Answer: B

Explanation:

Explanation of Statement 1: Incorrect. The Outer Space Treaty (1967) does not comprehensively prohibit conventional weapons, counter-space capabilities, or all Earth-to-space weapons. It specifically prohibits placing nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in orbit or stationing them in outer space. Therefore, the legal position is ambiguous rather than an outright ban.

Explanation of Statement 2: Incorrect. The Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space (PPWT) did not become an international treaty; it remains a proposal by Russia and China. Furthermore, it did not comprehensively address Earth-to-space weapons.

Explanation of Statement 3: Correct. The Artemis Accords promote peaceful and responsible space exploration (with India as a signatory), but they do not constitute a comprehensive weapons ban.

Answer: C

Explanation:

Explanation of Statement 1:  Incorrect. This statement describes "weaponisation," not militarisation. Militarisation refers to using satellites and space assets for supportive military purposes such as communication, navigation, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Weaponisation involves deploying systems explicitly designed to attack, disrupt, or destroy space or ground targets.

Explanation of Statement 2: Correct. The Kessler Syndrome is a major concern where space debris generated by ASAT attacks or collisions triggers a cascading chain reaction of further collisions, making orbital zones hazardous and unusable.

Explanation of Statement 3: Correct. The text explicitly notes that the US, Russia, China, and India have all successfully demonstrated Anti-Satellite (ASAT) capabilities.

Answer: D

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: The Kishau Multipurpose Project is proposed on the Tons River, a principal tributary of the Yamuna River, originating in the Garhwal region.

Statement 2 is correct: Geographically, the dam site is located on the border between the Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh and the Dehradun district of Uttarakhand.

Statement 3 is correct: Under the funding framework finalized by the participating Kishau Dam project stakeholders, the Centre funds approximately 90% of the water-component cost, while the remaining 10% is distributed among the basin states in line with the 1994 Yamuna Water Agreement.

Answer: B

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: The long-pending agreement was signed by six Yamuna-basin states (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Rajasthan), successfully overcoming an eight-year impasse to advance regional water security.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Under the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution, water is primarily a State List subject (Entry 17 of List II), subject to Parliament's power to legislate on inter-State river water disputes under Article 262.

Statement 3 is correct: A major objective of the storage facility is to regulate monsoon run-offs and improve lean-season water flows into the Yamuna, which suffers from severe pollution and low ecological flows downstream, directly benefiting municipal water needs in places like Delhi.

Answer: B

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Under the revised framework announced by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), all Person-to-Person (P2P) UPI transactions remain entirely free and exempt from MDR, irrespective of the amount transferred.

Statement 2 is incorrect: P2M (Person-to-Merchant) transactions up to ₹2,000 are completely free of charges. Only P2M transactions above ₹2,000 generally attract a 0.4% MDR.

Statement 3 is correct: To protect informal businesses and street vendors, small P2PM merchants receiving up to ₹1 lakh per month via UPI QR codes are exempt from paying MDR on those transactions.

Statement 4 is incorrect: The roles are reversed. NPCI operates the UPI platform and provides the technological infrastructure, whereas the RBI acts as the central banking and payment-system regulator providing the broader regulatory oversight under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.