Ans: B

Exp:

The 134th Dr. Ambedkar Jayanti was celebrated on April 14, 2024 by Dr. Ambedkar Foundation (DAF) on behalf of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Govt. of India.

Statement 1 is correct: One of the first major public actions led by Babasaheb Ambedkar was the Mahad Satyagraha in 1927, which aimed to assert the rights of Dalits to use water from a public tank in Mahad, Maharashtra.

• Similarly, the Kalaram Temple Movement in 1930 sought to secure the right of Dalits to enter Hindu temples.

Statement 2 is incorrect:  In order to better organise the campaign for the amelioration of the untouchables’ condition, Gandhi ji set up a new body in October 1932. It was first named the All India Anti-Untouchability League and later renamed the HarijanSevakSangh. 

• As his first significant foray into formal politics, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar founded the Independent Labour Party in 1936. 
• He later transformed the Independent Labor Party into the Scheduled Castes Federation in 1942. 

Statement 3 is correct: Upon India’s independence in 1947, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was appointed as the country’s first Minister of Law and Justice in Jawaharlal Nehru’s cabinet.

•  In this capacity, his most notable contribution was the introduction of the Hindu Code Bill, which sought to codify and reform Hindu personal law and give women equal rights in personal matters. 

Ans: C

Exp:

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have designed a sustainable hydrogel to remove microplastics from water.

• Hydrogels: Hydrogels can be defined as materials formed by a porous three-dimensional network prepared from crosslinked natural or synthetic hydrophilic polymers that hold large quantities of water or biological fluids in their structure without dissolving.

Option 1 is correct: Ophthalmology, particularly contact lenses, is an important discipline that uses synthetic hydrogels for bio applications. 

• Hydrogels may also be employed as immobilisation matrices for biosensing elements and provide ideal conditions for enzymes and other biomolecules to maintain their active and functional structure.

Option 2 is correct: Hydrogels are used in controlled drug delivery systems (DDS) to address the constraints of traditional drug formulations by delivering medications at specific rates over predetermined periods. 

Option 3 is correct: Hydrogel also finds application in tissue engineering to replace or support artificial tissues.

Ans: A

Exp:

Recently, the Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight tested the final deliverable configuration of Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM).

Statement 1 is incorrect:  Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) is an indigenously developed low weight, fire and forgets missile. 

• Man Portable Anti-tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) Weapon System is indigenously designed and developed by Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO).

Statement 2 is correct: The missile is incorporated with state-of-the-art Miniaturised Infrared Imaging Seeker (IIS) along with advanced avionics.

•  It is a passive weapon guidance system that uses the infrared light emission from a target to track and follow it. 

Statement 3 is correct: The MPATGM Weapon System have several advanced features that enhance its combat effectiveness.

•  It is equipped with a dual-mode seeker, providing both day and night targeting capabilities. Additionally, the system has a top-attack capability, which is a valuable asset in tank warfare.

Statement 4 is correct: One of the key achievements of the MPATGM system is its capability to defeat modern armour-protected Main Battle Tanks.

•  The successful completion of penetration trials for the Tandem Warhead System has validated the system’s effectiveness against the latest armor protection technologies.

Ans: B

Exp:

Exactly 105 years ago, on April 13, 1919, Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer ordered his troops to open fire on a large gathering of people in Jallianawala Bagh, Punjab

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Passing of the Rowlatt Act was an important event immediately preceding the massacre.  The British had imposed a draconian Martial Law, banning public gatherings.

• On March 10, 1919, Rowlatt Act (Black Act) was passed, authorising the government to imprison or confine, without a trial, any person found involved in seditious activities. 
• The  protest in JallianWala Bagh was against the Rowlatt Act.

Statement 2 is correct: Mahatma Gandhi gave up the title of Kaiser-i-Hind bestowed by the British on him in protest of the Jallianwala Massacre.

• Rabindranath Tagore renounced his knighthood in protest.

Statement 3 is correct: The British Government appointed the Hunter Commission  to look into the killing of innocent people. 

• This commission found Dyer guilty and reported that Dyer overstepped the bounds of his authority.
• But the tragic situation was that it did not impose any penal or disciplinary action against Dyer, which finally culminated in Non-cooperation Movement (one of the cause was Punjab injustice)

Ans: A

Exp:

Recently, the secretly planned Operation Meghdoot completed 40 years, when India took control of the Siachen Glacier. 

Statement 1 is incorrect: Operation Meghdoot was launched on 13 April 1984, when the Indian Army and Indian Air Force (IAF) advanced to the Siachen glacier to secure the heights dominating the Northern Ladakh region. 

• The operation involved the airlifting of Indian Army soldiers by the IAF and dropping them on the glacial peak

Statement 2 is correct: Operation Meghdoot  preempted Pakistan’s impending Operation Ababeel (which was intended to achieve the same objective as Operation Meghdoot) and was a success, resulting in Indian forces gaining control of the Siachen Glacier in its entirety.