9th January 2025

Explanation: Statements 1 and 2 are correct. The high-level meeting between Afghan Taliban leadership and senior Indian officials in Dubai was India's first high-level bilateral engagement with the Taliban regime, facilitated by the UAE. During the meeting, India raised concerns about Pakistan-based terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed operating from Afghan soil. Statement 3 is incorrect. India, like other major powers, does not officially recognize the Taliban regime due to its lack of inclusivity and treatment of women and girls.

Explanation: Statement 1 is incorrect as Sonobuoys are not exclusively used for military purposes. They are also used for scientific research and environmental studies, including studying the behavior of whales and other marine creatures.
. Statement 2 is incorrect because it describes passive sonobuoys, not active ones. Active sonobuoys emit sound energy and receive the echo.
. Statement 3 is correct; Special Purpose buoys do provide information about environmental factors like water temperature and ambient noise level.

Explanation: Statements 1, 2, and 3 are correct. The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple complex indeed has 21 gopuras and 50 sub-shrines within its 7 enclosures
. The Rajagopura, at 236 feet, is the tallest temple tower in India
. The vimana above the sanctum sanctorum is made of gold
. However, statement 4 is incorrect. The 1000-pillar hall was built during the Vijayanagara period (1336- 1565), not the Chola period

Explanation: The UJALA scheme has indeed resulted in significant annual electricity savings of 47,883 million kWh and a reduction of 3.87 crore tonnes in carbon dioxide emissions annually. The other options are incorrect: the scheme is not subsidized and is only for households with metered electricity connections, it has actually reduced LED bulb prices, and it is implemented by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) under the Ministryof Power, not the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Rat-hole mining involves extracting coal from narrow, horizontal seams using primitive tools, not from wide, vertical seams using advanced machinery.
Statement 2 is correct. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) did ban rat-hole mining in 2014 and upheld the ban in 2015.
Statement 3 is correct. The practice of rat-hole mining is primarily concentrated in the state of Meghalaya.
Statement 4 is incorrect. Despite its small-scale nature, rat-hole mining has significant environmental impacts, including land degradation, deforestation, and water pollution.