21. Zoran Milanovic has been elected as president of which country in January 2025?
[A] Croatia
[B] Bulgaria
[C] Romania
[D] Bosnia
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Croatia]
Notes:
Zoran Milanovic was re-elected as President of Croatia for a five-year term, securing 74% of the run-off vote. The first round of the presidential election on 29 December 2024 saw Milanovic win 49.1% of votes, necessitating a second round on 12 January 2025. Milanovic, backed by the opposition Social Democratic Party, is a critic of the EU and NATO but condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine while criticizing Western military support for Ukraine. The Croatian Democratic Union, the ruling party since 1991, had its candidate, Dragan Primorac, secure 19.2% of votes. The President in Croatia is the Head of State with limited executive powers, while the Prime Minister holds real executive authority. Croatia is located on the Balkan Peninsula along the Adriatic Sea.
22. Kudankulam nuclear power plant, which was seen in the news, is located in which state?
[A] Tamil Nadu
[B] Karnataka
[C] Maharashtra
[D] Andhra Pradesh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Tamil Nadu]
Notes:
Russia’s atomic agency has shipped the reactor vessel for the sixth unit of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant to India. The Kudankulam plant, located in Tamil Nadu, is India’s largest nuclear power plant with six reactors and a total capacity of 6,000 MW. The reactor vessel, weighing 320 tonnes, was manufactured by Rosatom’s division Atommash and shipped from Novorossiysk at the end of 2024. The reactor vessel will travel 6,000 miles by sea to reach the construction site.
23. Ranthambore Tiger Reserve lies at the junction of which two mountain ranges?
[A] Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats
[B] Satpura and Vindhyas
[C] Aravallis and Vindhyas
[D] Himalayas and Shivaliks
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Aravallis and Vindhyas]
Notes:
A flagship river-link irrigation project in Rajasthan will submerge 37 sq. km of Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve (RTR), dividing it into two sections. It is situated at the junction of the Aravallis and Vindhyas ranges in Rajasthan. It was once a royal hunting ground for Jaipur’s Maharajas and is now one of northern India’s largest tiger reserves. The reserve is ideal for tiger monitoring due to its unique climate and vegetation. It is bordered by the Chambal River in the south and the Banas River in the north. The Ranthambhore Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies within the reserve.
24. Which animals are primarily affected by Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), that was recently seen in news?
[A] Cows and goats
[B] Deer, elk, moose, and reindeer
[C] Birds
[D] Dogs and cats
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Deer, elk, moose, and reindeer]
Notes:
Scientists are concerned about the potential for ‘zombie deer’ disease, or Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), to affect humans. CWD is a fatal neurological disease that primarily affects deer, elk, moose, and reindeer. Caused by prions, misfolded proteins that damage the brain, leading to severe dysfunction and spongy tissue. It spreads through body fluids like saliva, feces, blood, and urine, and can remain infectious in the environment for years. Symptoms include weight loss, behavioral changes, and increased drinking and salivation. There is no cure or vaccine, and although there’s no confirmed human transmission, experts remain cautious.
25. What is the name of initiative recently launched by government to promote battlefield tourism in India?
[A] Bharat Darshan Yatra
[B] Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan
[C] Battlefield Tourism Project
[D] Incredible India: Battlefields
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan]
Notes:
The Union Government launched Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan to promote battlefield tourism in India. It is a joint initiative by the Indian Army and the Ministry of Tourism. The program focuses on showcasing 77 historic battlefields and border sites where significant military actions occurred. Notable sites include Galwan Valley (2020 India-China clashes), Doklam (2017 India-China standoff), Dras (Kargil War), Siachen Base Camp (highest battlefield), Longewala (1971 India-Pakistan war), and Bum La and Kibithu (Arunachal Pradesh).
26. What does the term “Nautor Land” refer to?
[A] Fertile agricultural land owned by the government
[B] Government-owned barren or wasteland allocated for cultivation or productive use
[C] Forest land designated for conservation
[D] Privately owned uncultivated land
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Government-owned barren or wasteland allocated for cultivation or productive use]
Notes:
The Union Home Ministry is considering a proposal to regularize nautor land in Ladakh, granting locals ownership of government wastelands they have used for years. Nautor Land refers to barren government land allocated for cultivation or productive use with official approval. It originated in 1932 under Hari Singh in Jammu and Kashmir and was later adopted in Himachal Pradesh in 1968 before being halted. The policy targets hilly and remote areas like Leh, Kargil, and parts of Himachal Pradesh. Regularization ensures ownership for locals, safeguards resources from outsiders, and preserves cultural and economic traditions.
27. Which space centre is home to the ISRO’s new Third Launch Pad?
[A] Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram
[B] Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahemadabad
[C] ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri
[D] Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota]
Notes:
The Union Cabinet approved a Third Launch Pad (TLP) at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. TLP will support ISRO’s Next Generation Launch Vehicles (NGLV) and human spaceflight missions. It will serve as a backup for the Second Launch Pad (SLP) and support LVM3 vehicles with advanced stages. The project costs ₹3984.86 crore and is expected to be completed in four years. TLP will boost launch frequencies, enabling India’s space goals, including the Bharatiya Antariksha Station by 2035 and crewed lunar landing by 2040. It enhances India’s capacity for heavier and advanced launch vehicles.
28. Abd al-Kuri Island, which was seen in the news, is located in which ocean?
[A] Indian Ocean
[B] Pacific Ocean
[C] Atlantic Ocean
[D] Arctic Ocean
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Indian Ocean]
Notes:
Satellite images show a nearly completed airstrip on Yemen’s Abd al-Kuri Island, likely built by the UAE. Abd al-Kuri Island is 65 miles southwest of Socotra, in the Indian Ocean, part of the Socotra Archipelago. Although it belongs to Yemen, the island is geographically closer to Somalia, about 110 km northeast of Cape Gwardafuy. The island is rocky, 35 km long, and 5 km wide, with its highest point at 700 meters, Mount Jebel Saleh. With fewer than 500 residents, its inhabitants mainly rely on fishing, and settlements are connected by dirt roads. The island features the endemic Euphorbia abdalkuri plant.
29. What is the primary objective of the SCOT Mission?
[A] To study the Moon’s surface
[B] Conducting interplanetary explorations
[C] Launching human spaceflights
[D] Tracking and monitoring Resident Space Objects
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Tracking and monitoring Resident Space Objects]
Notes:
The Prime Minister praised Indian space startup Digantara for the success of its Mission SCOT. SCOT (Space Camera for Object Tracking) is Digantara’s first mission for space surveillance and one of the world’s first commercial Space Situational Awareness (SSA) satellites. It was launched aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-12 mission and deployed in a sun-synchronous orbit. SCOT is designed to track Resident Space Objects (RSOs) as small as 5 cm in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with high accuracy and revisit rates. It addresses gaps in existing systems limited by fields of view, weather, and geography.
30. Palamu Tiger Reserve is located in which state?
[A] Maharashtra
[B] Karnataka
[C] Bihar
[D] Jharkhand
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Jharkhand]
Notes:
Jharkhand Forest Department is studying ways to revive the declining Bison (Gaur) population at Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR). It is located in the western part of Latehar district on the Chhotanagpur plateau in Jharkhand. It is part of the Betla National Park and was one of the first nine tiger reserves under ‘Project Tiger.’ It holds historical significance as the first reserve where a tiger census was conducted in 1932 using pugmark counting.