Daily Current Affairs MCQ: 7th July 2025 - UPSC MCQ

1. Gini Index - Measures income distribution equality. This pair is correctly matched. The Gini Index is indeed a measure of income distribution within a population, where a score of 0 indicates perfect equality and 100 indicates perfect inequality.

2. Poverty Headcount Ratio - Represents the percentage of people living below a specific income threshold. This pair is correctly matched. The Poverty Headcount Ratio measures the proportion of a population living below a certain income level, often used to assess absolute poverty.

3. Shared Prosperity Premium - Assesses if the top 10% of the population is experiencing growth at a rate higher than the average. This pair is incorrectly matched. The Shared Prosperity Premium actually assesses whether the income growth of the bottom 40% of the population exceeds the average growth rate, not the top 10%.

4. India's Gini Score of 25.5 in 2022-23 - Indicates significant income equality. This pair is correctly matched. A Gini Score of 25.5 suggests a high level of income equality, as a lower Gini score indicates more equal income distribution.

Pairs 1, 2, and 4 are correctly matched, while pair 3 is incorrectly matched. Thus, only two pairs are correctly matched.

India's recent focus on the Global South signifies a strategic shift towards strengthening ties with developing countries. This move aims to create a more balanced global system and enhance cooperation with nations that share historical bonds and common interests. By engaging with the Global South, India seeks to foster mutual growth, tackle shared challenges, and contribute to a more inclusive and equitable international order.

1. Operation Sindoor is incorrectly matched. It was not a joint military exercise conducted by India and China. Rather, it indicates collaboration between China and Pakistan highlighting operational cooperation, not involving India.

2. Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 is incorrectly matched. This policy is not focused on promoting cricket but is a national sports policy with an emphasis on integrating sports into India's development journey, with a particular focus on football.

3. International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) is correctly matched. This treaty indeed aims to ensure fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of plant genetic resources, among other objectives.

4. OCI Talent is correctly matched. It refers to the potential of Overseas Citizens of India contributing to the national football team, as part of the Khelo Bharat Niti 2025.

The correctly matched pairs are the third and fourth, making only two pairs correctly matched.

1. People's Liberation Army (PLA) - Israel: Incorrect. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the combined military forces of China, not Israel. The PLA is known for incorporating advanced AI technologies into its military strategies.

2. Centre of Artificial Intelligence and Computing - Pakistan: Correct. Pakistan has established the Centre of Artificial Intelligence and Computing with assistance from China. This collaboration is a strategic concern for India due to its focus on military applications of AI.

3. Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) - India: Correct. India is considering the development of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) to enhance its nuclear energy capacity, which is crucial for supporting AI-driven defense capabilities.

4. Cognitive Electronic Warfare - China: Incorrect. While China has advanced capabilities in electronic warfare, the specific term "Cognitive Electronic Warfare" is more associated with the collaborative efforts between China and Pakistan, rather than solely with China.

Thus, only pairs 2 and 3 are correctly matched.

- Statement 1 is correct. India's Gini Score of 25.5 in 2022-23 is indeed indicative of strong income equality, and it has outperformed all G7 nations in this regard. The Gini score is a measure where lower values indicate more income equality. Thus, India's score demonstrates a high level of income equality compared to other developed nations.

- Statement 2 is incorrect. The World Bank’s Gini Index is a measure of income inequality, where a score of 0 indicates perfect equality (not inequality), and a score of 100 indicates perfect inequality. Therefore, stating that a score of 0 indicates perfect inequality is incorrect.

- Statement 3 is correct. According to the provided data, India's poverty headcount ratio in 2022-23 was indeed less than 3%, with 2.3% of the population living below $2.15 per day. This shows significant progress in reducing poverty levels.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option C: 1 and 3 Only, as both these statements accurately reflect the information provided and align with the data regarding India's income equality and poverty levels.

Warm volcanic rock surfaces are suggested to have played a crucial role in concentrating organic molecules within watery cracks, potentially triggering life-like chemistry. This concentration within the cracks could have facilitated the interactions necessary for the formation of protocells, representing early precursors to biological cells. This insight offers valuable information on how life could have originated on Earth before the advent of complex cells.

1. Operation Sindoor marked a strategic shift, indicating China's active operational support to Pakistan, including real-time ISR capabilities during conflicts.

- This statement is correct. Operation Sindoor has been noted for showcasing a more direct engagement by China in terms of providing real-time Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities to Pakistan, demonstrating a shift from their previous tacit support to an active tactical partnership.

2. The Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 framework includes a focus on leveraging sports for economic growth and job creation.

- This statement is correct. The Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 indeed emphasizes using sports, particularly football, as a means to stimulate economic activity and create jobs, as part of its five-pillar approach.

3. Proposed amendments to the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture could enhance India's control over its plant genetic resources by expanding the Multilateral System.

- This statement is incorrect. The proposed amendments are actually viewed as a potential threat to India's sovereignty over its plant genetic resources. The expansion of the Multilateral System (MLS) could undermine India's control and lead to international access to all plant genetic materials, which contradicts the treaty's original intent and may weaken farmers' rights.

Thus, statements 1 and 2 are correct, while statement 3 is incorrect. Therefore, the correct answer is Option B: 1 and 2 Only.

1. Statement 1 is correct: The government health expenditure increased from 1.13% to 1.84% of GDP. This reflects a significant rise in public spending on health, aligning with the goals of making healthcare more affordable and accessible.

2. Statement 2 is incorrect: The Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission is not limited to enhancing digital health solutions exclusively. Instead, it encompasses a broader aim of improving the overall health infrastructure, including physical infrastructure and human resources, to support the healthcare system.

3. Statement 3 is correct: There was a substantial reduction in out-of-pocket expenses from 62.6% to 39.4%. This decrease indicates an improvement in financial protection for individuals, reducing the burden on families and making healthcare more affordable.

Thus, the correct statements are 1 and 3, making Option B the correct answer.

Statement-I discusses the evolution of China-Pakistan collusion from tacit support to active tactical partnership, as highlighted in the news about Operation Sindoor. This aligns with the information provided in the article about the changing dynamics of the China-Pakistan relationship.

Statement-II talks about Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 aiming to position sports as a key pillar in India's development, particularly focusing on football development. This statement is also accurate as per the information provided in the article about the sports policy.

Therefore, both statements are individually correct, but they do not have a direct explanatory relationship. Hence, option (b) is the correct answer.

- Statement 1: This statement is incorrect. India currently faces a nuclear energy shortfall with a capacity of only 7.5 GW, which is insufficient to support future AI-driven defense needs, whereas China has made significant investments in its energy infrastructure to support such advancements.

- Statement 2: This statement is correct. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China has indeed incorporated AI into its military operations, significantly enhancing artillery systems and drone capabilities for precise targeting. This reflects China's strategic emphasis on leveraging AI for military superiority.

- Statement 3: This statement is incorrect. The collaboration between China and Pakistan in AI technology, particularly through Pakistan's Centre of Artificial Intelligence and Computing, poses a strategic threat to India as it focuses on cognitive electronic warfare, rather than purely humanitarian applications.

The correct answer is Option C: 2 Only, as only the second statement accurately reflects the situation as per the provided context.