Current Affairs Quiz 13 March 2026

Q1. Consider the following statements regarding women’s political participation in India:

1. Women’s voter turnout in Lok Sabha elections has historically been higher than men since independence.
2. Women’s turnout nearly equalled men’s turnout in the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
3. In several State Assembly elections after 2011, women’s turnout has exceeded men’s turnout.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A. 1 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3

Answer: B

Explanation:

• Statement 1 – Incorrect.
  Historically, women’s electoral participation in India was lower than men’s due to factors such as lower literacy, mobility restrictions, and social barriers.
  Example: In the 1967 Lok Sabha election, male turnout was 66.7% while female turnout was 55.5%, creating a gap of 11.2 percentage points.
• Statement 2 – Correct.
  In the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the gender turnout gap nearly disappeared, indicating near parity in voting behaviour.
• Statement 3 – Correct.
  In several State Assembly elections since 2011, women’s turnout has exceeded men’s turnout, reflecting growing political participation.

Q2. Which of the following technologies are used for electrification of industrial heat?

1. Induction heating
2. Plasma torches
3. Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) systems
4. Hydroelectric turbines

Select the correct answer using the code below:

A. 1 and 2 only
B. 1, 2 and 3 only
C. 2, 3 and 4 only
D. 1, 3 and 4 only

Answer: B

Explanation:

• Induction heating (1) – Correct
  Uses electromagnetic fields to directly heat conductive materials and can achieve efficiency above 90%.
• Plasma torches (2) – Correct
  Produce high-temperature plasma capable of heating industrial furnaces and kilns above 1000°C.
• Concentrated Solar Thermal (3) – Correct
  Uses mirrors or parabolic troughs to concentrate sunlight and generate industrial steam or process heat (up to ~400°C).
• Hydroelectric turbines (4) – Incorrect
  These generate electricity, not industrial heat.

Q3. Consider the following statements regarding deepfakes:

1. Deepfakes are created using artificial intelligence and deep learning algorithms.
2. Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) are commonly used to create deepfakes.
3. Deepfakes can generate manipulated audio, video, or images impersonating real individuals.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

A. 1 only
B. 1 and 2 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3

Answer: D

Explanation:

• Statement 1 – Correct.
  Deepfakes are generated using artificial intelligence and deep learning models.
• Statement 2 – Correct.
  A common technique involves Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) where two neural networks compete to create realistic synthetic media.
• Statement 3 – Correct.
  Deepfakes can generate synthetic audio, video, and images, enabling impersonation of real individuals.

Q4. Consider the following statements regarding women’s political leadership globally:

1. Only about 28 countries are currently led by women as heads of state or government.
2. More than 100 countries have never had a female head of state or government.
3. Women currently hold more than one-third of parliamentary seats globally.

How many of the above statements are correct?

A. Only One
B. Only Two
C. Only Three
D. None

Answer: B

Explanation:

• Statement 1 – Correct.
  Approximately 28 countries currently have women as heads of state or government.
• Statement 2 – Correct.
  Around 101 countries have never had a female head of state or government, indicating structural gender barriers.
• Statement 3 – Incorrect.
  Women hold only ~27.5% of parliamentary seats globally, which is less than one-third.

Q5. Consider the following statements regarding the Jhelum River:

1. The Jhelum River originates from Verinag Spring in the Pir Panjal foothills.
2. The river flows through Wular Lake before entering Pakistan.
3. It is one of the eastern rivers of the Indus system allocated primarily to India under the Indus Waters Treaty.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3

Answer: A

Explanation:

• Statement 1 – Correct.
  The Jhelum River originates from Verinag Spring in the Pir Panjal range of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Statement 2 – Correct.
  The river flows through Srinagar and Wular Lake before entering Pakistan.
• Statement 3 – Incorrect.
  The Jhelum is a western river of the Indus basin.

Under the Indus Waters Treaty (1960):

• Eastern Rivers (India) → Ravi, Beas, Sutlej
• Western Rivers (Pakistan) → Indus, Jhelum, Chenab

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