Answer: C
Explanation
● Mission POSHAN 2.0 is an Integrated Nutrition Support Programme. It seeks to address
the challenges of malnutrition in children, adolescent girls, pregnant women and
lactating mothers through a strategic shift in nutrition content and delivery and by
creation of a convergent eco-system to develop and promote practices that nurture health,
wellness and immunity. Hence, answer is option C, as Senior Citizens are not covered
under the scheme.
● Poshan 2.0 will seek to optimize the quality and delivery of food under the Supplementary
Nutrition Program.
● Mission Poshan 2.0 will contribute to human capital development of the country; address
malnutrition challenges; promote nutrition awareness and good eating habits for
sustainable health & well-being and address nutrition related deficiencies through key strategies.
● Under the programme, nutritional norms and standards and quality and testing of THR will be improved and greater stakeholder and beneficiary participation will be promoted besides traditional community food habits. Poshan 2.0 will bring 3 important programmes/schemes under its ambit, viz., Anganwadi Services, Scheme for Adolescent Girls and Poshan Abhiyaan.

Answer: A
Explanation:
About Absentee voting
● Postal voting, also known as absentee voting, is a method of voting in which electors cast
their ballots by mail rather than in person at a polling station.
● This method is particularly useful for individuals who are unable to vote in person due to
various reasons, such as being away from their home constituency, having a disability, or
being engaged in essential services on election day.
Who is eligible for postal ballots?
● The eligibility criteria for postal ballots vary depending on the specific election and
jurisdiction. However, some common categories of eligible voters include:

○ Service voters: Members of the armed forces, paramilitary forces, and other
government employees deployed on election duty far from their home
constituencies. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
○ Absentee voters: Individuals who are unable to vote in person due to reasons such
as being away from their home constituency for work, illness, or disability. Hence,
statement 1 is correct.
○ Electors on election duty: Government officials and polling staff who are assigned
duties at polling stations other than their own.
○ Electors under preventive detention: Individuals who are detained under
preventive custody orders during the election period.
○ Note: The Election Commission of India allowed media persons covering election
activities and senior citizens who are 85 years and older to cast their vote
through postal ballots in the recently held general elections.

*Is current affairs your weak spot?*

Are you searching for someone to guide you in the right direction? Or a current affairs course that serves as a one-stop solution for your Prelims preparation?

Then the *75*75 - a Comprehensive Current Affairs Program by Mr. Guna Mathivanan* is here to transform your preparation.

*Why choose 75*75?*

*Proven Results:* 20 questions from the 2024 75*75 program directly reflected in the UPSC CSE Prelims 2024!

*Simplified Learning:* Proven strategies to break down complex topics and help you master current affairs effortlessly.

*Personalized Support:* Stay on track with expert guidance customised to your needs.

*Renewed for 2025:* This year, we’ve added exciting features to make your journey smarter and more effective:
👉Integrated Approach: Linking current affairs with static topics for better retention.
👉Comprehensive Static Study Planner: Stay organized and cover the syllabus systematically.
👉Mapping in every class
👉Covering 1,000+ high-potential topics identified through a detailed 10-year trend analysis.

The 75*75 program promises to be a game-changer, just like its previous editions. Don’t let current affairs hold you back—enroll now and take a confident step toward clearing Prelims 2025!

Kindly find the details below and get ready to excel! 🌟

https://youtu.be/y8TyiTLpkQA?feature=shared

1. The Hornbill Festival, a ten day annual tourism promotional event, is organised by

Answer: A
Explanation:
● Conceptualised in 2000, the Hornbill Festival is a ten day annual tourism promotional event
organised by the State Government of Nagaland to showcase the state’s rich and traditional
cultural heritage. Hence, answer is option A.
● Dubbed as the “Festival of Festivals”, this event provides a unique platform for visitors to
witness the Naga cultural diversity converging at one venue.
● The festival is named after the Hornbill, a culturally significant bird that symbolises beauty
and grace in Naga folklore and ritual.

● The Hornbill Festival is held at the heritage village of Kisama.
● Some popular dances during the festival include the warrior dance of the Angamis, the fire
dance of the Konyaks, and the bamboo dance of the Sumis.

2. Consider the following statements with reference to Nano urea.
1) Nano urea contains nitrogen nanoparticles.
2) Nano urea provides nitrogen in the form of plasma.
3) Conventional urea has a much higher efficiency than nano urea.

Answer: A
Explanation
● Nano urea is urea in the form of a nanoparticle containing nitrogen particles of
20–50 nanometres in size. It provides nitrogen to plants in liquid form as an alternative
to conventional urea. Hence, statement 1 is correct and statement 2 is incorrect.

● A 500ml bottle of nano urea is equivalent to a 45kg bag of conventional urea. While
conventional urea has an efficiency of about 25 per cent, the efficiency of liquid nano
urea can be as high as 85-90 per cent. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.

3. Consider the following statements about Basavanna.
1) Basavanna rejected all kinds of superstitions and rituals.
2) His creation, Anubhava Mantapa, was open only to men.

Answer: A
Explanation
● Basavanna was a 12th-century philosopher, statesman, and Kannada poet during the
period of the Shiva-focused Bhakti movement.
● Considered to be one of the many great social reformers, Basavanna stood for the
underprivileged classes and women's rights.
● He spread social awareness through his poetry called Vachanaas.
● The renowned reformer rejected all kinds of gender and social discrimination,
superstitions, and rituals. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
● As the chief minister of his kingdom, he introduced new public institutions such as the
Anubhava Mantapa (or, the “hall of spiritual experience”), which welcomed men and
women from all socio-economic backgrounds to discuss spiritual and mundane questions of
life. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
● Basavanna is widely considered the founder of the Lingayat sect, which sought to promote
equality and social justice.

4. Consider the following statements about The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).
1) The National Clean Air Programme envisages reduction in PM10.
2) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) is used as a metric to find the non-
attainment cities.
3) City Action Plans for these non-attainment cities are being implemented by the Ministry of
Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).

Answer: B
Explanation
● The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was launched in 2019 by the Ministry of
Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to tackle the air pollution crisis
in a comprehensive manner.
● NCAP envisages reduction in PM10 level up to 40% or achievement of national
standards (60 microgram/cubic meter) by 2025-26. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
● 130 million plus/non-attainment cities (cities exceeding National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQS), consecutively for five years) have been identified for implementing
mitigation actions under NCAP. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

● City Action Plans (CAPs) have been prepared by all 130 cities and are being implemented
by Urban Local Bodies. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.
● CAPs target city specific air polluting sources like Soil & Road Dust, Vehicles, Domestic Fuel,
Construction Material and Industries, etc.

5. Consider the following statements about Bharatmala Pariyojana.
1) The project aims at the development of the highways sector.
2) The project has enhanced focus on the North East region of the country.
3) The project emphasises usage of scientific planning for project preparation.

Answer: C
Explanation:
● Bharatmala Pariyojana is an umbrella program for the highways sector that focuses on
optimizing efficiency of freight and passenger movement across the country by bridging
critical infrastructure gaps. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
● It was launched in 2017.
● All key aspects of the scheme are managed by the Ministry of Road Transport and
Highways.
Highlights of Bharatmala Pariyojana
● Improvement in efficiency of existing corridors through development of Multimodal
Logistics Parks and elimination of choke point;
● Enhance focus on improving connectivity in North East and leveraging synergies with
Inland Waterways; Hence, statement 2 is correct.
● Emphasis on use of technology & scientific planning for Project Preparation and Asset
Monitoring; Hence, statement 3 is correct.
● The government will strive to complete new roads, which will add up to a whopping 34,
800 kms.

1. Consider the following statements.
1) The ratings given by rating agencies have no impact on bonds issued by the government.
2) Moody’s and Fitch are some leading rating agencies.