Ans: D

Exp:

The Inter-State Council, which works for Centre-State and interstate coordination and cooperation, has been reconstituted with the Prime Minister as its chairman, all chief ministers and nine Union ministers as members and 13 Union ministers as permanent invitees.

• Statement 1 is not  correct: Article 263 of the Constitution gives powers to the President to set up an Inter-state Council for resolution of disputes between states. The Council is envisaged as a forum for discussion between the states and the Centre. 
  • In 1988, the Sarkaria Commission suggested that the Council should exist as a permanent body, and in 1990 it came into existence through a Presidential Order.
  • In 2021, the Council was reconstituted.
• Statement 2 is not correct: Under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, five Zonal Councils have been set up. Besides this, a North Eastern Council has been set up under the North Eastern Council Act, 1971.
  • The idea of creation of Zonal Councils was mooted by the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1956.

Ans: D

Exp:

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released an operational framework for reclassifying investments by foreign portfolio investors (FPI) to foreign direct investment (FDI) when certain limits are breached.

FDI Routes for Foreign Investment in India

• • Statement 1 is  correct: Under the Automatic Route, a non-resident investor or the Indian company does not need approval from the Government of India to make an investment.
  • Government Route: Investments under the Government Route require prior approval from the Government of India.
    • Proposals for FDI through this route are reviewed and approved by the respective Administrative Ministry or Department.
    • Foreign Investment Facilitation Portal (FIFP): FIFP serves as a single-window clearance portal for applications requiring government approval.
    • It is administered by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
  • Reclassification of FPI to FDI: The facility for reclassifying FPI investment to FDI is not allowed in sectors where FDI is prohibited.

• Statement 2 is  correct: FDI-Prohibited Sectors in India

• Gambling and Betting

• Chit Funds

• • Nidhi Company
  • Trading in Transferable Development Rights (TDR)
  • Real Estate Business

• Statement 3  is  correct: Certain sectors, such as atomic energy and railway operations, are not open to private sector investment except for activities permitted under the Consolidated FDI policy.

Ans: C

Exp:

According to WIPO Indicators 2024 report, India has exhibited a remarkable growth in the patents, designs & trademarks filings .

Key Highlights:

• India now ranks 6th globally in patent filings, with a total of 64,480 filings. 
  • This marks a 15.7% increase from previous levels, showcasing the country’s strengthening role in global innovation.
  • The country’s Patent-to-GDP ratio surged to 381 from 144 over the past decade.
• India’s IP (intellectual property) office is the second highest globally in trademarks, with 3.2 million registrations in 2023.
  • Statement 2 is  correct:India ranks 4th globally in trademark filings, up by 6.1% in 2023 with nearly 90% from residents.
  • Health, agriculture and clothing being the top sectors.
• Statement 1 is  correct: Similarly, India moved up to 10th globally for industrial design filings with a 36.4% increase in 2023, showing significant growth in creative design 
  • Textiles & accessories, tools & machines, and health & pharma, together accounting for nearly half of all designs.

Ans: B

Exp:

Recently, India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted the first flight-test of the Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM)

• Statement 1 is  correct:It is similar to the US Tomahawk & Russia’s Kalibr in precision & long-range capabilities.
• Statement 2 is not correct: The missile can also be launched from frontline ships using a universal vertical launch module system.
• Statement 3 is  correct:It has a planned range over 1,000 km, with sea-skimming capabilities for enhanced naval operations.
• The LRLACM is a Defence Acquisition Council-approved, Mission Mode Project sanctioned under the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN), marking a major step forward in India’s missile development capabilities.

Ans: C

Exp:

Uzbekistan will soon introduce a “moral test” for media content, including films and songs published in the Central Asian country, in a bid to protect what the government called the “national mentality”.

• Uzbekistan is a landlocked Central Asian country located in the Northern and Eastern hemispheres of the Earth. It is bordered by 5 Asian nations; Kazakhstan borders it to the north; Kyrgyzstan to the north-east and Tajikistan to the south-east. Uzbekistan is also bounded by Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south and south-west respectively.