Ans: C

Exp:

Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Russia next week to participate in the 16th BRICS Summit, scheduled for October 22-23 in Kazan.

Statement 1 is correct: The founding of BRICS in 2009 was motivated by the belief that the four emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, India, and China will be the world’s future economic powerhouses.

• The inaugural BRIC Summit took place in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009. South Africa was invited to the BRIC Foreign Ministers’ Conference in New York in 2010, and as a result, it attended the third BRICS Summit in Sanya, China in 2011.

Statement 2 is not correct: The 16th BRICS Summit will be held in Kazan, Russia. The theme of this year’s BRICS summit is “Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security”.

• India has hosted the BRICS summit three times, in 2012, 2016, and 2021.

Statement 3 is correct: The New Development Bank (NDB), previously known as the BRICS Development Bank, was established in 2015.

• Members of BRICS: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. 
  • Last year, 5 new members joined BRICS viz. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Effective from 1 jan 2024.
  • Argentina has decided to withdraw from its planned entry into the expanding BRICS club of nations.

Ans: A

Exp:

Context: Recently, the Supreme Court asked Parliament to consider banning child betrothals by amending the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA), 2006.

Statement 1 is correct: UNICEF categorizes child marriage as a human rights violation due to its adverse impacts on the development of both girls and boys.

Statement 2 is correct: The 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals aim to eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilations, under goal 5.

Statement 3 is correct: Schemes/ Policies for Preventing Girl Child Marriage:

• Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY): Launched in 2015, to promote the welfare of girl children.
  • It encourages parents to invest and build funds for the future studies and marriage expenses of the girl’s children.
• Balika Samriddhi Yojana: Central government scheme to support girls in financially vulnerable sections of society.
  • It ensures the enrolment and retention of girl child in primary and secondary schools and aims at the prosperity of a girl’s child and provides them with a better quality education.
• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: It celebrates girl children, translating to Save the Girl Child, Educate the Girl child. It believes in women empowerment and creating an inclusive ecosystem for the same.
  • It is to promote girl children’s safety before and after they are born.
• Dhanalakshmi Scheme: A conditional cash transfer scheme for a girl child with insurance coverage. 
  • It also aims to eliminate child marriage by offering parents insurance coverage of medical expenses and encouraging the education of the girl child.

Statement 4 is not correct: The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 are legal interventions that  aim at protecting children from violation of human and other rights

• The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021 seeks to increase the marriage age of women from existing 18 years to 21 years.

Ans: B

Exp:

Recently, the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management, Kundli (NIFTEM-K) has introduced Solar Assisted Reefer Transportation with Hybrid Controls and Intelligence (SARTHI) system.

Statement 1 is not correct: Solar Assisted Reefer Transportation with Hybrid Controls and Intelligence (SARTHI) system was introduced by the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management, Kundli (NIFTEM-K) and not by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.

Statement 2 is correct: Solar Assisted Reefer Transportation with Hybrid Controls and Intelligence (SARTHI) system is an innovative solution that promises to reduce post-harvest losses in India’s food supply chain.

Statement 3 is correct: Features of Solar Assisted Reefer Transportation with Hybrid Controls and Intelligence (SARTHI) system:

• • Dual compartments designed to store fruits and vegetables at different temperatures, addressing their unique storage needs.
  • It is an integration of IoT and real-time monitoring.
    • The data acquired from the sensors is integrated with IoT &  sent to the cloud – real time information about the quality parameters and physiological changes occurring during transportation of fresh fruits and vegetables. 
    • Its sensors measure temperature, humidity, ethylene, and CO2 levels, sending data to a mobile app for quality assessment.

• The system also includes a solar-powered air handling unit that ensures temperature control during halts. 

Ans: B

Exp:

Context: Recently, a Special Bench of the Supreme Court recalled its earlier judgement (August 23, 2022) which declared provisions and amendments  made in the benami property law In 2016 as  “unconstitutional and manifestly arbitrary”.

About Benami Property Transaction Act, 1988 (PBPT Act):

Statement 1 is incorrect: The definition of a benami transaction has been widened to include a transaction made in a fictitious name, where the owner is not aware or denies knowledge of the ownership of the property or the person providing the consideration for the property is not traceable. 

Statement 2 is correct: It provided for a Property of benami liable to acquisition or confiscation. 

• Also, it provided for an appellate mechanism under the PBPT Act in the form of Adjudicating Authority and Appellate Tribunal. 

However, with a view to providing an effective regime for prohibition of benami transactions, the said Act was amended through the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amended Act, 2016.

Ans: A

Exp:

Context: In a recent study published in Nature, researchers report the design and experimental efficacies of NNC2215, a novel insulin conjugate comprising synthetically added glucose-binding macrocycles and glucosides. 

• NNC2215, a newly developed glucose-sensitive insulin, auto-adjusts its activity based on blood sugar levels, offering improved glycemic control and reducing the risk of hypoglycemia in diabetes patients