Ans: B

Exp:

• The death sentence of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya in Yemen for murdering her business partner, and efforts for her acquittal involving monetary compensation to the victim’s family, have reignited debates on the concept of ‘blood money’ and its implications.
• Blood money’, or ‘diya’, finds footing in the Islamic Sharia law, and is followed in countries that incorporate these laws in their legislation. 
• Under the rule of ‘diya’, a select quantity of a valuable asset, primarily monetary, has to be paid by the perpetrator of the crime to the victim, or the victim’s family if the latter has died. Hence, option (b) is correct.
• The custom is practised predominantly in cases involving unintentional murder and culpable homicide. 
• It is also invoked in murder cases wherein the victim’s kin chooses not to retaliate through ‘qisas’ (a way of retribution under the Sharia). The end-goal, as the law says, is not to put a price tag on human life, but to alleviate the plight and suffering of the affected family and their potential loss of income.

Ans: A

Exp:

• The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas will be implemented in three phases starting January 19, 2025.
• The term “world’s largest open-air prison” is often used colloquially to describe the Gaza Strip due to the strict movement restrictions placed on its nearly 2 million residents. 
• These restrictions have been primarily imposed by Israel, but Egypt also controls one of Gaza’s borders and has at times restricted movement.
• The Gaza Strip is a small coastal territory bordered by Israel to the north and east, Egypt to the south, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Most people in the Gaza Strip are descendants of refugees who fled or were expelled from the area that became Israel after the 1948 Arab- Israeli War.

Ans:B

Exp:

• The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying organized an  Entrepreneurship Development Conclave, themed “Empowering Entrepreneurs: Transforming Livestock Economies” in  Pune, Maharashtra.
• The objective of the Entrepreneurship Development Conclave is to unite policymakers, federations, cooperatives, industry associations, entrepreneurs and financial institutions to unlock the potential of the livestock sector.
•  It provides a platform to the stakeholders to discuss challenges, share solutions, promote entrepreneurship,  provide value addition and sustainable practices to catalyze growth  for the sector.
• Statement is 1 correct.: India does rank first globally in milk production.
• Statement 2 is correct: India does have the world’s largest livestock population.
• Statement 3 is Incorrect: The livestock sector contributed 30.23% to the total agriculture and allied sector GVA in 2022-23, which is less than half.

Ans: C

Exp:

Context: Nagarahole Tiger Reserve in Karnataka saw a steady increase in spotted deer population. 

• At present, there are 28 spotted deer for every sq. km of the reserve.

About Nagarahole Tiger Reserve

• Location: It is located in the districts of Mysuru and Kodagu. Hence Statement 1 is correct.
• Area: It has an area of 847.981 sq. km, including a core area of 643.392 sq. km and a buffer area of 204.589 sq. km.
•  The reserve is contiguous with the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala to the south and Bandipur Tiger Reserve to the southeast. Hence Statement 2 is correct.
• Nagarahole Tiger Reserve previously known as Rajiv Gandhi National Park was named after the river Nagarahole.
• Flora: It consists mainly of moist deciduous forests with predominating trees of teak and rosewood.
• Fauna: Tiger, Leopard Asiatic, Wild Dog, Sloth Bear, Asiatic Elephant, Gaur, Sambar Chital Muntjac, Four Horned Antelope etc 

Ans: C

Exp:

• The Union Minister of Commerce and Industry has recently inaugurated the National Turmeric Board (NTB) in Nizamabad, Telangana.
• Turmeric is  also called ‘Golden Spice’
• It belongs to the ginger family-  Zingiberaceae
• It is Perennial, rhizomatous herbaceous plant 
• Statement 1 is correct: The leading export markets for Indian Turmeric are Bangladesh, UAE, USA and Malaysia.
• Statement 2 is correct:It is native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
• Turmeric possesses Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant, and Detoxifying properties. 
• The yellow Color of turmuric  comes mainly from  Curcumin bright yellow phenolic compound
• Climatic conditions → Tropical and subtropical climates with the following conditions
  • Temperature → Between 20°C and 30°C.
  • Rainfall → Between 1,500 to 2,500 mm annually.
  • Soil → Well-drained, fertile soils rich in organic matter.
  • Altitude → Grows best at elevations up to 1,500 meters above sea level.
• Statement 3 is correct:Lakadong Turmeric from Megalaya has received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.