Option (a) is correct.

Explanation:

• Recently, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued an advisory circular on interference with the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) in airspace, highlighting the threats GNSS jamming and spoofing pose for aircraft operations.
• Statement 1 is correct: GNSS is a general term describing any satellite constellation that provides positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services on a global or regional basis. While GPS is the most prevalent GNSS, other nations have fielded their own systems(refer image). 
• Statement 2 is not correct: Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) is a regional GNSS owned by the Government of Japan and operated by QZS System Service Inc. (QSS). QZSS complements GPS to improve coverage in East Asia and Oceania. Japan declared the official start of QZSS services in 2018 with 4 operational satellites, and plans to expand the constellation to 7 satellites for autonomous capability.

Option (b) is correct.

Explanation:

• Recently, Indian Foreign Secretary held discussions with Iranian Foreign Minister in Tehran on enhancing connectivity through the strategic Chabahar port. 
• Deendayal Port (Kandla): It is located on the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat, is one of the major ports in India. 
• Gwadar Port: It borders the Arabian Sea and lies in the Balochistan Province, Pakistan. 
• Chabahar port: It is a seaport in Chabahar in South-Eastern Iran. Its location lies in the Gulf of Oman. The port gives access to the energy-rich Persian Gulf nations‘ southern coast.
• Bandar Abbas:  It is located on the Strait of Hormuz in Hormozgan province, Iran. Strait of Hormuz is a channel linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. 

Option (d) is correct.

Explanation:

• The Ministry of Mines is organizing an outreach programme on “Role of the Government and Industry in Driving the Global Action of Critical Minerals” on 29th November, 2023 in New Delhi and the event will be attended by Ambassadors/Mission Heads of various countries as well as representatives of businesses in India and other stakeholders.
• Statement 1 is not correct: The Ministry of Mines has  made an Amendment in the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act which came into effect on 17th of August, 2023 through which the power to auction 24 identified Critical Minerals is given to the Central Government.
• Statement 2 is not correct: The exploration activities in India are being reoriented to give more emphasis on exploration of critical and strategic minerals and the financial incentive up to 25% of the approved cost of exploration is provided for critical and strategic minerals through NMET (National Mineral Exploration Trust). 
• Both the public and private sector can avail the incentive on successful discovery of critical minerals.

Option (c) is correct.

Explanation:

• Severe flooding has killed nearly 200 people in Kenya and Somalia as El Nino-induced rainfall continues to wreak havoc in East Africa.
• El Nino,  meaning “the little boy” in Spanish is commonly known, refers to an abnormal warming of surface waters in equatorial Pacific Ocean. It is known to suppress monsoon rainfall. It was first noticed by scientists in the 1920s.
• Statement 1 is correct: El Niño events are typically associated with increased rainfall in parts of southern South America, the Horn of Africa and central Asia.
  • La Niña means Little Girl in Spanish. La Niña is also sometimes called El Viejo, anti-El Niño, or simply “a cold event.
  • It is opposite of EL Nino, which is the abnormal cooling of sea surface waters in the same region, and is known to aid rainfall over India. The La Nina phenomenon was discovered only in the 1980s.
• Statement 2 is correct:  La Niña is known to aid rainfall over India.

Option (c) is correct.

Explanation:

• With the large metal pieces hindering machine drilling Uttarakhand tunnel rescue, the rescuers are planning to drill through the remaining few meters using rat-hole mining. 
• Statement 1 is correct: The term ‘rat-hole’ refers to a narrow pit dug into the ground. These ‘rat holes’ are large enough to allow one person to move in and extract coal. These rat holes can be dug both vertically and horizontally. 
• Statement 2 is not correct: The National Green Tribunal banned rat-hole mining in 2014 for being unscientific and unsafe. Rat-hole mining is largely unregulated and miners have to work without proper ventilation, safety gears and any structural support. 
• Statement 3 is correct: Generally, this technique is used in Northeastern states of India to extract coal from narrow, horizontal seams. The practice of rat-hole coal mining is still rampant in Meghalaya.