April 18-19 2025 Current Affairs MCQs

Explanation

Statements 1 and 2 are correct

• World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) promoting global cooperation in meteorology, hydrology and climate science.
• Established in 1950, succeeding International Meteorological Organisation (IMO) formed in 1873.
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
• Membership: 193 countries and territories.
• Role in Global Governance: Facilitate international cooperation in development of meteorology and coordinate international exchange of weather & climate data & supports early warning systems globally.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• Governance Structure:
  • World Meteorological Congress: WMO’s supreme body consisting of representatives of all members. It meets at least every four years to set general policy and adopt regulations.
  • Executive Council: It consists of 36-members which meets annually and implements policy.
  • Secretariat: It is headed by a secretary-general appointed by the congress for a four-year term, serves as the administrative centre of the organization.

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct and statement 2 is incorrect

• A significant surge in gold loan non-performing assets (NPAs) was reported in 2024.
• Gold Loans: Loans secured against gold as collateral for meeting personal, agricultural or business needs.
• NPAs: Loans where repayment (principal or interest) is overdue for more than 90 days.
• Gold Loan NPAs: An alarming rise in gold loan NPAs indicates borrower distress and deeper systemic challenges in the financial sector.
• Current Scenario of Gold Loan NPAs:
  • Gold loan NPAs saw a sharp rise, with commercial banks & NBFCs both experiencing significant increases.
  • Total gold loan outstanding rose to ₹11.11 lakh crore in Dec. 2024 from ₹8.73 lakh crore a year ago.
  • Evergreening practices were curbed, with full principal and interest repayment now mandatory before repledging, effective from September 2023.

Answer: (b) 2 only; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

• Norwesters are localised, intense thunderstorms, locally known as Kalbaisakhi in Bengal (meaning “calamity of the month of Baisakh”) or Bordoisila in Assam.
• It strikes eastern & northeastern India, southern Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh, primarily during the pre-monsoon season (March to May).
• They are characterised by violent winds, torrential rain, hail, lightning, and occasionally tornadoes.
• Norwesters are mesoscale convective systems, meaning they operate on a scale of tens to hundreds of kilometres and are driven by intense localised convection.
• Formation of Norwesters:
  • The process begins with intense daytime heating of the landmass during the pre-monsoon months, particularly over the Chhotanagpur Plateau in Jharkhand and Bihar.
  • It creates a low-pressure zone that draws in warm, moist air from the Bay of Bengal, while cooler, drier air from the northwest prevails at higher altitudes. The interaction between these air masses sets the stage for thunderstorm development.
  • These systems evolve into fast-moving derechos (a large, rapidly moving cluster of thunderstorms that produces powerful straight-line winds, often resulting in extensive damage) with strong straight-line winds, intensifying over the Gangetic plains by drawing moisture from the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta.

Answer: (d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Pairs 1 and 3 are not correct

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• WAVES 2025 stands for World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit, an international platform aimed at discussing innovation, regulation, and growth in the global media and entertainment industry.
• Organized By: Ministry of Info. & Broadcasting with partners like CII, IPHouse, TCS, and Hack2Skill.

Statement 2 is correct

• The Anti-Piracy Challenge is a flagship initiative under Create in India Challenge, part of WAVES 2025.
  • Goal: Combat online piracy, safeguard intellectual property and, secure India’s digital content ecosystem.
  • Tech Solutions Promoted: Includes AI-based content security, fingerprinting, watermarking, blockchain encryption, steganography.
  • Significance: Aims to reduce $1.2 billion annual loss from piracy and shield 158 million users by 2029.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• The initiative aims to expand India’s global influence in creative sectors, not arms or defence exports.
• Boosts the $30 billion creative economy employing nearly 8% of India’s workforce; Contributes to the growth of India’s Media and Entertainment (M&E) sector, currently the 5th largest globally.
• Cultural Diplomacy: Aims to expand India’s global soft power through creative exports & collaborations.
• Media Sectors Covered: Films, Broadcasting, TV, Radio, Print, Animation, VFX, Comics, Gaming, Sound, Advertising, and Social Media.
• Tech Domains in Focus: Generative AI, Augmented Reality, Virtual & Extended Reality, digital platforms.

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• China’s new ironmaking technology called ‘flash ironmaking’ poised to revolutionise the global steel manufacturing industry.
• It involves injecting finely ground iron ore powder into an extremely hot furnace, triggering an “explosive chemical reaction’.
• Flash ironmaking eliminates the need for coal, unlike traditional methods.

Statement 2 is correct

• 3,600-Fold Increase in the Speed of Ironmaking: It can complete the ironmaking process in just 3 to 6 seconds, compared to the 5 to 6 hours required by traditional blast furnaces.

Statement 3 is correct

• The new method works exceptionally well for low or medium-yield ores that are abundant in China.
• Zero Carbon Emissions: As it eliminates the need for coal entirely, it would also enable the steel industry to achieve the coveted goal of “near-zero carbon dioxide emissions”

Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only; Difficulty Level: Medium