Ans: D

Exp: 

The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has officially reopened, five years after a devastating fire destroyed its roof and spire and threatened the integrity of the entire structure. 

• The Notre Dame Cathedral played a crucial role in shaping history, from safeguarding sacred relics in the 13th century to becoming the “Temple of Reason” during the French Revolution. It stands as a powerful symbol of French identity.
• Statement 1 is correct: It  is a medieval Catholic cathedral located on a small island in the Seine River.
• Statement 2 is correct: It is considered as an example of Gothic architecture.
  • Key features of Gothic architecture include the pointed Gothic arch, ribbed vaults, flying buttresses, and stained-glass windows
• Statement 3 is correct:It was the site of King Napoleon’s coronation in 1804.

It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is believed to be built on the site of a former Gallo-Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter.

Ans: A

Exp:

Arunachal government deploys the Central Armed Police Force  (CPAF) to counter protests against the proposed 12.5 GW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project.

• Pair 1 is Incorrect: The Upper Siang Multipurpose Storage Project, a proposed 11,000 megawatt hydropower project on the Siang river in Arunachal Pradesh. The Siang River is a major tributary of the Brahmaputra River.
• Pair 2 is incorrect: Tapovan Vishnugarh Power Plant is a 520MW run-of-river project being built on the Dhauliganga River in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, India. Dhauliganga is one of the important tributaries of Alaknanda river.
• Pair 3 is correct: The Ratle Hydroelectric Project (850 MW), is a Run of River Scheme located on River Chenab at village Drabshalla, district Kishtwar, Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Pair 4 is incorrect: The Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project ( 330 MW)  is on the Kishanganga River (Neelum River), which is a tributary of the Jhelum River.

Ans: C

Exp:

• Investors urge RBI to let state government debt be sold as zero-coupon bonds.
• Statement 1 is correct: Zero-coupon bonds (ZCB), also known as discount bonds, are issued at a discount on the bond’s face value and do not pay periodic interest to bondholders.
  • On maturity, the bondholder receives the face value of his investment. 
•  U.S. Treasury bills are an example of a zero-coupon bond.
• Statement 2 is correct: These bonds are ideal for Long-Term Investors, those who are not looking for periodic interest payments but are focused on substantial lumpsum payout at a future date.
• These bonds are subject to interest rate risk if sold prior to the date of maturity. The value of these bonds is inversely related to the interest rates. With the rise in interest rates of newer bonds, the demand for older bonds reduces.

Ans: B

Exp:

The Supreme Court exercised its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to grant permanent commission to a woman Army officer with a distinguished service record who was wrongly excluded from the consideration when other similarly placed officers were given the benefit.

• Article 142 is a unique provision. It grants the Supreme Court the power to pass any order necessary to secure complete justice
• One of the important instances of application by the Supreme Court of Article 142 was in the Union Carbide case — relating to the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy — where the Court felt a need to deviate from existing law to bring relief to the thousands of persons affected by the gas leak. 

Ans: D

Exp:

Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into India have crossed the $1 trillion milestone in the April 2000-September 2024 period, firmly establishing the country’s reputation as a safe and key investment destination globally.

• • Foreign direct investment (FDI) is a category of cross-border investment in which an investor resident in one economy establishes a lasting interest in and a significant degree of influence over an enterprise resident in another economy. 

• There are two routes for FDI 

• • Automatic route: FDI is allowed without prior approval by Government/ RBI.
  • Government route: with Government approval
• At present, FDI is prohibited in some sectors. They are lottery, gambling and betting, chit funds, Nidhi company, Atomic energy, real estate business, and manufacturing of cigars, cheroots, cigarillos and cigarettes using tobacco. Option (d) is correct.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) promotes international trade through access to foreign markets and can be an important vehicle for economic development.