Answer: A

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Indian Railways operationalized the country’s first LNG-diesel dual-fuel DEMU train. It was flagged off from Sabarmati Railway Station on 27 September 2026.

Statement 2 is correct: The conversion of the 1,400 HP Driving Power Cars (DPCs) was successfully carried out at the Sabarmati Integrated Coaching Depot (ICD). The project underwent rigorous field trials covering more than 2,000 kilometres.

Statement 3 is incorrect: The use of LNG significantly reduces emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter compared with conventional diesel. However, these emissions are not completely eliminated. Therefore, LNG is considered a lower-emission alternative fuel, rather than a zero-emission technology.

Answer: C

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect: The LNG train is not a zero-carbon or completely LNG-only vehicle. LNG is still a fossil fuel (primarily methane), so its introduction acts as a cleaner transition technology rather than a zero-emission solution.

Statement 2 is correct: The retrofitted Driving Power Cars (DPCs) utilize a dual-fuel mechanism that substitutes roughly 40% of diesel requirement with Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), reducing overall operational costs and emissions.

Statement 3 is correct: Hydrogen trains rely on hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells to generate electricity onboard (with water vapour as the byproduct), whereas the LNG train modifies existing internal-combustion engines to run concurrently on diesel and LNG.

Answer: A

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Under Section 24 of the RTI Act, 2005, the provisions of the Act do not apply to the intelligence and security organizations specified in the Second Schedule (for the Centre) or those notified by the State Governments (under sub-section 4 for the States).

Statement 2 is incorrect: The exemption is not absolute. A crucial proviso to Section 24 explicitly states that information pertaining to allegations of corruption and human rights violations shall not be excluded even for these exempted intelligence and security organizations. (For human rights violation info, approval from the Central or State Information Commission is required).

Statement 3 is incorrect: State Governments cannot amend the Second Schedule of the Act (which is done by the Central Government via notification). Instead, State Governments notify state-level organizations under sub-section (4) of Section 24 through a State Government Order (G.O.).

Answer: D

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: The Supreme Court of India has repeatedly held that the right to receive and impart information is an intrinsic part of the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.

Statement 2 is correct: Under Section 7(1) of the RTI Act, the standard time limit for furnishing information is 30 days from the receipt of the application. However, if the information sought concerns the life or liberty of a person, it must be provided within 48 hours of the receipt of the request.

Statement 3 is correct: The Central Information Commission (CIC) consists of a Chief Information Commissioner and up to 10 Information Commissioners, who are appointed by the President upon the recommendation of the high-powered committee comprising the Prime Minister (Chairperson), the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha (or leader of the single largest opposition party), and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister.

Answer: A

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Poompuhar (ancient Kaveripoompattinam) is located in the Mayiladuthurai district of Tamil Nadu at the mouth of the Cauvery River on the Bay of Bengal. It was a legendary port city of the early Cholas and is vividly described in ancient Tamil epics/Sangam literature such as Silappatikaram and Manimekalai.

Statement 2 is correct: Recent excavations by the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) and the Indian Maritime University recovered a fragment of a West Asian torpedo jar. These containers were typically used for transporting liquid goods like wine and oil, proving long-distance commercial links with West Asia and the wider Indian Ocean–Mediterranean network.

Statement 3 is incorrect: The terracotta ring wells found on the seabed do not relate to minting. Instead, they indicate the presence of an ancient freshwater source, habitation, or a palaeochannel (ancient river channel) that subsequently submerged due to coastal erosion, shoreline changes, and sea-level shifts.