Which of the following statements are correct in respect of the Bab-el-Mandeb and Strait of Hormuz and their significance for global trade?
- The Strait of Hormuz provides the principal maritime passage from the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
- A disruption in the Bab-el-Mandeb can affect shipping between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean by forcing vessels using the Suez route to consider longer alternative routes around the Cape of Good Hope.
- Both straits are located entirely within the territorial waters of a single country, giving that country exclusive control over international shipping passing through them.
Select the answer using the code given below:
Consider the following statements:
Statement 1: UPI transactions are settled instantly between the payer and beneficiary without the involvement of any intermediary financial institution.
Statement 2: UPI is an interface developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) that facilitates interoperability among participating banks and payment service providers.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Consider the following statements:
- The Constitution of India directs the State to endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for citizens throughout the territory of India.
- The implementation of a Uniform Civil Code is included among the Fundamental Rights guaranteed under Part III of the Constitution.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following with reference to the Registrar General and Census of India:
- The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- The Census of India is conducted under the provisions of the Census Act, 1948.
- The Registrar General of India is responsible only for conducting the decennial Census and has no role in the registration of births and deaths.
How many of the above is/are correct?
Which one of the following regions of Russia is most closely associated with the taiga biome?
Which of the following states/UTs is NOT one of the six signatories to the Kishau Multipurpose Project pact?
Consider the following pairs regarding internal security formations and their operational roles:
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Operational Mandate / Region
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Responsible Force / Unit
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1. Tactical intelligence-led operations in dense forests
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Cobra Unit
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2. Border management along the Line of Control (LoC)
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CRPF Cobra Commandos
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3. Anti-Maoist operations in Chhattisgarh and Odisha
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Cobra Unit
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How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
Consider the following statements regarding the World Trade Organization (WTO) and recent trade declarations:
- The 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) of the WTO was hosted in Cameroon.
- A plurilateral agreement in the WTO requires all member states to accept its provisions automatically.
- The BRICS Delhi Declaration 2026 recognized the importance of identifying pathways for plurilateral initiatives within the WTO legal framework.
- Multilateral agreements differ from plurilateral agreements as they apply to and bind all WTO members.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Consider the following two statements regarding space militarisation:
- Statement-I: Current international law lacks a comprehensive treaty that explicitly prohibits the deployment or use of conventional, non-WMD weapons in outer space.
- Statement-II: The primary international treaty governing outer space—the Outer Space Treaty of 1967—restricts only Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) and nuclear weapons, leaving conventional kinetic and non-kinetic weapons unregulated.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
With reference to government bond yields and sovereign borrowing, consider the following statements:
- Bond yield refers to the effective interest rate that a government pays to borrow money from the market.
- A sharp rise in bond yields leads to higher interest expenses, leaving less fiscal space for government spending on welfare and infrastructure.
- Total US public debt has crossed a record mark of $40 trillion, driven by rising annual fiscal deficits.
Which of the statements given above are correct?