DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS QUIZ – 17 March 2025

Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 3 only

Explanation:

1. Statement 1 is correct. Urbanization can create environments conducive to the proliferation of vectors such as midges and mosquitoes.
2. Statement 2 is correct. Deforestation can lead to changes in land use and habitat destruction, which may increase the breeding grounds for vectors.
3. Statement 3 is correct. Climate change affects temperature and precipitation patterns, influencing vector populations and their ability to spread diseases.
4. Statement 4 is incorrect. There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission of Oropouche fever, so this factor does not contribute to its spread.

Answer: (b) 1 and 3 only

Explanation:

1. Statement 1 is correct. Saffron is often referred to as Red Gold or the Golden Condiment due to its high cost and significant value in culinary and medicinal uses.
2. Statement 2 is incorrect. The commercial part of the Saffron plant is the stigma (the female part of the flower), not the seeds (corms or bulbs). The seeds (corms) are used for vegetative multiplication but are not the commercial part.
3. Statement 3 is correct. Saffron requires specific temperature conditions, with summers not exceeding 35°C to 40°C and winters ranging from -15°C to -20°C for optimal growth.

Answer: (b) 1 and 3 only

Explanation:

1. Statement 1 is correct. The Defence Acquisition Council was indeed formed following the recommendations of the Group of Ministers on ‘Reforming the National Security System’ in 2001, after the Kargil War.
2. Statement 2 is incorrect. While the DAC oversees procurement processes and decisions, the approval of budgetary allocations is not its primary function. The DAC focuses on procurement and acquisition policies rather than directly approving budgets.
3. Statement 3 is correct. The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) is a member of the DAC, along with the chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Answer: (a) 1 only

Explanation:

1. Statement 1 is correct. The Mekedatu Project involves constructing a balancing reservoir near Kanakapura in Karnataka, aimed at managing water resources and power generation.
2. Statement 2 is incorrect. The Mekedatu Project is situated at the confluence of the Cauvery River and its tributary, the Arkavathi, not the Krishna River.
3. Statement 3 is incorrect. The expected capacity of the Mekedatu dam is 66,000 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) is not correct; the actual capacity is much less. The figure of 66,000 TMC is incorrect, and the dam’s capacity is around 66 TMC.

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

Explanation:

1. Statement 1 is correct. The Wagner Group, officially known as PMC Wagner, operates as a private military company and a network of mercenaries.
2. Statement 2 is correct. The Wagner Group was founded by Yevgeny Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin, who is a former special forces officer in Russia’s GRU (military intelligence).
3. Statement 3 is incorrect. Although the Wagner Group was indeed registered as a private military company, this registration occurred in 2022, not 2014. The group first emerged in 2014, during Russia’s annexation of Crimea.