Answer: A

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Chabahar Port, located on the southern coast of Iran in the Gulf of Oman, is of immense strategic significance to India. It allows India to bypass Pakistan for trade and transit access to Afghanistan and the wider Central Asian republics.

Statement 2 is correct: India and Iran signed a historic 10-year long-term contract in May 2024 for the operation of the Shahid Beheshti terminal at Chabahar Port by India Ports Global Limited (IPGL).

Statement 3 is incorrect: Chabahar Port acts as a crucial node/hub that complements and integrates well with the larger International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), enhancing connectivity between India, Iran, Central Asia, Russia, and Europe.

Answer: A

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Iran formally became a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in July 2023 and officially joined BRICS as a full member in January 2024, expanding multilateral engagement avenues for New Delhi and Tehran.

Statement 2 is correct: In high-level meetings (such as the recent discussions between PM Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian ahead of the BRICS Summit 2026), India stressed the vital importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation and protecting seafarers and commerce through the Strait of Hormuz, which is a major bottleneck for global energy supplies.

Statement 3 is incorrect: While U.S. sanctions have heavily constrained and complicated energy trade (oil and gas imports), non-oil trade continues. There remains active potential and ongoing trade for essential commodities like Indian basmati rice, tea, and pharmaceuticals, alongside imports of specific Iranian goods.

Answer: B

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the first major political initiative and institutional foundation for modern ties was established with the signing of the "Declaration on the India-Russia Strategic Partnership" in October 2000, which was later upgraded to a "Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership" in 2010.

Statement 2 is incorrect: India–Russia defence relations have evolved significantly. While it was traditionally a buyer-seller arrangement (featuring platforms like Su-30MKI and S-400), the partnership has progressively shifted toward joint development, research, and production, exemplified by projects like the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile and AK-203 assault rifles.

Statement 3 is correct: The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) located in Tamil Nadu represents a flagship project of civil nuclear energy cooperation between India and Russia.

Answer: A

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: India and Russia have actively engaged to expand their economic footprint, setting a bilateral trade target of $100 billion by 2030. However, a major structural hurdle for India continues to be the widening trade deficit heavily skewed in favor of Russia.

Statement 2 is correct: Strategic connectivity projects like the land-based International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and the marine-based Chennai–Vladivostok Maritime Corridor are vital links meant to bypass traditional transit bottlenecks and improve trade routes connecting India to Russia and the wider Eurasian space.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Energy cooperation remains a strong pillar of the bilateral engagement. Despite geopolitical disruptions and Western pressure, both countries continue to coordinate via strategic joint ventures to secure a smooth and steady flow of Russian crude oil and fertilizers to stabilize India's domestic energy requirements and economy.

Answer: A

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: To curb deceptive digital design tactics, platforms must comply with the 2023 Guidelines on Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns. As an accountability mechanism, they are required to undertake an annual self-audit and prominently display their compliance certificate.

  Statement 2 is correct: To promote transparency for international goods, the Government of India mandates that e-commerce entities clearly disclose the country of origin and importer details for any imported products listed on their platforms.

Statement 3 is incorrect: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) was not established under the 1986 Act. It was introduced by the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, which completely replaced the legacy 1986 legislation to effectively modernise consumer rights and address unfair trade practices in the digital age.

Answer: C

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Thirukkural is broadly divided into three major sections (Pals), not four: Aram (Virtue), Porul (Polity/Wealth), and Inbam (Love). It contains 1,330 couplets arranged across 133 chapters (10 couplets per chapter). There is no section named Veedu in this text.

Statement 2 is correct: Authored by the poet-philosopher Thiruvalluvar, each kural is a precise two-line poetic form consisting of seven words (seerkal) that convey deep philosophical meaning while upholding universal humanism transcending religious or caste boundaries.

Statement 3 is correct: The second section, Porul, contains 70 chapters and focuses extensively on public administration, leadership, socio-economic principles, justice, and statecraft, making it remarkably relevant to modern governance.

Answer: B

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted a Russian translation of the classical Tamil text Thirukkural to President Vladimir Putin during their bilateral meeting in New Delhi ahead of the BRICS Summit, highlighting India's civilisational heritage in global diplomacy.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Thirukkural is an intrinsic masterpiece of ancient Tamil literature and philosophy—not Sanskrit—authored by Thiruvalluvar. It belongs to the post-Sangam or late Sangam literary tradition.

Statement 3 is correct: The specific Russian edition presented during the diplomatic engagement was translated by Naira Mkrtchyan and published by the Central Institute of Classical Tamil, marking an expansion of ancient Indian wisdom across linguistic and international boundaries.