Answer: (a)

Explanation:

Millions of people around the world suffer from vision problems, a large proportion of whom require glasses. Access to eye care facilities is a major challenge in low- and middle-income countries. In view of this crisis, it was agreed to launch an initiative called “SPECS 2030” to provide integrated and people-centric eye care in the 74th World Health Assembly held in the year 2021. The SPEX 2030 initiative will be launched by the World Health Organization (WHO). The initiative aims to help member countries address the issue of spectacles while ensuring quality eye care.

Answer: (c)

Explanation:

Recently, the Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas flagged off the country's first green hydrogen fuel cell based bus in New Delhi, which is a revolutionary step towards clean energy transition. Hence statement 1 is correct.

Green hydrogen is a type of hydrogen produced through a process called electrolysis using renewable energy sources such as wind or solar power. It involves splitting water (H2O) into its component elements, hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) with zero greenhouse gas emissions. A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that converts chemical energy (in this case hydrogen) into electrical energy. It consists of two electrodes (anode and cathode) separated by an electrolyte. Hence statement 2 is not correct.

Answer: B

Explanation:

Recently, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched its first solar mission, Aditya-L1. It was launched using the PSLV-C57 rocket. Aditya-L1 is India's first solar mission to study the Sun. This was the first time in ISRO's history that the fourth stage of PSLV was fired twice to accurately place the spacecraft in its elliptical orbit. Hence statement 1 is correct.

It is a space based observatory category mission. It was launched on September 2, 2023 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota. It reached Lagrangian point 1 (L1) on January 6, 2024. L1 is about 1.5 million kilometers away from Earth. Hence statement 2 is not correct.

The mission aims to provide valuable insights about the solar corona, photosphere, chromosphere and solar wind. The primary objective of Aditya-L1 is to gain a deeper understanding of the Sun's behavior including its radiation, heat, particle flux and magnetic field and how they affect the Earth. Hence statement 3 is correct.

Answer: (a)

Explanation:

Lagrange points are locations in space where the gravitational forces of two bodies create enhanced fields of attraction and repulsion. The Lagrange point is also known as the L point or Lagrangian point. In astronomy, a Lagrange point is considered to be a point in space. At this point a smaller body, under the gravitational influence of two larger bodies, will remain approximately at rest relative to them. There are five Lagrange points in the Earth–Sun system. Lagrange points can be used by spacecraft to remain in a fixed position with minimum fuel consumption. At a Lagrange point, the gravitational pull of two larger masses is equal to the centripetal force required to keep a smaller object moving with them. Hence option (a) is correct.

Answer: C

Explanation:

Chandrayaan-3 is the third lunar mission sent by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). Its objective is to showcase India's technological capabilities and make a successful soft landing on the Moon. Chandrayaan-3 consists of a lander module, a propulsion module, and a rover. This mission was launched on July 14, 2023 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota. Hence statement 1 is correct.

On August 5, 2023, this spacecraft reached the orbit of the Moon. On August 23, 2023, it successfully landed near the south pole of the Moon. India has become the only country in the world to make a soft landing on the south pole of the Moon. It has a lander and a rover like Chandrayaan-2. It does not have an orbiter. This includes the Spectro-Polarimetry of Habitable Planets Earth (SHAPE). It carries payloads on lander Vikram and rover Pragyan. Its purpose is to develop and demonstrate new technologies required for interplanetary missions. Hence statement 2 is correct.