April 05 2025 Current Affairs MCQs

Explanation

Pair 1 is incorrect

• Patachitra Paintings:
• Region: Patachitra is believed to have originated in Odisha through the intricate style.
• Characteristics: Hand-painted works on cloth-based scrolls. The colours primarily used are natural and earthy, like blue, white, and red.
• Themes: Mythological scenes or traditional folklore.

Pair 2 is incorrect

• Pithora Paintings:
  • Region: Practiced by the Rathwa community in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
  • Characteristics: It is created as an offering to Pithora, the God of food grains. The paint is made by mixing pigments with milk and liquor from the mahua tree and is applied using bamboo sticks, cotton, and wooden stencils.
  • Traditionally done on walls that are characterised by 7 horses representing the seven hills that sur-round the area bordering Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, which is home to the Rathwa community.
  • Themes: Daily life depictions, including elephants, musical instruments, festivals, and celebrations.

Pair 3 is incorrect

• Warli Paintings:
  • Region: Unique to the Warli tribe of Maharashtra, reminiscent of prehistoric cave paintings.
  • Created using rice paste on house walls made of Karvi sticks, layered with clay and cow dung.
  • Themes: Depiction of daily life activities rather than mythological themes.
  • GI Tag: Warli paintings received a GI tag in 2014.

Pair 4 is incorrect

• Kalamkari Paintings:
  • Region: Originating in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, known for its intricate and delicate designs.
  • Characteristics: The name ‘Kalamkari’ means ‘art made with a kalam (pen/brush).’ Traditionally, only three colours-black, red, and yellow were used.
  • Themes: The Tree of Life and scenes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Buddhist traditions.

Answer: (d) All four; Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect but statement 3 is correct

• Fluoride:
  • Nature: Naturally occurring, non-biodegradable mineral found in rocks, soil, air and water.
  • Safe Limit: WHO prescribes 1.5 mg/L as the upper limit in drinking water; Bureau of Indian Standards prescribes 1.0 mg/L as desirable and 1.5 mg/L
  • Geological Cause of Toxicity: High granite deposits leach fluoride into groundwater.
  • Prevents tooth decay in small quantities; Excess intake leads to fluorosis affecting bones, joints & teeth.
• Fluorosis:
  • A chronic, non-fatal disease caused by prolonged consumption of fluoride-contaminated water.
  • Symptoms in Adults: Joint pain, bone deformities, muscle weakness, immobility.
  • Symptoms in Children: Yellow-stained teeth, early signs of skeletal fluorosis.
  • Health Advisories: Boiling groundwater is discouraged as it increases fluoride concentration; lemon and tamarind are suggested to reduce fluoride absorption.

Statement 2 is correct

• Fluoridation:
  • Water fluoridation is the treatment of community water supplies for the purpose of adjusting the concentration of the free fluoride ion to the optimum level sufficient to reduce dental caries.
  • Domestic Level Defluoridation: Mixing water for treatment with an adequate amount of aluminium sulfate (alum) solution, lime or sodium carbonate & bleaching powder depending upon its alkalinity (concentration of bicarbonates & carbonates in water) & fluoride contents.

Answer: (b) Only two; Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

• The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 (commonly referred to as the Senior Citizens Act) is an Indian law designed to ensure the well-being of elderly citizens.

Statement 1 is correct

• Key Provisions of the Act:
  • Maintenance of Parents and Senior Citizens: Children (biological, adopted, or stepchildren) and legal heirs are obligated to provide maintenance. If a person is unable to maintain themselves, they can seek financial support from their children or relatives.
  • Tribunal for Maintenance: Senior citizens can file complaints with a tribunal for maintenance if their children neglect or refuse to support them.
  • The tribunal can order children to pay a monthly allowance (up to ₹10,000). The Act also provides for senior citizens/parents to appeal the decisions of the Maintenance Tribunal.

Statement 2 is correct

• Fast-track Disposal of Cases: The tribunal is required to resolve cases within 90 days.
• Protection of Senior Citizens’ Property: If a senior citizen transfers property to a relative with the condition of being cared for but is later neglected, the transfer can be legally revoked.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• Old Age Homes: Directs state governments to establish and maintain old age homes in every district.
• Abandonment: Punishable with imprisonment of up to 3 months or a fine of up to Rs 5,000 or both.

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only; Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• Sentinelese are one of the last uncontacted tribes in the world inhabiting the prohibited tribal reserve area of North Sentinel Island, one of the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal.

Statements 2 is incorrect, but statement 3 is correct

• They are believed to number only about 150 and are designated as a particularly vulnerable tribal group.
• They are a nomadic, hunter-gatherer people.
• They vigorously reject all contact with outsiders.
  • They are hostile to outsiders and have killed people who approached or landed on the island.

Answer: (b) Only one; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Statements 1 and 3 are correct, but statement 2 is incorrect

• A haboob is an intense dust storm, forming a massive wall of dust and debris driven by strong winds.
• Can grow up to 5,000 feet tall and span over 100 km in width; lasts for several hours.
• Wind Speeds: Ranges between 35–100 km/h with sudden onset and minimal warning.
• It is common in arid and semi-arid regions worldwide, particularly in the Middle East, North Africa, and the southwestern United States.
• Formation:
  • Thunderstorm Downdrafts: Typically triggered by thunderstorms, strong downdrafts lift dust and sand as cold air displaces dry silt and clay in arid conditions.
  • Wind Reversal: Wind shifts direction abruptly, pushing dust & debris outward; forms a rolling dust wall.
  • Virga Effect: Rain evaporates before reaching the ground, cooling air further & accelerating wind speeds.
  • Mud Storms: In severe cases, rain mixes with dust, leading to muddy conditions.

Answer: (c) 2 only; Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• The major islands groups of India are Andaman and Nicobar Archipelago (A chain of islands similar in origin) in Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep islands in Arabian Sea.
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands were formed due to collision between Indian Plate and Burma Minor Plate [part of Eurasian Plate][Similar to formation of Himalayas].
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands are southward extension of Arakan Yoma range [Myanmar][Arakan Yoma in itself is an extension of Purvanchal Hills].
  • Lakshadweep Islands are coral islands. These islands are a part of Reunion Hotspot volcanism. 
  • Reunion Hotspot volcanism is a geological hotspot located in the Indian Ocean that has been responsible for volcanic activity, including the formation of the Mascarene Islands and the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge.
  • Andaman and Nicobar Islands or Arakan Yoma ranges are not linked to Reunion Hotspot volcanism.

Statements 2 and 3 are correct

• The Andaman islands are divided into three main islands i.e. North, Middle and South.
• Duncan passage separates Little Andaman from South Andaman.
• The Great Andaman group of islands in the north is separated by the Ten Degree Channel from the Nicobar group in the south
• THE BARREN AND NARCONDAM ISLANDS, north of Port Blair, are volcanic islands [these are the only active volcanoes in India], [There are no active volcanoes in main land India].
• Saddle peak (737 m) in North Andaman is the highest peak.

Answer: (c) 2 and 3 only; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025:
  • The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, renamed as the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development (UMEED) Bill, has been passed in Parliament.
  • Initially introduced last year, the Bill was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).
  • It seeks to amend the Waqf Act of 1995, which governs the administration of waqf properties in India.
• Key Provisions of Bill:
  • Retention of ‘Waqf by user’ Properties: ‘Waqf by user” properties registered on or before the law’s commencement will retain their status unless disputed or designated as government property.
  • “Waqf by user” doctrine in Islamic legal traditions recognises properties as religious or charitable endowments based on their uninterrupted communal use, even without formal documentation.
  • Inclusion of ‘Non-Muslims’: The new Bill retains provisions allowing non-Muslims to be appointed to key waqf institutions, including the Central Waqf Council, State Waqf Boards, and waqf tribunals.
  • It empowers the Centre to nominate 3 Members of Parliament – 2 from the Lok Sabha and one from the Rajya Sabha to the Central Waqf Council without mandating that they be Muslims.
  • Similarly, the Bill permits the appointment of a non-Muslim Chief Executive Officer and mandates that State governments appoint at least two non-Muslim members to the Waqf Boards.
  • Waqf Tribunal: Each tribunal will comprise a district judge, a joint secretary-level officer from the State government, and an expert in Muslim law and jurisprudence.
  • Tribunals constituted before the Act’s enactment will continue to function until the tenure of their chairperson and members expires.

Statement 2 is correct

• Surveys by Senior Government Officers: The Bill mandates that senior officers above the rank of district collectors conduct surveys, particularly in cases where government ownership is disputed.
• Bill designates these senior government officers as the final arbiters in such matters, replacing the waqf tribunals prescribed under the 1995 Act.
• It also stipulates that a disputed property cannot be classified as waqf until the officer’s final report.
• Registration Portal: The Bill mandates that all information regarding waqf properties must be uploaded to a designated portal within 6 months of the law’s enactment.
• Any new Waqf property registrations must be submitted to the respective Waqf Boards exclusively through this portal.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• Application of Limitation Act: The Bill seeks to repeal Section 107 of the 1995 Act, which had rendered the Limitation Act, 1963 (1963 Act), inapplicable to waqf properties.
• The 1963 Act imposes a statutory bar on initiating legal proceedings after a prescribed period.
• Section 107 effectively exempts waqf boards from the 12-year limitation period for reclaiming encroached properties.

Statement 4 is correct

• Judicial review: The new Bill retains provisions enabling judicial intervention in waqf disputes by removing the finality of waqf tribunal decisions.
• Aggrieved parties can appeal directly to the HC within 90 days of receiving the tribunal’s order.

Answer: (c) Only three; Difficulty Level: Medium