7th April 2025

Assertion (A):The India-Thailand Strategic Partnership emphasizes maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific to counter expansionist policies.
Reason (R): PM Modi contrasted India’s vikaasvaad (developmental approach) with vistaarvaad (expansionism) during the 6th BIMSTEC Summit.

Which of the following is correct?

Consider the following statements regarding undersea cables in India:

1. Mumbai handles over 90% of India's subsea cable traffic, primarily through a concentrated stretch in Versova.
2. The CANI project connects Chennai to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, enhancing domestic connectivity.
3. India's dependency on foreign repair vessels for subsea cable maintenance is mitigated by streamlined regulatory approvals.
4. The 2Africa Pearls system, backed by Meta, adds 100 terabits per second capacity, landing exclusively in Mumbai.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

Which of the following factors contribute to India’s lag in deep-tech sectors compared to China?

1. Higher risk aversion among investors toward capital-intensive R&D projects.
2. Dominance of SaaS firms driven by cost arbitrage rather than breakthrough innovation.
3. Lack of government schemes to support IP generation in advanced technologies.
4. Reliance on Chinese components in strategic sectors like electric mobility.

Options:

Consider the following about maternal mortality in India:

1. India’s Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) declined by 78% between 2000 and 2023.
2. Haemorrhage remains the leading global cause of maternal deaths.
3. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a temporary spike in maternal deaths in 2021.
4. India’s MMR is now lower than that of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Which statements are correct?

Which of the following is/are implications of the UGC’s 2025 regulations on foreign degrees?

1. Professional degrees in architecture from foreign institutions will now be automatically recognized in India.
2. Franchise arrangements with foreign universities are excluded from equivalence grants.
3. School-level qualifications obtained abroad are recognized for undergraduate admissions if they meet 12-year education criteria.
4. The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) retains sole authority to issue equivalence certificates for medical degrees.

Options: