May 09, 2025 Current Affairs (English)

May 09, 2025 Current Affairs (English)

1. What does academic freedom primarily entail?

A) Freedom to protest against government policies
B) Right of scholars to teach, research, publish, and speak without undue interference
C) Right of students to grade teachers
D) Freedom to access international funding

Answer: B) Right of scholars to teach, research, publish, and speak without undue interference

2. The Humboldtian model, associated with academic freedom, originated in which country?

A) France
B) United Kingdom
C) Germany
D) United States

Answer: C) Germany

3. Which UNESCO event affirmed the global recognition of academic freedom?

A) 1945 Paris Peace Conference
B) 1950 UNESCO Conference
C) 2005 UNESCO Heritage Summit
D) 2005 Columbia University Convocation

Answer: B) 1950 UNESCO Conference

4. What was upheld by the Supreme Court in Pramati Educational & Cultural Trust v. Union of India (2014)?

A) State control over private universities
B) Mandatory seat-sharing by all institutions
C) Autonomy of private unaided institutions
D) Abolition of UGC

Answer: C) Autonomy of private unaided institutions

5. What was India’s Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) during 2019–21, according to SRS data?

A) 103
B) 97
C) 93
D) 89

Answer: C) 93

6. Which of the following Indian states had the lowest reported MMR during 2019–21?

A) Tamil Nadu
B) Maharashtra
C) Kerala
D) Karnataka

Answer: C) Kerala

7. According to WHO, maternal death includes deaths occurring within how many days after the end of pregnancy?

A) 21 days
B) 30 days
C) 42 days
D) 60 days

Answer: C) 42 days

8. Which government scheme provides financial support to promote institutional deliveries among rural and poor women?

A) POSHAN Abhiyaan
B) LaQshya
C) Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)
D) Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA)

Answer: C) Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)

9. What is the legal basis for the Civil Registration System (CRS) in India?

A) Census Act, 1948
B) Vital Records Act, 1955
C) Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969
D) National Health Policy Act, 2002

Answer: C) Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969

10. According to the Medical Certification of Cause of Death (MCCD) report for 2021, what rank did COVID-19 hold among causes of death?

A) First
B) Second
C) Third
D) Fifth

Answer: B) Second

11. What was the trend in registered births from 2020 to 2021?

A) Increased by 5%
B) Increased by 0.1%
C) Decreased by 1%
D) Decreased by 0.1%

Answer: D) Decreased by 0.1%

12. How many government ITIs are targeted for upgradation under the hub-and-spoke model?

A) 500
B) 750
C) 1,000
D) 1,500

Answer: C) 1,000

13. Which international institutions are co-financing 50% of the Centre’s share in the scheme?

A) IMF and WTO
B) World Bank and UNESCO
C) Asian Development Bank and World Bank
D) UNICEF and ILO

Answer: C) Asian Development Bank and World Bank

14. How many National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) will be upgraded to Centres of Excellence under the National Scheme for Upgradation of ITIs?

A) 3
B) 4
C) 5
D) 6

Answer: C) 5

15. What significant political statement was made by Mir Yar Baloch on May 9, 2025?

A) He declared martial law in Balochistan
B) He declared Balochistan’s independence from Pakistan
C) He offered Balochistan’s merger with Iran
D) He pledged allegiance to the Pakistani government

Answer: B) He declared Balochistan’s independence from Pakistan

16. Which of the following is the capital of Balochistan?

A) Gwadar
B) Karachi
C) Quetta
D) Peshawar

Answer: C) Quetta

17. Which strategic Chinese project has a major node in Balochistan’s Gwadar Port?

A) Maritime Silk Road
B) South Asian Economic Belt
C) China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
D) ASEAN-PRC Trade Route

Answer: C) China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

18. Why does India have a strategic interest in Balochistan?

A) It borders Kashmir
B) It contains Hindu holy sites
C) It factors into India’s Indo-Pacific strategy and counters China’s CPEC influence
D) It is rich in oil

Answer: C) It factors into India’s Indo-Pacific strategy and counters China’s CPEC influence

19. What type of weapon system does India use, the Israeli HAROP, in Operation Sindoor?

A) Surface-to-air missile
B) Anti-submarine torpedo
C) Loitering munition/kamikaze drone
D) Cruise missile

Answer: C) Loitering munition/kamikaze drone

20. Under which operation did India reportedly use the HAROP drone to strike a Pakistani air defense system in Lahore in May 2025?

A) Operation Trinetra
B) Operation Shakti
C) Operation Sindoor
D) Operation Surya

Answer: C) Operation Sindoor