Correct Answer:
C. is
Explanation:
📋 Detailed Grammar Breakdown
In English grammar, names of academic subjects, fields of science, or bodies of study ending in -ics (such as Statistics, Mathematics, Physics, Economics) are treated as singular collective nouns when referencing the discipline as a whole. Therefore, they strictly require a singular verb form (is).
⚠️ Usage Exception
If the word refers to raw data points or numerical facts rather than the study itself, it takes a plural verb (e.g., 'The recent statistics are highly encouraging.').