Answer: D

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Double Fortified Salt (DFS) is common edible salt enriched with both iron (to combat microcytic iron-deficiency anaemia) and iodine (to prevent goitre and impaired neurodevelopment).

Statement 2 is correct: FSSAI has notified strict quality and fortification standards for DFS, which govern the iron compound and its bioavailability.

Statement 3 is correct: Central guidelines and the Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) framework mandate the procurement and usage of DFS in national safety-net programmes like PM POSHAN (mid-day meals) and Anganwadi services under Mission Poshan 2.0.

Answer: A

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: The inaugural SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum—scheduled to be hosted by India in New Delhi from 20–22 November 2026—stems from a proposal put forward by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the SCO leaders' summit held in Tianjin, China, in September 2025, which was subsequently adopted by the grouping.

Statement 2 is correct: The SCO has expanded its footprint in recent years. Following the formal induction of Belarus, the organisation currently stands at 10 member states: China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus.

Statement 3 is incorrect: The SCO framework operates on the "Shanghai Spirit," which focuses on mutual trust, equality, and respect for cultural diversity. It does not bar member states from participating in multilateral forums during bilateral strains. In fact, despite intense bilateral friction and military flare-ups—such as the military confrontation following the Pahalgam terror attack in May 2025—both India and Pakistan continue to engage within the multilateral parameters of the SCO.

Answer: B

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect: The legal and regulatory mandate of the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) derives from the Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO), which is issued under Section 3 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, not the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The NPPA functions under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, rather than the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Statement 3 is correct: Under the DPCO 2013 framework, the government fixes ceiling prices explicitly for scheduled formulations (medicines listed in the National List of Essential Medicines). Conversely, non-scheduled formulations are monitored based on the allowance of subsequent price increases rather than fixed initial ceiling values.

Answer: B

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: In the October 2026 hearings (and landmark right-to-health jurisprudence under Article 21), the Supreme Court sharply questioned the Centre for treating essential healthcare as pure commerce, observing that economic policy or industry profits cannot override the lives and survival of ordinary citizens.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Not all medicines are under direct price ceilings. Only scheduled formulations (derived primarily from the NLEM) are subject to direct price caps by the NPPA. A vast majority of non-scheduled drugs operate with market-determined pricing (subject to monitoring and annual hike caps).

Statement 3 is correct: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare formulates the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM). Inclusion in the NLEM triggers the inclusion of those formulations into Schedule I of the DPCO, making them eligible for direct government price-ceiling regulation.

Answer: D

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Under Article 217(1) of the Constitution, High Court judges and Chief Justices are appointed by the President after consulting the CJI and State Governor.

Statement 2 is correct: The Collegium for High Court Chief Justice appointments comprises the CJI and the two senior-most judges.

Statement 3 is correct: The Collegium recommended Justice P. Sam Koshy for the Delhi High Court Chief Justiceship.