Ans: C

Exp:

Statement 1 is correct: Türkiye, India and Qatar were declared the guests of honour at the 2024 World Governments Summit (February 12-14)  in Dubai. 

Statement 2 is incorrect: It is organised by the World Government Summit organisation (not UNDP).  

• It is a global, neutral, non-profit organisation dedicated to shaping the future of governments. 

• Under the patronage of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, the WGS brings together leaders, experts, and organisations from around the world. 
• Since its inception in 2013, the Summit has championed the mission of shaping future governments and creating a better future for humanity.

Statement 3 is correct: The theme for the 2024 summit is “Shaping Future Governments’.

Ans: D

Exp:

Gupteswar forest in Odisha declared as Biodiversity Heritage site (BHS).

Statement 1 is incorrect: Under Section 37 of Biological Diversity Act, 2002 (BDA) the State 

Government in consultation with local bodies may notify in the official gazette, areas 

of biodiversity importance as Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS). 

Statement 2 is incorrect: As on 15th feb, 2024, there are 45 sites designated as Biodiversity Heritage sites in India.

Biodiversity Heritage Sites are well-defined areas that are unique and ecologically fragile ecosystems (terrestrial, coastal, marine, inland waters) having rich biodiversity comprising of any one or more of the following components:

• Species richness
• High endemism
• Presence of rare and threatened species, keystone species, and species of evolutionary significance
• Presence of wild ancestors of domestic/cultivated species
• Past pre-eminence of biological components represented by fossil beds
• Areas with significant cultural, ethical or aesthetic values important for the maintenance of cultural diversity

Ans: B

Exp:

Maputo Port is located in Mozambique.

• The Indian Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) ICGS Varaha made a significant port call at Maputo Port, Mozambique on 14 February, 2024 as a part of ongoing strategic overseas deployment to East Africa, marking a pivotal milestone in the ongoing diplomatic maritime engagements.
• The visit of ICGS Varaha, an indigenously built Offshore Patrol Vessel to East African countries also aims to showcase Indian shipbuilding industry prowess and capabilities furthering the concept of “Atmanirbhar Bharat”.

Ans: B

Exp: 

Statement 1 is correct: Madagascar is an island country of Africa.

Statement 2 is incorrect:  The Tropic of Capricorn passes through the island of Madagascar.

There are 16 countries, 3 continents and 6 water bodies through which the Tropic of Cancer passes.

North America: Bahamas (Archipelago), Mexico

Africa: Egypt, Libya, Niger, Algeria, Mali, Western Sahara, Mauritania

Asia: Taiwan, China, Myanmar, Bangladesh, India, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia

Water Bodies: Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Taiwan Strait, Red Sea, Gulf of Mexico

Statement 3 is correct:  It is located in the Southern and Eastern Hemispheres of the Earth.

• It is located around 400 km off the coast of East Africa in the Indian Ocean with the nearest mainland African country being Mozambique.
•  It is separated from the African coast by the Mozambique Channel.
• The island country of Mauritius and Réunion (territory of France), lie to the east of Madagascar. 
• To the northwest are the French territory of Mayotte and the island country of Comoros.

Ans: B

Exp:

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked card networks such as Visa and Mastercard to stop commercial card transactions under the Business Payment Solution Providers (BPSP) business, citing concerns about the legitimacy and inadequacy of merchant KYC and the end use of funds.

Statement 1 is incorrect:  BPSPs are regulated and licensed by RBI under the PA-PG (Payment Aggregators and Payment Gateways) guidelines.

Statement 2 is correct: The BPSP facility allows corporate credit card players to enable large payments directly to vendors or merchants’ bank accounts while also providing a credit window of 15-45 days to the debtor. 

Traditionally referred to as ‘payouts’, BPSP is not a regulatory term but global nomenclature adopted by Visa and Mastercard for some of their commercial card services.