Ans: B

Exp:

Recently, the Union government has approved loans under the Special Assistance to States/Union Territories for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme to develop the Ramappa Region Sustainable Tourism Circuit.

• • Statement 1 is correct: The Ramappa temple was built during the reign of Kakati Ganapathi Deva.

• The Ramappa Temple, also known as the Rudreshwara Temple, is a 13th-century temple in Telangana, India. It was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list after being proposed as India’s only nomination in 2019.

• • It is a Kakatiya style Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva.
  • The temple got its name Ramappa because of its chief sculptor Ramappa. Ramappa Temple is probably the only temple in India that is named after the architect.
• Statement 2 is correct:  The temple is known for its earthquake-proof architecture. The temple’s  construction was done using the sandbox technique, a technique where the foundation pit is filled with a mixture of sand-lime, jaggery and black myrobalan fruit. This mix acts as a cushion in case of earthquakes.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: While Ramappa Temple is an important Kakatiya-era temple, it is not the only one inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Example- Thousand Pillar Temple at Hanmakonda– It was built in the 12th century by the Kakatiya King Rudra Deva. 
  • Dedicated primarily to Lord Shiva, this temple is also known by the name of Sri Rudreshwara Swamy Temple. At this temple, three deities- Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and Lord Surya are worshipped. They are known as Trikutalayam. 

Ans: A

Exp:

Recently, the Union Cabinet approved a budget allocation of Rs 6,000 crore for the One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) initiative.

• Statement 1 is correct: The ONOS scheme is a central sector scheme fully funded and implemented by the central government.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: The scheme is aimed at government-managed higher education and R&D institutions, not private institutions.
  • ONOS will provide access to over 13,000 high-impact journals from 30 leading international publishers, significantly improving the availability of academic resources for students and researchers. 
  • The initiative targets over 6,300 institutions, benefiting around 1.8 crore students, faculty, and researchers, and enhances access to international journals, boosting India’s visibility in global research communities. 
• Statement 3 is incorrect: Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET), an autonomous body under the University Grants Commission (UGC) will coordinate this scheme.

Other Initiatives Related to R&D: 

• Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) Act, 2023: Focused on initiatives to enhance India’s research capabilities and establish a strong research culture across institutions.  
• Vigyan Dhara scheme: To promote S&T capacity building as well as research, innovation, and technology development.
• National Research Foundation (NRF): Accelerate India’s development by fostering interdisciplinary research, creating impactful knowledge, & ensuring practical applications.

Ans: A

Exp:

Recently, the Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $98 million loan to improve horticulture crop farmers’ access to certified disease-free planting materials which aligns with India’s Atmanirbhar Clean Plant Programme.

• Statement 1 is correct: The Atmanirbhar Clean Plant Programme is designed to address critical issues in horticulture by providing access to high-quality, virus-free planting material.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: The programme will be implemented from 2024 to 2030 with 50% assistance from Asian Development Bank (ADB), not the World Bank.
• Statement 3 is correct: The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare through the National Horticulture Board (NHB), along with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, will implement the programme.

Ans: D

Exp:

Recently, the 1st edition of Joint Table Top Exercise, CINBAX, between the Indian Army and the Cambodian Army commenced at Foreign Training Node, Pune (1st to 8th December 2024). 

• Statement 1 is incorrect: Exercise CINBAX is being conducted between the Indian Army and the Cambodian Army.
  • The Cambodian Army contingent will comprise 20 personnel and the Indian Army contingent is also comprising 20 personnel from an Infantry Brigade.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: While the exercise does cover humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations, the primary focus is on Counter Terrorism (CT) operations under the UN framework.
  • Exercise CINBAX is a planning exercise aimed at wargame conduct of joint Counter Terrorism (CT) operations under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. 
  • The exercise will focus on discussions pertaining to establishment of Joint Training Task Force for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance besides planning of operations in the CT environment. 
  • Various contingencies will be war games and employment of force multipliers in the sub conventional operations will also be discussed. 

The exercise will also involve discussion on information operations, cyber warfare, hybrid warfare, logistics and casualty management, HADR operations etc.

Ans: B

Exp:

Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW) has asked the states to organise camps to ensure a faster generation of Farmer ID. 

• Known as Kisan Pehchaan Patra or Farmer ID is an Aadhaar-linked digital identity that is linked dynamically to the state’s land records, besides having information like demographic, crop sown and ownership details.
• The database created through the Farmer ID will be known as Farmer’ registry — one of the three registries under Agri Stack component of the Centre’s Digital Agriculture Mission for creation of digital public infrastructure in the farm sector, which was approved by the Union Cabinet earlier this year.

• Statement 1 is correct: Digital Agriculture Mission (DAM) aims to leverage technology to improve the lives of farmers by building a farmer-centric Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).
• Statement 2 is correct: The scheme aims to ensure that all farmers have access to the Krishi Decision Support System (DSS) by integrating geospatial data on soil, crops, and weather.
  • Krishi DSS will create a comprehensive geospatial system to unify remote sensing-based information on crops, soil, weather, and water resources, etc.
  • This information will support crop map generation for identifying crop sown patterns, droughts/ flood monitoring, and technology-/ model-based yield assessment for settling crop insurance claims by farmers.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: The Farmer IDs are created and maintained by State Governments/Union Territories, not the central government.