February 23-24 2025 Current Affairs MCQs

Explanation

Pair 1 is incorrect

• Jhumur is a folk dance of the Sadan ethnolinguistic group from the Chotanagpur region.
• Integral to tea garden festivals like Tushu Puja and Karam Puja, which mark harvest celebrations.
• A symbol of unity, inclusivity, and identity preservation among tea garden communities.
• Women lead the dance and singing, while men play traditional instruments like Madal, Dhol, Dhak (drums), Cymbals, Flutes, and Shehnai.
• Dancers stand shoulder-to-shoulder, moving in coordinated patterns with precise footwork.
• Languages of songs: Nagpuri, Khortha, and Kurmali, heavily influenced by Assamese.
• Attire: Women wear red and white sarees, while men wear dhotis and kurtas.

Pair 2 is incorrect

• Mohiniyattam is a traditional Indian dance form from Kerala. It is named after Mohini, the female avatar of Lord Vishnu.
• Like most other classical Indian dances, Mohiniyattam’s roots can be traced back to Bharata Muni’s Natya Shastra.
• It was initially performed by Devadasis (temple dancers) in Kerala during the reign of the Chera kings (9th to 12th centuries CE).
• Further development of Mohiniyattam occurred during the 18th and 19th centuries with patronage from princely states.
• Mohiniyattam is primarily a solo dance performed by female artists, characterized by graceful, gentle, and feminine movements known as Lasya.
• It combines dancing and singing, often featuring Manipravala songs blending Sanskrit and Malayalam.
• Music for Mohiniyattam is typically Carnatic, with dancers or vocalists performing the recitation.
• The dance is known for its smooth and fluid body movements, avoiding abrupt jerks or leaps.
• It emphasizes hand gestures and subtle facial expressions (Mukhabhinaya) over footwork, with 24 hand gestures derived from the ‘Hastha Lakshana Deepika’.
• Mohiniyattam costumes usually consist of plain white or ivory cream saris adorned with bright gold-laced brocade.
• Musical accompaniments include instruments like the Mridangam, Madhalam, Idakka, flute, Veena, and Kuzhitalam (cymbals).

Pair 3 is correct

• Sattriya originated in Sattra, a monastery, as a part of the neo-Vaishnavite movement in Assam.
• It includes Nritta, Nritya and Natya components.
• Sattriya dances differ from other dance forms in their basic stance. For males, it is known as Purush Pak, while for females, Prakriti Pak.
• The Sattriya dance (unlike other Classical Dance forms) has been left untouched and has been the same since its birth.
• It had its influences from folk dance forms like:
  • Ojapali
  • Devadasi
  • Bihu
  • Bodos, etc.
• Traditionally, Sattriya was performed only by bhokots (male monks) in monasteries as a part of their daily rituals.
• The dance is based on mythological themes. Primarily based on Krishna-Radha relations or sometimes on the stories of Ram-Sita.
• Today, Sattriya is also performed on stage by men and women who are not members of the sattras on themes that are not merely mythological.

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

Explanation

Option (d) is correct

• Zonal Councils:
  • Mooted by PM Jawaharlal Nehru in 1956 to address linguistic hostilities and promote cooperation.
  • Legal Basis: Established under States Reorganisation Act, 1956 as statutory (extra-constitutional) advisory bodies.
  • Objective: Foster coordination among states and the Centre for economic, social and political stability.
  • Nature: Only deliberative and advisory, recommendations are not binding.
• There are five zonal councils and North Eastern Council- a special regional body.

  Functions and Role of Zonal Councils:

  • Platform for Discussion: Interstate and Centre-State issues like border disputes, linguistic minorities, and state reorganisation.
  • Cooperative Federalism: Facilitates collaboration on policies, schemes and economic planning.

    Infrastructure & Development: Discusses mining, land acquisition, industrial growth and financial aid.

  • Social Reforms: Focuses on education, child malnutrition, school drop-out rates and healthcare.

Answer: (d) All eight; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Option (a) is correct

• Servicification of Manufacturing is the increasing integration of services within traditional manufacturing processes, where firms offer value-added services such as maintenance, consulting, customization & digital solutions alongside physical products.
• Levels of Servicification
  • Production Stage: Use of AI, automation, and data analytics to enhance efficiency.
  • Product Enhancement: Bundling installation, maintenance, and software updates with products.
  • Business Model Transformation: Shift from product sales to service-based solutions, e.g., subscription models and leasing instead of selling.

Answer: (a) Increasing integration of services within other sectors; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

All 6 are major minerals

• The Ministry of Mines has upgraded Barytes, Felspar, Mica, and Quartz from minor minerals to major minerals.
• Major minerals are specified in 1st schedule appended in Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act 1957).
• Uranium and Lignite are already listed as major minerals under the First Schedule of the MMDR Act, 1957.
• Minor minerals which are declared as such by the Central Government in exercise of the powers conferred by MMDR Act 1957.
• Examples for minor minerals are stones, gravel, ordinary clay etc.

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

Explanation

• MP Amritpal Singh was detained under the National Security Act, and fears losing his seat due to prolonged absence from Parliament.

Statement 1 is correct

• Article 101(4) states that an MP’s seat may be declared vacant if absent for 60 consecutive sittings without permission.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• The 60-day period excludes prorogued sessions and adjournments exceeding four consecutive days.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• The House must formally declare the seat vacant; it is not automatic.

Statement 4 is correct

• No MP has ever lost a seat under Article 101(4) to date.

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

Explanation

• Dollar-Rupee Buy-Sell Swap Arrangement is a foreign exchange tool used by the RBI to manage liquidity and stabilize the rupee.
• The RBI buys U.S. dollars from banks in exchange for rupees, injecting liquidity into the system.
• After a predetermined period, the RBI sells back the dollars to banks, absorbing excess rupee liquidity.

Statements 1, 2 and 4 are correct but statement 3 is incorrect

• Why is it Being Done?
  • Manage Liquidity: Helps control rupee supply in the banking system.
  • Stabilize Exchange Rates: by providing immediate liquidity support, thereby mitigating the pressure on the rupee during periods of foreign fund outflows.
  • Control Inflation: Indirectly influences interest rates and inflation by managing liquidity.
  • Dollar Reserves: It will also beef up the dollar reserves of the RBI at a time when it’s intervening in the forex market to prevent a slide in the rupee.

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

Explanation

All pairs are correct

• Ajit Singh:
  • Born on February 23, 1881, in Khatkar Kalan, Punjab, was a revolutionary thinker and the uncle of Shaheed Bhagat Singh.
  • To fight against British rule and promote patriotism, Ajit Singh founded the Bharat Mata Society (Anju- man-i-Muhibban-i-Watan), a secret society. The active members of this group participated in the protest against the aforementioned farm-related acts. The protest was successful, and the British government repealed these laws.
  • Ajit Singh’s leadership in the protest (Pagri Sambhal movement) led to his arrest and deportation to Myanmar’s Mandalay jail in 1907.
  • Exiled (1909-1947), lived across Persia, Turkey, Brazil, Germany, and Italy, building revolutionary networks with Lala Hardayal and Madame Cama.
  • Returned to India in March 1947 and passed away on August 15, 1947, in Dalhousie.
• Bhagat Singh:
  • He was a member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) founded in October 1924 by Ramprasad Bismil, Sachin Sanyal and Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee to organise an armed revolution to overthrow the British government.
  • In 1927, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru & Azad shot & killed Assistant SP John Saunders.
  • Earlier, John Saunders had ordered a lathi charge on a demonstration led by Lala Lajpat Rai.
  • Bhagat Singh and B.K. Dutt threw a bomb in the Central Legislative Assembly on 8 April 1929.
  • The bomb had been deliberately made harmless. The aim was not to kill but to make the deaf hear.
  • Bhagat Singh and B. K. Dutt could have easily escaped after throwing the bomb, but they deliberately chose to be arrested because they wanted to use the court as a forum for revolutionary propaganda.
  • Bhagat Singh and a few others were tried for the assassination of police officers.
  • As political prisoners, they demanded honourable and decent treatment in jail.
  • They undertook a hunger strike as a protest against the horrible conditions in the prisons.
  • During this hunger strike, Jatin Das, a young man, achieved martyrdom after a 63-day epic fast.
  • Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were tried in the Lahore Conspiracy case and were executed on 23 March 1931.
• Surya Sen:
  • Surya Sen, also known as Surya Kumar Sen (22 March 1894 – 12 January 1934), was an Indian revolutionary and a school teacher by profession.
  • Chittagong Armoury Raid, was an attempt on 18 April 1930 to raid the armoury of police and auxiliary forces from the Chittagong armoury of Bengal Province in British India (now in Bangladesh) by armed Indian independence fighters led by Surya Sen.

Answer: (c) All three; Difficulty Level: Easy