March 15, 2025 Current Affairs (English)

March 15, 2025 Current Affairs (English)

1. What is the primary objective of the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill, 2024?

A) To nationalize all oil exploration activities in India
B) To modernize the legal framework for oil and gas exploration and production
C) To increase state control over petroleum resources
D) To reduce foreign investment in the energy sector

Answer: B) To modernize the legal framework for oil and gas exploration and production

2. What major change does the Bill introduce regarding the licensing system for petroleum exploration?

A) It introduces separate licenses for each type of hydrocarbon
B) It removes the requirement for multiple licenses and introduces a single petroleum lease system
C) It makes licensing optional for small oil field operators
D) It removes licensing requirements altogether

Answer: B) It removes the requirement for multiple licenses and introduces a single petroleum lease system

3. Which of the following is a newly included category under the expanded definition of mineral oils in the Bill?

A) Helium
B) Coal and lignite
C) Shale gas and coal bed methane
D) Uranium deposits

Answer: C) Shale gas and coal bed methane

4. What is the primary objective of the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025?

A) To nationalize all immigration processes under the Ministry of External Affairs
B) To consolidate and modernize India’s immigration laws while strengthening border control
C) To grant automatic citizenship to all foreign nationals residing in India for over 10 years
D) To abolish the visa system for foreigners entering India

Answer: B) To consolidate and modernize India’s immigration laws while strengthening border control

5. Which of the following existing laws will be repealed by the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025?

A) Citizenship Act, 1955
B) Foreigners Act, 1946
C) Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920
D) Both B and C

Answer: D) Both B and C

6. What penalty does the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025, impose for overstaying a visa in India?

A) Immediate deportation with no penalty
B) ₹10 lakh fine and life imprisonment
C) Up to 3 years imprisonment and ₹3 lakh fine
D) Revocation of Indian citizenship

Answer: C) Up to 3 years imprisonment and ₹3 lakh fine

7. How many new properties from India have been recently added to UNESCO’s tentative list?

A) 4
B) 5
C) 6
D) 7

Answer: C) 6

8. Which of the following is the latest Indian site to be inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2024?

A) Jaipur City
B) Moidams (Ahom Dynasty burial mounds, Assam)
C) Nalanda Mahavihara
D) Hampi

Answer: B) Moidams (Ahom Dynasty burial mounds, Assam)

9. What is the total number of Indian sites currently on UNESCO’s Tentative List?

A) 50
B) 55
C) 62
D) 68

Answer: C) 62

10. What is the significance of Ashokan Edict Sites included in the tentative list?

A) They contain manuscripts from the Gupta period
B) They represent early temple architecture in India
C) They provide insights into Emperor Ashoka’s administration and governance
D) They are Buddhist monastery ruins

Answer: C) They provide insights into Emperor Ashoka’s administration and governance

11. What key recommendation was made by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture regarding the renaming of the Agriculture Ministry?

A) Ministry of Rural Development and Agriculture
B) Ministry of Agriculture, Farmers & Farm Labourers Welfare
C) Ministry of Agricultural Trade and Commerce
D) Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security

Answer: B) Ministry of Agriculture, Farmers & Farm Labourers Welfare

12. Why did the committee propose extending the PM-Kisan scheme to farm labourers?

A) To provide financial support to farm labourers who do not own land
B) To replace MGNREGA with direct cash transfers
C) To create a universal basic income for all rural residents
D) To subsidize farm equipment purchases for all workers

Answer: A) To provide financial support to farm labourers who do not own land

13. What percentage of India’s workforce was engaged in agriculture as per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2023-24?

A) 36.8%
B) 42.5%
C) 46.1%
D) 50.3%

Answer: C) 46.1%

14. What policy change was suggested to address the issue of stubble burning?

A) Complete ban on rice and wheat farming
B) ₹100 per quintal incentive for farmers to collect and manage stubble
C) Exporting crop residue to other countries for processing
D) Replacing all crops with organic alternatives

Answer: B) ₹100 per quintal incentive for farmers to collect and manage stubble

15. Which countries are the two largest contributors to the UN’s budget?

A) India and Germany
B) China and the United States
C) Russia and France
D) Brazil and the United Kingdom

Answer: B) China and the United States

16. What is the main demand of the G4 nations (India, Brazil, Germany, and Japan) regarding UN reforms?

A) The dissolution of the UN Security Council (UNSC)
B) The expansion of the UNSC to include them as permanent members
C) The replacement of the UN with a new global organization
D) The establishment of a new UN headquarters in Asia

Answer: B) The expansion of the UNSC to include them as permanent members

17. What major structural issue in the United Nations is India advocating for reform?

A) Expansion of the UN General Assembly membership
B) Establishing an independent military force for the UN
C) Reducing the power of the five permanent UNSC members (P5) and reforming the veto system
D) Merging the World Bank and the UN for economic governance

Answer: C) Reducing the power of the five permanent UNSC members (P5) and reforming the veto system

18. What is the “Uniting for Consensus” (UfC) group’s stance on the expansion of the UN Security Council?

A) Supports the addition of new permanent members with veto powers
B) Opposes any expansion of permanent seats and favors increasing non-permanent seats
C) Proposes dissolving the UNSC and merging it with the General Assembly
D) Calls for eliminating the veto power of existing permanent members

Answer: B) Opposes any expansion of permanent seats and favors increasing non-permanent seats

19. What controversy arose from the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to replace the ₹ symbol with the Tamil letter ‘Roo’ (ரூ)?

A) It was rejected by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
B) It sparked political debates over linguistic and cultural identity
C) It led to a financial crisis in the state
D) It was internationally recognized as the new symbol for the Indian Rupee

Answer: B) It sparked political debates over linguistic and cultural identity

20. What is the Unicode assigned to the Indian Rupee symbol (₹)?

A) U+20AC
B) U+20A8
C) U+20B9
D) U+2022

Answer: C) U+20B9