Statements 1 and 2 are correct because the Swadeshi Movement was launched in August 1905 to protest Lord Curzon's partition of Bengal, which was formally annulled in 1911 by Lord Hardinge at the Delhi Durbar. Statement 3 is incorrect because the movement spread across India under leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak in Maharashtra, Lala Lajpat Rai in Punjab, and Chidambaram Pillai in Madras.

All three statements are correct. The mutiny erupted at Meerut on 10 May 1857, after which rebellious soldiers captured Delhi and declared the elderly Mughal ruler Bahadur Shah Zafar as the Emperor of India. Following the rebellion's suppression, the British Crown enacted the Government of India Act 1858, dissolving the East India Company and placing India under direct Crown governance.

Sunderlal Bahuguna was the leading figure in the Chipko Movement against deforestation in Uttarakhand. Medha Patkar spearheaded the Narmada Bachao Andolan against large dam displacement. Acharya Vinoba Bhave initiated the voluntary land-gift Bhoodan Movement in 1951, and poet Sugathakumari led the grassroots campaign to protect Silent Valley in Kerala.

Statements 1 and 3 are correct because the Great Bath is a monumental public structure excavated at Mohenjo-daro, and Lothal featured a brick-lined tidal dockyard serving as a major port for overseas trade. Statement 2 is incorrect because the Harappan script remains undeciphered.

1. Humayun had originally conferred the title of Khan-i-Khanan (Lord of Lords) on Bairam Khan in 1555 following the decisive victory at Sirhind which restored Mughal rule.
2. When 13-year-old Akbar was crowned at Kalanaur (Punjab) in 1556, he formally appointed Bairam Khan as Wakil-us-Sultanat (Prime Minister/Vazir) and Regent with the title Khan-i-Baba, reconfirming his pre-existing title of Khan-i-Khanan. Statement 2 is historically correct because the title was not created afresh at the appointment but already possessed.

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

• Statement(s) 1, 2 are correct:
• 1. The southwest monsoon is caused by the differential heating of land and sea.
• 2. The retreating monsoon brings rainfall to the Tamil Nadu coast.
• Statement(s) 3 is/are incorrect:
• 3. The southwest monsoon arrives first in Rajasthan.

Pairs 1 and 2 are correctly matched because the Strait of Hormuz links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, and the Strait of Malacca connects the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean) to the South China Sea (Pacific Ocean). Pair 3 is incorrectly matched because the Bering Strait connects the Arctic Ocean (Chukchi Sea) to the Pacific Ocean (Bering Sea), not the Atlantic Ocean.

All three statements are correct. Hermatypic corals thrive in tropical, shallow, sunlit marine environments between 20°C and 30°C. The Great Barrier Reef stretches along Queensland off Australia's northeastern coast, and elevated thermal stress causes corals to expel their symbiotic zooxanthellae algae, resulting in coral bleaching.

Statements 1 and 3 are correct because the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023 reserves 33% of seats in the Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, and the Legislative Assembly of the NCT of Delhi for women. Statement 2 is incorrect because the Act contains a sunset and commencement clause stating that reservation will take effect only after a census conducted after the commencement of the Act and the subsequent delimitation exercise.

Official UPSC Key: Option (A) is the verified correct answer. "1 only" is the officially confirmed answer for this General Studies question.

All three statements are correct. Article 324 vests the superintendence, direction, and control of elections to Parliament, State Legislatures, and the offices of the President and Vice-President in the Election Commission of India. Furthermore, under the proviso to Article 324(5), the Chief Election Commissioner cannot be removed except in like manner and on like grounds as a judge of the Supreme Court.

The chronological sequence of the Maratha Peshwas:

1. Balaji Vishwanath (1713–1720): Consolidated the Maratha state under Chhatrapati Shahu and made the Peshwaship hereditary.
2. Balaji Baji Rao (Nana Saheb) (1740–1761): Expanded the empire across North India, culminating in the Third Battle of Panipat (1761).
3. Narayan Rao (1772–1773): Succeeded Madhav Rao I as the 5th Peshwa; assassinated in August 1773 at Shanivar Wada.
4. Raghunath Rao (Raghoba) (1773–1774): Uncle of Narayan Rao who usurped the title briefly before being ousted by the Barbhai Council led by Nana Fadnavis, leading to the Treaty of Surat (1775) and the First Anglo-Maratha War.

Hence, the correct ascending order is 4, 2, 3, 1.

Official UPSC Key: Option (B) is the verified correct answer. "1 and 2 only" is the officially confirmed answer for this General Studies question.

Option (A) is the correct answer: 1 only.

Option (D) is the correct answer: 1, 2 and 3.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because India allows 100% FDI under the automatic route in sectors like manufacturing and telecom, while explicitly prohibiting FDI in lottery, gambling, chit funds, and atomic energy. Statement 3 is incorrect because FDI up to 51% is permitted in multi-brand retail trading under the Government approval route, subject to statutory conditions.

Option (D) is the correct answer: 1, 2 and 3.

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

Option (A) is the correct answer: 1 only.

Correct Option: Option (D) — 1, 2 and 3 is the correct answer.

• All given statements are correct:
• 1. It successfully soft-landed near the lunar south polar region in August 2023.
• 2. With this mission, India became the fourth country to soft-land on the Moon.
• 3. The mission consisted of a lander named Vikram and a rover named Pragyan.

Option (C) is the correct answer: 1 and 2 only.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because CRISPR-Cas9 is an RNA-guided molecular tool that enables precise genetic modifications, adapted from the bacterial adaptive immune system against bacteriophage viruses. Statement 3 is incorrect because CRISPR-Cas9 is universally applicable across prokaryotes and eukaryotes, capable of editing genomes of plants, animals, and humans.

Option (D) is the correct answer: 1, 2 and 3.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because India's presidency ran from 1 December 2022 to 30 November 2023 under the theme 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: One Earth, One Family, One Future' drawn from the Maha Upanishad. Statement 3 is incorrect because Indonesia transferred the presidency gavel to India in November 2022, and India later passed the presidency to Brazil in December 2023.

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

Official UPSC Key: Option (D) is the verified correct answer. As per the official answer key for UPSC Civil Services Examination Prelims 2024, "1, 2 and 3" is the officially confirmed statement for this question in History of India and Indian National Movement.

Both statements are correct. Sangam literature comprises poetic anthologies created between roughly 300 BCE and 300 CE under the royal patronage of the Pandya kings at Madurai. Authored by the scholar Tolkappiyar, the Tolkappiyam is the oldest surviving treatise dealing with Tamil orthography, grammar, phonology, and social conventions.

Option (A) is the correct answer: 1 only.

Statements 1 and 3 are correct because Akbar instituted the Mansabdari system integrating civil and military administration under dual zat and sawar ranks, and officials were commonly remunerated through jagirs granting them the right to collect land revenue. Statement 2 is incorrect because the Zabti system of revenue assessment based on land measurement and crop productivity was devised under Akbar by his finance minister Raja Todar Mal, not Aurangzeb.

PM SVANidhi Scheme Target Group:

• PM SVANidhi stands for Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (प्रधानमंत्री स्ट्रीट वेंडर्स आत्मनिर्भर निधि).
• It was launched on 1 June 2020 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) as a special micro-credit facility under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan to assist Street Vendors (रेहड़ी-पटरी विक्रेता / फेरीवाले) whose livelihoods were disrupted by the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown.
• Key features of the scheme:
• Initial working capital loan of up to ₹10,000 without collateral for a one-year tenure.
• Enhanced tranches of ₹20,000 (second loan) and ₹50,000 (third loan) on timely repayment.
• An interest subsidy of 7% per annum credited directly into the vendor's bank account.
• Cash-back incentives for conducting digital transactions.

Therefore, the targeted group is Street vendors (Option C).

Official UPSC Key: Option (A) is the verified correct answer. As per the official answer key for UPSC Civil Services Examination Prelims 2024, "1 only" is the officially confirmed statement for this question in History of India and Indian National Movement.

Official UPSC Key: Option (D) is the verified correct answer. "1, 2 and 3" is the officially confirmed answer for this General Studies question.

Official UPSC Key: Option (B) is the verified correct answer. "1 and 2 only" is the officially confirmed answer for this General Studies question.

Correct Option: Option (A) — A-2, B-1, C-3, D-4 is the correct answer.

• All given statements are correct:
• 1. Provincial autonomy
• 2. Dyarchy in the provinces
• 3. Separate electorates for Muslims
• 4. Creation of two independent dominions

Answer: 1 and 2 only (Option B)

Explanation (English):

1. Statement 1 is correct: The relentless crusade by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, backed by classical Sanskrit textual interpretations and petitions, led the British government under Lord Dalhousie and Lord Canning to pass the Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act (Act XV) of 1856.
2. Statement 2 is correct: Jyotirao Phule established the Satyashodhak Samaj (Truth-Seekers' Society) in Pune in September 1873 to liberate Shudras and Ati-Shudras from caste oppression and Brahminical exploitation.
3. Statement 3 is incorrect: The Arya Samaj was founded in Bombay in 1875 by Swami Dayanand Saraswati (Swami Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Mission in 1897).

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

All four items are correct. On 8 August 1942 at Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay, the AICC passed the Quit India Resolution where Mahatma Gandhi gave the mantra 'Do or Die'. After senior leaders were incarcerated, figures like JP, Lohia, and Aruna Asaf Ali directed underground resistance, while autonomous parallel governments arose in Ballia under Chittu Pandey and Tamluk under the Jatiya Sarkar.

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

• Statement(s) 1, 3 are correct:
• 1. The Western Ghats are geologically older than the Himalayas.
• 3. The Western Ghats influence the Indian monsoon by intercepting the south-west monsoon winds.
• Statement(s) 2 is/are incorrect:
• 2. Anamudi, the highest peak of the Western Ghats, is located in Tamil Nadu.

Statement 1 is correct because the Narmada rises at Amarkantak and courses west into the Gulf of Khambhat through a linear tectonic graben between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges. Statements 2 and 3 are incorrect because the Ganga is the longest river flowing through India (approx. 2,525 km), and the Brahmaputra originates at the Chemayungdung glacier in southwestern Tibet, not the Gangotri glacier (which feeds the Bhagirathi).

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because alluvial soils cover over 40% of India's landmass across river plains and deltas with rich potash and lime, while black regur soils formed from Deccan trap basalt are clayey and retain moisture exceptionally well. Statement 3 is incorrect because laterite soils undergo severe leaching in high-temperature, heavy-rainfall regimes, leaving them impoverished in humus, nitrogen, and phosphates.

Correct Option: Option (D) — 1, 2 and 3 is the correct answer.

• All given statements are correct:
• 1. The differential heating of land and sea is a primary driver of the monsoon system.
• 2. El Nino conditions are generally associated with weakened monsoon rainfall over India.
• 3. The retreating monsoon brings rainfall to the Coromandel coast during October-November.

The 69-kilometre Motihari-Amlekhganj pipeline, inaugurated in September 2019 by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, connects Motihari in Bihar with Amlekhganj in southern Nepal. It is South Asia's first cross-border petroleum pipeline, constructed by Indian Oil Corporation to ensure uninterrupted and cost-effective fuel supplies.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because the Gulf Stream is a major warm western boundary current in the North Atlantic, and its meeting with the cold Labrador Current at the Grand Banks off Newfoundland produces thermal mixing and nutrient replenishment that support prolific marine fisheries. Statement 3 is incorrect because the Labrador Current is a cold subpolar current originating in the Arctic Ocean, not a warm current.

Official UPSC Key: Option (B) is the verified correct answer. As per the official answer key for UPSC Civil Services Examination Prelims 2024, "1 and 2 only" is the officially confirmed statement for this question in Indian and World Geography.

All three statements are correct. Jharkhand holds premier status in coking coal (Jharia, Bokaro) and quality muscovite mica (Koderma belt). The Kolar Gold Fields are located in Kolar district, Karnataka, and Odisha accounts for over half of India's bauxite reserves (Panchpatmali) and roughly 95% of its chromite deposits in the Sukinda valley.

Statement 1 is correct because the Pacific Ring of Fire is a horseshoe-shaped belt of subduction zones and transform faults that produces roughly 81% of the world's largest earthquakes and contains most active volcanoes. Statement 2 is incorrect because the Mercalli scale evaluates earthquake intensity based on observed structural destruction, whereas magnitude scales (Richter and Moment Magnitude) measure the total physical energy released.

Translation of 'Suka Saptati' into Persian (Tutinama):

• 'Suka Saptati' (Seventy Tales of a Parrot) is an ancient Sanskrit text consisting of 70 moral and witty stories narrated by a clever parrot to keep its mistress virtuous while her husband was traveling.
• During the reign of Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq (c. 1330 CE), the eminent Persian poet and Sufi physician Khwaja Ziya-ud-din Nakhshabi translated this Sanskrit work into classical Persian prose and verse under the title 'Tutinama' (Book of the Parrot).
• Nakhshabi resided at Badaun (in present-day Uttar Pradesh), where he produced this masterwork. Later, during the Mughal era, Emperor Akbar commissioned a lavishly illustrated imperial manuscript of Nakhshabi's Tutinama featuring 250 miniature paintings.

Therefore, the translator was Khwaja Ziya-ud-din Nakhshabi (Option A).

Official UPSC Key: Option (D) is the verified correct answer. As per the official answer key for UPSC Civil Services Examination Prelims 2024, "1, 2 and 3" is the officially confirmed statement for this question in Indian and World Geography.

Official UPSC Key: Option (A) is the verified correct answer. As per the official answer key for UPSC Civil Services Examination Prelims 2024, "1, 2 and 3 only" is the officially confirmed statement for this question in Indian and World Geography.

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

Statements 1 and 3 are correct because Article 21 secures the right to life and personal liberty, and Article 32 guarantees constitutional remedies empowering the Supreme Court to issue prerogative writs. Statement 2 is incorrect because the Right to Property was repealed as a Fundamental Right by the 44th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1978 and placed under Article 300A as a constitutional right.

Statement 1 is correct because under Article 54, the presidential electoral college comprises the elected members of both Houses of Parliament and the elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of the States and UTs (Delhi and Puducherry). Statements 2 and 3 are incorrect because Article 83(1) establishes the Rajya Sabha as a permanent chamber not subject to dissolution, and Article 61 stipulates that impeachment requires a special majority of two-thirds of the total membership of each House.

All three statements are correct. The 106th Constitutional Amendment Act inserted Articles 330A, 332A, and 334A to reserve one-third of parliamentary and assembly seats for women. The statute specifically conditions implementation upon a decennial census conducted post-enactment, followed by an official delimitation of constituencies.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because under Article 109(1), a Money Bill can originate only in the Lok Sabha upon presidential recommendation, and Article 110(3) makes the Speaker's endorsement definitive. Statement 3 is incorrect because Article 109 restricts the Rajya Sabha to making non-binding recommendations within 14 days, with no power to amend or defeat the bill.

Statement 1 is correct because Article 131 provides original and exclusive jurisdiction to the Supreme Court in inter-governmental and federal disputes. Statements 2 and 3 are incorrect because the first three High Courts (Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras) were established under the Indian High Courts Act of 1861, and the collegium system is a judge-made convention arising from judicial rulings rather than a written constitutional mechanism.

Statements 1 and 3 are correct because the 73rd Amendment inserted Part IX constitutionalizing Panchayats, with Article 243A recognizing the Gram Sabha as the foundational democratic assembly of all registered village voters. Statement 2 is incorrect because Article 243T(3) stipulates that not less than one-third (33.33%) of seats be reserved for women in municipalities, not fifty per cent.

All four are constitutional bodies and authorities established directly under the Constitution of India: Election Commission under Article 324, Comptroller and Auditor General under Article 148, Union Public Service Commission under Article 315, and Attorney General for India under Article 76.

Statement 1 is correct because Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the new Parliament building to the nation on 28 May 2023. Statements 2 and 3 are incorrect because the new Lok Sabha hall seats 888 members (an expansion over the old 543 seats), and the original circular Parliament building was jointly designed by British architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker.

World Ozone Day:

• World Ozone Day (International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer) is celebrated across the globe annually on September 16.
• It was designated by the United Nations General Assembly in 1994 (Resolution 49/114) to commemorate the date in 1987 when the historic Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was signed by nations to phase out Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Halons, and other ozone-depleting substances.
• The Montreal Protocol is recognized as the single most successful international environmental treaty in history, having reversed the depletion of the stratospheric ozone hole.

Therefore, Ozone Day is observed on September 16 (Option B).

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because under Articles 155 and 156(1), the Governor is appointed by the President and serves during presidential pleasure, while Article 200 authorizes the Governor to reserve state bills for presidential consideration under Article 201. Statement 3 is incorrect because the Governor is an appointed constitutional head and is not elected by legislators.

All three statements are correct. Article 368 in Part XX prescribes the procedure for constituent amendments. The proviso to Article 368(2) specifies that changes to federal matters require ratification by at least half of the state legislatures, and the landmark Kesavananda Bharati verdict restricted amending powers by safeguarding the inviolable basic features of the Constitution.

Statement 1 is correct because the RBI formally adopted CPI-Combined as its headline inflation anchor with a target of 4% (+/- 2%) under the flexible inflation targeting framework. Statements 2 and 3 are incorrect because WPI tracks solely commodity prices at the wholesale tier and omits the services sector entirely, and core inflation expressly removes food and energy from the basket to assess underlying cost pressures.

Both statements are correct. The 101st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2016 introduced concurrent taxing powers under Article 246A and established the GST Council under Article 279A, headed by the Union Finance Minister and comprising state finance ministers to determine tax rates, exemptions, and threshold limits.

Statements 1 and 3 are correct because the RBI was brought under complete state ownership on 1 January 1949, and Parliament passed the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code in 2016 to create a consolidated, creditor-driven insolvency process. Statement 2 is incorrect because the first phase of bank nationalisation in July 1969 took over 14 commercial banks; six additional lenders were nationalised later in April 1980.

All four welfare pairings are accurately matched. PM-KISAN transfers Rs. 6,000 in three tranches of Rs. 2,000 directly to landholding farmers. MGNREGA legally entitles rural households to 100 days of guaranteed manual wage labour. Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY delivers Rs. 5 lakh per family yearly for secondary and tertiary healthcare, and PMAY-G assists eligible rural households in building durable pucca houses.

Statement 1 is correct because the National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation gathers comprehensive employment metrics through the PLFS. Statements 2 and 3 are incorrect because the Rangarajan panel determined a higher poverty incidence (29.5% for 2011–12) than the Tendulkar methodology (21.9%), and the global Multidimensional Poverty Index is published jointly by OPHI and the UNDP, not the World Bank.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because India is a founding member of the WTO since 1 January 1995, and Special Economic Zones are governed under the comprehensive legal framework of the SEZ Act, 2005. Statement 3 is incorrect because FDI is liberalized and permitted up to 100% under the automatic route in most industrial, service, and manufacturing domains.

Statements 1 and 3 are correct because Article 112 requires the Union government to lay its Annual Financial Statement showing estimated receipts and expenditure before Parliament, and disinvestment refers to the divestment of Government shareholding in Central Public Sector Undertakings. Statement 2 is incorrect because the FRBM Act was enacted in 2003 to enforce fiscal consolidation targets.

All three statements are correct. NPCI launched UPI in 2016 to facilitate real-time inter-bank mobile fund transfers. PMJDY was rolled out in August 2014 to universalize banking access through basic zero-balance accounts, and the RBI commenced operational trials for sovereign wholesale and retail Digital Rupee in late 2022.

Statement 1 is correct because the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) fixes MSPs for notified crops based on recommendations made by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). Statement 2 is incorrect because MSP is an administrative price guarantee devoid of statutory backing, meaning it cannot be claimed as an enforceable legal right in court.

Bulgarian economist Kristalina Georgieva assumed office as Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund in October 2019, succeeding Christine Lagarde. In 2024, the Executive Board confirmed her appointment for a second five-year term.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because the National Infrastructure Pipeline outlined investments over Rs. 111 lakh crore across energy, roads, and urban sectors, and PM Gati Shakti coordinates multi-modal logistics across ministries. Statement 3 is incorrect because the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme spans 14 strategic manufacturing sectors, including pharmaceuticals, telecom, electronics, specialty steel, and textiles.

All three statements are correct. India's decennial growth rate dropped from 21.5% (1991–2001) to 17.7% (2001–2011). NFHS-5 carried out fieldwork between 2019 and 2021, and its findings established that India's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) dropped to 2.0 children per woman, falling below the replacement threshold of 2.1.

Statements 1 and 3 are correct because Project Tiger was commenced in April 1973 to arrest the decline in tiger numbers, and Project Elephant was introduced in 1992 to protect wild Asian elephants and their migration corridors. Statement 2 is incorrect because Jim Corbett National Park (established in 1936) is located in Uttarakhand, not Himachal Pradesh.

Statement 1 is correct because the Paris Agreement was adopted under the UNFCCC in December 2015 at COP21 to keep global temperature rise below 2°C. Statements 2 and 3 are incorrect because the Kyoto Protocol mandated emission reductions exclusively for developed Annex I nations, and the Montreal Protocol specifically regulates Ozone Depleting Substances (CFCs and halons), not greenhouse gases directly.

Both statements are correct. India shelters approximately 7-8% of all recorded biological species on Earth, ranking among the 17 identified megadiverse nations. To execute the Convention on Biological Diversity, Parliament enacted the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, which created the statutory National Biodiversity Authority headquartered at Chennai.

All three statements are correct. Wetlands serve as ecological kidneys by trapping silt, absorbing excess nutrients, and filtering contaminants out of hydrological flows. The 1971 Ramsar Convention signed in Iran coordinates intergovernmental wetland conservation, and Odisha's Chilika Lake was designated in 1981 as India's first Ramsar wetland alongside Keoladeo National Park.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Mahatma Gandhi launched the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920 in response to the Rowlatt Act, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, and the Khilafat grievance, and abruptly suspended it in February 1922 following violent clashes at Chauri Chaura. Statement 3 is incorrect because the goal of the movement was 'Swaraj within one year', whereas the historic 'Purna Swaraj' (complete independence) resolution was adopted at the Lahore Congress of 1929.

Statements 1 and 3 are correct because India pledged at COP26 to install 500 GW of non-fossil electric generation capacity by 2030, and the massive 2.24 GW Bhadla Solar Park is operational in the Jodhpur district of Rajasthan. Statement 2 is incorrect because the International Solar Alliance has its permanent global headquarters at the National Institute of Solar Energy campus in Gurugram, India, not Paris.

On 10 October 2019, the Ministry of Human Resource Development launched the Pradhan Mantri Innovative Learning Programme named 'DHRUV' from ISRO Headquarters in Bengaluru. Named after the Pole Star, DHRUV selects gifted students across science and performing arts to mentor them in realizing their fullest creative potential.

All four consequences are directly driven by anthropogenically induced global warming. Elevated global temperatures accelerate ice sheet loss and oceanic thermal expansion to raise sea levels, increased oceanic uptake of CO2 reduces marine pH causing acidification, glacial mass balance in the Himalayas is heavily negative, and heightened atmospheric moisture and temperature extremes fuel intensified heatwaves, droughts, and cyclones.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because eight Namibian cheetahs were introduced into Kuno National Park in September 2022 to re-establish the species in India, and the Great Indian Bustard is a flagship grassland bird listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Statement 3 is incorrect because the Indian rhinoceros is also found in several other protected reserves, including Pobitora, Orang, and Manas in Assam, as well as Jaldapara in West Bengal.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because ISRO launched Chandrayaan-3 using an LVM3 vehicle from Sriharikota on 14 July 2023, achieving a soft touchdown of the Vikram lander on 23 August 2023. Statement 3 is incorrect because Chandrayaan-3 did not include an orbiter; it utilized a Propulsion Module to deliver the lander to lunar orbit and relied on the existing Chandrayaan-2 orbiter for telecommunications relay.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct. The Kyoto Protocol's first commitment period ran from 2008 through 31 December 2012, and the Doha Amendment adopted at COP18 in December 2012 established the second commitment period spanning 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2020. Statement 3 is incorrect because the Green Climate Fund (GCF) was established in 2010 at COP16 in Cancun, Mexico (not at Warsaw in 2013).

Statement 1 is correct because the Union Cabinet approved the National Quantum Mission in April 2023 with an outlay of Rs. 6,003.65 crore over eight years (2023-2031). Statements 2 and 3 are incorrect because developing 50 to 1,000 physical qubits is planned over the full eight-year mission lifecycle (not within one single year), and Quantum Key Distribution secures cryptographic keys using entangled quantum photons and superposition, rather than classical bits.

Match between Economists and their seminal treatises:

| List-I (Economist) | List-II (Book) |

| :--- | :--- |

| A. Gunnar Myrdal | 1. Economic Theory and Under-developed Regions (1957) |

| B. Albert O. Hirschman | 2. The Strategy of Economic Development (1958) |

| C. Nicholas Kaldor | 3. Strategic Factors in Economic Development (1967) |

| D. Adam Smith | 4. The Wealth of Nations (1776) |

• Myrdal: Formulated the theory of 'Cumulative Causation' explaining backwash and spread effects in regional development.
• Hirschman: Advanced the 'Unbalanced Growth Strategy' based on forward and backward linkages in developing economies.
• Kaldor: Proposed the laws of economic growth highlighting the indispensable role of manufacturing.
• Adam Smith: Pioneer of classical economics who authored An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations.

Hence, the correct matching code is 1, 2, 3, 4.

Both statements are correct. Insulin is synthesized by endocrine beta cells in the pancreatic islets of Langerhans to promote cellular glucose uptake. Haemoglobin is a metalloprotein in red blood cells that binds oxygen molecules in alveolar capillaries to transport oxygen throughout systemic tissues as oxyhaemoglobin.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because nuclear fission splits heavy fissile nuclei (e.g., Uranium-235) to release kinetic and thermal energy, and Dr. Homi Bhabha formulated India's three-stage nuclear roadmap progressing from PHWRs to Fast Breeder Reactors to Thorium-fueled reactors. Statement 3 is incorrect because the ITER nuclear fusion tokamak is situated at Cadarache in southern France, with India participating as an international partner.

Statement 1 is correct because 5G networks achieve ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) of around 1 millisecond compared to 30-50 milliseconds in 4G. Statements 2 and 3 are incorrect because blockchain is inherently a decentralized distributed cryptographic ledger without a single central authority, and artificial neural networks are designed specifically to detect complex patterns in multidimensional data.

India's First Digital Water Data Bank ('AQVERIUM'):

• In March–April 2022, India's first-ever Digital Water Data Bank, named 'AQVERIUM', was launched in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• Initiated by AquaKraft Ventures (a clean water innovation enterprise) in collaboration with global sustainability partners and institutions, AQVERIUM operates as an integrated digital platform that compiles real-time, comprehensive data on water bodies, water quality, wastewater treatment, and aquifer levels.
• It aims to foster a sustainable water management ecosystem, enable 'Water Literacy', and provide verified data for water safety and security.

Therefore, the state is Karnataka (Option A).

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because Gaganyaan is designed to demonstrate indigenous human spaceflight capability by placing Indian astronauts into low Earth orbit, and RLV-TD develops autonomous landing to cut space access costs. Statement 3 is incorrect because India's regional satellite navigation constellation (NavIC) comprises seven operational satellites (three in geostationary orbit and four in geosynchronous orbit), unlike global systems like GPS that maintain 24 or more satellites.

Statements 1 and 3 are correct because the 55-member African Union was formally inducted as a permanent member of the G20 at the summit, and member states unanimously passed the New Delhi Leaders' Declaration by 100% consensus across all clauses. Statement 2 is incorrect because 'Recover Together, Recover Stronger' was the theme of Indonesia's 2022 presidency; India's motto was 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: One Earth, One Family, One Future'.

The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti launched the 10-Year Rural Sanitation Strategy covering the decade 2019-2029. The strategy outlines the pathway to maintain Open Defecation Free sustainability and manage solid and liquid biodegradable waste across Indian villages.

The Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) is an apex linguistic research body established in July 1969 under the Ministry of Education, located at Manasagangotri, Mysore (Mysuru), Karnataka. It coordinates research, pedagogical training, and documentation of all major and minor Indian languages.

All three statements are correct. The conflict flared following Hamas's surprise ground and missile incursion into Israel on 7 October 2023. Hamas has governed the Gaza Strip as the de facto authority since winning clashes against Fatah in 2007, and India launched Operation Ajay in October 2023 to bring home thousands of Indian nationals stranded in Israel.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because violent clashes erupted in Manipur in May 2023 between the Meitei community and the Kuki-Zo tribes over affirmative action quotas, prompting the Supreme Court to intervene directly and constitute a panel headed by Justice Gita Mittal. Statement 3 is incorrect because Manipur shares its international boundary exclusively with Myanmar, not with Bangladesh.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Black or regur soil is formed by the weathering of Deccan lava basalt, possesses high moisture-retentive capacity, and is traditionally renowned for cotton cultivation ('black cotton soil'). Alluvial soil, deposited by major Himalayan and peninsular river systems, covers over 40% of India's total land area, making it the most widespread soil group in the country.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because India held the G20 presidency from 1 December 2022 until 30 November 2023, collaborating closely with Indonesia (past president) and Brazil (future president) in the leadership Troika. Statement 3 is incorrect because the G20 was formed in 1999 following the Asian financial crisis as an international forum for finance ministers and central bankers.

All four award citations are correct. Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi won the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize. 'Naatu Naatu' won Best Original Song at the 95th Academy Awards in 2023. Waheeda Rehman received India's highest cinema honour, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, announced in September 2023, and Irish author Paul Lynch was awarded the 2023 Booker Prize for his dystopian novel 'Prophet Song'.

Statements 1 and 3 are correct because India organized the virtual Voice of Global South Summit in January 2023 to channel developing nation priorities into the G20, and the August 2023 BRICS Summit resolved to invite six new members (Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE). Statement 2 is incorrect because the 15th BRICS Summit took place in Johannesburg, South Africa under President Cyril Ramaphosa, not in New Delhi.