13th August 2024

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect as the doctrine of confirmation by subsequent events is a long-standing principle underlying Section 27, not a new emphasis in the recent ruling.
• Statement 2 is correct as the Supreme Court's ruling specifically addressed the scenario where the disclosed fact was already known to the police, rendering the disclosure irrelevant.
• Statement 3 is correct as the ruling safeguards against potential police misconduct and ensures that Section 27 is not misused to incriminate the accused based on information the police already possessed.

Explanation:

• Ashoka Seamount and Chandragupta Ridge are named after Mauryan rulers.
• DN Wadia Guyot is named after the geologist DN Wadia.
• Panikkar Seamount is named after the oceanographer NK Panikkar.

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct. The MMDR Act empowers the Central Government to designate specific minerals as Critical and Strategic, considering their importance for national security and economic development.
• Statement 2 is correct. As per the article, Tantalum has been recently added to this list.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. While the classification as Critical and Strategic might influence trade policies, it doesn't automatically impose export restrictions. The government may adopt various measures to ensure the availability and sustainable utilization of these minerals.

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct. The Nankai Trough is indeed situated off the southwest Pacific coast of Japan.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. It is formed by the subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate, not the other way around.
• Statement 3 is correct. The convergence of these plates does lead to the accumulation of tectonic strains, which can trigger earthquakes.
• Statement 4 is incorrect. The recurrence interval for mega-earthquakes along the Nankai Trough is estimated to be around 100 to 150 years, not 50 to 75 years.

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct. The Bill indeed proposes to do away with the concept of 'waqf by use,' tightening the criteria for recognizing properties as waqf.
• Statement 2 is correct. The Bill shifts the responsibility of surveying waqf properties from Survey Commissioners to District Collectors.
• Statement 3 is correct. The Bill mandates the inclusion of two non-Muslims in State Waqf Boards, promoting broader representation.
• Statement 4 is correct. The Bill allows for the inclusion of three Members of Parliament in the Central Waqf Council, who need not be Muslim.