Current Affairs Quiz — 18 March 2025
Daily news by your exam, state and topic — each with a short summary, key facts and MCQs.
Under which Article of the Constitution did the Election Commission say on 18 March 2025 that the right to vote can only be given to a citizen of India, while deciding on EPIC-Aadhaar linking?
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Correct answer: D — Article 326
The ECI said that as per Article 326 of the Constitution, voting right can only be given to a citizen of India, while Aadhaar only establishes identity.
Under which law's Sections 23(4), 23(5) and 23(6) will the linking of EPIC with Aadhaar be done, as decided by the ECI on 18 March 2025?
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Correct answer: A — Representation of the People Act, 1950
The ECI decided the linking will be done as per Article 326 and Sections 23(4), 23(5) and 23(6) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
Where did the Election Commission of India hold its meeting with the Union Home Secretary, MeitY Secretary and UIDAI CEO on EPIC-Aadhaar linking on 18 March 2025?
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Correct answer: C — Nirvachan Sadan, New Delhi
The meeting was held at Nirvachan Sadan, New Delhi, the ECI headquarters.
Consider the following statements about the ECI's decision of 18 March 2025 on EPIC-Aadhaar linking: 1. The Commission held that Aadhaar establishes both identity and citizenship of a person. 2. The linking is to be in line with the Supreme Court judgement in WP (Civil) No. 177/2023. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: B — 2 only
The ECI said Aadhaar only establishes identity, while voting rights under Article 326 are only for citizens, so statement 1 is wrong. The linking will follow the Supreme Court judgement in WP (Civil) No. 177/2023.
With which Bengaluru-based indigenous Generative AI company did UIDAI partner in March 2025 to bring AI voice interactions and fraud alerts to Aadhaar services?
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Correct answer: D — Sarvam AI
UIDAI partnered with Bengaluru-based Sarvam AI, an indigenous full-stack GenAI company, with the agreement effective from 18 March 2025.
In how many languages will the AI voice interaction and fraud detection under the UIDAI–Sarvam AI agreement (March 2025) be available at launch?
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Correct answer: B — 10
The deployment allows voice interaction and fraud detection in 10 languages, with more to be added in coming months.
Consider the following statements about the UIDAI–Sarvam AI agreement effective 18 March 2025: 1. The GenAI stack is hosted on-premise within an air-gapped UIDAI infrastructure, so no data leaves UIDAI. 2. Sarvam AI will own the solution, with UIDAI holding a licence to use it. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
The custom GenAI stack is hosted on-premise in an air-gapped UIDAI environment. The ownership of the solution is with UIDAI, not Sarvam AI, so statement 2 is wrong.
The Lok Sabha Secretariat signed an MoU for 'Sansad Bhashini', an AI initiative for multilingual parliamentary operations, with which ministry on 18 March 2025?
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Correct answer: C — Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
The MoU for Sansad Bhashini was signed between the Lok Sabha Secretariat and MeitY in the presence of Speaker Om Birla and Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Consider the following statements about the Sansad Bhashini initiative (March 2025): 1. Parliament will provide its data for training and fine-tuning the AI tools. 2. It includes an AI chatbot on the Parliament website to help members find procedural rules. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Parliamentary data from Sansad will be used to train and fine-tune the tools, and an AI-powered chatbot on the Parliament website is one of the key initiatives. Both statements are correct.
Where did Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat inaugurate the Kamba Ramayana Parayanam on 18 March 2025?
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Correct answer: D — Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli
Shekhawat inaugurated the Kamba Ramayana Parayanam at the Singar Kovil Auditorium in Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli.
Which body under the Ministry of Culture organised the 2025 initiative to revive the oral recital tradition of the Kamba Ramayana in Tamil Nadu?
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Correct answer: A — South Zone Cultural Centre, Thanjavur
The initiative is by the South Zone Cultural Centre (SZCC), Thanjavur, under the Ministry of Culture.
Kambar Medu, the venue of the Kamba Ramayana festival from 30 March to 6 April 2025 and the birthplace of the poet Kambar, is at which place in Tamil Nadu?
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Correct answer: B — Therazhundur
The week-long festival was held at Kambar Medu, the birthplace of Kambar in Therazhundur. Madurantakam, Vaduvur and Thiruneermalai were among the temples hosting recitals.
Which company manufactured the indigenous electrolysers flagged off on 18 March 2025 for the green hydrogen plant at Deendayal Port, Kandla?
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Correct answer: C — Larsen & Toubro (L&T)
The electrolysers were manufactured by L&T under Make in India and flagged off from L&T's Hazira facility.
How much hydrogen per hour is the 1 MW green hydrogen plant at Deendayal Port, Kandla, designed to produce, as stated in March 2025?
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Correct answer: B — 18 kg
The plant at DPA Kandla is to produce 18 kg of hydrogen per hour.
Who inaugurated the S N Bose Building of the Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP) on 18 March 2025?
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Correct answer: A — Rafael Mariano Grossi
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi inaugurated the S N Bose Building; DAE Secretary Ajit Kumar Mohanty also spoke at the event.
What is the duration of the Certificate Course on Nuclear Engineering introduced at GCNEP by the IAEA Director General in March 2025?
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Correct answer: C — Six months
It is a six-month programme, planned for 40 international and 10 national participants per batch.
In their phone call on 18 March 2025, Vladimir Putin agreed to Donald Trump's proposal for a 30-day halt on strikes on which targets?
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Correct answer: D — Energy infrastructure
The Kremlin said Trump proposed that the parties mutually refrain from strikes on energy infrastructure for 30 days, and Putin immediately ordered Russian troops to comply.
After the Trump–Putin call of 18 March 2025, the White House said technical negotiations would begin on a maritime ceasefire in which sea?
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Correct answer: A — Black Sea
The White House said the movement to peace would begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire and technical negotiations on a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea.
Consider the following statements about the Trump–Putin phone call of 18 March 2025: 1. Putin accepted the full 30-day ceasefire across the front line proposed by the US. 2. The broader 30-day truce sought by the US had already been accepted by Ukraine. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: B — 2 only
Putin agreed only to a 30-day halt on strikes on energy infrastructure and set conditions for any wider ceasefire, so statement 1 is wrong. Reuters reported that the blanket 30-day truce sought by the US had been accepted by Ukraine.
The IndiaAI Hackathon on Mineral Targeting, launched with the Geological Survey of India in March 2025, covers a pre-defined area in which two states?
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Correct answer: B — Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh
Participants are to identify new exploration areas within a pre-defined 39,000 sq km area in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Under which MeitY initiative was the National Innovation Challenge for Drone Application and Research (NIDAR) launched on 18 March 2025?
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Correct answer: D — SwaYaan
NIDAR was launched under 'SwaYaan — Capacity Building for Human Resource Development in Unmanned Aircraft Systems'.
Which two domains are the autonomous drones in the NIDAR challenge (March 2025) meant to address?
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Correct answer: A — Disaster management and precision agriculture
NIDAR teams build collaborative autonomous drones for disaster management (scout and deliver) and precision agriculture (scan and spray).
In his Lok Sabha address on 18 March 2025 on the conclusion of the Maha Kumbh, to whose legendary endeavour did PM Modi compare the effort behind organising it?
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Correct answer: D — Bhagirath's endeavour to bring the Ganga to Earth
PM Modi compared the effort to the legendary Bhagirath's endeavour to bring the Ganga to Earth.
Which city is setting up India's first green waste processing plant on the public-private partnership model under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban, as announced in March 2025?
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Correct answer: C — Indore
MoHUA said Indore is launching India's first PPP-model green waste processing plant under SBM-Urban, at Bicholi Hapsi.
Rajnath Singh met Ruben Brekelmans, the Defence Minister of which country, in New Delhi on 18 March 2025?
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Correct answer: A — Netherlands
Rajnath Singh met Netherlands Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans in New Delhi on 18 March 2025.