February 13, 2025 Current Affairs (English)

February 13, 2025, Current Affairs (English)

1. What happens to bond yields when bond prices fall?

a) Bond yields rise
b) Bond yields fall
c) Bond yields remain unchanged
d) Bond yields become negative

Answer: a) Bond yields rise

2. Why do Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) tend to withdraw from Indian stock markets when U.S. bond yields rise?

a) Indian markets become more attractive
b) U.S. bonds offer higher returns with lower risk
c) The Indian rupee strengthens against the U.S. dollar
d) RBI increases interest rates on Indian bonds

Answer: b) U.S. bonds offer higher returns with lower risk

3. What is the primary objective of the RBI’s “Operation Twist”?

a) To reduce inflation by increasing bond yields
b) To stabilize long-term yields by buying longer-term bonds and selling shorter-term bonds
c) To increase liquidity in the market by lowering interest rates
d) To raise government revenue through bond auctions

Answer: b) To stabilize long-term yields by buying longer-term bonds and selling shorter-term bonds

4. What is the primary objective of the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant (JNPP) agreement between India and France?

a) To develop renewable energy sources like solar and wind power
b) To build six European Pressurized Reactors (EPRs) in Maharashtra, making it the world’s largest nuclear power plant
c) To establish a nuclear research facility in France for joint India-France studies
d) To replace coal-fired power plants in India with nuclear reactors

Answer: b) To build six European Pressurized Reactors (EPRs) in Maharashtra, making it the world’s largest nuclear power plant

5. Which of the following initiatives was launched to promote AI collaboration between India and France?

a) Indo-French Space Cooperation Roadmap
b) Horizon 2047 Strategic Partnership
c) India-France AI Roadmap
d) Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Pact

Answer: c) India-France AI Roadmap

6. Which military exercise represents the naval cooperation between India and France?

a) Garuda
b) Shakti
c) Varuna
d) Indra

Answer: c) Varuna

7. What was the significance of the 1974 India-Sri Lanka agreement in the fisheries dispute?

a) It allowed Indian fishermen unrestricted fishing rights in Sri Lankan waters
b) It established the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and ceded Kachchatheevu Island to Sri Lanka
c) It banned fishing in the Palk Bay region for both Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen
d) It introduced joint fishing rights for both nations

Answer: b) It established the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and ceded Kachchatheevu Island to Sri Lanka

8. Why has bottom trawling by Indian fishermen been a major issue in the India-Sri Lanka fisheries dispute?

a) It increases fish populations in the Palk Bay
b) It is a more profitable fishing method than traditional techniques
c) It causes severe ecological damage by destroying marine habitats, coral reefs, and fish breeding grounds
d) It allows fishermen to catch a higher variety of fish

Answer: c) It causes severe ecological damage by destroying marine habitats, coral reefs, and fish breeding grounds

9. Which international convention governs fishing rights and marine resource conservation?

a) United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS, 1982)
b) Kyoto Protocol
c) Montreal Protocol
d) Ramsar Convention

Answer: a) United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS, 1982)

10. What is the primary objective of the Nari Adalat program?

a) To establish formal courts for women’s legal cases
b) To provide an alternative grievance redressal mechanism at the gram panchayat level through mediation and reconciliation
c) To train women in law enforcement and policing
d) To provide financial assistance to women entrepreneurs

Answer: b) To provide an alternative grievance redressal mechanism at the gram panchayat level through mediation and reconciliation

11. Under which sub-scheme of Mission Shakti does the Nari Adalat initiative fall?

a) Samarthya
b) Sambal
c) Sakhi
d) Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana

Answer: b) Sambal

12. Which of the following states is NOT among the top fish-producing states in India?

a) Andhra Pradesh
b) West Bengal
c) Rajasthan
d) Gujarat

Answer: c) Rajasthan

13. What is the primary objective of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)?

a) To promote only marine fishing
b) To increase fish production, improve infrastructure, and generate employment in the fisheries sector
c) To encourage fish imports into India
d) To provide free fish to consumers

Answer: b) To increase fish production, improve infrastructure, and generate employment in the fisheries sector

14. What is the main aim of the Palk Bay Scheme launched in 2017?

a) To encourage bottom trawling for increased fish production
b) To motivate fishermen to abandon bottom trawling and promote sustainable fishing
c) To promote fish farming only in inland areas
d) To reduce fish exports and focus on domestic consumption

Answer: b) To motivate fishermen to abandon bottom trawling and promote sustainable fishing

15. What is the primary objective of introducing Gross Domestic Knowledge Product (GDKP)?

a) To measure only physical capital investments in the economy
b) To capture the contributions of knowledge-based sectors like innovation, intellectual assets, and intangible assets to GDP
c) To replace GDP as the primary economic indicator
d) To measure only scientific research expenditures

Answer: b) To capture the contributions of knowledge-based sectors like innovation, intellectual assets, and intangible assets to GDP

16. What is one of the key challenges in measuring GDKP?

a) Lack of public interest in knowledge-based products
b) Over-reliance on traditional industries in GDP calculation
c) Difficulty in defining a clear methodology and collecting data on intellectual property, research, and human capital
d) Excessive focus on manufacturing industries

Answer: c) Difficulty in defining a clear methodology and collecting data on intellectual property, research, and human capital

17. Sant Ravidas was a prominent saint of which spiritual movement?

a) Sufi Movement
b) Bhakti Movement
c) Vedic Movement
d) Vaishnavism

Answer: b) Bhakti Movement

18. Which of the following statements about Sant Ravidas is NOT true?

a) He was a disciple of Jagatguru Ramanand.
b) His devotional verses are included in the Guru Granth Sahib.
c) He advocated idol worship as a core aspect of devotion.
d) He promoted social equality and opposed caste discrimination.

Answer: c) He advocated idol worship as a core aspect of devotion

19. What is the primary function of trumpeting in Asian elephants, as per the new study?

a) Only a response to disturbances
b) Used in social interactions, play, and conflicts within and between groups
c) Primarily for attracting mates
d) Only used for warning against predators

Answer: b) Used in social interactions, play, and conflicts within and between groups

20. How do younger elephants’ trumpeting calls differ from those of older elephants?

a) Younger elephants use lower-pitched calls, while older elephants use higher-pitched calls
b) Younger elephants use higher-pitched calls to attract herd attention, while older elephants use lower-pitched calls
c) Younger elephants do not trumpet, while only older elephants use this form of communication
d) There is no difference in trumpeting between younger and older elephants

Answer: b) Younger elephants use higher-pitched calls to attract herd attention, while older elephants use lower-pitched calls