Ans: C

Exp:

• Statement 1 is correct: SARAS aims to study the faint cosmological signal from hydrogen, commonly referred to as the 21-cm signal, emerging from the Cosmic Dawn and the Epoch of Reionization.
• Cosmic Dawn denotes the period when the first stars and galaxies were born in the universe. These are the two vital phases which the universe underwent during its early stages of evolution several billions of years ago. These periods in cosmic history are not well understood due to lack of observations.
• Statement 2 is correct: Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bengaluru, will participate in the first winter Indian expedition to the Arctic region. The Arctic survey will inform the RRI about the radio quietness of the location for deploying the SARAS radio telescope in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard.
• RRI said that the signals emerging from the Cosmic Dawn and the Epoch of Reionization period are extremely faint and weak, making their detection a daunting task. In addition, they are affected by brighter radiations emitted by several Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) sources like cell phone towers, FM and television stations, along with the natural sources of radiation prevailing within the universe.

Ans: A

Exp:

• According to the World Bank’s latest ‘Migration and Development Brief’- Remittances to India are expected to increase by US $ 14 billion and rise to US $ 125 billion in 2023, increasing India’s share in South Asian remittances inflows to 66 per cent in 2023 from 63 per cent in 2022.
• Statement 1 is incorrect: According to the World Bank, India saw the highest amount of remittance inflows in the world in 2023 at US $ 125 billion. Remittances to India are expected to grow by 12.4 % in 2023. India was followed by Mexico (US $ 67 billion), China (US $ 50 billion), the Philippines (US $ 40 billion), and Egypt (US $ 24 billion)
• Statement 2 is correct: On India, the World Bank said the main contributing factors are declining inflation and strong labour markets in high-income source countries, which boosted remittances from highly skilled Indians in the US, the UK, and Singapore, which collectively account for 36 per cent of the total remittance flows to New Delhi.
• Remittance flows to India were also boosted by higher flows from the GCC, especially the UAE, which accounts for 18 per cent of India’s total remittances and is the second-largest source of remittance after the US. The remittance flows to India from the UAE benefited particularly from its February 2023 agreement with the UAE to establish a framework to promote the use of local currencies for cross-border transactions and cooperation for interlinking payment and messaging systems.

Ans: A

Exp:

• In a move aimed at curbing the evergreening of stressed loans, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday directed banks, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and other lenders not to invest in any scheme of alternative investment funds (AIFs) which has downstream investments(Downstream investments mean the actual investment by the AIF in a company using the funds they have raised from AIF investors)  in a debtor company.
• Statement 1 is correct: An AIF means any fund established or incorporated in India which is a privately pooled investment vehicle and which collects funds from sophisticated investors, whether Indian or foreign, for investing it in accordance with a defined investment policy for the benefit of its investors.
• Regulated entities (REs) make investments in units of AIFs as part of their regular investment operations. RBI, however, said that certain transactions of REs involving AIF raise regulatory concerns.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: The establishment and operation of Alternative Investment Funds (“AIFs”) in India is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) Regulations, 2012 (“AIF Regulations”) and the guidelines and circulars issued by the Securities and Exchange Board of India. 
• As of December 19, there were 1,220 AIFs registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Total investment commitment raised by AIFs stood at Rs 8.44 lakh crore as of June 30, 2023, compared to Rs 6.94 lakh crore at the end of June 2022, according to SEBI data.

Ans: B

Exp:

• One in five girls and nearly one in six boys are still married below the legal age of marriage in India, a new study published in the Lancet Global Health on December 15.
• Statement 1 is correct: The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 5.3 aims to end child marriage in girls by 2030 as part of a global commitment to “eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: Researchers have noted that substantial variation exists in the prevalence of girl and boy child marriages across the states and Union Territories during the study period. All states, except Manipur, experienced a decline in the prevalence of girl-child marriage between 1993 and 2021. Manipur was the only state that experienced an increase in the prevalence of child marriage among girls.
• Statement 3 is correct: Four states – Bihar (16·7%), West Bengal (15·2%), Uttar Pradesh (12·5%), and Maharashtra (8·2%) – accounted for more than half of the total burden of child marriages in girls.
• For boys, Gujarat (29%), Bihar (16·5%), West Bengal (12.9%), and Uttar Pradesh (8.2%) accounted for more than 60 per cent of the burden.

Ans: C

Exp:

• Goa Liberation Day is observed on December 19 every year.
• Statement 1 is correct: On 1 December 1961, India began a surveillance and reconnaissance exercise called Operation Chutney. Two frigates began to patrol the coast of Goa, and the Indian Navy mobilised sixteen ships, divided into four task groups. The Indian Air Force (IAF) began flights to lure any Portuguese fighter jets to reveal their positions. 
• Statement 2 is correct: On December 19, 1961, Goa was liberated from Portuguese rule after a quick military operation, as years of diplomatic efforts to secure its independence from Portugal had failed.
• The “armed action” for the liberation of ‘Goa’ from Portuguese rule was code-named Operation Vijay by the Indian Armed Forces. The Indian Army stationed troops around the borders of Goa, Daman and Diu and executed Operation Vijay to liberate Goa, with support from the navy and the air force.