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?

Answer: A
Soln:
● The Olive Ridley Turtle is considered the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles
found in the world.
● Olive ridleys are found only in warmer waters, including the southern Atlantic, Pacific
and Indian Oceans.
● They are listed as vulnerable in the IUCN Red list.
Mass nesting
● These turtles spend their entire lives in the ocean, and migrate thousands of kilometers
between feeding and mating grounds in the course of a year.
● The Olive Ridley Turtles come to the beaches of Odisha coast annually between November
and December and stay on until April and May for mass nesting. Such mass nesting events
are called arribadas. Hence, option A is correct.
● While states like Maharashtra, Goa, and the offshore Andaman islands witness sporadic
nesting of olive ridley turtles, Odisha is the only state in India that sees mass nesting of
olive ridley turtles.
● Gahirmatha beach in Odisha is acclaimed as the world's largest-known nesting site for
the marine species. Apart from Gahirmatha, turtles turn up at the mouths of Rushikulya
and Devi river (both in Odisha) for mass nesting.
Threats
● The Olive Ridley's face serious threats across their migratory route, habitat and nesting
beaches, due to human activities such as turtle unfriendly fishing practices,
development and exploitation of nesting beaches for ports, and tourist centers.
● Though international trade in these turtles and their products is banned, they are still
extensively poached for their meat, shell and leather.
● All the five species of sea turtles occurring in India, including the Olive Ridley turtles,
are legally protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and Appendix I
of the CITES Convention which prohibits trade in turtle products.
● As the nesting period stretches over six months, the Indian Coast Guard undertakes the
Olive Ridley Turtle protection program under the code name 'Operation Olivia' every year.

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1. Consider the following statements.
1. India is a member of Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI).
2. India is a member of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
3. All members of the United Nations Organisations have joined GPAI.

Answer: A
Soln:
Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI):
● Established in 2020, Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) is an international
initiative to support responsible and human-centric development and use of Artificial
Intelligence (AI).
● GPAI is a congregation of 29 member countries, including Argentina, Australia, Belgium,
Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy,
Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, the Republic of Korea, Senegal, Serbia,
Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, the United States and the
European Union. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.
● India had joined the GPAI in 2020 as a founding member. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
● GPAI brings together engaged minds and expertise from science, industry, civil society,
governments, international organisations and academia to foster international
cooperation.
● The GPAI is supported by a secretariat hosted by the Organisation for Economic Co-
operation and Development (OECD).
○ OECD is a group of 38 member countries that discuss and develop economic and social
policy. OECD members are typically democratic countries that support free-market
economies. India is not a member of OECD. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

2. Consider the following statements.
1. SRIJAN portal is an online platform for citizens to lodge their grievances related to service
delivery.
2. CPGRAMS portal is to partner the private sector in indigenisation efforts of Defence Public
Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).

Answer: C
Soln:
CPGRAMS:
● Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) is an online
platform available to the citizens 24x7 to lodge their grievances to the public
authorities on any subject related to service delivery. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

● Launched in 2007, it is a single portal connected to all the Ministries/Departments of
Government of India and States.
● The online web-enabled system was developed by the National Informatics Centre, under
the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in association with the
Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG).
● It has been developed with an objective of speedy redress and effective monitoring of
grievances by Ministries/Departments/Organizations of Government of India.
● The time limit for redress of grievance is 30 days. In case of delay an interim reply with
reasons for delay is required to be given.
● CPGRAMS also provides an appeal facility to the citizens if they are not satisfied with the
resolution by the Grievance Officer.
SRIJAN PORTAL:
● The Ministry of Defence launched the SRIJAN PORTAL in 2020.
● The main objective of the portal is to partner the private sector in indigenisation efforts
of Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) and the Armed Forces. Hence, statement 1
is incorrect.
● On this portal, DPSUs and Service Headquarters (SHQs) offer defence items to the
industries, including MSMEs and start-ups, for indigenisation.

3. Which of the following countries share their borders with the Aral Sea?
1. Turkmenistan
2. Uzbekistan
3. Kazakhstan
4. Kyrgyzstan

4. Almatti dam, recently seen in news, is present across which of the following rivers?