Answer: A

Explanation:

Recently, rainfall in the Krishna River catchment has raised hopes among Water Resources Department (WRD) officials and farmers, as rising water levels in major reservoirs, especially the Almatti Dam, boost water availability and agricultural prospects. The Almatti Dam, also known as the Lal Bahadur Shashtri reservoir is a hydroelectric project on the Krishna River in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.

The construction of the dam was completed in 2005, as part of the Upper Krishna Project. It is a multipurpose dam used for irrigation, hydroelectric power generation and flood control. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

Almatti Dam is the main reservoir for the Upper Krishna Irrigation Project (UKP) and has an annual power output of 713 million kilowatts (KW). The Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) is responsible for the regulation and management of water resources in the Krishna basin, including the Almatti Dam. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Answer: A

Explanation:

Recently, the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) published a study on the Silk Route in Sikkim and Kalimpong, documenting diverse flora and landscapes, with particular focus on the Windamere Palm. The Windamere palm (Trachycarpus latisectus) belongs to the kingdom Plantae, the order Arecales, the family Arecaceae, the genus Arenga and the species Arenga westerhoutii. The sap of the Windamere palm is used to produce sugar and alcohol, its leaves for thatching and mats and its trunk fibers for ropes and brushes. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

This palm is native to Southeast Asia and is found in countries such as India, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. It is listed as critically endangered in IUCN Red list. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

Answer: A

Explanation:

Palimpsests are pages made from parchment where existing text was scraped or washed off to reuse the material, leading to the term for reused manuscripts. Hence, statement I is correct.

Parchment was a writing material made from the untanned skins of animals, especially goats. The term "palimpsest" is also used in astronomy to describe eroded craters on planetary bodies and in geology for features formed by successive layers of different structures. Contemporary scholars use machine learning to decipher obscured texts from palimpsests, revealing hidden historical documents. Hence, statement II is correct.

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

Answer: C

Explanation:

Recently, NASA released an image from the James Webb Space Telescope's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) showing two interacting galaxies: NGC 2937 (the Egg), an elliptical galaxy resembling a teal oval, and NGC 2936 (the Penguin), a larger distorted spiral galaxy. The Mid-Infrared Instrument is one of four scientific instruments on NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. The Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) is one of four scientific instruments on NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

It is designed to study planets, stars and galaxies in infrared light and can capture light with wavelengths ranging from 4.9 to 28.8 microns. It was developed by a consortium of 24 astronomical institutes in 10 European countries and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in partnership with ESA. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Answer: B

Explanation:

Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli will be sworn in as Prime Minister of Nepal today (July 15, 2024) for the third time. Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal. Political Boundaries: Nepal shares its borders with India to the east, west and south and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north. Nepal is a landlocked country in South Asia. The world's highest peak, Mount Everest (8,848 meters), also known as Sagarmatha in Nepali and Chomolungma in Tibetan, lies on the Nepal-China border in the Himalayas. Major rivers in Nepal include the Koshi, Gandaki and Karnali, which originate in the Himalayas and flow southwards through the country. Hence, option (b) is correct.