2O) is used as a moderator in certain types of nuclear reactors.
• 3. Uranium-235 is a fissile isotope.
• Statement(s) 2 is/are incorrect:
• 2. Apsara, commissioned in 1956, was India's first commercial nuclear power reactor.