April 23 2025 Current Affairs MCQs

Explanation

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

• PSCs are thin-film photovoltaic cells using perovskite-structured crystals to convert sunlight into electricity for high-efficiency, low-cost electricity generation.
• Consists of a perovskite layer sandwiched between conducting materials (metal electrodes and glass).
• Material Composition: Metal-halide perovskites made of lead, iodide, and organic molecules.
• Carbon-Based Perovskite Solar Cells (CPSCs):
  • They are India’s first indigenous perovskite solar product designed for better stability and lower fabrication cost.
  • Enhanced thermal and moisture resistance achieved using Guanidinium iodide (GuI) and 5-aminovaleric acid iodide (5-AVAI).
  • Key Benefits: Tunable optical, electrical and semiconducting properties; High light absorption, charge transport properties, and tunability make PSCs ideal for solar applications.
• Issues Involved:
  • Stability Issues: PSCs have a shorter lifespan compared to silicon solar panels, limiting their sustainability in the long term.
  • Key Concern: Contains toxic lead, posing environmental risks during disposal and recycling.
  • Previous Methods: Traditional recycling involved toxic organic solvents like dimethylformamide, increasing environmental hazards.

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

Explanation

Pair 2 is incorrect, other pairs are correct

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

Explanation

Statements 1 and 2 are incorrect

• Petrapole Land Port is the largest land port in South Asia, situated on the Indo-Bangladesh border.
• Bangladesh first transports the consignments to Petrapole, where they are checked by the land port and customs authorities. Indian trucks then transport them to Kolkata or Delhi airports.
• Nearly 30% of land-based trade between India and Bangladesh occurs through the Land Port Petrapole.

Statement 3 is correct

• India has officially terminated the transhipment facility that allowed Bangladesh to export goods to third countries via the Petrapole Land Port. This facility was granted in 2020.
• The decision comes after a Bangladeshi advisor’s remark that Northeast India, being “landlocked,” made Dhaka the “only guardian of the ocean” for the region.
• It was seen as Bangladesh’s attempt to assert strategic leverage over India’s northeastern access.
• Additionally, the advisor’s efforts to position China as a key strategic partner have further strained the delicate relationship between India and Bangladesh.

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• About the JJM‑Rural Scheme:
  • Launched on August 15, 2019, it is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme to provide Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) to all rural households by 2024 with a 50:50 fund-sharing model between Centre and States (90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern States and 100% for UTs).
  • Governing Ministry: Ministry of Jal Shakti.
  • Key Target: “Har Ghar Jal”, ensuring 55 litres per capita per day (lpcd) of safe, adequate drinking water to every rural household.

Statement 2 is correct

• Progress and Achievements (As of March 2025):
  • Tap Connections Provided: 14.56 crore rural households have received tap water connections (around 75% coverage).
  • Certified Villages: Over 2.12 lakh villages have been declared “Har Ghar Jal certified”.
  • 100% Coverage: Goa, Haryana, Telangana, Gujarat, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu.

Statement 3 is correct

• Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban):
  • Launched in Budget 2021-22 under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to ensure universal water tap connections in all statutory towns, aligning with SDG-6.
  • Complementary Scheme: Complements Jal Jeevan Mission (Rural).
  • Key Objectives: Focuses on providing tap and sewer connections, rejuvenating water bodies, and promoting a circular water economy.

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) is an anti-terror act enacted in 1967.
• The original Act dealt with “unlawful” acts related to secession.
• The 2004 amendments expanded the scope, and anti-terror provisions were introduced.
• It was strengthened by the government by the amendments in 2008, 2012 and 2019.

Statement 2 is correct

• UAPA amendment 2019:
  • The central government can designate an individual as a “terrorist” if involved in an act of terror.
  • Earlier, only organisations could be designated as terrorist organisations.

Statement 3 is correct

• The words terror or terrorist are not defined, but Section 15 defines a terrorist act.
• A terrorist act is any act committed with intent:
  • To threaten the unity, integrity, security, economic security, or sovereignty of India.
  • To strike terror in the people or any section of the people in India or in any foreign country.

Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Option (a) is correct

• Lonar lake is a lake of lagoon in Buldhana district of Maharashtra state.
• It was created due to a meteorite. It is the only major hoverback in the basalt rock.
• Its water is alkaline. The lake has been declared a wildlife sanctuary as the surrounding forest area is home to a variety of wild animals as well as migratory birds.
• It is a designated Ramsar site.

Answer: (a) Lonar Lake; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Greenhouse Gas Potential of Nitrogen:
  • Greenhouse Warming Potential: It lingers in the atmosphere for ~120 years and contributes nearly 10% of global warming effects.
  • N₂O Profile: Nitrous oxide is the third most significant greenhouse gas globally and has nearly 300 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide.
  • Stratospheric Damage: Nitrous oxide reacts destructively with ozone molecules, accelerating the depletion of the protective ozone layer.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• Causes of Rising N₂O Emissions:
  • Agriculture Dominance: Nearly 70% of nitrous oxide emissions stem from agricultural soils, primarily due to excessive use of synthetic urea-based fertilizers.
  • Fertiliser Inefficiency: Up to 80% of the nitrogen applied through fertilisers is lost to leaching, volatilisation, and runoff, contributing to pollution.
  • Monoculture Practices: Intensive cereal farming has largely replaced traditional legume cultivation, reducing natural nitrogen fixation.
  • Fossil Fuels: Burning fossil fuels releases nitrogen oxides (NO and NO₂), further intensifying atmospheric nitrogen loading.
  • Animal Waste & Bones: Historical and contemporary use of manure and bone-based inputs continues to increase reactive nitrogen in ecosystems.

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