Answer: A

Explanation:

The President of India will confer Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards for the Years 2022 and 2023 to ninety-four eminent artists, besides the Akademi Awards, she will also bestow the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (Akademi Ratna) to seven eminent artists in the ceremony in New Delhi on 6^th March 2024. The Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (Akademi Puraskar) is the highest national recognition in the performing arts, conferred since 1952. It is given to the eminent artists in the field of performing arts, music, dance, drama, folk and tribal arts, puppetry and allied theatre art forms. It carries a purse money of one lakh rupees, a tamrapatra and an angavastram. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.

Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (Akademi Ratna) is the highest honour given to eminent artists in the field of performing arts for their exceptional contribution to their performing art form. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

It is a most prestigious and rare honour, which is restricted to 40 at any given time. The honour of Akademi Fellow carries a purse money of three lakh rupees. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Answer: C

Explanation:

Recently, Secretary of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, delivered remarks at the closing session of the second Two-Day Regional Conference on Enhancing PESA Implementation in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 enacted in 1996 based on recommendations from the Duleep Singh Bhuriya Committee to extend Panchayati Raj provisions to Scheduled Areas. It aims to promote self-governance in Scheduled Areas through Gram Sabha. It is currently applicable in 10 states with 5th schedule areas, including Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

The objectives of the PESA Act 1996 include extending Panchayati Raj provisions with modifications to Scheduled Areas, establishing self-rule for tribal populations, empowering Gram Sabha, developing compatible administrative structures, protecting tribal traditions, empowering Panchayats with specific powers for tribal communities and preserving Gram Sabha's authority over higher-level Panchayats. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Answer: C

Explanation:

The Prime Minister of India will inaugurate India's first underwater metro rail service in Kolkata today. The new metro line, called the Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section, will be the country's first transportation tunnel beneath a major river. It passes beneath the River Hooghly, which separates Kolkata and Howrah cities on its east and west banks. The Howrah metro station, part of this new line, will hold the distinction of being India's deepest metro station. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

The Howrah Maidan-Esplanade stretch covers 4.8 kilometers and constitutes the second section of the East-West Metro corridor, connecting Howrah Maidan to the IT hub Salt Lake Sector -5. Out of 16.6 kilometers of the East-West Metro, 10.8 kilometers consist of an underground corridor between Howrah Maidan and Phoolbagan, including the tunnel beneath the Hooghly River, while the remaining stretch is elevated. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Answer: C

Explanation:

Recently, Nicaragua has become the first nation in the Spanish-speaking world to recognise Indian Pharmacopeia. Indian Pharmacopeia (IP) is the official book of standards for drugs in India, legally recognized under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940. It is published by the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), an autonomous institution of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It has been recognized as a book of standards by five nations: Afghanistan, Ghana, Nepal, Mauritius and Suriname. Hence, all three statements are correct.

Answer: C

Explanation:

Recently, France has become the first country in the world to enshrine abortion rights in its constitution. Paris is the capital of France. It is officially known as the French Republic and located in Western Europe. France shares its border with Switzerland to the East, the Atlantic Ocean to the West, Belgium, Luxembourg and North Sea to the North, Germany to the Northeast, Italy, Monaco and the Mediterranean Sea to the Southeast, Andorra and Spain to the South, the English Channel (La Manche) to the Northwest.

Mont Blanc is a mountain massif in the Alps. It's located in the northwest of the Alps, along the border of France and Italy and extends into Switzerland. France's major rivers include the Seine, Loire, Rhône, Garonne, Dordogne, Meuse, Marne and Moselle. Important minerals found in France include coal, iron ore, bauxite, uranium, potash, salt, lead, zinc and copper, contributing to its mineral resource base. France has a bicameral parliamentary system consisting of the National Assembly (lower house) and the Senate (upper house), with the President as the head of state and a Prime Minister as the head of government. Hence, option (c) is correct.