Ans: B

Exp:

A significant judgement delivered in a 8:1 ratio by a nine-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud held that the power of State Legislatures to tax mining lands and quarries is not limited by the Parliament’s Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act of 1957.

Statement I is correct: Power to Tax Mineral Development: The 7th Schedule of the Constitution gives states the exclusive power to make laws relating to “Taxes on lands and buildings” (Entry 49) and “Taxes on mineral rights subject to any limitations imposed by Parliament by law relating to mineral development” (Entry 50). 

Statement II is correct and does not explain statement II: Entry 54 of the Union List gives the Centre the power over “Regulation of mines and mineral development”.

States’ Power to Tax: The MMDRA does not restrict states’ powers to tax mineral rights under Entry 50 of the State List. This is because royalties are not recognized as a form of tax. Entry 49 allows states to tax land where mines and quarries are located.

Hence, Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I.

Ans: D

Exp: 

Recently, three workers died of asphyxiation inside an illegal coal mine in Gujarat’s Surendranagar district. The officials said that the workers were working in a mine near Bhet village in Thangadh taluka without helmets, masks, or other safety equipment.

Illegal Coal Mining:

• Statement 1 is correct: Illegal coal mining can provide immediate economic benefits to local communities by creating jobs and generating income, which is why it can be perceived as contributing to the local economy. 
  • However, it also brings about several negative consequences. These include environmental degradation, health hazards, and safety risks for the miners, which outweigh the short-term economic gains.
• Statement 2 is correct: Illegal mining typically involves unregulated and unscientific mining practices that cause significant environmental damage. 
  • It can lead to deforestation, soil erosion, and contamination of water sources. 
  • The lack of proper safety measures and equipment in illegal mining operations results in frequent accidents, posing serious safety hazards to the miners.
• Statement 3 is correct: The Indian government has implemented stringent mining regulations and increased monitoring efforts to curb illegal mining activities. 
  • While these measures have led to a reduction in illegal mining, they have not been entirely successful in eradicating it. 
  • Various factors such as remote locations, inadequate enforcement, and sometimes the involvement of local political entities contribute to the persistence of illegal mining activities.

Ans: A

Exp: 

Those industries which are practically non-polluting and categorised under the ‘white category’ by the Central Pollution Control Board will now not require prior permission of the state pollution control boards to establish and operate under the Air Act, 1981 and Water Act, 1974, according to two separate draft notifications of the Environment Ministry.

Categorization of Industrial Sectors: 

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has developed the criteria of categorization of industrial sectors. 
• For this purpose the references are taken from the the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution ) Cess (Amendment) Act, 2003, standards so far prescribed for various pollutants under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and Doon Valley Notification, 1989 issued by MoEFCC. 
• Statement 1 is correct: The Pollution Index (PI) of any industrial sector is a number from 0 to 100 and the increasing value of PI denotes the increasing degree of pollution load from the industrial sector. 
• Statement 2 is incorrect: It is based on the Pollution Index which is a function of the emissions (air pollutants), effluents (water pollutants), hazardous wastes generated and consumption of resources.

Ans: C

Exp: 

Two separate outbreaks of listeria, a bacteria which can contaminate food, have been reported in the United States and Canada in recent weeks.

About Listeria:

• Statement 1 is correct: Listeria or Listeria monocytogenes is a type of bacteria found in soil, vegetation, water, sewage, and even the faeces of animals and humans. 
  • Listeria-contaminated food can lead to an infection called listeriosis.
• Symptoms of Listeriosis: Symptoms include vomiting, nausea, cramps, severe headache, constipation, and fever. 
  • Statement 2 is incorrect: The bacteria can be present in the infected person’s system for up to two months until the symptoms present themselves.
• Vulnerable Groups: People with compromised immune systems, pregnant persons and their offspring, and the elderly (aged 65 and above) are vulnerable. 
  • Statement 3 is correct: Pregnant women are 10 times more likely to develop a listeria infection.
• Foods Likely to Have Listeria: Some foods are more likely to have listeria than others, including milk, raw sprouts, deli meats and hot dogs, soft cheeses, and smoked seafood.
• Treatment for Listeriosis: Treatment depends on the extent of the infection. In many cases, intestinal listeriosis manifests within a day or two of consuming the contaminated food item and may lead to diarrhoea and vomiting. The treatment is similar to one for a routine stomach infection and could require antibiotics.

Ans: B

Exp: 

Recently, Rwanda held its fourth presidential election since the 1994 Tutsi genocide.

About Rwanda:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: It is a landlocked country situated in East Africa and bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and does not have direct access to the Indian Ocean.
• Statement 2 is correct: Rwanda is referred to as the “Land of a Thousand Hills” due to its mountainous and hilly terrain.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: Lake Victoria is shared by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. Rwanda is located to the west of Lake Victoria, and Lake Kivu is the major lake on Rwanda’s border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.