March 24, 2025 Current Affairs (English)

March 24, 2025, Current Affairs (English)

1. What is the primary objective of the Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs)?

A. To reduce road accident cases
B. To expedite the resolution of Rape and POCSO Act cases
C. To promote legal education in rural areas
D. To handle property dispute cases

Answer: B. To expedite the resolution of Rape and POCSO Act cases

2. Under which centrally sponsored scheme are Fast Track Special Courts funded?

A. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao
B. Nirbhaya Fund Scheme
C. Legal Aid Services Scheme
D. Mahila Suraksha Yojana

Answer: B. Nirbhaya Fund Scheme

3. What is the current deadline for the Fast Track Special Courts Scheme as per the latest extension?

A. March 2024
B. March 2025
C. March 2026
D. December 2025

Answer: C. March 2026

4. How many Fast Track Special Courts are expected to be established under the scheme?

A. 500
B. 750
C. 790
D. 1,000

Answer: C. 790

5. Which government body investigates and recommends anti-dumping duties in India?

A. NITI Aayog
B. Reserve Bank of India
C. Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR)
D. Ministry of External Affairs

Answer: C. Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR)

6. Under WTO rules, what is the maximum standard duration for anti-dumping duties unless reviewed?

A. 1 year
B. 3 years
C. 5 years
D. 10 years

Answer: C. 5 years

7. Which WTO agreement allows the imposition of anti-dumping duties by member countries?

A. TRIPS Agreement
B. GATT Article VI and Anti-Dumping Agreement
C. TBT Agreement
D. SPS Agreement

Answer: B. GATT Article VI and Anti-Dumping Agreement

8. What major legislative reform introduced the Composite Prospecting Licence-cum-Mining Lease (PL-cum-ML) in India?

A. Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957
B. Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015
C. Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2021
D. Energy Conservation Act, 2022

Answer: C. Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2021

9. Which type of coal has the highest carbon content and is primarily found in Jammu & Kashmir?

A. Lignite
B. Bituminous
C. Anthracite
D. Sub-bituminous

Answer: C. Anthracite

10. Which Indian state holds the largest coal reserves and is a major source of coking coal?

A. Odisha
B. West Bengal
C. Chhattisgarh
D. Jharkhand

Answer: D. Jharkhand

11. What is the theme of the 2025 UN World Water Day?

A. Groundwater Protection
B. Water for All
C. Glacier Preservation
D. Clean Rivers and Lakes

Answer: C. Glacier Preservation

12. According to the 2025 UN WWDR, how many people are at risk due to glacier retreat affecting the food and water supply?

A. 500 million
B. 1 billion
C. 2 billion
D. 3.5 billion

Answer: C. 2 billion

13. What is the main purpose of the UN World Water Development Report (WWDR)?

A. Promote international trade
B. Assess global water challenges and propose solutions
C. Monitor space-based satellite data
D. Track ocean salinity and temperature

Answer: B. Assess global water challenges and propose solutions

14. According to the 2025 WWDR, what major environmental issue is increasing the unpredictability of the global water cycle?

A. Ocean acidification
B. Industrial pollution
C. Climate change and glacier melt
D. Overuse of groundwater

Answer: C. Climate change and glacier melt

15. What is the key change introduced in the Customs (Administration of Rules of Origin under Trade Agreements) Amendment Rules, 2025?

A. Increase in tariff rates
B. Replacing “Certificate” with “Proof” of origin
C. Introduction of new export subsidies
D. Removal of customs duties on all ASEAN imports

Answer: B. Replacing “Certificate” with “Proof” of origin

16. What is the primary purpose of requiring “Proof of Origin” under the amended rules?

A. To ease import restrictions
B. To collect additional taxes
C. To prevent misuse of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)
D. To promote textile exports

Answer: C. To prevent misuse of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)

17. Who is responsible for issuing the amended customs rules in 2025?

A. Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT)
B. Ministry of Commerce
C. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC)
D. NITI Aayog

Answer: C. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC)

18. Which of the following is a commonly used criterion in determining rules of origin globally?

A. GDP per capita of the exporting country
B. Tariff Classification Change
C. Population size of the exporting country
D. Size of the exporting company

Answer: B. Tariff Classification Change

19. What was the purpose of the Treaty of Sevres (1920) concerning the Kurds?

A. To divide Turkey between Britain and France
B. To create a unified Arab state
C. To propose the establishment of a Kurdish state
D. To annex Kurdish areas into Iran

Answer: C. To propose the establishment of a Kurdish state

20. In which year did Iraq officially recognize Kurdistan as an autonomous region in its constitution?

A. 1991
B. 2003
C. 2005
D. 2017

Answer: C. 2005