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The correct answer is Article 143.

Key Points

• Article 143 of the Constitution of India confers Advisory Jurisdiction upon the Supreme Court, allowing the President to seek its opinion on any question of law or fact.
• The President can refer a matter under two circumstances: when a question of public importance has arisen or is likely to arise, or when a dispute arises from a pre-Constitution treaty or agreement.
• In the case of public importance (Clause 1), the Supreme Court may, at its discretion, refuse to provide an opinion; however, for pre-Constitution matters (Clause 2), the Court is mandatory required to deliver its report.
• The opinion expressed by the Supreme Court under this article is purely advisory and is not binding on the President, nor does it constitute the 'law declared by the Supreme Court' under Article 141.

 Additional Information

• Article 131:
• Relates to the Original Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.
• It empowers the Court to settle disputes between the Government of India and one or more States, or between two or more States.
• Article 146:
• Deals with the officers and servants and the expenses of the Supreme Court.
• It ensures the independence of the judiciary by allowing the Chief Justice of India to make appointments.
• Article 148:
• Establishes the office of the Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG) of India.
• The CAG is responsible for auditing all receipts and expenditures of the Government of India and the State governments.

The correct answer is People aged 15-59 years.

Key Points

• In the context of demographic statistics and the Census of India 2011, the working-age population is defined as the group of individuals aged between 15 and 59 years.
• This segment is recognized as the economically productive part of the population, as they are physically and mentally capable of participating in economic activities and contributing to the national income.
• The Census 2011 data highlighted that this age group forms the backbone of the labor force, distinguishing it from the dependent population, which includes children below 15 and elderly people aged 60 and above.
• Understanding the size of the 15-59 age group is essential for manpower planning, educational resource allocation, and assessing the human capital potential of the country.

 Additional Information

• Demographic Dividend:
• This refers to the economic growth potential that results from a shift in a population age structure, particularly when the share of the working-age population is larger than the non-working-age share.
• India is currently experiencing a bulge in this age bracket, which provides a window of opportunity for rapid industrialization and economic development.
• Dependency Ratio:
• It is the ratio of the number of dependents (aged 0-14 and 60+) to the total working-age population (aged 15-59).
• A high working-age population leads to a lower dependency ratio, which generally correlates with higher savings rates and investment in the economy.
• Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR):
• While the working-age population includes everyone aged 15-59, the LFPR specifically measures the percentage of this group that is either employed or actively seeking employment.
• This metric is a vital indicator used by the National Statistical Office (NSO) to gauge the health of the job market.

The correct answer is Mumbai Port.

Key Points

• Mumbai Port is situated on the West Coast of India in the state of Maharashtra and is one of the oldest modern ports in the country.
• It is a natural deep-water harbour that spans approximately 400 square kilometres, providing one of the safest maritime shelters in the Arabian Sea.
• The harbour is strategically protected by the mainland of Konkan to its East and the island city of Mumbai to its West, shielding vessels from high-sea turbulence.
• Historically known as the Gateway of India, the port has been a primary hub for international trade since the 17^th century when it was transferred from the Portuguese to the British.
• The port handles a diverse range of cargo, including liquid chemicals, crude oil, and bulk commodities, and features three enclosed wet docks: Prince's Dock, Victoria Dock, and Indira Dock.

 Additional Information

• New Mangalore Port
• Located at Panambur, Karnataka, it is an all-weather port that serves as the only major port in the state, primarily exporting iron ore and handling LPG and timber.
• Chennai Port
• Situated on the Coromandel Coast in Tamil Nadu, it is the largest artificial port in India and the second-largest container terminal after JNPT.
• Paradip Port
• Located in the Jagatsinghpur district of Odisha, it is a major deep-sea port situated at the confluence of the Mahanadi River and the Bay of Bengal, specializing in coal and iron ore transit.

The correct answer is 6 to 14 years.

Key Points

• The obligation for a parent or guardian to provide educational opportunities to their child or ward between the ages of 6 and 14 years is enshrined in the Indian Constitution as a Fundamental Duty.
• This specific duty was inserted as Clause (k) under Article 51A through the 86^th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2002.
• The amendment aimed to align the duties of citizens with the newly created Fundamental Right under Article 21A, which mandates the State to provide free and compulsory education to all children in the 6 to 14 years age group.
• By making it a duty, the Constitution emphasizes the role of the family unit in ensuring that children benefit from the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.

 Additional Information

• Fundamental Duties:
• The Fundamental Duties are contained in Part IV-A of the Constitution and were originally inspired by the Constitution of the USSR.
• They were added by the 42^nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976, following the recommendations of the Swaran Singh Committee.
• Initially, there were only ten duties; the duty concerning education for children aged 6 to 14 became the eleventh duty in 2002.
• Article 45 and DPSP:
• The 86^th Amendment also modified Article 45 under the Directive Principles of State Policy.
• It now directs the State to provide early childhood care and education for all children until they complete the age of six years.
• Before the amendment, Article 45 covered free and compulsory education for children up to 14 years, which has now been shifted to a Fundamental Right.

The correct answer is Chief Justice of India and the Governor of the state.

Key Points

• According to Article 217 of the Constitution of India, every Judge of a High Court shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal.
• For the specific appointment of the Chief Justice of a High Court, the President is constitutionally mandated to consult with the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and the Governor of the state concerned.
• In instances where the appointment involves a Common High Court serving two or more states, the Governors of all the states concerned must be included in the consultation process.
• The term consultation has been interpreted by the Supreme Court through the Second Judges Case (1993) and the Third Judges Case (1998) to signify concurrence, emphasizing the primacy of the judiciary in the selection process.
• The consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court is only a requirement when the President is appointing a Judge other than the Chief Justice of that particular court.

 Additional Information

• The Collegium System:
• The recommendation for the appointment of a High Court Chief Justice is initiated by a Collegium consisting of the Chief Justice of India and two senior-most judges of the Supreme Court.
• This system ensures that judicial appointments are based on merit and seniority while maintaining judicial independence from the executive branch.
• Constitutional Provisions:
• Article 214: Establishes that there shall be a High Court for each State.
• Article 216: Specifies that a High Court shall consist of a Chief Justice and other Judges as the President deems necessary.
• Article 219: Mandates that the Governor of the State administers the oath or affirmation to the Chief Justice before they enter office.
• Qualifications and Tenure:
• A candidate must be a citizen of India and must have held a judicial office for ten years or served as an advocate of a High Court for ten years.
• The retirement age for a High Court Judge is 62 years.

The correct answer is Article 15.

Key Points

• Article 15 of the Constitution of India is a fundamental right that prohibits discrimination by the State and, in specific contexts, by private individuals against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth, or any of them.
• Specifically, Article 15(2) mandates that no citizen shall, on the aforementioned grounds, be subject to any disability, liability, restriction, or condition regarding access to shops, public restaurants, hotels, and places of public entertainment.
• This provision is unique because it provides protection against discrimination not only by the State but also by private individuals who operate public commercial spaces, ensuring social equality and horizontal application of rights.
• The article also covers the use of wells, tanks, bathing ghats, roads, and places of public resort maintained out of State funds or dedicated to the use of the general public.
• Refusing to sell goods to a customer based on their religion constitutes a direct violation of the Right to Equality as protected under this article.

 Additional Information

• Article 17
• This article provides for the Abolition of Untouchability and forbids its practice in any form.
• It is an absolute right, and any disability arising out of Untouchability is an offense punishable under the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955.
• Article 16
• This article guarantees Equality of Opportunity for all citizens in matters relating to public employment or appointment to any office under the State.
• It prohibits discrimination in government jobs on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, descent, place of birth, or residence.
• Article 12
• It provides the definition of the term State for the purposes of Part III (Fundamental Rights).
• It includes the Government and Parliament of India, the Government and Legislature of each State, and all local or other authorities within Indian territory.

The correct answer is Mumbai.

Key Points

• The first successful modern cotton textile mill in India was established in Mumbai (then known as Bombay) in 1854.
• The mill was named the Bombay Spinning and Weaving Company and was founded by the Parsi entrepreneur Cowasjee Nanabhoy Davar.
• Mumbai emerged as an ideal location because it was situated close to the black cotton soil tracts of Maharashtra and Gujarat, ensuring easy access to raw materials.
• The city provided a humid climate, which was essential for the spinning process as it prevented the thread from breaking frequently.
• The presence of a natural port in Mumbai facilitated the efficient import of heavy machinery from Britain and the subsequent export of finished yarn and cloth to global markets.
• This development marked the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in India, shifting the economic focus from traditional handlooms to factory-based production.

 Additional Information

• Kolkata:
• The very first attempt to set up a cotton mill occurred at Fort Gloster near Kolkata in 1818, but it was a commercial failure and closed down shortly after.
• Surat:
• Although Surat was a major medieval trading hub and later became famous for synthetic textiles and Zari work, it was not the site of the first successful mechanised mill in 1854.
• Chennai:
• Known as the Manchester of South India (specifically Coimbatore nearby), Chennai had a significant textile presence, but its industrial growth in this sector followed the success established in Western India.
• Entrepreneurship:
• Many early mills in Mumbai were financed by Parsi and Gujarati merchants who had accumulated capital through trade with China and the export of raw cotton to England.

The correct answer is Gregor Mendel.

Key Points

• Gregor Mendel, an Austrian monk, is universally recognized as the Father of Genetics for his groundbreaking study of heredity.
• Between 1856 and 1863, he cultivated and tested approximately 28,000 garden pea plants (Pisum sativum) to observe how traits were passed from parents to offspring.
• He specifically selected seven pairs of contrasting characters, such as seed shape (round vs. wrinkled), plant height (tall vs. dwarf), and flower color (violet vs. white), to ensure clear results.
• His mathematical approach to biology led to the postulation of three fundamental principles: the Law of Dominance, the Law of Segregation, and the Law of Independent Assortment.
• Mendel concluded that traits are determined by discrete 'factors' (now known as genes) that occur in pairs and are inherited as distinct units.

 Additional Information

• Charles Darwin:
• Famed for his work 'On the Origin of Species' (1859), where he introduced the theory of evolution by natural selection.
• Watson and Crick:
• James Watson and Francis Crick are best known for determining the double-helix structure of DNA in 1953, using data from Rosalind Franklin.
• Louis Pasteur:
• A French microbiologist renowned for his discoveries in pasteurization, microbial fermentation, and developing vaccines for rabies and anthrax.

The correct answer is Tamil Nadu.

Key Points

• Pongal is a significant Hindu harvest festival celebrated primarily by the people of Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry to offer thanks to nature.
• The festival is dedicated to the Sun God (Surya) for providing energy for agriculture and marks the beginning of Uttarayan, the sun's northward journey.
• It is observed at the start of the month of Thai in the Tamil solar calendar, which usually falls on January 14 or 15 every year.
• The celebration spans four distinct days: Bhogi Pongal, Surya Pongal, Mattu Pongal, and Kaanum Pongal, each having its own ritualistic significance.
• The word Pongal literally means to boil over or spilling over, referring to the traditional ritual of boiling freshly harvested rice with milk and jaggery in a clay pot until it overflows, symbolizing abundance and prosperity.

 Additional Information

• Other states celebrate the harvest during the same period under different names:
• Assam: The harvest festival is known as Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu, characterized by community feasts and the burning of Mejis (bamboo structures).
• Gujarat: It is celebrated as Uttarayan, famously known for the International Kite Festival where the sky is filled with vibrant kites.
• Rajasthan: People observe Makar Sankranti with traditional Rajasthani delicacies like Pheeni, Til-paati, and Gajak, alongside charity and kite flying.
• Punjab: The harvest season is kicked off with Lohri, celebrated on the eve of Makar Sankranti with bonfires and folk songs.

The correct answer is Catalyzing biochemical reactions.

Key Points

• Enzymes are specialized proteins that act as biological catalysts, significantly accelerating the rate of chemical reactions within living organisms without being consumed or permanently altered.
• They function by lowering the activation energy required for a reaction to occur, which allows critical metabolic processes to take place rapidly at the relatively low physiological temperatures of living cells.
• The high efficiency of enzymes is evidenced by their ability to increase reaction rates by factors of 10⁶ or more; for example, the enzyme carbonic anhydrase can process 600,000 molecules per second.
• Enzymes exhibit extreme specificity for their substrates, a property determined by the unique three-dimensional shape of their active site, often described by the Lock and Key or Induced Fit models.
• They play indispensable roles in catabolic processes like digestion (breaking down nutrients) and anabolic processes like DNA synthesis and protein production.

 Additional Information

• Structural support:
• This role is performed by fibrous proteins such as collagen (found in skin and bone), keratin (found in hair and nails), and elastin, which provide physical framework rather than metabolic activity.
• Genetic information:
• Molecules like Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and Ribonucleic acid (RNA) are the primary carriers of hereditary data, storing instructions for building and operating an organism.
• Energy storage:
• Biological systems store energy in the form of lipids (fats) for long-term use and carbohydrates like glycogen in animals or starch in plants for shorter-term needs.
• Enzyme Regulation:
• Enzyme activity can be influenced by cofactors, coenzymes, and inhibitors, and is sensitive to pH levels and temperature; extreme changes can lead to denaturation.