Answer: Option C - Vulnerable

Explanation:

• The Olive Ridley turtle is listed as "Vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List due to significant threats from habitat loss, illegal egg collection, entanglement in fishing nets, and climate change affecting nesting sites.
• Despite their unique mass nesting behavior, called Arribada, these turtles face a declining population.
• Conservation efforts are essential to protect their breeding grounds, such as Odisha's Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, and ensure their survival in the wild.

Answer: Option B - Amazon Basin in South America

Explanation:

• Water hyacinth is an invasive aquatic plant originally native to the Amazon Basin in South America.
• It has spread to various parts of the world, including Africa, Asia, and North America, due to its rapid growth and adaptability.
• The plant can significantly disrupt ecosystems by blocking waterways, reducing biodiversity, and affecting local economies, particularly in fisheries and agriculture.
• Its uncontrolled spread poses serious environmental challenges in many regions globally.

Answer: Option B - Economic losses due to water hyacinth infestation.

Explanation:

• Lake Naivasha in Kenya recently gained attention due to the economic losses caused by the invasive water hyacinth.
• Over the past decade, the hyacinth has clogged the lake, significantly reducing fish populations, which are crucial for local fishermen’s livelihoods.
• Previously, fishermen caught up to 90 kg of fish daily, but now the catch has dwindled to only 10-15 kg, resulting in severe economic and ecological impacts on the region.

Answer: Option C - Asymmetric-key encryption

Explanation:

• Asymmetric-key encryption, also known as public-key cryptography, uses two keys: a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption.
• This method ensures secure communication as the encryption key is shared publicly, while the decryption key remains secret.
• It is widely used in securing online communications, and is fundamental in technologies like cryptocurrencies, providing enhanced security and privacy.

Answer: Option C - Solving optimization problems by exploring a vast solution space

Explanation:

• Quantum annealing is a quantum computing technique used to solve optimization problems by finding the minimum energy configuration of a system.
• It works by encoding the problem into a quantum system and allowing it to explore a vast solution space through quantum superposition and tunneling.
• This approach is particularly useful for complex problems where classical algorithms struggle, such as in logistics, finance, and machine learning, making it effective for optimization tasks.