Explanation: Anaemia is a condition caused by a deficiency of iron in the body, leading to reduced formation of haemoglobin in red blood cells. As a result, the blood’s capacity to carry oxygen decreases, causing fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and pale skin. Iron is essential for haemoglobin synthesis, and deficiency can result from poor diet, blood loss, or malabsorption. Foods rich in iron include green leafy vegetables, liver, red meat, legumes, and jaggery.

Chandrayaan-2, launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 22 July 2019, was designed to explore the South Pole region of the Moon. This area is of great scientific interest because it is permanently shadowed and may contain water ice and other valuable minerals. The mission included an orbiter, a lander (Vikram), and a rover (Pragyan), making it India’s first attempt at a soft landing on the lunar surface near the south pole.

Other options (for context)

• Moon North Pole: Not the target area of Chandrayaan-2.
• Moon North-West part: Incorrect — Chandrayaan-2 focused specifically on the South Pole.
• Unexplored part of the Moon: Partly true, but specifically, the unexplored South Pole region was chosen.

Explanation: In an incompatible blood transfusion, the antibodies in the recipient’s plasma bind to the antigens on the donor’s RBCs. This causes the red blood cells to agglutinate (clump together) and eventually undergo hemolysis (bursting). The released hemoglobin can block kidney tubules and cause kidney failure, which can be fatal if untreated. This is why blood group compatibility testing (cross-matching) is essential before transfusions.

Example:

If a person with blood group B (having anti-A antibodies) receives blood from a person with group A (which has A antigens), the recipient’s anti-A antibodies will attack the donor’s RBCs, leading to agglutination.

Explanation: Oceans contain the maximum amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) on Earth. They act as the largest carbon sink, absorbing CO₂ from the atmosphere and storing it in dissolved form or as carbonates. This helps regulate the global carbon cycle and maintain atmospheric balance.

Explanation: The blue colour of the sky is due to the scattering of sunlight by molecules and small particles in the Earth's atmosphere. Shorter wavelengths of light (blue and violet) are scattered more than longer wavelengths (red and yellow). Since our eyes are more sensitive to blue light, the sky appears blue.

Explanation: According to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) – IS 10500:2012, the acceptable limit of total hardness in drinking water, expressed as CaCO₃, is 200 mg/l. The permissible limit in the absence of an alternate source is up to 600 mg/l. Excess hardness can cause scaling and affect the taste of water.

Explanation: The burning of a candle is a chemical change because new substances such as carbon dioxide, water vapour, and heat energy are produced during the reaction between wax and oxygen. This change is irreversible and results in a permanent alteration of the chemical composition of the material. In contrast, melting of wax and vapourisation of water are physical changes since no new substances are formed and the process can be reversed by cooling.

When iron rusts, its weight increases. This is because rusting is a chemical reaction between iron, oxygen, and moisture from the air, forming hydrated iron(III) oxide (Fe₂O₃·xH₂O). During this process, oxygen atoms from the air combine with the iron, adding extra mass to the metal surface in the form of rust. However, while the weight increases, the structural strength of the iron decreases due to corrosion.

Other options (for context)

• Decreases: Incorrect — mass increases due to the addition of oxygen.
• Remains the same: Incorrect — oxygen from air chemically adds to iron, increasing total mass.
• First increases and then decreases: Not applicable — in normal rusting, weight continues to increase until the surface flakes off.