Sources for current affairs on 18th March 2024 include Indian Express, Times of India (TOI), The Hindu, Hindustan Times, and Mint, PIB, All India Radio.
1. Ordnance Factory Day in India: Celebrated annually on March 18th to honor the establishment of the first Ordnance factory in Kolkata in 1801.
2. Volcanic Eruptions in Iceland: Iceland declared a state of emergency due to its fourth volcanic eruption since December, with lava continuing to flow, particularly in southern Iceland.
3. Lok Sabha Election in India: The Election Commission announced a seven-phase Lok Sabha election starting April 19.
4. Snakebite Envenoming: WHO classified snakebite envenoming as a high-priority neglected tropical disease, prompting India’s Union Health Ministry to launch a National Action Plan for Prevention and Control.
5. Gender Inequality Index 2022: Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, and Sweden topped the index; India ranked 108 out of 193 countries.
6. Chausath Khamba: A historical structure near Nizamuddin dargah in India, built in 1623-24 AD, housing the tomb of Mirza Aziz Koka.
7. ‘ETHANOL 100’ Fuel Launch: India’s Ministry of Petroleum launched ‘ETHANOL 100’ fuel at IndianOil Retail Outlets, aiming for 20% ethanol blending by 2025-26.
8. First Integrated Oil Palm Processing Unit in India: Started operations in Arunachal Pradesh’s Roing, aligning with the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP).
9. FLNAT (Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test): A nationwide test in India assessing literacy and numeracy skills of non-literate learners aged 15 and above.
10. Pokhara Tourism Capital of Nepal: Declared as such, boosting tourism prospects for the city.
11. Google DeepMind’s AI Gaming Agent: Named SIMA (Scalable Instructable Multiworld Agent), a new AI gaming agent revealed by Google DeepMind.
12. Sangita Kalanidhi Award: T M Krishna won this prestigious award, presented by the Madras Music Academy.
13. Ban on Colouring Agents in Karnataka: The government banned certain colouring agents like Rhodamine B used in food preparation.
18th March 2024 Current Affairs MCQ
1. What is celebrated on March 18th in India?
A) Independence Day
B) Ordnance Factory Day
C) Republic Day
D) Gandhi Jayanti
Answer: B) Ordnance Factory Day
2. Which country declared a state of emergency due to volcanic eruptions?
A) Norway
B) Iceland
C) Japan
D) New Zealand
Answer: B) Iceland
3. When is the Lok Sabha election set to begin in India?
A) March 19th
B) April 19th
C) May 19th
D) June 19th
Answer: B) April 19th
4. What did the World Health Organization classify as a neglected tropical disease?**
A) Malaria
B) Tuberculosis
C) Snakebite envenoming
D) Dengue fever
Answer: C) Snakebite envenoming**
5. Which country topped the Gender Inequality Index 2022?
A) India
B) Denmark
C) Norway
D) Switzerland
Answer: B) Denmark
6. Where is Chausath Khamba located?
A) Delhi, India
B) Mumbai, India
C) Kolkata, India
D) Chennai, India
Answer: A) Delhi, India
7. What is ‘ETHANOL 100’ related to in India?
A) Space research
B) Automotive fuel
C) Agricultural fertilizer
D) Solar energy
Answer: B) Automotive fuel
8. Where did India’s first integrated oil palm processing unit start its operations?**
A) Punjab
B) Uttar Pradesh
C) Arunachal Pradesh
D) Rajasthan
Answer: C) Arunachal Pradesh
9. What does FLNAT assess in India?
A) Cooking skills
B) Literacy and numeracy skills
C) Driving skills
D) Musical abilities
Answer: B) Literacy and numeracy skills
10. Which city was declared the tourism capital of Nepal?
A) Kathmandu
B) Pokhara
C) Lalitpur
D) Biratnagar
Answer: B) Pokhara
11. What is SIMA?
A) A new government initiative
B) A historical monument
C) An AI gaming agent
D) A renewable energy source
Answer: C) An AI gaming agent
12. Who won the Sangita Kalanidhi award?
A) Ravi Shankar
B) A.R. Rahman
C) T M Krishna
D) Lata Mangeshkar
Answer: C) T M Krishna
13. Which state in India banned certain colouring agents?
A) Maharashtra
B) Karnataka
C) Kerala
D) Tamil Nadu
Answer: B) Karnataka