26.06.2026

1. A seismic doublet consists of two earthquakes of comparable magnitude occurring within a short interval due to distinct but closely related fault ruptures.
2. Unlike aftershocks, the two earthquakes in a seismic doublet are considered independent rupture events, although they occur in close spatial and temporal proximity.

III. A shallow seismic doublet can cause disproportionately greater damage because successive strong shocks prolong intense ground shaking before damaged structures can stabilize.

Which of the following information/evidence support(s) the above statements?

1. Aftershocks generally result from stress redistribution following a mainshock and are usually smaller in magnitude than the mainshock.
2. Seismologists classify earthquake sequences with two nearly equal-magnitude events on separate but adjacent fault segments occurring within seconds to hours as seismic doublets.
3. Shallow-focus earthquakes transmit a larger proportion of seismic energy to the Earth's surface than deep-focus earthquakes, increasing the intensity of ground shaking.
4. Earthquakes occurring along transform (strike-slip) plate boundaries always produce seismic doublets because horizontal plate movement generates paired ruptures.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. An Indian passport is strong evidence of citizenship but is not conclusive proof of citizenship under Indian law.
2. Indian citizenship is determined by the provisions of the Constitution and the Citizenship Act, 1955, rather than by possession of any particular government-issued document.

III. The absence of a universal citizenship certificate for all Indian citizens has contributed to reliance on multiple documents while establishing citizenship.

Which of the following information/evidence support(s) the above statements?

1. The Citizenship Act, 1955 prescribes acquisition of citizenship by birth, descent, registration, naturalisation and incorporation of territory, without designating any single document as definitive proof of citizenship.
2. Section 20 of the Passports Act, 1967 empowers the Central Government to issue a passport or travel document to a non-citizen in exceptional circumstances, indicating that a passport is legally a travel document rather than an exclusive certificate of citizenship.
3. Citizens acquiring citizenship through registration or naturalisation receive citizenship certificates, whereas citizens by birth generally do not receive an equivalent universal citizenship document.
4. Since the Election Commission issues Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) only after verifying nationality, the EPIC is recognised under Indian law as conclusive proof of citizenship.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Statement I: El Niño tends to weaken the Walker Circulation over the equatorial Pacific, thereby altering global atmospheric circulation and influencing rainfall patterns in regions far from the Pacific Ocean.

Statement II: During El Niño years, the central and eastern equatorial Pacific generally experience above-normal sea surface temperatures, reducing the east–west temperature gradient that normally sustains the trade winds.

Statement III: Since El Niño originates in the Pacific Ocean, its climatic influence is largely confined to countries bordering the Pacific and has only negligible effects on the Indian monsoon.

Which of the following relationships among the above statements is/are correct?

1. Statement II provides the physical mechanism that empirically explains the process described in Statement I.
2. Statement III contradicts the broader climatic implication inherent in Statement I.
3. Statements I and III together establish that atmospheric teleconnections are geographically limited phenomena.

Options: