(d) All four
Thaipusam is a festival mainly celebrated in Tamil Nadu. It is celebrated by Tamil devotees of Lord Kartikeya (Lord Murugan), son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. The festival is celebrated on Poornimani Tithi (Full Moon Day), which coincides with the month of Makar according to the solar calendar in North India.
The Dree Festival is primarily observed by the Apatani tribe of Arunachal Pradesh. Celebrated on July 5th, the festival marks the end of the planting season and the beginning of the harvest season. People offer prayers and offerings to four principal Gods for a bountiful crop.
The Aoling Festival is celebrated by the Konyak Naga people in Nagaland. This event marks the start of the spring season and a new year. The Konyak tribe, formerly known for headhunting, now come together to practice agriculture and celebrate their most important festival, known as Aoling.
The Cheiraoba festival is a traditional festival celebrated by the Meitei community of Manipur. It is also known as the Manipuri New Year. The festival is celebrated on the first day of the Manipur lunar month of Shajibu, which usually falls in April.

(d) None
The 2023 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation recognize projects that contribute to cultural exchange, economic prosperity, and sustainable heritage conservation. The awards have been given out since 2000 to recognize the achievements of the public and private sectors.
Award winning sites from India are as follows
• The Rambagh Gate in Amritsar received the “Award of Excellence,” the highest recognition among all categories.
• Pipal Haveli, a heritage rural homestay from Punjab was honoured for its sustainable development.
• The Karnikara Mandapam at Kunnamangalam Bhagawati Temple in Kerala earned the Award of Distinction.
• Epiphany in Haryana, David Sassoon Library and Reading Room in Mumbai and Bikaner House in New Delhi received the Award of Merit.
Three heritage projects from Punjab and Haryana, namely the Rambagh Gate & Ramparts in Amritsar, Pipal Haveli in Gurdaspur, and Church of Epiphany in Gurugram, have secured prestigious spots among the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
Rambagh Gate in Amritsar received the “Award of Excellence,” the highest recognition among all categories, as communicated by UNESCO.
Pipal Haveli, Gurdaspur: supports women’s empowerment through initiatives like the BaRi Collective, offering programmes that strengthen women’s livelihoods via environmentally conscious craft practices.

(a) Only one
Gallantry Awards have been instituted by the Government of India to honour the acts of bravery and sacrifice of the officers/personnel of the Armed Forces, other lawfully constituted Forces and civilians.
These gallantry awards are announced twice a year – first on the occasion of Republic Day and then on the occasion of Independence Day. (Statement 1 is incorrect)
The Ashoka Chakra is India’s highest peace-time gallantry award. It’s given for valor, courageous action, or self-sacrifice outside of battle. The Ashoka Chakra is the peace-time equivalent of the Param Vir Chakra, which is India’s highest military decoration.
The Param Vir Chakra (PVC) is India’s highest military decoration. It is awarded for “most conspicuous bravery in the presence of the enemy”. The name translates to “Wheel of the Ultimate Brave”
(Gallantry in the Face of Enemy)
First Category of Gallantry Awards Comprises of the following Awards
1. Param Vir Chakra (PVC)
2. Mahavir Chakra (MVC)
3. Vir Chakra

(Gallantry Other than in the Face of Enemy)
Second Category of Gallantry Awards Comprises of the following Awards
1. Ashok Chakra
2. Kirti Chakra
3. Shaurya Chakra
Post-independence, the first three gallantry awards namely the Param Vir Chakra, the Maha Vir Chakra and the Vir Chakra were instituted by the Government of India on 26th January 1950 and were deemed to have effect from the 15th August, 1947.
Thereafter, other three gallantry awards i.e., the Ashoka Chakra Class-I, the Ashoka Chakra Class-II and the Ashoka Chakra Class-III were instituted by the Government of India on 4th January 1952, which were deemed to have effect from the 15th August 1947. These awards were renamed the Ashoka Chakra, the Kirti Chakra and the Shaurya Chakra respectively in January 1967.
Order of precedence of these awards is the Param Vir Chakra, the Ashoka Chakra, the Mahavir Chakra, the Kirti Chakra, the Vir Chakra and the Shaurya Chakra.

(d) A king defeated in a battle committing ritual suicide by starving himself to death
Vattakirutal was a Tamil ritual of fasting till death, especially widespread during the Sangam age. The Tamil kings, in order to save their honour, and prestige, were prepared to meet their death facing North (‘Vatakkiruttal’) and never would they turn their back in battle.
Vatakkiruttal was a practice in which a defeated king committed ritual suicide by starving himself to death, accompanied by those who had been close to him during his lifetime. This was done to avoid the humiliation of being captured by the enemy and to preserve one’s honour and prestige.
The practice of Vattakirutal is mentioned in a number of Sangam poems, which are a collection of Tamil poems dating from the 3rd century BCE to the 3rd century CE. These poems describe the heroic deeds of Tamil kings and warriors, and they often mention the practice of Vattakirutal as a way for defeated kings to die with honour.

(b) Jainism
Jainism is an ancient Indian religion that emphasizes non-violence, truth, and asceticism. It believes that the concept of the soul, or jiva, exists in all living beings and inanimate objects. Jainism teaches that all souls are equal and have inherent qualities of knowledge, perception, and bliss.
This belief in the presence of souls in non-living objects highlights the interconnectedness and value of all life forms.