Ans: C

Exp: 

Statement 1 is correct: The BharatNet project is a government initiative to provide optical fiber connectivity to all gram panchayats (village councils) in India. This will help to improve communication and connectivity in rural areas, and it will also help to bridge the digital divide between rural and urban India.

Statement 2 is correct: The number of mobile phone users in India is growing rapidly, making it the second largest mobile phone market in the world. In 2023, there were over 1.2 billion mobile phone users in India, and this number is expected to reach 1.5 billion by 2025.

Ans: D

Exp:

Statement 1 is correct: The limited coverage of railways in certain regions does impact its share of freight transport. The coverage issue is one of the reasons businesses opt for other modes of transport for their logistical needs.

Statement 2 is correct: Railways, due to their point-to-point system, often require additional road transport for goods to reach their final destination, contributing to the decline in share. The lack of door-to-door delivery services can be a limiting factor for railways.

Statement 3 is correct: The lack of modernisation and investment in railway infrastructure has hindered its efficiency and competitiveness and has emerged as a major issue for Indian Railways. Modernisation is crucial to making railways a competitive choice for freight transport.

Statement 4 is incorrect:  The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Policy allows for 100% FDI in the railway infrastructure sector, encompassing construction, operation, and maintenance activities within the railway transport sector.

Ans: D

Exp:

Statement 1 is correct: Currently, Indian air transport is estimated to be the fastest-growing aviation market globally, India is expected to fly 450 million passengers from over 200 airports by 2030, a growth of 300 percent over the current 145 million passengers. 

Statement 2 is correct: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is the regulatory body in the field of Civil Aviation, primarily dealing with safety issues. It is responsible for the regulation of air transport services to/from/within India and for the enforcement of civil air regulations, air safety, and airworthiness standards. The DGCA also coordinates all regulatory functions with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Statement 3 is correct: The UDAN scheme is a government initiative to provide air connectivity to remote areas of India at an affordable cost. Under the scheme, the government provides financial assistance to airlines to operate flights to these airports.

Statement 4 is incorrect : 100% FDI is permitted for scheduled airline and regional aviation services. Amongst these, 49% are authorised via the automatic route. Government approval is required for receiving an FDI of more than 49%. In spite of this, full FDI is permitted for NRI investors by the automatic route. In the case of non-scheduled airline services, complete FDI is approved under the automatic route. 100% FDI is permitted regarding the services of helicopters and seaplanes.

Ans: B

Exp:

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) was established  in 1986 under the Inland Waterways Authority of India Act, 1985, not in 1996.

Statement 2 is correct: The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is responsible for developing and managing the inland waterways in India.

•  To promote Inland Water Transport (IWT) in the country, 111 waterways (including 5 existing and 106 new) have been declared as National Waterways (NWs) under the National Waterways Act, 2016

Ans: A

Exp:

The Dhubri-Phulbari Bridge, currently under construction, will stretch across the Brahmaputra River in the northeastern region of India, linking Assam and Meghalaya. Once completed, it will stand as India’s longest water bridge, extending over 19 kilometres. It is situated near the border with Bangladesh, this proposed bridge aims to connect Dhubri in Assam with Phulbari in Meghalaya, thereby filling a gap along National Highway 127B. Funding for this project is provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).