Explanation

• Statement 1 is incorrect – It is 8th edition of Joint Military Exercise between the India & United Kingdom.
• Statement 2 is incorrect – It is commenced at Foreign Training Node, Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan. It is held biennially, since 2011.
• The focus of the exercise is on counter-terrorism operations in semi-urban environment.

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Explanation

• Option c is the correct answer – A study revealed a fundamental biological switch that controls embryo implantation.
• 2 genes i.e. HOXA10 and TWIST2, work to open or close a small "gate" on the wall of the womb at the right time.
• Gene HOXA10 – It keeps the wall closed and guarded.
• But when an embryo comes in contact with the lining, HOXA10 temporarily switches off at that location. This short 'switch-off' allows another gene, TWIST2, to act.
• Activation of TWIST2 – It opens the gate by making the uterine cells soft and flexible, allowing them to move slightly and let the embryo in.
• This discovery could guide new strategies to improve IVF (in vitro fertilisation) success rates in future.

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Explanation

• Statement 1 is incorrect – Finance Commission is constituted by the President of India, but it submits its report to the President, who then lays the report before the Parliament.
• Statement 2 is incorrect – As per Article 280 of the Constitution, the President constitutes the Finance Commission every five years, not every year.
• This constitutional body is responsible for making recommendations on the distribution of financial resources between the Union and the states.
• Arvind Panagariya is the chairman of 16^th finance commission, which is responsible for making recommendations for the fiscal years 2026-27 to 2030-31.

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Explanation

• Option b is correct – PENCIL stands for Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour. It is launched by Ministry of Labour & Employment.
• It focusses on child workers below the age of 14 years in the identified target area.
  • Adolescent workers below the age of 18 years in the target area engaged in hazardous occupations / processes.
  • Families of Child workers in the identified target area.

Explanation

• Statement 1 is incorrect – Doctrine of lapse introduced by Lord Dalhousie in 1847.
• Statement 2 is incorrect – The doctrine states that If an Indian princely state had no male heir or a dispute over succession, the British would take control of it.
• The British, as the supreme authority, claimed the right to approve or reject adopted heirs of Indian rulers, justifying this policy as a means to ensure effective governance in poorly managed states.
• Annexation of Princely States – Satara (1848); Jaipur and Sambalpur (1849); Baghat (1850); Udaipur (1852); Jhansi (1853); Nagpur (1854).
• Subsidiary Alliance introduced by Lord Wellesley. Its provisions includes that Indian ruler should not have own army and not allowed to have any relations with other Europeans.