Ans: D

Exp:

Why in news?

A Panama-flagged bulk carrier headed for grain loading to one of the Danube ports hit a mine in the Black Sea.

About the Black Sea: 

The Black Sea is a large inland sea situated at the southeastern extremity of Europe. The coastline of the Black Sea is only mildly indented, except for the northwestern and northern shores, which are low and furrowed by numerous ravines, valleys, and rivers, the mouths of which are often impeded by sandy spits.

Rivers draining into the Black Sea include:

• Danube
• Dnieper  
• Dniester
• Kızıl River

Black Sea is bordered by Ukraine to the north, Russia to the northeast, Georgia to the east, Turkey to the south, Bulgaria and Romania to the west.

Ans: A

Exp:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) is an independent body reporting directly to the Economic Intelligence Council (EIC) headed by the Finance Minister. The unit establishes and maintains a national database on the basis of reports received from reporting entities. 
• Statement 2 is correct: The main function of FIU is to receive cash/suspicious transaction reports, analyse them and, as appropriate, disseminate valuable financial information to intelligence/enforcement agencies and regulatory authorities. The Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit of India (FIU) can exercise exclusive powers granted under the PMLA to enquire and investigate matters related to money laundering.

Ans: C

Exp:

In a significant development, the Indian government has decided to extend the deadline for the completion of Phase 1 of the Bharatmala project by six years now set for the financial year 2027-28. Originally, the ambitious road development initiative was scheduled to conclude by the financial year 2021-22.

About Bharatmala Pariyojana:

Bharatmala Pariyojana is an umbrella program for the highways sector that focuses on optimising the efficiency of freight and passenger movement across the country by bridging critical infrastructure gaps.

Phase-I of Bharatmala Pariyojana includes the development of: 

• Economic Corridor – the construction of 9000 km of Economic Corridors will be undertaken by the central government. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• Feeder Route or Inter Corridor – The total length of the roads, which fall under the Feeder Route or Inter Corridor category, is a whopping 6000 km.
• National Corridor Efficiency Improvement – 5000 km of roads constructed under the scheme will fall in the category of National Corridor for better connection between roads.
• Border Road and International Connectivity – the project has provision for constructing 2000 km of roads that fall in the Border Road or International Connectivity category. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• Port Connectivity and Coastal Road – To connect the areas that are dotted along the shorelines and important ports.
• 28 cities have been identified for Ring Roads; 125 choke points and 66 congestion points have been identified for their improvements. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

The main agencies tasked with the construction are the National Highways Authority of India, National Highway and Industrial Development Corporation and state public works departments.

Ans: C

Exp:

• Last week, the crisis in the Red Sea reached Indian waters as Liberian-flagged merchant vessel Chem Pluto heading to Mangalore port was hit by a projectile about 217 nautical miles from Porbandar in Gujarat, just outside the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). This comes in the backdrop of a sharp rise in missile and drone attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea by Houthi rebels in Yemen in the last couple of weeks following Israel’s offensive against Hamas in Gaza.
• About the Red Sea:
• The Red Sea is a narrow strip of water extending southeastward from Suez, Egypt, for about 1,200 miles (1,930 km) to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects with the Gulf of Aden and thence with the Arabian Sea. The sea separates:
  • the coasts of Egypt, Sudan, and Eritrea to the west from those of Saudi Arabia and Yemen to the east. 
• With its connection to the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal, it is one of the most heavily travelled waterways in the world, carrying maritime traffic between Europe and Asia. About 12% of global trade (including 30% of the world’s container shipping) passes through the Red Sea.
• To counter the attacks and protect the free flow of commerce in the Red Sea, the U.S. Secretary of Defence announced the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPS), an ‘important new multinational security initiative under the leadership of its Task Force 153’, which focuses on security in the Red Sea.

Ans: C

Exp:

• The 82nd Annual Indian History Congress began at Kakatiya University in Warangal on December 28. Founded in 1935, the Indian History Congress(IHC) is the largest association of professional historians in South Asia. It has about 35000 members of which over 2000 delegates participate in its session every year. 
• About the Indian History Congress:
• The inception of the Indian History Congress (IHC) can be traced to the efforts of the history scholars of the pre-independence period.  The Bharata Itihasa Samshodhaka Mandala (BISM), founded by Vishwanath Kashinath Rajwade ( with the support of K C Mehendale) in 1910 in Pune, organised an All India Congress in 1935 to celebrate its silver jubilee. The event organised in the assembly hall of Parasurambhau College, Pune, was a resounding success. The Indian History Congress (IHC) was thus born with about 50 delegates. Hence, statements 1 and 2 are correct.
• The Indian History Congress has been holding its sessions very regularly from its inception and publishing its proceedings every year since 1935. Its main objective is to promote secular and scientific writing of history.