February 20, 2025 Current Affairs (English)

February 20, 2025 Current Affairs (English)

1. Under which article of the Indian Constitution was special status granted to Delhi through the 69th Amendment Act, 1991?

A) Article 239
B) Article 239A
C) Article 239AA
D) Article 368

Answer: C) Article 239AA

2. Who appoints the Chief Minister of Delhi?

A) The President of India
B) The Prime Minister of India
C) The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi
D) The Chief Justice of India

Answer: A) The President of India

3. Which of the following subjects is outside the legislative powers of the Delhi Assembly?

A) Health
B) Education
C) Land
D) Transport

Answer: C) Land

4. What is the maximum permissible strength of the Council of Ministers, including the Chief Minister, in Delhi’s Legislative Assembly?

A) 10% of the total assembly members
B) 12 ministers, including the Chief Minister
C) 15% of the total assembly members
D) No fixed limit

Answer: A) 10% of the total assembly members

5. What is the main objective of Project Cheetah in India?

A) To increase tourism revenue in wildlife reserves
B) To restore ecological balance and enhance biodiversity
C) To create a new species of hybrid cheetahs
D) To export cheetahs to other countries

Answer: B) To restore ecological balance and enhance biodiversity

6. Where have the African cheetahs been translocated under Project Cheetah?

A) Ranthambore National Park
B) Jim Corbett National Park
C) Kuno National Park
D) Kaziranga National Park

Answer: C) Kuno National Park

7. According to the study, what was one of the major concerns about the translocated cheetahs in India?

A) They are thriving and reproducing at a high rate
B) They have high levels of stress and poor survival rates
C) They have successfully adapted to their new habitat
D) They have started hunting large herbivores

Answer: B) They have high levels of stress and poor survival rates

8. Which organization is responsible for implementing Project Cheetah in India?

A) Wildlife Institute of India (WII)
B) National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)
C) Zoological Survey of India (ZSI)
D) Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE)

Answer: B) National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)

9. What was the primary discovery made about bacterial cellulose in the recent study published in Science Advances?

A) It can be used as a pesticide for plants
B) It significantly improves healing and regeneration in plants
C) It enhances plant photosynthesis
D) It reduces soil erosion

Answer: B) It significantly improves healing and regeneration in plants

10. Which of the following is a key characteristic of bacterial cellulose?

A) It is highly toxic to living organisms
B) It is biodegradable and has high mechanical strength
C) It does not retain water
D) It is exclusively used in textile manufacturing

Answer: B) It is biodegradable and has high mechanical strength

11. Which bacterial genera are known to produce bacterial cellulose?

A) Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Escherichia
B) Acetobacter, Gluconobacter, Komagataeibacter
C) Clostridium, Bacillus, Mycobacterium
D) Pseudomonas, Vibrio, Enterobacter

Answer: B) Acetobacter, Gluconobacter, Komagataeibacter

12. Which of the following is NOT a common application of bacterial cellulose?

A) Medical wound dressings
B) Food additive for low-calorie foods
C) Waterproof coatings for buildings
D) Sustainable food packaging material

Answer: C) Waterproof coatings for buildings

13. Which article of the Indian Constitution grants the President the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites, and remissions of punishment?

A) Article 72
B) Article 161
C) Article 21
D) Article 14

Answer: A) Article 72

14. According to the Supreme Court, who is responsible for ensuring the fair and automatic consideration of remission for eligible convicts?

A) The convict or their family members
B) The judiciary
C) The appropriate government (State or Union)
D) The National Human Rights Commission

Answer: C) The appropriate government (State or Union)

15. Which Supreme Court case ruled that remission is not an absolute right and must be granted based on well-defined rules?

A) Maru Ram v. Union of India (1980)
B) Laxman Naskar v. State of West Bengal (2000)
C) Union of India vs V. Sriharan (2015)
D) Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973)

Answer: A) Maru Ram v. Union of India (1980)

16. What is one of the major risks associated with granting remission to convicts?

A) Increase in employment opportunities
B) Risk of recidivism (reoffending)
C) Strengthening of judicial transparency
D) Reduction of prison security measures

Answer: B) Risk of recidivism (reoffending)

17. Why was OPEC+ formed in 2016?

A) To promote renewable energy investments
B) To respond to falling oil prices due to increased U.S. shale oil production
C) To increase oil exports to non-OPEC countries
D) To establish a new headquarters for OPEC in Brazil

Answer: B) To respond to falling oil prices due to increased U.S. shale oil production

18. What is a major concern regarding Brazil’s entry into OPEC+?

A) It could lead to a decrease in global oil prices
B) It contradicts climate goals and raises concerns about fossil fuel expansion
C) It will increase oil imports to Brazil
D) It will result in Brazil’s withdrawal from renewable energy agreements

Answer: B) It contradicts climate goals and raises concerns about fossil fuel expansion

19. Why can’t a humpback whale swallow a human despite its large mouth?

A) It does not have teeth to chew food
B) Its throat is too narrow, roughly the size of a human fist
C) It only feeds on plankton and small fish
D) It avoids large prey due to instinct

Answer: B) Its throat is too narrow, roughly the size of a human fist

20. What is a unique feeding technique used by humpback whales?

A) Echo-location hunting
B) Pack hunting like wolves
C) Bubble net feeding
D) Ambush predation

Answer: C) Bubble net feeding