Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: The IMF and the World Bank (originally the IBRD, the core of the World Bank Group) were conceived together at the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference and are popularly called the Bretton Woods twins. They were established through their Articles of Agreement around the same time and began operations in 1946–47.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The headquarters of both the IMF and the World Bank are in Washington, D.C., USA. The World Bank is not headquartered in New York (New York is the UN headquarters).

Therefore, only statement 1 is correct.

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: The LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) movement was launched by the Prime Minister on World Environment Day, 5 June 2022. (Note: The subsequent global launch of Mission LiFE occurred in October 2022.)

Statement 2 is incorrect: The idea of LiFE was proposed at COP26 in Glasgow (November 2021), not at COP25 in Madrid (2019).

Explanation:

The Suez Canal is a sea-level waterway in Egypt that directly connects the Mediterranean Sea (north end at Port Said) with the Red Sea (south end at Suez). Hence, it links 2 and 3.

Why others are incorrect:
– Option 1 (1 and 3): The canal does not connect the Atlantic Ocean directly; the Mediterranean connects to the Atlantic via the Strait of Gibraltar, not via Suez.
– Option 2 (3 and 4): While the Red Sea is a part of the greater Indian Ocean system, the canal does not open directly into the Indian Ocean; it ends at the Red Sea.
– Option 4 (1 and 2): The canal does not connect the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea directly.

Therefore, the correct pair is Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea.

Explanation:

Assertion (A) is true: Under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, MRP is the ceiling—retailers cannot charge above it, but they are free to sell at any price below it. Hence consumers can bargain or avail discounts below MRP.
Reason (R) is false: MRP is not a price that must be charged; it is the maximum permissible price inclusive of all taxes. Sellers may charge less.

Explanation:

Statement 1: Correct. The New Pamban Bridge has been executed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), which is a Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Railways (Navratna status granted in 2023).
Statement 2: Correct. The New Pamban Bridge is India’s first vertical-lift railway sea bridge; its vertical-lift span allows marine traffic to pass, replacing the old 1914 Scherzer bascule span.
Therefore, both statements are correct.

Explanation:

Only C. Sankaran Nair resigned from the Viceroy’s Executive Council in 1919, in protest against the Punjab atrocities, including the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

The others did not: Ishwari Prasad was not a member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council; Sir Muhammad Shafi was a pro-Government leader who later served on the Council (as Education Member, 1920–24) and did not resign; Iqbal Narain Gurtu served much later (in the 1940s) and had no connection with the 1919 events. Hence, only 1.

Explanation:

Chronology (earliest to latest):
– Community Development Programme (CDP) – 1952 (launched on 2 Oct 1952)
– Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP) – 1970–71
– Food for Work Programme (FWP) – 1977–78 (Janata govt.; later subsumed into NREP in 1980)
– TRYSEM (Training of Rural Youth for Self Employment) – 1979

Thus, the correct order is 2, 4, 1, 3.

Explanation:

Pairs asked: NOT correctly matched.
– 1. National Voters’ Day (India) – 25 January: Correct. It marks the foundation day of the Election Commission of India (25 Jan 1950) and aims to encourage voter participation.
– 2. Constitution Day (India) – 27 January: Incorrect. Constitution Day (Samvidhan Divas) is observed on 26 November (adoption of the Constitution in 1949). 26 January is Republic Day (when the Constitution came into effect), not 27 January.
– 3. Human Rights Day (World) – 29 January: Incorrect. Human Rights Day is observed globally on 10 December, commemorating the adoption of the UDHR in 1948.

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: The UNDP published the first Human Development Report in 1990, and it introduced the Human Development Index (HDI). The HDI was conceived under the leadership of Mahbub ul Haq with key intellectual contributions from Amartya Sen, and inputs from scholars like Sudhir Anand, Paul Streeten, Frances Stewart, Gustav Ranis, and Meghnad Desai.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The HDI was not developed by a team led by Mahbub ul Haq and S. Priesner. S. (Stefan) Priesner is a UN official but is not recognized as a co-lead or architect of the original HDI. The well-documented co-architect is Amartya Sen.

Explanation:

Assertion (A) is true: men and women typically have different voices, most notably in pitch.

Reason (R) is also true: males generally develop longer and thicker vocal cords (vocal folds) at puberty compared to females. Longer, thicker (more massive) vocal cords vibrate more slowly, producing a lower fundamental frequency (pitch), while shorter, thinner cords vibrate faster, producing a higher pitch. Thus, the anatomical difference stated in (R) directly explains the observed difference in voices in (A).