Explanation:

Agulhas Current (1) and Brazil Current (2) are warm currents. The Agulhas is a warm western boundary current of the South Indian Ocean gyre flowing south along southeast Africa. The Brazil Current is a warm western boundary current of the South Atlantic gyre flowing south along the Brazilian coast. Humboldt (Peru) Current (3) and California Current (4) are cold eastern boundary currents, associated with upwelling, along the west coasts of South America and North America respectively.

Therefore, the currents that are NOT cold are 1 and 2.

Explanation:

Chronological placement by widely accepted dates:
– Namdev: c. 1270–1350 CE (earliest; Varkari saint of Maharashtra)
– Kabir: c. 1440–1518 CE (15th–16th century)
– Guru Nanak: 1469–1539 CE
– Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: 1486–1534 CE
Thus, the correct order is 3 (Namdev) → 4 (Kabir) → 1 (Nanak) → 2 (Chaitanya), i.e., Option 3.

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Earthworms improve soil structure and fertility by burrowing, aeration, and producing nutrient-rich castings; hence they are popularly called the farmer’s friend (and nature’s ploughman).

Statement 2 is incorrect: Earthworms do not have only two pairs of hearts; they possess multiple heart-like aortic arches—typically five pairs in Lumbricus and four pairs in Pheretima—so certainly more than two. Therefore, only Statement 1 is correct. 

Explanation:

Chronological order with years:
– 2. Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) – 2005
– 4. National Urban Housing and Habitat Policy – 2007
– 1. Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) – 2015
– 3. Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – 2019

Therefore, the correct sequence is 2, 4, 1, 3.

Explanation:

The Fazal Ali Commission refers to the States Reorganisation Commission (1953–55), chaired by Justice Fazl Ali with two members: H. N. Kunzru and K. M. Panikkar. Hence, among the given names, K. M. Panikkar (2) and H. N. Kunzru (listed as H. N. Kunjaru in the options) (4) were members.

Why others are incorrect:
– K. T. Shah (1): Not a member of the SRC; he was a prominent Constituent Assembly member and economist.
– P. Sitaramaiah (3): Refers to (B.) Pattabhi Sitaramayya, who was part of the JVP Committee (Nehru–Patel–Pattabhi) on linguistic provinces in 1948, not the SRC.

Therefore, the correct pair is 2 and 4.

Explanation:

The Annual Groundwater Quality Report (2024) is prepared by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), the apex national agency for groundwater under the Ministry of Jal Shakti. CGWB operates a nationwide network of observation wells and routinely publishes annual assessments of groundwater quality.
Why others are incorrect:
– Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB): Primarily deals with pollution control and reports under the National Water Quality Monitoring Programme, focusing largely on surface water; it does not publish the nationwide Annual Groundwater Quality Report.
– Central Water Commission (CWC): Concerned with surface water (rivers, reservoirs, hydrology) and does not prepare groundwater quality reports.
Hence, only statement 3 is correct.

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Baking soda is sodium hydrogen carbonate (sodium bicarbonate), chemical formula NaHCO3.
Statement 2 is correct: Sodium bicarbonate is used in fire extinguishers. In dry chemical (Class B and C) extinguishers, sodium bicarbonate powder smothers flames; in older soda–acid extinguishers, it reacts to release CO2, which displaces oxygen.
Therefore, both statements are correct.

Explanation:

Pairs check:
– 1. Budapest – Danube: Correct. The Danube flows through Budapest, dividing Buda and Pest.
– 2. Cologne – Rhine: Correct. Cologne (Köln) lies on the Rhine River.
– 3. New Orleans – Missouri: Incorrect. New Orleans is on the Mississippi River; the Missouri joins the Mississippi at St. Louis, far upstream.
– 4. Hyderabad (India) – Paleru: Incorrect. Hyderabad is on the Musi River (a Krishna tributary); Paleru is a different Krishna tributary in Telangana (not flowing through Hyderabad).

Thus, the NOT correctly matched pairs are 3 and 4.

Explanation:

The First Carnatic War (1746–1748) was the Indian theatre of the War of the Austrian Succession. The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748) ended that European war and mandated mutual restitution of conquests. In India, this resulted in the end of the First Carnatic War and the return of Madras—captured by the French in 1746—to the British, in exchange for Britain returning Louisbourg to France in North America. Hence, both statements 1 and 2 are correct.

Explanation:

Mapping the Lok Sabhas to their Speakers:
– 11th Lok Sabha (1996–1998): P. A. Sangma
– 12th Lok Sabha (1998–1999): G. M. C. Balyogi (also re-elected in 13th LS)
– 14th Lok Sabha (2004–2009): Somnath Chatterjee
– 17th Lok Sabha (2019– ): Om Birla
Thus A-2, B-4, C-3, D-1, which is Option 1.