Ans: C

Exp:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: Asiatic lions were once distributed up to the state of West Bengal in east and Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, in central India. At present Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in India is the only abode (home) of the Asiatic lion. The last surviving population of the Asiatic lions is a compact tract of dry deciduous forest and open grassy scrublands in the southwestern part of the Saurashtra region of Gujarat.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: It is Listed in Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, in Appendix I of CITES, and as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. The lions face the usual threats of poaching and habitat fragmentation. Three major roads and a railway track pass through the Gir Protected Area (PA). Also, there are three big temples inside the PA that attract a large number of pilgrims, particularly during certain times of the year.

Ans: C

Exp:

• The Constitution of India envisages the same pattern of government in the states as that for the Centre, that is, a parliamentary system. Part VI of the Constitution deals with the government in the states. Articles 153 to 167 in Part VI of the Constitution deal with the state executive. The state executive consists of the governor, the chief minister, the council of ministers and the advocate general of the state.
• Statement 1 is correct: The governor is neither directly elected by the people nor indirectly elected by a specially constituted electoral college as is the case with the president. He is appointed by the president by warrant under his hand and seal. In a way, he is a nominee of the Central government. But, as held by the Supreme Court in 1979, the office of governor of a state is not an employment under the Central government. It is an independent constitutional office and is not under the control of or subordinate to the Central government.
• Statement 2 is correct: Like the President, the governor is also entitled to a number of privileges and immunities. He enjoys personal immunity from legal liability for his official acts. During his term of office, he is immune from any criminal proceedings, even in respect of his personal acts. He cannot be arrested or imprisoned. However, after giving two months’ notice, civil proceedings can be instituted against him during his term of office in respect of his personal acts.

Ans: A

Exp: 

• Monetary Policy is the set of actions by which the monetary authority of a country (RBI in India) controls the creation and supply of money in the economy. The monetary policy framework in India has evolved over the years. 
• Statement 1 is correct: The primary objective of the monetary policy is to maintain price stability while keeping in mind the objective of growth. Price stability is a necessary precondition to sustainable growth.  A new “Monetary Policy Framework” Agreement was signed between the Government of India and RBI in Feb 2015.
• Statement 2 is incorrect:  Repo Rate is the interest rate at which the RBI provides overnight liquidity up to a certain limit (0.25% of their net demand and time liabilities (NDTL) ) to banks against the collateral of government and other approved securities under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF). 
• Repo is a short form of “Repurchase Agreement”. When banks borrow from RBI at the repo rate, banks keep Government securities with RBI and get cash in return, with a promise that they will return (after overnight) this cash to RBI and RBI will return the government securities to banks. The Repo Rate is also called the “Policy Rate”. 

Ans: C

Exp: 

• Amrit Dharohar initiative, part of the 2023-24 budget announcement, was launched by MoEF&CC during June 2023 to promote the unique conservation values of the Ramsar Sites in the country while generating employment opportunities and supporting local livelihoods. This initiative is to be implemented in convergence with various Central Government ministries and agencies, State Wetland Authorities, and a network of formal and informal institutions and individuals.
• Statement 1 is correct: Recently, the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched an Alternative Livelihood Programme under the Amrit Dharohar Capacity Building Scheme-2023 in Sultanpur National Park, a Ramsar Site in Haryana.
• Statement 2 is correct: The ‘Nature-tourism and Wet component of this initiative is being implemented jointly by MoT and MoEFCC with an aim to enhance livelihood opportunities for local communities through harnessing the nature-tourism potential of the Ramsar Sites across the country. 

Ans: A

Exp: 

• Statement 1 is correct: The Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) instrument on board the Aditya-L1 spacecraft has successfully captured the first full-disk images of the Sun in the 200-400 nm wavelength range. SUIT captured images of the Sun’s photosphere and chromosphere in this wavelength range using various scientific filters, according to ISRO.
• Statement 2 is correct: Among the notable features revealed are sunspots, plage, and quiet Sun regions, providing scientists with pioneering insights into the intricate details of the Sun’s photosphere and chromosphere. SUIT observations will help scientists study the dynamic coupling of the magnetized solar atmosphere and assist them in placing tight constraints on the effects of solar radiation on Earth’s climate.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: The development of SUIT involved a collaborative effort under the leadership of the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune. This collaboration included ISRO, the Manipal Academy of Higher Education, the Centre for Excellence in Space Science India at IISER-Kolkata, the Indian Institute of Astrophysics Bengaluru, the Udaipur Solar Observatory (USO-PRL), and Tezpur University Assam.