Option (a) is correct

Explanation:

• Agreements for external commercial borrowings (ECBs) signed by Corporate India jumped to a massive $12 billion in the April-June quarter of 2023.
• ECBs refer to the borrowing of funds by Indian companies from foreign sources in the form of loans, bonds, or other financial instruments.
• Statement 1 is correct: ECB can be in the form of rupee-denominated loans, which are repaid in Indian rupees, or foreign currency-denominated loans, which are repaid in a foreign currency.
• Statement 2 is not correct: ECB is subject to regulatory oversight by the RBI, which sets limits on the amount of ECB that Indian companies can obtain and the purposes for which it can be used.

Option (d) is correct

Explanation

• Recently, the Crimean bridge that suffered damage passes over the Kerch Strait.
• Statement 1 is correct: The Kerch Strait is located in Eastern Europe. 
• It serves as a waterway that connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov. 
• Statement 2 is correct: This strait acts as a natural boundary, separating the Kerch Peninsula in Crimea from the Taman Peninsula in Russia. 
• Its name is derived from the Crimean city of Kerch.

Option (d) is correct

Explanation:

• India and Iran plan to step up operationalizing the International North South Trade Corridor (INSTC) in a move to boost trade with Russia.
• The INSTC was  initiated in 2000 by Russia, India and Iran, is a multi-modal transportation route linking the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea via Iran, and onward to northern Europe via St Petersburg in Russia. 
• INSTC consists of sea routes, rail links, and road connections that connect Mumbai in India to Saint Petersburg in Russia, passing through Chabahar.
• Member Countries: It has been ratified by 13 countries namely, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Armenia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Oman, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Ukraine.

Option (b) is correct

Explanation:

• India-Mongolia joint military exercise “Nomadic Elephant – 2023” to commence at Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Option (b) is correct

Explanation:

• National Multidimensional Poverty Index: A progress of Review 2023′ — was released by Niti Aayog.
• The National MPI measures simultaneous deprivations across three equally weighted dimensions of health, education, and standard of living that are represented by 12 sustainable development goal (SDG) aligned indicators.
• Statement 1 is correct:  India witnessed 13.5 crore people moving out of multidimensional poverty between 2015-16 and 2019-21 with fastest reduction in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh.
• Statement 2 is correct: India has registered a significant decline of 9.89 percentage points in the number of India’s multidimensionally poor from 24.85% in 2015-16 to 14.96% in 2019-21.

Option (c) is correct

Explanation:

• Alert has been sounded in Europe about the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), an infection spread by ticks that has a high fatality rate.
• The CCHF is endemic to Africa, the Balkan countries, Middle East, and parts of Asia. The first fatality from the disease in Europe was in Spain, in 2016.
• Statement 1 is correct: “Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a viral haemorrhagic fever usually transmitted by ticks. 
• Statement 2 is correct: It can also be contracted through contact with viraemic animal tissues (animal tissue where the virus has entered the bloodstream) during and immediately post-slaughter of animals.
• CCHF symptoms include fever, muscle ache, dizziness, neck pain, backache, headache, sore eyes and sensitivity to light.
• There is no vaccine for the virus in either humans or animals, and treatment generally consists of managing symptoms.