The correct answer is Madhya Pradesh.

In News

• Madhya Pradesh secured first place in the 'Best State' category in the 4th National Water Awards-2022, followed by Odisha in second place and Andhra Pradesh and Bihar in joint third place.

Key Points

• Madhya Pradesh has secured the first place in the 'Best State' category of the 4th National Water Awards-2022. Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Bihar were also recognized in the top positions.
• In the 'Best District' category, Ganjam in Odisha received the first prize, followed by Namakkal in Tamil Nadu and Adilabad in Telangana.
• The awards, covering 11 categories, including 'Best Village Panchayat,' 'Best Urban Local Body,' 'Best School,' 'Best Media,' 'Best Institution for campus usage,' 'Best water user association,' 'Best Industry,' 'Best Industry for CSR activities,' and 'Best NGO,' will be conferred by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar next month.
• The National Water Awards were launched in 2018 by the Jal Shakti Ministry to recognize and encourage individuals and organizations involved in water resources management.
• The winners in each category will receive a citation, trophy, and cash prize, providing recognition for their exemplary work in water resources management.

The correct answer is 2030.

Key Points

• India at UNFCCC CoP-26 announced its enhanced climate commitments — the “Panchamrit”, including a commitment to reach net-zero carbon emission by 2070.
• To achieve its targets of 2070, India particularly needs to focus on a smoother renewable energy transition, greater adoption of electric vehicles and greater participation from the public as well as the private sector.
• India’s Contribution Towards Net Zero
  • ​India’s renewable energy targets have steadily become more ambitious, from the 175 GW by 2022 declared at Paris, to 450 GW by 2030 at the UN Climate Summit, and now 500 GW by 2030, announced at COP26. 
  •  It has announced the target of 50% installed power generation capacity from non-fossil energy sources by 2030. Hence, Option 3 is correct.
  • It has also announced a Hydrogen Energy Mission for grey and green hydrogen. 
  • India is accelerating its e-mobility transition with the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles Scheme.
  • India leapfrogged from Bharat Stage-IV (BS-IV) to Bharat Stage-VI (BS-VI) emission norms by April 1, 2020.
  • The Indian Railways is also charging ahead, targeting the full electrification of all broad-gauge routes by 2023. 
• India is among a handful of countries that support the global EV30@30 campaign, which aims for at least 30% new vehicle sales to be electric by 2030.

The correct answer is that statement in option 3 is incorrect.

Key Points

• The breaks in monsoon are related to the movement of the monsoon trough. For various reasons, the trough and its axis keep on moving northward or southward, which determines the spatial distribution of rainfall.
• On the other hand, whenever the axis shifts closer to the Himalayas, there are longer dry spells in the plains, and widespread rain occurs in the mountainous catchment areas of the Himalayan rivers.
• The western cyclonic disturbances are weather phenomena of the winter months brought in by the westerly flow from the Mediterranean region. They usually influence the weather of the north and north-western regions of India. 
• The cold weather season begins in mid-November in northern India and stays till February. But, the peninsular region does not have a well-defined cold season. There is hardly any noticeable seasonal change in temperature patterns during winters due to the moderating influence of the sea. 
• By early June, the low-pressure condition over the northern plains intensifies. It attracts the trade winds of the southern hemisphere.
• These south-east trade winds originate over the warm subtropical areas of the southern oceans. As these winds blow over warm oceans, they bring abundant moisture to the subcontinent.

Hence, from the above, it is clear that whenever the axis of the trough shifts, it has scanty rainfall, so the statement in option 3 is incorrect.

The correct answer is Radon.

Key Points

• Radon is a radioactive element and is not found in the atmosphere.
• In periodic table, group 18 belongs to noble gases.
  • This group includes : 
    • Helium, Neon, Argon, Krypton, Xenon and Radon.
  • Out of all these elements, Radon is the only radioactive element.

Additional Information

• Properties of noble gases - 
  • There are in total 7 noble gases.
  • They are known as the least reactive chemical elements.
  • They are inert because their atoms have an entire valence electron shell.
  • They are odorless, non-flammable, colorless and monoatomic gases with low chemical reactivity.
  • They are insoluble in water.
  • They have a complete octet which makes them highly stable.

Important Points

• Composition of atmosphere -

The correct answer is Meghalaya

Key Points

Census 2011:

• According to the 2011 Census, Meghalaya state in India had the highest growth rate of population among all states in the country.
• The population of Meghalaya grew at a rapid pace during the period between 2001 and 2011, leading to a significant increase in its population.
• The growth rate of Meghalaya's population during this period was recorded at 27.8%, which was the highest among all the states in India.
• The increase in population can be attributed to various factors such as high birth rates, improved healthcare facilities leading to reduced mortality rates, and migration from neighboring states.
• Meghalaya's population growth rate surpassing the national average indicates the state's growing importance and development.
• The rapid population growth poses challenges in terms of providing adequate infrastructure, healthcare, education, and employment opportunities to meet the needs of the expanding population.
• Efforts need to be made to ensure sustainable development and balanced growth to manage the population growth effectively and address the associated socio-economic challenges.

The correct answer is speeds up and bends away from the normal.

Key Points

Refraction

• It is the bending of light rays after entering a medium where its speed is different.
• Due to the refraction of light, when a ray of light passes from a rarer medium to a denser medium, bends towards the normal boundary between the two media. The amount of bending depends on the indices of refraction of the two media. 
• A ray of light traveling from a rarer medium to a denser medium slows down and bends towards the normal. 
• When it travels from a denser medium to a rarer medium, it speeds up and bends away from the normal. Hence, Option 3 is correct.
• The angle of refraction or the amount of bending of light depends on the refractive index (μ) of the two media.
• When light passes through a low refractive index, like air (faster medium or optically rarer medium) to a high refractive index, like glass(slower medium or optically denser medium), its speed decreases and bends towards the normal. 
• When light passes through a high refractive index, like glass (slower medium or optically denser medium) to a low refractive index, like air (faster medium or optically rarer medium) its speed increases and bends away from the normal.

The correct answer is "Lord Ayyappa".

Key Points

• The Sabarimala Temple is a Hindu pilgrimage center located in the state of Kerala in southern India.
• It is one of the most famous and revered temples in India, dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, who is considered a deity associated with the principles of celibacy, penance, and devotion. 
• The temple is located atop a hill called Sabarimala in the Periyar Tiger Reserve in the Western Ghats mountain ranges of Kerala.
• Sabarimala is known for its unique pilgrimage traditions and practices. The temple is open for worship only during a specific period known as the "Mandala Makaravilakku" season, which usually falls between November and January.
• The pilgrimage involves strict observance of fasting, abstinence from certain activities, and a rigorous trek through dense forests and steep hills to reach the temple.
• The pilgrimage attracts millions of devotees from all over India, and the temple is known for its distinct rituals, customs, and festivities associated with the pilgrimage.

Additional Information

• The Sabarimala Temple has been a center of controversy in recent years due to debates around issues of gender equality and religious practices.
• In 2018, the Supreme Court of India lifted the ban on entry of women of menstruating age (10-50 years) into the temple, which was previously restricted based on certain traditional beliefs.
• This decision sparked widespread protests and debates on various aspects, including religious traditions, women's rights, and constitutional rights.
• The Sabarimala Temple continues to be a significant religious and cultural landmark in Kerala and India, attracting devotees and tourists alike.

The correct answer is Fungi.

Key Points

• Fungi is multicellular organism.
• Fungi are heterotrophic organisms.
• Heterotrophic means that they can't synthesize their own food.
• They absorb soluble organic matter from dead substances and are called saprophytes.
• Those that depend on living plants and animals are called parasites.
• They can also live as symbionts in association with algae as lichens.

Additional Information

• Bacteria exist in a variety of forms, mainly spherical, rod-shaped and spiral-shaped.
  • Bacteria, singular bacterium, any of a group of microscopic single-celled organisms that live in enormous numbers in almost every environment on Earth, from deep-sea vents to deep below Earth’s surface to the digestive tracts of humans.
• An amoeba often known as amoeboid is a microscopic unicellular animal found in pond water. 
  • Amoeba has a cell membrane, a rounded, dense nucleus, and many small bubble-like vacuoles in its cytoplasm.
• Paramecium is a genus of unicellular ciliates, commonly studied as a representative of the ciliate group.
  • A paramecium has thousands of cilia that rhythmically move, providing a way for the food to move around and transfer the food in the oral cavity.

The Correct answer is a, b, c and d.

Key Points

• The government in the Budget unveiled the Disinvestment/Strategic Disinvestment Policy and identified the following four sectors as strategic sectors, where bare minimum CPSEs would be retained
  • Atomic energy, Space and Defence
  • Transport and Telecommunications
  • Power, Petroleum, Coal and other minerals
  • Banking, Insurance and financial services. Hence, statements a, b, c and d are correct.
• The strategic sectors have been classified in four broad baskets -- national security, critical infrastructure, energy and minerals and financial services.
• As per the statement by DIPAM, a panel of Ministers, comprising Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, will take the final call on the number of public sector companies that will be retained in each of the strategic sectors.
• The Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) in other sectors would be privatised. NITI Aayog would be working on the preliminary list of CPSEs, which could be taken up for strategic disinvestment.
• The Secretary of the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), which manages government equity in public sector companies, said that the strategic disinvestment policy is an important directional shift and gives a broad idea to the private sector about which companies could be up for sale.
• The government has budgeted ₹1.75 lakh crore from stake sale in public sector companies and financial institutions, including two PSU banks and one general insurance company, in the next fiscal year beginning April 1.
• The government is targeting to conclude the strategic sale of BPCL, Air India, Shipping Corporation of India, Container Corporation of India, IDBI Bank, BEML, Pawan Hans, Neelachal Ispat Nigam Ltd, in the next fiscal. Besides, Initial Public Offering of LIC too would be launched and a strategic sale process of two PSU banks and one general insurance company would be initiated

Important Points

• Strategic disinvestment is the selling of more than 50% of government shares in a public enterprise.
• As a part of strategic disinvestment, a part of the control of the company and or management is passed from the government to the private shareholder.
• The strategic disinvestment leads to engagement of the private sector and thus, making the PSUs more efficient and profitable.

The correct answer is 120 chapters and 8 sections.

Key Points 

Charak Sanhita:  

• The Charak Samhita states in verses 46-47 (Mental Health in Ayurveda): "Mind, Soul, and Body—these three create a tripod, upon the purposeful combination with which the world is sustained."
• This book consists of 120 chapters and 8 sections.
• The 8 sections are 
  • ​Sutra Sthana (General principles)
  • Nidana Sthana (Pathology)
  • Vimana Sthana (Specific determination)
  • Śarira Sthana (Anatomy)
  • Indriya Sthana (Sensory organ-based prognosis)
  • Cikitsha Sthana (Therapeutics)
  • Alpa Sthana (Pharmaceutics and toxicology)
  • Siddhi Sthana (Success in treatment) 
• The text is based on the Agnivesha Samhitā, an eighth century BCE encyclopedic medical compendium by Agniveśa. It was revised by Charaka between 100 BCE and 200 CE and renamed Charaka Samhitā.
• In addition, verse 1-55 declares that both health and disease have their home in the body and the mind. Happy people engage properly with their bodies and minds.
• The goal of the Samhita is on minimally operatively treat a patient's body, mind, and soul. It encompasses all of Ayurveda's theoretical knowledge.