Ans: A

Exp:

Context: Recently, the Union Minister of Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports launched the ‘eShram-One Stop Solution’ at New Delhi.

Statement 1 is correct: The main objective of the eShram portal is to create a national database of unorganised workers seeded with Aadhaar, and facilitate delivery under existing Social Security and welfare Schemes to such workers.

Statement 2 is correct: eShram has been integrated with the National Career Service (NCS) Portal. 

Statement 3 is not correct: An unorganised worker can register on NCS using his/ her Universal Account Number (UAN) and search for better job opportunities. An option/ link has also been provided to registrants on eShram portal to seamlessly register on NCS.

Statement 4 is correct: The Ministry of Labour & Employment has launched eShram portal, a National Database of the Unorganised Workers on 26th August, 2021. It has been made available to the States/UTs for registration of unorganised workers including migrant workers on eShram portal. It allows an unorganised worker to register himself or herself on the portal on a self-declaration basis.

Ans: D

Exp:

Context: Recently, the Union Telecom minister said that satcom spectrum will be allocated administratively but will come at a cost. As per the announcement, the cost of spectrum and the formula of allocation will be decided by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

Statement 1 is correct: Satellite spectrum refers to the range of radio frequencies used by satellites to communicate with ground stations, other satellites, and various devices on Earth. 

• These frequencies are part of the electromagnetic spectrum, specifically the radio waves, and are allocated for different satellite services, such as communication, broadcasting, navigation, and Earth observation.

Statement 2 is correct: The use of satellite spectrum is regulated by international bodies like the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). 

• ITU coordinates and allocates frequencies to prevent interference between different satellite systems and other forms of communication.

Ans: C

Exp:

Context: Recently, seven people were killed in Jammu and Kashmir when suspected militants targeted the workers of infrastructure company APCO Infratech, which is constructing the Z-Morh tunnel on the Srinagar-Sonamarg highway. This is the first militant attack on a key infrastructure project in Jammu and Kashmir. 

Statement 1 is correct: Z-Morh Tunnel is an under-construction 2-lane road tunnel between Gagangir and Sonamarg on the Srinagar-Leh Highway in Jammu and Kashmir. The Z-Morh tunnel is part of the Zojila tunnel project. 

Significance:

• It aims to provide all weather connectivity from Srinagar to Ladakh throughout the year.
• The tunnel is designed for the flow of 1,000 vehicles an hour at an approved maximum speed of 80 km per hour.
• Connectivity: Z-Morh tunnel will ensure that Sonmarg town in Jammu & Kashmir remains connected as well as supplies are maintained all year round.
• It will ensure all-weather connectivity between Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir and Kargil in Ladakh.
• Strategic Importance: Along with the 14.15 km Zojila Tunnel to its east, it aims to enhance the Indian military capabilities in Kashmir and Ladakh along both the Line of Control (LOC) to the north and the Line of Actual Control (LAC) further east.

Statement 2 is not correct: Originally planned by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in 2012, the project was initially awarded to Tunnelway Ltd. However, the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) later took over and re-tendered the contract, which was won by APCO Infratech through a special purpose vehicle, APCO-Shri Amarnathji Tunnel Private Limited.

Statement 3 is correct: It is named for the Z-shaped stretch of road between Sonamarg and Gagangir that the tunnel will replace.

Ans: A

Exp:

Context: Gary Ruvkun was awarded with the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of microRNA and its role in gene regulation. He spent a few minutes lauding his experimental subject: a tiny worm named Caenorhabditis elegans, which he called “badass.”

• Tiny Worms Account for at Least 4 Nobel Prizes: 2002, 2006, 2008 & 2024

Statement 1 is correct: Caenorhabditis elegans was the first multicellular organism to have its full genome sequenced, and neural wiring mapped. 

Statement 2 is not correct: Caenorhabditis elegans is a microscopic (~1 mm) nematode (roundworm) that normally lives in soil.

• It has become one of the “model” organisms in biology.
• It is found in “higher” animals like mice and humans.
• Rapid Development: It grows from fertilized egg to a millimetre-long adult in merely 3–5 days.
• Accessibility: It offers a compact lifecycle which facilitates experimental manipulation and observation.
• Significance: It is widely utilized to delve into neuronal and molecular biology due to its simplicity and genetic tractability.

Ans: C

Exp:

Context: Recently, the Supreme Court said secularism is an indelible and core part of the Basic Structure of the Constitution.

• The court made the oral observation while hearing a batch of petitions filed by former Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy and others challenging the inclusion of the words “socialist” and “secular” in the Preamble to the Constitution.

Statement 1 is not correct: The original Preamble, adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26th November, 1949 and came into force on 26th January, 1950, declared India as a “Sovereign Democratic Republic”.  By the 42nd Amendment, 1976, the words “Socialist” and “Secular” were inserted. The Preamble now reads “Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic”. 

Statement 2 is not correct: The Supreme Court established the concept of ‘basic structure’ in the landmark Kesavananda Bharati vs. State of Kerala case (1973). However, it did not explicitly define it in terms of federalism, secularism, fundamental rights, and democracy. Instead, it indicated these as components that may constitute the basic structure.