February 28, 2025 Current Affairs (English)

February 28, 2025, Current Affairs (English)

1. What is the primary focus of India’s engagement with Africa as highlighted by India’s External Affairs Minister in the Japan-India-Africa Business Forum?

a) Military expansion and defense cooperation
b) Constructive engagement through capacity-building, skill development, and technology transfer
c) Increasing imports from Africa without investments
d) Establishing political dominance in African countries

Answer: b) Constructive engagement through capacity-building, skill development, and technology transfer

2. What is the objective of the Japan-India Cooperation Initiative for Sustainable Economic Development in Africa?

a) To promote military alliances between India, Japan, and African nations
b) To facilitate investments by Japanese companies in India and strengthen bilateral business with Africa
c) To encourage African nations to adopt Japanese as their official language
d) To reduce economic ties between India and Africa

Answer: b) To facilitate investments by Japanese companies in India and strengthen bilateral business with Africa

3. What is the primary objective of the newly launched “Cali Fund” at COP16?
a) To provide funding for military research on genetic resources
b) To mobilize private sector funding for biodiversity conservation and support the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
c) To create a database of all genetic resources globally
d) To regulate international trade in genetically modified organisms

Answer: b) To mobilize private sector funding for biodiversity conservation and support the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

4. Which sectors are expected to contribute to the Cali Fund due to their high dependence on Digital Sequence Information (DSI)?

a) Banking, finance, and e-commerce
b) Pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, agricultural biotechnology, and industrial biotechnology
c) Hospitality, tourism, and entertainment
d) Public universities and research institutions

Answer: b) Pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, agricultural biotechnology, and industrial biotechnology

5. What is the primary objective of the Prani Mitra and Jeev Daya Awards?

a) To promote livestock farming in India
b) To recognize outstanding contributions in animal welfare and humane treatment of animals
c) To encourage pet ownership across India
d) To provide financial grants for wildlife conservation

Answer: b) To recognize outstanding contributions in animal welfare and humane treatment of animals

6. Under which ministry does the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) operate?

a) Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change
b) Ministry of Home Affairs
c) Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying
d) Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

Answer: c) Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying

7. Which of the following is one of India’s key demands in the India- UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA)?

a) Lower import duties on Scotch whisky and electric vehicles
b) Increased access for UK telecom and financial services in India
c) Greater access for Indian students and professionals in the UK
d) Reduction of tariffs on UK machinery and petroleum products

Answer: c) Greater access for Indian students and professionals in the UK

8. What is a key point of contention in the proposed India-UK Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT)?
a) India’s demand for direct international arbitration for investment disputes
b) The UK’s insistence that Indian courts must handle all disputes before international arbitration
c) India’s requirement that foreign companies approach Indian courts first before seeking international arbitration
d) The UK’s refusal to sign any investment protection agreements

Answer: c) India’s requirement that foreign companies approach Indian courts first before seeking international arbitration

9. What is the key change proposed in the Income Tax Bill 2025 regarding reassessment under GAAR?
a) Reducing the reassessment period from 5 years to 3 years
b) Allowing reassessment of tax years beyond the existing time limit if covered under GAAR provisions
c) Eliminating reassessment notices for GAAR cases 
d) Making reassessment applicable only to individual taxpayers

Answer: b) Allowing reassessment of tax years beyond the existing time limit if covered under GAAR provisions

10. What is the main objective of the General Anti-Avoidance Rules (GAAR)?
a) To increase corporate tax rates
b) To legalize aggressive tax planning techniques
c) To prevent tax avoidance through complex financial structures
d) To provide tax exemptions for large multinational corporations

Answer: c) To prevent tax avoidance through complex financial structures

11. Under the Hague Service Convention, which of the following is the primary method of serving judicial documents across international borders?

a) Direct service through postal channels
b) Transmission via designated central authorities of the receiving country
c) Private judicial officers personally delivering documents
d) Service through diplomatic and consular representatives without restrictions

Answer: b) Transmission via designated central authorities of the receiving country

12. Which of the following is a key restriction India imposes under the Hague Service Convention?

a) It allows only direct service via postal channels
b) It permits foreign courts to serve documents directly to individuals in India
c) It does not allow direct service through postal channels, judicial officers, or diplomatic agents
d) It prohibits service of any legal documents from foreign countries

Answer: c) It does not allow direct service through postal channels, judicial officers, or diplomatic agents

13. What key safeguard did the Supreme Court mandate to prevent arbitrary arrests under GST and Customs laws?

a) Officers can arrest based on mere suspicion without documentation
b) Arresting officers must provide written grounds of arrest and inform the arrestee’s family or authorized person immediately
c) Arrests can only be made after obtaining prior approval from the Finance Ministry
d) GST and Customs officers are not allowed to arrest individuals under any circumstances

Answer: b) Arresting officers must provide written grounds of arrest and inform the arrestee’s family or authorized person immediately

14. What did the Supreme Court rule regarding anticipatory bail in GST and Customs-related cases?

a) Anticipatory bail is not available in cases related to GST and Customs laws
b) Anticipatory bail can be granted even if no FIR has been filed, to prevent wrongful arrests
c) Only the GST Council can approve anticipatory bail applications
d) The Supreme Court upheld the MakeMyTrip case, restricting anticipatory bail in GST-related arrests

Answer: b) Anticipatory bail can be granted even if no FIR has been filed to prevent wrongful arrests

15. Why is the Cholanaikkan tribe classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG)?

a) They have a high population and widespread settlements. 
b) They practice large-scale agriculture and trade with outsiders. 
c) They have a tiny population, live in deep forests, and have minimal contact with outsiders. 
d) They are known for their advanced technological skills in forest management

Answer: c) They have a tiny population, live in deep forests, and have minimal contact with outsiders

16. What initiative has been taken to support the education of Meenakshi, a 12-year-old girl from the Cholanaikkan tribe?

a) She has been relocated to an urban school for better education
b) The government has assigned personal tutors from outside the community
c) The Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK) programme developed 30 audio-visual texts in the Cholanaikkan language for home-based education
d) The tribe has refused all forms of modern education for its children

Answer: c) The Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK) programme developed 30 audio-visual texts in the Cholanaikkan language for home-based education

17. What is a key consequence of the United States’ disengagement from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)?

a) Increased US investments in global renewable energy projects
b) Strengthened global commitment to the Paris Agreement
c) Reduced scientific contributions from key agencies like NASA and NOAA, weakening climate research and mitigation strategies
d) A shift in global leadership towards the United States in climate governance

Answer: c) Reduced scientific contributions from key agencies like NASA and NOAA, weakening climate research and mitigation strategies

18. What does the term “New Climate Order” refer to in the context of global climate governance?

a) A centralized global authority to enforce climate policies worldwide
b) A reconfiguration of global climate governance, funding, and leadership to ensure resilience amid policy shifts in major economies like the US
c) The elimination of fossil fuels from the global energy market within the next decade
d) A complete withdrawal of developing countries from climate commitments

Answer: b) A reconfiguration of global climate governance, funding, and leadership to ensure resilience amid policy shifts in major economies like the US

19. Why are southern states opposed to the population-based delimitation of parliamentary seats?

a) They have higher population growth compared to northern states
b) It may reduce their parliamentary representation despite their economic contributions and success in population control
c) They fear an increase in reserved seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
d) It will lead to an immediate increase in the number of seats allocated to them

Answer: b) It may reduce their parliamentary representation despite their economic contributions and success in population control

20. What was the primary objective of freezing parliamentary and assembly seat allocation under the 42nd Amendment?

a) To promote industrial development in northern states
b) To reward states with high population growth
c) To encourage family planning measures by ensuring states with slower population growth do not lose representation
d) To allocate more seats to regional parties in southern states

Answer: c) To encourage family planning measures by ensuring states with slower population growth do not lose representation