May 01 2025 Current Affairs MCQs

Explanation

Statements 1 and 3 are correct

• AIM4NatuRe was launched on Earth Day 2025 with UK support, to enhance ecosystem restoration monitoring under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).
• AIM4NatuRe (Accelerating Innovative Monitoring for Nature Restoration) is a Global Ecosystem Monitoring Initiative led by Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO), as part of its expanded AIM4Forests Programme.
• Duration & Funding: 2025–2028, with US$9 million funding.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• Scope: Covers forests, agricultural lands, grasslands, marine zones and wetlands.
• Key Objectives and Strategic Areas:
  • Support Target 2 of KMGBF, restoring at least 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030.
  • Strengthen Monitoring Systems: Build countries’ capacity to track and report ecosystem restoration by offering technical support and training to national agencies.
  • Inclusive Tech-Driven Monitoring: Combine Indigenous Peoples’ biocentric knowledge with satellite data, FERM (Framework for Ecosystem Restoration Monitoring) tools and standardized protocols.

Answer: (b) 1 and 3 only; Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect and statement 2 is correct

• Carbon Credit Trading Scheme, 2023 is an initiative by the Ministry of Power for implementation of carbon trading mechanism in India.
• Under this, carbon credit certificates are issued by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) to entities that surpass their emission reduction targets.
• The Ministry of Power notifies obligated entities based on recommendations from the BEE.
• Emission intensity targets are set by the MoEFCC based on the Ministry of Power recommendations.
• Entities failing to meet their targets must purchase carbon credit certificates.
• The scheme is overseen by a National Steering Committee chaired by the Power Secretary.
• Integration with GEI Targets: Defines what industries must achieve to generate tradable carbon credits.

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect and statement 2 is correct

• MRSAM: It is a high-response, quick-reaction, vertically launched supersonic missile designed to neutralise enemy aerial threats.
• Components: Mainly consisting of a Multi-Function Surveillance and Threat Alert (MFSTAR) Radar, a Weapon Control System (WCS), and a Vertical Launcher Unit (VLU).
• Developed by DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). Production at Bharat Dynamics Limited.
• Range: It’s a mobile, land-based system ranging up to 70 km. Weight: 275 kg
• Capabilities:
  • It can engage multiple targets simultaneously.
  • It is designed for both point and area air defence.
  • It can intercept targets at various altitudes (low, medium, and high).
  • It can operate in all weather conditions.
  • It possesses high manoeuvrability for intercepting fast-moving targets.
• The MR-SAM is highly effective against surface-to-surface missiles and other aerial targets.

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

Explanation

All are correct

• The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is a United Nations agency that was established in 1997 through a merger between the United Nations Drug Control Programme and the Centre for International Crime Prevention.
• It is headquartered in Vienna, Austria, and operates under the United Nations Secretariat.
• It publishes important reports such as the World Drug Report, the Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, and the Wildlife Crime Report.
• UNODC’s primary mandate is to assist member states in their efforts to combat illicit drugs, crime, terrorism, and corruption.
• The organization promotes international cooperation and provides technical assistance and research support to help countries develop effective legal and institutional frameworks.
• The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is a United Nations agency that was established in 1997 through a merger between the United Nations Drug Control Programme and the Centre for International Crime Prevention. It is headquartered in Vienna, Austria, and operates under the United Nations Secretariat.

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

Explanation

Statement 1 and 2 are correct

• Basaveshwara:
  • Also known as Bhakti bhandari (treasurer of devotion), Basavesvara was an Indian philosopher, poet, and social reformer.
  • Birth and Early Life: Born in 1131 AD in Bagevadi (now in Karnataka).
  • Served as Karanika (Accountant) & later as Prime Minister in the court of Kalachuri king Bijjala at Kalyana.
  • Opposed caste discrimination & gender bias; initiated inclusive reforms ensuring dignity to all.
  • Institutional Founder of Lingayatism: Laid the doctrinal foundation for Lingayatism as a distinct socio-religious system rooted in ethical living.
  • His followers were known as Virashaivas (heroes of Shiva) or Lingayats wearers of the linga).

Statement 3 is correct

• They were also against all forms of ritual and idol worship.
• They also questioned the theory of rebirth.
• The Lingayats also encouraged certain practices disapproved in the Dharmashastras, such as post-puberty marriage and the remarriage of widows.
• These won them followers amongst those who were marginalised within the Brahmanical social order.
• Lingayats worship Shiva in his manifestation as a linga, and men usually wear a small linga in a silver case on a loop strung over the left shoulder.
• Those who are revered include the jangama or wandering monks.
• Lingayats believe that on death the devotee will be united with Shiva and will not return to this world.
• Therefore, they do not practise funerary rites such as cremation, prescribed in the Dharmashastras. Instead, they ceremonially bury their dead.
• Death: Believed to have attained spiritual samadhi in Kudalasangama (in present-day Bagalkot district).

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

Explanation

Statements 1 and 4 are correct

• Global Geoparks Network:
  • UNESCO has added 16 additional sites from 11 nations to its Global Geoparks Network.
  • In a historic first, North Korea joined the network, while Saudi Arabia made its debut with two newly designated geoparks.
  • In 2025, UNESCO marked the 10th anniversary of its International Geoscience and Geoparks Programme, a key Earth Sciences initiative.

Statement 2 is correct

• International Geoscience and Geoparks Programme (IGGP)
  • It is UNESCO’s flagship initiative in Earth Sciences, launched in 2015.
  • Aim: To strengthen the connection between geological heritage and sustainable development by promoting international cooperation in geoscience research and education.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGp):
  • UGGp are single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development.
  • The UNESCO Global Geoparks designation now includes 229 sites across 50 countries.
  • As of April 30, 2025, India does not have any UNESCO Global Geoparks.

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

Explanation

Option (c) is correct

• Fifty years after the Vietnam War (1955-75), millions of Vietnamese continue to suffer from the devastating effects of Agent Orange.
• Agent Orange is a toxic herbicide sprayed by US forces to destroy forests and food crops that provided cover and sustenance to North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops.
• From 1961 to 1971, around 74 million litres of herbicidal chemicals were sprayed over South Vietnam and parts of Laos and Cambodia—over half of which was Agent Orange.

Answer: (c) A toxic herbicide used by the United States during the Vietnam War to destroy forest cover and food sources; Difficulty Level: Easy