Current

Affairs
Monthly MCQs Series
January - Part 1
Q1. On 1st January 2025, the DRDO has celebrated its _______ Foundation Day in New Delhi,
Delhi..
A. 65th
B. 66th
C. 67th
D. 68th
E. 69th
Ans : 67th
DRDO was formed in 1958 from the amalgamation of the then already functioning Technical
Development Establishment (TDEs) of the Indian Army and the Directorate of Technical
Development & Production (DTDP) with the Defence Science Organisation (DSO).
DRDO : Chairman : Samir V Kamath Headquarter : New Delhi
Q2. Which country has launched the world’s largest amphibious assault ship “Sichuan” ?
A. North Korea
B. Japan
C. China
D. USA
E. Russia
Ans : China
It is equipped with an electromagnetic catapult for fighter jets to enhance naval combat capabilities in
distant seas. The Sichuan, the first ship of the Type 076 class with a displacement of 40,000 tons, is
designed to deploy ground troops in landing crafts and offer them air support.
China also launched its first icebreaker ship ‘Tan Suo San Hao’ for scientific and archaeological
research
Q3. Name the personality who is appointed as the Secretary General of the Indian Ocean Rim
Association (IORA) ?
A. Sanjiv Ranjan
B. Salman Al-Farisi
C. Gatot Gunawan
D. Nomvuyo N. Nokwe
E. K.V. Bhagirath
Ans : Sanjiv Ranjan
Term : 3 years( starts from 1st Jan 2025 ).
He succeeded Salman Al-Farisi of Indonesia.
Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA): Founded in : 1997
Headquarters – Ebene, Mauritius | Chair – Sri Lanka
Vice-Chair – India
Note: India will take over the chairmanship from Sri Lanka for the 2025-2027 term
 Sanjiv Ranjan : He is a senior Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer who was
part of the 1993 batch.
He has held several positions, including:
• Deputy High Commissioner of India to Mauritius from 2006 to 2009
• Director (North) in the MEA in 2009
• Joint Secretary in the Development Partnership Administration in 2012
• India's Ambassador to Argentina from 2016 to 2019
• India's Ambassador to Colombia from 2019 to 2022

• The current 23 Member States are: Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, France/Reunion, India, Indonesia,
Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore,
Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. IORA also has
• 12 Dialogue Partners: China, Egypt, European Union, Germany, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Saudi
Arabia, Russia, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
Q4. The Department of Economic Affairs under MoF has kept the interest rate on Small Savings
Schemes (SSS) unchanged for its Q4 FY25 (1st January 2025 to 31st March 2025). What is the interest
rate for Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY)?
A. 7.1%
B. 7.7%
C. 7.4%
D. 7.5%
E. 8.2%
Ans : 8.2%
Q5. Name the joint military exercise that was recently commenced in Saljhandi, Nepal between
'Indian Army and Nepali Army ?
A. Tarang Shakti
B. Surya Kiran
C. Mitra Shakti
D. Maitree
E. Garuda Shakti
Ans : Surya Kiran
18th edition : from 31st December 2024 to 13th January 2025.
Indian Army : 11th Gorkha Rifles
Nepali Army : Srijung Battalion
Nepal: PM – KP Sharma Oli President- Ram Chandra Poudel Capital- Kathmandu Currency- Nepalese
Rupee
Previous Edition : 17th Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand
Q6. In January 2025, the GoI has announced a relief assistance worth USD 500,000(Rs 4.3 crore) to
which country ?
A. Palau
B. Fiji
C. Samoa
D. Vanuatu
E. Tonga
Ans : Vanuatu
India announced the Rs 4.3 crore relief assistant to help Vanuatu with relief, rehabilitation, and
reconstruction efforts following a devastating earthquake.
Q7. Name the country that has launched its third surveillance satellite equipped with Synthetic
Aperture Radar (SAR) technology into space using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket?
A. China
B. South Korea
C. Russia
D. Japan
E. India
Ans : South Korea
Q8. Which state will host the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup 2025 ?
A. Madhya Pradesh
B. Maharashtra
C. Uttar Pradesh
D. Bihar
E. Rajasthan
Ans : Bihar
Event will take place in March 2025 at the Rajgir Sports Academy in Bihar, India.
Organized by : International Kabaddi Federation (IKF).
Teams : 14 countries (India, China, Japan, South Korea, Nepal, Pakistan, Iran, Indonesia, Sri Lanka,
Thailand, Poland, Argentina, South Africa and South America.) .
Q9. Former Chairman of Japan based Suzuki Motor Corporation, Osamu Suzuki recently passed
away. In which year he was honoured with the ‘Padma Bhushan for his contribution to the country’s
economic development through the automobile industry.
A. 2005
B. 2006
C. 2007
D. 2008
E. 2009
Ans : 2007
Other awards : Sitara-e-Pakistan (1984) and Middle Cross with the Star Order of Merit
Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) :
CEO - Toshihiro Suzuki Headquarters – Shizuoka, Japan Established – 1909
Q10. A former President of USA , Jimmy Carter was recently passed away. He severed as ________
president of USA from 1977 to 1981.
A. 35th
B. 39th
C. 33rd
D. 40th
E. 42nd
Ans : 39th
Awards :
Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament, and Development (1997), UNs) Human Rights Award (1998),
Presidential Medal of Freedom (1999), Nobel Peace Prize (2002) and Grammy Award (2016) & (2019).
Q11. Who authored the book “Chhaunk On Food, Economics and Society” co-authored by Cheyenne
Olivier?
A. Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee
B. Pushpesh Pant
C. Manu S. Pillai
D. Rana Das Gupta
E. Priya Wickramasinghe
Ans : Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee
Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee (Indian-American economist )
And awarded ‘Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences’
in 2019
Q12. Who is appointed as new Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh by President Droupadi Murmu ?
A. Justice Guhanathan Narendar
B. Justice Ritu Bahri
C. Justice Ravinder Dudeja
D. Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia
E. Justice Rajiv Shakdher
Ans : Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia
He replaced Justice Rajiv Shakdher.
Justice Guhanathan Narendar has been appointed as the CJ of the Uttarakhand HC and succeeded
Justice Ritu Bahri.
Permanent Judges in Delhi HC: Justice Shailender Kaur and Justice Ravinder Dudeja
Permanent Judges in Karnataka HC : Justice Ramachandra Dattatray Huddar, Justice Venkatesh Naik
Thavaryanaik, Justice Vijaykumar Adagouda Patil, Justice Rajesh Rai Kallangala .
Q13. The Bald Eagle is recently designated as the official national bird of which country ?
A. USA
B. Canada
C. UAE
D. Russia
E. Israel
Ans : USA
USA current President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan bill that officially designates the “Bald Eagle” as the
National bird of the USA.
Haliaeetus leucocephalus is the scientific name of the bald eagle.
Q14. India is to provide Rs 2,371 million to which country for 33 development projects in education,
health and agriculture sectors ?
A. Indonesia
B. Sri Lanka
C. Thailand
D. Maldives
E. Viet Nam
Ans : Sri Lanka
Nalinda Jayathissa, Sri Lanka's Health minister announced that the Sri Lanka Government has approved a
proposal to sign a MoU with India on strengthening bilateral ties and socio-economic growth between
countries.
Under the agreement, India will provide Rs 620 million for agriculture, Rs 780 million for health, and
Rs 315 million for education.
Q15. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari Inaugurated India’s first bio-bitumen-based National Highway stretch on
NH-44 in Mansar, Nagpur, Maharashtra. Name the company that has developed this project in collaboration
with Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI) , the
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and Oriental Structural Engineers(OSE) .
A. Enzene Biosciences Limited
B. Bharat Serums and Vaccines Limited Bio-Bitumen is an eco-friendly alternative to
C. Praj Industries Limited petroleum-based bitumen, made from
renewable sources like agricultural waste. It’s
D. Shantha Biotechnics Limited used in roads, roofing, and waterproofing,
E. Bharat Biotech International Limited offering durability while reducing
environmental impact.
Ans : Praj Industries Limited
India consumed 88 lakh tons of fossil-based bitumen in 2023-24, with consumption expected to rise to
100 lakh tons in 2024-25. Bio-bitumen saves India
Rs.4,000–Rs.4,500 crore annually in foreign exchange on imported bitumen and promotes sustainable
road development
Q16. As per the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey: 2023-24 (HCES: 2023-24) released by
MoSPI, which among the following state has the highest Monthly Per Capita Consumption
Expenditure (MPCE) for 2023-24?
A. Sikkim
B. Kerala As per the latest survey, the average Monthly Per
C. Punjab Capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE) in rural
and urban India has been estimated to be Rs 4,122
D. Chhattisgarh and Rs 6,996, respectively in 2023-24
E. Telangana
Ans : Sikkim
Sikkim reported the highest MPCE among all the Indian states, with Rs 9,377 in rural areas and Rs
13,927 in urban areas for 2023-24.
Chhattisgarh recorded the lowest MPCE, with Rs 2,739 in rural areas and Rs 4,927 in urban areas for
2023-24.
Chandigarh reported the highest MPCE among all the UTs, with Rs 8,857 in rural areas and Rs 13,425
in urban areas for 2023-24.
Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Rs 4,311) and Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) (Rs 6,327) recorded the lowest
MPCE in rural and urban areas of the country, in 2023-24.
 Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry(FICCI) Ladies Organisation (FLO)
Q17. Which bank has launched a program called "PowherUp, in partnership with FICCI FLO
organization ?
A. ICICI Bank
Yes Bank :
B. HDFC Bank MD & CEO - Prashant Kumar HQ: Mumbai, Maharashtra | Est : 2004
C. Yes Bank Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry(FICCI)
Ladies Organisation (FLO) : President : Joyshree Das Verma
D. Axis Bank HQ : New Delhi, Delhi Est : 1983
E. IndusInd Bank
Ans : Yes Bank
YES PowherUp’, a specialized Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(MSME) programme designed to
empower women entrepreneur in promoting their businesses.
Under this program the beneficiaries will be able to trade maximum Rs 1.5 crore at zero brokerage for 60
days with YES securities.
Bank will offer the loans to the women and waiving of 50% processing fee for members of FICCI FLO.
Q18. The RBI has imposed a penalty of Rs 5.50 lakh on 4 Cooperative Banks(CBs) from Karnataka
for non-compliance with regulatory guidelines. Identify the bank which is not penalize by RBI ?
A. National Co-operative Bank
B. Bharat Cooperative Bank(BCB)
C. Swami Vivekanand Sahakari Bank Niyamit Manjra Mahila Urban Cooperative Bank : Rs 50,000
D. Sri Basaveshwara Pattana Sahakara Bank Niyamit for not uploading customers’ KYC records to CKYCR
within the required timeline.
E. Manjra Mahila Urban Cooperative Bank
Ans : National Co-operative Bank
Bharat Cooperative Bank(BCB) : Rs 3 lakh for approving new loans and advances that exceeded prescribed limits
and lacked proper collateral, violating the Supervisory Action Framework (SAF) guidelines.
Swami Vivekanand Sahakari Bank Niyamit : Rs 1 lakh for failing to adhere to exposure norms for Urban
Cooperative Banks (UCBs) and Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements. The bank also did not meet prudential
limits for inter-bank exposure and failed to upload KYC records to the Central KYC Records Registry (CKYCR) on
time.
Sri Basaveshwara Pattana Sahakara Bank Niyamit : Rs 1 lakh for increasing its exposure to high Non-Performing
Asset(NPA) sectors without prior RBI approval and declaring dividends without RBI’s consent.
Q19. Name the company that has signed an MoU with National Stock Exchange of India to empower
delivery partners with Financial Literacy ?
A. Zomato
B. Uber Eats
C. Foodpanda
D. Swiggy
E. Blinkit
Ans : Swiggy
Swiggy aims to have 1 lakh women delivery partners by 2030.
The program is part of Swiggy’s comprehensive initiatives, such as “She the Change” to empower its
workforce and promote financial inclusion.
Swiggy : MD : Sriharsha Majety HQ : Bengaluru, Karnataka founded in : 2014
Q20. Who is appointed as new Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the DBS Bank India ?
A. Surojit Shome
B. Rajat Verma
C. Sandeep Bakshi
D. Prashant Kumar
E. Atul Kumar Goel
Ans : Rajat Verma
He will succeed Surojit Shome ( retire on 28th Feb 2025 )
Rajat Verma serves as the head of Institutional Banking Group (IBG) at DBIL.
DBS Bank : Est :2019 HQ : Mumbai, Maharashtra
Q21. A Cherukumalli Srinivasa Rao is appointed as Director of Indian Agricultural Research Institute
(IARI). The institute is located in _______ .
A. Pusa, Bihar
B. Aritsar, Punjab
C. New Delhi, Delhi
NAARM : Acting Director - Dr. Rakesh Chandra Agrawal
D. Bengaluru, Karnataka
E. Gandhinagar, Gujarat
Ans : New Delhi, Delhi
He succeeded Dr. A.K. Singh.
Cherukumalli Srinivasa Rao, previously served as director of the National Academy of Agricultural
Research Management (NAARM), Hyderabad, Telangana.
He was appointed member of the ICAR governing body in 2023 for a three-year term.
IARI : Est : 1905 (Pusa, Bihar) Relocated to New Delhi in 1936. Chairman – Ashok Kumar Singh
Previous name : Agricultural Research Institute (ARI) -- e Imperial Institute of Agricultural Research --
Imperial Agricultural Research Institute -- Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI).
Q22. Which bank has sold its entire 8.16% stake in DAM Capital Advisors Limited ?
A. IDBI Bank
B. Bandhan Bank
C. Federal Bank
D. RBL Bank
E. IndusInd Bank
Ans : RBL Bank
DAM Capital Advisors Limited :
MD & CEO - Dharmesh Anil Mehta HQ : Mumbai, Maharashtra Est : 1993
RBL Bank : Est : 1943 MD & CEO - R Subramaniakumar
Q23. Name the country that recently introduced world’s high-speed train " CR450" ?
A. USA
B. China
C. Japan
D. Germany
E. Russia
Ans : China
This train set a new record of High Speed Rail (HSR), with a top test speed of 450
kilometer/hour(km/h).
Previous record : High Speed Rail (HSR) CR400 Fuxing, which reached 350 km/h.
Developed by : China Railway Group Limited (CREC)
The CR450 include streamlined design that reduces energy consumption by 20%.
Q24. Which team won the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 11, held at the Shree Shiv
Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi, Pune, Maharashtra?
A. Haryana Steelers
Awards
B. Telugu Titans • Most Valuable Player and Best Defender of Season 11 :
Mohammadreza Shadloui
C. Patna Pirates • Super Coach of Season 11 : Manpreet Singh (Haryana
D. Gujrat Giants Steelers)
• Raid of Season 11 : Manjeet (Telugu Titans)
E. Jaipur Pink Panthers • Tackle of Season 11 : Ankit (Patna Pirates)
Ans : Haryana Steelers • Best Raider of Season 11 : Devank Dalal (Patna Pirates)
• Best Defender of Season 11 : Mohammadreza Shadloui
Prize Money: Haryana Steelers - Rs 3 crore (Haryana Steelers)
PatnaPirates : Rs 1.8 crore • New Young Player of Season 11 : Ayan Lohchab (Patna
Pirates)
 Direct-to-Consumer (D2C)
Q25. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade(DPIIT) under the MoC&I
signed an MoU with which company to support Startups in Manufacturing and D2C Sectors ?
A. Ola Cabs
B. Boat
C. CRED
D. Swiggy
E. Licious
Ans : Boat
BoAt : CEO : Sameer Mehta Est : 2016 HQ : Gurgaon, Haryana
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