Answer: (B)

Explanation: An Electoral Trust is a trust set up by companies to distribute contributions received from other companies and individuals to political parties. The Electoral Trusts Scheme was introduced by the UPA government in 2013. The scheme was meant to facilitate donations to political parties by corporates and individuals. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

Any company registered under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956, can form an electoral trust. Under the Income-tax Act, 1961, any citizen of India, a company registered in India, or a firm or Hindu Undivided Family or association of persons living in India, can donate to an electoral trust. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

The electoral trusts have to apply for renewal every 3 financial years. They must donate 95% of contributions received in a financial year to political parties registered under the Representation of the People Act, 1951. The contributors’ PAN (in case of a resident) or passport number (in case of an NRI) is required at the time of making contributions. The electoral trusts route is transparent on contributors and beneficiaries. Only one contributor and one beneficiary of a particular trust is known to the public. Electoral bonds, on the other hand, are exempt from disclosure requirements. The key difference between the Trusts and Bonds is in the degrees of transparency they offer and the Bonds Scheme's focus on the anonymity of donors. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Answer: (B)

Explanation:
Red sanders is also known as red sandalwood, is a tree species with the scientific name Pterocarpus santalinus. It is endemic to few districts in Andhra Pradesh. The species is listed as Appendix II under Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (CITES) since 1994. The species has been subjected to threats of illegal harvesting and smuggling leading to their depletion from natural forest. Red sanders wood sourced from artificially propagation (plantations) comprise a major part of legal export. The Red sanders species was listed for Review of Significant Trade (RST) process of CITES since 2004. India was recently removed from the Review of Significant Trade process of CITES for Red Sanders. The CITES RST process enables disciplinary action in the form of trade suspensions directed at countries that do not meet their obligations. This is a process through which the CITES Standing Committee places increased scrutiny on the exports of a species from a country to determine if the Convention is being properly implemented. In the past, it has even led to a recommendation to suspend trade with India. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Answer: (A)

Explanation: Cyclone Vardah, a tropical cyclone, originated in the southeast Bay of Bengal. It was created as a depression (low pressure) over the Andaman Sea and later slightly intensified further as a cyclonic storm. The reason for the intensification can be attributed to the warm sea surface temperatures of the Bay of Bengal and longer sea travel. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

Answer: (C)

Explanation: Several 'Vampire Viruses' have just been found for the first time on US territory. They are pathogens that attach themselves to other viruses in order to proliferate. They form when a bacteriophage attaches to a soil-based virus and uses its "life" to survive on its own. A satellite and a helper virus interaction exist between two diseases. The satellite is the infectious strand that relies on the helper for survival throughout its life cycle. Satellites rely on their host organism as well as a helper virus to complete their life cycle. The satellite virus relies on the helper virus to construct the protective shell that surrounds its genetic material, known as a capsid, or to assist it in replicating its DNA. After entering the cell, most satellite viruses have a gene that permits them to integrate into the host cell's genetic material. From then on, anytime a helper enters the cell, the satellite will be able to replicate. When the host cell divides, it copies both the satellites and its own DNA. Hence, both statements are correct.

Answer: (D)

Explanation: The Kangri, also known as Kanger or Kangid, is pottery filled with blazing embers and housed in lovely handmade wicker baskets. Kashmiris store a portable and moving heater in their pheran, a long woollen cloak extending down to the knees used by people during the cold winters. A pot may hold roughly 250 grammes of charcoal, and a pheran fire can endure for hours. It keeps people warm throughout the severe winter months, when temperatures can fall below -20°F. It is famous for its outer shell constructed of willow wicker reeds, which grow abundantly in the marshes of Ganderbal region in north Kashmir. Hence, option (d) is correct.