🎯Daily MCQs: Set-8 April 8, 2025 Target IAS-2026 Prelims: Current Affairs Highly Curated MCQs
April Pack-8 ——– April 1-7, 2025
🎯 Target IAS-2026 Prelims
Weekly Pack SET-8 April 1-7, 2025
Q1. With reference to the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), consider the following statements:
1. It is compiled using monthly surveys of purchasing managers in the manufacturing and services sectors.
2. A PMI value below 50 indicates expansion in overall business activity.
3. In India, agencies like S&P Global and HSBC compile the PMI.
4. The PMI is considered a leading economic indicator, giving early insight into market conditions.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
A. 1 and 3 only
B. 1, 3 and 4 only
C. 1, 2 and 4 only
D. 2, 3 and 4 only
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Correct Answer: ✅ B. 1, 3 and 4 only
Explanation:
Statement 4 is correct: PMI is a leading economic indicator, offering early signals of economic activity trends.
Statement 1 is correct: PMI is compiled using monthly surveys of purchasing managers across manufacturing and services.
Statement 2 is incorrect: A PMI value below 50 indicates contraction, not expansion.
Statement 3 is correct: In India, agencies like S&P Global and HSBC are involved in compiling the index.
Q2. Which of the following statements best describes the significance of the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary?
A. It is India’s largest tiger reserve and part of the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot.
B. It is a Ramsar wetland located along the Indo-Bangladesh border, known for migratory birds.
C. It is part of the South Delhi Ridge, connecting the Aravalli hill range to the Indo-Gangetic Plain and serving as a critical wildlife corridor.
D. It is a marine sanctuary protecting endangered coral species along the Gulf of Kutch coastline.
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Correct Answer: ✅ C. It is part of the South Delhi Ridge, connecting the Aravalli hill range to the Indo-Gangetic Plain and serving as a critical wildlife corridor.
Explanation:
Its ecological positioning at the junction of the Aravalli hills and Indo-Gangetic Plain makes it important for urban biodiversity conservation in Delhi NCR.
Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the South Delhi Ridge of the Aravalli range, near the Delhi-Haryana border.
It serves as a key segment of the North Aravalli Leopard Wildlife Corridor, which connects Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan to the Delhi Ridge, through Haryana.
Q3. Which of the following statements about the Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024 is/are correct?
1. The Bill repeals the entire Merchant Shipping Act, 1958.
2. It exempts vessels wholly owned by Indian citizens from obtaining a licence for coasting trade.
3. It introduces civil penalties in place of imprisonment for certain contraventions.
4. It mandates a National Coastal and Inland Shipping Strategic Plan within two years.
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2, 3 and 4 only
C. 1, 3 and 4 only
D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
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Correct Answer: ✅ B. 2, 3 and 4 only
Explanation:
Statement 4 is correct: It mandates the Central Government to prepare a National Coastal and Inland Shipping Strategic Plan within two years of the Act’s commencement.
Statement 1 is incorrect: The Bill repeals only Part XIV of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, not the entire Act.
Statement 2 is correct: Vessels wholly owned by Indian citizens are exempt from obtaining a licence for coasting trade.
Statement 3 is correct: The Bill replaces imprisonment penalties with civil penalties (up to ₹5 lakh or twice the gains from contravention).
Q4. Q. Which of the following countries conferred its highest civilian honour, the ‘Mithra Vibhushana’ medal, upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2025?
A. Bhutan
B. Nepal
C. Sri Lanka
D. Myanmar
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Correct Answer: ✅ C. Sri Lanka
Explanation:
This is PM Modi’s 22nd international award from a foreign nation.
The ‘Mithra Vibhushana’ medal is the highest civilian honour of Sri Lanka, instituted in 2008 by then-President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
In April 2025, it was awarded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake for his role in strengthening bilateral relations and shared cultural heritage.
The medal incorporates significant cultural symbols: Dharma Chakra (Buddhist heritage), Pun Kalasa (prosperity), Navarathna (friendship), and Sun and Moon (eternity).
Q5. With reference to the Reciprocal Tariffs announced by the USA in 2025, consider the following statements:
1. The USA imposed a universal baseline tariff of 10% on all imports, with higher tariffs for countries having trade surpluses with it.
2. India faced the highest tariff rate among South Asian countries.
3. India’s pharmaceutical and energy exports were exempted from the latest 26% tariff.
4. The USA’s trade deficit with India increased in 2024 as compared to 2023.
Which of the above statements are correct?
A. 1, 2, and 3 only
B. 1, 3, and 4 only
C. 2 and 4 only
D. 1, 2, 3, and 4
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✅ Correct Answer: B. 1, 3, and 4 only
Explanation:
Statement 4 is correct: The trade deficit of the USA with India increased by 5.4% in 2024 over 2023, reaching $45.7 billion.
Statement 1 is correct: The USA imposed a universal baseline 10% tariff on all imports and higher tariffs on countries with trade surpluses.
Statement 2 is incorrect: India faced a 26% tariff, which was lower than Vietnam (46%), Bangladesh (37%), Sri Lanka (44%), and Pakistan (30%), so India did not face the highest tariff among South Asian countries.
Statement 3 is correct: Pharmaceutical and energy exports from India were exempted from the latest 26% reciprocal tariffs.
Q6. The Koch-Rajbongshi community, recently in news due to Assam’s withdrawal of Foreigner Tribunal cases, is primarily concentrated in which of the following Indian states?
A. Assam and Bihar
B. Assam and West Bengal
C. Manipur and Tripura
D. Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh
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✅ Correct Answer: B. Assam and West Bengal
Explanation:
The Koch-Rajbongshi community is an indigenous group primarily located in Assam and West Bengal, with a smaller population in parts of Meghalaya.
Recently, the Assam government decided to withdraw Foreigner Tribunal cases filed against this community, acknowledging their indigenous status.
They are culturally and historically significant in the northeastern region of India.
Q7. Which of the following statements best reflects the objective of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006?
A. To create a centralised database of forest encroachments and grant forest lands to industries.
B. To penalise traditional forest dwellers for environmental degradation and illegal occupations.
C. To recognise historical injustices and grant legal rights over forest land and resources to Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers.
D. To transfer ownership of forests to private contractors and improve timber trade regulation.
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✅ Correct Answer: C. To recognise historical injustices and grant legal rights over forest land and resources to Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers.
Explanation:
The Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 was enacted to address the historical injustice faced by Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs).
Recent concerns highlight possible improper rejection of claims, which may violate the spirit and provisions of the FRA.
It legally recognizes their rights over land, forest produce, and traditional habitats.
Gram Sabhas play a central role in claim verification.
The Act ensures rehabilitation before eviction, aligning with broader rights-based land acquisition laws.
Q8. Which of the following best explains the need for the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, in post-independence India?
A. To enable private companies to use forest land for eco-tourism with tribal consent.
B. To modernize forest revenue collection and replace outdated colonial forest laws.
C. To recognize the historical injustice to forest-dwelling communities and grant them legal rights over forest land and resources.
D. To establish forest enclosures managed by the Central Armed Police Forces to reduce extremism.
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✅ Correct Answer: C. To recognize the historical injustice to forest-dwelling communities and grant them legal rights over forest land and resources.
Explanation:
The Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 was enacted to redress colonial-era injustices where forest-dwelling communities were denied rights and excluded from forests.
However, implementation gaps, rejected claims, and forced evictions remain key concerns that need urgent redress.
It seeks to grant legal land rights to Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs).
The FRA ensures community participation, livelihood security, and sustainable forest governance.
The evolution of the Act was shaped by policies like the National Forest Policy, 1988, which emphasized tribal involvement.
Q9. Consider the following statements regarding the Khelo India initiative:
1. The Khelo India Youth Games 2025 will be held across multiple cities in Bihar.
2. The initiative includes a dedicated focus on para-athletes and indigenous games.
3. It aims solely at promoting Olympic-level infrastructure, excluding grassroots development.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2, and 3
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✅ Correct Answer: A. 1 and 2 only
Explanation:
Statement 3 is incorrect: Khelo India is not limited to Olympic-level athletes—it also targets grassroots development, fitness culture, and talent spotting via Khelo India Centres and Academies.
Statement 1 is correct: The 7th edition of the Khelo India Youth Games will indeed be held in five cities of Bihar from May 4–15, 2025.
Statement 2 is correct: The initiative promotes inclusiveness, with dedicated components like Para Games, gender equality, and indigenous sports.
Q10. With reference to undersea cable systems, consider the following statements:
The SEA-ME-WE 6 cable connects Southeast Asia with Europe via Egypt and recently landed in India at Chennai and Mumbai.
Undersea cables handle more than 90% of global data traffic.
These cables are vulnerable to sabotage and cannot be repaired once damaged.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2, and 3
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✅ Correct Answer: A. 1 and 2 only
Explanation:
Statement 3 is incorrect: Although vulnerable, undersea cables can be repaired by specialized ships using advanced equipment.
Statement 1 is correct: The SEA-ME-WE 6 (SMW6) is a 21,700 km submarine cable from Singapore to France, crossing Egypt, and has landed in Chennai and Mumbai, India, in 2024.
Statement 2 is correct: Over 90% of global data and 80% of world trade rely on undersea cable networks.
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