World Geography and Politics

Bangladesh has a replica of the Taj Mahal located in Sonargaon, near Dhaka. It was built by filmmaker Ahsanullah Moni at a cost of $58 million as a tourist attraction, replicating the original monument's architecture using the same materials from India.

The Durand Line is the international border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, established in 1893 through an agreement between British diplomat Mortimer Durand and Afghan Amir Abdur Rahman Khan. It remains a significant geopolitical boundary in South Asia, though its legitimacy has been disputed by various Pashtun tribes and Afghan governments over the years. Options A and C refer to borders between India and its neighbors, while option B refers to the Iraq-Iran border.

In 2010, France faced widespread strikes by transport, electricity, and gas workers when President Sarkozy's government announced pension reforms raising the retirement age from 60 to 62. This led to massive protests across French cities.

Bangladesh was known as East Pakistan from 1947 until 1971, when it gained independence after the Bangladesh Liberation War. West Pakistan is now Pakistan, and the terms East/West India are historically incorrect.

The official constitutional name of India is 'Republic of India,' reflecting its democratic and federal structure as a sovereign republic. 'Bharat' and 'Hindustan' are traditional names used in different contexts.

Arti Pradhan is an Indian long-distance swimmer who successfully crossed the Strait of Gibraltar. Her name indicates Indian origin, and this achievement is documented in Indian sports records.

 Correct answer is (3).

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, gained independence from Britain in 1948. The military government officially changed the country's name to Myanmar in 1989, though many governments and organizations continue to use both names.

The Palk Strait is a narrow stretch of water between the Tamil Nadu coast of India and the northwest coast of Sri Lanka. It connects the Bay of Bengal to the northeast with the Palk Bay to the south. The strait is named after Robert Palk, a governor of Madras Presidency.

 A World Hindi Secretariat has been set up in Mauritius with effect from 11th February 2008. The Secretariat has a Governing Council, and an Executive Board and is headed by a Secretary General. 

The BASIC group is an alliance of four major developing nations - Brazil, South Africa, India, and China - formed to coordinate their positions in international climate negotiations. The name BASIC comes from the first letters of these four countries. Britain is NOT a member of this group. Britain is a developed country and part of the European Union bloc (at the time), with different interests and commitments in climate negotiations. The BASIC countries often negotiate as a bloc to ensure that any climate agreement takes into account the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

Ny-Alesund is a research station located in Svalbard, which is an archipelago under Norwegian sovereignty in the Arctic Ocean. India's 'Himadri' research base was established there in 2008 as part of international Arctic research collaboration. Finland, Sweden, and Iceland are all Arctic nations but Svalbard specifically belongs to Norway.