• The antibacterial and antifungal activity of Lactobacillus species relies on the production of bacteriocins and low molecular weight compounds that inhibits these microorganisms. Therefore, statement 1 is correct.
• For e.g. Lactobacillus species produce hydrogen peroxide which inhibits the growth and virulence of the fungal pathogen Candida albicans in vitro and in vivo.
• Some Lactobacillus species are used as starter cultures in industry for controlled fermentation in the production of yogurt, cheese, sauerkraut, pickles, beer, cider, kimchi, cocoa, kefir, and other fermented foods, as well as animal feeds. Therefore, statement 2 is correct.

Chilika Lake:

• It is a brackish water lagoon.
• It is spread over the Puri, Khurda, and Ganjam districts of Odisha state on the east coast of India, at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal.
• It covers an area of over 1,100 km.
• It is the largest coastal lagoon in India and the second largest brackish water lagoon in the world after The New Caledonian barrier reef. So, statement 1 is correct.
• It has been listed as a tentative UNESCO World Heritage site.
• In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated as the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention due to its rich biodiversity. So, statement 3 is not correct.
• It is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent. So, statement 2 is correct.

Our Constitution ensures that persons accused of various offences would also get sufficient protection. We often tend to believe that anyone who is charged with some offence is guilty. However, no one is guilty unless the court has found that person guilty of an offence. It is also necessary that a person accused of any crime should get adequate opportunity to defend herself or himself. To ensure a fair trial in courts, the Constitution has provided three rights:

1. No person would be punished for the same offence more than once,

2. No law shall declare any action as illegal from a backdate, and

3. No person shall be asked to give evidence against himself or herself.

Art. 20 of the Indian Constitution provides for protection in respect of conviction of offences. In other words, it lays down certain safeguards to the person accused of crimes as stated below:

Ex post facto law (Art. 20(1)).

Double Jeopardy (Art. 20(2)); and

Self-incrimination (Art. 20(3)).

• Statement 1 is correct - Astronomers have discovered a new active galaxy identified as the farthest gamma-ray emitting galaxy that has so far been stumbled upon. This active galaxy called the Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxy, which is about 31 billion light-years away, opens up avenues to explore more such gamma-ray emitting galaxies that wait to meet us.
• Statement 2 is correct - For the research, the scientists used one of the largest ground-based telescopes in the world, the 8.2 m Subaru Telescope located at Hawaii, USA.

• Bees and butterflies play a vital role in the pollination of plants and the production of crops by transporting pollen grains from one place to another. Therefore, statement 1 is correct.
• Statement 2: This is an absurd statement.
• Statement 3: These are some of the common predators of butterflies: wasps, ants, parasitic flies, birds, snakes, toads, rats etc.  
• The decline in butterfly population would therefore adversely affect the food chain. Therefore, statement 3 is correct.

The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989:

• The Act penalizes anyone who wrongfully occupies or cultivates any land owned by, or allotted to a member of an SC or an ST or gets the land allotted to him, transferred.
• If they are dispossessed, land can be reclaimed back. 
• The Act recognizes that crimes against Dalit and tribal women are of a specific kind and provides for special courts. 
• The Act also applies to the UT of J&K. 
• There is no such provision for the eviction of communities from tribal areas committing atrocities against tribes. 
• Adivasi activists refer to the 1989 Act to defend their right to occupy land that was traditionally theirs.
• This Act merely confirms what has already been promised to tribal people in the Constitution.

• Statement 1 is incorrect – This initiative is of instituting the Lilawati Awards is of AICTE and such innovative steps shall be great motivation for girls to join higher education. This initiative will pave a path towards equality in education and innovation, for women.
• Statement 2 is incorrect - Based on the theme 'Women Empowerment’, AICTE finalized the winners from a total of 456 entries who competed across 6 sub-themes, which include, Women's Health, Self-Defense, Sanitation and Hygiene, Literacy, Women Entrepreneurship, and Legal Awareness.

• Statement 1 is incorrect - The recent notification of the National Policy for Rare Diseases 2021 after various interventions, including the court, is pegged on this principle of inclusion. It offers financial support for the one-time treatment of up to ₹20 lakh, introduces a crowdfunding mechanism, creates a registry of rare diseases, and provides for early detection.
• Statement 2 is incorrect - Rare diseases are broadly defined as diseases that infrequently occur in a population, and three markers are used — the total number of people with the disease, its prevalence, and the availability/non-availability of treatment options.
• Statement 3 is correct - According to the Organization for Rare Diseases India, these include inherited cancers, autoimmune disorders, congenital malformations, Hirschsprung’s disease, Gaucher disease, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophies and Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSDs).

Raja Ram Mohan Roy:

• He was keen to spread the knowledge of Western education in the country. 
• With the spread of western education, he wanted to bring about greater freedom and equality for women. Therefore statement 1 is correct.
• He tried to show through his writings that the practice of widow burning had no sanction in ancient text. Therefore statement 2 is correct.
• The strategy adopted by Ram Mohan was used by later reformers as well.
• Whenever they wished to challenge a practice that seemed harmful, they tried to find a verse or sentence in the ancient sacred texts that supported their point of view. Therefore statement 3 is not correct.
• They then suggested that the practise as it existed at present was against early tradition.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana till Deepawali & Chhath Puja, i.e. till the end of November.
• During this five-month period from July till the end of November, more than 80 crore people will be provided 5 kg free wheat/rice per month.
• Along with providing 5kg free rice/wheat to each member of a family, 1 kg free whole chana will also be provided to each family per month.
• The government will spend more than Rs 90,000 crore towards the extension of the scheme.
• If the amount spent towards it in the previous three months is added together, a total of almost Rs 1.5 lakh crore would be spent towards the scheme.
• The Modi government had announced an additional allocation in the world’s largest food security scheme – PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana – earlier this year, which aimed to ensure sufficient foods with the poor and needy amid the coronavirus crisis. Therefore statement 1 is correct.
• The food grains were to be distributed to all the beneficiaries under the targeted public distribution system (TPDS) for Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and priority household (PHH) ration cardholders. Therefore statement 2 is correct.