March 04, 2025 Current Affairs (English)

March 04, 2025 Current Affairs (English)

1. What key observation in Niobium Diselenide (NbSe₂) supports the presence of a Bose metal?

A) It completely loses all electrical resistance in the presence of a magnetic field.
B) The Hall resistance vanishes, indicating charge carriers are Cooper pairs rather than electrons.
C) It remains in a superconducting state even at high magnetic field strengths.
D) It transitions directly from a normal metal to a superconductor without any intermediate state.

Answer: B) The Hall resistance vanishes, indicating charge carriers are Cooper pairs rather than electrons.

2. Which of the following is a defining characteristic of a Bose metal?

A) It allows Cooper pairs to exist without establishing long-range superconducting coherence.
B) It exhibits infinite electrical conductivity at absolute zero temperature.
C) It exists only in the presence of a strong magnetic field.
D) It functions as a perfect electrical insulator.

Answer: A) It allows Cooper pairs to exist without establishing long-range superconducting coherence.

3. What is the primary objective of India’s Ethanol Blending Program (EBP)?

A) To replace all fossil fuels with biofuels by 2030
B) To achieve 20% ethanol blending in petrol ahead of schedule
C) To produce biofuels exclusively from food crops
D) To reduce the price of petrol in international markets

Answer: B) To achieve 20% ethanol blending in petrol ahead of schedule

4. Which generation of biofuels is derived from non-food biomass, such as wood chips and agricultural residues?

A) First-generation
B) Second-generation
C) Third-generation
D) Fourth-generation

Answer: B) Second-generation

5. What is the primary objective of the Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC)?

A) To manage railway catering services
B) To promote domestic and inbound railway tourism
C) To mobilize funds for Indian Railways’ expansion and asset acquisition
D) To operate railway hotels and special tour packages

Answer: C) To mobilize funds for Indian Railways’ expansion and asset acquisition

6. Which of the following is NOT a criterion for a company to achieve Navratna status?

A) Must be a Miniratna-I company
B) Must have a composite score of 60+ based on financial and operational performance
C) Must be listed on the Indian stock exchange with minimum public shareholding
D) Can invest up to ₹1,000 crore or 15% of net worth without government approval

Answer: C) Must be listed on the Indian stock exchange with minimum public shareholding

7. What is the primary reason for the need for updated obesity guidelines for Indians?

A) Indians have a lower risk of metabolic disorders compared to other populations.
B) The 2009 guidelines focused only on BMI, which is insufficient for assessing obesity in Indians.
C) Indian dietary habits have completely eliminated unhealthy food options.
D) There is no genetic predisposition to obesity in Indians.

Answer: B) The 2009 guidelines focused only on BMI, which is insufficient for assessing obesity in Indians.

8. Which government initiative aims to encourage fitness among citizens by integrating fitness activities into daily routines?

A) POSHAN Abhiyaan
B) Eat Right India Movement
C) Fit India Movement
D) RUCO Initiative

Answer: C) Fit India Movement

9. What is the tax rate imposed on income from Virtual Digital Asset (VDA) transfers under India’s Income Tax Bill, 2025?

A) 10%
B) 20%
C) 30%
D) 40%

Answer: C) 30%

10. Which section of the Income Tax Bill, 2025, mandates the seizure of Virtual Digital Assets (VDAs) during tax investigations or raids?

A) Section 393
B) Section 509
C) Section 301
D) Section 524(1)

Answer: D) Section 524(1)

11. What is the primary function of the ERONET platform introduced by the Election Commission of India (ECI)?

A) To issue digital voter ID cards only for urban voters
B) To provide a unified database for voter registration, migration, and deletion processes
C) To replace physical voting with online voting
D) To allow voters to cast votes from any constituency

Answer: B) To provide a unified database for voter registration, migration, and deletion processes

12. What key feature of ERONET helps detect and prevent duplicate voter entries?

A) Randomized EPIC number assignment
B) AI-based detection of Photo Similar Entries (PSE) & Demographic Similar Entries (DSE)
C) Manual verification by local election officials
D) Allowing multiple entries for the same voter in different constituencies

Answer: B) AI-based detection of Photo Similar Entries (PSE) & Demographic Similar Entries (DSE)

13. What is the primary objective of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL)?

A) To regulate commercial wildlife trade in India
B) To provide recommendations to the Central Government on wildlife conservation policies and measures
C) To manage ecotourism projects across national parks
D) To oversee wildlife rehabilitation centers across India

Answer: B) To provide recommendations to the Central Government on wildlife conservation policies and measures

14. Which of the following is a key conservation initiative announced during the seventh meeting of the NBWL?

A) Reintroduction of the Indian wolf in protected areas
B) Launch of the National Dolphin Breeding Program
C) Expansion of the Cheetah Reintroduction Program to new locations
D) Establishment of new national parks in Western India

Answer: C) Expansion of the Cheetah Reintroduction Program to new locations

15. What is the primary objective of the Cities Coalition for Circularity (C-3) initiative?

A) To promote urban industrialization without environmental regulations
B) To foster city-to-city collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and private sector partnerships for sustainable urban development
C) To encourage the rapid depletion of natural resources for economic growth
D) To increase waste generation and landfill expansion in cities

Answer: B) To foster city-to-city collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and private sector partnerships for sustainable urban development

16. Which key milestone was adopted under the Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum to promote resource efficiency and a circular economy?

A) Kyoto Protocol
B) Hanoi 3R Declaration (2013-2023)
C) Paris Agreement
D) Montreal Protocol

Answer: B) Hanoi 3R Declaration (2013-2023)

17. What is the primary goal of the Blue Ghost mission as part of NASA’s CLPS program?

A) To deploy a lunar rover for surface exploration
B) To test robotic drilling technology, study the Moon’s surface, and explore dust mitigation methods
C) To establish a permanent human settlement on the Moon
D) To bring back lunar soil samples to Earth

Answer: B) To test robotic drilling technology, study the Moon’s surface, and explore dust mitigation methods

18. Which of the following private companies successfully landed the Blue Ghost lunar lander on the Moon?

A) SpaceX
B) Blue Origin
C) Firefly Aerospace
D) Intuitive Machines

Answer: C) Firefly Aerospace

19. What new behavior of narwhals was recently observed by scientists for the first time?

A) Using their tusks primarily for mating rituals
B) Utilizing their tusks to hunt fish by stunning or killing them
C) Migrating to tropical waters for breeding
D) Living in freshwater ecosystems

Answer: B) Utilizing their tusks to hunt fish by stunning or killing them

20. What is the primary habitat of narwhals?

A) Antarctic Ocean
B) Arctic waters around Canada, Greenland, Norway, and Russia
C) Indian Ocean near coral reefs
D) Pacific Ocean near the equator

Answer: B) Arctic waters around Canada, Greenland, Norway, and Russia