Answer: A

Explanation:

Recently, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) at NITI Aayog celebrated the graduation of its second batch of Community Innovator Fellows and launched ‘Stories of Change Edition 2’ in New Delhi. The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is a flagship initiative by the National Institution of Transforming India (NITI) Aayog to promote entrepreneurship and innovation in India. It was launched on April 26, 2018. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.

The mission's goals include creating an entrepreneurial ecosystem, providing financial aid, developing innovative solutions and reaching underprivileged areas. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Its initiatives include Atal Tinkering Labs for fostering innovation in schools, upgrading Atal Incubation Centres to world-class standards and the flagship Atal New India Challenge. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Answer: C

Explanation:

Recently, the government mandated BIS conformity for stainless steel and aluminium utensils to ensure kitchen safety, quality and efficiency, making the ISI mark compulsory and non-compliance punishable. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is India's national standards body, responsible for the development of standardization, marking and quality certification of goods. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

The BIS Act of 2016 established the Bureau of Indian Standards to ensure the quality, safety and reliability of products in India. It works under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Bureau of Indian Standards certification is required for some products to be sold in India.  The BIS Act, 2016 includes the BIS (Hallmarking) Regulations, 2018 mandating hallmarking of gold and silver jewellery and artefacts, with stringent penalties for non-compliance. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Answer: A

Explanation:

Recently, the telecom startup Velmenni has received a grant from the ministry of defence (MoD) under the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative for its innovative Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) technology. Li-Fi is a wireless communication technology that uses light to transmit data and position between devices. It is based on visible light, between violet (800 THz) and red (400 THz), instead of the radio part of the electromagnetic spectrum used by Wi-Fi. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

This technology can be used in a variety of applications, such as internet access, phone-to-phone or phone-to-TV communications or in emerging use cases such as extended or mixed reality. In February 2021, two villages in Gujarat became India's first smart villages with LiFi-based internet connectivity. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

Answer: A

Explanation:

Recently, the Apatani tribe of Arunachal Pradesh celebrated the compilation of their rich oral folk traditions into two books: Gangu Ellu, containing fifty lyrical verses of Apatani songs by Taro Tallo, and Miji Nando, featuring shamanic verses and folktales compiled by author Dr. Hage Tabyo. The Apatani, also known as Tanw, Apa and Apa Tani, are an ethnic group of people who live in the Ziro valley of Arunachal Pradesh's Lower Suba nsiri district in India. Hence, statement I is correct.

The Apatani Tribe are known for their advanced agricultural practices and land management techniques, which have helped them become one of the more advanced tribal societies in Northeast India. They have practiced integrated rice-fish farming in their mountain terraces since the 1960s. Hence, statement II is correct.

Here, statements I and II both are correct and statement I is the correct explanation of statement I. Hence, option (a) is correct.

Answer: A

Explanation:

The first Secretary-level meeting between the Defence Ministries of India and the Democratic Republic of Congo was held in New Delhi on Friday (5th July 2024). The Republic of Congo is the 2nd largest country in Africa and the 11th largest in the world in term of area, located in Central Africa. Democratic Republic of Congo shares its borders with Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania to the east, the Central African Republic and South Sudan to the north, Zambia to the southeast, Angola to the southwest. Kinshasa is the capital of Democratic Republic of Congo. The highest point in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is Margherita Peak. The equator, or 0° latitude, passes through the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), making it one of six African countries that straddle the equator. Hence, option (a) is correct.