Daily Current Affairs – 02-05-2025

1. ‘Orange Economy’ recently seen in news refers to economy deals with

(a) Technology and digitalization

(b) Sustainable use of ocean resources

(c) Creative assets

(d) Aging population’s needs and aspirations

Explanation: Option C

News: Emphasizing on Orange Economy by PM Modi while addressing the World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit 2025

The ‘orange economy’, also known as the creative economy, refers to economic activities that leverage creativity, culture, and intellectual property to generate wealth and jobs.

• Blue Economy: sustainable marine and freshwater management, including fisheries, aquaculture, and water-based tourism, ensuring ecosystem health and economic viability;

• Gold Economy: technology and digitalization, activities leading high-tech innovation such as digital finance, advanced technologies, and premium digital services;

• Green Economy: with a focus on the Circular Economy: sustainability, renewable energy, green manufacturing, and eco-friendly practices aimed at minimizing environmental footprints and optimizing the use of resources

• Orange Economy: cultural and creative industries, encompassing arts, entertainment, fashion, design, architecture, advertising, software, publishing, and research and development;

• Silver Economy: targets the aging population’s needs and aspirations, focusing on entrepreneurship, older workers, retirement planning, and age-friendly products and services;

• White Economy: health and social care sectors, critical for societal well-being and in facing challenges like resilience in a poly-crisis context;

• Yellow Economy: new development models and opportunities in the desert, such as desert tourism, use of renewable energies, sustainable agriculture and enterprise Development.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pm-modi-at-waves-says-right-time-for-create-in-india-create-for-world/article69519204.ece 

2. The Species “Red Admiral, Malabar Flash, Monarch” are

(a) Reptiles

(b) Insects

(c) Birds

(d) Mammals

Explanation: Option B

News: Red Admiral butterfly seen for first time in Himachal

• In a remarkable first for India’s lepidopteran records, the European Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), a widely distributed migratory butterfly species, has been sighted and documented in Himachal Pradesh. 
• The species was observed near Dharamshala in the Dhauladhar mountain range.
• A single specimen was recorded at Thatharna Hill, at an elevation of 2,500 metres.
• Monarch butterflies, known for migrating thousands of miles (km) across North America, have experienced a decades-long U.S. population decline due to habitat loss.

3. Consider the following statements regarding PRivate Members Bill:

1. Private Member’s Bills are a mechanism through which Members of Parliament (MP), who are not Ministers, can propose their own legislation.
2. Its introduction in the parliament requires one month’s notice.
3. Since Independence, only 14 Private Bills have been passed and received presidential assent and none has cleared both Houses since 1970.

Select the correct answer using code given below:

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation: Option C

News: Reviving a far-sighted but forgotten Bill mechanism

• Since Independence, only 14 PMBs have been passed and received presidential assent and none has cleared both Houses since 1970. In the 17th Lok Sabha (2019-24), 729 PMBs were introduced in the Lok Sabha and 705 in the Rajya Sabha. 
• However, only two in the Lok Sabha and 14 in the Rajya Sabha were ever discussed.
• In 2019, Supriya Sule (NCP) introduced the Right to Disconnect Bill in the Lok Sabha, which aimed to give employees the legal right to not engage in work-related communication after office hours. Though not passed, it sparked national debate on work-life balance and mental health.

4. Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct with respect to ASEAN Grouping?

1. It is a regional group of ten countries that promotes economic, political, and security cooperation.
2. India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore are the founding members of ASEAN.
3. The Chiang Mai Initiative (CMI) is the first regional currency swap arrangement launched by the ASEAN+3 countries.

Select the correct answer using code given below:

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation: Option B

• The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a regional organization which was established to promote political and social stability amid rising tensions among the Asia-Pacific’s post-colonial states. The motto of ASEAN is “One Vision, One Identity, One Community”.
• It was established in 1967 in Bangkok with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration or Bangkok Declaration.
• ASEAN Secretariat: Jakarta, Indonesia.
• Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand are the founding members of ASEAN.
• It has ten member countries. Other members are Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Brunei.
• In 2022, ASEAN agreed in-principle to admit Timor-Leste as the 11th member of ASEAN, and adopted a roadmap for Timor-Leste’s full membership.
• India is not a member of ASEAN.
• The Chiang Mai Initiative (CMI) is the first regional currency swap arrangement launched by the ASEAN+3 countries (ASEAN+3 (ASEAN, China, Japan, and South Korea)) in May 2000 at an annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank to address the short-term liquidity difficulties in the region and to supplement the existing international financial arrangements. 
• CMI is composed of: (a) the ASEAN Swap Arrangement (ASA) among ASEAN countries, and (b) a network of bilateral swap arrangements (BSAs) among the ASEAN+3 countries.

Source: https://asean.org/ https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/chinas-strategic-push-asia-ties-amid-tariff-tensions/article69522335.ece 

5. Consider the following statements:

1. Blue Hydrogen is produced by splitting water by electrolysis
2. Green Hydrogen is when natural gas is split into Hydrogen and CO2, but the CO2 is captured and then stored.
3. Brown Hydrogen is hydrogen produced from coal or lignite (brown coal) through a process called gasification.

Which of the above Statement(s) is/are incorrect?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation: Option B

News: How can India tap its natural hydrogen potential?

Green Hydrogen: Green Hydrogen is Hydrogen produced by splitting water by electrolysis. This produces only Hydrogen and Oxygen. We can use Hydrogen and vent the Oxygen to the atmosphere with no negative impact. It is called green because there is no CO2 emission during the production process.

Blue Hydrogen: Blue Hydrogen is when natural gas is split into Hydrogen and CO2, but the CO2 is captured and then stored. As the greenhouse gasses are captured, this mitigates the environmental impacts on the planet.

Grey Hydrogen: It is a similar process to Blue Hydrogen as natural gas is split into Hydrogen and CO2,, but the CO2 is not being captured and is released into the atmosphere. 

Black/Brown Hydrogen: Brown Hydrogen is made from brown coal and Black Hydrogen is made from black coal are produced via gasification. It is a polluting process and CO2 and Carbon Monoxide are produced as by-products and released to the atmosphere.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/how-can-india-tap-its-natural-hydrogen-potential-explained/article69522721.ece 

6. Consider the following statements:

1. This is the first tunnel built by using a tunnel boring machine (TBM especially used in Hard rocks) in the Himalayan terrain.
2. The rail link is a 125.20 km long, single-line broad-gauge railway project.
3. The project will connect five districts of Jammu & Kashmir.

Which of the above Statement(s) is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) All the above

Explanation: Option A

News: At 14.57 km, it’s a Himalayan task as India’s longest rail tunnel races to the finish line

• Tunnel T8 on the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Rail Project is being constructed using a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) in the Himalayan region.
• Janasu tunnel on the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag line marked a major milestone towards what is called to be the longest transport tunnel in India..
• The 14.58 km long tunnel no. 8 or the Janasu tunnel, falls on the Devprayag to Janasu stretch of the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag line.
• The longest road tunnel is the Atal tunnel (9.02 km long) on the Manali-Leh highway. 
• Approximately 104 km or 83% of the route passes through tunnels due to the mountainous terrain.
• The project will connect five districts in Uttarakhand such as Dehradun, Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, Rudraprayag, and Chamoli.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/long-reads/himalayan-uttarakhand-india-longest-rail-tunnel-9977990/ 

7. Which of the following falls under Critical Minerals of India?

1. Copper
2. Lithium 
3. Nickel
4. Cobalt 
5. Graphite
6. Titanium

Select the correct answer using code given below:

(a) 1,2,3 and 4

(b) 1,2,3,4,5 and 6

(c) 1,3,4,5 and 6

(d) 2,3,5 and 6

Explanation: Option B

News: 

• Critical minerals are minerals which are essential for economic development and national security of any country. 
• The lack of availability or concentration of existence, extraction or processing of these minerals in few geographical locations may lead to supply chain vulnerability and disruption.
• Critical minerals such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements are essential components of many of today’s rapidly growing energy technologies.
• Government has released a list of 30 critical minerals for India.  These minerals are Antimony, Beryllium, Bismuth, Cobalt, Copper, Gallium, Germanium, Graphite, Hafnium, Indium, Lithium, Molybdenum, Niobium, Nickel, PGE, Phosphorous, Potash, REE,Rhenium, Silicon, Strontium, Tantalum, Tellurium, Tin, Titanium, Tungsten, Vanadium,Zirconium, Selenium and Cadmium.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/business/what-are-ukraines-critical-minerals-and-what-do-we-know-about-the-deal-with-us/article69521157.ece 

8. Consider the following pairs: 

How many of the above pair(s) is/are correctly matched?

(a) Only one

(b) One two

(c) All the pairs

(d) None

Explanation: Option A

• The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was created to protect people and the environment from the negative effects of the inappropriate management of hazardous wastes worldwide. 
• It is the most comprehensive global treaty dealing with hazardous waste materials throughout their lifecycles, from production and transport to final use and disposal.
• The Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for certain hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in international trade provides Parties with a first line of defence against hazardous chemicals. 
• It promotes international efforts to protect human health and the environment as well as enabling countries to decide if they want to import hazardous chemicals and pesticides listed in the Convention.
• The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from highly dangerous, long-lasting chemicals by restricting and ultimately eliminating their production, use, trade, release and storage.

Source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2125922 

9. Consider the following pairs: 

How many of the above pair(s) is/are incorrectly matched?

(a) Only One

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation: D

• ‘Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award’ is given for the spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over the period of the previous four years.
• ‘Arjuna Award for outstanding performance in Sports and Games’ is given for good performance over a period of the previous four years and for showing qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and a sense of discipline.
• Arjuna Award (Lifetime) is given to honour and motivate those sportspersons who have contributed to sports by their performance and continue to contribute to promotion of sports even after their retirement from active sporting career.
• ‘Dronacharya Award for outstanding coaches in Sports and Games’ is given to coaches for doing outstanding and meritorious work on a consistent basis and for enabling sportspersons to excel in International events.
• The overall top performing university in Khelo India University Games is given the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy.

Source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2089557 

10. Which of the following countries is the largest producer of alfalfa seeds?

(a) India

(b) U.S

(c) Saudi Arabia

(d) China

Explanation: Option B

News: With the US pushing India to reduce import duty on alfalfa (lucerne) fodder seed, the government is preparing the ground for restricting the genetically modified (GM) version of the crop from entering the country.

• Alfalfa, also called lucerne, is a perennial flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. Alfalfa derives its name from the Arabic word al-fasfasa that means the best forage.
• The US is the world’s largest alfalfa producer. U.S grow both GM and non-GM varieties of alfalfa.
• In India, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan are major Alfalfa producing states.
• The optimum temperature for growth is about 25°C and growth decreases sharply when temperatures are above 30°C and below l0°C.
• Soil: Can be sown in spring or fall, and does best on well-drained soils with a neutral pH of 6.8–7.5. It requires sustained levels of potassium and phosphorus to grow well.
• It is moderately sensitive to salt levels in the soil.

Source: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/india-prepares-ground-to-curb-gm-alfalfa-seed-import-as-us-seeks-market-access/article69501876.ece