Current Affairs Interactive Quiz: 16 March – 22 March 2015

Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene retired from One Day International (ODI) format of Cricket on 18 March 2015.

The Supreme Court of India declared the inclusion of the Jat caste in the Central Other Backward Class (OBC) list as null and void on 17 March 2015. This means that the government's decision to include Jats in the OBC category was deemed invalid by the court.

Haryana passed the Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Bill, 2015 on 16 March 2015 to protect cows from slaughter.

Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes won the 2015 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia.

The given correct answer is "Both I and II". This means that both statement I and statement II are true. Statement I states that rigorous imprisonment up to 10 years will be awarded for concealment of income and assets and evasion of tax in relation to foreign assets. Statement II states that entities, banks, financial institutions including individuals are liable for prosecution and penalty under the Act. Therefore, both statements are true.

During his visit to Seychelles in March 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi operationalized the Coastal Surveillance Radar Project (CSRS). This statement is true. Additionally, India and Seychelles signed four agreements to enhance security cooperation. This statement is also true. Therefore, both statements I and II are correct.

As per the directions of National Green Tribunal (NGT) given on 18 March 2015, Indian Railways is required to impose a fine of 5000 rupees for littering on railway property.

India will host the seventh Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) in 2016. This was announced on 17 March 2015 at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai, Japan.

The Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) was held in Sendai, Japan from 14 March 2015 to 18 March 2015.

Ashu Suyash was appointed as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited (CRISIL) on 16 March 2015.

Mirach Capital decided to file a 400 million US dollar defamation lawsuit against the Sahara group on 16 March 2015.

The correct answer is United Kingdom. In the given question, it is stated that France, Germany, and Italy have agreed to join the AIIB. However, the first European country to join the China-backed AIIB was the United Kingdom. This information is not explicitly mentioned in the question, but it can be inferred based on the given context.

Air Marshal Sohail Aman was appointed as the Chief of Pakistan Air Force on 18 March 2015.

VK Mathur was appointed as the Chairman of the Allahabad bench of the Debt Recovery Appellate Tribunal (DRAT) on 17 March 2015.

The correct answer is "I Love Sparrows". This theme for World Sparrow Day emphasizes the importance of showing love and care towards sparrows. It encourages people to appreciate and value these birds and their contribution to the ecosystem. By expressing love for sparrows, individuals are more likely to take actions to protect their habitats and ensure their survival. This theme also aims to raise awareness about the declining population of sparrows and the need to conserve them.

Darbha grass was identified by researchers at SASTRA University as a natural food preservative on 16 March 2015. This suggests that Darbha grass has properties that allow it to preserve food naturally, making it a suitable option for food preservation.

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change revoked a three-year-old order banning mines in Goa. This suggests that the ban on mining in Goa has been lifted, allowing mining activities to resume in the state.

Kavinder Gupta was elected as the speaker of the 12th Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir on 18 March 2015.

Girija Shankar was appointed as the Chairman of the Chennai bench of the Debt Recovery Appellate Tribunal (DRAT) on 17 March 2015.

Anil Kakodkar is the correct answer because he resigned from the post of Chairman of Board of Governors of IIT Bombay on 17 March 2015.

The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2014 repealed several bills, but the Employment of Manual Scavenging and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993 was not completely repealed by it.

The correct answer is I and II. This is because statement I states that the Forward Markets Commission will be merged with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), which is true according to the Union Budget 2015-16. Statement II states that the MUDRA bank will be set up to refinance micro finance organizations to encourage first generation SC and ST entrepreneurs, which is also true according to the Union Budget 2015-16. Therefore, statements I and II are correct.

The correct answer is Tripura. The Biodiversity Board of Tripura launched a project on 17 March 2015 to link conservation to economic concerns. This project aims to promote sustainable livelihoods for local communities by integrating biodiversity conservation with economic activities. By linking conservation to economic concerns, the project seeks to create a win-win situation where both the environment and the local communities benefit.

India announced to hold the Global Yoga Meet in China to celebrate UN's first International Day of Yoga on 21 June 2015. This decision was made to promote the practice of yoga internationally and to strengthen the cultural ties between India and China. China was chosen as the host country for this event due to its growing interest in yoga and its large population, providing a great opportunity to spread awareness about the benefits of yoga on a global scale.

The given answer is correct because statement I is true. Narendra Modi is the first Prime Minister of India to visit Sri Lanka since 1987. However, statement II is false. Narendra Modi is not the second Prime Minister of India after Rajeev Gandhi to visit Jaffna and Talaimannar region of Sri Lanka. Therefore, the correct answer is Only I.

The Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2015 does not amend the Indian Life Assurance Companies Act, 1912.

The given correct answer is "I and II". This means that statements I and II are true. Statement I states that the Astra missile is a beyond visual range Air-to-Air missile (BVRAAM), which means it is designed to be launched from an aircraft and engage other aircraft at long distances. Statement II states that the missile is 3.8 meters long and is the smallest among the missiles developed by DRDO (Defense Research and Development Organization). Therefore, both statements I and II are true.

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Mauritius in 2015, the commissioning of the Barracuda, a ship in the service of the National Coast Guard of Mauritius, took place. This implies that statement I is correct. However, there is no mention of India and Mauritius signing any Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) to strengthen bilateral relations. Therefore, statement II is incorrect.

The correct answer is "Only I". This is because the statement I is correct as the Bill aims to remove the Union Government's responsibility as a financial guarantor to the Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC). However, statement II is incorrect as the Bill does not dilute the government's shareholding in the CWC. Statement III is not mentioned in the given information, so it cannot be determined if it is correct or not.

The correct answer is II, III and V. Statement II states that the Outstanding Public Debt is estimated at 89239.87 crore rupees in 2015-16, which is 19.58% of GSDP. Statement III mentions that the percentage of Development expenditure and Non-Development expenditure in total expenditure is 68.28 and 31.72 respectively. Statement V states that the Fiscal Deficit has been estimated at 2.98% of GSDP for the year 2015-16.