Asia Current Affairs Quiz — All time
Daily news by your exam, state and topic — each with a short summary, key facts and MCQs.
What was the theme of the fifth edition of Lineman Diwas, observed on 4 March 2025?
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Correct answer: D — Seva, Suraksha, Swabhiman
The fifth Lineman Diwas was celebrated on the theme 'Seva, Suraksha, Swabhiman'.
Which statutory body under the Ministry of Power organised Lineman Diwas 2025 in New Delhi?
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Correct answer: A — Central Electricity Authority
The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) organised the day with Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd.
At the close of the Visitor's Conference on 4 March 2025, President Droupadi Murmu particularly urged heads of higher education institutions to strengthen:
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Correct answer: B — The academia-industry interface
The President advocated a strong academia-industry interface so that research stays linked to the needs of the economy and society.
Which company will fund, under its CSR, the 37-bed patient care block at AMCH Dibrugarh whose foundation stone was laid on 4 March 2025?
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Correct answer: A — Oil India Limited
Oil India Limited will bear the ₹8.89 crore cost as part of its corporate social responsibility.
The 'Jumbo' Majumdar International Seminar, whose 16th edition opened on 4 March 2025, is organised by which body?
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Correct answer: D — Centre for Air Power Studies
The seminar is organised annually by the Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS) in memory of Wg Cdr Karun Krishna Majumdar.
INS Kuthar, which arrived at Colombo on 4 March 2025, belongs to which fleet of the Indian Navy?
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Correct answer: C — Eastern Fleet
INS Kuthar is an Eastern Fleet ship under the Eastern Naval Command.
Where did PM Narendra Modi lay the foundation stone of the National Referral Centre for Wildlife on 3 March 2025?
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Correct answer: B — Junagadh
The National Referral Centre for Wildlife, a hub for wildlife health and disease management, will come up at Junagadh, Gujarat.
The Asiatic lion population estimation announced by the PM at Gir on 3 March 2025 is which cycle of the exercise?
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Correct answer: A — 16th
The PM announced the 16th cycle of Asiatic lion population estimation in 2025; the exercise is held every five years and was last done in 2020.
A Centre of Excellence to deal with human-wildlife conflict, announced at the 7th NBWL meeting, will be set up at which location?
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Correct answer: C — WII campus at SACON, Coimbatore
The centre will be at the Wildlife Institute of India campus at SACON (Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History), Coimbatore, and will help states equip Rapid Response Teams.
At the NBWL meeting in Gir, prey augmentation and habitat improvement were announced for lions that have naturally dispersed to which sanctuary?
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Correct answer: D — Barda Wildlife Sanctuary
Asiatic lions have made Barda Wildlife Sanctuary their home through natural dispersal, and the PM announced support for them there through prey augmentation and habitat improvement.
Consider the following statements about the National Board for Wildlife, whose 7th meeting was held at Gir on 3 March 2025: 1. It is chaired by the Prime Minister, with the Minister in charge of Forests and Wild Life as Vice-Chairperson. 2. Section 5A, providing for its constitution, was inserted in the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 by the Amendment Act of 2002. 3. The Director of the Wildlife Institute of India is its Member-Secretary. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 and 2 only
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Section 5A of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, inserted by the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2002, makes the PM the Chairperson and the Forests and Wild Life Minister the Vice-Chairperson. Statement 3 is wrong: the Director of Wild Life Preservation is the Member-Secretary; the WII Director is only a member.
How many hydrogen refuelling stations are included in the five pilot projects for hydrogen buses and trucks sanctioned by MNRE (announced 3 March 2025)?
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Correct answer: A — 9
The five pilot projects include 37 vehicles and 9 hydrogen refuelling stations.
Consider the following statements about the hydrogen transport pilot projects announced by MNRE on 3 March 2025: 1. Of the 37 vehicles, 15 are hydrogen fuel cell-based and 22 use hydrogen internal combustion engines. 2. The vehicles will run on 10 routes, including Bhubaneswar–Konark–Puri. 3. The projects are funded under the PM e-DRIVE scheme. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 and 2 only
Statements 1 and 2 are correct: 15 fuel cell and 22 hydrogen ICE vehicles will run on 10 routes including Bhubaneswar–Konark–Puri. Statement 3 is wrong: the pilots come under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, with about ₹208 crore of central support.
Who chaired the Empowered Committee for Capability Enhancement of the Indian Air Force, whose report was presented to the Raksha Mantri on 3 March 2025?
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Correct answer: C — The Defence Secretary
The committee was chaired by the Defence Secretary, Rajesh Kumar Singh, who presented its report to Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh.
Who served as Member Secretary of the Empowered Committee for Capability Enhancement of the IAF (report presented on 3 March 2025)?
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Correct answer: D — Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
The Deputy Chief of the Air Staff was Member Secretary; the Vice Chief of Air Staff, Secretary (Defence Production), Secretary DDR&D and DG Acquisition were members.
The demonstration hydrogen plant whose groundbreaking was held at Chembur, Mumbai, on 3 March 2025 will use which process?
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Correct answer: B — Iodine-Sulphur thermochemical water splitting
The Heavy Water Board and BARC plant will produce hydrogen by thermochemical splitting of water based on the Iodine-Sulphur (I-S) process.
Which body, in collaboration with BARC, began construction of the Iodine-Sulphur process hydrogen demonstration plant in Mumbai on 3 March 2025?
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Correct answer: C — Heavy Water Board
The Heavy Water Board (HWB) started construction with BARC at its facilities in RCF, Chembur.
India signed an MoU on cooperation in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector with which country on 3 March 2025?
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Correct answer: C — Nepal
India and Nepal signed the WASH MoU at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi, in the presence of C R Patil and Nepal's Water Supply Minister Pradeep Yadav.
Which of the following is listed as an area of cooperation in the India–Nepal WASH MoU signed on 3 March 2025?
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Correct answer: D — Groundwater management, including artificial recharge
The MoU covers capacity building, technology and knowledge transfer, and groundwater management including monitoring, quality improvement, artificial recharge and rainwater harvesting.
Who was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Government e Marketplace (GeM) with effect from 3 March 2025?
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Correct answer: D — Ajay Bhadoo
Ajay Bhadoo, Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce, was appointed GeM CEO with effect from 3 March 2025.
Before joining the Department of Commerce, the new GeM CEO Ajay Bhadoo (appointed March 2025) served in which post?
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Correct answer: B — Deputy Election Commissioner
Ajay Bhadoo, a 1999-batch Gujarat-cadre IAS officer, earlier served as Deputy Election Commissioner at the Election Commission of India.
Which state recorded the highest number of dolphins in India's first riverine dolphin estimation report released on 3 March 2025?
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Correct answer: B — Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest numbers, followed by Bihar, West Bengal and Assam.
The first riverine dolphin estimation, whose report was released at Gir on 3 March 2025, surveyed how many rivers across how many states?
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Correct answer: A — 28 rivers in 8 states
The survey covered 28 rivers across eight states, with 3,150 mandays spent covering over 8,500 km.
What total number of dolphins was estimated in the first-ever riverine dolphin estimation report released by the PM on 3 March 2025?
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Correct answer: A — 6,327
The report estimated a total of 6,327 dolphins; 3,150 was the number of mandays and 8,500 km the distance surveyed.
According to NITI Aayog's report 'From Borrowers to Builders' launched on 3 March 2025, how many women were monitoring their credit as of December 2024?
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Correct answer: A — 27 million
As of December 2024, 27 million women were monitoring their credit, a 42% increase over the previous year.
Under NITI Aayog's Women Entrepreneurship Platform, which collaborative was mentioned at the launch of the 'From Borrowers to Builders' report on 3 March 2025?
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Correct answer: C — Financing Women Collaborative
NITI Aayog CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam said the Financing Women Collaborative (FWC) has been constituted under WEP and invited financial sector stakeholders to join it.
What was the theme of World Wildlife Day observed on 3 March 2025?
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Correct answer: C — Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet
The 2025 theme was 'Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet'. The other options were themes of earlier years.
According to the Environment Ministry's World Wildlife Day 2025 backgrounder, how much of its 2025-26 budget is earmarked for the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats?
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Correct answer: D — ₹450 crore
₹450 crore is set aside for Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats out of the Ministry's total 2025-26 budget of ₹3,412.82 crore.
Fifteenth Finance Commission untied grants of about ₹699 crore, announced on 3 March 2025, were released for rural local bodies of which state?
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Correct answer: B — West Bengal
The grants went to 21 District Panchayats, 326 Block Panchayats and 3,220 Gram Panchayats in West Bengal.
The Indian Navy's East Coast Motor Car Rally Expedition was flagged off on 3 March 2025 from which naval establishment?
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Correct answer: B — INS Netaji, Kolkata
The rally was flagged off from INS Netaji, Kolkata, and will cover about 3,800 km before ending in Chennai on 21 March.
At the dairy sustainability workshop on 3 March 2025, Amit Shah said White Revolution 2.0 should aim for milk unions in what share of India's districts?
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Correct answer: A — 80%
He said the target should be a state-level union in every state and UT and milk unions in 80% of the country's districts.
At the Kisan Aabhar Sammelan in Bhopal on 2 March 2025, Madhya Pradesh announced that farmers would get a permanent electricity connection for:
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Correct answer: D — ₹5
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced that farmers would get a permanent electricity connection for just ₹5, starting with the central region.
How many solar pumps did Madhya Pradesh say it would give farmers over the next three years, as announced on 2 March 2025?
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Correct answer: D — 30 lakh
The state plans to give 30 lakh solar pumps over three years, at 10 lakh a year.
Which team won the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy, taking the title on first-innings lead when the final against Kerala in Nagpur was drawn on 2 March 2025?
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Correct answer: B — Vidarbha
Vidarbha won the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy on their 37-run first-innings lead over Kerala after the final at Nagpur was drawn on 2 March 2025.
Vidarbha's Harsh Dubey, Player of the Series in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy, set the record for the most wickets in a Ranji season. How many wickets did he take?
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Correct answer: C — 69
Harsh Dubey took 69 wickets in the 2024-25 season, passing the 68 taken by Bihar's Ashutosh Aman in 2018-19.
The Ranji Trophy won by Vidarbha on 2 March 2025 was the team's:
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Correct answer: A — Third Ranji Trophy title
It was Vidarbha's third Ranji Trophy title, after their back-to-back wins in 2017-18 and 2018-19.
Which Indian bowler took 5 for 42 and was player of the match as India beat New Zealand in the Champions Trophy 2025 group match on 2 March 2025?
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Correct answer: A — Varun Chakravarthy
Varun Chakravarthy, playing his first match of the tournament, took 5 for 42 and was named player of the match.
By what margin did India beat New Zealand in their Champions Trophy 2025 Group A match in Dubai on 2 March 2025?
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Correct answer: B — 44 runs
India made 249 for 9 and bowled New Zealand out for 205, winning by 44 runs.
Which New Zealand bowler also took five wickets in the Champions Trophy 2025 match against India on 2 March 2025?
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Correct answer: A — Matt Henry
Matt Henry took 5 for 42 as New Zealand restricted India to 249 for 9.
The avalanche that hit a Border Roads Organisation camp near Mana village on 28 February 2025, whose rescue operation ended on 2 March 2025, occurred in which district of Uttarakhand?
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Correct answer: B — Chamoli
The avalanche struck the BRO camp near Mana village in Chamoli district; the rescue operation ended on 2 March 2025.
Of the 54 BRO workers buried in the Mana avalanche of 28 February 2025, how many were rescued alive by the time the operation ended on 2 March 2025?
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Correct answer: A — 46
46 of the 54 workers were rescued and eight died, according to the Army and the state disaster management authority.
Which equipment was airlifted from Delhi to help locate the last buried workers in the Mana avalanche rescue (2 March 2025)?
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Correct answer: C — A drone-based intelligent buried object detection system
A drone-based 'intelligent buried object detection system' was airlifted from Delhi to Joshimath to help find the last buried containers.
The Central Warehousing Corporation, which celebrated its 69th Foundation Day on 2 March 2025, was established in which year?
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Correct answer: C — 1957
The CWC was set up in 1957 and marked its 69th Foundation Day on 2 March 2025.
At CWC's 69th Foundation Day (2 March 2025), Pralhad Joshi said the government aims to bring logistics costs down to around what level?
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Correct answer: D — 8%
He said the National Logistics Policy and PM Gati Shakti aim to cut logistics costs from 13-14% to the global standard of around 8%.
Consider the following statements about the Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC), which marked its 69th Foundation Day on 2 March 2025: 1. The CWC is a company incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956. 2. The Warehousing Corporations Act, 1962, under which the CWC functions, is administered by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: B — 2 only
The CWC is a statutory corporation constituted under the Warehousing Corporations Act, 1962 (Section 3), not a company under the Companies Act; that Act is administered by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (Department of Food and Public Distribution). Only the second statement is correct.
According to the Election Commission's clarification of 2 March 2025, which platform will be updated to help allot a unique EPIC number to every registered elector?
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Correct answer: B — ERONET 2.0
The Commission said duplicate EPIC numbers will be rectified and the ERONET 2.0 platform will be updated to aid the process.
Consider the following statements in the context of the Election Commission's clarification on duplicate EPIC numbers (2 March 2025): 1. Under Article 324 of the Constitution, the superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls is vested in the Election Commission. 2. The identical EPIC numbers arose because some state CEO offices used the same alphanumeric series before the shift to ERONET. 3. The Commission said an elector with a duplicate EPIC number may vote in either of the two states concerned. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: B — 1 and 2 only
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Article 324 vests superintendence of electoral rolls in the Election Commission, and the duplicates came from a decentralised, manual system before ERONET. Statement 3 is wrong: an elector can vote only at the designated polling station where enrolled.
PM Modi visited which temple on 2 March 2025, describing it as the first among the 12 Jyotirlingas, after the conclusion of the Maha Kumbh?
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Correct answer: D — Somnath
The PM prayed at Somnath Mandir in Gujarat, the first of the 12 Jyotirlingas, after the Maha Kumbh at Prayagraj.
Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar delivered the Fourth P. Parameswaran Memorial Lecture on 2 March 2025 in which city?
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Correct answer: A — Thiruvananthapuram
The lecture, organised by Bharatheeya Vicharakendram, was held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
According to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on 2 March 2025, how many drug traffickers were convicted in 12 NCB cases across India?
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Correct answer: C — 29
Courts convicted 29 drug traffickers in 12 different cases investigated by the Narcotics Control Bureau.
The National Innovation Foundation, which celebrated its Silver Jubilee on 2 March 2025, is an autonomous institute under which department?
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Correct answer: C — Department of Science and Technology
NIF is an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology; Dr Jitendra Singh released a postal stamp at its Silver Jubilee.
President Droupadi Murmu visited which UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Harappan Civilisation in Gujarat on 1 March 2025?
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Correct answer: A — Dholavira
The President visited Dholavira, on Khadir island in Kachchh district, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2021.
Dholavira, visited by the President on 1 March 2025, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in which year?
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Correct answer: C — 2021
Dholavira was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2021.
Under whose supervision did the ASI excavate Dholavira between 1990 and 2005?
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Correct answer: D — Dr Ravindra Singh Bisht
The ASI excavated Dholavira during 1990–2005 under the supervision of Dr Ravindra Singh Bisht.
Consider the following statements about Dholavira, visited by President Droupadi Murmu on 1 March 2025: 1. It is located on the arid island of Khadir in Kachchh district. 2. Excavations found habitation in seven cultural phases from 3000 to 1500 BCE. 3. It was the first Harappan site in India to be excavated, in the 1920s. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: B — 1 and 2 only
Statements 1 and 2 are correct: Dholavira is on Khadir island in Kachchh and showed seven cultural phases from 3000 to 1500 BCE. Statement 3 is wrong: it was excavated by the ASI during 1990–2005.
At which university was the Swavalambini women entrepreneurship programme launched by Jayant Chaudhary on 1 March 2025?
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Correct answer: A — Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut
Swavalambini was launched at Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, and virtually at BHU, the University of Hyderabad and MANUU.
Which institute implements Swavalambini, the women entrepreneurship programme of MSDE and NITI Aayog launched on 1 March 2025?
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Correct answer: D — NIESBUD
Swavalambini is run under MSDE and implemented by the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), in partnership with NITI Aayog.
Consider the following statements about the Swavalambini programme launched on 1 March 2025: 1. It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and NITI Aayog. 2. Its Women Entrepreneurship Development Programme is a 40-hour training for 300 selected students. 3. Its Faculty Development Programme is a six-month residential course. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: D — 1 and 2 only
Statements 1 and 2 are correct: MSDE runs Swavalambini with NITI Aayog, and the EDP is a 40-hour training for 300 selected students. Statement 3 is wrong: the Faculty Development Programme is a five-day training; six months is the mentorship period for participants.
Who assumed office as Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA) on 1 March 2025?
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Correct answer: D — Dr Mayank Sharma
Dr Mayank Sharma, a 1989-batch IDAS officer, took charge as CGDA on 1 March 2025.
The new Controller General of Defence Accounts who took charge on 1 March 2025 earlier represented India at which UN body in Vienna?
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Correct answer: A — UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
Dr Mayank Sharma served as India's Alternate Permanent Representative at the UNODC, among other UN bodies.