Answer: C

Explanation:

Recently, the Thadou Students' Association (TSA) formed a global platform to address critical issues facing the Thadou community, particularly in Manipur. The Thadou people, also known as Thadou te, are an indigenous tribe of people and part of the Kuki community. They speak the Thadou language and live in Northeast India, Myanmar and Bangladesh. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

The Thadou language is part of the Sino-Tibetan language family and is also known as Kuki or Thado Chin. They are the second largest tribe in Manipur, after the Meitei and are also found in Assam, Nagaland, and Mizoram. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

The Government of India recognized each dialect group of the Kukis as a separate tribe in 1956, including the Thadou. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Answer: D

Explanation:

Recently, the Bombay High Court upheld Maharashtra's ‘Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana’ as a beneficiary scheme for women and not discriminatory, dismissing a PIL that claimed it was politically motivated and a “freebie. Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana is a Maharashtra state government scheme, launched on June 28, 2024. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

Eligibility for the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana requires women to be between 21 and 65 years of age, residents of Maharashtra and have an annual family income of less than ₹2.5 lakh. This scheme will support economically weaker women in Maharashtra by providing them with monthly financial aid of ₹1,500 every month and three free LPG cylinders annually. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Answer: B

Explanation:

Recently, Ukraine has received its first American-made F-16 fighter jets. The F-16 Fighting Falcon, also known as the F-16, is a single-seat, single-engine, supersonic, multirole fighter aircraft that has been the United States' frontline fighter plane since 1979.  The F-16 can travel over 500 miles in an air-to-surface mission, defend against hostile aircraft, and return to its starting point. Here, statements I and II both are correct and statement II is not the correct explanation for statement I. Hence, option (b) is correct.

Answer: B

Explanation:

Recently, in Maharashtra, seven new Zika virus cases were reported in Pune city, including five pregnant women, an 18-year-old youth and a 40-year-old man, bringing the total to 72 cases in the district. The Zika virus is a mosquito-borne virus that was first identified in the Zika Forest of Uganda in 1947. Hence, statement 1 is correct while statement 2 is incorrect.

Zika virus is similar to dengue fever, yellow fever and West Nile virus. It is primarily transmitted to humans through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes, particularly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Answer: C

Explanation:

Recently, the century-old Indian siris tree in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, collapsed on August 3 due to floodwaters eroding the soil beneath it, causing widespread sorrow as the tree had featured in over 100 movies. The siris tree, also known as Albizia lebbeck, is a deciduous tree native to the Indian subcontinent and Myanmar. Hence, statements 1 and 2 both are correct.