Daily Current Affairs Quiz: March 11, 2026

Option (a) is incorrect: Deep-sea volcanic activity may release gases, but dark oxygen is not produced through volcanic processes. The concept relates to oxygen formation in deep ocean environments independent of volcanic emissions.

Option (b) is correct: Dark oxygen refers to oxygen produced deep below the ocean surface in complete darkness without photosynthesis. This discovery challenges the traditional belief that oxygen production requires sunlight-driven photosynthesis.

Option (c) is incorrect: Oxygen released from melting ice sheets results from physical processes, not from a biological or chemical oxygen production mechanism like dark oxygen.

Option (d) is incorrect: Coral reefs and other marine organisms may influence oxygen levels, but they rely on photosynthetic symbiotic algae, which require sunlight and therefore cannot produce oxygen in complete darkness.

Option (a) is correct: The Three Seas Initiative is a regional cooperation platform involving European countries located between the Adriatic Sea, Baltic Sea and Black Sea, aiming to strengthen infrastructure, energy and digital connectivity.

Option (b) is incorrect: The North Sea and Mediterranean Sea are not part of the geographic framework of the Three Seas Initiative. The initiative specifically focuses on Central and Eastern Europe between three particular seas.

Option (c) is incorrect: The Red Sea is not connected to Europe geographically, and therefore it is unrelated to the Three Seas Initiative.

Option (d) is incorrect: Although the Baltic Sea is part of the initiative, the North Sea and Caspian Sea are not included in the Three Seas Initiative’s geographical scope.

Option (a) is incorrect: Specialised agencies such as UNESCO or WHO are autonomous organisations linked to the UN system, whereas the Commission on the Status of Women operates within the institutional framework of ECOSOC.

Option (b) is correct: The Commission on the Status of Women is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) established in 1946 to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment globally.

Option (c) is incorrect: The UN Security Council primarily deals with international peace and security, and the Commission on the Status of Women is not a subsidiary body under it.

Option (d) is incorrect: The UN Human Rights Council is a separate intergovernmental body, while the Commission on the Status of Women functions under ECOSOC and focuses specifically on gender equality and women’s rights.

Option (a) is incorrect: Hawaii lies in the central Pacific Ocean, far from the southwest Pacific region where the Solomon Islands are located.

Option (b) is incorrect: The Western Indian Ocean near Madagascar includes island nations such as Seychelles, Mauritius and Comoros, but not the Solomon Islands.

Option (c) is incorrect: The Canary Islands are located in the eastern Atlantic Ocean near the northwest coast of Africa and belong to Spain, not to the Solomon Islands region.

Option (d) is correct: The Solomon Islands lie in the south-western Pacific Ocean, situated southeast of Papua New Guinea and northwest of Vanuatu. The country consists of volcanic islands and coral atolls and lies within the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire.

Option (a) is incorrect: Endangered species face a very high risk of extinction in the wild. Although the Sambar Deer population has declined in some regions, it is not currently placed in the Endangered category by the IUCN.

Option (b) is incorrect: Near Threatened species are those that may become threatened in the near future, but the Sambar Deer is already considered at a higher risk category than this.

Option (c) is correct: The Sambar Deer is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, indicating that it faces a high risk of extinction due to factors such as habitat loss, hunting pressure and fragmentation of forest ecosystems.

Option (d) is incorrect: Least Concern is assigned to species with stable and widespread populations. The Sambar Deer does not fall into this category due to pressures on its natural habitats and declining populations in parts of its range.