MLC Daily Current Affairs – 22 March 2025

Today in History (March 22^nd,1739)

Nader Shah attacked Delhi in 1739, he defeated the Mughal armies in the battle of Karnal. After defeating the Mughal Emperor Mohammad Shah his armies marched into Delhi.

Summary of Today’s News

Weekly MCQ (7^th March to 21^st March, 2025)

1. How many tiger reserves does India have after the declaration of Madhav National Park?
   a) 57 b) 58
   c) 59                                                 d) 60
   Answer: b)
   Explanation: Madhav National Park is officially declared India’s 58th tiger reserve.
2. In which state is Madhav National Park located?
   a) Rajasthan b) Madhya Pradesh
   c) Gujarat                                         d) Uttar Pradesh
   Answer: b)
   Explanation: Madhav National Park is in Madhya Pradesh.
3. Who announced Madhav National Park as a tiger reserve?
   a) Prime Minister Narendra Modi
   b) Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav
   c) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav
   d) A wildlife expert
   Answer: b)
   Explanation: The announcement was made by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.
4. What did Donald Trump sabotage in 2018?
   a) Iran’s economy
   b) The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)
   c) Iran’s military
   d) A peace treaty with Saudi Arabia
   Answer: b)
   Explanation: Trump withdrew the U.S. from the JCPOA, also known as the Iran nuclear deal, in May 2018.
5. What was Trump’s policy toward Iran after withdrawing from the JCPOA?
   a) Maximum pressure b) Peaceful negotiation
   c) Military alliance                                    d) Economic support
   Answer: a)
   Explanation: Trump adopted a “maximum pressure” policy to force Iran to renegotiate.
6. Who did Trump send a letter to recently regarding dialogue?
   a) Iran’s President
   b) Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
   c) Iran’s Foreign Minister
   d) Saudi Arabia’s King
   Answer: b)
   Explanation: Trump sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
7. Which team did India defeat in the ICC Champions Trophy final?
   a) Australia
   b) England
   c) New Zealand
   d) South Africa
   Answer: c)
   Explanation: India defeated New Zealand in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy final.
8. How many wickets did India win by in the Champions Trophy final?
   a) Two
   b) Four
   c) Six
   d) Eight
   Answer: b)
   Explanation: India won by four wickets in the ICC Champions Trophy final.
9. Where was the ICC Champions Trophy final held?
   a) Mumbai
   b) Dubai
   c) London
   d) Sydney
   Answer: b)
   Explanation: The final was held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
10. Who was the first woman lawyer in India allowed to practice?
    a) Indira Banerjee
    b) Cornelia Sorabji
    c) B.V. Nagarathna
    d) Bela Trivedi
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: Cornelia Sorabji was allowed to practice in 1924.
11. What percentage of High Court judges in India are women?
    a) 10%
    b) 14.27%
    c) 20%
    d) 25%
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: Women make up 14.27% of High Court judges (109 out of 764).
12. How many women judges are currently in the Supreme Court of India?
    a) One
    b) Two
    c) Three
    d) Four
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice Bela Trivedi are the two women judges.
13. Which High Court has a woman Chief Justice?
    a) Allahabad High Court
    b) Gujarat High Court
    c) Uttarakhand High Court
    d) Meghalaya High Court
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: Gujarat High Court is the only one with a woman Chief Justice.
14. Who was elected as Canada’s next Prime Minister?
    a) Justin Trudeau
    b) Mark Carney
    c) Donald Trump
    d) Arun Gupta
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: Mark Carney was elected as the leader of the Liberal Party and will become Canada’s next Prime Minister.
15. Who is Mark Carney replacing as Prime Minister?
    a) Justin Trudeau
    b) Donald Trump
    c) Narendra Modi
    d) Arun Gupta
    Answer: a)
    Explanation: Carney replaces Justin Trudeau, who announced his resignation in January.
16. What role did Carney hold before becoming Prime Minister?
    a) Head of the Bank of Canada
    b) U.S. Treasury Secretary
    c) Prime Minister of England
    d) CEO of a tech company
    Answer: a)
    Explanation: Carney was the head of the Bank of Canada and later the Bank of England.
17. What does the 2025 Economic Survey recommend?
    a) Lower taxes
    b) A ‘health tax’ on ultra-processed foods
    c) Free food for all
    d) More advertising
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: The survey recommends a tax on ultra-processed foods (UPFs).
18. What is the full form of FSSAI?
    a) Food Standards and Safety Authority of India
    b) Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
    c) Federal Safety and Standards Agency of India
    d) Food Security and Standards Alliance of India
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: FSSAI stands for Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.
19. What system did FSSAI propose in September 2022?
    a) Traffic light system
    b) Indian Nutrition Rating (INR) system
    c) High-in warning labels
    d) Food tax system
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: FSSAI proposed the INR system, based on Australia’s health star model.
20. Which country was the largest arms importer from 2020-24?
    a) India
    b) Ukraine
    c) China
    d) Pakistan
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: Ukraine became the largest arms importer during 2020-24.
21. What rank did India hold as an arms importer from 2020-24?
    a) First
    b) Second
    c) Third
    d) Fourth
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: India was the second-largest arms importer during this period.
22. By what percentage did India’s arms imports decrease from 2015-19 to 2020-24?
    a) 5.5%
    b) 9.3%
    c) 15%
    d) 20%
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: India’s arms imports decreased by 9.3% during this period.
23. Which country supplied 36% of India’s arms imports?
    a) France
    b) Russia
    c) U.S.
    d) China
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: Russia supplied 36% of India’s arms imports from 2020-24.
24. Which country dropped out of the top 10 arms importers list?
    a) India
    b) Pakistan
    c) China
    d) Ukraine
    Answer: c)
    Explanation: China dropped out due to its growing domestic arms production.
25. Which country became the second-largest arms exporter globally?
    a) Russia
    b) U.S.
    c) France
    d) Italy
    Answer: c)
    Explanation: France overtook Russia to become the second-largest arms exporter.
26. What share of global arms exports does the U.S. hold?
    a) 28%
    b) 36%
    c) 43%
    d) 64%
    Answer: c)
    Explanation: The U.S. accounts for 43% of global arms exports.
27. Who did Trump directly warn to stop supporting the Houthis?
    a) Russia
    b) Iran
    c) Saudi Arabia
    d) China
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: Trump issued a direct warning to Iran, demanding an end to its support for the Houthis.
28. Why do the Houthis say they are attacking ships?
    a) To disrupt global trade
    b) In solidarity with Palestinians
    c) To challenge U.S. dominance
    d) To support Iran’s navy
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: The Houthis claim their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians amid the Gaza war.
29. Who is the U.S. National Security Advisor?
    a) Pete Hegseth
    b) Michael Waltz
    c) Tulsi Gabbard
    d) Ajit Doval
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: Michael Waltz is identified as the U.S. National Security Advisor.
30. What coalition are the Houthis part of?
    a) Five Eyes
    b) Axis of resistance
    c) NATO
    d) Gulf Cooperation Council
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: The Houthis are part of the “axis of resistance,” a pro-Iran coalition.
31. What is the official name of the Houthis?
    a) Ansar Allah
    b) Hezbollah
    c) Islamic Jihad
    d) Al-Qaeda
    Answer: a)
    Explanation: The Houthis are officially known as Ansar Allah (Partisans of God).
32. Which sect of Islam do the Houthis follow?
    a) Sunni
    b) Zaidi Shiite
    c) Sufi
    d) Wahhabi
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: The Houthis subscribe to the Zaidi sect of Shiite Islam.
33. What century did Modi call “Asia’s century”?
    a) 20^th
    b) 21^st
    c) 22^nd
    d) 19^th
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: Modi referred to the 21^st century as Asia’s century.
34. Who hosted the fourth conference of global intelligence and security chiefs?
    a) Tulsi Gabbard
    b) Ajit Doval
    c) Michael Waltz
    d) Pete Hegseth
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: National Security Adviser Ajit Doval hosted the conference.
35. Who attended the conference from the U.S.?
    a) Pete Hegseth
    b) Tulsi Gabbard
    c) Michael Waltz
    d) Daniel Rogers
    Answer: b)
    Explanation:S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard attended.
36. Which group of countries had their chiefs present at the conference?
    a) BRICS
    b) Five Eyes
    c) G7
    d) ASEAN
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: The chiefs of the Five Eyes countries were present.

37. Which Indian agency co-organized the conference?
    a) RAW
    b) CBI
    c) IB
    d) NIA
    Answer: a)
    Explanation: The conference was organized by RAW and the NSCS.
38. When was the first global intelligence chiefs conference held?
    a) 2020
    b) 2021
    c) 2022
    d)  2023
    Answer: c)
    Explanation: The first global intelligence chiefs conference was held in April 2022.
39. What did Trump call the Houthis?
    a) “Freedom fighters”
    b) “Sinister mobsters”
    c) “Peaceful rebels”
    d) “Allies of Iran”
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: Trump described the Houthis as “sinister mobsters.”
40. How many astronauts returned to Earth after 9 months in space?
    a) 2
    b) 3
    c) 4
    d) 5
    Answer: c)
    Explanation: Butch Wilmore, Sunita Williams, Nick Hague, and Aleksandr Gorbunov returned to Earth, making a total of 4 astronauts.
41. What was the duration of the astronauts’ mission?
    a) 6 months
    b) 286 days
    c) 371 days
    d) 437 days
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: The mission lasted 286 days, longer than the usual six-month rotation on the ISS.
42. Which spacecraft brought the astronauts back to Earth?
    a) Boeing Starliner
    b) SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom
    c) Mir Station
    d) Soyuz
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: The SpaceX Crew Dragon spaceship named Freedom carried the astronauts back.
43. Where did the spacecraft splash down?
    a) Off the California coast
    b) Off the Florida coast
    c) In the Pacific Ocean
    d) In the Atlantic Ocean
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: The capsule splashed down off the Florida coast at 3:27 a.m. IST.
44. What temperature did the Freedom capsule experience during re-entry?
    a) 1,000°C
    b) 1,500°C
    c) 2,000°C
    d) 2,500°C
    Answer: c)
    Explanation: The capsule faced temperatures of 2,000°C during re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.
45. What greeted the capsule after splashdown?
    a) Helicopters
    b) A pod of dolphins and recovery boats
    c) Ground teams with flags
    d) A naval ship
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: Dolphins and recovery boats were present for safety checks after the splashdown.
46. How long after leaving the ISS did the astronauts land on Earth?
    a) 10 hours
    b) 17 hours
    c) 24 hours
    d) 48 hours
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: The astronauts left the ISS 17 hours before landing.
47. What was the original purpose of Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams’ mission?
    a) To test SpaceX Crew Dragon
    b) To test Boeing’s Starliner
    c) To repair the ISS
    d) To conduct experiments
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: Their mission was to test Boeing’s Starliner, but issues forced them to stay longer.
48. Why didn’t the Boeing Starliner bring the astronauts back?
    a) It was too small
    b) It developed problems and returned empty
    c) It crashed during re-entry
    d) It was not designed for return trips
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: The Starliner had issues and was deemed unfit to fly them back.
49. What is the world record for the longest single space mission?
    a) 286 days
    b) 371 days
    c) 437 days                                      d) 500 days
    Answer: c)
    Explanation: Valeri Polyakov holds the world record with 437 days aboard the Mir station.
50. What does APAAR stand for?
    a) Academic Performance Analysis and Review
    b) Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry
    c) Annual Progress Assessment and Reporting
    d) Advanced Personal Academic Archive Registry
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: APAAR stands for Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry.
51. How many digits are in an APAAR ID?
    a) 10
    b) 11
    c) 12
    d) 13
    Answer: c)
    Explanation: APAAR assigns a unique and permanent 12-digit ID to each student.
52. What is the main objective of APAAR?
    a) To replace Aadhaar
    b) To streamline students’ academic records
    c) To monitor teachers
    d) To fund schools
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: APAAR consolidates academic records into a single platform.
53. Where is the APAAR ID stored?
    a) UDISE+
    b) DigiLocker
    c) CBSE portal
    d) Aadhaar database
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: APAAR is linked to Aadhaar and stored in DigiLocker.
54. Which policy is APAAR a part of?
    a) Digital India
    b) National Education Policy (NEP) 2020
    c) Aadhaar Act
    d) Right to Education Act
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: APAAR is part of NEP 2020’s reforms.
55. What does the ‘America First’ mantra signify under Donald Trump’s administration?
    a) Increased U.S. support for multilateral institutions
    b) A shift away from multilateralism and international law
    c) Stronger ties with the United Nations
    d) Cooperation with non-western nations
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: The ‘America First’ policy marks a significant change, indicating the U.S. is moving away from supporting multilateralism and international law, focusing instead on its own interests.
56. What is multilateralism in international relations?
    a) Cooperation between two states only
    b) A system of coordination among three or more states
    c) A policy of isolationism
    d) A military alliance between nations
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: Multilateralism refers to cooperation among three or more states based on shared interests and collective action to address global challenges.

57. What is the purpose of the International Criminal Court (ICC)?
    a) To regulate global trade
    b) To address genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes
    c) To enforce climate agreements
    d) To oversee UN peacekeeping missions
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: The ICC is the first permanent court established to prosecute serious international crimes like genocide and war crimes.
58. Which agreement did the U.S. withdraw from under Trump’s administration?
    a) Paris Climate Agreement
    b) Kyoto Protocol
    c) Treaty of Versailles
    d) Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
    Answer: a)
    Explanation: The U.S. withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement, signaling a retreat from global climate cooperation.
59. Where is the International Criminal Court (ICC) located?
    a) New York
    b) Geneva
    c) The Hague
    d) Paris
    Answer: c)
    Explanation: The ICC is based in The Hague, Netherlands.
60. What historical event does the ICC’s mission reflect?
    a) The Cold War
    b) The Nuremberg Tribunal
    c) The Great Depression
    d) The French Revolution
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: The ICC’s mission builds on the legacy of the Nuremberg Tribunal, which prosecuted war crimes after World War II.
61. What organization evolved from the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)?
    a) United Nations
    b) World Trade Organization (WTO)
    c) International Criminal Court
    d) World Health Organization
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: The GATT, established in 1947, evolved into the WTO to regulate international trade.
62. What opportunity does U.S. unilateralism provide for non-western nations like India?
    a) Leadership roles in international institutions
    b) Increased tariffs
    c) Isolation from global trade
    d) Military dominance
    Answer: a)
    Explanation: The U.S.’s retreat from multilateralism offers countries like India a chance to take on leadership roles globally.
63. What is journalism often called in a democracy?
    a) The First Estate
    b) The Fourth Estate
    c) The Silent Watchdog
    d) The Public Voice
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: Journalism is dubbed the “Fourth Estate” for its role as a watchdog ensuring accountability in democracy.
64. What act did the British colonial government introduce to suppress nationalist newspapers?
    a) Press Council Act
    b) Vernacular Press Act
    c) Right to Information Act
    d) IT Rules 2021
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: The Vernacular Press Act of 1878 was introduced to curb nationalist movements by restricting Indian newspapers.
65. Which newspaper was edited by Bal Gangadhar Tilak?
    a) Amrita Bazar Patrika
    b) Kesari
    c) Bande Mataram
    d) Indian Express
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: Kesari, edited by Tilak, played a key role in mobilizing public opinion during India’s freedom struggle.
66. Which scandal was exposed by investigative journalism in India?
    a) Bofors scam
    b) Watergate scandal
    c) Panama Papers
    d) Enron scandal
    Answer: a)
    Explanation: The Bofors scam is an example of corruption uncovered by investigative journalism in India.
67. What is one key function of journalism in a democracy?
    a) Enforcing laws
    b) Dissemination of information
    c) Conducting elections
    d) Writing legislation
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: Journalism collects and shares news to keep the public informed, a vital democratic function.
68. Which act established the Press Council of India?
    a) Press Council Act, 1978
    b) RTI Act, 2005
    c) IT Rules, 2021
    d) Whistleblower Protection Act, 2014
    Answer: a)
    Explanation: The Press Council Act of 1978 created the Press Council to maintain journalistic ethics in India.
69. Who won the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence, Hindi, in Journalism in 2025?
    a) Ramnath Goenka
    b) Mridulika Jha
    c) Droupadi Murmu
    d) S. Jaishankar
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: Mridulika Jha of Aaj Tak won the Ramnath Goenka Award, Hindi, for her coverage of the ‘Dunki route.’
70. What is the Ramnath Goenka Award administered by?
    a) Indian Express Group
    b) The Hindu Group
    c) India Today Group
    d) Journalism council of India
    Answer: b)
    Explanation: The award is managed by the Ramnath Goenka Foundation, established by the Indian Express Group.
71. In which year was the Ramnath Goenka Award first given?
    a) 2005
    b) 1978
    c) 2014
    d) 2020
    Answer: a)
    Explanation: The award was first presented in 2005 to honor journalistic excellence.
72. What did the Anuradha Bhasin vs Union of India (2020) case emphasize?
    a) Internet shutdowns harm journalism and free speech
    b) Press freedom can be fully restricted
    c) Corporate influence is acceptable
    d) Defamation laws should be stricter
    Answer: a)
    Explanation: The court highlighted that internet shutdowns infringe on journalism and free speech rights.