Current Affairs Quiz — 03 February 2025
Daily news by your exam, state and topic — each with a short summary, key facts and MCQs.
How many projects were sanctioned in 2024-25 under SASCI - Development of Iconic Tourist Centres to Global Scale, as told to the Lok Sabha on 3 February 2025?
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Correct answer: B — 40
PIB (3 Feb 2025): 40 projects in 23 states were sanctioned for ₹3,295.76 crore in 2024-25.
In the scheme name 'SASCI', what does the abbreviation stand for?
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Correct answer: C — Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment
PIB (3 Feb 2025): the scheme is 'Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) - Development of Iconic Tourist Centres to Global Scale'.
Vyacheslav Volodin, who led a Russian parliamentary delegation to India on 3 February 2025, is the Chairman of:
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Correct answer: B — The State Duma
PIB (3 Feb 2025): the delegation was led by Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.
As President Droupadi Murmu told the Russian delegation on 3 February 2025, which country is the Focus Country at the New Delhi World Book Fair 2025?
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Correct answer: A — Russia
PIB (3 Feb 2025): the President said she had inaugurated the New Delhi World Book Fair, where Russia is the Focus Country.
The National Mission on Cultural Mapping, whose Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar portal was discussed in the Lok Sabha on 3 February 2025, is implemented by:
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Correct answer: D — Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts
PIB (3 Feb 2025): the National Mission on Cultural Mapping is implemented by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).
The Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar portal aims to document the cultural heritage of how many villages?
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Correct answer: C — 6.5 lakh
PIB (3 Feb 2025): the MGMD portal aims to document the cultural heritage of 6.5 lakh villages; 4.5 lakh villages are currently live.
According to the Lok Sabha reply of 3 February 2025, how many antiquities has the Government retrieved from foreign countries from 1976 to 2024?
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Correct answer: B — 655
PIB (3 Feb 2025): the Government has retrieved 655 antiquities from foreign countries from 1976 to 2024, of which 642 have been retrieved since 2014.
Of the antiquities retrieved from abroad between 1976 and 2024, how many were retrieved since 2014?
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Correct answer: A — 642
PIB (3 Feb 2025): of the 655 antiquities retrieved from 1976 to 2024, 642 antiquities have been retrieved since 2014.
Which Amrit Snan of Maha Kumbh 2025 was held on Basant Panchami, 3 February 2025?
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Correct answer: C — Third
PIB (3 Feb 2025): the third Amrit Snan on the occasion of Basant Panchami was successfully completed during Mahakumbh 2025 at Prayagraj.
According to State government figures, how many devotees had bathed at the Triveni Sangam by 6 pm on Basant Panchami, 3 February 2025?
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Correct answer: B — 2.33 crore
PIB (3 Feb 2025): according to statistics released by the State government, by 6 pm on Basant Panchami a total of 2.33 crore devotees had taken a dip in the Triveni Sangam.
Which was the first language notified as a classical language by the Government of India, in 2004?
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Correct answer: D — Tamil
PIB (3 Feb 2025, Lok Sabha reply): the languages earlier notified as classical were Tamil (2004), Sanskrit (2005), Telugu (2008), Kannada (2008), Malayalam (2013) and Odia (2014).
Which of the following languages was NOT among the five notified as classical languages on 4 October 2024?
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Correct answer: B — Odia
PIB (3 Feb 2025): Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali were notified on 4 October 2024. Odia was notified earlier, in 2014.
Consider the following statements based on the Lok Sabha reply of 3 February 2025: 1. The Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Kannada is in Mysuru. 2. The Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Malayalam is in Thiruvananthapuram. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
PIB (3 Feb 2025): the Classical Kannada centre is located in Mysuru, Karnataka, so statement 1 is correct. The Classical Malayalam centre operates from Tirur, Malappuram, Kerala, not Thiruvananthapuram, so statement 2 is wrong. Answer: 1 only.
The high-entropy alloy catalyst PtPdCoNiMn for green hydrogen, announced on 3 February 2025, was developed by researchers at:
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Correct answer: B — Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences, Bengaluru
PIB (3 Feb 2025): researchers at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru, an autonomous institute of DST, developed the PtPdCoNiMn catalyst.
Compared with a commercial catalyst, how much platinum does the CeNS PtPdCoNiMn catalyst use?
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Correct answer: D — Seven times less
PIB (3 Feb 2025): the HEA catalyst used seven times less platinum than a commercial catalyst and offered better catalytic efficiency than pure platinum.
Where was India's first Ferret Research Facility dedicated on 3 February 2025?
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Correct answer: C — THSTI, Faridabad
PIB (3 Feb 2025): the nation's first Ferret Research Facility was dedicated at the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) in the NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana.
GARBH-INi-DRISHTI, launched on 3 February 2025, is:
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Correct answer: A — A maternal and child health data repository of the Department of Biotechnology
PIB (3 Feb 2025): GARBH-INi-DRISHTI is a maternal and child health data repository of the Department of Biotechnology: the DBT Data Repository and Information Sharing Hub at THSTI, with data from over 12,000 pregnant women, newborns and postpartum mothers.
On 3 February 2025, which body revoked Stage-III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the NCR?
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Correct answer: D — Sub-Committee on GRAP of the Commission for Air Quality Management
PIB (3 Feb 2025): the Sub-Committee on GRAP of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) revoked Stage-III in the entire NCR with immediate effect.
Consider the following statements about the revocation of GRAP Stage-III on 3 February 2025: 1. Stage-III had been invoked on 29 January 2025 when Delhi's average AQI breached 350. 2. Delhi's AQI on 3 February 2025 was 286 as per the CPCB bulletin. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
PIB (3 Feb 2025): Stage-III was invoked by order dated 29 January 2025 when Delhi's AQI breached 350, and Delhi's AQI was 286 on 3 February as per the CPCB bulletin. Both statements are correct. Answer: Both 1 and 2.
The National Metadata Structure (NMDS 2.0), shared with ministries for implementation, is associated with which ministry?
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Correct answer: C — Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
PIB (3 Feb 2025): MoS (I/C) for the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation Rao Inderjit Singh said NMDS 2.0 has been shared with Ministries/Departments, and MoSPI interacts with their Statistical Advisors on it.