UPSC Civil Services Current Affairs Quiz — All time
Daily news by your exam, state and topic — each with a short summary, key facts and MCQs.
The Indian pair of Rudrankksh Patil and Arya Borse lost the 10m air rifle mixed team gold medal match at the ISSF World Cup in Lima in April 2025 to a pair from which country?
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Correct answer: B — Norway
Rudrankksh Patil and Arya Borse lost 11–17 to Norway's Jon-Hermann Hegg and Jeanette Hegg Duestad in the gold medal match.
Consider the following about the ISSF World Cup in Lima, April 2025: 1. Rudrankksh Patil and Arya Borse won silver in the 10m air rifle mixed team event. 2. After that medal on 20 April, India was at the top of the medal table. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong: with two gold, three silver and one bronze, India was third, behind China and the USA.
Which aircraft did the Indian Air Force field in Exercise Desert Flag-10 in the UAE in April–May 2025?
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Correct answer: A — MiG-29 and Jaguar
MiG-29 and Jaguar, as per the Ministry of Defence release.
Consider the following about Exercise Desert Flag-10: 1. It is hosted by the UAE Air Force at Al Dhafra Air Base. 2. The Russian Air Force is among the participating contingents. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Only 1 is correct. The participants listed are Australia, Bahrain, France, Germany, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Korea, Turkey, the UAE, the UK, the US and India; Russia is not among them.
At which air base in the United Arab Emirates did the Indian Air Force contingent arrive for Exercise Desert Flag-10 in April 2025?
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Correct answer: A — Al Dhafra Air Base
The IAF contingent reached Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE for Exercise Desert Flag-10, hosted by the UAE Air Force.
Which Latin American country did Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman make her maiden visit to in late April 2025, after the IMF–World Bank Spring Meetings?
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Correct answer: B — Peru
Peru, from 26 to 30 April 2025.
At which institution was Nirmala Sitharaman scheduled to deliver a keynote on 'Laying the foundations of Viksit Bharat 2047' during her April 2025 US visit?
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Correct answer: C — Hoover Institution, Stanford University
Hoover Institution, Stanford University, in San Francisco, as per the Finance Ministry.
Besides the IMF–World Bank Spring Meetings, which G20 meetings was Nirmala Sitharaman to attend in Washington DC during her April 2025 visit?
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Correct answer: B — G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meetings
In Washington DC she was to attend the Spring Meetings of the IMF and World Bank and the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meetings.
How many women officers are there in the 2023 IAS batch of 180, described as the largest women representation in the service's history?
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Correct answer: D — 74
74 women, about 41% of the batch of 180.
Consider the following about the Assistant Secretary programme for IAS officer trainees: 1. It began in 2015. 2. In 2025, the trainees are attached to 46 Central Ministries for eight weeks. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are correct, as per the DoPT release.
Which helpline number did I4C advise people to call to report online booking frauds, in its alert of April 2025?
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Correct answer: C — 1930
1930, along with the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in).
Consider the following about the I4C alert of 19 April 2025: 1. I4C functions under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. 2. The scams flagged include fake helicopter bookings for Kedarnath. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: B — 2 only
Only 2 is correct. I4C functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
World Liver Day, on which the PM urged citizens to reduce oil intake, is observed on which date?
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Correct answer: C — 19 April
19 April: the PMO and MHA releases of 19 April 2025 mark World Liver Day.
Which initiative of the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences did Amit Shah say would spread awareness about liver health, at the World Liver Day programme in April 2025?
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Correct answer: A — HEALED
HEALED: Shah said the innovative HEALED initiative of ILBS would succeed in spreading awareness on keeping the liver healthy.
Where and when was the maiden World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) scheduled, as stated during the I&B Minister's media consultation on 19 April 2025?
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Correct answer: A — Mumbai, 1–4 May 2025
Mumbai, 1–4 May 2025, as per the I&B Ministry release.
What is the full form of WAVES, whose maiden edition was scheduled in Mumbai from 1 to 4 May 2025?
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Correct answer: A — World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit
WAVES stands for the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit; its maiden edition was scheduled in Mumbai from 1 to 4 May 2025.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's flight to the ISS, announced in April 2025, was to be part of which mission?
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Correct answer: C — Axiom Space's Ax-4
Axiom Space's Ax-4 mission, as stated by the ISRO Chairman at the review.
Shubhanshu Shukla's mission would make him the first Indian astronaut in space since whose 1984 flight aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft?
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Correct answer: A — Rakesh Sharma
Rakesh Sharma flew in 1984 aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft.
Consider the following, as stated by the Finance Ministry on 18 April 2025: 1. GST is levied on charges such as the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) relating to payments. 2. MDR on person-to-merchant (P2M) UPI transactions was removed with effect from January 2020. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are correct; since no MDR is charged on UPI, no GST applies.
According to the ACI Worldwide Report 2024 cited by the Finance Ministry, what share of global real-time transactions did India account for in 2023?
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Correct answer: C — 49%
49%, as cited in the Finance Ministry release.
What was the value of UPI transactions by March 2025, as stated by the Finance Ministry?
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Correct answer: B — ₹260.56 lakh crore
₹260.56 lakh crore by March 2025, up from ₹21.3 lakh crore in 2019-20; ₹3,631 crore was the FY24 incentive allocation.
PM Modi's conversation with Elon Musk on 18 April 2025 revisited topics from their meeting earlier that year in which city?
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Correct answer: D — Washington DC
Washington DC: the PMO release says they revisited topics from their meeting in Washington DC earlier in the year.
Consider the following about the changes to the Domestic Gas Allocation Policy announced in April 2025: 1. Auction-based allocation of New Well Gas has been replaced with quarterly pro-rata allocation. 2. From Q1 of FY 2025-26, allocations for CNG (transport) and PNG (domestic) will be made on a two-quarter advance basis. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are correct, as per the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
What share of projected CGD demand for CNG (T) and PNG (D) was allocated domestic gas in Q1 of FY 2025-26, as per the Petroleum Ministry?
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Correct answer: B — 55.68%
55.68%; it was 54.68% in Q3 2024-25 and is projected at 54.74% for Q2 2025-26.
Consider the following about MoRTH's clarification of 18 April 2025: 1. Satellite-based tolling will replace FASTag nationwide from 1 May 2025. 2. An ANPR-FASTag-based barrier-less tolling system will be implemented at selected toll plazas. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: B — 2 only
Only 2 is correct. MoRTH said no decision has been taken on nationwide satellite-based tolling from 1 May 2025.
In the 'ANPR-FASTag-based Barrier-Less Tolling System', what does ANPR stand for?
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Correct answer: D — Automatic Number Plate Recognition
Automatic Number Plate Recognition: cameras identify vehicles by reading their number plates.
Which of the following was NOT among the seven hub institutions selected under ANRF's PAIR programme in April 2025?
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Correct answer: C — IIT Madras
IIT Madras is not in the list; the hubs are IISc Bangalore, University of Hyderabad, IIT Ropar, JNU, IIT Indore, NIT Rourkela and IIT Bombay.
How many hub and spoke institutions were selected in the main round of ANRF's PAIR programme announced in April 2025?
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Correct answer: D — 7 hubs, 45 spokes
7 hubs, 45 spokes; 11 more hubs with 61 spokes got limited-budget support, and 30 hub proposals with 166 potential spokes were received.
From when will the rules mandating verification and stamping of radar-based vehicle speed-measurement equipment come into force?
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Correct answer: B — 1 July 2025
1 July 2025, as per the Department of Consumer Affairs.
The rules for radar speed-measurement equipment notified in April 2025 were drafted using which international standard?
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Correct answer: A — OIML R 91
OIML R 91: the drafting committee used technical inputs based on this international standard.
After the inscriptions of 17 April 2025, how many collections are there in total on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register?
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Correct answer: B — 570
570: UNESCO added 74 new collections, bringing the total to 570.
Consider the following statements about India's 2025 inscriptions on the Memory of the World Register: 1. The Bhagavadgītā, as described by UNESCO, contains 700 verses in 18 chapters. 2. The inscribed Nāṭyaśāstra manuscript is attributed to Bharatamuni. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are correct. UNESCO describes the Bhagavadgītā as 700 verses in 18 chapters, and the entry is the 'Manuscript of the Nāṭyaśāstra of Bharatamuni'.
According to UNESCO's inscription note, the Bhagavadgītā is embedded in which parva of the Mahābhārata?
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Correct answer: D — Bhīṣmaparva
Bhīṣmaparva: UNESCO notes it is embedded within the Bhīṣmaparva (adhyāya 23–40) of the Mahābhārata.
When were the Guidelines for the Prevention of Misleading Advertisements in the Coaching Sector, 2024 issued?
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Correct answer: D — 13 November 2024
13 November 2024, as stated by the CCPA.
Consider the following statements about the CCPA's April 2025 advisory to coaching centres: 1. Disclaimers must be displayed in the same font size as other important information. 2. Advertisements must disclose a student's rank, course type and whether the course was paid. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are correct. The CCPA listed both disclosure requirements.
The MoU signed between FIU-IND and the RBI on 17 April 2025 is aimed at effective compliance with which law?
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Correct answer: B — Prevention of Money Laundering Act
The Prevention of Money Laundering Act and the Rules framed under it.
Consider the following statements about the FIU-IND–RBI MoU of April 2025: 1. The two sides will hold quarterly meetings on issues of mutual interest. 2. The MoU was signed on behalf of the RBI by the Governor. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Only 1 is correct. The RBI signatory was R.L.K. Rao, Executive Director, Department of Regulation, not the Governor.
Which edition of the India–UK Defence Consultative Group meeting was held in London in April 2025?
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Correct answer: B — 24th
The 24th India–UK Defence Consultative Group meeting, co-chaired by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.
Consider the following statements about the Defence Secretary's UK visit in April 2025: 1. India's co-chair of the Defence Consultative Group was Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. 2. UK firms were invited to invest in India's Defence Corridors in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Only 1 is correct. The Defence Corridors named were in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, not Gujarat.
In the C-DOT–STL trial announced in April 2025, a stable Quantum Key Distribution link over multi-core fibre was established over a distance exceeding:
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Correct answer: D — 100 km
Over 100 km, with high-capacity classical data on the same fibre.
In India's first QKD over multi-core fibre (C-DOT and STL), how was the fibre used?
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Correct answer: C — 4-core fibre: one core quantum, three cores user data
A 4-core MCF was used: quantum signals in one core and high-speed user data in the other three.
What is the revised registration fee per consignment on the Coal Import Monitoring System (CIMS) portal from 15 April 2025?
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Correct answer: C — ₹500
A flat ₹500 per consignment, replacing the earlier range of ₹500 to ₹1,00,000.
Consider the following statements about the CIMS fee revision of April 2025: 1. The earlier fee ranged from ₹500 to ₹1,00,000 per consignment. 2. The Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) also operates under a flat fee model. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are correct. The ministry said the change aligns CIMS with SIMS, NFIMS and PIMS, which use flat fees.
Nacala Port, where INS Sunayna (IOS SAGAR) arrived on 17 April 2025, is in which country?
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Correct answer: C — Mozambique
Mozambique: the ship arrived at Nacala Port, Mozambique, on 17 April 2025.
IOS SAGAR (INS Sunayna) embarked how many foreign naval personnel, from how many friendly nations, when it left India in April 2025?
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Correct answer: D — 44 from nine nations
44 naval personnel from nine friendly foreign nations.
Which telescope, described as India's largest optical telescope, did ARIES astronomers use to study the intermediate-mass black hole in NGC 4395?
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Correct answer: A — 3.6m Devasthal Optical Telescope
The 3.6m Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT), along with the 1.3m Devasthal Fast Optical Telescope.
The intermediate-mass black hole studied by ARIES astronomers in April 2025 lies in which galaxy?
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Correct answer: B — NGC 4395
NGC 4395, a faint, low-luminosity active galaxy about 4.3 million light-years away.
Where was the 15th meeting of BRICS Ministers of Agriculture held on 17 April 2025?
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Correct answer: D — Brasília
Brasília: the joint declaration says the ministers met on 17 April 2025 in Brasília, Brazil.
The BRICS Partnership for Land Restoration launched in April 2025 is in line with the framework of which convention?
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Correct answer: A — UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
UNCCD: the ministers agreed to launch the partnership 'in line with the framework of the UNCCD'.
What was India's CPI-based retail inflation for the full year 2024-25, as stated by the Finance Ministry in April 2025?
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Correct answer: B — 4.6%
4.6%, the lowest since 2018-19.
March 2025's year-on-year CPI inflation of 3.34% was the lowest monthly rate since:
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Correct answer: C — August 2019
August 2019; March 2025 inflation was 27 basis points lower than February 2025.
Consider the following statements about India's Consumer Price Index (CPI): 1. It is compiled by the Reserve Bank of India. 2. It is currently calculated with base year 2012. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: B — 2 only
Only 2 is correct. The CPI is compiled by the National Statistical Office under MoSPI, not the RBI; its base year is 2012.
India's total (merchandise and services) exports in 2024-25 were estimated at about:
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Correct answer: A — US$ 820.93 billion
US$ 820.93 billion, up 5.50% from US$ 778.13 billion in 2023-24.
Consider the following statements about India's exports in 2024-25: 1. Merchandise exports declined compared to 2023-24. 2. Services exports are estimated to have declined compared to 2023-24. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: D — Neither 1 nor 2
Neither is correct. Merchandise exports grew 0.08% to US$ 437.42 billion and services exports are estimated to have grown 12.45% to US$ 383.51 billion.
How many individuals were insured through the Government e Marketplace (GeM) in 2024-25?
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Correct answer: D — Over 1.3 crore
Over 1.3 crore: more than 1.3 crore individuals under health, life and personal accident policies.
When was the Insurance Services category introduced on GeM?
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Correct answer: C — January 2022
January 2022; only IRDAI-approved providers are onboarded.
On which model will Centres of Excellence under the National Critical Mineral Mission operate, as per guidelines issued in April 2025?
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Correct answer: A — Hub-and-spoke consortium
A consortium on a hub-and-spoke model, with at least two industry and two R&D/academic partners.
Up to which Technology Readiness Level (TRL) are NCMM Centres of Excellence expected to take directed R&D?
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Correct answer: D — TRL 7/8
TRL 7/8 pilot plant and pre-commercial demonstration.
The CCI's April 2025 order against UFO Moviez and Qube Cinema found a contravention of which provision of the Competition Act, 2002?
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Correct answer: B — Section 3(4)
Section 3(4), through tie-in arrangements, exclusive supply agreements and refusal to deal; sanctions were imposed under Section 27.
Consider the following statements about the CCI order of 16 April 2025: 1. It related to the lease of DCI-compliant digital cinema equipment to cinema theatre owners. 2. A penalty of ₹165.8 lakh was imposed on Qube Cinema Technologies. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are correct. UFO Moviez (with Scrabble Digital) was fined ₹104.03 lakh and Qube ₹165.8 lakh.
In which year was the MacGregor Memorial Medal instituted?
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Correct answer: A — 1888
3 July 1888. The USI was established in 1870, and the medal's scope was expanded in 1986.
The MacGregor Memorial Medal commemorates Maj Gen Sir Charles Metcalfe MacGregor, founder of which institution?
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Correct answer: D — United Service Institution of India
The United Service Institution of India, established in 1870.
India's first indigenous green hydrogen fuel cell inland waterway vessel, hailed by the Science Minister in April 2025, was developed by which shipyard?
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Correct answer: B — Cochin Shipyard Ltd
Cochin Shipyard Ltd, with a hydrogen fuel cell drivetrain built by KPIT.
Under CSIR's NMITLI programme, KPIT developed low-temperature PEM fuel cell systems with which CSIR laboratories?
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Correct answer: A — CSIR-NCL, Pune and CSIR-CECRI
CSIR-NCL, Pune and CSIR-CECRI: CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune, and CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CECRI).