Ans: B

Exp:

According to the data from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) – The PM Vishwakarma Scheme, launched by the Centre on September 17, has received over 21 lakh applications in two and a half months.

Statement 1 is correct: PM Vishwakarma Scheme is a Central Sector Scheme. The Vishwakarma Scheme provides formal training for the upgradation and modernisation of traditional skills amid a changing economic landscape. 

Statement 2 is correct: The Scheme envisages provisioning of the following benefits to the artisans and craftspersons:

(i) Recognition: Recognition of artisans and craftspeople through PM Vishwakarma certificate and ID card.

(ii) Skill Upgradation: Basic Training of 5-7 days and Advanced Training of 15 days or more, with a stipend of Rs. 500 per day;

(iii) Toolkit Incentive

(iv) Credit Support: Collateral-free ‘Enterprise Development Loans’ of up to Rs. 3 lakh in two tranches of Rs. 1 lakh and Rs. 2 lakh with tenures of 18 months and 30 months, respectively, 

(v) Incentive for Digital Transaction: 

(vi) Marketing Support: Marketing support will be provided to the artisans and craftspeople in the form of quality certification, branding, onboarding on e-commerce platforms such as GeM, advertising, publicity and other marketing activities to improve linkage to value chain.

Statement 3 is incorrect: The Scheme covers artisans and craftspeople engaged in 18 trades, viz.(i) Carpenter (Suthar/Badhai); (ii) Boat Maker; (iii) Armourer; (iv) Blacksmith (Lohar); (v) Hammer and Tool Kit Maker; (vi) Locksmith; (vii) Goldsmith (Sonar); (viii) Potter (Kumhaar); (ix) Sculptor (Moortikar, stone carver), Stone breaker; (x) Cobbler (Charmkar)/ Shoesmith/Footwear artisan; (xi) Mason (Rajmistri); (xii) Basket/Mat/Broom Maker/Coir Weaver; (xiii) Doll & Toy Maker (Traditional); (xiv) Barber (Naai); (xv) Garland maker (Malakaar); (xvi) Washerman (Dhobi); (xvii) Tailor (Darzi); and (xviii) Fishing Net Maker.

Ans: A

Exp:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: The Zonal Councils are the statutory (and not the constitutional) bodies. They are established by an Act of Parliament, that is, the States Reorganisation Act of 1956. The act divided the country into five zones (Northern, Central, Eastern, Western and Southern) and provided a zonal council for each zone. While forming these zones, several factors have been taken into account which include: the natural divisions of the country, the river systems and means of communication, the cultural and linguistic affinity and the requirements of economic development, security and law and order. 
• Statement 2 is incorrect: Each zonal council consists of the following members:
  • Home minister of Central government.
  • Chief ministers of all the States in the zone
  • Two other ministers from each state in the zone.
  • The administrator of each union territory in the zone.
• The home minister of the Central government is the common chairman of the five zonal councils. Each chief minister acts as a vice-chairman of the council by rotation, holding office for a period of one year at a time. 
• Statement 3 is correct: The zonal councils aim at promoting cooperation and coordination between states, union territories and the Centre i.e. Cooperative Federalism. They discuss and make recommendations regarding matters like economic and social planning, linguistic minorities, border disputes, interstate transport, and so on. They are only deliberative and advisory bodies.

Ans: B

Exp:

• Youth for Unnati and Vikas with AI (YUVAi) is set to feature in GPAI Summit 2023. The GPAI Summit is a global platform bringing together leaders, policymakers and experts in the field of AI. The Summit will be held in India from December 12-14, 2023.
• Statement 1 is incorrect: YUVAi-Youth for Unnati and Vikas with AI’- a collaborative initiative of National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India and  Intel India. It is set to be prominently featured at the upcoming Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit. This programme is designed to equip the youth with essential AI skills.
• Statement 2 is correct: YUVAi aims to foster a deeper understanding of AI, to enable school students from class 8 to 12 across the nation with AI skills and to empower them to become human-centric designers and users of AI. 

Ans: D

Exp:

• Tiruvalluvar was a Tamil poet-saint known as the author of the Tirukkural which are “Sacred Couplets” and are a collection of couplets on matters like ethics, politics, economics and love. Both Buddhists and Shaivites, however, claim him as their own, and he is especially revered by those of low caste. He dismissed the caste system and said “One is not great because of one’s birth in a noble family and one is not low because of one’s low birth.” The poet maintained that goodness is its own reward and should not be regarded as a mere means to a comfortable afterlife. 

Ans: B

Exp: 

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), a foundational document of international human rights law, marked its 75th anniversary in 2023.

The Universal Declaration is a  relatively compact document, the declaration consists of a preamble and 30 articles setting out fundamental rights and freedoms. Hence, statement 3 is correct. 

The declaration says that: 

• All are equal before the law
• Everyone is entitled to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal.
• Everyone has the right to seek and enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.

It enshrines the rights to freedom of religion; to freedom of opinion and expression; and to freedom of peaceful assembly. And it says that everyone has the right to education. Hence, statement 2 is correct. 

The declaration isn’t a treaty and isn’t legally binding in itself, but the principles it sets out have been incorporated into many countries’ laws and it is viewed as the basis for international human rights law. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.