Answer: C

Explanation:

The 5th ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement Joint Committee and related meetings to review the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) took place at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia. The ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) is a trade pact between the ten ASEAN member states and India. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

The ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement was ratified during the 7th ASEAN Economic Ministers-India Consultations held in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2009 and took effect in 2010. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

The ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement is also known as the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement and focuses on trade in tangible goods and merchandise. Its main objectives are the reduction or elimination of customs tariffs and non-tariff barriers to facilitate trade among the participating nations. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Answer: D

Explanation:

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant-Governor invoked Article 311 to terminate the services of six government employees, including five policemen, based on security agency reports. Article 311 of the Indian Constitution deals with the dismissal, removal, or reduction in rank of a person employed in civil capacities under the Union or a State. Article 311 (1) states that no person who is a member of a civil service of the Union or an all-India service or a civil service of a State, or holds a civil post under the Union or a State, shall be dismissed or removed by an authority subordinate to that by which they were appointed. Hence, statement I is incorrect.

Article 311 (2) provides that no civil servant shall be dismissed, removed, or reduced in rank except after an inquiry in which they have been informed of the charges and given a reasonable opportunity to be heard in respect of those charges. Hence, statement II is correct.

Answer: C

Explanation:

Recently, the central government has announced that it will release a set of commemorative postage stamps to celebrate the Paris 2024 Olympics today on 5th of August at 12:00 pm. Commemorative postage stamp is a regular postage stamp that is issued to honor people, events, or activities of national importance. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

Unlike other postage stamps, commemorative stamp is only printed once and go out of circulation as its supply runs out. Commemorative stamp is printed in limited quantities and is only available at Philatelic Bureaux and counters or through the Philatelic Deposit Account Scheme. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Answer: A

Explanation:

Recently, the chief minister of West Bengal discussed excessive water flow from the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) dams in Jharkhand with her counterpart Hemant Soren, which is causing floods in southern Bengal. The Damodar Valley Corporation is a government-owned organization in India that operates in the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.

The Damodar Valley Corporation was established on 7th July 1948 as the first multipurpose river valley project of independent India. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

The Damodar Valley Corporation functions under the Ministry of Power. It has built four multipurpose dams to manage the Damodar River's water and reduce flooding including Tilaiya Dam, Konar Dam, Maithon Dam and Panchet Dam. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Answer: D

Explanation:

Recently, the archaeologists have discovered ceramic pottery and figurines in the Indus Valley and Keezhadi in Tamil Nadu. Ceramic pottery is a type of ceramic, which is a broad term for objects made from non-metallic and inorganic substances. It is made from clay, a natural material that's soft and malleable, but hardens when baked at high temperatures. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

There are three main types of ceramic pottery including earthenware, stoneware and porcelain, and each type has different properties. Modern applications of ceramics include use in heat shields for space shuttles, microwave furnaces, abrasives and semiconductors production, nuclear fuel, fighter aircraft windows and tomographic scanners. Hence, statement 2 is correct.