The Code was issued for the first time in 1971 before the 5th Lok Sabha elections. Since then, it has been issued before every central and state election and revised from time to time.

Statement 2 is correct.

The Model Code of Conduct comes into force immediately on announcement of the election schedule by the commission for the need of ensuring free and fair elections.

Statement 3 is incorrect

Election Commission of India's Model Code of Conduct is a set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India for conduct of political parties and candidates during elections mainly with respect to speeches, polling day, polling booths, election manifestos, processions and general conduct. These set of norms has been evolved with the consensus of political parties who have consented to abide by the principles embodied in the said code in its letter and spirit.

The Juvenile Justice Act of 2000 was amended in 2015 with a provision allowing for Children in Conflict with Law (CCL) to be tried as adults under certain circumstances.

The Act defines a child as someone who is under age 18. For a CCL, age on the date of the offence is the basis for determining whether he or she was a child or an adult.

The amended Act distinguishes children in the age group 16-18 as a category which can be tried as adults if they are alleged to have committed a heinous offence - one that attracts a minimum punishment of seven years. The Act does not, however, make it mandatory for all children in this age group to be tried as adults.

To streamline adoption procedures for orphan, abandoned and surrendered children, the existing Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) is given the status of a statutory body to enable it to perform its function more effectively.

Source "

Billions of pieces of plastic pollution are snagged on coral reefs, sending disease rates soaring, new research has revealed. The discovery compounds the damage being done to a vital habitat that already faces an existential threat from the warming caused by climate change.

Scientists examined 125,000 corals across the Asia-Pacific region, home to half the world's reefs, and found 89% of those fouled by plastic were suffering disease. On plastic-free reefs, only 4% of the corals were diseased.

The correlation between plastic pollution and high rates of disease was very striking and the researchers think sharp plastic fragments cut the coral organisms, while plastic fabrics smother them and block out light and oxygen.

Once a coral is infected, disease usually spreads across the colony. Said the project lead, "Corals are animals just like me and you - they become wounded and then infected.. Plastics are ideal vessels for microorganisms, with pits and pores, so it's like cutting yourself with a really dirty knife.. It's like getting gangrene on your toe and watching it eat your body. There's not much you can do to stop it. If a piece of plastic happens to entangle on a coral it has a pretty bad chance of survival."

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jan/25/billions-of-pieces-of-plastic-on-coral-reefs-send-disease-soaring-research-reveals ;

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-42821004 ;

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Both the statements are correct. "

Statement 1: If high growth results in an imbalance of supply and demand (greater than supply), then inflation is likely. On the other hand, if supply outstrips demand due to high growth, prices will be depressed.

Statement 2: High growths are necessary for reducing poverty, but high growths may not always reduce poverty.

The benefits of high growth may be restricted to the top earners of the population and little or no benefit may accrue to the BPL.

Also, whether Economic growth results in increase in per capita income depends on whether the population of the country has grown or not. If population growth has outpaced economic growth rate, then per capita income will reduce.