Answer: C

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect: Makhana (Euryale ferox) is an aquatic crop grown mainly in shallow ponds, wetlands, and lakes, not in deep marine trenches or fast-flowing rivers.

Statement 2 is correct: India is the world's leading producer of makhana, and Bihar accounts for nearly 75% of domestic output and roughly 80–85% of the entire global supply.

Statement 3 is correct: The National Makhana Board aims to modernize cultivation, enhance post-harvest management, boost value addition, and strengthen the overall makhana value chain.

Answer: B

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: The Government approved the Central Sector Scheme for Development of Makhana with a financial outlay spanning 2025–26 to 2030–31.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Makhana is low in fat and sodium, contains zero cholesterol, and features a low glycaemic load, making it a popular plant-based superfood.

Statement 3 is correct: Cultivation and harvesting face structural hurdles because traditional practices rely heavily on manual labor, particularly during underwater harvesting.

Answer: A

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Antigenic drift consists of small, continuous mutations in the genes of influenza viruses as they replicate. These mutations lead to minor changes in the surface proteins, helping the virus evade existing immunity and resulting in recurring seasonal outbreaks.

Statement 2 is correct: Antigenic shift is an abrupt, major genetic reassortment in Influenza A viruses. It results in entirely new surface combinations (H and/or N proteins) that have not circulated in humans for a long time. Because the population has little to no immunity, shifts often trigger global pandemics, such as the 2009 H1N1 pandemic.

Statement 3 is incorrect: While H stands for Hemagglutinin and N stands for Neuraminidase, they are surface proteins (antigens) embedded in the viral envelope, not internal structural proteins. Hemagglutinin helps the virus bind to and enter the host cell, while Neuraminidase enables newly formed viral particles to exit the host cell.

Answer: B

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect: The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is a premier institute functioning under the administrative control of the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India. It is not under the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Statement 2 is correct: An epidemic is defined as an unexpected, sharp increase in the number of disease cases within a specific community or region. The localized, six-fold increase of H1N1 cases in Delhi fits this epidemiological pattern.

Statement 3 is incorrect: According to the MoHFW H1N1 Guidelines, H1N1 patients are classified into three categories to optimize medical resources:

Category A: Patients with mild fever, cough, and throat irritation. They do not require testing, hospitalization, or antiviral drugs (like Oseltamivir). They are advised to recover at home.

Category B: Patients with high fever and severe throat irritation, or those belonging to high-risk groups (pregnant women, elderly, children, or individuals with co-morbidities). They require Oseltamivir but generally do not need hospitalization unless conditions worsen.

Category C: Patients showing red-flag signs like breathlessness, chest pain, drowsiness, or drop in blood pressure. They require mandatory testing, immediate hospitalization, and intensive treatment.

Answer: B

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Kuril Islands occupy a strategic location between the Sea of Okhotsk and the North Pacific Ocean, not the Sea of Japan.

Statement 2 is correct: The region features the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench on its southeastern side. It is a major deep-sea trench and a highly active tectonic subduction zone.

Statement 3 is incorrect: The four disputed islands—Iturup (Etorofu), Kunashir (Kunashiri), Shikotan, and the Habomai Islands—are the southernmost islands of the chain, located closest to Hokkaido, Japan, not the northernmost end near Kamchatka.

Answer: B

Explanation:

Statements 1, 3, and 4 are correct: The gaps between the Kuril Islands host vital geographic shipping and oceanographic channels. The Bussol' Strait (one of the deepest central passages), Kruzenshtern Strait (a major northern/central passage), and Vries Strait (located between Iturup and Urup) all directly facilitate water exchange and marine circulation between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The Tsushima Strait is a completely different maritime channel. It is located in the southwest, positioning itself between Korea and Japan, connecting the East China Sea with the Sea of Japan.