29th December 2024

Explanation: Statement 1 is incorrect. The Upper Siang Hydropower Project is proposed to have an installed capacity of 11,000 MW, while China's proposed super dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo is expected to generate 60,000 MW. Statement 2 is also incorrect. The project's reservoir is planned to have a storage capacity of 9 billion cubic meters (BCM), which is smaller than the Three Gorges Dam's reservoir capacity of approximately 39.3 BCM.

Explanation: Statement 1 is correct. The Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary is indeed located at the confluence of the Coringa River and the Bay of Bengal in the Kakinada district of Andhra Pradesh. Statement 2 is incorrect. The sanctuary contains the second-largest stretch of mangrove forests in India, not the largest. Statement 3 is correct. The sea coast of the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary serves as a breeding ground for Olive Ridley turtles.

Explanation: Statement 1 is incorrect. The Canary Islands are located about 62 miles (approximately 100 kilometers) west of Morocco's coast, not 100 kilometers. Statement 2 is also incorrect. The Canary Current actually contributes to the dry climate of the nearby Sahara Desert, not a humid climate. The cold ocean current flowing along Africa's northwest coast influences the regional climate by reducing moisture in the air.

Explanation: Statement 1 is incorrect. The HCES 2023-24 showed an increase, not a decline, in the share of food expenditure for both rural (from 46.38% to 47.04%) and urban (from 39.17% to 39.68%) households.
Statement 2 is correct. The urban-rural expenditure gap narrowed from 71.2% in 2022-23 to 69.7% in 2023-24.
Statement 3 is correct. The Gini coefficient, a measure of inequality, declined for both rural (from 0.266 to 0.237) and urban (from 0.314 to 0.284) areas, indicating reduced consumption inequality.

Explanation: Statement 1 is correct. The PM CARES Fund was indeed established on March 27, 2020, as a Public Charitable Trust to deal with emergencies or distress situations like the COVID- 19 pandemic.
Statement 2 is incorrect. The PM CARES Fund is not subject to audits by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. This lack of CAG audit has been a point of criticism regarding the Fund's transparency.