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1. The central government increased the salary of MPs by 24% to how many rupees per month?
a. ₹ 1.24 lakh
b. ₹ 2.65 lakh
c. ₹ 5.5 lakh
d. ₹ 10 lakh
Answer: a. ₹ 1.24 lakh
– The Central Government issued a notification on March 24, 2025, announcing a 24% increase in the salaries of Members of Parliament.
– This increase will be effective retrospectively from April 1, 2023.
– MPs will now receive a salary of 1.24 lakh rupees per month, whereas they previously received 1 lakh rupees per month.
– The increment (increase) is calculated based on the Cost Inflation Index.
– The last salary increase for MPs was made in February 2018, when it was raised from 50,000 rupees to 1 lakh rupees.
How much Daily Allowance will be given:
– The notification states that the daily allowance has been increased from 2,000 rupees to 2,500 rupees.
– MPs can claim the daily allowance when attending parliamentary sessions and meetings of parliamentary committees.
– This means that if a session runs continuously for a month and there are also meetings of parliamentary committees, an additional 75,000 rupees will be given for the entire month (30 days).
Increase in Pension:
– The pension for former MPs has been increased from 25,000 rupees per month to 31,000 rupees per month.
– The additional pension for each year of service over five years has been increased from 2,000 rupees per month to 2,500 rupees per month.
How Salary Increases are Calculated:
– The increment (increase) is calculated based on the Cost Inflation Index.
– Until February 2018, Parliament had the authority to pass laws to amend MPs’ salaries.
– Then, through the Finance Act, 2018, Parliament amended the Members of Parliament (Salaries, Allowances, and Pension) Act, 1954 to increase MPs’ salaries, daily allowances, and pensions every five years, based on the Cost Inflation Index provided under the Income Tax Act.
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2. When is World Meteorological Day celebrated?
a. 20 March
b. 21 March
c. 22 March
d. 23 March
Answer: d. 23 March
Theme 2025
– Closing the early warning gap together
– World Meteorological Day is celebrated every year on March 23 to mark the establishment of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on March 23, 1950.
– This day acknowledges the significant role of the WMO in advancing global efforts in weather, climate, and water management. It also raises awareness about the organization’s contributions.
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3. Which of the following became the first state to establish a Senior Citizens Commission?
a. Kerala
b. Punjab
c. Bihar
d. Haryana
Answer: a. Kerala
– The state government has passed the Kerala State Senior Citizens Commission Act, 2025, and established the Senior Citizens Commission.
– Kerala has become the first state in India to do so.
– Its objective is to protect the rights and welfare of elderly citizens and play an advisory role in policy-making.
Kerala Senior Citizens Commission:
– A statutory body established under the Kerala State Senior Citizens Commission Act, 2025.
– Acts as an advisory body in the state’s elderly policy-making.
– Its functions include protecting the rights and welfare of senior citizens, ensuring the rehabilitation, protection, and active participation of the elderly in society.
Kerala:
– CM: P. Vijayan
– Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
– Governor: Rajendra Arlekar
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4. When is World Tuberculosis Day observed?
a. 26 March
b. 25 March
c. 24 March
d. 23 March
Answer: c. 24 March
Theme 2025
– Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver
– This day is declared by the United Nations.
– It is observed to raise public awareness about efforts to eliminate the TB disease.
– On March 24, 1882, German physician and microbiologist Robert Koch discovered the tuberculosis bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
– His discovery proved helpful in the treatment of TB.
– According to the WHO, every day, approximately 4,000 people die from TB, and 28,000 people are infected with this disease.
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5. How much amount of expenditure budget did the Delhi government present in the Assembly for the financial year 2025-26?
a. ₹ 80 thousand crores
b. ₹ 90 thousand crores
c. ₹ one lakh crore
d. ₹ 1.26 lakh crores
Answer: c. ₹ one lakh crore
– Delhi’s Chief Minister Rekha Gupta presented a budget of 1 lakh crore rupees in the Delhi Assembly on March 25, 2025.
– This is 31.5% more than the previous budget.
Important Facts:
– The budget has doubled capital expenditure to 28,000 crore rupees.
– The government has allocated 300 crore rupees to tackle pollution in Delhi.
– 500 crore rupees have been allocated for cleaning the Yamuna river, ensuring that only treated water enters the river through the decentralization of 40 sewage treatment plants (STPs).
– An additional 500 crore rupees have been allocated for the repair and upgrading of STPs, and 250 crore rupees have been set aside for replacing old sewer lines.
– 9,000 crore rupees have been allocated for clean drinking water and sanitation-related projects.
– A provision of 5,100 crore rupees has been made for the Women’s Prosperity Scheme, through which women in Delhi will receive 2,500 rupees every month.
– The Delhi government has allocated 1,000 crore rupees for better transport connectivity with the NCR region and a total of 12,952 crore rupees for the transport sector.
– To enhance women’s safety, the government will install 50,000 CCTV cameras across the city.
– Delhi will host its first ‘Global Investment Summit,’ which will be held every two years.
– The government has allocated 696 crore rupees for the development of slums and set aside 100 crore rupees for opening 100 Atal Canteens in the national capital.
– To improve the education system, the government will establish ‘CM Shri Schools’ inspired by ‘PM Shri Schools’ and in line with the New Education Policy 2020. 100 crore rupees have been allocated for these schools in the FY26 budget.
– The Delhi government will provide free laptops to 1,200 students who pass the 10th grade, with an allocation of 750 crore rupees for this initiative.
– The Environment and Forest Department will receive 506 crore rupees.
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6. Who has been selected for Maharashtra Bhushan, the highest civilian honour of Maharashtra state in the year 2025?
a. Sculptor Neeraj Goswami
b. Sculptor Ram Sutar
c. Sculptor Somnath Hore
d. Sculptor Sudarshan Shetty
Answer: b. Sculptor Ram Sutar
– Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis provided information about Ram Sutar in the Assembly on March 20, 2025.
– Ram Sutar is the designer of the Statue of Unity, which, with a height of 82 meters, is the tallest statue in the world.
– Sutar, who celebrated his 100th birthday in February, has also been honored with the Padma Bhushan.
– He will be awarded 25 lakh rupees and a memento under the Maharashtra Bhushan Award.
– Ram Sutar, along with his son Anil, has been involved in several major projects.
Key Works of Ram Sutar:
– Statue of Unity (182 meters, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Gujarat)
– 251-meter tall statue of Lord Shri Ram (Ayodhya)
– 153-feet tall statue of Lord Shiva (Bengaluru)
– 100-feet tall statue of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj (Moshi, Pune)
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7. Name the Stockholm Water Prize 2025 winner?
a. Sandra Postel
b. Jacob Beyer
c. Gunter Bloschl
d. Andrea Rinaldo
Answer: c. Gunter Bloschl
– The Stockholm Prize is awarded by the Stockholm Water Foundation in collaboration with the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
– This award will be presented in August in Stockholm, Sweden, during the World Water Week, by the official patron of the award, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.
– The announcement of the award recipient, water engineering pioneer and hydrologist Günter Blöschl, was made on March 20, 2025.
– Günter Blöschl’s extensive database and analysis have revolutionized global understanding of flood risk reduction and water resource management.
– The prize committee for the Stockholm Water Prize stated in their citation, “Professor Günter is one of the world’s leading flood hydrologists. He has made significant contributions to understanding the causes of increasing flood risks due to climate change.”
Gunter Bloschl
– Gunter Bloschl is the head of the Institute for Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management at the Vienna University of Technology.
– He is also the director of the doctoral program in water resource systems at the Vienna University of Technology, which he founded over 15 years ago, and is a part-time professor at the University of Bologna.
– He grew up in Vienna.
Source Down to Earth:
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8. Martyr’s Day is celebrated on March 23 to remember the martyrdom of which revolutionaries?
a. Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad and Rajguru
b. Ram Prasad Bismil, Chandrashekhar Azad and Rajguru
c. Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru
d. Chandrashekhar Azad and BR Ambedkar
Answer: c. Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru
– The martyrdom day on 23rd March is observed to pay tribute to the great revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar, and Shivaram Rajguru on the anniversary of their sacrifice.
– On March 23, 1931, during British rule, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev were hanged in Lahore (Pakistan).
– Since then, March 23 has been observed as Martyrs’ Day across the country.
– They were accused of killing British police officer John Saunders in 1928.
– They had mistakenly identified him as British police superintendent James Scott, who had ordered the lathi charge that led to the death of Lala Lajpat Rai.
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9. Which foreign university signed an agreement with the state government to set up a campus in Andhra Pradesh?
a. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
b. Oxford University
c. Russian Defense University
d. Georgian National University
Answer: d. Georgian National University
– Andhra Pradesh’s Education Minister Nara Lokesh made this announcement.
– On March 24, 2025, Georgian National University signed an MoU with the Andhra Pradesh government.
– This university will open its campus in the northern region of Andhra Pradesh.
– The project involves an investment of 1,300 crore rupees.
About the University:
– Georgian National University, established in 2001 in Tbilisi, Georgia, is a private university known for its strong focus on medical education and is a popular choice for international students, especially those seeking MBBS programs.
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10. Name the new Finance Secretary of India?
a. Alok Pathak
b. Ajay Seth
c. Ashok Jain
d. Vinod Khanna
Answer: b. Ajay Seth
– He is an IAS officer of the 1987 batch from the Karnataka cadre.
– Previously, he served as the Secretary of Economic Affairs.
– He replaced Tuhin Kanta Pandey, who has now become the Chairman of SEBI.
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