Ans: D

Exp:

At a recent event , the External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar outlined the  challenges in providing dual citizenship to Indians settled abroad.

• Citizenship in India is regulated by Part II of the Constitution, encompassing Articles 5 to 11. 
  • These articles delineate the criteria for acquiring Indian citizenship at the time of the commencement of the Constitution and subsequently through naturalization, registration, or descent.
• The Citizenship Act of 1955 further elaborates on these constitutional provisions, providing the legal framework for citizenship matters in India.
• Though the Indian Constitution is federal and envisages a dual polity (Centre and states), it provides for only a single citizenship (like Canada). Citizens owe allegiance only to the Union.
• There is no separate state citizenship, unlike the USA and Switzerland where they have a system of dual citizenship.

• Fundamental rights applicable to Indian Citizens only:
  • Article 15: Right against discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.
  • Article 16: Right to equality of opportunity in the matter of public employment.
  • Article 19: Right to freedom of speech and expression, assembly, association, movement, residence and profession.
  • Articles 29: Protection of interests of minorities
  • Article 30: Right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions.
• Hence, Option (d) is correct

Ans: A

Exp:

• India has completed and made available a year-long compilation of 10,000 human genomes from India, representing 83 population groups, or about 2% of the country’s 4,600 population groups as a database. 
• GenomeIndia, a visionary national project funded by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, was launched in January 2020.
• Its ambitious goal is to sequence 10,000 genomes from healthy Indian individuals spanning the length and breadth of the country.
• The primary aim of GenomeIndia is to construct a comprehensive catalogue of genetic variations for India’s population that will better capture our unique diversity. Hence, Option (a) is correct

The GenomeIndia project will create a precious national resource for India’s public health. This effort has the potential to revolutionise healthcare, empowering basic researchers and clinicians, leading to transformative precision interventions

Ans: C

Exp:

• Statement 1 is correct: The Future of Jobs Report 2025 has been released by the World Economic Forum (WEF).
• It brings together the perspective of over 1,000 leading global employers—collectively representing more than 14 million workers across 22 industry clusters and 55 economies from around the world.
• It aims to examine how these macrotrends impact jobs and skills, and the workforce transformation strategies employers plan to embark on in response, across the 2025 to 2030 timeframe.
• Big data specialists, FinTech engineers, AI & machine learning specialists are the top 3 job roles that WEF predicts will grow the fastest by 2030. 
• Statement 2 is correct: Postal service clerks, Bank tellers & related clerks and Data entry clerks have found their place in the top 3 declining job roles as per the survey conducted by the forum.

Ans: C

Exp: 

The ‘Flamingo Festival 2025’ is all set to be conducted at Sullurpeta in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh from January 18 to 20.

• • Statement 1 is Incorrect: Greater flamingos are widespread across most parts of India, whereas lesser flamingos are largely restricted to western India.
  • Statement 2 is Incorrect: Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus): 
    • Most widespread and the largest flamingo species. It is found in Africa, the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, and southern Europe. 
    • It is found almost all over India (except the high-altitude Himalayas, East and NE India).
    • Greater flamingos are the state bird of Gujarat.
    • Conservation Status for Greater flamingos: 
      • IUCN → Least Concern 
      • CITES → Appendix II

• Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor):

• • • • Smallest species of flamingo.
      • They are restricted largely to western India’s brackish water places like Gujarat, Rajasthan and Mumbai.
      • Conservation Status for Lesser flamingos: 

• IUCN → Near Threatened 

• CITES → Appendix II

Ans: A

Exp:

Recently, a study published in Nature Journal revealed that 25% of 23,496 freshwater species, including decapod crustaceans, fishes, and odonates, are threatened with extinction. This equates to 4,294 species identified as at high risk, as per the IUCN Red List.

• • Statement 1 is Incorrect: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is not the only United Nations organization focused on biodiversity conservation, but it is a leading organization in this field. 
    • The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and UNESCO are United Nations organizations that work on biodiversity conservation.
    • The IUCN is a non-profit organization that works with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
  • Statement 2 is Correct: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) was instrumental in the establishment of the following global initiatives: 

• The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD): The IUCN provided technical and policy advice during the drafting and development of the CBD. The CBD was negotiated at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. 

• The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands: The IUCN was fundamental to the creation of the Ramsar Convention in 1971. The Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty that provides a framework for the conservation of wetlands. 

• • The World Heritage Convention: The IUCN was fundamental to the creation of the World Heritage Convention in 1972. 
  • The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES): The IUCN was fundamental to the creation of the CITES in 1974. 
  • The IUCN has also been involved in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

• Statement 3 is Correct: The Global Invasive Species Database (GISD) is managed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG). 
  • The ISSG is a group of experts that work to address invasive species issues.