2023

Statement 1 is incorrect: The East-West Corridor is a part of the National Highways Development Project (NHDP) in India, which aims to connect Silchar in Assam to Porbandar in Gujarat. It does not connect Dibrugarh in Assam and Surat in Gujarat.


Statement 2 is incorrect: The Trilateral Highway is a connectivity project that aims to connect Moreh in Manipur, India, with Mae Sot in Thailand via Myanmar. It is an important infrastructure project to enhance trade, connectivity, and people-to-people ties among the three countries.


Statement 3 is incorrect: The Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCIM) is a proposed economic corridor that aims to connect Kunming in China with Kolkata in India, passing through Myanmar and Bangladesh. Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh is not directly connected to this corridor.


Thus, none of the statements are correct

* The honey bee dance, also known as the waggle dance, is a form of communication performed by worker honey bees to other members of the honey bee colony. The waggle dance was famously decoded by Austrian scientist, Karl von Frisch. * The direction the bee moves in relation to the hive indicates direction; if it moves vertically, the direction to the source is directly towards the Sun. * The duration of the waggle part of the dance signifies the distance. Hence, option (C) is the correct answer.

The Wolbachia method is a biological method that utilises the Wolbachia bacteria to control the spread of mosquito-borne diseases, particularly dengue fever.

* Wolbachia naturally infects some insect species, but not Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the primary vector for dengue fever transmission. Scientists introduce Wolbachia into Aedes aegypti populations. Wolbachia reduces the ability of these mosquitoes to transmit dengue virus.

* As Wolbachia spreads through the mosquito population, it can significantly reduce the incidence of dengue fever.

* This method offers a natural and sustainable approach to controlling dengue fever, a major public health concern in tropical and subtropical regions.

* Successful Coups There have been several military coups in these countries in recent years - Chad (2021) - Guinea (2021) - Mali (2020, 2021) - Sudan (2019)

* Military coups often lead to political instability, international concern about human rights, and potential disruption to trade and regional security.


* While it is true that the equator receives more direct sunlight compared to the poles, the actual difference in insolation is not as large as ten times. The difference in insolation between the equator and poles is primarily due to the curvature of the Earth and the tilt of its axis, resulting in varying angles at which sunlight reaches different latitudes.

* Insolation includes various wavelengths, such as visible light, ultraviolet rays, and infrared rays, but infrared rays do not constitute two-thirds of it.

* Water vapour is a greenhouse gas that absorbs infrared radiation emitted by the Earth's surface. This absorption contributes to the greenhouse effect and helps regulate the Earth's temperature. Hence, this is the correct statement.

* Infrared waves are not part of the visible spectrum; they have longer wavelengths than visible light.

Statement 1 is Correct: Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are used as propellants in aerosol products, such as hairsprays, deodorants, and various cleaning sprays, as they are non-flammable and serve as effective carriers for the product.

Statement 2 is Correct: HFCs are widely used as foam-blowing agents in the manufacture of plastic foams (such as polyurethane and polystyrene) which are used for thermal insulation in buildings, refrigerators, and other appliances.

Statement 3 is Correct: HFCs (such as HFC-227ea) are used as fire suppressants in fire protection systems. They are often referred to as "clean agents" and were developed to replace ozone-depleting Halons in fire extinguishers and total flooding systems.

Statement 4 is Incorrect: HFCs are not used in the making of lubricants. Lubricants are typically formulated from mineral oils, synthetic hydrocarbons (like polyalphaolefins), or esters to reduce friction and wear between moving surfaces.

None of the listed dynasties established their kingdoms in the early eighth century AD (701-800 AD).

1. Hoysala - 1006 AD 2. Gahadavala - 1026 AD 3. Kakatiya - 1000 AD (established as a sub-feudatory, declared independence around the 10th century) 4. Yadava - 850 AD (although some sources suggest a later date)

Even the earliest of these estimates (Yadava dynasty) falls outside the early eighth-century range. Please note: Early eighth century AD refers to the beginning of the medieval period. At that time, there were 3 major dynasties that established their empires in India - Palas, Pratiharas, Rashtrakutas.

Out of the four listed assets, three are considered intangible investments

* Brand recognition (Intangible): This is an intangible asset as it's not a physical good but represents the value associated with a brand's reputation and customer recognition.

* Intellectual property (Intangible): This encompasses intangible assets like patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets. It represents intellectual creations that provide a competitive advantage.

* Mailing list of clients (Intangible): This is a customer relationship asset that holds value because it allows you to connect with potential and existing customers.

* Inventory (Tangible): Inventory refers to the stock of physical goods that a company holds for sale. It's a tangible asset with a physical form.

The First Amendment Act (1951) was enacted specifically to address judicial decisions that hindered the government's socio-economic agenda, particularly regarding land reforms and reservations.

1. Right to Equality (Article 15): In the case of *State of Madras v. Champakam Dorairajan (1951)*, the Supreme Court struck down a government order providing caste-based reservations in medical and engineering colleges. To overcome this, the 1st Amendment added Article 15(4), empowering the state to make special provisions for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes.

2. Right to Property (Articles 31A and 31B): Judicial challenges to various Zamindari abolition laws (such as *Kameshwar Singh v. State of Bihar*) led the government to introduce Articles 31A and 31B. It also created the Ninth Schedule to protect specific laws from being challenged in courts on the grounds of violating Fundamental Rights.

3. Freedom of Speech (Article 19): Following judgments like *Romesh Thappar v. State of Madras*, which limited the state's power to curb free speech, the amendment added three new grounds of 'reasonable restrictions': public order, friendly relations with foreign states, and incitement to an offence.

Note: While the 1st Amendment is the historically correct context for this question, UPSC dropped/deleted this specific question from the final official answer key for Prelims 2023.

* Option (a) is correct: The concept of 'Due Process of Law' primarily means that the procedure through which a person is deprived of life or liberty must be fair, just, and reasonable, following the principles of natural justice. It ensures that laws are not only enacted properly but also applied fairly and reasonably.

* Option (b) is not correct: The phrase 'Procedure established by law', used in Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, refers to any procedure laid down by law, even if it is unfair. However, after the Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India (1978) judgment, the Supreme Court read into Article 21 the American concept of 'Due Process of Law', ensuring fairness and reasonableness in both substance and procedure.

* Option (c) is not entirely correct: While fair application of law is part of due process, the phrase 'Due Process of Law' has a broader meaning that encompasses substantive fairness, procedural justice, and conformity with natural justice. Hence, option (a) captures its essence more accurately.

* Option (d) is not correct: Equality before law (Article 14) is a distinct constitutional principle and not equivalent to due process.