(d) All the statements are incorrect. Why in news? Sigachi Industries recently initiated its long-anticipated 10:1 stock split. ■ A stock split happens when a company increases the number of its shares to boost the stock’s liquidity. ■ It is a corporate action in which a company issues additional shares to shareholders, increasing the total by the specified ratio based on the shares they held previously. ■ Although the number of shares outstanding increases, there is no change to the company’s total market capitalization as the price of each share will split as well. ■ The most common split ratios are 2-for-1 or 3-for-1 (sometimes denoted as 2:1 or 3:1). ■ This means that for every share held before the split, each stockholder will have two or three shares, respectively, after the split. ■ The number of shares increases, but the price per share goes down in proportion. ■ Stock split is done to infuse liquidity and to make shares affordable for various investors who could not buy the shares of that company before due to high prices. ■ It is sometimes aimed at helping a company meet the minimum requirements to remain listed on an exchange. This is because some stock indexes are price-weighted, meaning a company wishing to join the index would need to have, among other criteria, a price that falls within a certain band. ■ Reverse Stock Split is the opposite transaction, in which a company lowers, instead of increasing, the number of shares outstanding, raising the share price accordingly. The total value of your shares would remain consistent.

(c) According to the recent study by the astronomers from the University of Tokyo, bolsters support for a starquake source for the colossal outbursts of Fast Radio Bursts. ■ A fast radio burst is a bright and brief burst of electromagnetic radiation (light) seen in radio-wave frequencies. ■ They usually last for very short period of time. ■ They reach earth from faraway galaxies, emitting as much energy in a millisecond as the sun does over weeks. ■ Scientists don’t know for sure what causes fast radio bursts. ■ However, the current prevailing theory is that at least some FRBs are emitted by neutron stars. ■ The neutron stars form when a supergiant star collapses, going from eight times the mass of our sun (on average) to a super dense core only 20–40 kilometers across. ■ Magnetars are neutron stars with extremely strong magnetic fields, and these have been observed to emit FRBs.

(a) Statement 2 and 3 are not correct. Recently, the Jaderi namakatti was given the GI tag by the Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai. ■ Jaderi namakatti are clay sticks that are white in colour, usually available in finger-like shape with a smooth texture. ■ Jaderi is a small village in Tiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu. ■ There are around 120 families in Cheyyar taluk whose primary occupation has been the making of namakatti for more than hundreds of years now. ■ Namakatti is made up of the rich deposit of hydrous silicate minerals that form fine grain particles of clay. ■ The clay is processed and shaped in a finger-like structure. ■ The production of namakatti depends on the climatic condition as it needs a lot of sunlight to dry. ■ It is used to adorn the foreheads of idols, men, and temple elephants as well as traditionally to treat stretch marks caused by childbirth. ■ Geographical Indication is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin. ■ This is typically used for agricultural products, foodstuffs, wine and spirit drinks, handicrafts and industrial products. ■ The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 seeks to provide for the registration and better protection of geographical indications relating to goods in India. ■ This GI tag is valid for 10 years following which it can be renewed.

(c) Why in news? Hundreds of tonnes of aid from several countries have been waiting in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula for days pending a deal for its safe delivery to Gaza. ■ Sinai Peninsula is a triangle-shaped peninsula located in northeastern Egypt. ■ It serves as a land bridge connecting Asia and Africa. ■ Area: 61,000 square km. ■ It is the sovereign territory of Egypt. ■ The peninsula is bordered to the north by the Mediterranean Sea and to the east by Israel and the Gaza Strip. ■ To the west of the Sinai Peninsula is the Suez Canal, across which lies the African part of Egypt. ■ The Sinai is bordered to the southwest by the Gulf of Suez and to the immediate south by the Red Sea. ■ The Gulf of Aqaba borders the Sinai in the southeast. ■ Egypt shares maritime borders in the Sinai with Jordan and Saudi Arabia. ■ In the late 19th century, Egypt, including the Sinai Peninsula, became part of the British Empire. ■ British rule in Egypt continued until 1922, after which the country was granted independence. ■ The peninsula was occupied by Israeli forces during the Six-Day War of June 1967. ■ It was returned to Egypt in 1982 under the terms of the peace treaty concluded between those countries in 1979. ■ It is characterized by a diverse landscape, including mountain ranges, deserts, plateaus, and coastal regions. ■ The Sinai is sparsely populated; about 600,000 people live in the region. ■ Today, the Sinai is mostly inhabited by Arab Egyptians and Bedouins.

(a) An intense hailstorm recently caused massive damage to the crops and fruits in south Kashmir’s Kulgam and Shopian districts. ■ Hail is a type of solid rain made up of balls or lumps of ice. ■ Storms that produce hail that reaches the ground are known as hailstorms. ■ They are most common in the midlatitudes. ■ The size of hailstones can vary widely, from small pellets less than 1/4 inch in diameter to larger stones measuring several inches in size. ■ Conditions for Hailstorms to occur: 1 . Highly developed Cumulonimbus clouds need to be present. These are the massive anvil or mushroom-shaped clouds that are seen during thunderstorms, which can reach heights of up to 65,000 feet. 2 . There must be strong currents of air ascending through these clouds. These currents are commonly known as updrafts. 3 . The clouds will need to contain high concentrations of supercooled liquid water.