24th May 2025

Explanation:
The National Medical Commission (NMC), which replaced the Medical Council of India in 2020, has suggested (not directed) to medical colleges that the traditional Hippocratic Oath should be replaced by a “Charak Shapath”. The Charak Samhita is a medical pharmacopoeia and collection of commentaries and discussions on medical practices, dated to the 1st-2nd centuries AD. Along with the Susruta Samhita (c. 4th century AD) focused on surgery, the Charak Samhita is considered a foundational text of ancient Indian medicine.

Explanation:
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. It typically begins before the age of 3 years and can last throughout a person’s life, though symptoms may improve over time. ASD is associated with differences in behavior, communication, interaction, and learning. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, increased the recognized types of disabilities from 7 to 21, including autism spectrum disorder.

Explanation:
The scheme aims to accelerate electric vehicle adoption in India by offering upfront incentives for purchases and facilitating charging infrastructure. It seeks to reduce the environmental impact of transportation and improve air quality through the promotion of EVs, mass public transportation, and advanced EV technologies.

• Subsidies and demand incentives: Rs 3,679 crore allocated for electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, ambulances, trucks, and other EV categories.
• E-Vouchers: Aadhaar-authenticated e-vouchers issued to buyers, sent to their registered mobile number.
• E-Ambulance deployment: Rs 500 crore allocated for electric ambulances.
• E-Buses: Rs 4,391 crore for procurement of 14,028 e-buses by State Transport Undertakings and public transport agencies.
• Incentives for E-Trucks: Rs 500 crore allocated.
• Charging infrastructure: Rs 2,000 crore for public charging stations in high EV penetration cities and highways.
• Modernisation of testing facilities: Rs 780 crore to upgrade MHI’s test agencies for new green mobility technologies.

Explanation:
The Chagos Archipelago is located in the Indian Ocean and is currently administered by the United Kingdom. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in 2019 that the UK should end its administration of the Chagos Archipelago and return it to Mauritius. Diego Garcia, in the Chagos Archipelago, is a military base primarily operated by the United States, not jointly with India.

Explanation:
The MoEFCC launched the “Asiatic Lion Conservation Project” in 2019 to protect and conserve the world’s last free-ranging population of Asiatic Lions and their ecosystem. The project is funded from the Centrally Sponsored Scheme - Development of Wildlife Habitat (CSS-DWH), with a 60:40 Central and State share. Key aspects include habitat improvement, creating more water sources, establishing a wildlife crime cell, forming a task force for the Greater Gir region, and implementing a GPS-based tracking system for surveillance and tracking of animals and vehicles. An automated sensor grid with magnetic, movement, and infra-red heat sensors is also part of the project.