Ans: A

Exp:

Children of the Lisu and Singpho communities in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam are named according to the order they are born in the family, incorporating numbers into their names.

Statement 1 is incorrect: Singphos are an ethnic group inhabiting 27 countries, including China’s Yunnan province. 

• In India, Singphos mostly inhabit the Changlang and Namsai districts of Arunachal Pradesh, and the Tinsukia district of Assam.

Statement 2 is correct: The tradition of numbered names is prevalent among the Singphos.

• They incorporate numbers to indicate the order of birth within a family. 
• Their names may also have the name of the clan or an ancestor. 

Ans: C

Exp:

Patent office grants One Lakh Patents in one year and Patents Rules, 2024 notified with several provisions to simplify Patent prosecution and maintenance.

Statement 1 is correct: A Patent is a statutory right for an invention granted for a limited period of time to the patentee by the Government, in exchange of full disclosure of his invention for excluding others, from making, using, selling, importing the patented product or process for producing that product for those  purposes without his consent.

Statement 2 is correct: The Patent Rules, 2024 have introduced a unique provision for New ‘Certificate of Inventorship’ to acknowledge the contribution of inventors in the patented invention.

Statement 3 is correct: Patent protection is a territorial right and therefore it is effective only within the territory of India. There is no concept of global patent.

• Patents should be obtained in each country where the applicant requires protection of his invention

Ans: B

Exp:

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on March 16 that the country would vote in seven phases in the Lok Sabha elections, from April 19 to June 1 and the results will be announced in June. With this, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) comes into effect.

Statement 1 is incorrect: The MCC comes into force from the date the election schedule is announced until the date that results are out. 

• The MCC of ECI is a set of guidelines issued to regulate political parties and candidates prior to elections. 
• The rules range from issues related to speeches, polling day, polling booths, portfolios, the content of election manifestos, processions, and general conduct, so that free and fair elections are conducted.

Statement 2 is correct: The MCC evolved as part of the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) drive to ensure free and fair elections and was the result of a consensus among major political parties. 

• It has no statutory backing. 
• Anybody breaching the MCC can’t be proceeded against under any clause of the Code.
• The EC uses moral sanction or censure for its enforcement.

Ans: D

Exp:

A new study has linked growing consumption of processed food with declining levels of gut bacteria that help digest plant cellulose, especially in people in industrialised countries. 

Option 1 is correct: The Gut microbiome comprises a unique array of microorganisms residing within the digestive tract.

• Antibiotics can disrupt the balance of bacteria in the gut microbiome, leading to imbalances and potential health issues.

Option 2 is correct:  Diet plays a significant role in shaping the composition and diversity of the gut microbiome.

•  Different dietary components can promote the growth of certain beneficial bacteria while inhibiting others.

Option 3 is correct: Recent research suggests that sleep patterns can influence the gut microbiome. 

• Disrupted sleep may lead to changes in the gut microbiota composition.

Option 4 is correct: The method of delivery (vaginal birth vs. Caesarean section) can influence the initial colonisation of a baby’s gut microbiome. 

• Babies born vaginally tend to have a gut microbiome more similar to their mother’s vaginal microbiome, while babies born via Caesarean section may have a microbiome that resembles the skin microbiome.

Ans: B

Exp:

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned that Haiti is on the brink of a devastating hunger crisis.

• • Haiti shares a land border with the Dominican Republic, to the east. 
  • It is surrounded by the Caribbean Sea to the west and south, and by the Atlantic Ocean to the north.
  • It shares Maritime borders with: Cuba, Jamaica, and the Bahamas. 
  • Port-au-Prince:  is the Capital and chief port of Haiti.

• Cuba shares Maritime boundary with Haiti (no land boundary).
• Cayman Island does not share any boundaries with Haiti.