Answer: C

Explanation:

Recently, the Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) has launched a Coral Reef Monitoring and Surveillance Robot or C-Bot for long-term monitoring of coral reefs. C-Bot is a coral autonomous underwater vehicle that monitors coral reefs over long periods of time. Hence statement 1 is correct.

It is an advanced robot with advanced surveillance capabilities. It is capable of traveling underwater to a depth of 200 meters and can scan the depths of the Indian Ocean. It will also help the Navy plan navigation channels and conduct bathymetry studies to help map out hydrothermal vents where geothermally heated water seeps from beneath the ocean floor. Hence statement 2 is correct.

Answer: C

Explanation:

ISRO has recently announced that the INSAT-3DS satellite has been sent to the launch site at Satish Dhawan Atari Centre, Sriharikota. INSAT-3DS is a meteorological satellite developed by ISRO. The primary objective of this satellite is to continue the services provided by the existing INSAT-3D and 3DR satellites while enhancing the capabilities of the INSAT system. Hence statement 1 is correct.

During its development, the satellite INSAT-3DS was assembled, integrated and tested at the U R Rao Satellite Centre, Bengaluru. A pre-shipment review involving members of its user community was conducted on January 25, 2024. INSAT-3DS, operated in collaboration with the Ministry of Earth Sciences, is a user-funded project built on an ISRO certified 1-2k bus platform and weighs 2275 kg. Hence statement 2 is correct.

The satellite is equipped with advanced payloads for monitoring land and ocean surfaces including meteorological prediction. These payloads include a 6-channel imager, 19-channel sounder meteorological payload, data relay transponder (DRT) and satellite-aided search and rescue (SAS&R) transponder. Its structure includes meteorological, hydrological and oceanographic data from DRT instruments, automated data collection platforms/automatic weather stations. Hence statement 3 is correct.

Answer: A

Explanation:

Recently, researchers at Austria's TU Graz have received funding for the SmartCore project to investigate real-life applications of their successful 'artificial skin' prototype, which reportedly 'feels' even better than real skin. SmartCore is a revolutionary three-in-one hybrid material developed by Dr. Anna Maria Coclite and her team at TU Graz, Austria. It is very similar to human skin and also senses pressure, humidity and temperature and converts them into electronic signals. Hence statement 1 is correct.

With 2,000 sensors per square millimeter, SmartCore surpasses the sensitivity of human fingers. It is exceptionally thin, measuring only 0.006 millimeters, making it significantly thinner than human skin. It combines piezoelectric material (to sense force or pressure) with a smart polymer (varying thickness depending on humidity and temperature). It can be used in a variety of areas, including aiding amputees by covering prosthetics to restore sensation, helping burn victims restore sensation, and integrating with smart watches for continuous health monitoring. Hence statement 2 is not correct.

Answer: B

Explanation:

The researchers aimed the telescope at a part of the sky near the Big Dipper, a group of stars that form a pattern in the night sky. The Hubble Space Telescope first observed the region in the 1990s. The Big Dipper is a group of stars in the constellation Ursa Major (also known as the Great Bear). It consists of seven bright stars, four forming a rectangular "bowl" shape and three forming a "handle". It is often used as a navigational tool, a reference point for stargazing, and as a symbol in popular culture. Hence, statement 1 is correct while statement 2 is not correct.

Answer: B

Explanation:

A recent study has suggested that commercial-scale deep seabed mining operations could harm the oceans and endangered species such as the blue whale and several dolphin species. Deep sea mining refers to the process of extracting minerals from the deep seabed below 200 meters, which covers two-thirds of the total seabed.

According to the International Seabed Authority (ISA), an agency under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that oversees all activities related to mineral resources in the high seas, the international seabed is an area beyond the limits of national jurisdiction and Represents approximately 50% of the total area of the world's oceans. ISA has signed 32 contracts to explore deep sea mineral deposits. More than 1.5 million square kilometers of the international seabed has been set aside for mineral exploration. Hence option (b) is correct.