#521

Which company's 'AlphaChip' reinforcement learning method was highlighted in 2024 for transforming chip floorplanning?

(a) NVIDIA

(b) Google

(c) Intel

(d) AMD

Explanation: Google highlighted its 'AlphaChip' method in 2024, which uses reinforcement learning to accelerate and optimize the floorplanning process for computer chips, improving design efficiency.

#522

Which AI tool released by OpenAI in late 2024 is capable of generating realistic video from text instructions?

(a) DALL-E 3

(b) Sora

(c) Veo

(d) Make-A-Video

Explanation: Sora is a text-to-video AI model released by OpenAI in December 2024 (publicly demoed earlier in the year) that can create realistic and imaginative scenes from text instructions.

#523

Which company released the 'Llama' series of open-source language models, with significant updates in 2024 and 2025?

(a) Google

(b) Meta

(c) Microsoft

(d) Amazon

Explanation: Meta Platforms released the Llama series of models (including Llama 3 in 2024), which became a standard for open-source large language models in the AI community.

#524

Which major milestone did SpaceX's Starship achieve for the first time during its fifth flight test in late 2024/early 2025?

(a) Reaching the Moon

(b) Successful catch of the Super Heavy booster by the launch tower arms

(c) Deploying 100 Starlink satellites

(d) Docking with the ISS

Explanation: During the fifth flight test, SpaceX successfully caught the Super Heavy booster using the 'Mechazilla' launch tower arms, a historic feat for reusable rocket technology.

#525

In January 2025, Firefly Aerospace launched its first 'Blue Ghost' lunar lander. What is the name of this specific mission?

(a) Ghost Riders in the Sky

(b) Dark Side of the Moon

(c) Lunar Pathfinder

(d) Artemis Scout

Explanation: Firefly Aerospace named its first Blue Ghost mission 'Ghost Riders in the Sky'. It launched in January 2025 to deliver NASA CLPS payloads.

#526

ISRO's 'Proba-3' mission, launched in late 2024, is a collaboration with ESA to demonstrate what technology?

(a) Soft lunar landing

(b) Precise formation flying to create a solar coronagraph

(c) Reusable launch vehicle return

(d) Mars atmospheric entry

Explanation: Proba-3 is an ESA mission launched by ISRO to demonstrate precise formation flying, where two satellites fly in tandem to form an artificial solar eclipse (coronagraph).

#527

The JAXA 'Martian Moons eXploration' (MMX) mission, originally targeted for 2024, was officially delayed in the 2025 timeframe to launch in which year?

(a) 2025

(b) 2026

(d) 2030

Explanation: Due to issues with the H3 launch vehicle, JAXA postponed the MMX mission launch from 2024 to the next available Mars window in 2026.

#528

Which ISRO mission launched in late 2024/early 2025 is designed to demonstrate autonomous docking capabilities in orbit?

(a) Gaganyaan-1

(b) SPADEX

(c) Chandrayaan-4

(d) Mangalyaan-2

Explanation: SPADEX (Space Docking Experiment) is the ISRO mission designed to demonstrate autonomous rendezvous and docking between two spacecraft.

#529

Which ISRO satellite, launched in November 2024/late 2024, is a high-throughput communication satellite launched by SpaceX?

(a) GSAT-24

(b) GSAT-N2

(c) INSAT-4B

(d) CMS-01

Explanation: GSAT-N2 was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 in late 2024 to provide high-throughput communication services for India.

#530

In late 2024, China's 'Shenzhou 19' (or subsequent crew) was rotated. What is the name of China's space station?

(a) Mir

(b) Tiangong

(c) Salute

(d) Harmony

Explanation: China's permanently crewed space station is named Tiangong ('Heavenly Palace').

#531

Which Indian mission launched in late 2024 is dedicated to X-ray polarimetry?

(a) Aditya-L1

(b) XPoSat

(c) Astrosat-2

(d) Gaganyaan

Explanation: XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite) is India's first dedicated polarimetry mission to study various dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources.

#532

Which city hosted the COP29 UN Climate Change Conference in November 2024, where a new climate finance goal was a central topic?

(a) Dubai, UAE

(b) Baku, Azerbaijan

(c) Belém, Brazil

(d) Glasgow, UK

Explanation: COP29 was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November 2024. The conference focused heavily on establishing a New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) for climate finance to support developing nations.

#533

In late 2024, the final round of negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty took place in which city?

(a) Paris, France

(b) Busan, South Korea

(c) Nairobi, Kenya

(d) Ottawa, Canada

Explanation: The fifth and final session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution was held in Busan, South Korea, in late 2024.

#534

Which politician was nominated by Donald Trump in late 2024 to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)?

(a) Lee Zeldin

(b) Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

(c) Vivek Ramaswamy

(d) Doug Burgum

Explanation: In November 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced the nomination of former Congressman Lee Zeldin to serve as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

#535

The 'Emissions Gap Report 2024' by UNEP warned that current policies are leading the world toward a temperature rise of approximately how much by 2100?

(a) 1.5°C

(b) 2.0°C

(c) 2.6°C to 3.1°C

(d) 4.5°C

Explanation: The UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2024 warned that without immediate and massive emission cuts, current policies place the world on a trajectory for a temperature rise of 2.6°C to 3.1°C by the end of the century.

#536

Which country launched the 'International Big Cat Alliance' (IBCA) which gained further traction in 2024/2025?

(a) South Africa

(b) India

(c) Brazil

(d) Kenya

Explanation: India launched the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) to conserve seven big cat species. The initiative continued to gather international support and members throughout 2024 and 2025.

#537

What major air quality issue did Lahore and New Delhi face in November 2024 and 2025, reaching hazardous levels?

(a) Sandstorms

(b) Smog

(c) Acid Rain

(d) Ozone depletion

Explanation: Both Lahore and New Delhi experienced record-breaking smog levels in November 2024 and again in 2025, driven by crop burning, vehicular emissions, and stagnant weather conditions.

#538

In 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) began hearings on which landmark case?

(a) Legality of Whaling

(b) States' obligations regarding Climate Change

(c) Plastic export bans

(d) Deep sea mining rights

Explanation: The ICJ began historic hearings to define the legal obligations of states to combat climate change and protect the environment for present and future generations.

#539

Which country announced its withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) in 2024, joining other European nations?

(a) United Kingdom

(b) Russia

(c) China

(d) India

Explanation: The UK announced its withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty in 2024, citing that the treaty's protection of fossil fuel investments interfered with its net-zero transition plans.

#540

Which major river basin in South America experienced a historic drought in 2024/2025?

(a) Orinoco

(b) Amazon

(c) Paraná

(d) Magdalena

Explanation: The Amazon River basin faced an unprecedented drought in 2024 and 2025, with water levels dropping to record lows, isolating communities and killing freshwater dolphins.

January 2024 Current Affairs MCQs & Solutions