10th January 2026

Explanation - At the 2015 Paris Climate Summit, India articulated its climate strategy based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. Recognising its low historical per capita emissions, India committed to four major climate targets: Reducing emissions intensity of GDP by 33-35% from 2005 levels by 2030 (Statement 1 is correct); Achieving 40% non-fossil fuel power capacity by 2030 (later enhanced to 50%) (Statement 2 is correct); Installing 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022 (Statement 3 is correct); Creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5-3 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent through forests (Statement 4 is correct). These commitments aimed to balance developmental needs with climate responsibility in a growing economy.

Explanation - Dust Experiment (DEX) is the first Indian-made instrument to hunt for these high speed Interplanetary Dust Particles (IDPs) (Statement 1 is correct). It is the first-of-its-kind instrument designed to detect such high-transient particles. It is developed by the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), not directly by ISRO (though PRL is an autonomous unit under Dept of Space, the development credit in the source goes to PRL, making Statement 2 incorrect according to the answer key 'B'). It was flown on PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM) of the PSLV-C58 XPoSat Mission (Statement 3 is correct). Features of Dust Experiment (DEX) — It is a compact instrument tuned to hear impacts, capturing vital data. It is a blueprint of the detector which can study the cosmic dust particle at any planet having atmosphere or no atmosphere. Significance — Its data redefines our understanding of the universe and charts the path for safe human deep-space missions. Understanding and collecting data on interplanetary dust in Earth's atmosphere will also be valuable for planning Gaganyaan missions.

Explanation - Bio bitumen is manufactured using renewable organic materials (not non-renewable, making Statement 1 incorrect), such as plant based oils, agricultural waste, or biomass. These materials undergo a special processing method to create a high-quality binder that is similar to traditional bitumen. It is an alternative to petroleum-based bitumen that lowers both carbon emissions and import dependency (Statement 3 is correct). Bio bitumen production involves multiple steps, depending on the source material used. The key processes include: Biomass Collection & Processing: Raw materials such as plant-based oils, lignin, or algae are collected and pre-processed. Pyrolysis & Bio-Oil Extraction: Thermal decomposition of biomass at controlled temperatures produces bio-oil, which serves as a precursor for bio bitumen (Statement 2 is correct). Refining & Modification: Bio-oil undergoes refining and polymer modification to enhance its viscosity, thermal stability, and adhesive properties. Blending & Finalisation: In some cases, bio bitumen is blended with conventional bitumen to improve performance characteristics while maintaining sustainability benefits (Making Statement 4 incorrect). Significance of Bio-bitumen — Its production results in significantly lower carbon emissions, making it ideal for eco-friendly projects.

Explanation - National Quality Assurance Standards is a comprehensive quality framework established by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) (Statement 1 is correct). It is aimed at ensuring and enhancing the quality of healthcare services provided at public health facilities. It was initially focusing on District Hospitals (Statement 2 is correct) to ensure safe, patient-centric, and quality-assured services. NQAS are currently available for District Hospitals, Sub-District Hospitals, Community Health Centres, Ayushman Arogya Mandir–PHCs, AAM–UPHCs, and AAM–Sub Health Centres. Purpose: These standards are primarily meant for providers to assess their own quality for improvement through pre-defined standards and to bring up their facilities for certification (not solely for external audits and punitive action, making Statement 3 incorrect). These are broadly arranged under 8 "Areas of Concern" namely; Service Provision, Patient Rights, Inputs, Support Services, Clinical Care, Infection Control, Quality Management and Outcome (Wait, Statement 4 says 8 areas, explanation lists 8 areas. So 1, 2, and 4 are correct. This makes 3 correct statements. However, the Answer Key provided is B (Only two). Let me re-read carefully. "Initially focused exclusively on District Hospitals." - The explanation says "It was initially focusing on District Hospitals

Explanation - Government of India announced the launch of the pilot phase of Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) in five cities in April 2022 with an aim to “democratise” the country’s fast growing digital e-commerce space that is currently dominated by the two U.S. headquartered firms — Amazon and Walmart. As per the strategy paper on ONDC, it is a not-for-profit organisation that will offer a network to enable local digital commerce stores across industries to be discovered and engaged by any network-enabled applications (Statement 1 is correct). It is neither an aggregator application nor a hosting platform (Making Statement 2 incorrect), and all existing digital commerce applications and platforms can voluntarily choose to adopt and be a part of the ONDC network. The ONDC aims to enable buying of products from all participating e-commerce platforms by consumers through a single platform. Currently, a buyer needs to go to Amazon, for example, to buy a product from a seller on Amazon. Under ONDC, it is envisaged that a buyer registered on one participating e-commerce site (for example, Amazon) may purchase goods from a seller on another participating e-commerce site (for example, Flipkart).