Ans: C
Exp:

• A recent State of the Food and Agriculture report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) highlights the growing social, health, and environmental costs of global agriculture and food systems. (Total $12 trillion annually).
• India must, therefore, seek a climate-resilient, nature-based, alternative agriculture model that reduces the risks associated with intensive agriculture, improves the productivity and the livelihoods of farmers.

What is Regenerative Farming?

• The term “regenerative agriculture” was coined in the 1980s by the Rodale Institute, a nonprofit research institution.
• Regenerative farming is an agroecological approach designed to restore soil health, enhance biodiversity, and improve ecosystem services. Hence, Statement 1 and 3 is Correct.
• However, it reduces reliance on synthetic pesticides and fertilizers Hence, Statement 2 is incorrect.

 Unique aspects of Regenerative Agriculture:

• Beyond Sustainability: Unlike sustainable farming, which maintains the status quo, regenerative agriculture focuses on improving soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem resilience.
• Soil-Centric Approach: Regenerative agriculture prioritizes soil regeneration through microbial-plant symbiosis, enhancing nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration.
• Holistic Practices: Combines principles of agroecology and conservation agriculture while remaining adaptable to local conditions.
• Dynamic and Inclusive: Allows flexibility in methods like zero tillage, crop diversification, and livestock integration, tailored to specific environments.
• Mutual Benefits: Supports healthier soils, nutrient-rich crops, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, benefiting both the environment and food systems.

Ans: B

Exp:  

India sent 1,000 metric tonnes of rice to Lesotho as humanitarian aid to support food security and nutrition.

About Lesotho:

• A landlocked country located entirely within South Africa.
• It’s also known by the name The Mountain Kingdom.
• Mountain: Drakensberg and Maloti ranges
• Rivers: The Orange River, one of southern Africa’s largest rivers, originates in the Lesotho Highlands.

Enclaved countries:

Countries that are completely surrounded by another country are known as enclaved countries. There are three such countries in the world:

• Vatican City, which is entirely surrounded by Italy.
• San Marino, also entirely surrounded by Italy.
• Lesotho, which is completely surrounded by South Africa.

Hence Option b is correct.

Doubly landlocked Countries:

Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan are the only two doubly landlocked countries in the world, which means they are surrounded entirely by landlocked countries.

• Liechtenstein is surrounded by Switzerland and Austria, both of which are also landlocked.
• Uzbekistan is surrounded by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan, all of which do not have a coastline on an open sea.

Ans: D

Exp: 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that poliovirus had been detected through routine surveillance of wastewater systems in five countries in the WHO European Region recently.

• Polioviruses are enteroviruses that are transmitted primarily by the faecal-oral route
• It can invade the central nervous system and as it multiplies, destroy the nerve cells that activate muscles, causing irreversible paralysis in hours. 
• There is no cure for polio, but there are safe, effective vaccines which, given multiple times, protect a child for life.
• Statement 1  is correct: The first successful polio vaccine for poliovirus was made by Jonas Salk in the early 1950s
• Statement 2 is correct: Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine (IPV) cannot cause disease.
• Statement 3 is correct: Type 2 Wild Poliovirus was declared eradicated in  2015. 

Ans: B

Exp

Russian nuclear major Rosatom said that the Bangladesh anti-graft commission’s remarks are “an attempt to discredit” the Rooppur nuclear power project.

• • Pair 1 is correctly matched: The Rooppur plant is located in Bangladesh.
    • It features two Russian VVER-1200 reactors. In 2011 Rosatom signed an agreement for two reactors to be built at Rooppur for the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission.
  • Pair 2 is not correctly matched: Zaporizhzhia Plant is one of five nuclear power stations in Ukraine, which meets almost half of its electricity demand through nuclear energy.
  • Pair 3 is not correctly matched:  The Kursk Nuclear Power Plant is one of the biggest nuclear power plants in Russia. It is located on the bank of the Seym River.

• Pair 4 is correctly matched:  Natanz is Iran’s primary enrichment facility and houses both the commercial Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP) and the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant (PFEP)

Ans: A

Exp:

A study conducted by researchers from Patna-based Mahavir Cancer Sansthan and Research Centre has revealed high arsenic concentrations in staple foods  such as rice, wheat and potatoes, posing significant health risks to thousands, particularly in rural areas. 

About Arsenic

• Arsenic  is a highly toxic metalloid which is naturally present in the environment and in the earth crust and groundwater of a number of countries.
• Permissible Limit: World Health Organisation’s provisional guideline value for arsenic in drinking water is 0.01 mg/l (10 μg/l) and permissible limit of arsenic in India in absence of an alternative source is  0.05 mg/l (50 μg/l).

1. Statement 1 is Correct: Arsenic is naturally found in certain geological formations. Weathering of arsenic-bearing rocks and sediments, particularly in river basins and deltas, leads to its leaching into groundwater. 
   • This is a major cause of arsenic contamination in regions like the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna plains in India.
2. Statement 2 is Correct: Industries like tanning, chemical manufacturing, and mining discharge arsenic-laden waste into water bodies, contributing to pollution. 
   • These anthropogenic sources exacerbate arsenic contamination in the environment..
3. Statement 3 is Correct: Chronic exposure to arsenic can lead to severe health problems, including skin lesions, skin cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and developmental effects. 
   • Arsenic is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
4. Statement 4 is Incorrect: Arsenic contamination extends to food crops, especially rice, when irrigated with arsenic-contaminated water. 
   • The uptake of arsenic by crops poses a significant health risk to consumers, making this statement incorrect.