Current Affairs 16 April 2025 for UPSC PSC and other exams

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Correct: 1 Mark    Incorrect: 0 Mark

MARKS RANK
9 – 10 Officer
6 – 8 Topper
4 – 5 Aspirant
0 – 3 Below Cut Off

1. Cheetah Relocation from Kuno to Gandhi Sagar

Question:
Consider the following statements regarding Cheetah relocation in India:

  1. Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary has been identified as a future site to establish a cheetah meta-population.
  2. All cheetahs currently in Kuno are already in the wild.
  3. Chinkara, nilgai, and chital are prey species found in Gandhi Sagar.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 1 and 3 only
c) 2 and 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3

Tap here for Answer
Answer: b) 1 and 3 only

Explanation:

Why in News:
The NTCA and state forest officials are considering relocating cheetahs from Kuno to Gandhi Sagar to create a meta-population of 60–70 cheetahs.

  • Statement 1 – Correct: Gandhi Sagar has been selected for meta-population planning.
  • Statement 2 – Incorrect: Only 17 cheetahs are in the wild; 9 are still in enclosures.
  • Statement 3 – Correct: These prey species are found in Gandhi Sagar, aiding the cheetah diet.

2. Sir Sankaran Nair

Question:
Which of the following statements regarding Sir Sankaran Nair is/are correct?

  1. He resigned from the Viceroy’s Executive Council after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
  2. He was the only Malayali to have ever presided over the Indian National Congress.
  3. He defeated Michael O’Dwyer in the defamation case filed in the UK.

a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3

Tap here for Answer
Answer: a) 1 and 2 only

Explanation:

Why in News:
PM Modi paid tribute to Nair for his stand against British atrocities during the Jallianwala massacre anniversary.

  • Statement 1 – Correct: He resigned in protest after the 1919 massacre.
  • Statement 2 – Correct: He was the youngest INC President and only Malayali to hold that position.
  • Statement 3 – Incorrect: He lost the defamation case in UK courts but refused to apologize.

3. Repo Rate and Monetary Policy

Question:
What could be the likely effects of a repo rate cut by the Reserve Bank of India?

  1. Increase in home loan and credit card interest rates.
  2. Boost to the real estate and infrastructure sectors.
  3. Reduction in fixed deposit interest rates for new FDs.
  4. Decline in credit flow due to tighter monetary conditions.

a) 1 and 4 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1, 2 and 4 only
d) 2, 3 and 4 only

Tap here for Answer
Answer: b) 2 and 3 only

Explanation:

Why in News:
The RBI cut the repo rate by 25 bps to 6% to stimulate the economy.

  • Statement 1 – Incorrect: Loan interest rates usually decrease, not increase.
  • Statement 2 – Correct: Lower rates stimulate real estate and infrastructure investments.
  • Statement 3 – Correct: New FD rates tend to decline after a repo rate cut.
  • Statement 4 – Incorrect: Credit flow typically increases, not declines.

4. Rare Earth Magnets and Strategic Control

Question:
Rare earth magnets are critical for which of the following technologies?

  1. Electric vehicles
  2. Drone systems
  3. Solar photovoltaic panels
  4. Military missile guidance

a) 1 and 3 only
b) 2 and 4 only
c) 1, 2 and 4 only
d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Tap here for Answer
Answer: c) 1, 2 and 4 only

Explanation:

Why in News:
China suspended exports of rare earth magnets, impacting high-tech sectors.

  • EVs, drones, and missile systems – Correct: All depend on rare earth magnets for compact and powerful motors.
  • Solar panels – Incorrect: They use silicon-based cells, not magnets.

5. Asian Hornet Invasion

Question:
Consider the following statements about the Asian Hornet (Vespa velutina):

  1. It is often wrongly referred to as the “murder hornet.”
  2. It primarily preys on honeybees and social wasps.
  3. Its spread in Europe began from accidental introduction in the UK in 2004.

Which of the above statements are correct?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 only
c) 2 and 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3

Tap here for Answer
Answer: a) 1 and 2 only

Explanation:

Why in News:
2025 saw evidence of breeding and overwintering in the UK for the first time.

  • Statement 1 – Correct: It is wrongly called the “murder hornet” (which refers to another species).
  • Statement 2 – Correct: Major threat to pollinator populations.
  • Statement 3 – Incorrect: First accidental introduction happened in France (not UK) via cargo.

6. World Chagas Disease Day

Question:
Which of the following correctly describes Chagas disease?

  1. It is caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite.
  2. It is endemic to Latin America but has global spread due to migration.
  3. It is primarily transmitted through contaminated water.
  4. Its treatment involves antiparasitic drugs like Benznidazole.

a) 1 and 2 only
b) 1, 2 and 4 only
c) 1, 3 and 4 only
d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Tap here for Answer
Answer: b) 1, 2 and 4 only

Explanation:

Why in News:
World Chagas Day observed on April 14, 2025, with focus on early diagnosis.

  • Statement 1 – Correct
  • Statement 2 – Correct
  • Statement 3 – Incorrect: Spread by kissing bugs, not contaminated water.
  • Statement 4 – Correct: Benznidazole is the drug of choice.

7. Sillahalla Pumped Hydro Project

Question:
The proposed Sillahalla Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project in Tamil Nadu is controversial due to:

  1. Submergence of agricultural and forest lands
  2. Joint patta compensation issues
  3. Opposition from local tribal groups
  4. Destruction of Silent Valley National Park

a) 1, 2 and 3 only
b) 2 and 4 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Tap here for Answer
Answer: a) 1, 2 and 3 only

Explanation:

Why in News:
Local resistance intensified against the pumped storage plan.

  • 1, 2, 3 – Correct
  • 4 – Incorrect: It is adjacent but does not destroy Silent Valley NP.

8. Yimkhiung Tribe and Border Issues

Question:
Which of the following best explains the significance of the Yimkhiung tribe in the Indo-Myanmar context?

a) It is a newly recognized Scheduled Tribe in Manipur.
b) The tribe’s ancestral lands lie on both sides of the Indo-Myanmar border.
c) It opposes FMR due to security concerns.
d) The tribe speaks a Dravidian language and resides in Arunachal Pradesh.

Tap here for Answer
Answer: b) The tribe’s ancestral lands lie on both sides of the Indo-Myanmar border.

Explanation:

Why in News:
The tribe protested fencing and FMR abolishment, which divides families and lands.

  • Option b – Correct
  • Others – Factually incorrect.

9. STELLAR Model

Question:
Which of the following correctly describes the STELLAR Model launched by the CEA?

  1. It aids in power sector resource adequacy planning.
  2. It was developed with support from ADB.
  3. It is a proprietary commercial software distributed under license.

a) 1 and 3 only
b) 2 only
c) 1 and 2 only
d) 1, 2 and 3

Tap here for Answer
Answer: c) 1 and 2 only

Explanation:

Why in News:
STELLAR was launched on April 11, 2025, for resource adequacy planning.

  • 1 – Correct: Key goal of the tool.
  • 2 – Correct: Developed with ADB and The Lantau Group.
  • 3 – Incorrect: It is distributed free of cost to all discoms and states.

10. Plastic Ice VII

Question:
Consider the following about Plastic Ice VII:

  1. It shows both solid and liquid properties.
  2. It exists under low pressure and ambient temperature.
  3. It may exist deep within planets like Neptune and Europa.
  4. Its structure is hexagonal, like regular ice.

Which of the above are correct?
a) 1 and 3 only
b) 2 and 4 only
c) 1, 2 and 4 only
d) 1, 3 and 4 only

Tap here for Answer
Answer: a) 1 and 3 only

Explanation:

Why in News:
Plastic Ice VII was observed in a lab under extreme conditions.

  • 1 – Correct: Dual phase: solid lattice with molecular rotation.
  • 2 – Incorrect: Forms under high pressure and temperature.
  • 3 – Correct: Exists deep inside icy celestial bodies.
  • 4 – Incorrect: Has a cubic, not hexagonal structure.

Correct: 1 Mark      Incorrect: 0 Mark

MARKS RANK
9-10 Officer
6-8 Topper
4-5 Aspirant
0-3 Below Cut off

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