March 09-10 2025 Current Affairs MCQs

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• Madhav National Park is the country’s 58th & Madhya Pradesh’s 9th tiger reserve. Earlier, India got its 57th tiger reserve in Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary of Madhya Pradesh in 2024.
• Location: The park is situated in Shivpuri district and is a part of the upper Vindhyan hills.
• It was the hunting ground of Mughal emperors and Maharaja of Gwalior. It got the status of a National Park in 1958.

Statements 2 and 3 are correct

• Vegetation: Tropical dry deciduous mixed forest as well as Dry thorn forest.
• Fauna: Nilgai, Chinkara, Chowsinga, Chital, Barking Deer, Leopard, Jackal, Porcupine etc.
• Flora:  Kardhai, Salai, Dhaora and Khair. etc
• Sakhya Sagar: A human-made reservoir within the Madhav National Park is a Ramsar site.

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The new Income Tax Bill 2025 defines Virtual digital space and grants tax authorities explicit powers to access digital accounts during searches and seizures.
• Virtual Digital Space encompasses any digital realm where users interact, communicate, and conduct activities via computers or digital platforms.
• Includes social media, online investment platforms, digital banking, email servers, and encrypted communication channels.

Statement 2 is correct

• Key Changes in the Income Tax Bill, 2025:
  • Introduces Section 247 to override access codes for virtual digital spaces during tax investigations.
  • Expands existing search and seizure powers under Section 132 of the IT Act 1961 to cover digital assets.
  • Tax authorities can now access digital books of accounts, emails, and encrypted financial data.
• How the Law Addresses Digital Tax Evasion:
  • Grants power to search and seize electronic records, similar to physical financial documents.
  • Enables tax officials to override access restrictions on digital platforms to extract evidence.
  • Requires individuals to facilitate access to electronic records, including providing credentials.

Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• Unlike Australia and Britain, where legislators choose the PM, Canada’s party leaders are selected through a leadership vote by registered party members.

Statement 2 is correct

• The election follows a ranked ballot system across all 343 parliamentary constituencies (ridings).
• Each riding is assigned 100 points, distributed based on the percentage of votes a candidate receives.

Statement 3 is correct

• Voting Process: Voters rank candidates in order of preference.
• Winning Requirement: A candidate needs more than 50% of total points to win. If no candidate secures 50%+ in the first round, the lowest-ranked candidate is eliminated.
• Redistribution: Their votes are distributed to the second-choice candidates. This process continues until one candidate achieves a majority.
• Reason for Adoption: Ensures the winner has broad nationwide support rather than relying on concentrated votes in specific areas.

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

Explanation

Option(b) is correct

• The China’s AI startup Monica has launched Manus, an advanced AI agent capable of autonomous thinking, planning & execution.
• Manus follows the success of DeepSeek-R1, another Chinese AI breakthrough.
• Manus is a general AI agent designed to perform complex real-world tasks independently in the cloud, completing tasks even if the user disconnects.

Answer: (b) Monica; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Option (d) is correct

• Trump withdrew the US from JCPOA, calling it flawed, and now seeks renegotiation.
• JCPOA (2015):
• The deal is also known as 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal.
• The JCPOA was the result of negotiations from 2013 and 2015 between Iran and P5+1 (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States + Germany).
• Objective: Prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and ensure regional stability.
• Participants: Iran, P5+1 (US, UK, France, China, Russia, Germany), and the European Union.
• Iran’s Commitments: Limited uranium enrichment (max 3.67%), restricted centrifuges and controlled stockpiles of enriched uranium.
• Under the deal, Iran agreed to significantly cut its stores of heavy-water and all key components for nuclear weapons.
• Iran also agreed to allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to access its nuclear sites.
• Other Signatories’ Commitments: Sanctions relief, gradual lifting of arms and missile bans, and a “snapback” mechanism to reimpose sanctions if Iran violated terms.

Answer: (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Pair 1 is incorrect

• Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI):
  • Published annually by the World Economic Forum.
  • Measures Gender Parity: Assesses Economic Participation, Education, Health & Political Empowerment.
  • Rankings: Iceland leads, followed by Finland and Norway; India ranks 129th, down from 127 in 2023.

Pair 2 is correct

• Gender Inequality Index (GII):
  • Published by UNDP: Featured in the Human Development Report, it measures gender disparities in Reproductive Health, Empowerment and Labour Market.
  • India’s Performance (2022): Ranked 108/193, better than South Asia’s and the global average.

Pair 3 is incorrect

• Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI):
  • Published by UNDP to assess biases against women in politics, education, economy & physical integrity.
  • Key finding: 9 out of 10 people hold biases against women globally.
  • India’s bias rate: 99.22%, limiting women’s freedoms and leadership opportunities.

Pair 4 is incorrect

• Global Gender Parity Index (GGPI):
  • Developed by UNDP and UN Women to assess gender achievements in health, education, financial inclusion, and decision-making.
  • India’s GGPI Score: 0.560, indicating significant gaps in gender equality.

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

Explanation

Both statements are correct

• Recently, Indian govt announced major passport rule changes.
• Key Changes:
  • Birth Certificate Mandatory: Individuals born on/after October 1, 2023, must submit a birth certificate as sole proof of date of birth.
  • Alternative Proof (For those born before October 1, 2023): School certificate, PAN card, Aadhaar, EPIC, driving license, LIC policy, or government records.
  • Colour-coded passports: Blue for ordinary citizens, white for government officials, red for diplomats.
  • Residential Address Removed: No longer printed on passports; embedded in a barcode for privacy.
  • Parents’ Names Removed: To protect personal information.

Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2; Difficulty Level: Easy