Answer: (B)

Explanation: The Ministry of Roads, Transport and Highways recently released the Road Accidents in India Report, 2022 which indicate that the number of accidents in 2022 have increased by 11.9% compared to 2021. Road Accidents in India Report is released annually by the Ministry of Roads, Transport and Highways (MoRTH). This report is based on the data/information received from police departments of States/UTs on calendar year basis. The most number of accidents were recorded on the Other Roads, 32.9 % was recorded in National Highways (NH) including Expressways and 43.9 % on state highways. Over speeding is a major killer, accounting for 71.2 % of the persons killed followed by driving on the wrong side which amounts to 5.4 %. Tamil Nadu recorded the highest number of road accidents on National Highways in 2022, whereas, the number of persons killed in road accident was the highest in Uttar Pradesh. In 2022, about 68% of road accidents death took place in rural area where as urban area accounted for 32% of total accidents death in the country. Among vehicle categories involved in road accidents, two-wheelers for the second consecutive year, accounted for the highest share in total accidents and fatalities during 2022. The Electronic Detailed Accident Report (e-DAR) is a portal developed by the Ministry of Roads, Transport and Highways (MoRTH). The project will enable capture of road accidents and geo-tagging of the same through app on mobile/ tablet by first responder, which is the police. e-DAR project is aided by World Bank Assistance to provide an integrated and systemic solution to problem of accidents in line with international practice. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Answer: (B)

Explanation: Recently Brazzaville Summit of the Three Basins ended with a declaration that did not result in an Alliance of the three basins. The three global ecosystems account for 80% of the world's tropical forests and 2/3rd of the earth's biodiversity. The central vision of the Summit is the preservation and restoration of the planet’s three ecological lungs. The objectives of the summit include: - To promote scientific and technical cooperation, strengthen capacities and increase influence in multilateral forums for environmental advocacy. - To establish effective global governance to manage environmental and climate challenges on a planetary scale. - To develop a common strategy to stimulate investment projects aimed at combating climate change and preserving biodiversity. The three basins include Amazon, Congo and Borneo-Mekong-Southeast Asia. Three Basins Summit, 2023 was held at Brazzaville, capital of the Republic of Congo. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

Answer: (B)

Explanation: Varaha is ocean mining vehicle which is a part of Deep Ocean Mission which is also called as Samudrayaan Mission. MATSYA-6000 is also a part of the Deep Ocean Mission. It is a self-propelled track-based seabed mining system and operates on the flexible riser technique. Flexible riser is a class of flexible pipes which is used to connect subsea pipelines to floating offshore installations. Varaha is lowered to the ocean bed from a surface ship using a high-strength flexible cord system. Once the vehicle reaches the ocean bed, it will be able to move around while the surface ship moves in tandem. It uses a high-power pressure pump system to facilitate the extraction of precious polymetallic nodules. These nodules are pumped from the ocean bed to the surface ship. This achievement marked the world’s deepest dive for an underwater mining machine. Hence, option (b) is correct.

Answer: (A)

Explanation: After receiving three missed calls from unknown numbers and losing money from her bank account, a Delhi-based counsel recently became the latest victim of the SIM-Swap Scam. All banking applications are linked to phone numbers, which aid in the generation of OTPs (for transaction authentication) and the receipt of critical bank-related notifications. In the SIM switch scam, scammers first get personal information such as phone numbers, bank account information, and addresses by phishing or vishing. Hence, statement 1 is correct. Following the theft of the victim's SIM card and/or mobile phone, fraudsters contact the mobile operator's retail shop, acting as the victim with a forged ID proof, and report a fake theft of the victim's SIM card and/or mobile phone. They obtain a replica SIM card as a result of this. Notably, scammers can obtain a replica SIM card even if the original is functioning well, as they reported a theft of the original SIM card. Unlike other scams that require scammers to deceive victims into providing OTPs and confidential information over the phone, the SIM switch fraud does not involve direct communication with the victims. However, scammers do leave missed calls for their victims, causing them to abandon their phones and ignore the loss of network connectivity. The accused acquires control of the entire SIM when the SIM is switched. All calls and messages are routed solely through their SIM card. Once they get control of the SIM card, they can obtain passwords and OTPs to gain access to their targets' bank accounts. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Answer: (C)

Explanation: ‘Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs)’ consist of a variety of components that include an initiator, switch, main charge, power source, and a container. Many commonly available materials, such as fertilizer, gunpowder, and hydrogen peroxide, can be used as explosive materials in IEDs. Explosives must contain a fuel and an oxidizer, which provides the oxygen needed to sustain the reaction. Hence, all statements are correct.