Option (b) is correct

Explanation:

• Recently, the Government of India, in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India, has decided to issue Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs) in tranches for 2023-24.
  • The government has decided to issue two tranches of SGBs.
  • Series I is June 19-23, 2023, while for Series II is September 11-15, 2023.
• The first SGB scheme was launched in 2015, under Gold Monetisation Scheme with an objective to reduce the demand for physical gold and shift a part of the domestic savings.
• Statement 1 is not correct:The SGBs are issued by the Reserve Bank of India on behalf of the Government of India.
• The SGBs can be used as collateral for loans.
• The SGBs are eligible for trading.
• Statement 2 is correct:The SGBs obtained by banks through the pledge process will be considered as part of their Statutory Liquidity Ratio requirements.
• The interest on SGBs shall be taxable as per the provision of the Income Tax Act, 1961. 
  • The capital gains tax arising on redemption of SGB to an individual is exempted.

Option (a) is correct

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct. Recently, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) restricted Online Bond Platform Providers (OBPPs) from offering products other than listed debt securities on their platforms. 
• Statement 2 is correct. Under the rules, OBPPs need to register themselves as stock brokers in the debt segment of the stock exchange. 
• OBPs offer an avenue for investors, particularly non-institutional investors to access the bond market.
• SEBI said the holding company, subsidiary, or associate of an online bond platform provider will not utilise the name, brand name, or any name resembling that of the online bond platform provider for offering products and services that are not regulated by a financial sector regulator.
• Statement 3 is not correct. The OBPPs would have to ensure compliance with the minimum disclosure requirements. 
  • It would also have to disclose on its platform all instances of conflict of interest, if any, arising from its transactions or dealings.

Option (d) is correct

Explanation:

• The Ministry of Science & Technology has launched the Vaishvik Bhartiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) fellowships programme, which aims to connect the Indian STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine) diaspora with Indian academic and R&D institutions.
• It promotes collaborative research work, knowledge sharing, and the exchange of best practices in frontier areas of science and technology.

Option (c) is correct

Explanation:

• Armenia is bordered by Georgia  to the north, Azerbaijan to the east, Iran  to the southeast and Turkey to the west.

Image Credits: BBC

Option (d) is correct

Explanation:

• Recently, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) released the Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) 2023.
• The GSNI measures how social beliefs obstruct gender equality in areas like politics, work, and education. 
• The 2023 GSNI contains data from 80 countries and territories with data from wave 6 (2010–2014) or wave 7 (2017–2022) of the World Values Survey, accounting for 85 percent of the global population.
• The GSNI quantifies biases against women, capturing people’s attitudes on women’s roles along four key dimensions: political, educational, economic and physical integrity. 
• The index, covering 85 percent of the global population, reveals that close to 9 out of 10 men and women hold fundamental biases against women. 

Option (a) is correct

Explanation:

• Recently, the landfall process of Cyclone Biparjoy started near Jakhau port in the state’s Kutch district, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
• A landfall is the event of a tropical cyclone coming onto land after being over water. 
• As per the IMD, a tropical cyclone is said to have made a landfall when the centre of the storm – or its eye – moves over the coast.
• The damage caused by the landfall will depend on the severity of the cyclone – marked by the speed of its winds. 
• Landfalls can last for a few hours, with their exact duration depending on the speed of the winds and the size of the storm system. 
• Cyclones lose their intensity once they move over land because of sharp reduction of moisture supply and increase in surface friction. Hence, both given statements are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.
  • This means that while landfalls are often the most devastating moments of cyclones, they also mark the beginning of its end.