2nd September 2024

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct. Laos shares borders with both Myanmar and Thailand.

Statement 2 is correct. The Mekong River forms a significant portion of the border between Laos and Thailand.

Statement 3 is correct. The Annamite Range is indeed a major mountain range in Laos, running along its eastern border with Vietnam.

Statement 4 is incorrect. The predominant religion in Laos is Theravada Buddhism, not Mahayana Buddhism.

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct as Project NAMAN is indeed a collaborative effort between the Indian Army, CSC e-Governance Services India Limited, and HDFC Bank.

Statement 2 is correct as the project aims to enhance the welfare of Defence Pensioners, Veterans, and their families through the establishment of Common Service Centres.

Statement 3 is incorrect as these centres will provide a range of services, including SPARSH-enabled pension services, Government to Citizen (G2C) services, and Business to Consumer (B2C) services.

Statement 4 is correct as each centre is managed by a VLE, who can be either a veteran or a NOK, selected by the Local Military Authorities (LMAs).

Explanation - Through a process in the mid-1990s when the then Chief Election Commissioner

T.N. Seshan, as a one-time measure, directed officials to identify “doubtful voters” by marking a

“D” against their names on the voters’ list. Today, the “D” also debars them from being included in the draft NRC.

Explanation - An aggrieved victim is a woman “of any age whether employed or not”, who

“alleges to have been subjected to any act of sexual harassment”. The Act thus covers the rights

of all women working or visiting any workplace, in any capacity. Under the 2013 law, sexual

harassment includes “any one or more” of the following “unwelcome acts or behaviour”

committed directly or by implication:

• Physical contact and advances
• A demand or request for sexual favours
• Sexually coloured remarks
• Showing pornography
• Any other unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature.

Explanation - India’s first indigenous nuclear submarine INS Arihant has successfully completed

its first deterrence patrol. With this, India completed its survivable nuclear triad by adding

maritime strike capability to land and air-based delivery platforms for nuclear weapons.

INS Arihant is India’s first indigenously-designed, developed and manufactured nuclear-powered

ballistic missile submarine. Its design is based on the Russian Akula-1 class submarine. It can

carry 12 Sagarika K 15 submarine launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) having range of over 700

km.