April 12, 2025 Current Affairs (English)

April 12, 2025, Current Affairs (English)

1. What is the primary aim of the Trump Tariffs (TT) announced on April 2, 2025?

A) Encourage domestic consumption in India
B) Promote globalization and liberal trade
C) Counter China’s mercantilist policies and reduce US trade deficit
D) Strengthen ties with the European Union

Answer: C) Counter China’s mercantilist policies and reduce US trade deficit

2. Which of the following sectors in India is most affected by the 26% reciprocal tariff from the US?

A) Textiles and MSMEs
B) Auto and IT sectors
C) Renewable Energy
D) Agriculture and Organic Produce

Answer: B) Auto and IT sectors

3. What does the “China+1” strategy refer to?

A) China’s increasing domestic consumption
B) Diversification of manufacturing away from China
C) Merging China and India into one trade bloc
D) The US forming a strategic alliance with China

Answer: B) Diversification of manufacturing away from China

4. Which of the following is a major recommendation for trade policy modernization in India?

A) Increase import duties to support domestic producers
B) Maintain current BITs and avoid foreign arbitration
C) Adopt “zero-for-zero” industrial goods agreements
D) Focus only on domestic manufacturing

Answer: C) Adopt “zero-for-zero” industrial goods agreements

5. What is one of the key goals of India’s Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) with the US?

A) To stop all US imports
B) To raise tariffs on US goods
C) To expand trade from $191 billion to $500 billion by 2030
D) To restrict US investments in India

Answer: C) To expand trade from $191 billion to $500 billion by 2030

6. What is the maximum government grant provided under the Plastic Parks Scheme?

A. ₹20 crore
B. ₹30 crore
C. ₹40 crore
D. ₹50 crore

Answer: C. ₹40 crore

7. Which organization primarily offers training and education in plastics processing and technology in India?

A. NITI Aayog
B. CIPET
C. BIS
D. CSIR

Answer: B. CIPET

8. Which of the following government initiatives is aimed at making plastic producers responsible for waste management?

A. Plastic Credit Scheme
B. National Green Tribunal Act
C. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
D. Swachh Plastic Abhiyan

Answer: C. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

9. How many Plastic Parks have been approved by the Government of India under the scheme?

A. 5
B. 8
C. 10
D. 12

Answer: C. 10

10. Which ministry is responsible for implementing the Plastic Parks Scheme?

A. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
B. Ministry of Commerce and Industry
C. Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
D. Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

Answer: C. Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers

11. What key evidence supports the theory that Earth’s ancient oceans were once green?

A. Fossils of marine reptiles in green rock
B. Presence of oxidized iron (Fe(III)) in ocean water near Japan
C. Satellite images showing green oceans in the past
D. Coral deposits from Archean times

Answer: B. Presence of oxidized iron (Fe(III)) in ocean water near Japan

12. What adaptation helped early blue-green algae survive in green-hued waters?

A. Use of iron-based respiration
B. Protective shells
C. Dual pigments like chlorophyll and phycoerythrobilin (PEB)
D. Ability to live on land

Answer: C. Dual pigments like chlorophyll and phycoerythrobilin (PEB)

13. What future ocean color might dominate if sulfur-rich conditions prevail?

A. Blue
B. Purple
C. White
D. Orange

Answer: B. Purple

14. Which of the following Indian states ranks second in lightning-related fatalities as per the National Crime Records Bureau?

A. Uttar Pradesh
B. Maharashtra
C. Bihar
D. Odisha

Answer: C. Bihar

15. What is the function of the Damini app developed in India?

A. Flood alert system
B. Earthquake prediction tool
C. Real-time lightning alert system
D. Cyclone tracking system

Answer: C. Real-time lightning alert system

16. Which organization has established a network of 83 lightning detection stations across India?

A. National Disaster Response Force
B. Indian Meteorological Society
C. Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune
D. Ministry of Earth Sciences

Answer: C. Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune

17. Which initiative promotes community awareness and resilience to lightning in India?

A. Jal Shakti Abhiyan
B. Lightning Resilient India Campaign
C. Project Varsha
D. National Safe Skies Mission

Answer: B. Lightning Resilient India Campaign

18. What is the newly added category of industries in the CPCB’s revised classification scheme in 2025?

A. White
B. Yellow
C. Blue
D. Grey

Answer: C. Blue

19. What was the previous CPCB classification of Waste-to-Energy (WTE) incineration plants before they were moved to the Blue Category?

A. Green
B. Orange
C. White
D. Red

Answer: D. Red

20. According to CPCB’s 2025 classification, which range of Pollution Index (PI) corresponds to the Red Category industries?

A. PI > 90
B. PI > 80
C. PI between 55 and 80
D. PI less than 25

Answer: B. PI > 80