Option (d) is correct

Explanation:

• Recently, Iran joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as its ninth member,  at a virtual summit chaired by the Indian Prime Minister.
• The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a eight-member multilateral organization, established on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai, China by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. 
• Member states:  Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan and Iran. 
• Coverage: The SCO’s geographic scope covers 60 percent of Eurasia and represents 40 percent of the world’s population, with a combined GDP accounting for 20 percent of the global economy.
• Chairmanship: The Chairmanship of SCO is by rotation for a year by Member States.

Option (b) is correct

Explanation:

• Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV) and  Tomato Mosaic Virus (ToMV) have impacted crops in Karnataka and Maharashtra respectively.
• Statement 1 is correct: Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) belongs to the Virgaviridae family and  its hosts include tomato, tobacco, peppers.
• Statement 2 is correct: CMV is spread by aphids, which are sap-sucking insects. 
  • CMV too can spread through human touch, but the chances of that are extremely low.

Option (b) is correct

• The seventh edition of the bilateral Japan-India Maritime Exercise 2023 (JIMEX 23) will be hosted by the Indian Navy, at Visakhapatnam from 05 -10 July 2023. 

Option (c) is correct

Explanation:

A study was published in “Science Advances” that offered to help accelerate healing of chronic wounds– using a wearable, wireless, mechanically flexible smart bandage as big as a finger.

About Smart Bandage: 

• A Smart Bandage is an advanced medical dressing that incorporates various technologies to enhance the healing process of a wound.
• Statement 1 is correct:It consists of integrated biosensors, soft drug loaded hydrogels and signal processing and wireless communication to provide real-time feedback and facilitate better wound management.
• Statement 2 is correct:The device is assembled on a soft, stretchable polymer that helps the bandage maintain contact with and stick to the skin. 
• Smart bandages  have built-in sensors to continuously monitor various parameters of the wound, such as temperature, pH level, moisture, and oxygenation. 
• Data collected by the bandage is passed to a flexible printed circuit board, which relays it wirelessly to a smartphone or tablet for review by a physician.

Option (c) is correct

Explanation:

• Recently, the World Investment Report 2023 was published by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
• Key Findings:
  • Developed Countries received lesser FDI inflows  as compared to developing countries.
  • FDI in the Gulf region declined.
  • Inflows in many smaller developing countries were stagnant.
  • Much of the growth in international investment in renewable energy has been concentrated in developed countries.
  • The investment gap across all sectors of the Sustainable Development Goals has increased to more than $4 trillion per year from $2.5 trillion in 2015.

Option (d) is correct

Explanation:

• Presented as one of the biggest tax reforms, India’s Goods & Services Tax (‘GST’) completed its sixth anniversary.
• Statement 1 is correct:The idea of a nationwide GST in India was first proposed by the Kelkar Task Force on Indirect taxes in 2000 to replace the prevailing complex and fragmented tax structure.
• Statement 2 is correct: GST was introduced through the 101st Constitution Amendment Act, 2016 with the slogan of ‘One Nation One Tax’.
• Statement 3 is correct:The GST has subsumed indirect taxes like excise duty, Value Added Tax (VAT), service tax, luxury tax etc.
• It is essentially a consumption tax and is levied at the final consumption point.