Ans: D

Exp:

The Asian Buddhist Conference For Peace (ABCP) aims to bring together efforts of Buddhists in support of consolidating universal peace, harmony and cooperation among peoples of Asia, Furthering their economic and social advancement and promoting respect for justice and human dignity, and, Disseminating the Buddhist culture, tradition and heritage.

Statement 1 is correct: ABCP was quite an active organization and had held its 10 General Conferences in Mongolia, Japan, India, Laos and other countries. 

Statement 2 is correct: It also published a journal “Dharmaduta’ and maintained close working relations with several organization such as Christian Peace Conference, Afro-Asian People’s Solidarity Organization, the Russian Orthodox Church etc.

Statement 3 is correct: ABCP, in addition to its General Conferences, also held its regular Annual Consultative Meetings and the last two were held in New Delhi, India and Dhaka Bangladesh in 2017 and 2018 respectively.

Reference: https://abcp.mn/about-us/

Ans: D

Exp:

Statement 1 is correct: Rainfall is increasing in more than half of India’s 4,400-odd tehsils or sub-districts, according to a granular analysis of changes in the Indian monsoon, conducted for the first time at the tehsil level. While 55% of tehsils have seen a rise in rainfall, about 11% of them have experienced decreasing rainfall. 

Statement 2 is correct: Of the tehsils experiencing lower rainfall, about 68% saw reduced rainfall in all the monsoon months from June to September, while 87% showed a decline during the initial monsoon months of June and July, which are crucial for the sowing phase of kharif crops. Most of these tehsils are in the Indo-Gangetic plains — which contribute to more than half of India’s agricultural production — as well as in northeastern India, and the Indian Himalayan region.

Ans: A

Exp:

The 9th edition of the Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival (PPHF), a state festival of Arunachal Pradesh, will take place at Seijosa in the Pakke Kessang district from January 18-20, 2024.

The festival focuses on wildlife conservation, with a particular emphasis on hornbills. Four species of the birds — Wreathed, Great Indian, Oriental Pied and the endangered Rufous-necked — are found in the Pakke Tiger Reserve (PTR) of Arunachal Pradesh.

The area is also home to the Nyishi, the largest tribal group in Arunachal Pradesh. 

The first-ever PPHF was held on January 16-18, 2015. The aim was to recognise the role played by the Nyishi in conserving hornbills in PTR. 

The festival has had a positive impact over the years in uniting people from diverse backgrounds to combat pollution, protect wildlife, and address environmental degradation.

Ans: B

Exp:

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Election Commission of India is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering Union and State election processes in India. The body administers elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies in India, and the offices of the President and Vice President in the country.

Statement 2 is correct: Electronic Voting Machine (also known as EVM) is voting using electronic means to either aid or take care of the chores of casting and counting votes. An EVM is designed with two units: the control unit and the balloting unit. These units are joined together by a cable. The control unit of the EVM is kept with the presiding officer or the polling officer. The balloting unit is kept within the voting compartment for electors to cast their votes. This is done to ensure that the polling officer verifies your identity. With the EVM, instead of issuing a ballot paper, the polling officer will press the Ballot Button which enables the voter to cast their vote. A list of candidates names and/or symbols will be available on the machine with a blue button next to it. The voter can press the button next to the candidate’s name they wish to vote for.

Ans: C

Exp:

The Kalpana 1 and INSATs 3A, 3D, and 3DR satellites have bolstered India’s weather monitoring and warning services.

Large parts of North India, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Delhi, and Punjab, have been grappling with heavy fog since December 2023, including in the last week.

INSAT-3D is an advanced weather satellite of India configured with improved Imaging System and Atmospheric Sounder. INSAT-3D is designed for enhanced meteorological observations, monitoring of land and ocean surfaces, generating vertical profile of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and humidity for weather forecasting and disaster warning.