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.

Answer: B
Explanation:
● At the corporate level, companies planning to issue a security must find a rating agency to rate
their debt. Rating agencies such as Moody’s, S&P Global Ratings, and Fitch perform the rating
service for a fee. Investors rely on the ratings to decide on whether to buy or not to buy a
company’s securities. Hence statement 2 is correct.
● At the country level, investors rely on the ratings given by the credit rating agencies to make
investment decisions. Many countries sell their securities in the international market, and a
good credit rating can help them access high-value investors. A favorable rating may also
attract other forms of investments like foreign direct investments to a country.
● A rating downgrade means that bonds issued by the governments are now “riskier” than
before. Lower risk is better because it allows governments and companies of that country to
raise debts at a lower rate of interest. Hence statement 1 is incorrect.

2. Consider the following statements about hornbills.
1) They are frugivores.
2) They are called ‘farmers of the forest’.
3) Malabar Pied Hornbill is found only in India.

Answer: B
Explanation

● Hornbills are a family of tropical and sub-tropical birds which are found extensively in Africa,
Asia and Melanesia. 
● Famously dubbed as the ‘Farmers of the Forest’, these frugivores (fruit-eating birds) help in
seed dispersal of several endemic trees and are important for survival and upkeep of entire
forests. Hence statements 1 and 2 are correct.
● In India, 9 subspecies of hornbills are found. They are: The Great Hornbill, Rufous-necked
Hornbill, Wreathed Hornbill, Narcondam Hornbill, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Oriental Pied Hornbill,
White-throated Brown Hornbill, Malabar Grey Hornbill, and the Indian Grey Hornbill.
● Five species are found in the northeastern states of which the Wreathed hornbill, Rufous-
necked hornbill and the White-throated brown hornbill are restricted to this region within India,
although they have a wider distribution in South-east Asia. 
● The Narcondam hornbill is found only on Narcondam island (part of the Andaman Islands) in
the Bay of Bengal. 
● The Indian grey hornbill occurs in the Indian subcontinent, while the Malabar Pied Hornbill
is found only in India and Sri Lanka. Hence statement 3 is incorrect.
● The Malabar grey hornbill is endemic to the Western Ghats.

3. Consider the following statements.
1) Minimum Support Price is currently not available for any Minor Forest Produce.
2) Pradhan Mantri Vanbandhu Vikas Yojana aims to promote entrepreneurship among youths from
Scheduled tribes.