Ans: B

Exp:

Recently, there has been a shift towards constructed wetlands, which are a more comprehensive and nature-based solution for industrial wastewater treatment.

Pair 1 is incorrect: Ashtamudi Lake is located in the Kollam district of Kerala. It is the second-largest lake in Kerala. Ashtamudi Lake is regarded as the “Gateway to Kerala Backwaters”.

• In 2012, the brackish water Ashtamudi Lake with eight creeks was declared a Ramsar site by designating it as a wetland of international importance.

Pair 2 is incorrect: Kanjli Wetland, which subsumes the Kanjli Lake, is located on the Bein rivulet in the Kapurthala district of Punjab.  

• Kanjli Wetland is a man made Wetland which was created in 1870 by constructing the headworks across the perennial Bien River, a tributary of the Beas River to provide irrigation facilities to the hinterland. 
• In 2002, it was recognized by the Ramsar Convention in the List of Wetlands of International Importance. 

Pair 3 is correct: Sasthamkotta is located in the Kollam district of Kerala. It is the largest freshwater lake in Kerala and has always been a centre of tourist activity.

• The lake has been a designated wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention since November 2002. 

Pair 4 is correct: Wadhwana Wetland is in Gujarat. It is located in a semi-arid agricultural landscape and it is surrounded by wheat and paddy fields and villages. 

• • The wetland is internationally important for its birdlife as it provides wintering ground to migratory waterbirds, including over 80 species that migrate on the Central Asian Flyway. 
  • The Site provides a global example of how a wetland originally created for irrigation has come to serve as an important waterbird habitat and hub for ecotourism and nature education.

Ans:  A

Exp:

Greater adoption of Earth Observation (EO) data and technology can boost global growth, according to a new report.

Statement 1 is incorrect: The first EOS or remote sensing satellite was Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite sent to Earth’s orbit by the Soviet Union in 1957. 

• It was used to study the topmost layer of Earth’s atmosphere, the ionosphere.

Statement 2 is correct: Most EOS operate at about 500 to 600 kilometers from the surface of the earth and due to the substantial air drag they face at such a lower altitude, their orbits have to be rebooted frequently.

Ans: D

Exp:

Recently, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, has developed biocontrol agent Trichoderma asperellum (2% WP)The biocontrol agent will help Punjab farmers manage the deadly ‘foot rot’ 

Option D is correct: Foot rot is a fungal disease that affects Basmati rice crops particularly at the seedling stage, though it might also cause infection after transplantation in case infected seedlings are transplanted.

• It is caused by the fungus Fusarium verticillioides, a soil-seed borne pathogen which spreads the infection through the root of the plant, and eventually leads to the colonisation of the stem base.

Ans: B

Exp:

Recently, Google DeepMind has unveiled the third version of its AlphaFold Artificial Intelligence (AI) model that aims to help scientists target disease more effectively and create medications.

Statement 1 is incorrect: AlphaFold is an AI-based protein structure prediction tool.

• It used processes based on “training, learning, retraining and relearning” to predict the structures of the entire 214 million unique protein sequences deposited in the Universal Protein Resource (UniProt) database.

Statement 2 is correct: The new version of AlphaFold — AlphaFold3 — extends the technology beyond protein folding.

• In addition to predicting the shapes of proteins, it can predict the behaviour of other microscopic biological mechanisms, including DNA, where the body stores genetic information, and RNA, which transfers information from DNA to proteins.

Ans: B

Exp:

Recently, Inscriptions found at Sri Madhava Perumal Temple indicate the existence of a major trade route over 1,000 years ago, connecting the Kongu region in western Tamil Nadu with southern Karnataka and Kerala.

Statement 1 is correct: Discovery of Ancient Trade Route inscriptions found at the Sri Madhava Perumal Temple in Tamil Nadu suggest the existence of a major trade route connecting the Kongu region in western Tamil Nadu with southern Karnataka and Kerala over a thousand years ago. 

Statement 2 is incorrect: The inscriptions discovered reveal the presence of a village called Thuravalur, dating back over a thousand years, with a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. 

• This area served as a crucial trade route, allowing traders to cross the Bhavani and Moyar rivers to reach Wayanad in Kerala and various places in Karnataka. 
• The region came under the rule of the Hoysala dynasty, particularly King Veera Ballala III. Madhava Perumal Dhandanayaka, the general of the army, constructed Dhandanayaka Fort, later known as Danaikan Fort, alongside the river. Madhava Perumal Dhandanayaka’s son, Veera Siddha Keththaya Dhandanayaka, built the Sri Madhava Perumal Temple inside the fort. 

Statement 3 is incorrect: The temple was submerged in the Bhavanisagar dam, has recently become visible due to a decrease in water levels.