Daily Current Affairs Quiz: April 01, 2025

Answer: B.

• Utkal Divas 2025 (Odisha Foundation Day) will be celebrated on April 1.
• Significance: Marks 88 years of Odisha’s statehood.
• Formation: Odisha became India’s first linguistically created state on April 1, 1936, separated from Bihar and Orissa Province.

Answer: C.

Current Context: The discovery of semi-burnt cash at Justice Yashwant Varma’s residence has reignited debates on judicial accountability and the need to revisit the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC).

Judicial Appointments Evolution

• Pre-Collegium Era (1950–1973): Judges appointed by the President in consultation with the CJI.
• First Judges Case (1981): Gave more power to the executive in judicial appointments.
• Second Judges Case (1993): Established the Collegium System, making judiciary’s recommendations binding.
• Third Judges Case (1998): Clarified Collegium’s composition:
• SC Judges: CJI + 4 senior-most judges.
• HC Judges: CJI + 2 senior-most judges.

National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC)

• Created (2014): Replaced the Collegium System, involving the executive in judicial appointments.
• Struck Down (2015): Declared unconstitutional as it diluted judicial independence

Reasons for Revisiting NJAC

• Opaque Collegium System: No clear criteria, risk of favoritism.
• Legislative Consensus: NJAC had near-unanimous support in Parliament.
• Delays in Appointments: Secretive collegium process leads to vacancies.
• Lack of Diversity: Inadequate representation of marginalized groups.
• Case Backlogs: 4.4 crore pending cases demand faster appointments.

Answer: B

Current Context: A magnitude 7.7 earthquake and multiple aftershocks struck central Myanmar, the strongest globally in two years.

Causes:

• Tectonic Activity: Myanmar lies along the Sagaing Fault, where the Indian Plate (west) and Eurasian Plate (east) move past each other.
• Strike-Slip Faulting: The plates rub sideways, releasing seismic energy.
• Shallow Depth (10 km): Leads to stronger surface shaking.

Impact:

• Epicenter: Near Mandalay (population ~1.5 million).
• Affected Areas: Thailand (Bangkok) and Northeast India (tremors, no major damage).
• Seismic History: Since 1900, at least six earthquakes over magnitude 7 have occurred near the Sagaing Fault.

Answer: A.

Current Context: The Ministry of Defence has signed a contract under the Buy (Indian–Indigenously Designed, Developed, and Manufactured) category for procuring the Nag Missile System (NAMIS) to boost India’s self-reliant defence capabilities.

Key Features

• Type: Third-generation, fire-and-forget Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM)
• Developer: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• Purpose: Designed for the Indian Army to neutralize heavily armoured enemy tanks.
• Operation: Targets tanks autonomously, requiring no further guidance post-launch.

Significance

• Enhances India’s indigenously developed defence capabilities.
• Provides advanced firepower for anti-tank operations.

Answer: B.

Current Context: The Indian Army has successfully developed and tested an indigenous FPV drone with an anti-tank kamikaze payload, enhancing its combat capabilities.

About

• Definition: Remotely piloted drones transmitting real-time video to an operator’s screen or goggles for precise control.
• Uses: Tactical combat, surveillance, reconnaissance, and racing.

Significance

• Cost-effective in neutralizing high-value enemy assets like tanks.
• Combat proven, with successful deployment in recent conflicts (e.g., Ukraine) demonstrating their battlefield impact.

Answer: A

Current Context: The Asian Development Bank (ADB)-funded Strengthening Multimodal and Integrated Logistics Ecosystem (SMILE) Programme aims to enhance India’s logistics infrastructure, aligning with the National Logistics Policy and PM Gati Shakti.

About SMILE

• Objective: Reduce logistics costs, improve efficiency, and promote multimodal connectivity.
• Trade & Digitalization: Focus on smart logistics, digital trade facilitation, and low-emission transport.
• Gender Inclusion: Conducts gender audits at land ports under the National Trade Facilitation Action Plan.
• Economic Impact: Supports Atmanirbhar Bharat, boosts private sector investment, and enhances India’s Logistics Performance Index.

Answer: C.

Current Context: At France’s ‘Nutrition for Growth’ event (March 27-28, 2025), UNESCO’s report “Education and Nutrition: Learn to Eat Well” urged better school meal standards.

Key Findings

• 47% of primary pupils receive meals, but quality is lacking.
• 27% of meals lack nutritionist input; only 93/187 countries have food laws.
• Childhood obesity doubled since 1990, while food insecurity persists.

Successful Initiatives

• Brazil: Bans ultra-processed foods.
• China: Added dairy & vegetables.
• Nigeria: School feeding raised enrolment by 20%.
• India: Fortified millet improved adolescent cognition.

Recommendations

• Prioritize fresh, local food; cut processed & sugary items.
• Integrate food education in schools.
• Develop nutrition-focused policies & training.

Answer: B

Current Context: The Khelo India Para Games 2025 wrapped up in New Delhi, serving as a crucial platform for para-athletes with remarkable achievements, including 18 national records.

Key Highlights

• Medal Tally:

1. Haryana: 34 Gold, 39 Silver, 31 Bronze
2. Tamil Nadu: 28 Gold, 19 Silver, 27 Bronze
3. Uttar Pradesh: 23 Gold, 21 Silver, 20 Bronze

• Participation: Over 1,300 para-athletes competed in six sports: Para Archery, Para Athletics, Para Badminton, Para Powerlifting, Para Shooting, and Para Table Tennis.

Answer: C

Current Context: Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has launched ‘Sarathi,’ an AI-powered chatbot for the Chief Secretary’s office website, to enhance citizen engagement and accessibility to government information.

Key Features

• Developer: HARTRON (Haryana State Electronics Development Corporation Limited).
• Purpose: Provides easy access to government directives, notifications, circulars, and other official documents.

Database:

• Processes over 17,820 official documents,Covers 73,622 scanned PDF pages.
• Includes directives, agendas, circulars, acts, policies, notifications, and government orders.

Answer: B.

Current Context: Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, has become Namibia’s first woman president, succeeding Nangolo Mbumba, marking a historic milestone for the nation.

About Namibia

• Capital: Windhoek
• Currency: Namibian Dollar, South African Rand