Ans: C

Exp:

The 2024 World Happiness Report has been released, with Finland as the happiest country for the seventh consecutive year. India, on the other hand, ranked 126 out of the 143 countries listed.

Statement 1 is correct: The World Happiness Report considers six variables into consideration for measuring happiness: GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, having someone to count on (social support), freedom to make life choices, generosity, and freedom from corruption.

• Collaborators include the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Gallup, and the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre.

Statement 2 is correct: The report is published annually by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network in celebration of the International Day of Happiness on March 20. 

• The World Happiness Report for 2024 focuses on the happiness of people at different stages of life. The Report divides the report into following chapters:
• Happiness and Age: Summary
• Happiness of the younger, the older, and those in between
• Child and Adolescent Well-being: Global Trends, Challenges and Opportunities
• Supporting the Well-being of an Aging Global Population: Associations between Well-being and Dementia
• Differences in Life Satisfaction among Older Adults in India

Ans: A

Exp:

Karnataka became the third State in South India after Tamil Nadu and Goa to ban the use of certain colouring agents in cotton candy and gobi manchurian that are found to be harmful.

• Food samples in Karnataka were collected and it showed traces of sunset yellow, tartrazine and rhodamine-b in cotton candy.
• Similarly, the unsafe samples of gobi manchurian had tartrazine, sunset yellow and carmoisine.
• A ban is already in place over the use of colouring agent rhodamine-b, a suspected carcinogenic substance.

Ans: D

Exp:

Statement 1 is correct:  Mixed Reality Technology (MRT) allows physical and virtual objects to coexist and interact in real time, creating immersive experiences that seamlessly blend the digital and tangible realms.

• Mixed Reality is often situated between augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) as it incorporates aspects of both technologies, producing immersive experiences that are deeply rooted in both physical and virtual worlds.

Statement 2 is correct: Apple’s Vision Pro and Microsoft Hololens are examples of MRT. 

• Both of them are Mixed Reality Headsets.
• They are self-contained wearable computers that enable interaction with virtual objects in the user’s physical environment.

Ans: B

Exp:

Pandavula Gutta, a geological marvel older than the Himalayan hills, has been officially recognised as the sole Geo-heritage site in Telangana.

Statement 1 is incorrect: Geo-Heritage Sites in India are recognized and protected by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and the respective State governments.

• They are geological features of significant importance, either culturally or inherently, that provide insights into the Earth’s evolution or serve educational purposes.

Statement 2 is correct: As of March, 2024 ,there are 34 notified National Geological Heritage Monument Sites of India. 

• Examples- Lonar Lake in Maharashtra, Ramgarh Crater in Rajasthan, St. Thomas Charnockite in Tamil Nadu etc.

Ans: B

Exp:

The Chennai-based space start-up Agnikul Cosmos Private Limited will launch its first rocket Agnibaan Sub Orbital Technology Demonstrator from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on March 22.

Statement 1 is correct: Agnibaan SOrTeD is a single-stage launch vehicle powered by AgniKul’s patented Agnilet engine.

• It is a customisable launch vehicle that could be launched in one or two stages.
• The Agnilet engine is an entirely 3D-printed, single-piece, 6 kilonewton (kN) semi-cryogenic engine. It  is the world’s sole single-piece 3D-printed engine.

Statement 2 is incorrect: It is capable of carrying payloads up to 100 kg to an altitude of 700 km in five different configurations.

• The rocket is also designed for launch from more than 10 different launch ports. 

Statement 3 is correct: It uses commercially available aviation turbine fuel (kerosene) and medical-grade liquid oxygen. This innovative propulsion system represents a significant step forward in space propulsion technology.