April 29 2025 Current Affairs MCQs

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Anaemia is a condition in which the body lacks enough healthy red blood cells or haemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to the body’s tissues.
• Symptoms include fatigue, weakness, pale skin, shortness of breath, dizziness or lightheadedness, cold hands and feet, and headaches.
• More prevalent in low-income and developing countries such as Africa and Asia (50-60 % in pregnant women) due to poor nutrition, especially iron-deficient diets, and limited access to healthcare.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• Aplastic anaemia: A rare condition where the bone marrow fails to produce enough red blood cells, often linked to autoimmune diseases or chemical exposure. Can lead to life-threatening complications.
• Thalassemia: An inherited disorder where abnormal haemoglobin is produced, causing red blood cell destruction. Can reduce life expectancy.

Statement 3 is correct

• Anaemia affects various demographic groups across the country. As per NFHS-5 (2019–21), anaemia affects 67.1% of children (6–59 months), 57% of women, 52.2% of pregnant women, and 25% of men aged 15–49 in India.
• States like Bihar and Ladakh report higher rates of anaemia among pregnant women, with prevalence rates of 63.1% and 78.1%, respectively.

Statement 4 is correct

• Anaemia Mukt Bharat: Launched in 2018 under POSHAN Abhiyaan.
  • Anemia Mukt Bharat strategy is implemented to reduce anaemia among six beneficiaries age group – children (6-59 months), children (5-9 years), adolescents (10-19 years), pregnant and lactating women and in women of reproductive age group (15-49 years) in life cycle approach through implementation of six interventions via robust institutional mechanism.

Answer: (a) 1, 3 and 4 only; Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• GST Appellate Tribunal:
  • It is a quasi-judicial body established under the Central GST (CGST) Act, 2017 to resolve disputes arising between taxpayers and the tax authorities.
  • It serves as the forum of appeal for taxpayers aggrieved by the decisions of the GST adjudicating authority or the first appellate authority. It is the 1st forum of dispute resolution between Centre & States.
  • The principal bench of the GSTAT is located in New Delhi.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• Composition:
  • National Bench (New Delhi): President and one Technical Member each from Centre and States.
  • State Benches: Two Judicial Members, a Technical Member (Centre) and a Technical Member (state).
• Appointment: The President and the Judicial Members of the National Bench and the Regional Benches shall be appointed by the Government after consultation with the Chief Justice of India or his nominee.
• Eligibility: The President must have either been a Supreme Court Judge, the Chief Justice of a High Court, or a High Court Judge for at least 5 years.
• GSTAT’s first President, Justice (Retd.) Mishra was a former Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court.

Statement 3 is correct

• The Tribunal is not bound by the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 but follows the principles of natural justice and has the authority to regulate its own procedure.
• It possesses powers similar to a civil court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, for matters like summoning individuals, demanding document production, and receiving evidence on affidavits.

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

Explanation

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

• RNA silencing is a natural defence mechanism found in plants.
• When a virus infects a plant, it introduces double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), which is a red flag for the plant’s immune system. The plant responds by activating Dicer-like enzymes (DCLs), which slice the dsRNA into small fragments called Small Interfering RNAs (siRNAs).
• These siRNAs then guide the plant’s defence system to recognise and destroy the viral RNA, preventing the infection from spreading.
• But not all siRNA generated by the plant are effective and the virus often mutates rapidly, evading the plant’s natural defences.

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

Explanation

Both statements are incorrect

• India has expanded its continental shelf claim in the Arabian Sea, modifying earlier submissions to avoid maritime disputes with Pakistan.
• Continental Shelf: The continental shelf is the submerged prolongation of land, granting coastal nations rights over seabed resources beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) based on scientific evidence.
• India’s Continental Shelf Claim:
  • India, through its Ministry of Earth Sciences, seeks recognition for an additional 10,000 sq. km in the Central Arabian Sea to supplement its original 2009 Sir Creek Claim submission.
  • National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) in Goa, provided technical validation & prepared scientific data for submission.
  • Claims are submitted to the Commission on the Limits of Continental Shelf (CLCS) under United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
• Commission on the Limits of Continental Shelf:
  • Established in 1997 under UNCLOS, headquartered at the United Nations, New York.
  • Mandate and Functions:
    • Review scientific and technical submissions by coastal states.
    • Make recommendations on the legitimacy of seabed claims.
    • Provide scientific support if requested.
    • Remain non-prejudicial in boundary disputes between neighbouring countries.

Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Statements 2 and 3 are correct

• Both Marathi and Bengali were recently recognized as classical languages in 2024.

• Emergence of Hybrid Forms:
  • Dobhashi Bengali: A Persianised Bengali form blending folk elements, often written in Persian script, showcasing the linguistic hybridity of Arabic, Persian & Hindustani words in everyday Bengali speech.
  • Sadhu Bhasha: A sanskritised, rigid literary Bengali emerged, disconnected from daily speech, creating a social divide with education, caste prestige, and urban sophistication.
  • Cholito Bhasha: A more natural, colloquial Bengali rooted in spoken traditions, gradually gained prominence in daily life.
• Regional Diversification of Bengali:
  • Sylheti: A distinct variety marked by glottal stops and phonetic abruptness, heavily influenced by Arabic, Persian and Urdu; viewed as a ‘border song’ connecting Bengal and Assam.
  • Bhati Bengali: Spoken in the deltaic southern wetlands, rooted in oral expression and local folklore.
  • Radhi Bengali: Emerged in the central plains, refined through Vaishnava devotional poetry and folk songs, laying the foundation of standard colloquial Bengali.
  • Munda Influence: Varieties in Bankura and Purulia show Munda linguistic imprints due to proximity to Jharkhand’s tribal populations.
  • Linguistic Homogenization: Colonial censuses reduced the linguistic diversity of Bengal into a single label, “Bengali,” ignoring rich local variations like Rajbanshi, Kharia, and Kamtapuri.

Statement 1 is incorrect

• Bengali Literature:
  • Earliest Records: The Charyapadas (pre-13th century CE) are the oldest known Bengali literary works, written in allegorical language.
  • Medieval Literature (1350–1800): Flourished with Mangalakavya (celebratory poetry), adaptations of Sanskrit epics, Padavali literature (Krishna-Radha lyrical poems), and Chaitanya’s biographies.
  • Oral Traditions: Despite Persian dominance, oral Bengali genres like Puthi poetry, ballads, and devotional songs thrived in rural Bengal.

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