February 14, 2025 Current Affairs (English)

February 14, 2025 Current Affairs (English)

1. Which organization publishes the annual Climate Risk Index (CRI)?

a) United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
b) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
c) Germanwatch
d) World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

Answer: c) Germanwatch

2. According to the Climate Risk Index (CRI) 2025, what is India’s rank among the countries most affected by extreme weather events between 1993 and 2022?

a) 3rd
b) 6th
c) 10th
d) 14th

Answer: b) 6th

3. Which of the following indicators is not one of the key indicators used by the CRI to assess the impact of extreme weather events?

a) Absolute economic loss
b) Relative economic loss
c) Absolute number of social media mentions
d) Relative number of fatalities

Answer: c) Absolute number of social media mentions

4. Which dimension of devolution primarily deals with authorizing Panchayats to impose and manage their own taxes, duties, tolls, and fees?

a) Framework
b) Functions
c) Finances
d) Capacity Enhancement

Answer: c) Finances

5. According to the “Status of Devolution to Panchayats in States—An Indicative Evidence-Based Ranking,” which of the following states tops the ranking for best overall devolution?

a) Kerala
b) Tamil Nadu
c) Uttar Pradesh
d) Karnataka

Answer: d) Karnataka

6. Which constitutional provision mandates the formation of the State Finance Commission (SFC) every five years for recommending resource distribution between the State and Panchayats?

a) Article 243H
b) Article 243I
c) Article 280
d) Article 243Z

Answer: b) Article 243I

7. Under which article of the Indian Constitution can the President proclaim President’s Rule if he is satisfied that the State Government cannot function in accordance with constitutional provisions?

a) Article 123
b) Article 355
c) Article 356
d) Article 368

Answer: c) Article 356

8. What is the maximum initial duration for which President’s Rule can be imposed in a state before it requires parliamentary approval for any further extension?

a) One month
b) Six months
c) One year
d) Three years

Answer: b) Six months

9. Which amendment to the Constitution reintroduced the concept that the President’s satisfaction in imposing President’s Rule is open to judicial review?

a) 38th Amendment
b) 42nd Amendment
c) 44th Amendment
d) 52nd Amendment

Answer: c) 44th Amendment

10. Under the proposed Income-Tax Bill, 2025, which new concept replaces the Assessment Year (AY)?

a) Calendar Year
b) Tax Year
c) Digital Year
d) Financial Review Year

Answer: b) Tax Year

11. Which of the following statements correctly describes the approach to Virtual Digital Assets (VDAs) in the Income-Tax Bill, 2025?

a) VDAs are excluded from being taxed as capital assets.
b) VDAs are treated separately and are exempt from tax.
c) VDAs like cryptocurrencies and NFTs are formally recognized as capital assets, similar to land or jewelry.
d) VDAs are allowed a blanket deduction irrespective of their gains.

Answer: c) VDAs like cryptocurrencies and NFTs are formally recognized as capital assets, similar to land or jewelry.

12. Which of the following best describes the major change in how income will be assessed in the new Income Tax Bill, 2025?

a) The financial year now starts on January 1 and ends on December 31.
b) The bill completely abolishes the concept of a 12-month financial period.
c) Income will be assessed and taxed in the same 12-month period, referred to as the “Tax Year.”
d) Two separate assessment periods for each financial year remain mandatory.

Answer: c) Income will be assessed and taxed in the same 12-month period, referred to as the “Tax Year.”

13. What is the primary characteristic that makes each Dokra (Dhokra) artifact unique?

a) They are all mechanized using modern machinery.
b) No two pieces are identical, as the mold is destroyed after casting.
c) They use only precious metals like gold and silver.
d) They only depict religious deities, disallowing any other motifs.

Answer: b) No two pieces are identical, as the mold is destroyed after casting.

14. Which of the following best describes the lost-wax casting method used in Dokra craft?

a) The metal is poured into a reusable plastic mold.
b) A clay core is created, covered with wax, then clay again, and wax is melted out before pouring molten metal.
c) It involves simple forging without any use of wax.
d) Modern 3D printing technology is used to make the metal molds.

Answer: b) A clay core is created, covered with wax, then clay again, and wax is melted out before pouring molten metal.

15. In which region(s) of India is Dokra metal craft NOT traditionally practiced?

a) Odisha and West Bengal
b) Madhya Pradesh and Telangana
c) Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu
d) Punjab and Gujarat

Answer: d) Punjab and Gujarat

16. The recent deep-sea fishing expedition by the Fishery Survey of India (FSI) funded under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, discovered new, high-yield fishing grounds primarily located:

a) In the Bay of Bengal, near the Odisha coast

b) About 100-120 nautical miles off India’s western coast in the Arabian Sea

c) In shallow waters close to the Kerala coast

d) Near the Sri Lanka maritime boundary in the Palk Bay

Answer: b) About 100-120 nautical miles off India’s western coast in the Arabian Sea

17. Which of the following species groups was reported to be abundant in these newly explored deep-sea fishing areas?

a) Only freshwater catfishes

b) Predominantly river eels and pond carps

c) Various crustaceans (e.g., Humpback nylon shrimp), cephalopods, and diverse fish species

d) Major coral reef builders like stony corals

Answer: c) Various crustaceans (e.g., Humpback nylon shrimp), cephalopods, and diverse fish species

18. Which of the following statements accurately describes the Arabian Sea, as mentioned in the survey context?

a) It is a landlocked sea entirely within the Persian Gulf.

b) It is located in the northern Indian Ocean, bordered by countries including India, Pakistan, and Oman.

c) It does not connect to any other water bodies, making it isolated from trade routes.

d) It is formed by the confluence of the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers.

Answer: b) It is located in the northern Indian Ocean, bordered by countries including India, Pakistan, and Oman

19. Which of the following was NOT one of the core principles advocated by Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati and the Arya Samaj?

a) Monotheism (belief in one supreme God)

b) Rejection of idol worship

c) Strict adherence to the Varna system purely by birth

d) Emphasis on the Vedas as the highest authority

Answer: c) Strict adherence to the Varna system purely by birth

20. Which important publication by Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati is considered a seminal work, laying out the fundamental doctrines of the Arya Samaj and criticizing ritualistic practices?

a) Rigvedadi Bhashya Bhumika

b) Panchmahayajya Vidhi

c) Satyarth Prakash

d) Sanskar Vidhi

Answer: c) Satyarth Prakash