Option (d) is correct.

Explanation: 

• The requirement for a 100-meter prohibited and a 300-meter regulated zone around Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protected monuments has created conflicts between local communities and the heritage sites.
• Statement 1 is not correct: As per the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958, amended in 2010, 100-metre radius of an ASI-protected monument is “prohibited area”, and hence, no construction is allowed there, while the next 300-metre is “regulated area”, where permissions are required before executing any structural changes.
• Statement 2 is not correct: Maintenance of ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance is the prime concern of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
• Statement 3 is not correct: No construction work or related activity is generally permitted in these prohibited and regulated areas unless a specific approval is taken from the National Monuments Authority (NMA).

Option (c) is correct.

Explanation: 

• The Department of Fisheries is promoting Artificial Reef (AR) under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) for rejuvenating coastal fisheries.
• A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterised by reef-building corals. 
• Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate.
• Polyps of reef-building corals contain microscopic algae called zooxanthellae, which exist with the animal in a symbiotic relationship. 
• The coral polyps (animals) provide the algae (plants) a home, and in exchange the algae provide the polyps with food they generate through photosynthesis.
• Because photosynthesis requires sunlight, most reef-building corals live in clear, shallow waters that are penetrated by sunlight. 
• In India, coral reefs are found in Gulf of Mannar, Pak Bay, Lakshadweep,  Gulf of Kutch and Andaman and Nicobar sea areas.

Option (a) is correct

Explanation:

• The US and UK emphasise allowing Canada to complete its investigation into Nijjar’s (Khalistani Separatist) killing. These countries, along with Canada, Australia and New Zealand, form the Five Eyes Alliance.
• Formation and Roots:
  • 1943(BRUSA Agreement): The Britain-USA (BRUSA) agreement is established, laying the foundations for intelligence cooperation between the UK and the US during World War II. 
  • 1946 (UKUSA Agreement): The UK-USA (UKUSA) agreement is officially signed, formalising and expanding upon the BRUSA agreement. It solidified the collaboration between the UK and the US in signals intelligence (SIGINT) activities.
  • 1949: Canada becomes a member of the UKUSA agreement, broadening the intelligence-sharing alliance beyond the UK and the US.
  • 1956: Australia and New Zealand officially join the UKUSA agreement, solidifying the formation of the Five Eyes Alliance.

Option (b) is correct

Explanation:

• According to a new study, six out of nine planetary boundaries have been transgressed because of human-induced pollution and destruction of the natural world.
• The study, ‘Earth beyond six of nine planetary boundaries’, has been carried out by a team of 29 scientists from eight different countries.
• About Planetary Boundaries: Planet boundaries are a framework that identifies guardrails for humanity’s impacts on the Earth system. 
• Statement 1 is correct: It sets limits on how much humans can be allowed to impact not only the climate but also other global processes that are essential for maintaining conditions on the planet to support modern civilisations.
• Statement II is not correct: Developed in 2009, the framework includes nine planet boundaries that scientists believe capture all of the processes critical for maintaining the Earth’s system state. 
• For each of the boundaries, control variables are chosen to capture the most important anthropogenic influence at the planetary level of the boundary in focus,” the study mentions.

Option (c) is correct

Dr. Swati Nayak, an Indian scientist at IRRI, honoured with the 2023 Norman E Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application by the World Food Prize Foundation.

About World Food Prize: 

• The award is given to exceptional scientists under 40 and someone who works in the field of food and nutrition security, hunger eradication.
• Statement 1 is correct: Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his work in global agriculture, envisioned a world food prize that would honour those who have made significant and measurable contributions to improving the world’s food supply. 
• Statement 2 is Correct: The first recipient of this prestigious award in 1987 was Indian agricultural scientist Dr M S Swaminathan, the father of India’s Green Revolution.