Answer: A
Soln:
OPEC:
● The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is a permanent
intergovernmental organization of 12 oil-exporting developing nations.
● Countries that belong to OPEC include Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela
(the five founders), plus the United Arab Emirates, Libya, Algeria, Nigeria, Congo,
Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
● OPEC was founded in 1960 to coordinate the petroleum policies of its members and to
provide member states with technical and economic aid.
● OPEC is used to work as a cartel and fix prices in a favourable band. It could bring down
prices by increasing oil production and raise prices by cutting production.
● The OPEC Secretariat is located in Vienna, Austria.
OPEC Plus
● The 2014 oil crisis, which was accentuated by oversupply of crude, brought down prices
below $30 a barrel.
● Since then, OPEC has been working with non-OPEC countries like Russia, Azerbaijan,
Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Sudan and South Sudan to fix
the global prices and supply.
● Known as the “OPEC Plus” arrangement, this alliance kept production lower and pumped
up the prices.
● Together, these nations produce about 40% of the entire world's crude oil. Hence,
statement 2 is incorrect.

2. Consider the following statements about the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund
(NIIF).

1. It aims to provide long-term capital to India's infrastructure sector.
2. The stakes are completely held by Indian Government and Domestic Indian investors.
3. The Governing Council of NIIF is chaired by the Union Finance Minister.

Answer: B
Soln:
National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF):
● National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) is an Indian-government backed
entity established in 2016 to provide long-term capital to the country’s infrastructure
sector. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
● The NIIF aims to maximize the economic impact mainly through infrastructure
development in commercially viable projects.
● The Indian government has a 49 per cent stake in NIIF with the rest held by foreign and
domestic investors. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

● NIIF got registered with SEBI as an Alternative Investment Fund (AIF).
Alternative Investment Funds:
● Alternative Investment Funds are private funds which are otherwise not coming under
the jurisdiction of any regulatory agency in India.
● In India, AIFs are regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative
Investment Funds) Regulations, 2012.
● The Governing Council of NIIF is chaired by the Union Finance Minister. Hence,
statement 3 is correct.
● NIIF currently manages four funds each with its distinctive investment mandate.
○ Master Fund
■ It primarily invests in operating assets in core infrastructure sectors such as
transportation and energy.

○ Private Markets Fund
■ This fund invests in funds managed by third-party managers in
infrastructure and associated sectors.

○ Strategic Fund
■ This fund is aimed at growth and development-stage investments in large
scale projects in a broad range of sectors of economic and commercial
importance.

○ India-Japan Fund
■ This is NIIF’s first bilateral fund. IJF invests in environment preservation in
India and also seeks to enable opportunities for collaboration between
Indian and Japanese companies.

3. Consider the following statements about Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2024.
1. It is an annual report that measures and tracks hunger at global, regional, and national
levels.
2. It is published by the World Health Organisation.
3. It is based on the parameters of Undernourishment, Child wasting, Child stunting and Child
mortality

Answer: B
Soln:
Global Hunger Index 2024:
● The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is an annual report that measures and tracks hunger at
global, regional, and national levels. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
● The Index is a peer-reviewed report jointly published by Concern Worldwide (an Irish
humanitarian organization), Welthungerhilfe (a German aid agency) and the Institute for
International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (an European academic institution).
Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
● The GHI determines hunger on a 100-point scale, where 0 is the best possible score (no
hunger) and 100 is the worst. Each country’s GHI score is classified by severity, from low to
extremely alarming.
● It is based on 4 indicators:
○ Undernourishment - population with inadequate calorie intake;
○ Child wasting - the share of children under the age of five who have low weight for
their height, reflecting acute undernutrition;
○ Child stunting - children under the age of five who have low height for their age,
reflecting chronic undernutrition;
○ Child mortality - the mortality rate of children under the age of five. Hence,
statement 3 is correct.

● The reason for mapping hunger is to ensure that the world achieves “Zero Hunger by
2030” — one of the Sustainable Development Goals laid out by the United Nations. It is for
this reason that GHI scores are not calculated for certain high-income countries.

Highlights of the Index
● The 2024 GHI score for the world is 18.3, considered moderate, down only slightly from
the 2016 score of 18.8.
● The goal of Zero Hunger by 2030 now appears unreachable, and if progress remains at
the same pace, the world will not reach even low hunger until 2160.
● The report highlights the link between Gender inequality, climate change, and hunger.
Women and girls are typically hardest hit by food insecurity and malnutrition. They also
suffer disproportionately from the effects of weather extremes and climate emergencies.
● India has been ranked 105th out of 127 countries in the latest Index, placing it in the
"serious" category for hunger levels.
● With a GHI score of 27.3, India is listed alongside countries like Pakistan and
Afghanistan, which also face severe hunger challenges.
● The report reveals alarming statistics: 13.7 percent of India's population is
undernourished, 35.5 percent of children under five are stunted, 18.7 percent suffer
from wasting, and 2.9 percent of children die before their fifth birthday.

4. Consider the following statements about the Sagarmala project.
1. It aims to develop a string of ports along India’s coast to promote “Port-led development”.
2. Coastal community development is a pillar of focus in this project.
3. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has been appointed as the nodal ministry
for this initiative.

Answer: D
Soln:
Sagarmala:
● The Sagarmala project was launched in 2015 to develop a string of ports along India’s
7500 km long coast to promote “Port-led development”. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

● It aims to develop access to new development regions and enhance connectivity with main
economic centres and beyond through expansion of rail, inland water, coastal and road
services.
● The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has been appointed as the nodal
ministry for this initiative. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
● To assist in implementation of the Sagarmala Programme, the Sagarmala Development
Company Limited has been incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013.
● The vision of the programme is to reduce logistics cost for Export-Import (EXIM) and
domestic trade with minimal infrastructure investment.
4-Pillars of Sagarmala

● Hence, statement 2 is correct.

5. CARICOM is a group of developing countries of which of the following region?

Answer: B
Soln:
CARICOM:
● The Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) is a group of 21
developing countries (15 full-time members and 6 associate members) in the Caribbean
that encourage common policy and economic goals. Hence, option B is correct.
● The CARICOM was formed in 1973 with the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas.
● The Treaty was later revised in 2002 to allow for the eventual establishment of a single
market and a single economy.
○ Known as the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME), the single market
and economy is meant to integrate all of the member states of CARICOM. It is still in
development.

● CARICOM enjoys observer status at the United Nations General Assembly.
● The Secretariat is located in Georgetown, Guyana.

1. Consider the following statements.
1. The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) is responsible for formulating the policy of the
Department of Atomic Energy.
2. Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) is responsible for design, construction,
commissioning and operation of nuclear power reactors.
3. NPCIL and AEC come under the control of the Union Ministry of Power.

Answer: B
Soln:
● The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) was set up under the direct charge of the
Prime Minister through a Presidential Order on August 3, 1954. It is not under the Union
Ministry of Power. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.
● The Atomic Energy Commission with full executive and financial powers was set up by the
Government through a resolution dated March 1, 1958.
● The Atomic Energy Commission is responsible for formulating the policy of the
Department of Atomic Energy. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
● Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) is a Public Sector Enterprise under
the administrative control of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of
India.
● NPCIL is responsible for design, construction, commissioning and operation of nuclear
power reactors. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
● M.R. Srinivasan, former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary of the
Department of Atomic Energy, passed away recently.
● In 1987, he was appointed Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary of the
Department of Atomic Energy. That same year, he became the Founder-Chairman of the
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL).

2. Consider the following statements.
1. The Shirui Lily is the state flower of Mizoram.
2. The Shirui Lily is endemic to the upper reaches of the Shirui Hill range of Mizoram.
3. The Shirui Lily festival coincides with the blooming season of this rare flower.

Answer: A
Soln:
Shirui Lily festival:

● The Shirui Lily Festival is organised by the Manipur government’s Department of Tourism.
● It is named after the Shirui Lily, or the Lilium mackliniae, recognised as the state
flower of Manipur, the other major festival is named after the Sangai, or the Manipur
brow-antlered deer, recognised as its state animal. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
● The Shirui Lily festival coincides with the blooming season of this rare flower. Held in
Manipur’s Ukhrul district, which is home to the Tangkhul Naga community, the event is
designed as an eco-tourism festival to raise awareness about the Shirui Lily and to promote
tourism to the hills of Ukhrul. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
What is special about Shirui Lily?
● The Shirui Lily is endemic to the upper reaches of the Shirui Hill range in Ukhrul
district at an elevation of 2,673 m above sea level. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
● While locals had long been familiar with the plant — calling it the ‘Kashsong Timrawon’
after Timrawon, the daughter of mythical goddess Philava who resides and protects the hills
of Shirui — in 1946, botanist Frank Kingdon-Ward identified it and gave it its scientific
name. The name, Lilium mackliniae, draws from his wife Jean Macklin’s name.

3. Which one of the following species is known for mass nesting events called arribadas?