Answer: D

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: The certification framework establishes standards for sustainable forest and timber management, supporting regulatory compliance.

Statement 2 is correct: The Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal, acts as the operating agency implementing the IFWCS framework.

Statement 3 is correct: Institutional certification was awarded to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Development Corporation (APFDC), alongside individual certification for a bamboo farmer.

Answer: B

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: The IFWCS functions under the trade mark and brand name PRAMAAN (Programme for Recognition and Accreditation of sustainable Management practices for Agroforestry And Natural forestry resources), serving as India's sovereign standard-setting framework.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Certification under the IFWCS is voluntary, not mandatory. It is designed to incentivize sustainable practices, improve product traceability, and help Indian wood exports comply with international regulations like the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

Statement 3 is correct: The scheme provides three distinct pillars/categories of certification: (i) Forest Management Certification, (ii) Trees Outside Forests (TOF) Management Certification for agroforestry/farm forestry, and (iii) Chain of Custody (CoC) Certification to guarantee traceability across the supply chain.

Statement 4 is correct: The scheme's operational framework includes independent third-party audits by certification bodies that are accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) under the Quality Council of India (QCI). Furthermore, the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal, acts as the scheme operating agency.

Answer: A

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: According to UNESCO guidelines, a property must first be included on a State Party's Tentative List as an inventory of potential nominations before a formal nomination dossier can be submitted for World Heritage status. A site must generally remain on the tentative list for at least a year before official nomination.

Statement 2 is correct: Five new heritage proposals were recently added to India's UNESCO Tentative List, raising the country's total tally to 78 sites.

Statement 3 is incorrect: While four of the new additions are located in Madhya Pradesh (Bagh Cave Paintings, Group of Temples of the Chambal Valley, Udaigiri Caves, and Ginnorgarh Fort), the fifth addition is a serial transnational proposal titled Sites of Satyagraha, which connects locations across both India and South Africa.

Answer: A

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: UNESCO was founded on November 16, 1945 (with its constitution coming into force in 1946) as a specialized agency of the UN. Rooted in the aftermath of World Wars, its core philosophy is that political and economic agreements are not enough to build lasting peace—peace must be established on the intellectual and moral solidarity of humanity.

Statement 2 is correct: The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO in 1972. It defines the kind of natural or cultural sites that can be considered for inscription on the World Heritage List due to their Outstanding Universal Value (OUV).

Statement 3 is incorrect: UNESCO is not a principal organ of the United Nations (the six principal organs are the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, International Court of Justice, Secretariat, and Trusteeship Council). Instead, it is a specialized agency linked to the UN through the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Furthermore, UNESCO conventions (like the World Heritage Convention) do not automatically override national laws; they require ratification by individual member states, which then commit to protecting the sites within their domestic jurisdictions.

Answer: C

Explanation:

• Llanos → Venezuela and Colombia → Tropical grassland (savanna)


• Campos → Brazil and Uruguay → Tropical grassland (savanna)


• Pampas → Argentina and Uruguay → Temperate grassland


• Puszta → Hungary → Temperate grassland, not South Africa.

Thus, pairs 1, 2 and 3 are correctly matched.