Answer: A

Explanation:

On the eve of Chaitra Sukladi, Ugadi, Gudi Padwa, Cheti Chand, Navreh, and Sajibu Cheiraoba, the President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar have extended their greetings to fellow citizens. These festivities, symbolizing the commencement of the Indian New Year, epitomize our faith and heritage. They play a crucial role in fostering social harmony and unity within our society.

Known as Samvatsarādi, Ugadi heralds the New Year in states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Goa. Celebrated on the first day of the Indian lunar calendar's Chaitra month, it marks the advent of the first New Moon post-Equinox. Festivities include the creation of intricate Kolamulus or Rangolis, adornment of doors with mango leaves (torana), gift-giving, alms distribution, bathing rituals, oil massages, preparation of special food (pachadi), and temple visits. Followers of the Souramana calendar system in Karnataka observe Ugadi when the Sun transits through Aries, coinciding with the Baisakhi festival. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.

Lord Jhulelal. The festivities involve prayers to Lord Jhulelal and the preparation of delicacies like Tahiri (sweet rice) and Sai Bhaji (spinach with chana dal). Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

Gudhi Padwa is a spring festival marking the traditional New Year for Marathi and Konkani communities. Celebrated in regions like Maharashtra, Goa and Madhya Pradesh, it falls on the first day of the Chaitra month, signifying the commencement of the New Year. Festivities include vibrant floor decorations (rangoli) and the display of a special Gudhi dwaja adorned with flowers, mango leaves and sugar crystals. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

The Sindhi community celebrates Cheti Chand as their New Year and the emergence day of Sajibu Nongma Pānba, or Meetei Cheiraoba, is the lunar New Year festival of Sanamahism practitioners in Manipur. The name derives from Manipuri words meaning the first day of the Sajibu month, symbolizing the commencement of the New Year. Hence, statement 4 is incorrect.

Answer: B

Explanation:

The Supreme Court announced last week that petitions for 100% verification of Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips would be addressed soon. The VVPAT machine is attached to the ballot unit of the EVM and provides visual verification of the vote cast by printing a slip of paper with the voter's choice on it. It displays the candidate's serial number, name and party symbol behind a glass window for seven seconds for the voter to verify. After verification, the slip falls into a compartment underneath and cannot be taken home by the voter. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.

The idea of the VVPAT machine emerged in 2010 during discussions with political parties to enhance transparency in the EVM-based polling process. Field trials were conducted in various locations, leading to the design approval by an EC expert committee in February 2013. The Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 were amended to accommodate the VVPAT, and it was first used in Nagaland in 2013 before being phased in nationwide by June 2017. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

The Election Commission sought a statistically robust sample size for internal audit of VVPAT slips and initially mandated counting of slips from one randomly selected polling station per Assembly constituency. Following a Supreme Court judgment in April 2019, the count was increased to five polling stations per Assembly seat, selected by draw of lots in the presence of candidates/their agents. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.

Answer: B

Explanation:

Recently, the Defence Ministry organized the first-ever Tri-service Conference named 'Parivartan Chintan' in New Delhi, chaired by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan. Parivartan Chintan is a pioneering first-ever Tri-service conference of the Heads of all Tri-Services Institutions, the Department of Military Affairs, Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff and the three Services. The term "Parivartan Chintan" translates to "Transformational Deliberation" in English.  This conference aimed to foster a joint culture within the Indian Armed Forces and integrate capabilities across all three services to enhance war fighting ability, interoperability and jointness. It provided a platform for brainstorming and generating new ideas, initiatives and reforms to propel jointness and integration efforts, essential for the transformative journey of the Indian Armed Forces towards future readiness and effective multi-domain operations.

Here, statements I and II both are correct but Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I. Hence, option (b) is correct.

Answer: B

Explanation:

Tata Advanced Systems Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Son has recently announced the "successful deployment" into space of its sub-metre optical satellite, TSAT-1A, by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida in the US. TSAT-1A is an Earth observation satellite launched as part of the Bandwagon-1 rideshare mission. It offers high-resolution optical satellite images with increased collection capacity, dynamic range and low-latency delivery through its multispectral and hyperspectral capabilities. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.

The satellite was assembled and tested in India by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) at its Vemagal facility in Karnataka. TSAT-1A's high-resolution optical satellite images will be utilized for various applications, including environmental monitoring, agriculture, urban planning, and national security, contributing to better decision-making processes. Hence, statement 2 is correct

Answer: C

Explanation:

Recently, Dr. Casey Luskin discussed on an episode of ID the Future the concept of "junk DNA," highlighting it as one of the biggest mistakes in science due to its alignment with evolutionary assumptions about non-coding DNA. Junk DNA encompasses non-coding DNA sequences devoid of direct protein-coding function within the genome. In humans, only about 1.5% of the genome codes for proteins, while the rest is considered 'junk' DNA. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

Initially thought to have no function, 'junk' DNA is now known to play various regulatory roles.

It controls when and where genes are turned on or off during development and in response to environmental stimuli. It contains transposable elements, sequences of DNA that can move or transpose within the genome. One example is the Alu element, which is unique to primates and contributes to genomic diversity and evolution. Hence, statement 2 is correct.