INDIAN NAVY COMMISSIONS INS MALVAN, THE SECOND OF THE MAHE-CLASS ANTI-SUBMARINE WARFARE SHALLOW WATER CRAFT

Statement 1 is correct. Domestic production of edible oil in 2018 was around 100 Lakh Metric tons (LMT) while import was around 150 LMT. Statement 2 is incorrect. The Government of India does impose customs duties on imported edible oils. The rates of these duties may vary depending on various factors, including the type of edible oil, international market conditions, and government policies aimed at promoting domestic production or protecting domestic producers.

❌ Pair I: The National Automotive Board – Ministry of Commerce and Industry
* Incorrect. It functions under the Ministry of Heavy Industries, not Commerce and Industry. ❌ Pair II: The Coir Board – Ministry of Heavy Industries
* Incorrect. The Coir Board is under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. ❌ Pair III: National Centre for Trade Information – Ministry of MSME
* Incorrect. NCTI is linked to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, not MSME.

The Coal Controller's Organisation (CCO) is a subordinate office of the Ministry of Coal, having its headquarters at Kolkata and field offices at Dhanbad, Ranchi, Bilaspur, Nagpur, Sambalpur, Kothagudem and Asansol. It collects and maintains coal production data of all private and public sector coal mines in the country. The information is collected every month. Statement 1 is correct. Under the Collection of Statistics Act, 2008 Coal Controller has been made the statistical authority concerning coal and lignite statistics. Entrusted with the responsibility of carrying out the Annual Coal & Lignite survey and publishing of Provisional Coal Statistics and Coal Directory of India. Statement 2 is correct. It is entrusted with the task of monitoring captive mines. Work such as permission for the opening and reopening of coal mines has been entrusted to the CCO. Statement 3 is correct. Under the Coal Bearing Area (Acquisition and Development) Act, 1957- the Coal Controller is the competent authority under this act to hear any objection to the Central Government's Notification relating to the acquisition of coal-bearing land and to furnish his reports to the Central Govt. Statement 4 is incorrect. Ensuring that coal mining companies deliver the coal to end users in the prescribed time is not the function of the Coal Controller's Organization (CCO).

Statement 1 is not correct: The Government had launched a scheme viz Casual Labourers (Grant of Temporary Status and Regularization) Scheme of Government of India, 1993. As per the scheme, Temporary status would be conferred on all casual labourers who were in employment and who have rendered a continuous service of at least one year, which means that they must have been engaged for at least 240 days (206 days in case of offices observing 5 days week). Statement 2 is correct: The Supreme Court has decreed that casual workers are also entitled to social security benefits as stipulated in the Employees Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act. The Court's ruling stemmed from its interpretation of Section 2(f) of the EPF Act, wherein the definition of an "employee" encompasses a broad scope, including any individual engaged directly or indirectly in connection with an establishment's work and receiving wages. A bench of the Supreme Court affirmed this viewpoint. Statement 3 is correct: The government has the authority to specify through a notification that an establishment or industry is obligated to disburse wages exclusively via its bank account.

Option A is Incorrect: ONDC does not mandate government control over transactions; rather, it promotes a decentralized, open market framework. Option B is Incorrect: It does not seek to replace private e-commerce players. Instead, private applications and platforms integrate into the ONDC network to facilitate transactions. Option C is Correct: The primary goal of the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is to democratize digital commerce by shifting the industry from a closed, platform-centric model (dominated by a few large e-commerce giants) to an open, interoperable network. By enabling interoperability, ONDC breaks the monopolies of large private e-commerce players and creates a level playing field for small businesses, local retailers, and MSMEs to reach consumers directly. Option D is Incorrect: ONDC does not mandate UPI for all online transactions. While it is frequently called the "UPI of e-commerce" because it applies the same open-network philosophy to online shopping, it does not enforce UPI as the sole payment method. Therefore, the correct option is C.

Statement 1 is Correct: The Quality Council of India (QCI) is a pioneering experiment of the Government of India in setting up organisations in partnership with the Indian industry. Quality Council of India (QCI) was set up in 1997 jointly by the Government of India and the Indian Industry represented by the three premier industry associations i.e. Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), to establish and operate national accreditation structure and promote quality through National Quality Campaign. The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, is the nodal ministry for QCI.QCI is governed by a Council of 38 members including the Chairman and Secretary General. Statement 2 is Correct: The chairman is appointed by the Prime Minister on the recommendation of the industry to the government. Therefore, both statement 1 and statement 2 are correct.Hence, option C is the correct answer.

The Central Government introduced the National Pension System (NPS) with effect from January 1, 2004 (except for armed forces). Subsequently, various State Governments adopted this architecture and implemented NPS with effect from different dates. Eligibility to join
- Any citizen of India, whether resident or non-resident, subject to the following conditions.
- Individuals who are aged between 18 60 years, including NRIs.
- After attaining 60 years of age, you will not be permitted to make further contributions to the NPS accounts

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) regulates downstream activities like storage, distribution, and marketing—not upstream activities like production. ❌ I. Production of crude oil – Not regulated
* This is an upstream activity regulated by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH), not PNGRB. ✅ II. Refining, storage and distribution – Partially regulated
* Storage and distribution are regulated by PNGRB.
* Refining is generally not directly regulated, though PNGRB may set standards affecting it. ✅ III. Marketing and sale of petroleum products – Regulated
* PNGRB authorizes entities to market notified petroleum products and natural gas. ❌ IV. Production of natural gas – Not regulated
* Like crude oil, it’s an upstream activity, not under PNGRB.

The question relates to the correct mapping of key investigative and analytical bodies under the Government of India and their parent ministries or departments. ❌ Row I: Incorrect The Directorate of Enforcement does implement the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018, but it functions under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, not the Ministry of Home Affairs. ✅ Row II: Correct The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) enforces the Customs Act, 1962 and works under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance. ✅ Row III: Correct The Directorate General of Systems and Data Management aids in big data analytics for tax enforcement and operates under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance.

1. Finance Commission: Deals with the distribution of tax revenue between the central government and states, not overall national planning. 2. National Development Council (NDC): This was the apex body for planning at the national level. It is used to formulate and review India's five-year plans. 3. Union Ministry of Rural Development: Implements specific development schemes related to rural areas, not national-level planning. 4. Union Ministry of Urban Development: Implements specific development schemes related to urban areas, not national-level planning. 5. Parliament: While not directly involved in day-to-day planning, the Parliament is used to approve the five-year plans formulated by the NDC. Additionally, Members of Parliament (MPs) can utilize funds allocated for their constituencies through MPLADS (Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme), which contributes to local-level planning.

The article states that INS Malvan is the second of the Mahe-class ASW-SWC, built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Kochi. It also explicitly mentions that 'The crest of INS Malvan carries the ‘Bagh Nakha’ (Tiger's Claw), symbolising bravery, warfare tactics, agility, and audacity'.

The article explicitly states, 'With over 80 percent indigenous content, the ship reinforces the Government of India’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat'.

The article mentions that 'The vessel is equipped for Underwater Surveillance, Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) operations, and Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO) along with Mine Warfare capability.' High-Intensity Deep Ocean Combat is not mentioned; the vessel is an Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC).