Ans. B

Exp:

Context: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Florida, carrying American billionaire Jared Isaacman and three others into orbit to attempt the world’s first private spacewalk.

Statement 1 is correct: Polaris Dawn is set to be the first privately-funded mission to conduct a spacewalk, aiming to reach an altitude of about 700 kilometers above Earth, the highest altitude for a human space mission to date.

• This 700km altitude will surpass the current record held by NASA’s Gemini 11 mission in 1966.

Statement 2 is correct: The Polaris Dawn Mission will involve orbiting through the Van Allen Belts.

Statement 3 is incorrect: The Van Allen Belts are two zones of charged particles that surround Earth, held in the magnetosphere.

These Van Allen Belts are dangerous for humans because they contain high levels of radiation that can pose significant health risks to astronauts.

Ans. C

Exp:

Context: Recently, the Cabinet Committee on Security approved the proposal for the procurement of 240 aero-engines for Su-30MKI aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

About Su-30MKI fighter Jet:

• Statement 1 is Correct:  It is a multirole combat fighter aircraft jointly developed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF)
• The Su-30MKI fleet of IAF was fitted with air-launched version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and was successfully tested in November 2017.
• Statement 2 is Correct:  It is fitted with a tarang radar warning receiver (RWR) indigenously developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). 

Answer: B

Explanation:

Context: Recently, the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife has cleared a controversial transmission line project that sparked protests amid concerns over deforestation in Goa Mollem National Park.

About National Board for Wildlife:

• It is a “Statutory Organization” constituted under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
• Its role is “advisory” in nature and advises the Central Government on framing policies and measures for conservation of wildlife in the country.
• No alteration of boundaries in national parks and wildlife sanctuaries can be done without approval of the NBWL.
• The Board is responsible for promotion of conservation and development of wildlife and forests
• Members:
  • The National Board for Wildlife has 47 members 
  • Chairperson: Prime Minister is the Chairperson
  • Vice-Chairperson: The Minister in charge of the Ministry of Environment & Forests in the Central Government is the Vice-Chairperson. 
  • Member-Secretary to the Board: The Additional Director General of Forests (WL) & Director, Wildlife Preservation is the Member-Secretary to the Board. 
  • 3 parliament members (two from Lok Sabha and one from Rajya Sabha)
  • 5 NGOs
  • 10 eminent conservationists, ecologists and environmentalists
  • Government secretaries of various departments
  • Chief of army staff
  • Director General of forests, tourism etc.

Answer: A

Explanation:

Pair 1 is not correct:

• Wild Ass sanctuary is located in the Little Rann of Kutch of the Gujarat State in India.
• The Rann can be considered a large ecotone, a transitional area between marine and terrestrial ecosystems. 
• The vast cover of saline mudflats in the Sanctuary has no vegetation, except on the fringes and bets. Vegetation is largely xerophytic with the ground cover predominated by ephemerals. Their active growth is triggered by the advent of monsoon rains. 
• The sanctuary is home to a sizable population of Rabari and Bharwad tribes.

Pair 2 is correct: 

About Son Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary:

• It is located in Madhya Pradesh, and was established in 1981 as part of Project Crocodile to protect the gharial and other fauna in the area. 
• The sanctuary is home to a variety of animals, including gharials, Indian flapshell turtles, smooth-coated otters, Indian skimmers, and many species of fish. 
• The sanctuary is rich in aquatic and avifaunal biodiversity, with about 101 species of birds.

Pair 3 is not correct: 

About Mollem National Park:

• It is located in Goa and is a 107 sq km area within the Bhagwan Mahavir Sanctuary, a protected area in the biodiverse Western Ghats that is home to tigers, gaurs and sloth bears, besides an array of amphibians and reptiles.
• Mollem National Park is home to several temples from the Kadamba Dynasty.
• The park is home to many species of snakes, including the King Cobra, Hump-nosed pit viper, Indian rock python, and Malabar pit viper.

Answer: A

Explanation:

Context: A survey by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the country’s apex body for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, shows that AMR continues to rise across the country.

About antimicrobial resistance (AMR):

• Statement 1 is Correct: AMR is a condition in which a pathogen acquires the ability to survive and cause infection even in the presence of an antimicrobial drug. AMR is the result of evolution of microbes in a situation where there is a misuse or overuse of antibiotics.
• Statement 2 and 3 are Correct: Excessive use of antimicrobial drugs can lead to the creation of resistant or extremely resistant superbugs, which can circulate in hospitals, through drinking water, or sewers. Infections caused by these pathogens will not respond to commonly prescribed antibiotics.
• Statement 4 is incorrect: Genetic predisposition is a genetic trait that, in response to environmental factors, may influence the potential phenotypic development of an individual organism within a species or community. Antibiotic resistance is unrelated to the genetic tendency of a small minority of persons in a society.  

The most common resistant pathogens in India: The three most common pathogens isolated in patient samples from tertiary care centres in the ICMR surveillance network are

• E. coli, which can cause gut infections;
• Klebsiella pneumoniae, which can cause pneumonia and urinary tract infections; and 
• Acinetobacter baumannii, which is mainly associated with hospital acquired infections,